Primary Wave Buys Catalog of Patrick Leonard in Multi-Million-Dollar Deal Including Partial Rights to Leonard Cohen Songs and Madonna Hit Like a Prayer

Music company Primary Wave purchased the catalog of songwriter Patrick Leonard through a “Multi-million-dollar deal” yesterday, April 20. Leonard is a writer/producer best known for his work with Madonna as well as the co-writer on several famous Leonard Cohen songs.

The acquisition deal transfers all the rights to both sides of Leonard’s catalog, meaning the rights to his music publishing, music recordings and the master royalties he collected as a producer. Primary Wave had just bought a majority stake in Mark Morrison’s catalog in March, who’s best known for his hit “Return of the Mack.” Other recent purchases the company has made include the acquisition of Sun Records for $30 million, as well as deals for the entire catalog of songwriter Jon Lind (Earth Wind & Fire, Cher, Vanessa Williams) and 50 percent of KT Tunstall’s publishing rights.

Leonard worked on some of Madonna’s biggest albums, such as True Blue (1986), Like a Prayer (1989), I’m Breathless (1990) and Ray of Light (1998). Among the songs he has credits on are some of her #1 hits including “La Isla Bonita,” “Frozen” and “Like A Prayer.”

The biggest Leonard Cohen songs that Patrick Leonard co-wrote are from his critically-lauded final album You Want It Darker. That includes his last big hit “You Want It Darker,” “It Seemed the Better Way” and “If I Didn’t Have Your Love.”

Although Madonna and Leonard Cohen are the collaborators he found the most success with, Leonard has worked with plenty of other major talents. More artists that he worked with include Bryan Adams, Jeff Beck, Blue October, Peter Cetera, Marianne Faithfull, Bryan Ferry, Michael Jackson, Jewel, Elton John, Julian Lennon, Fleetwood Mac, Robbie Robertson, Duncan Sheik, Michael W. Smith, Rod Stewart and Pink Floyd as well as solo Roger Waters. 

In addition to his work as a songwriter and producer, he was a member of the Kevin Gilbert-fronted progressive-pop band Toy Matinee, who only stuck together long enough to record and release a self-titled album in 1990. Less notably, he played keys in an AOR band called Trillion around the turn of the ‘80s. There was also one album he released as a solo artist in 1997 called Rivers.

Leonard also has soundtrack production credits on some major films including Moulin Rouge! (2001), Shrek (2001), Legally Blonde (2001) and Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron (2002). He was only working on movies for a period of a year or two, but it’s still a pretty significant part of his career nonetheless.