Independent music company Reservoir Media has acquired the publishing rights to the catalog of the late songwriter and guitarist Billy Strange.
While the financial terms of the deal were not disclosed, Reservoir said the acquisition includes some of Strange’s most well-known compositions, such as Elvis Presley’s hits A Little Less Conversation, Memories, and Clean Up Your Own Back Yard. Born in 1930 in Long Beach, California, Strange died in February 2012 at the age of 81.
Strange started his career as a session guitarist in the 1950s. He quickly established himself as a guitarist, songwriter, and arranger. Strange became closely associated with Elvis Presley, contributing to several of the King of Rock and Roll’s hit songs including A Little Less Conversation, which originally featured in the 1968 Elvis Presley film Live a Little, Love a Little.
The track gained renewed popularity in 2001 after it appeared in the film Ocean’s Eleven. Dutch musician Junkie XL released a remix of the song in 2002, as A Little Less Conversation – JXL Radio Edit Remix, which topped charts in nine countries, including a four-week run at #1 in the UK.
Beyond his work with Presley, Strange’s catalog also includes hits such as The Champs and Chubby Checker’s Limbo Rock and contributions to the soundtracks of films like The Trouble with Girls (1969), television shows like The Munsters (1964), Batman (1966), and Have Gun – Will Travel (1957).
As a guitarist, Strange played with legendary acts such as the Beach Boys, Nancy Sinatra, Willie Nelson, Randy Newman, and Nat King Cole.
Commenting on the acquisition, Reservoir President and Chief Operating Officer Rell Lafargue said, “Billy Strange’s influence is woven into the fabric of American pop culture. ‘A Little Less Conversation’ is one of the most recognizable songs and has influenced popular music since Elvis first sang it in 1968. We are honored to have Strange’s music in our catalog and amplify the mark he left on this world.”
“Billy Strange’s influence is woven into the fabric of American pop culture… We are honored to have Strange’s music in our catalog and amplify the mark he left on this world.”
Rell Lafargue, Reservoir Media
The acquisition of Billy Strange’s catalog is part of Reservoir’s ongoing strategy to expand its portfolio of iconic music. Over the past year, the company has made significant acquisitions, including the producer rights and publishing catalog of 2Pac producer Big D Evans, the works of Latin music hitmaker Rudy Perez, and the catalog of Grammy-nominated hip-hop producer Mannie Fresh.
Other notable acquisitions include the catalogs of rock artist Greg Kihn, members of the R&B group The Spinners, saxophonist Sonny Rollins, and songwriter Louis Prima.
Reservoir’s continued investment in iconic catalogs has contributed to its strong financial performance. In the first quarter of fiscal 2025, the company reported an 8% year-over-year increase in revenue to $34.3 million. Publishing revenue, which accounted for $24 million of the total, saw a 15% year-over-year rise, driven by catalog acquisitions and increased streaming revenue.
In an investor factsheet released earlier this calendar year, Reservoir said it had spent nearly $1 billion on catalog acquisitions and signings since it launched in 2007.
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