Universal Music Distribution has sent out it’s New Release Books for the first part of November to retails and included in its pages is a one-page sales sheet for the upcoming “Stars: The Best of Videos 1992-2002′′ DVD, which is due out in America on November 12th. Zombieguide has obtained an exclusive scan of the page, which you can see below.

The sheet gives a full list of the DVD’s tracks and bonus features, and there are both surprises and a few slight disappointments to be had. You can read the entire listing on the scan, but here’s just a quick look at some of the bonuses:
»  Full Vicar Street Performance (Nov. 11, 2000)

»  “Love and Rock ‘n’ Roll” Documentary (1999)

»  “Stars” Video encoded in Dolby 5.1

»  3 additional live performances of “Daffodil Lament,” “Sunday,” and “Empty”

»  Alternate videos (see below)

»  DVD-Rom Features

Among the “alternate videos” is the long-lost and highly elusive original video for “Ridiculous Thoughts,” the second version of “Dreams,” an alternate version of “When You’re Gone,” and the original unedited version of “Analyse”.

The videos for “Uncertain” and the original version of “Dreams” are absent from the new DVD

On the down side, the band’s two oldest and most elusive videos, “Uncertain” and the first cut of “Dreams,” seem to be missing from the new release. While a full version of the original version of “Dreams” is available thanks to the Internet, only a few seconds of the “Uncertain” video are known to be available to the public (There were three videos recorded for “Dreams”; the second and third are included on the DVD.). A streaming version of the original “Dreams” video can be viewed in the Zombieguide Media Vault. It seems that we won’t be seeing the full version of “Uncertain” anytime soon.

Also, it should be noted that the “cover art” included on the sheet says “Not actual cover,” which means that the art has yet to be finalized (The mock- up art shown is taken from the front of the UK “Stars” promo).

Well, there you have it, exclusively here first!!

Source: Exclusive!

It’s been nearly eight years since the classic video for “Zombie” was filmed, with shots in Los Angeles, Dublin, and Belfest, directed by Samuel Bayer. But with the UK release of “Stars,” which includes the music video for “Zombie” as a bonus, something appears to be immediately amiss from the memoriable clip.

As many fans should know, the basis for the song is on the political strife that has burdened Northern Ireland for much of the 20th century as much of the religious-based conflict waged over rule of the northen counties. A car bomb that killed a child in 1993 was Dolores’ immediate inspiration to write the song “Zombie.”

The UK version of “Stars” includes what appears to be a censored, edited version of the video. Footage from the original video — like that of children pretending to be soldiers with bayonettes and guns — has been removed completely, replaced by alternate black and white footage of the band or the gold crucifix footage. Likewise, footage of the outdoor murals of IRA propaganda and other outdoor scenes filmed in Belfast have all been removed in this new cut of the video.

Scenes removed from the new version of “Zombie”

As a result, all outdoor sequences have been removed from the new cut of the video. Only the black and white footage of the band and the color “gold crucifix” footage remains, all of which has been reworked to span the full length of the video.

Phil C, a fan from Northern Ireland, who sends us this news, theorizes that “they have censored the video in respect of the current political climate in Northern Ireland. People have moved on and don’t want to dwell on images of the past. Northern Ireland is a very different place today compared to when the video was recorded.”

The timing of this seems suspicious, as the “Stars” DVD, which will include all the band’s music videos to date, will be released in November. The question at hand is, will this new cut be put onto the DVD in place of the original video?

Should The Cranberries edit a classic video eight years after it was filmed, just to adapt to current political conditions? This is sure to raise some interesting opinions among fans, so be sure to sound off at the Zombieguide Forums.

In addition, Phil has sent us some screen captures of the enhanced UK “Zombie” video, which includes a very cool (Thorgerson-designed?) backdrop to the interface. Hopefully, we’ll have some captures from the “new edit” of the Zombie video within the coming days.

Source: Exclusive!

The October 2002 issue of the Italian “Tribe Generation” includes a 2-page interview with the entirety of The Cranberries. Like the recent Tutto interview, this one was taken in Monte Carlo over the summer.

There isn’t much here for the English-speaker except a big picture to gawk at, but if someone could send us a translation, it would be very helpful.

Thanks to Lorenzo for the scans.

Source: Exclusive

A previously-recorded interivew with Dolores aired today on Spanish radio station M80. Dolores hit on several interesting topics, including her much- publicized marriage to tour manager Don Burton in 1994 and the decisions involved in releasing the new Beneath the Skin: Live in Paris 2 DVD re- release. Below is a summary, as written by our contributor Jesus Castillo.

»  Dolores recognizes that the second album is clearly “bigger” than EEIDISWCW.

»  Dolores says that she did not realize she was getting married the day of her wedding. Her head was elsewhere and she thought she was in one of her concerts because there were many people from the press as well as many many photographers.

»  They were free to produce the BTS DVD. She finds it an amazing experience because with the extra material people can see the human side of the people behind music (they made a lot of interviews, documentaries,etc). And they worked at a very slow pace in the production as they were given no deadlines from the record company.

»  They decided to record a DVD because they felt they had to do something to somehow erase the image of their last released concert in 1994, which, in their opinion, was not so good.

»  Dolores hates those groups who start their career by playing cover versions. In the beginning, she was asked to do so and she refused (She recalls one time when she was asked to cover “Born In The USA.”). She literally says she hates that way of making music and she does not respect the bands which do not create their own music because they are not “real musicians”. She herself risked her career because “doing your own music was not something profitable or wanted by the music business,” but at the end she has been very successful following her own principles.

»  She was so persecuted by the press that she had no honeymoon. She only escaped with her husband for a couple of days to go camping at the beach. Despite her new marital status, she felt quite depressed because of the excessive work demanded from the company. She assures she had no time to get to know her husband at the beginning.

Source: Exclusive

The newest issue of the Spanish magainze Primera Linea is reporting that The Cranberries are planning to release a “box of rarities” around Chirstmastime this year. The publication gives no further details on the release, and we can only hope that they are not being confused with “Treasure Box,” which was released in May with all the band’s “official” album tracks and B-sides up until “Wake Up.”

To give some validity to the report, the article also includes mention of the”Stars” DVD and the new version of “Stars” which will include live acoustic tracks. Both releases are due by Christmas.

Misunderstanding or fact? A boxed set with new unreleased material would be a great improvement over the “Treasure Box” (which was designed more for “newer” fans). We’ll await more details on this news, and we should know soon enough whether or not it is true.

Thanks to Franberries for the info.

Source: Primera Linea

Yesterday, the new video for “Stars” made yet another impressive debut on the charts, coming in at a #2 debut on Canadian channel MuchMoreMusic’s fan-voted countdown, Top10.com.

However, it has fallen from that position since yesterday, so it’s very important, that you as a Cranberries fan continue to vote for the new song (even if you don’t get the network)!

As a token of thanks for the 30 seconds of your time, we’ve made 24 exclusive high-quality video captures of the video, especially for those that have yet to see it. So drool all you want over the nice caps below, and remember to keep voting!

Images no longer available!!

The brand new video for “Stars” has entered the charts at French Canadain mega-channel MusiquePlus at an impressive #1 debut! This will no doubt boost sales after a serious lack of promotion in North America, and the lack of promotion alone adds to the surprise of this news.

Continue voting daily on MusiquePlus and be sure to step into theZombieguide Forums for all the latest chart news, sharing links for voting from around the word, and a whole lot more, all continuously updated by our dedicated hyperactive Cranberries fan community!

Thanks to Insider27 and several others for the news!

Source: MusiquePlus

The Cranberries’ frontwoman appears on the cover of the September 14th issue of Irish Independent supplement “Weekend,” with a 3-page interview in its pages. Best of all, there are five new photos of O’Riordan; we’ve got the exclusive scans! As with other recent interviews, this one was done right in her own home, with pictures of Dolores sitting at the piano and in front of her bar.

“It’s a total cliche,” she tells interviewer John Daly, “but, you know, the kids really do change everything. I’d probably still be out there gigging in strange cities for a few extra meaningless zeros on a paycheque if it wasn’t for them. They gave me a whole new focus, they affect everything I do from the way I write to the way I perform. I’ve come a long way from having CNN as my only buddy haven’t I?”

And when asked if she would allow Taylor or Molly to get into the music business? “…If it’s what they really want to do. And you know what, I’ll be their manager because I’ve learned all the tricks, honey, all the tricks. With good ‘ol Mammy looking out for them, they can’t fail.” If that’s not a good offer, I don’t know what is! Molly and Taylor should definitely consider…

Of course you can read an puruse everything in its entirety below, only on Zombieguide.

Source: Exclusive!

It’s been a long, long time since we can recall that The Cranberries have had a proper interview in an American-based national magazine — the only thing that comes to mind is the 2-page feature that appeared in the May 1999 issue of “Us Weekly.” But this fall, Dolores gets a page in a magazine where she certainly belongs: “Women Who Rock.”

As promised in the summer issue, Mrs. O’Riordan Burton is one of a series of “cozy chats” with guitar-strummers like Aimee Mann, Marianne Faithfull, and Dolly Parton (“That’s ‘Famous Titles,’ Mr. Connery”).

Most interesting is the fact that the interview was taken right in Dolores’ home, and the interviewer even describes her cooking a “proper Irish breakfast,” for young Molly, now a year and a half old. We could tell you more, but we’ll let you read it on your own below.

The Fall 2002 issue of “Women Who Rock” is available at major bookstores everywhere (We purchased our copy at Borders, so that’s a good place to start looking). Go buy it; any US magazine that puts The Crans’ name in print nowadays deserves your cash and it’s the best way to encourage them to continue in the future.

Source: Exclusive

Cranberries Videography has posted nearly two dozen screencaptures from the brand new video for “Stars,” which is currently airing exclusively on MTV Italy. The shots are somewhat low quality, but they’re better than what MTV Italy has to offer in their 30-second streaming video.

This should keep us tied on until someone has a chance to encode a high- quality version of the video, or better yet — until we can see the video in full DVD quality when the “Stars: Best of the Cranberries 1992-2002” DVD is released this November. And from the looks of these captures, the wait will be well worth it.

Images:

Source: Cranberries Videography

On the newest international edition of “Now That’s What I Call Music 8,” (a proverbial “who’s who” of pop music), one may be surprised to discover The Cranberries mixed into the tracklisting. On the 2-CD international version, which differs greatly from the 1-CD version to be released in North America in November, “Analyse” is found on the second disc stuck between American Hi-Fi and Starsailor. The disc is given worldwide distribution by EMI International.

Meanwhile, the US version of Now 8 is crammed to the brim with dispensible bubblegum pop slurry throughout.

Tracklist is:

DISC 1
1. Girlfriend by *NSync
2. Hero by Enrique Iglesias
3. If You Come Back by Blue
4. Not a Girl, Not Yet a Woman by Britney Spears
5. In Your Eyes by Kylie Minogue
6. Always on Time by Ja Rule
7. …on the Radio (Remember the Days) by Nelly Furtado
8. In Too Deep by Sum 41
9. The Rock Show by Blink 182
10. Smooth Criminal by Alien Ant Farm
11. Rock da House by Gorillaz
12. We’re All Made of Stars by Moby
13. Brothers and Sisters by Coldplay
14. Because I Got High by Afroman
15. More Than a Woman by Aaliyah
16. Take Me Home by Sophie Ellis Bextor
17. Out of Reach by Gabrielle
18. Drowning by Backstreet Boys

DISC 2
1. Somethin’ Stupid by Nicole Kidman
2. Walk On by U2
3. I Want Love by Elton John
4. The World’s Greatest by R. Kelly
5. Home and Dry by Pet Shop Boys
6. Shoulda Woulda Coulda by Beverley Knight
7. Stillness of Heart by Lenny Kravitz
8. Another Perfect Day by American Hi-Fi
9. Analyse by The Cranberries
10. Good Souls by Starsailor
11. Be Like That by 3 Doors Down
12. (I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel to Be) Free/One by Lighthouse Family
13. Dance for Me by Mary J. Blige
14. Move It Like This by Baha Men
15. It’s OK by Atomic Kitten
16. Have You Ever by S Club 7

Source: Exclusive

European ticket dealers have begun selling tickets for an upcoming gig in Brussels, Belgium which has yet to be listed by the official site. The band will be playing at the Forest National on November 30th in Brussels. Tickets cost 30 Euros.

Look for the official site to announce the date when the site is updated again, probably on Monday. Thanks to Stéphane for the info.

Source: Exclusive

Although Mexico was the first region in the world to be broadcasting the single for “Stars,” we haven’t seen any artwork from the promo of that region until now. Although it carries the same tracks as its European counterpart, the south-of-the-border release has a tiled display of “WUASTC” era photos rather than a retrospective scrapbook.

Tracks are:

1. Stars
2. Linger
3. Zombie
4. Just My Imagination

And, of course, you can see front and back scans of the custom cardboard sleeve below.

“Stars: The Best of The Cranberries 1992-2002” was released in the United States today and we’ve got the complete set of high-resolution scans from every facet of the new CD.

As if the two new songs weren’t enough to grab your money, we must say, after seeing the artwork in its complete form, we’re rather in awe. The collages that line the booklet are literally jam-packed with things to gawk at from the band’s private collection. Arguably the most interesting of these is the last two pages, which are filled with the members’ own personal photographs. The subjects range from Dolores with Taylor, Dolores in the kitchen, and even a rare second “first band photo,” which seems to have been taken at the same time as this one (long held as the first photo of the band as a unit).

One could spend literally hours looking over all the sublime details of the photographs-of-photographs, so if you haven’t gotten started yet, you can begin below. Expect to stay awhile!

Source: Exclusive

Universal Music today confirmed to Zombieguide that the upcoming “Stars: The Best of the Cranberries” DVD will make it way to store shelves on November 12th in America (not the fifth as reported yesterday). No word yet on an international release date.

In related news, mega-media retailer Barnes and Noble is now listing on both their in-house computers and on their website that the “Beneath the Skin: Live in Paris 2” DVD has been delayed until October 1st in the US. The release was scheduled for a simultaneous release with the “Stars” album on Tuesday. However, Barnes and Noble seems to the be only store to report the change thus far, so it must at this point be considered as unconfirmed information.

Lastly, we got word today that the “Stars” music video began airing today in some parts of the world. Viewers describe it as a very naturalistic video, reminicent of Björk’s “Joga.” We should be seeing some media from it very soon.

Partial Source: Barnes and Noble

Yesterday, at around 7:00 in the evening, The Cranberries arrived at the Virgin Megastore in Paris, France to sign autographs for fans. Many began lining up as early as that morning, and by the time the band arrived, there were over 500 fans en queue to get a brief chance to meet the band. Due to time constraints, each person was allowed only one item and there was very little time to converse with any of the members.

Thanks to Marcel for sending us the photos!

(photos no longer available!)

Norbert of Zombieguide Europe was able to get his hands on the newly- released “Beneath the Skin Version 2” and brings us this handfull of screencaptures and info on the new version. Norbert notes that the long- promised menu changes are “very easy.” They include some classic Cranberries sounds and some never-before seen photos (like the one below).

To cut straight to the chase, here’s what you’ll find on the new version:

DVD Features:
· Live in Paris, December 9th, 1999 concert
· 26-minute “Wake Up and Smell the Coffee” documentary (released as a promo-only “Electronic Press Pack” previously) (see images below)
· New menu configuration (see image below)
· Live videos (same as found on original release)
Hollywood (Detroit 1996)
How (1993)
Yesterday’s Gone (MTV Unplugged 1995)
Saving Grace (Hamburg 1999)
· Music Videos
Animal Instinct
Promises
Just My Imagination
Analyse
Time Is Ticking Out
· Audio Setup
· Track Selection

DVD-ROM Functions:
· Wallpaper
· Karaoke-style lyrics alongside concert
· Interactive slide show
· Link to official website
· “Salvation” MP3

You can expect more captures from the new DVD soon on Zombieguide Europe. We’ll have a review of the North American version soon after its release next week.

Images:

Source: Exclusive

Ever since the band’s announcement in late June that they would be parting from Universal after their sixth album, the same question appeared on the minds of all fans: Where will The Cranberries go to release their music? In an interview taken by MTV this weekend in Bologna, Italy, Noel tells that they are “still in negotiations” and have no concrete, definite plans as of yet. Here’s an excerpt:

Host: It’s over with Universal, right? And what are you going to choose? Major [label]? Indie? Or is it going to be yourselves and start a new label?

Dolores: Noel can be diplomatic and answer that one. Go on, Noel.

Noel: We’re kind of in negotiations at the moment, so we’re not too sure yet. We’ve still got one more album with Universal, so it depends on what happens between now and then.

The entire interview can be found here on MTV.it’s MTV Day interview page. On the same site, you’ll also find that MTV Italy has posted yet anothergallery of photos, this time with 20 pictures dedicated to The Crans.

Thanks to several readers for the tip.

Source: MTV.it

Saturday was MTV Italy’s “MTV Day” celebration where The Cranberries headlined a concert in Bologna, which was broadcasted live on MTV Italy. The setlist for the show was:

1. Analyse
2. Animal Instinct
3. Linger
4. Daffodil Lament
5. Stars
6. Salvation
7. Zombie
8. Dreams

Afterwards, all four members participated in a videochat on MTV.it and Zombieguide was present at the chat to record it. Since MTV has yet to post the transcript, we have the chat for you below in image format. You’ll have to excuse the fact that we were a minute or so late (the chat applet was not accepting our username), however we did get one of our own questions answered by the band about the upcoming video compilation DVD, which they say is now due in late November.

Also below are some images from both the concert and the webcam during the chat.

Thanks to Mattia for the info.

Images:

Partial Image Source: MTV.it

Today’s issue of the Irish (non-trashy) tabloid The Sunday World carries a brief but surprisingly enjoyable piece on one of Dolores’ biggest career fears — having to kiss on camera. “I’m dreadin’ that one man,” she told the paper — assuming of course, that she’ll one day have to do it, especially if she follows her whimsy to do an acting project.

The band poses for a shot on the set of “Stars” in Wicklow, Ireland

Even more of a treat, the paper carries a very recent photo of the band, assumed to be taken on the set of the “Stars” video which was shot two weeks ago in the mountanous scenery of Wicklow, Ireland, an area outside Dublin.

Huge thanks to Phil for the scan!

Images:

Online Asian import specialty site SOLcd has posted a series of scans from the upcoming Taiwanese version of “Stars.” As with previous releases in that country, the release is receiving its own unique packaging and inserts not found in other versions.

The Taiwanese version includes an extra “bonus” 14-page booklet which includes lyrics, photos, and also a listing of the band’s other releases available.

In other news, Zombieguide has been able to get more images of the front and back of the special CD wallet that was available to some regions as a pre-order bonus. Those images are also below.

images:

Source: SOLcd

Sanctuary Records, publisher for the US September 24th release of “Beneath the Skin: Live in Paris: Version 2,” has finally added the release to their website. The listing is virtually devoid of any new info except for the cover.

As you’ll notice, the cover is nearly identical to the original release except for two minute changes. The first is that a “2” has been tacked on to the end of the already lengthy title. Secondly, the useless red dot that was found at the bottom-center of the first cover has performed the same disappearing act as Steve DiMarchi’s backup singing.

Thanks to Icicle Melts for the tip. We’ll have more on the newly re-issued “BTS” as soon as we can.

images:

Source: Sanctuary Records

Our diligent contributor Lorenzo has managed to get his hands on a copy of the final version of “Stars” early — the album isn’t scheduled to release until Monday in most regions of the world (except North America), but some stores have already begun selling it early.

Below are the first scans from the limited editon 2-CD set, which includes the second “Official Live Bootleg” disc.

Huge thanks to Lorenzo for contributing the images.

Images:

Source: Exclusive!

You will well remember when the Mexican press ran a a series of articles on the band’s future back in late June. As it ends up, most of the more shocking pieces (like the article titled “Cranberries Plan to Separate”) were officiallydismissed as gross mistranslations. However, apparently one stunning fact was reported correctly: the band is currently preparing for a more experimental sixth album.

Earlier today in a press conference held in Madrid, Dolores gave her thoughts on the band’s newly-developing material. After the current “Best Of” tour, The Cranberries will return to the studio “to work hard on a new sound. After five albums, I think we have achieved our own particular sound. Now it is time to find a new one,” Dolores told the press. But don’t worry — the change may not be as drastic as it seems. She hinted that the new material may bear some likeness to “Stars” and “New New York.”

But the time to go back to the studio is heavily dependent on the current “Best Of” tour and also the success of “Stars: The Best of the Cranberries 1992-2002.” Dolores noted that if the greatest hits compilation is received well, they will tour throughout 2003. However, once the world tour is over, the band will immediately head to the studio for their sixth offering (and presumably the last on the Universal label).

Also during the press conference, she denied the previous Spanish-based reports that she would be singing in Spanish on the new album (a language that she doesn’t speak anyway). However she did comment that if she were to sing in another language other than English, she would choose Romance languges like Spanish, French, or Italian rather than Germanic languages like German or Dutch.

Thanks to Dummy from the forums for the news — we’ll have more from the Madrid interviews and press conference as soon as it’s available!

In a newsletter sent out by CranberriesItalia, the band’s official Italian website, the site announces that the CD single version of the song will be released in Italy on October 4th. Dates for other regions will probably fall in early October as well.

There’s no information on what bonus material the single will contain, but you’ll find it here as soon as we know.

We’ll have much more on “Stars” as its release date draws ever near!

Source: Cranberries Team Newsletter, CranPortal

CranberriesItalia, the band’s official Italian website, notes that the video for Stars, directed last month by Jake Nava in the Dublin suburb of Wicklow, officially begins broadcasting on September 16th, which coincides with the international release of the album.

The site also notes that yesterday was the official date for “Stars” to begin radio airplay. Ladies and gentlemen, you may now begin flooding your favorite radio stations with requests to hear the new track.

We’ll have much more on “Stars” as its release date draws ever near!

Source: CranberriesItalia

German radio station SWR3 has posted a new bit of info about a possible second limited edition of “Stars” for later this year. A limited edition version of “Stars” is already scheduled to release on launch day this month with an extra 5-track CD called “Official Live Bootleg” with tracks taken from Stockholm 2002.

The note is tacked on to the end of an announcement that the band was scheduled to perform on the station earlier today. No word yet on the performance, or even if it has been aired yet. Anyway, here’s what the site has to say:

“Before Christmas there’s even going to be a limited edition [of “Stars”], on which the radio recordings are going to be additionally contained on a bonus CD.”

Will it be a Euro-only release? We can’t say anything for sure right now, as this is all the information we have, but we’ll be on the lookout for more.

Thanks to our own resident German-speaking Norbert for the tip.

Source: SWR3

The Cranberries make their appearence in a few American magazines this month (!!) and we’ve got the scans to prove it.

Yesterday, we told you that there was an article in the September issue of “Mix,” and so we dutifully tracked down a copy of the industry-oriented magazine and made some scans of the quarter-page article. The text is the same as the online article, but the print version includes a highly-saturated live photo from the July 2nd show in San Franciso. The inset photo shows Front of House Engineer Joe O’Herlihy leaning over his beloved mixing board.

There’s an even bigger surprise to be had in the upcoming Fall issue of “Women Who Rock”; Dolores will evidently be getting some hefty coverage in the autumn issue! The Summer edition includes a tasty preview picture in their “Coming Attractions” section (seen below) of Dolores holding up some canned cranberries.

No word yet on when exactly the Fall issue of “Women Who Rock” will be released, but we’ll be eagerly awaiting it and we’ll have scans as soon as we get it in our hands.

Of course, this makes us very guilty of Cranberries Sin and Confession #25: “You buy a whole magazine or newspaper for that little review or picture of them.”

Images:

Source: Exclusive!

At 11 o’clock local time this morning, The Cranberries stepped into the studios at 2FM in Ireland to perform an hour-long all-acoustic performance. Luckily, it wasn’t an “all-hits” performance, as the intense numbers “Dying in the Sun” and “Chocolate Brown” were slipped into the mix. As even more of a treat, listeners heard the first-ever acoustic performance of “Stars,” the band’s newest single from the upcoming album of the same name. The full setlist was:

1. Dying in the Sun
2. Ode to My Family
3. Linger
4. Free to Decide
5. Chocolate Brown
6. Stars
7. Zombie
8. Animal Instinct

Shortly after performing “Stars,” Dolores talked for the first time about what inspired her to write the song. “I was actually walking in Kilmallock at my home … you know what I’m saying about kids, how they put a challenge back in your life, well then we [myself and Don] have these mindless tiffs about nothing, when you have kids right, because you’re always so busy, like, ‘Hi,’ when you’re passing in the corridor, ‘How are you?’. So it was one of those tiffs, like, and I went out of the house all hot and puffy and mad and stuff. And I took my daughter in the pram to the studio — we have a studio near the house where the band rehearses — so I was walking over to the studio and I was in a temper,” she admitted. “And then I thought, maybe it’s me, and then I was thinking about my book Men Are From Mars, Women Are From Venus or something that I read. I thought, maybe it’s me and maybe I need to chill, right? So I wrote it kinda thinking that maybe I’m not so perfect, maybe … I should give a little bit, maybe it’s not me.”

She continued, “And I was thinking as well, that’s the problem, people are married for years and years and years and you get to know each other on different levels when you become parents and all that stuff, right? But the thing is to remember who you fell in love with and not to try to change the person. That’s what they say in books, right? And that’s one of the most important keys to success in marriage, I think, if you can do it. Anyway, I wrote the song there with those thoughts in mind… and then at the end I say, does anyone love the way they are though? Is anyone perfect? I mean, do you look in the mirror and say, ‘God, I’m so perfect’? You don’t really, you know.”

“Remember who you’re talking about now, he probably does!” Fergal quipped at Don.

We’d end it here, but today was no ordinary day for the band — after all, Dolores turns 31 years old today (and it also commemorates the 10th anniversary of the NNTA song “Twenty One”). Off the air, 2FM presented her with a birthday cake which she dug into (literally!) and show host Gerry Ryan was even lucky enough to win a kiss from the birthday girl. Happy birthday, Dolores!!!

Images:

Photo Source: 2FM

We showed you previously that the UK version of “Stars” was released with a full-on retrospective photo gallery and now we’re pleased to present full scans of the promo.

The inside design, which hasn’t been seen til now, depicts enough rare Cranberries memoribilia to send even the most completionist of Cranberry fanboys into a fit of drooling. Rare and recognizable pieces range from a poster for The Cranberry Saw Us’ first gig in November 1989 to brand new European tour passes. Keep in mind that promo art such as this usually ends up being reused on commercial releases, and so it’s more than likely that we will be seeing these designs again.

Thanks to Sander for the scans!

Images:

Source: Exclusive!

Barnes and Noble’s online site has begun listing a VHS re-release of “Beneath the Skin” (with the appendage “Version 2”) due out simultaneously with the DVD re-release on September 24th in the US. It was previously thought that only the DVD would be reissued due to presentation flaws of the original release.

The original VHS release contained three extra music videos for “Promises,” “Animal Instinct,” and “Just My Imagination.” It is currently unknown what extras, if any, will be included on the new VHS Version 2.

We’ll have more information on the new Version 2 releases as their sale dates draw near.

Source: Barnes and Noble

We told you earlier today that Dolores was in the newest issue of Tutto, but we had no idea she was on the cover. But now we know, and we’re happier because of it!

Dolores tells Tutto that during the band’s most distressing times, she was depressed, confused, tired, and she often went overboard on alcohol. She was also trying desperately to get out of a taxing relationship with longtime boyfriend Miko Mahoney, when her husband Don met her and helped her through. And since no Cranberries interview is complete without at least a mention of the band’s recent “arrivals,” Dolores hopes that Molly, now almost two, won’t get into the commercial likes of Britney Spears or Christina Aguilera, but instead finds interest in more heart-felt female singers like Chrissie Hynde of The Pretenders, Sinead O’Connor, or Skin. While on the topic, Dolores elates that it’s even better to be a mum than be a singer! Rounding out the interview, she also reminds us once again that she would like to land a film role sometime in the future.

The live and backstage photos were taken from earlier this year at the jacket-required Monte Carlo venue. Oh, and as if you needed any more reason to buy this issue, it comes with a free 4-track Bjork live and remix CD, in preparation for her Greatest Hits due out in October.

Perhaps if someone could mail us a full translation, we’d be more than happy to post it.

Huge thanks to Lorenzo and Klarebel for the fantastic scans!

Source: Exclusive!

The Italian magazine “Tutto” has a new lengthy interview with Dolores this month which seems to focus on the band’s “dark” period during “To the Faithful Departed.” The article includes several brand new photos of the leading lady including the one you see below of Dolores swimming. Wow. I don’t think we’ve seen this since The Vine.

We’ll have more images and info from “Tutto” in the coming days.

Huge thanks to Klarebel for the fantastic scan!

Source: Exclusive!

In their latest newsletter sent out today, Island/Mercury Germany included another new Andy Earl photograph of the band taken to promote “Stars.” The picture is an alternate version of the image used for the cover of the album.

This is only the third promo photo of the band that we’ve seen for “Stars,” so we can expect more to come.

Source: Island/Mercury Germany Newsletter

Okay, yes, we are a little late in reporting this, but it’s definitely worth the read if you have yet not seen it yet. Earlier this month, Universal Music Spain delivered an interesting set of data to ChocolateBrown.com — a complete list of The Cranberries’ albums sales country-by-country. It’s an excellent approximation, but it seems the data is slightly out of date; the totals only add up to little over 28 million of the band’s 35 million albums to date. That could very well mean that these figures are pre-“Bury the Hatchet.” It’s somewhat mind-boggling to think that nearly one-third of all of the album sales to date have come from the United States (10 million+) and it’s by far the largest figure you’ll see below. Second place is France at 3.2 million and third is the UK with 2.4 million. Updated figures may come in the future, so we’ll let you know.

Update: According to the RIAA’s website, US album sales are currently in the range of about 15 to 16 million (not 10, as stated below). Once again, keep in mind that these numbers below are only approximations. Thanks to Michelle for the correction on that.

Source: ChocolateBrown.com

The July/August issue of the French music mag “Only Rock” carries a review of The Cranberries’ performance in Bourges on April 9th. The article, below, also carries a photo of Dolores with her now somewhat famous (or infamous!) mask near the start of the show.

Source: The Cranberries Tape Trader

Island Records has sent out new 2-track promos for “Stars” to German media outlets. Tracks are:
1. New New York 2. Stars
As seems to be common with many recent promo releases, the sleeve is devoid of anything resembling “art” except for the Island Records Group logo. Look for a single release of “Stars” sometime next month in Europe.
Thanks to Xan for the tip!

There’s no need for alot of words here — only that we now have some small but sufficient images of the back cover and CD art found on the UK promo CD for “Stars”. Keep in mind that promo art such as this usually turns up later on commercial releases, so we’ll have to see what the single and album bring.

At 8:30 this morning Irish time (3:30 EST) Dolores and Don arrived to talk on 2FM’s “Full Irish Breakfast Show.” For those that missed it or couldn’t convince themselves to stay up at such an unruly hour, we’ve got the best of it transcribed here.

“Is that your third cigarette, I thought you were quitting out there?” Dolores scolded her husband. “He’s like, ‘I’ll quit if you quit,’ and then I quit and then he doesn’t quit and then I have one… Well, you know I quit for two and a half days, but it’s really hard when you’re husband’s sitting beside you being a chimney!”

Talking about the just-completed video for “Stars,” Dolores went on, “We were shooting a video for the last two days just on the outskirts of Dublin — Wicklow area — it was kinda cool actually. We’ve got some beautiful countryside here. I swear, it’s so like Dingle, about the same amount of sheep, you know? …And I must apologize to Arthur for bringing in sheep poop on my shoes but it couldn’t be helped ‘cos I was in my hotel room and I tried to clean them in the sink but then I thought, the poor women are gonna come in to clean up my hotel room and there’s gonna be sheep poop in the sink!”

Apparently director Jake Nava had some grand plans for “Stars” as the video features at least one, if not several, helicopter-filmed aerial shots. “The last shot last night it was like — you do your lip synching and stuff like that, we did some weird stuff — we did one shot in the middle of the mountains and there was this chopper that came over the hill and there was this cameraman hanging out the side of the chopper and I’m thinking, He’s mad,” Dolores recollects.

“Yeah, but he’s doing it just for you,” reminds one of the show’s hosts.

“But he does that and he’s used to it or whatever, but there was nothing around except a drum kit. It was a very Monty Python-looking kind of event really. But I’m sure it’ll look really nice when it’s edited and all that stuff,” she adds.

Anyone who’s taken a peek at the band’s fall touring schedule might have noticed the one-month void between mid-September and mid-October. As with most things, there’s a reason for this and Dolores was all too happy to explain. “Taylor is four and a half and he’s starting school next week so I’m taking a big career break to take him to school… I’m going to take four weeks off actually.”

And lest we forget…”The sixth [of September]… is my birthday so if anyone out there wants to send me a present or a note or a birthday card, bring ’em on!”

Source: Exclusive

UK online retailers Amazon.co.uk and 101cd have both listed new details on the upcoming limited 2CD edition of “Stars: The Best of The Cranberries 1992-2002.” According to both sites, the five live bonus tracks, which were already mentioned as being from a 2002 concert, were taken from the band’s performance in Stockholm, Sweden on February 19, 2002, only the second date on the “Wake Up And Smell The Coffee” World Tour.

In addition to the bonus tracks, both sites also cite a bonus video track of “Zombie” as another extra to be found on the disc. It is unknown if the video will simply be the 1994 music video or if it is a live video. Our best guess is that it’s the original music video — Hmmm… A “Best Of” DVD preview, anyone? Furthermore, it is unknown if the bonus video track is a UK-only bonus. But since the 2CD Limited Edition will be distributed worldwide, it’s possible that the video track will be included on all releases.

That’s the latest on “Stars” for now, Zombieguide will have more for you as it develops. Special thanks to Daniel Steward for the 411!

Sources: Amazon.co.uk, 101cd

UK online retailers Amazon.co.uk and 101cd have both listed new details on the upcoming limited 2CD edition of “Stars: The Best of The Cranberries 1992-2002.” According to both sites, the five live bonus tracks, which were already mentioned as being from a 2002 concert, were taken from the band’s performance in Stockholm, Sweden on February 19, 2002, only the second date on the “Wake Up and Smell the Coffee” World Tour.

In addition to the bonus tracks, both sites also cite a bonus video track of “Zombie” as another extra to be found on the disc. It is unknown if the video will simply be the 1994 music video or if it is a live video. Our best guess is that it’s the original music video — Hmmm… A “Best Of” DVD preview, anyone? Furthermore, it is unknown if the bonus video track is a UK-only bonus. But since the 2CD Limited Edition will be distributed worldwide, it’s possible that the video track will be included on all releases.

That’s the latest on “Stars” for now, Zombieguide will have more for you as it develops. Special thanks to Daniel Steward for the 411!

Source: Amazon.co.uk and 101cd

We heard earlier this week that “Stars” had made its way onto Mexican radio stations, and so it’s no surprise that studio clips should be popping up soon — and it’s even less of a surprise that you should find them first here, exclusively on Zombieguide.

“Stars” Studio Version Preview Clip 1 (MP3, 1.4 mb) (Link no longer available)
“Stars” Studio Version Preview Clip 2 (MP3, 1.6 mb) (Link no longer available)

The brand spanking-new clips come courtesy of the This Is the Day Cran Club, after the song was aired on Mexican radio station Orbita 105.7 earlier today.
Congratulations to Orbita for being the absolute coolest radio station in Mexico for playing the song before anyone else!

Note: These are short preview clips, not the full song. Please don’t be so silly as to ask us to send you the full song. Remember that “Stars: The Best of The Cranberries 1992-2002” comes out internationally on September 16th and in North America on September 24th, so be sure to save up your nickels and dimes and buy the album when it comes out in stores.

In related news, the This Is the Day Cran Club is scheduled to have its next meeting on Saturday, August 31st at the National Auditorium in Mexico City at 13:00 (Mexico time). The meeting will include “Stars” played in full-lengh, so if you live around Mexico City, you won’t want to miss that.

Check back to Zombieguide very soon, as Sigma from This Is The Day Cran Club and webmaster of ZG Mexico should be able to get us the full scans from the new promo CD of “Stars,” courtesy of Orbita 105.7!

Source: Exclusive

It has been finalized just a few hours ago that The Cranberries will be playing in Zagreb, Croatia on October 31st, as reported by several Croatian news outlets. The concert will mark the first time in the band’s carrer to play in the southeastern European country.

Look for an official confirmation sometime very soon.
Thanks to Daniel for the news.

Source: Exclusive

The name “Cranberries” is popping up in several parts of the world at the moment, all for different reasons, so here’s a quick look at some of the things going on around the globe.

Mexican fans are among the very first to hear “Stars” played on the radio. Cranmty on the forums (from the Monterrey region) reports that the song’s tempo is slightly slower than that of the live versions posted on the Internet. The new track should be getting airplay in other places on the map very shortly.

French online ticket vendor TicketNet has begun selling seats for an upcoming show at the Rhenus in Strasbourg, France, scheduled for November 28th. Tickets cost 35.82 Euro.
Thanks to Stéphane for that bit.

MTV Italy has listed The Cranberries as part of their MTV Day 2002 celebration to take place on September 14th. The word is that the channel will be airing a live concert from the band in Bologna which will be free to concert goers (!).
Thanks to Lorenzo and Paolo for the tip on that one.

The official site has yet to confirm the French gig or the MTV Italy appearance, so be aware that none of this is permenant as of yet.

Sources: TicketNet, MTV Italy

As per usual, MTV in the US is in it’s month-long graduated hype-fest to help promote their annual Video Music Awards, which take place on August 29th this year. As part of the festivities, the network has put together a new version of it’s “Best of the Red Carpet” special, and this year’s show included a quick shot of Dolores from the 1996 VMAs.

The extremely brief shot shows Dolores taking off her jacket on the red carpet, shortly before the band’s on-stage performace of “Salvation” that year. Zombieguide has made some captures of the short segment, seen below. (Captures no longer available)

Those who pre-order “Stars” through Asian import specialty site SOLcd.com will not only receive the special Limited Edition 2CD set, but also another special gift — a “Stars” CD holder. The metallic CD wallet has a capacity to hold 12 CDs and includes the new CD’s tracklisting on the back.

The pre-order price for the set is $26.99. Pre-orders will be accepted through August 30th. It’s unknown at this point if the CD wallet is a Taiwan- only goodie, so we’ll let you know if we see it springing up elsewhere.

Source: SOLcd.com

As if you haven’t been gorged with enough Cranberries news today, Universal Canada has dropped the ball on even more.

The page confirms that the limited edition 5-track bonus disc will be available in limited quantities on launch day in Canada, and if the past is any indication, it will most probably be available in the United States as well. The site also pegs the UK release at September 17th, one day after the international date.

Next on the list is the song “Stars” itself. The song should be available to all radio stations soon and the music video for “Stars” will be on air by the end of August — which suggests that it has already been quietly recorded.

Lastly mentioned is the promised music video compilation DVD, currently dubbed as the “Best of” DVD. Universal says that that release should be available in October or November (although we’ll be betting on November).

Keep it here for more, if I have the strength to type it!

Source: Universal Canada

The long-awaited re-release of The Cranberries’ “Beneath the Skin: Live in Paris” DVD may be out much sooner than anyone expected.

French online retailer Fnac has posted a listing for Beneath the Skin: Live in Paris New Version (Region 2) for release in France on September 16th, the same date as “Stars” (Interestingly, “Treasure Box” is also being released in France that day).

The original DVD was released in January 2001, but had widespread loading problems and a downright horrible menu system. After numerous complaints, the band’s management finally decided to recall the the disc late last year, and it has been absent from store shelves ever since. Now, within the past few months, technicians have been creating brand new user- friendly menus for the re-release, but until nos, no definitive release date has been given.

Although, Fnac’s description is brief, we do now know one new feature of the re-release. In addition to the Stereo and Dolby Digital 5.1 modes found in the original release, the new DVD will include Dolby DTS as a third encoding option — for those who have enough subwoofers and satellite speakers to even notice a difference. No other new features have been spilled yet, but we’re certainly aching for more.

At this point, it appears that a September re-release is very possible. Stay tuned for more.

Source: Fnac