Primary Wave Acquires Catalog of Extreme’s Guitarist, Nuno Bettencourt

Primary Wave will acquire the music publishing and select master recording assets of Nuno Bettencourt, the guitar player for Extreme, the company announced Thursday (June 27). The deal — which excludes the band’s aptly titled 2023 album, Six — includes all of Bettencourt’s publishing, including administration rights; his share of Extreme’s master recordings in which the band has ownership; and his royalties from the recordings the band doesn’t own. The deal also covers Bettencourt’s solo recordings. 

The acquisition is part of a new partnership with Bettencourt that will give the musician/songwriter/producer access to Primary Wave’s marketing team and publishing infrastructure.

Besides his work with Extreme and his solo recordings, Bettencourt has worked with artists including Rihanna, Steve Perry, Janet Jackson and Steven Tyler. Songs covered by the deal include “Hole Hearted,” “Get The Funk Out,” “Decadence Dance,” “Rest In Peace,” and Extreme’s best-known hit, “More Than Words,” which hit the No. 1 spot on the Billboard Hot 100 on June 8, 1991.

“I am beyond thrilled to have Nuno join the Primary Wave family,” Primary Wave chief marketing officer Adam Lowenberg said in a statement. “He is one of the greatest guitar players and songwriters in the history of rock music and one of my personal favorite musicians of all time. We can’t wait to dive into this catalog and remind fans, new and old, of its greatness.”

According to Luminate, the Extreme catalog has generated 3.62 million album consumption units in the U.S. since 1991, while Bettencourt’s solo offerings have accumulated 30,000 album consumption units. 

“After getting to know with the team at Primary Wave and seeing their passion, work ethic and creative ideas in action, I am happy now to have a bigger partnership with them,” Bettencourt said in a statement. “I look forward to continue building my song catalog into new realms of activity.”