Reservoir Media has acquired the catalogue of the late lyricist Larry Kusik, best known for his collaborations on theme songs from films including The Godfather and Romeo & Juliet.
Kusik was a prolific lyricist whose works can be heard in some of the most iconic films released during the 1960s and 1970s. He penned the lyrics for Speak Softly Love, the lyricised theme from The Godfather, which celebrates its 50th anniversary this month.
Speak Softly Love won Kusik an ASCAP award and was recorded by several artists, with Andy Williams’ version reaching the US Top 40.
Additionally, Kusik co-wrote the lyrics for A Time For Us, which first appeared in the 1968 version of Romeo & Juliet. The track was nominated for a Grammy and has been recorded by many artists over the years, including Andy Williams, Johnny Mathis, and Stevie Wonder.
Kusik also wrote the lyrics for Once Is Not Enough by Henry Mancini, from the 1975 romance film of the same name. In addition to these titles, Kusik contributed lyrics to themes from countless other films, including Palm Springs Weekend, Rosemary’s Baby, Star Trek: The Motion Picture, Murder On The Orient Express, Mommie Dearest, and many more.
The Reservoir deal includes a mix of both publisher’s and writer’s shares for Kusik, who worked with some of the most celebrated composers and lyricists of his day, including Burt Bacharach, Richard Rodney Bennet, Paul Evans, and more.
His collaborations also earned industry recognitions, including a 1967 Freedoms Foundation Award and a BMI Award for Lady from the 1998 film Billy’s Hollywood Screen Kiss, as well as an ASCAP Country Award for When the Snow Is On the Roses.
Reservoir founder and CEO Golnar Khosrowshahi said: “Larry penned lyrics to widely popular, moving music that has captured hearts for generations, particularly through film. We are proud to continue his legacy and introduce these evergreen songs to new listeners.”
“I’m so glad my father’s catalogue has found a new home with the passionate team at Reservoir,” said Thomas Glass, Kusik’s son. “He always had a real reverence for the Great American Songbook and would be proud to know his catalogue sits alongside the likes of Hoagy Carmichael’s and Dorothy Fields’, as well as the many young, talented writers on the Reservoir roster, especially those from his hometown of New York. I know Reservoir will support his legacy, so his music can continue to inspire.”
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