Courtney Love sells

(ChartAttack) Courtney Love has sold 25 per cent of the Nirvana publishing catalogue for a reported $50 million U.S.


ChartAttack.com Staff

Nirvana
Courtney Love has sold 25 per cent of her share of Nirvana's publishing catalogue, which she inherited in 1994 after her late husband Kurt Cobain committed suicide, to Larry Mestel of Primary Wave Music Publishing.

"I took a strategic partner, Larry Mestel, to help me co-manage the estate because it was overwhelming," Love told RollingStone.com. "The affairs of Nirvana are so massive and so huge, and they've all fallen on my lap."

Love was left with 98 per cent of Nirvana's publishing rights following Cobain's death, while his bandmates Dave Grohl and Krist Novoselic split the remaining two per cent.

"I own almost all of [the publishing] and it proved to be too much for me. I needed a partner to take Kurt Cobain's songs and bring them into the future and into the next generation. And this guy's the guy to do it."

It's speculated that Mestel paid more than $50 million U.S. for the rights, which should pay off any expenses Love will have for her upcoming album.


"The appeal to me is that [Kurt was] one of the most important songwriters of his time," said Mestel, the former COO/GM of Virgin Records. "Kurt was an incredible songwriter and Courtney is an exceptionally talented person herself.

"So I felt the combination of Courtney's creativity and the things I can add can really help in creating more value for these copyrights."

Love emphasized that she and Mestel won't spread Nirvana music around aimlessly to exploit Cobain's legacy. "We're going to remain very tasteful and we're going to [retain] the spirit of Nirvana and take Nirvana places it's never been before."

When talk of the catalogue sale arose earlier this year, U2 frontman Bono was rumoured to be interested, but nothing materialized.

—Phil Villeneuve

[amber]

Yeah, 50 mil. nice. I would totally sell, too. And she only sold 25%. But then, I don't like Nirvana. I do like 50 million dollars. Maybe others would be more upset by this.

[JazmenFlowers]

Originally Posted by amber

Yeah, 50 mil. nice. I would totally sell, too. And she only sold 25%. But then, I don't like Nirvana. I do like 50 million dollars. Maybe others would be more upset by this.

you kill me with how on point with my mind you are sometimes.

[amber]

Originally Posted by JazmenFlowers

you kill me with how on point with my mind you are sometimes.

I think that one was a no brainer...

[Phoenix]

I LOVE CORTNEY LOVE! HOLE was one of the BEST concerts I've ever seen. I mean,she is a train wreck, but it was very entertaining.

[BombaySapphire3]

It is almost certain that if she lives long enough she'll sell the remaining 48% as well.I do like her work up through Celebrity Skin and a couple songs on her last one .I think the old gal is spent though but ya never know.

[Red]

I can't help but root for the Courtney. I don't know why. Love is blind, I guess.

[skcin]

I love Courtney, mess that she is. BUT.

Why didn't she just sell to Dave & Krist? That kind of pisses me off. They were Nirvana along with Kurt & she fought them every step of the way when it came to dividing everything up as far as the music after Kurt died. She WANTED control! Now she turns around & sells part of it to some random business guy cuz she can't handle it? Dave & Krist couldn't have done that? That pisses me off a little.

And this makes me nervous:

Love emphasized that she and Mestel won't spread Nirvana music around aimlessly to exploit Cobain's legacy. "We're going to remain very tasteful and we're going to [retain] the spirit of Nirvana and take Nirvana places it's never been before."

I can hear it now, Heart Shaped Box being played in a jewelry commercial.

[Richard B]

Poor thing had to pay all those court and lawyer fees.

[cliffdweller]

Originally Posted by skcin

I love Courtney, mess that she is. BUT.

Why didn't she just sell to Dave & Krist? That kind of pisses me off. They were Nirvana along with Kurt & she fought them every step of the way when it came to dividing everything up as far as the music after Kurt died. She WANTED control! Now she turns around & sells part of it to some random business guy cuz she can't handle it? Dave & Krist couldn't have done that? That pisses me off a little.

Did anyone see Gus Van Sant's "Last Days" that was based on Kurt Cobain's imagined last days of his life before his suicide? I just wonder if the depiction of the band members in the movie are based on Dave's and Krist's real-life personalities...were they really selfish, self absorbed assholes like the movie suggests? If so, maybe that's why Courtney is trying to keep all of this out of their hands but I don't know how accurate that movie was in depicting things as they really were. But still, maybe there's stuff that went on that we don't know about, maybe they really WERE assholes who, in Courtney's mind, exploited Kurt while he was alive.

[chiliD]

She had to do SOMETHING to finance her habits.

Oh...and I don't buy into the myth that Kurt offed himself. He was murdered...by a Courtney hired hit man.

[chiliD]

Originally Posted by cliffdweller

Yeah right, and Oswald acted alone .

I don't see the correlation.

[cliffdweller]

Originally Posted by chiliD

I don't see the correlation.

Conspiracy theories...they're usually pretty outlandish.

[trackaghost]

Originally Posted by cliffdweller

Did anyone see Gus Van Sant's "Last Days" that was based on Kurt Cobain's imagined last days of his life before his suicide? I just wonder if the depiction of the band members in the movie are based on Dave's and Krist's real-life personalities...were they really selfish, self absorbed assholes like the movie suggests? If so, maybe that's why Courtney is trying to keep all of this out of their hands but I don't know how accurate that movie was in depicting things as they really were. But still, maybe there's stuff that went on that we don't know about, maybe they really WERE assholes who, in Courtney's mind, exploited Kurt while he was alive.

I thought the scene with Kim Gordon was particularly interesting (and moving), since she was actually friends with Kurt. It certainly does make you wonder how much of that movie was taken from real life.

[DavidMn]

Originally Posted by chiliD

She had to do SOMETHING to finance her habits.

Oh...and I don't buy into the myth that Kurt offed himself. He was murdered...by a Courtney hired hit man.

I agree with you sir.