BMG has acquired the publishing catalogue of Italy-based dance music company Off Limits Music & Publishing.
BMG has also recently acquired Spain’s Tiempo Real Entertainment, while BMG France has acquired Tipping Music, with the Off Limits acquisition marking the company’s third deal this week as it expands its representation of Continental European repertoire.
Off Limits was founded by Alfredo “Larry” Pignagnoli. The first song produced by Pignagnoli under the Off Limits banner was Saturday Night, performed by Whigfield.
The track reached No.1 throughout Europe, as well as earning Whigfield a place in the Guinness Book of World Records as the first non-English artist to go straight to No.1 in the Official UK Singles chart, having sold over one million copies.
BMG’s acquisition of the catalogue includes a share in Saturday Night as well as the Off Limits share in hits such as Satisfaction by Benny Benassi, 2 Times by Ann Lee and the Benassi Brothers track Best Friend, which is performed by Madonna.
BMG Italy managing director Dino Stewart, said: “We are delighted to welcome the Off Limits catalogue to BMG. Larry Pignagnoli is one of the pop maestros of Italy and songs like Saturday Night are part of the fun-DNA of an entire generation. After the recent acquisitions of Strictly Rhythm, Skint/Loaded and Talpa Music, we are proud to add a number of international dance classics from Italy to BMG’s growing dance/EDM repertoire.”
BMG EVP continental European repertoire Fred Casimir, said: “With BMG achieving market share leadership in Germany for the first time, 2014 was a real breakthrough year for the company in Continental Europe. Just over six years after we launched, these three deals show our ambition to grow right across the Continent is undiminished.”
