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Post by Diamond Girl on Aug 31, 2006 20:16:06 GMT -5
Jury rules Bolton copied Isley Brothers' hit song - singer Michael Bolton's 1991 hit 'Love Is A Wonderful Thing' - Brief Article Jet, May 16, 1994 A jury in Los Angeles recently ruled that Michael Bolton acquired portions of his hit Love Is A Wonderful Thing from a 1966 Isley Brothers tune of the same name. The jurors will now decide how much Bolton should pay in damages for the copyright infringement. Love Is A Wonderful Thing helped sell more than 10 million copies of Bolton's 1991 album Time, Love and Tenderness. Ron and Marvin Isley were delighted when they first heard the Bolton song playing in a furniture store, said their lawyer, John McNicholas. But when they checked the album in a record store, they found only Bolton and Andrew Goldmark listed in the credits. The Isleys sued in 1992. COPYRIGHT 1994 Johnson Publishing Co. COPYRIGHT 2004 Gale Group Find Articles
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Post by Diamond Girl on Aug 31, 2006 20:17:51 GMT -5
Michael Bolton: 'How Black music changed my life.'Ebony, December 1995 Lynn Norment IT'S showtime at the Apollo, and Michael Bolton is a little bit nervous. As he waits just offstage, host comedian Steve Harvey goes into a monologue about the verdict in the O.J. Simpson murder trial. For a few uncomfortable moments, Bolton, who already had expressed concerns about the racial tension and division exacerbated by the trial, wonders if the Black audience will turn on him. However, those concerns dissipate when the audience bursts into applause as Harvey introduces Bolton. "Eight years ago, Michael Bolton launched his career at the Apollo with a tribute to Otis Redding," Harvey announces to cheers from the audience. "Mike's got soul!" Without missing a beat, the singer performs his sensuous new tune, "Can I Touch You...There," from his Greatest Hits release, and another favorite, "Soul Provider," both to thunderous applause from the Apollo crowd. During this third performance at the legendary Harlem theater that is noted for launching the careers of numerous Black entertainers, Michael Bolton wins over the audience with his first note. But that is not surprising, considering that he has built a sizeable Black following. In fact, this tall, slim, blue-eyed, blond-haired Grammy Award-winning singer says he would not even be in show business if not for Black singers and Black music. He goes further to say that Black music has "greatly" changed and influenced his life. "A lot of my success comes from Black music," Bolton says during an interview at his home in Connecticut. "It's something I'm very proud of." And for which he is famous. After a decade of disappointments in the music business, Bolton crooned his way into the hearts and souls of millions of Black fans with his 1987 The Hunger album, which contained his first two major hits, "That's What Love Is All About" and his version of Otis Redding's classic, "(Sittin' On) The Dock Of The Bay," which rose on the Black music charts as well as three other music charts. In 1989, Bolton's "Soul Provider" single and album became big hits and won him even more Black fans. That multiplatinum recording contains his memorable rendition of Ray Charles' "Georgia On My Mind" and the Grammy Award-winning "How Am I Supposed To Live Without You?" During a leisurely visit over several days at his Connecticut mansion and at Sylvia's Restaurant in Harlem, Bolton talks comfortably about how Black music is integral to the very essence of his career and life. He tells of growing up in New Haven, Conn., the youngest of three children born to a middle-class Russian Jewish family, and how the music of Barry White, Smokey Robinson and Stevie Wonder greatly influenced his development as a teen songwriter and singer. His mother bought him his first guitar--a Kay--when he was around 12, and he had his first record deal by age 16. "As a young kid, I listened to Ray Charles singing his a--off, and I was just 12," says Bolton, leaning back on the plush cushioned sofa in the family room of the spacious two-story home. "Yeah, I also went to the Beach Boys concerts and I was a British invasion fan--the Beatles, Stones. I loved them. I grew long hair, which got me in big trouble, because I was not allowed in some people's houses because of my hair. "But anyway, what I really liked was a real singer of songs. That's why I was a Smokey [Robinson] fan and a Marvin Gaye fan," he says. "But if you really ask what record had the most impact on me, it had to be `Fingertips, Part 2.' I mean, Stevie was a 13-year-old boy wonder and I'd never heard anyone that spirited. My older brother brought that record home. So to sing along with that, you had to make your voice do things it was not accustomed to doing. Control, range. That was a wake-up call for an aspiring singer. Stevie Wonder taught us, with his incredible voice alone, the power of inspiration." When the subject is music, in particular Black music, Michael Bolton is passionate, and he can talk...and talk and talk. He tells about how when he won a Grammy Award, he thanked Ray Charles for his music and influence. He tells how proud he is that Zelma Redding personally thanked him for recording "(Sittin' On) The Dock Of The Bay." (In a framed letter that hangs on the wall of Bolton's office, Zelma Redding refers to the record as "...my all-time favorite version of my husband's classic.") And there was the time Stevie Wonder came into his dressing room and spontaneously began singing Bolton's "How Am I Supposed To Live Without You." And he'll never forget singing that duet with Patti LaBelle on the Motown anniversary show. "God, she's awesome," he says of LaBelle. "She has a huge talent." Bolton goes on about how nervous he was the first time he performed at the Apollo in the '80s when he did "Dock Of The Bay," before he realized that professional artists did not get booed and pulled off the stage with a hook. "I started thinking, `What if the audience doesn't like me?'" he recalls, adding he was relieved and grateful when the receptive audience applauded loudly. "I'm proud of my mentors," he says. "Ray is the strongest principal influence on me as a singer. Ray is really a part of me discovering what you can do with your voice, how you can tap into yourself and then approach something in other terms. Ray is the epitome of using the voice, expression. You learn as you just listen. I'm proud of the choices I've made and the influences I've had." Yet, Michael Bolton has gotten his share of criticism, especially from what he calls "real nasty" rock critics. "The bigger you are, the harder they come down on you. Yes, I got a lot of s---, excuse the expression, from the critics," he recalls. "They said I never should have recorded `Dock Of The Bay.'" However, he felt vindicated when Zelma Redding, who "started crying in my arms," and the song's co-writer, Steve Cropper, praised him for "bringing a classic back to life." Bolton also has been criticized for "ripping off" Black artists. But he says he values and respects his Black audience too much to do such a thing. "My Black following is important to me," he emphasizes. "In this constant battle for success, competition, business, it's tough just to make a living, to survive, to continue at a certain level. But when you get these little moments like a duet with Ray Charles or a duet with Percy Sledge--he had tears in his eyes after the song. He was gracious, he was great. And I assured him that he did the ultimate version of 'When A Man Loves A Woman.' The record is a classic. These moments of quality are personally gratifying to me. "I was up for six New York Music Awards, and the one I was most excited about, the one that's in the case, is for Best R&B," he continues. "Because those are my true roots as a singer. And I'm very proud." Over the years, Bolton has written tunes for and recorded songs with a number of Black entertainers. He earned a second Grammy for "When A Man Loves A Woman," the Percy Sledge classic. Women both Black and White are touched by the soulful style and romantic lyrics of this long-haired single father of three daughters, ages 16, 18, 20. He says that his much-publicized relationship with actress Nicollette Sheridan is over, and he appreciates beauty in women of all nationalities. He also emphasizes that he was "not dating Paula Barbieri," despite the fact that his name came up five times in connection with her during the O.J. Simpson trial. When it comes to a special woman in his life, Bolton says he's "looking for more than a pretty face, something deeper." Bolton is also proud of his social activism and concerned about the plight of disadvantaged children, women and minorities. He says he grew up in a family in which duty to community was stressed and racial prejudice was scorned. As a kid in New Haven, he was friends with the few Blacks in his neighborhood and at his school. He hung out at the basketball court and was escorted around by two big African-American basketball players, "my bodyguards," during high school. To the young Michael Bolton, hanging out with Black kids, "the hip segment," was just as natural as listening to R&B music. Today, he's a liberal Democrat who is encouraging women and minorities to get out and vote to counter the Republican surge. And he is concerned that the O.J. Simpson case has worsened tensions between Blacks and Whites, but hopes it will lead to "meaningful dialogue." Through the Michael Bolton Foundation, he supports dozens of programs that benefit children and women at risk from the effects of poverty and emotional, physical and sexual abuse. "I thank God that I can give something back, that I'm in a position to do something to help," he says. "I believe that you can use your success, any kind of success, to make a statement with your life. It's a way of showing gratitude and acknowledging what's really important. It's also an important thing to remember where you came from." Bolton has been chosen to receive the Martin Luther King Award for "outstanding achievement' from the Congress Of Racial Equality in January. Earlier this year, he was keynote speaker at the Martin Luther King Center's annual march and rally in Atlanta. He says he was profoundly moved by the life and work of Dr. King and was honored to be asked to participate. "Dr. King is so inspiring so impressive, so moving as a human being" he says. With his background, interests and sensibilities, it seems only natural that Michael Bolton would be influenced by Black music. "Yes, Black music has increased my enjoyment of what I do," he says without hesitation. "It has increased my range, my ability to reach into myself and accept myself. Can you imagine music with no African-American influence? Aaaaaagh!" he protests. "Black music is why I feel indebted, proud." COPYRIGHT 1995 Johnson Publishing Co. COPYRIGHT 2004 Gale Group Find Articles
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Post by Diamond Girl on Aug 31, 2006 20:20:54 GMT -5
Michael Bolton Seeks to Overturn Isley Brothers' Plagiary Judgement - for song 'Love Is A Wonderful Thing' - Brief Article Jet, November 1, 1999 Singer Michael Bolton asked a federal appeals court to overturn a $5.4 million judgment against him for plagiarizing an Isley Brothers song. The "blue-eyed soul" singer's attorney told the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals that neither his client nor Bolton's writing partner, Andy Goldmark, had heard of the Isley Brothers song before the lawsuit. In 1994, a Los Angeles jury decided Bolton had stolen elements of the 1966 song Love Is A Wonderful Thing for his 1991 hit of the same name. The jury awarded Ron and Marvin Isley 66 percent of all past and future royalties from the single and credited the song with 28 percent of the success of Bolton's album Time, Love and Tenderness. A special master in 1996 set the total amount at $5.4 million. The three-judge panel is expected to rule within two months. COPYRIGHT 1999 Johnson Publishing Co. COPYRIGHT 2000 Gale Group Find Articles
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Post by Diamond Girl on Aug 31, 2006 20:47:35 GMT -5
Isley Brothers to Keep Catalog With Pullman Bond Deal; Court Order Allows the Pullman/Isley Brothers Pullman Bond Securitization to ProceedBusiness Editors NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb. 24, 2000 In a court hearing in the Central District of California today, an approved settlement agreement among the Isley Brothers, The Pullman Group(R), LLC and EMI was reached, allowing for the securitization of the Isley Brothers catalog by the The Pullman Group(R), LLC. "The parties have reached a settlement of all issues in dispute between them regarding the Isley Brothers. The settlement, which was subject to court approval, and closing, will enable Pullman to proceed with a securitization of the Isley Brothers assets. The parties support the settlement," stated David Pullman, Founder, Chairman, and CEO of The Pullman Group(R), LLC. A competing bid organized by singer Michael Bolton was rejected in favor of the more attractive Pullman Group deal. The Isley Brothers recently won a multi-million dollar verdict against Michael Bolton in the Federal Court in the Central District of California for Michael Bolton's infringement of the Isley Brothers' song "Love is a Wonderful Thing." "The Pullman Group developed these deals to empower artists and creators of intellectual property," a spokesperson said. "David Pullman and The Pullman Group embody the hit song I wrote, Fight The Power!" as previously stated all along by Ron Isley, lead singer and chairman of the Isley Brothers. The Pullman Group's music royalty securitization with Ron Isley and the Isley Brothers' catalog joins the ranks of other prestigious transactions created by David Pullman a series of Pullman Bonds(TM), including the Bowie Bonds(TM), Holland Dozier Holland (Motown Hitmachine) Bonds, Ashford & Simpson Bonds and James Brown Bonds. This is the latest eight figure asset backed Pullman Bond(TM) securitization transaction. There are over 300 songs in the Isley catalog and over 50 charting R&B classics including published hits like "Shout," "Twist & Shout," "It's Your Thing," "Fight The Power," "That Lady," "Who's That Lady," "Work To Do," and recorded hits like "Rock Around The Clock," "Twist and Shout," "Love the One You@re With," "Lay Lady Lay," "Spill the Wine," and "Summer Breeze." The group is also highly respected for pioneering the ownership of record labels by black artists. The Pullman Group(R), LLC as principal, specializes in financing and securitizing music publishing, writer's share, record masters, artist and record royalties, film and television libraries, TV syndication, literary estates and other entertainment royalties. David Pullman, Founder, Chairman and CEO of The Pullman Group, still remains the only financial professional who has ever completed such groundbreaking deals based on future entertainment royalties Pullman Bonds(TM) and has 100% market share. As creator of all Pullman Bonds(TM), his asset backed securitization deals include the famous $55 million Bowie Bonds(TM) transaction, the $30 million deal with Holland Dozier Holland (Motown Hit Machine) an eight figure deal with R&B greats Ashford & Simpson and the $30 million deal with "Godfather of Soul" James Brown. The Pullman Group's experience includes well over $1 billion in transactions through 2000. The Group's Web site is www.pullmanco.com. COPYRIGHT 2000 Business Wire COPYRIGHT 2000 Gale Group Find Articles
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Post by Diamond Girl on Aug 31, 2006 20:51:57 GMT -5
Bolton loses bid to buy Isley assets Singer, who was once sued by brothers, sought estateBy PAUL FARHI Washington Post Friday, February 25, 2000 Singer Michael Bolton's attempt to buy out the assets of bankrupt R&B legend Ronald Isley fell apart this week after a federal bankruptcy court judge in Los Angeles approved a competing offer from a Wall Street financier, according to lawyers involved in the case. Bolton had offered $5.3 million for Isley's estate, including the right to receive Isley's royalties from such classic Isley Brothers recordings as "Shout," "Twist & Shout," "Fight the Power" and "Who's That Lady." Some music industry observers saw Bolton's offer as an ironic turnaround, given that the Isleys and their record company had successfully sued Bolton in 1994 for copyright infringement. The Isleys won $5.4 million after claiming that Bolton stole parts of his 1991 hit song, "Love Is a Wonderful Thing," from a 1966 Isleys song of the same name. Among the assets Bolton sought in the bankruptcy case was Ronald Isley's portion of the 1994 jury award. Bolton is still appealing that judgment, claiming that he and his co-writer never heard the Isleys' song. Federal judge Kathleen March on Wednesday accepted a $4.8 million bid for Isley's assets from Structured Assets Corp., owned by financier David Pullman. That bid had the blessing of EMI, one of the Isleys' former record companies, as well as Ronald Isley and two former members of the Isley Brothers group. Pullman intends to sell 15- and 20-year bonds backed by Ronald Isley's share of royalty income; at the end of the bonds' life, the royalty income will revert to Isley or his heirs. The court has been liquidating Isley's assets to pay back creditors owed nearly $5 million. His biggest creditor is the IRS, which says Isley owes back taxes of $5 million, though Isley and his attorneys have disputed about half this amount. Although Pullman's bid was less than Bolton's, the lawyers said, March ruled that Pullman's was superior because Bolton's was still contingent on raising financing and legally problematic, considering Bolton had no agreement with EMI, Pullman, Isley or former Isley Brothers members Christopher Jasper and Marvin Isley. March "couldn't force parties not before her to participate in a settlement with Bolton," so Bolton was rejected, said Debra Grassgreen, an attorney who represented the bankruptcy court's trustee. Lee Bogdanoff, an attorney for Pullman, compared Bolton to a guest who shows up at a wedding offering to marry the bride. "The parties in this case made numerous concessions to each other," Bogdanoff said Wednesday night. "He (Bolton) was not part of that." The judge also considered an earlier offer from Bolton to buy Isley's share of the jury award in the copyright infringement case, but rejected it because it would have undermined Pullman's bid, Grassgreen said. Neither Bolton nor his attorney could be reached Wednesday for comment. The singer did not appear in court. Isley's attorney declined comment. Copyright 2000 Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning Company. All rights Reserved. Find Articles
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Post by Diamond Girl on Aug 31, 2006 20:53:35 GMT -5
Michael Bolton Loses Copyright Infringement Appeal Against Isley Brothers; Federal Appellate Court Agrees ``Love is a Wonderful Thing'' Too Closely Resembles Isley Brothers' SongEntertainment Editors LOS ANGELES--(ENTERTAINMENT WIRE)--May 9, 2000 A U.S. Court of Appeals today affirmed a jury's 1994 decision that singer Michael Bolton's 1991 pop hit, "Love is a Wonderful Thing," infringed on the copyright of the 1964 Isley Brothers' song of the same name, and lets stand the jury's award of $5.4 million against the singer, his co-author, Andrew Goldmark, and their record company, Sony Music. (Three Boys Music v. Michael Bolton, 9755150.) "The U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals properly recognized that Michael Bolton and his record company illegally profited from the Isley Brothers' song, and must compensate the artists," said the plaintiffs' lawyer, John P. McNicholas, of McNicholas & McNicholas in Los Angeles. McNicholas, who argued the case before the appeals court, represents clients as diverse as GTE Corporation in antitrust actions, and the Holy See in international law issues. A 1995 president of the Los Angeles chapter of the American Board of Trial Advocates, McNicholas has served as an adjunct professor of trial advocacy at Loyola Law School. Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, The Isley Brothers are one of the nation's most well-known rhythm and blues groups, helping shape the soul sound of the 1960s and 70s with songs such as "Twist and Shout" and "Who's That Lady?" In 1964, the Isley Brothers wrote and recorded "Love is a Wonderful Thing" for United Artists. The group received a copyright for the song in February 1964, and the following year they switched to the Motown label and had three top-ten hits including "This Old heart of Mine." Michael Bolton, who grew up listening to the Isley Brothers, gained popularity in the late 1980s and early 90s by capitalizing on their music and other soul bands. He covered old songs such as Percy Sledge's "When a Man Loves a Woman" and Otis Redding's "Dock of the Bay," as well as writing his own hit songs. In early 1990, Bolton and Goldmark wrote a song entitled "Love is a Wonderful Thing," and Bolton released it as part of his album, "Time, Love and Tenderness." Bolton's "Love is a Wonderful Thing" finished in 1991 at number 49 on Billboard's year-end pop chart. COPYRIGHT 2000 Business Wire COPYRIGHT 2000 Gale Group Find Articles
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Post by Diamond Girl on Aug 31, 2006 20:54:56 GMT -5
Pullman/Isley Bond Win is "A Wonderful Thing"Business Editors NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 11, 2000 Michael Bolton Loses to Isleys Again The United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit upheld this week that Michael Bolton's use of "Love Is a Wonderful Thing" is still the largest music copyright infringement case in years. That's music to the ears of the song's originator the Isley Brothers and to David Pullman, Founder, Chairman and CEO of The Pullman Group(R), LLC, the financier who hurdled many obstacles in order to purchase and securitize the lucrative Isley catalog for another Pullman Bond(TM) transaction. Circuit Judge D.W. Nelson decided Three Boys Music V. Bolton, case No. 97-55150. In 1994, a jury found that Michael Bolton's 1991 pop hit, "Love Is a Wonderful Thing" infringed on the copyright of a 1964 Isley Brothers' song of the same name. The district court denied Bolton's motion for a new trial and affirmed the jury's award of $5.4 million plus interest royalty payments. This means The Pullman / Isley team will cash in on almost $7 million plus future and past publishing income -- for just this one song. "The Pullman Group developed these deals to empower artists and creators of intellectual property," notes David Pullman, Founder, Chairman and CEO of The Pullman Group(R), LLC. Ron Isley, Chairman of Isley Brothers Enterprises commented, "David Pullman and The Pullman Group embody the hit song the Isley Brothers wrote, Fight The Power!" A copy of the entire opinion and a history of the Isley/Pullman Bond deal can be found on the Pullman Group's website, www.pullmanco.com. "Love Is a Wonderful Thing" is one of over 300 songs in the Isley catalog which includes 50 charting R&B classics including "Shout," "Twist & Shout," "It's Your Thing," "Fight The Power," "That Lady," "Who's That Lady," "Work To Do," "Rock Around The Clock," "Twist and Shout," "Love the One You're With," "Lay Lady Lay," "Spill the Wine," and "Summer Breeze." The group is also highly respected for pioneering the ownership of record labels by black artists. The Pullman Group's music royalty securitization with Ron Isley and the Isley Brothers' catalog will join the ranks of other prestigious transactions created by David Pullman a series of Pullman Bonds(TM), including the Bowie Bonds(TM), Holland Dozier Holland (Motown Hitmachine) Bonds, Ashford & Simpson Bonds and James Brown Bonds. The Pullman Group(R), LLC as principal, specializes in financing and securitizing music publishing, writer's share, record masters, artist and record royalties, film and television libraries, TV syndication, literary estates and other entertainment royalties. David Pullman, Founder, Chairman and CEO of The Pullman Group, still remains the only financial professional who has ever completed such groundbreaking deals based on future entertainment royalties Pullman Bonds(TM) and has 100% market share. As creator of all Pullman Bonds(TM), his asset backed securitization deals include the famous $55 million Bowie Bonds(TM) transaction, the $30 million deal with Holland Dozier Holland (Motown Hit Machine) an eight figure deal with R&B greats Ashford & Simpson and the $30 million deal with "Godfather of Soul" James Brown. The Pullman Group's experience includes well over $1 billion in transactions through 2000. The Group's website is www.pullmanco.com. Photos of David Pullman and Ron Isley are available at www.pullmanco.com, via email or by contacting Susan Blond, Inc. at 212/333-7728, ext. 105. COPYRIGHT 2000 Business Wire COPYRIGHT 2000 Gale Group Find Articles
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Post by Diamond Girl on Aug 31, 2006 20:57:03 GMT -5
Judge Upholds $5.4 Million Ruling Against Michael Bolton For Using Isley Brothers' Song - Love is a Wonderful ThingJet, May 29, 2000 A federal judge in Los Angeles recently upheld a $5.4 million judgement against singer Michael Bolton for using portions of the Isley Brothers' hit Love is a Wonderful Thing in his song of the same name. Ronald Isley sued the hit-making White artist, accusing him of violating the song's copyright by incorporating elements of the tune and words into his 1991 smash hit song. A three-judge panel of the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said a jury had sufficient evidence to reach its decision in 1994. As a result, the panel awarded Ronald and Marvin Isley 66 percent of all past and future royalties from the single and 28 percent of past and future royalties from Bolton's album Time, Love and Tenderness. "It's a wonderful, wonderful victory for the jury system," said John McNichols, who serves as the attorney for the Isleys. Bolton couldn't be reached for comment on the case following the ruling. COPYRIGHT 2000 Johnson Publishing Co. COPYRIGHT 2000 Gale Group Find Articles
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Post by Diamond Girl on Aug 31, 2006 20:58:42 GMT -5
Isley Brothers "Shout" as Pullman Bond Deal Successfully Closes; the Pullman Group Finalizes Isley Pullman Bond Music Royalty Securitization With Legendary Hitmaking Isley Brothers FamilyBusiness & Entertainment/Music Editors NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--June 22, 2000 This week, David Pullman proudly announces the completion of another eight figure Pullman Bond(TM) music royalty securitization with Rudolph Isley, Ronald Isley and the estate of O'Kelley Isley. This completed Isley Brothers deal with The Pullman Group(R), LLC joins the famous series of Pullman Bonds(TM) which include the $55 million Bowie Bonds(TM), Holland Dozier Holland (Motown Hitmachine) Bonds, Ashford & Simpson Bonds and James Brown Bonds. The Isley Brothers' massive catalog includes over 50 Billboard hits includes classics like "Shout," "Twist & Shout," "It's Your Thing," and "Fight The Power," and the group is highly respected for pioneering the ownership of record labels by black artists. There are over 300 songs in the Isley catalog. The Isley Pullman Bond(TM) transaction was rated at the single A level by two nationally recognized rating agencies. Rudolph Isley and Ronald Isley are the founders, creators and 100% owners of the Isley Brothers catalogue and co-owners of the estate of O'Kelley Isley, the third founder and equal member of their companies Three Boys Music Corp. and Triple Three Music. "Never have I seen such a bond among brothers as between Rudolph and Ronald Isley who for six decades as hitmakers have proven over and over they stick together through thick and thin. Their bond is unbreakable," notes David Pullman, Founder, Chairman and CEO of The Pullman Group(R), LLC. "David Pullman and The Pullman Group embody the hit song we wrote, Fight The Power," stated Rudolph and Ronald Isley, co-chairmen and lead singers of the Isley Brothers. Last September, The Pullman Group, LLC announced the exclusive signing of Rudolph and Ronald Isley and their Isley Brothers catalog, putting the Isley Brothers next in line for a Pullman Bond music royalty securitization. Not long after, a number of obstacles surfaced which included a bidding war organized by singer Michael Bolton and a lawsuit launched by EMI Music Publishing who wished to buy the catalogue. The Isley and Pullman team also won an approximately $7 million copyright infringement case against Michael Bolton for "Love is a Wonderful Thing," an Isley hit song from the 60's. Intent on overcoming these odds, The Pullman Group persevered and tackled every issue to complete the transaction today. A Pullman Bond(TM) music royalty securitization is a financing of artist and publishing royalties which allows the original owner to keep 100% ownership of the assets which are financed. A securitization is not a sale of such assets and therefore is not a taxable event. The Pullman Group(R) developed these deals to empower artists and creators of entertainment and intellectual property. "Just this year alone, the Isley Brothers catalog has shown its incredible value and relevance with the hit "Who's That Lady" appearing in the Oscar winning "Boys Don't Cry" plus songs like "It's Your Thing" and "Shout" heard everywhere in movies and TV commercials," said Pullman. Since the 50's, the Isley Brothers have been a musical institution whose prolific career has explored the musical intersection of gospel, R&B, rock, soul, funk and disco. Having been a family-based group since their inception, the Isley Brothers originated with four gospel-singing brothers: Ronald, O'Kelly, Rudolph and Vernon (the last of who was killed in a bike accident in 1955). The three surviving brothers left their hometown of Cincinnati in 1957 for New York City, where they recorded several songs for small labels. Their breakthrough came with their fervent recording of "Shout." The period 1959-1962 yielded such staples of the rock and soul canon as "Respectable," "Nobody But Me" and "Twist and Shout." Throughout the Sixties, the Isleys recorded for a variety of labels, including RCA, Atlantic, Scepter/Wand, United Artists, their own T-Neck and Motown's Tamla subsidiary. Their brief stay at Motown yielded the melodic soul classic "This Old Heart of Mine," written and produced by the Motown production team of Holland-Dozier-Holland (who completed a deal with David Pullman in 1998.) In 1969, The Isleys re-established their own label, T-Neck (named for their home base of Teaneck, New Jersey). Now, with the addition of three younger family members: brothers Ernie and Marvin and cousin Chris Jasper, they immediately yielded the biggest hit of their career, "It's Your Thing," which won a Grammy for Best R&B Vocal Performance. This marked the start of a period in which they dominated the black-music realm, placing a staggering fifty singles on the R&B chart between 1969 and 1988. Throughout the Seventies, The Isleys up their R&B grooves on rock songs such as Seals and Crofts' "Summer Breeze" and Stephen Stills' "Love the One You're With." The group also connected with originals such as the unrelenting, funky "Fight the Power," "The Pride," "Take Me to the Next Phase" and "I Wanna Be With You" - all of them No. 1 R&B hits. Following the signing with Warner Brothers in 1985, O'Kelly died tragically from a sudden heart attack. Since then the other Isleys have enjoyed solo careers and were inducted in to the Rock n' Roll Hall of Fame in 1992 for their innovation work in the pop, R&B and rock genres. The Pullman Group(R), LLC as principal, specializes in financing and securitizing music publishing, writer's share, record masters, artist and record royalties, film and television libraries, TV syndication, literary estates and other entertainment royalties. David Pullman, Founder, Chairman and CEO of The Pullman Group, still remains the only financial professional who has ever completed such groundbreaking deals based on future entertainment royalties Pullman Bonds and has 100% market share. As creator of all Pullman Bonds(TM), his asset backed securitization deals include the famous $55 million Bowie Bonds transaction, the $30 million deal with Holland Dozier Holland (Motown Hit Machine) an eight figure deal with R&B greats Ashford & Simpson and the $30 million deal with "Godfather of Soul" James Brown. The Pullman Group's experience includes well over $1 billion in transactions through 2000. The Group's website is www.pullmanco.com. COPYRIGHT 2000 Business Wire COPYRIGHT 2000 Gale Group Find Articles
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Post by Diamond Girl on Aug 31, 2006 21:00:39 GMT -5
Pullman and Isley Brothers Win At the Us Supreme Court; Isley Pullman Bonds Big Pay-Off "Love is a Wonderful Thing" Copyright Infringment Judgemnt UpheldEntertainment/Business Editors & Legal Writers NEW YORK--(ENTERTAINMENT WIRE)--Jan. 25, 2001 The Pullman Group, LLC and the Isley Brothers achieved a final victory today at the US Supreme Court. The case involved a copyright infringement judgment for the Isley Brothers hit "Love is a Wonderful Thing." The judgment award was for approximately $7 million, including interest. This follows a 9th Circuit decision several months ago which upheld the trial court level decision on every aspect of the verdict. In 1994, a jury found that Michael Bolton's 1991 pop hit, "Love Is a Wonderful Thing" infringed on the copyright of a 1964 Isley Brothers' song of the same name. The district court denied Bolton's motion for a new trial and affirmed the jury's award of $5.4 million plus interest and royalty payments totaling $7 million. The United States Supreme Court upheld that Michael Bolton's use of "Love Is a Wonderful Thing: is still the largest music copyright infringement case in years. That's music to the ears of the song's originator the Isley Brothers and to David Pullman, Founder, Chairman and CEO of The Pullman Group(R), LLC, the financier who hurdled many obstacles in order to purchase and securitize the lucrative Isley catalog for another Pullman Bond(TM) transaction. Circuit Judge D.W. Nelson decided Three Boys Music V. Bolton, case #97-55150. A copy of the entire opinion and a history of the Isley/Pullman bond deal can be found on the Pullman Group's website www.pullmanco.com. The Pullman Group purchased the Isley Brothers catalog and judgment to stave off competing bids from EMI Music Group, and the singer Michael Bolton. The Pullman Group with the Isley Brothers road a roller coaster through the courts to win this award at the US Supreme Court level. The $7 million award made an already attractive Isley Pullman Bond(TM) rated as a single-A level by two nationally recognized rating agencies a special win. "We started it and The Pullman Group finished it, taking us all the way to the US Supreme Court David Pullman and The Pullman Group embody the hit song we wrote 'Fight the Power!'" said Ronald Isley and Rudolph Isley, co-chairmen of Isley Brothers Enterprises. "The Pullman Group developed these deals to empower artists wherever and whenever we can," said David Pullman, Founder, Chairman and CEO of The Pullman Group. Both The Pullman Group and the Isley Brothers hope that the Michael Bolton album and catalogue which includes "Love is a Wonderful Thing" does well going forward since they will share in the benefits. The Pullman Group's music royalty securitization with Ron Isley and the Isley Brothers' catalog joined the ranks of other prestigious transactions created by David Pullman a series of Pullman Bonds(TM), including the Bowie Bonds(TM), Holland Dozier Holland (Motown Hitmachine) Bonds, Ashford & Simpson Bonds and James Brown Bonds, and the group's most recent signing with the heirs of Marvin Gaye. The Pullman Group,(R) LLC as principal, specializes in financing and securitizing music publishing, writer's share, record masters, artist and record royalties, film and television libraries, TV syndication, literary estates and other entertainment royalties. David Pullman still remains the only financial professional who has ever completed such groundbreaking deals based on future entertainment royalties Pullman Bonds(TM) and has 100% market share. The Pullman Group's experience includes well over $1 billion in transactions through 2001. The Group's website is www.pullmanco.com. Photos of David Pullman, Ron Isley and the Isley Brothers are available at www.pullmanco.com, via email or by contacting Susan Blond, Inc. at 212-333-7728, ext. 105. COPYRIGHT 2001 Business Wire COPYRIGHT 2001 Gale Group Find Articles
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Post by Diamond Girl on Aug 31, 2006 21:03:19 GMT -5
Supreme Court Refuses To Hear Bolton Appeal; He Must Pay $5.4 Mil. To Isleys In Court CaseJet, February 12, 2001 The Supreme Court refused to get involved in pop singer Michael Bolton's battle to avoid a $5.4 million judgement over a 1960s Isley Brothers tune. The court, without comment, let stand a federal appeals court ruling that Bolton must pay the settlement. His lawyers had asked the justices to consider whether a California court erred in sending the case to a jury in 1994. Bolton denied he lifted his 1991 hit Love Is A Wonderful Thing from a 1966 Isley Brothers tune of the same name and testified at trial that he had never heard of the earlier song. But the 1994 trial found that Bolton and collaborator, Andrew Goldmark, had opportunity to hear the earlier song when it came out, and that the two songs shared five distinctive elements. The Isley Brothers, in 1992, filed a lawsuit against Bolton for alleged copyright infringement. The group claimed Bolton's award-winning 1991 song Love Is A Wonderful Thing was a reworked copy of the group's 1966 song of the same name (JET, July 13, 1992). But Ronald and Marvin Isley were not listed in the credits of Bolton's 1991 album, Time, Love and Tenderness, which contained the song. A jury in Los Angeles ruled in 1994 that Bolton acquired portions of the song from the Isley Brothers classic. The jury awarded the brothers 66% of all past and future royalties from the single and 28% of royalties from Bolton's 1991 album, Time, Love and Tenderness. A special master in 1996 set the total amount at $5.4 million (JET, Nov. 1, 1999). It was the largest music infringement award involving a single song. Bolton asked a federal appeals court in 1999 to overturn the $5.4 million judgment, but last year a federal judge in Los Angeles upheld the judgment (JET, May 29, 2000). COPYRIGHT 2001 Johnson Publishing Co. COPYRIGHT 2001 Gale Group Find Articles
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Post by Diamond Girl on Aug 31, 2006 21:06:37 GMT -5
I know this is a lot of reading, but I had no idea all of this went down. This cat has some nerve, I'm telling you. Please read at your leisure and comment as you wish. I really can't believe how deep this went and how long it went on
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Post by timmy84 on Aug 31, 2006 23:52:52 GMT -5
The Isleys "fought the power" literally and won.
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Post by fantagurl on Sept 1, 2006 9:37:15 GMT -5
The Isleys "fought the power" literally and won. So true!!!
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Post by Emerald City on Sept 2, 2006 18:29:07 GMT -5
Talk about the thread of shame ... girl you really went all out
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