In a recent poll posted on Entertainment Weekly Online, the popular magazine asked visitors to pick their favorite Irish musician(s). Shockingly, The Cranberries pulled out a clear lead, over double the closest competition, U2. As of today, The Crans hold 59.41% of the vote, U2 holds 28.17%, The Corrs with 3.78%, The Pogues with 2.01% and Van Morrison in fifth with a meager 1.71%. Tough luck to Enya, Sinead O’Connor, and everyone else… they’re all further down on the list.

The poll is still open, so if you feel the need to rub it in the nose of U2 and The Corrs, or just view the complete results, check it out here (Link no longer available)

Source: Entertainment Weekly

The “CranFan Exclusive” page of The Cranberries Official page has updated with a brand new photo of the band, taken on the last day of mixing “Wake Up and Smell the Coffee” in London’s Townhouse Studios, May 17th. Amazingly, we have some news from this photo alone. Leftmost is Cenzo Townshend, whom the band has selected to mix the new the album. From left to right is Engineer Cenzo Townshend, Noel, Producer Stephen Street, Dolores, Mike, and Fergal.

The band looks a bit different since we saw them last in late March. Dolores now has medium length natural brown hair (instead of the previous blonde) and Fergal has ditched the bleached hair.

Those wishing to gain access to the CranFran Exclusive area should sign up on the mailing list on the official page!

Engineer Cenzo Townshend, Noel, Producer Stephen Street, Dolores, Mike, Fergal

Source: Official International Homepage

Dolores has posted some news on the official page, where she is on the way back from the completion of “Wake Up”‘s mixing in London. She explains the reasoning behind the new title and the overall feel of the album, “It’s gonna be called ‘Wake Up And Smell The Coffee’, because that’s where I’m at in my life and all of the boys in the band relate to it. It sounds killer, really! There’s stuff on there that we could never have done years ago. I guess as you get more wrinkles and grey hair, you also become wiser, more assertive, and more positive!”

The band threw an “end of studio” party in London on Thursday night to celebrate the completion of the new CD. “We went to a trendy restaurant and had some amazing food, and of course wine. (Sake actually!) There were a lot of sick heads going around the next day, needless to say!”, she wrote.

And lastly, Dolores discusses her newfound maternal bliss. “I’m soooo looking forward to getting back to my babies. It’s soooo cool! Molly is getting bigger and more beautiful and Taylor really loves her. I’m such a lucky blessed person. I’m so thankful to God for what I have. On my eleven years of touring, I’ve seen so much deprivation and sadness. Life’s so short, it’s essential to put love and happiness first. I can’t function without love.”

Oh, and she vows to stay away from mushrooms now after her “near to death experience” of nearly choking on one a few months ago!

Sources: Official International Homepage

If English is a second language to you, you may not understand the phrase “wake up and smell the coffee”. It is an English idiom, like “Bury the Hatchet” (which means “leave bad things in the past”).
“Wake up and smell the coffee” means in English “Pay attention!” or “Realize this!”
It is sometimes a very mild insult.

We hope this a help to all our foreign readers!

Source: Exclusive

Another brand new interview with CDNOW.com confirms it: The Cranberries quietly moved onto the MCA Label last fall. MCA is not an entirely separate music label, but yet another under the huge umbrella of the Universal Music Group (thanks to Vance for the tip). The reason should be very obvious to any fan that remembers April 1999 well.

The merging of record companies is usually a mess-maker for both artists and avid fans. “Bury the Hatchet” received sub-par promotion, which can be tracked in sales figures and chart placing. But the band doesn’t care about that and neither do I. What they do care about, though, is when their own fans don’t even know that they have a new album out. This was be exemplified in Dolores’s 1999 interview with Craig Kilborn, where she said Bury the Hatchet was, “going pretty good, it’s just that alot of fans are coming up, going, ‘Oh, Dolores, have you guys got a new album coming out?’ And I’m like, ‘It came out six months ago!’, so it’s that kind of thing.”

She further continued with her dissent, “It’s [BTH] doin’ OK, like, but alot of people don’t really know it’s out and stuff, ’cause our record company [Island] got bought out, so at the moment it’s a bit messy over here [in the United States].” It may be because management decided that MCA could represent the band better than Island that the band made the move.

The Cranberries signed onto Island Records in summer 1991 for a 10-year 6-album contract. That 10-year mark is quickly approaching and the band has had four studio albums on the label. No doubt the March 20th release of “Bury the Hatchet: The Complete Sessions” in the US counts as one album release. As for the 6th, it’s vague at the moment. 1995’s “Doors and Windows” CD-Rom/B-sides disc may have counted as one album release. Also, Fergal noted last year in a chat with “El Foco” that the band has acquired rights to their 1991 “Uncertain” EP (originally on Xeric records) and that the band plans to do full B-sides release sometime in the future. Even so, it may be that the band won’t even be obligated to a 6th Island release because Island is now part of Universal and they will still be publishing the album on Universal.

Here’s today’s brand new info, stright form CDNOW.com:
The Cranberries Move Forward With Wake Up And Smell The Coffee May 18, 2001, 2:10 pm PT

Ireland’s Cranberries have decided on nine of the tracks that will help make up the band’s forthcoming album, Wake Up and Smell the Coffee, due Oct. 23 on MCA Records.

In addition to the previously reported tracks “Analyze,” “Time Is Ticking Out,” and “Never Grow Old,” the band has decided on “This Is the Day,” “Dying Inside,” “Wake Up and Smell the Coffee,” “Chocolate Brown,” “I Really Hope,” and “Cape Town” for the album, which is the band’s fifth album and first for MCA.

Wake Up and Smell the Coffee, recorded at Windmill Lane studio in Dublin, Ireland (where U2 recently recorded All That You Can’t Leave Behind), was produced by Stephen Street (Smiths, Blur). The Cranberries signed to MCA Records last fall after a four-album stint at Island Records. Coffee is expected to contain 13 tracks.

– Kevin Raub

Partial Source: CDNOW.com

We’ve gathered all of the info of the past few days and past few months and here is the current known song listing for the upcoming album, “Wake Up and Smell the Coffee”. Note that these songs are in no order of any kind — this is NOT the way they will appear on the album.

Album:
· “Analyze”
· “Time is Ticking Out”
· “Never Grow Old”
· “Wake Up and Smell the Coffee”
· “This is the Day”
· “Dying Inside”
· “Chocolate Brown”
· “I Really Hope”
· “Cape Town”
· “Pretty Eyes”
· “The Concept”
· +2 More Unannounced titles

B-Sides:
· “In the Ghetto”
· +4 More Unannounced titles · Various Remixes

And, of course, some commentary. “Cape Town” was originally written last summer when the band was touring South Africa. It was first disclosed under the tentative title “Down in Cape Town”, but it has now officially been shortened. Also, the planned remixes will almost assuredly be remixes of new songs. Because this album is on a new label for the band, MCA, remixing old songs could strike a major conflict with Island without proper permission.

Sources: Various (Recap)

The official site has updated with much more info on the fifth album, “Wake Up and Smell the Coffee”. Apparently, it wasn’t forseen that the new interviews posted yesterday would appear so soon and so now the official site has filled us in on the particulars. According to the page, “The interviews are continuing, and are going extremely well! Reaction to the new album has been phenomenal!”

New titles have also been revealed: “Wake Up And Smell The Coffee” is the title track. Others include “Chocolate Brown”, “This Is The Day”, and “The Concept”.

The site promises to have constant updates with exclusive info, so we will assuredly keep our eyes fixed on the screen.

Source: The Cranberries Official International Homepage

When it rains, it pours. An interview with Fergal has been posted on Rollingstone.com and there’s lots more “Wake Up” goodness to be had. According to the site, “Wake Up and Smell the Coffee” is planned for a release on October 23rd on MCA Records. According to the article, “Analyse” has been chosen as the first single from the album. No release date has been set for it.

In addition to “In the Ghetto” and the other 4 planned B-Sides, Fergal notes that they will be doing some remixes to include as B-Sides.

Source: Rolling Stone

This, from MTV.com:

Cranberries Bear Babies, Prepare Album For Release (05.16.2001)

While ethereal Irish alt-rockers The Cranberries were working on such chart- topping hits as “Linger” and “Zombie” at Dublin’s famous Windmill Lane Recording Studios during the ’90s, the grounds probably resembled a smoky bar. But when the band finished its upcoming record, Wake Up and Smell the Coffee, two weeks ago, the place looked more like a day-care center.

Vocalist Dolores O’Riordan’s second child, Molly Leigh, was four months old, guitarist Noel Hogan’s wife had just birthed the couple’s second young ‘un, Sophie, and bassist Mike Hogan was preparing for the birth of his first kid. As a result, the music being generated was less akin to the death-obsessed ramblings of 1996’s To the Faithful Departed than reflective of the sheer joy of creation.

“I’m going to be 30 this year, and I guess when you get to that next level in life, everything that once seemed so important – record sales, touring and staying popular – doesn’t matter as much anymore,” O’Riordan said as the band was about to enter Townhouse Studios in London and begin mixing the record. “Suddenly your life’s fuller and you learn how to grasp the moment you’re in and live it and enjoy it.”

O’Riordan described Wake Up and Smell the Coffee, scheduled for release in October, as an upbeat combination of the band’s four studio releases. “There are a few fast, kind of punky songs and some slow, gentle ones,” she said. “There’s more maturity, more confidence and less apprehension. I’ve come to the conclusion that life is for the taking and just too short to dwell on the negative.”

The Cranberries recorded 18 songs at Windmill Lane, 13 of which will end up on the record. The rest, including a cover of Elvis Presley’s “In the Ghetto,” will be released as B-sides.

Some of the songs on the album were written last year during the band’s Bury the Hatchet tour. The rest were penned throughout O’Riordan’s pregnancy. Though the record doesn’t concern childbirth directly, O’Riordan said becoming pregnant had a profound impact on the band’s new material.

“There’s a kind of sacredness around your body that affects everything you do,” she explained. “You don’t drink, you’re not smoking, you’re going to bed early and the baby’s ruling you. You think about the child all the time. And when you sing, there’s a certain emotion in your voice you couldn’t have if there weren’t a baby inside you. The feeling that’s in your heart all the time comes out spiritually in your voice and the music.”

While Wake Up and Smell the Coffee’s first single hasn’t been chosen yet, O’Riordan said she hopes the first radio track will be “Analyze,” which describes her newfound anti-analytical perspective. “It’s an uptempo song about not analyzing things,” she said. “When you overly analyze things, it can really paralyze your evolution. It’s important to follow your heart and go with the flow.”

Another track, “Time Is Ticking Out,” addresses global warming and ecological awareness. “Those kinds of concerns come naturally when you become a parent,” she surmised. “You see how the ozone layer is being depleted and there’s lots more skin cancer, and you start to worry about what the world will be like when your kids are older. I know we need the products we manufacture, but at the same time, why can’t we live without plastic and all the crap that’s not biodegradable?”

But of all the songs The Cranberries recorded, O’Riordan said “Never Grow Old” is the one that most succinctly sums up the past year of her life. “It’s about realizing that when your life is very good, you don’t want things to change,” she said. “You believe this is the perfect moment in your life and you’re really very grateful. It’s ironic because when the band were really big and we had massive hits, I never felt like that. I was always stressed out and insecure. I’ve learned that for me it’s not about being a huge star. I never felt as happy as I do right now.”

-Jon Wiederhorn

Well, there’s alot of info here and alot to comment on. All in all, it’s great to read. Hopefully, I’ll have my own comments when I update the “Wake Up and Smell the Coffee” preview section (formerly the Album #5 preview).

And for all those on the discussion board that think MTV a strange place for The Cranberries news coverage, it’s not as odd as it seems. Recall that in November 1998, MTV was the first to report the new single (“Promises”) from “Bury the Hatchet”.

Major thanks to Yusef for the tip.

Source: MTV.com

A spokesperson for The Cranberries today imparted to Zombieguide.com that the band unfortunately will not be able to perform at the Dublin AIDS Benefit in Dublin on September 8th. The reason, the spokesperson said, was that as previously announced, The Cranberries will be promoting their new album, “Wake Up and Smell the Coffee,” throughout the end of the year. Because of this busy agenda, it was decided that the band had to decline the invitation.

Source: Exclusive

The Cranberries continue to be included in the list of expected artists to perform at the Dublin Phoenix Park AIDS Benefit gig, as reported earlier. In addition the previously mentioned appearences of George Micheal and the Hothouse Flowers, Elton John is now also on the roster for the mega-scale gig.

As of yet though, not much is set in stone. The two major organizers of the program, Ciaran Geraty and Daragh Kavanagh, have yet to give a full list of acts to perform. However, they confidently noted, “The acts we’re talking to will sell themselves”. The two 27-year olds quit their jobs nearly two years to work on the major project.

Not surprisingly, U2 is still expected but unconfirmed. A spokeswoman for the band commented, “I don’t think anyone’s been confirmed for it. U2 are still on tour, so nothing’s even in the pipeline yet.”

September 8th, 2001 is still the projected date. The artists will be performing on an outdoor stage from 12:00 noon to 10:30 PM at Phoenix Park. Two principal corporate sponsors are funding the gig, which will take an estimated £2 million (or $2.83 million) to pull off. All proceeds will benefit the Third World Aids projects. The show will be unrivaled in size and ambition since the enormous “Live Aid” show, which took place on July 13, 1985.

Source: Sunday Business Post (Ireland)

As a follow-up to yesterday’s news, we now have an official explanation of the cancellation of Spanish “Beneath the Skin” VHS. According to sources, Island/Universal had intentions to subtitle the video for Spain, but after due consideration, it was deemed that it would not be profitable enough, and therefore the project was cancelled.

According to sources near the band, The Cranberries are planning to re- release the concert to coincide with the new album’s release in October. This will be a worldwide re-release on VHS and DVD once again. It is unknown if the new re-release will include new material and bonuses as a result of the new album, but we will have to wait for more details as they arrive.

Source: Página de Cranberries

It seems that Spain has hit yet another snag in a long line of delays in recent Cranberries releases. The VHS edition of “Beneath the Skin”, scheduled to release in February, has been yet again put on hold.

Previously, Island/Universal explained that the video was still in production for Castillian Spanish subtitles. However, other such subtitled editions have already been released for months in countries such as France, Germany, and Italy. Universal has been contacted, but no response thus far. Most have given up hope for its release.

This is only one of the many release woes of Spain since “Bury the Hatchet”. Singles and even “The Complete Sessions” have all be delayed or cancelled there, due the large mess created by the merge of Island and Universal.

Source: Página de Cranberries

At long last, we at Zombieguide find a copy of “Whisper to a Scream” (in a brick-and-mortar Borders no less) so here’s all the juicy goodness for you Cranfrans that may or may not have been able to purchase it.

The interactive menus, to begin with, are expertly designs, with fast-pased stills of nearly every musician in the documentary. Animated photos of Dolores can be seen to the left of the options, shots of her smiling, staring to the right with intent, and eyes fixed on the ground.

As previously reported, the actual Cranberries portion of the 2 and a half hour documentary is fairly short, but there’s a lovely amount of content in that little span. Again, as reported earlier, the portion features the extremely rare first video for “Dreams”. Although reported as “low budget”, which it obviously was, it’s still fascinating.

And that may be due to the quality of DVD. I’m still astounded by the quality of DVD video, even though I’ve owned a player for months. “From a Whisper to a Scream” emphasizes the smoothness of quality a hundredfold. Not only is the interview with Dolores (and all the other artists) recorded at an astounding smooth framerate, but the “Dreams” video looks amazing at the same level.

So sure, it was cheezy, but Dolores looks incredibly lifelike in her long brown hair, adorable freckles, and her (then) slightly crooked teeth.

The 1st “Dreams” Video

Dolores, too, looked likewise great for her interview. Her long blonde locks pulled back behind her head quickly dated the interview as early ’99. She sat alone in a dark green room in a tall, director’s chair, while an illuminated white guitar faced her at the opposite side of the room. Not only does she discuss the plight of the Cranberries, but she also narrates her feelings on other Irish music. For example, in the second episode, she laments at the death of Phil Lynott, former singer for Thin Lizzy. The later comments that she honestly considers Thin Lizzy her favorite Irish music band ever formed.

Dolores also appears in the “bonus interview footage”, nearly as much so as she does in the film. She appears in both omake features, which are “Traditional Irish Music” and “Earliest Musical Influences”.

Below are scans of the full cover and backcover, disc, ’90s description from the chapter list, and a photo of Dolores from the back of the chapter list.
Webmasters: Please remember that these are exclusive scans, so kindly credit Zombieguide!

Source: Exclusive

The recently released Greek edition of the Cranberries’ “Beneath the Skin” is selling extremely well, with many retailers reporting full sell-outs of all their allotted copies. The video release is the band’s first official DVD release and their second home concert video, the first being 1994’s “Live”.

In the meantime, both Island Records and parent company Universal are trying to promptly fill demand by sending additional shipments of the DVD and VHS. No word yet on sales figures.

Sources: Cranberries Tape Trader, Greek Fan Club

Those who have seen the recent RTE Interview of Dolores point out some additional details not covered by the TV show’s webpage summary.

While discussing the new tour, Dolores stated that the band is currently planning to start the new tour in the US and Canada, although that is not for certain yet. Once the American tour is over, the band will trek to South America and especially to Brazil. The Cranberries have been meaning to visit that region for awhile, but due to prior touring restraints, could not.

Thanks to Jessica for the info.

And thankfully, it’s longer than I anticipated. Here’s the rundown, as posted on RTE’s Late Late show website:

DOLORES O’RIORDAN (The Cranberries):
The first interviewee of the evening was Dolores O’Riordan lead singer of ‘The Cranberries’. Looking fabulous three months after the birth of her first daughter Molly, Dolores was in great form and spoke to Pat about The Cranberries and life as a ‘rock star’ mother. The Cranberries next album is due out in August and for the remainder of this year they will be doing a promo tour before starting a world tour in 2002 which may last up to two years.

Dolores loves being a mum to her children, son Taylor and new addition Molly and said that there is nothing like children to keep one grounded. She doesn’t bring the children to her concerts as Taylor gets freaked out by the crowds and the noise. She loves doing concerts as it helps her get rid of all the little aggressions that build up. She really enjoys the buzz of doing a concert and spoke about the reaction of the crowds and watching people bodysurf through the audience.

Being a rock star isn’t the most important thing in her life. Friendship and family now take precedence. Having sold her quirky house in Dingle, Dolores described it as being on several different levels with a fireman’s pole down to the bar area. From her bedroom she had a view of the Blasket Islands. She now lives in Limerick near her family and described how her husband has a thing about bars and that there are at least three bars in her new abode. Her mum helps out with the children and as Taylor was born in Canada Dolores felt that Molly should be born in Ireland. Bringing the children up in Ireland is important to her.

Not a big fan of boy/girl bands Dolores cited John Lennon, Elvis, Frank Sinatra and Jim Reeves as being amongst some of her favourite musical influences. Others are Led Zepplin and AC/DC. The Cranberries have just finished recording at Windmill Lane in Dublin and at the moment Dolores is very content with her life. Having gone through a bit of a low she is now back in top form and is happier than ever.

What’s this? Hello-Hello! Does that say “next album is due out in August?” I don’t know if my flabby heart can withstand a new Björk album and Cranberries album all in the same month! Also, the second to last sentence is also intriguing, as it says the band has finished up their recording sessions for the new album. If that is indeed the case, then the next step in the grueling process is mixing. The band chose Mike Plotnikoff for the mixing of the band’s last two albums, “To the Faithful Departed” and “Bury the Hatchet”, so it’ll be interesting to see if the band selects him again or moves on to a different mixer.

Source: RTE

The Cranberries Official Webpage has updated with news straight from Fergal, and it’s all very positive. Pay attention to the slight modifications to the info given from the RTE interview.

Fergal writes, “We are back in Dublin recording the second half of the Album. We have most of the songs completed, there are just a few bits of backing vocal and percussion to be done before we start mixing. We ended up recording seven songs and yesterday we did a cover of an Elvis number called “In The Ghetto”. They all turned out better than we were expecting, and to be honest I’m blown away (goosebump-city), although now we have the awkward situation of having to choose which songs go on and which stay off the record. Not an easy decision!!

“It’s been great working with Steve again, everyone has been in great spirits and really positive, which makes recording go so much smoother.So, it’s off to London next week to mix and then we have to decide which songs are going to be singles and start choosing video directors! The album is still scheduled to come out in October this year!”

Fergal goes on to say that the band will be doing promotional work until Christmas this year, a great strategy in my opinion. This includes TV interviews, small performances, radio and magazine interviews, etc. Dolores has complained in past interviews that Universal handled the marketing of “Bury the Hatchet” terribly, to which I can only agree 100%. Then, in January 2002 the Cranberries will begin the full-scale world tour that for at least a year and a half, until about mid-2003. Wow.

The official confirmation of “In the Ghetto” comes as little suprise. The Cranberries first played the track live for the BBC Radio 1 Network in the UK, hosted by Simon Mayo in March 1999. Dolores was anxiously peppered with questions to reveal exactly which Elvis title they would be performing. Once revealed though, Dolores gives a nugget of sentiment about the track and the band’s decision to cover the song. Here we’ve got an exclusive excerpt from the audio interview:

Mayo: “Now, you’ve promised that you’re going to be doing this Elvis song, so people have guessed, ‘Heartbreak Hotel’ ?”

O’Riordan: “No…”

Mayo: “‘Way Down’?” O’Riordan: “Nope.”

Mayo: “‘Blue Suede Shoes’?” O’Riordan: “Nope.”

Mayo: “‘American Trilogy’?”

O’Riordan: “Nope.”

Mayo: “‘Crying in the Chapel’?”

O’Riordan: “No, that’s a nice one though.”

Mayo: “Let’s go with ‘Suspicous Minds’?”

O’Riordan: “No, [but] I like that one too”

Mayo: “So… what’s it gonna be then?”

O’Riordan: “It’s gonna be… ‘In the Ghetto’.”

Mayo: “From 1968. So, why, of all the Elvis tunes did you pick that one? Is it an old-time favorite or what?”

O’Riordan: “Yeah, I really like it, I mean I like it ’cause it’s quite acoustic and stuff, and I also love the lyrics, you know, the storyboard.”

Mayo: “So here we go, never ever… you haven’t done this live before, have you? Is this a special for us?”

O’Riordan: “No, no, we just kinda did it for this. Yeah, we got it together actually, the day before yesterday, we went to the rehersal room and slapped it together at the last minute, but it sounds actually pretty good ’cause it’s fresh, you know?”

Mayo: (to another person in the room) “So, tonight Matthew, you’re going to be Elvie Presley” (all laugh) “So here we go then, The Cranberries doing ‘In the Ghetto’.”

Since then, The Cranberries played the song again last November at Dublin’s Vicar Street, where they debuted two other new songs, “Analyse” and “Time is Ticking Out”. The renewal of the song was more than a covert hint at its inclusion. The full Radio 1 interview and performance is available for trading in the Trading Section. (Link no longer available)

Partial Source: Official International Homepage

The Cranberries have been featured on a regularly-airing show on MTV Latin America. The show, titled “Top 5 Interactivo” (or “Interactive Top 5”) showcases a different top 5 list every show. One of the newest shows highlights the “Top 5 Female Artists of 1996.” A video was shown from each artist. The final result was:

5. Jewel
4. Sheryl Crow
3. The Cranberries
2. Garbage
1. No Doubt

Source: Exclusive

The Irish Times reported this week that many of Ireland’s best-known artists are accumulating gobs of cash due to a clause in Irish taxing laws. The clause, which exempts taxes from arists’ royalty fees, allows artists to keep all of the individual royalty fees from each album sold, usually about £3 (approx. $4.30) per album.

One category in the Sunday Times’ annual Richest 100 survey is richest “aged 30 or under” in Ireland, where The Cranberries place in the Top 10. The newspaper reports that each member of the band has a personal wealth of £38 ($55) million each, which would make a total of more than £152 ($218) million. This figure far exceeds Q Magazine’s £60 million estimate that we reported last week (click here). Irish people who made their wealth entirely outside the British Isles were excluded from the annual survey.

Source: The Irish Times

No doubt while filming the segment for Ireland’s Greatest Hits a few days ago for the network RTÉ, Dolores also agreed to do an interview for the “Late Late Show”. The interview will air in Ireland tomorrow, April 27th, 2001 at 9:30 PM on RTÉ1.

Dolores will no doubt be discussing the new album in the interview, so it would be excellent if someone could watch the interview and give us a detailed account of it! If you’re certain that you can do so, please please email me beforehand.

In related news, the series “Ireland’s Greatest Hits” has begun airing on the Emerald Isle. Note that the series has 13 parts, and the episode with Dolores has not aired yet. The pilot episode aired this Monday and featured The Corrs, Larry Cunningham, and others. You can visit the official Ireland’s Greatest Hits page here. (Link no longer available)

Sources: Cranberries Official International Homepage, RTÉ Online

In another of their mailing list exclusives, the official page has updated with the status of the current recording as well as an interview done yesterday.

Dolores yesterday filmed a segment for the television station RTE (Irish National Television). You’ll recall station created and first aired the “From a Whisper to a Scream” documentary last year (now on DVD in the US). The new special, however, is titled “Ireland’s Greatest Hits” and will showcase the biggest international hit singles from Irish artists. The Cranberries segment will feature “Zombie”. Currently, the program is only scheduled to air in Ireland. Airing dates will be announced at least two weeks in advance.

And now… on to the new that’s on everybody’s mind — the fifth album. As promised, the band entered the studio on Monday. Thus far, the group has recorded backing tracks for four new songs at Dublin’s Windmill Lane Studios.

And lastly, the page has posted a new picture of the band from 1996 taken from the “Free to Decide” tour rehersals in Santa Monica, CA.

“Free to Decide” tour rehersals – Santa Monica, CA

Source: Cranberries Official International Homepage

Irish News, a leading Belfast newspaper, reports that The Cranberries, among other gigantic Irish acts have been invited to perform this September at a charity benefit gig in Dublin.

The list of bands is still tentative, but current hopefuls are the Cranberries, George Michael, and the Hothouse Flowers. For those who know their trivia, the Cranberries were the opening act for the Hothouse Flowers’ tour in 1993. Yet the committee is still attempting to sign on the biggest Irish act of them all, yes, U2. But there are a few snags in U2’s schedule — the demand for the band is so high that a nearby show in late August had already sold out in 45 minutes. To compensate, U2 has scheduled a second date on September 2nd, which still must be approved by the Meath County Council. The new date may compete ticket sales for the AIDS benefit.

If all goes as planned, the benefit will take place at Phoenix Park in Dublin, Ireland on September 8, 2001. The date, which was reported by the Sunday Business Post, is still tentative. If the Cranberries do decide to attend, it will coincide conveniently with the band’s August-September media tour. According to the Irish Times, “The Phoenix Park date will be one of the biggest events of its kind in Ireland.” A spokeswoman for U2 commented that nothing has been confirmed yet.

Source: Irish News

The British press are many times known for their controversial “news”, and this article is no exception. In a recent issue, the prominent British music magazine Q reported that the band’s cumulative fortune now tops £60 million, or about $86 million US.

The last time the magazine made such a statement was in April 1999, when it said that Dolores’s own personal wealth was over £30 million. Dolores, in typical style, discounted the claim as “exaggerated” in the same article.

So it’s no suprise to hear the band’s official reaction. In an interview, Noel laughed at the question, “Why aren’t you living like millionaires?”. He quipped in response, “If it was true we would!” Then, after a break for laughing, “I don’t know where they get these figures from — they’re too fuzzy.”

Fergal, alongside Noel, quickly explained, “Even if it was true, it wouldn’t make a difference at the end of the day. What would you do? Sit at home and do nothing? We enjoy our lives, we enjoy making music, we enjoy making new records. The money isn’t why we started doing it, it’s just an added bonus.”

Partial Source: Q Magazine

As the second recording session for The Cranberries’s yet unnamed fifth album goes underway, Dolores recently gave some insight into the new recording to MTV Italy prior to the last leg of the 2000 Loud and Clear Tour.

Dolores, seated alongside drummer Fergal, sat comfortably in front of a quaint old-world style brick oven. Her hair, as random as the weather, was a natural dark brown, extending all the way to her shoulders while she fashioned rather depressive yet striking black eyeliner.

“We’ve got a few shows lined up for the summer [2000], but it’s kind of an exciting time because we’re starting to create the new album, the next album. So it’s a lovely time whereupon you don’t know what’s around the corner, you don’t know what kind of songs you’re gonna write. Like, we have a few, but it’s very exciting ‘cos it’s kind of like moving on and starting a whole you thing, you know? So it’s kind of like beginning again in a way.”

Fergal, chiming in beside her, noted that just like before, family is still priority. Half of the time with the band, half of the time at home.

Yet the phrase “moving on” holds promise to all those fans who were even slightly disappointed with “Bury the Hatchet”. But exactly what kind of sound can we expect? Last year’s audience-recorded sound clips were but a mere blurred snapshot of a big picture. However, the official page notes that “Pretty Eyes”, one of the few announced titles will be a slow ballad compared to other “fiestier” pieces on the recording. And lets not forget that the band promised a string quartet will be included, as was done on the band’s early works, which hints at an orchestral quality of sorts.

But to truly know, patient fans will have to wait a few months to find out.

The nominees for the 2001 Cranberry Awards have been announced, and Zombieguide is once again nominated in several categories!
Zombieguide USA is currently nominated in the following categories:
Best Cran-Web in World, Best Cran-Web in America, Best Cran-Web in English, and Cran-Web with Best Contents. Zombieguide Europe is nominted in the Best Cran-Web in Europe category. Also, Zombieguide South America is nomited in the category for Cran-Web with Best Contents. We were quite pleased with last year’s results — we won the “Blue Berry” for Best Cran-Web in World and the Best Cran-Web in English, while Zombieguide South America won the Cran- Web with Best Contents. So show your support for Zombieguide and vote now at the 2001 Cranberry Awards. Voting is open until November.

It’s not a whole lot, but The Herald has scrounged together a tad of information regarding the “Living Abroad Magazine” article reported yesterday. In addition to the article about the one and only Cranberries, the write-up also includes a black and white photo of the band.

If you’ve got any information about this or any other recent magazine/newspaper article about the band, or any other Cran news for that matter, don’t hesitate to e-mail The Cranberries Herald. As always, you’ll be credited for your submission!

According to Fergal on The Cranberries Official Site, the band has now begun rehearsals for their second and final recording session for their upcoming fifth album, still untitled. Guitarist Noel, who was absent for the rehersals in late March, returned to Ireland on the 2nd of this month to join the band. Recording is scheduled to pick up again on Monday.

On a site note, Fergal also noted that he attended a concert of The Stereo MC’s two weeks ago in Limerick. “It was their second gig in seven years (the first being the previous night in Galway) although going by their performance you wouldn’t suspect it. Well worth checking out if you are in the mood for a good boogie!”

Also, if you’ve got a band that you’re trying to publicize, Fergal’s also got some tips on sending out demo tapes, so check out the official page if you’re interested.

Source: Official Cranberries Homepage

The Cranberries are featured in the March 16th issue of the UK magazine LAM, “Living Abroad Magazine”. The ‘Berries are part of a cover article on Irish music. The Corrs have stolen the cover image with a very large color photo, but the inside article features U2, Morrissey, The Cranberries and others.

We will have more info about the actual content of the article if and when it’s made available. If you have scans or info about the article, please drop us a line!

You can also visit the uninformative LAM Online website if you’ve got too much time on your hands.

After being named Top R&B/Hip-Hop Producer in Billboard’s year-end 2000 issue, the magazine recently sat down with Timbaland to discuss his current projects and aspirations. The producer has a long list of titles, including production, remixing, and writing credits.

Timbaland, aka Tim Mosely, can be found gracing the liner notes of some of the largest R&B and Rap artists, such as Missy “Misdemeanor” Elliott, Ginuwine, Aaliyah, Jay-Z, and Magoo. But more recently, he has been eyeing the rock scene. He has recently worked with Beck, Limp Bizkit, and No Doubt, three widely diverse rock acts indeed.

“I want to work with rock artists,” he says. “No Doubt, Metallica, The Cranberries — her [Dolores O’Riordan] voice is so gorgeous. I would work with Björk too. I can do them all. It’s where I’m at right now, creatively.”

To make things more interesting, The Cranberries too have recently considered the possibility of a remix album. Drummer Fergal Lawler commented last November, “We have talked about doing a remix album at some stage in the future, it would be an interesting experience.”

Source: Billboard.com

The Cranberries’s official page has updated, relaying the current status of the album-in-progress. As planned, the band minus Noel met last week with producer Stephen Street. Dolores and the rest of the band have been writing several bits and pieces since the group adjourned their last recording session in September. Street says that he “loved” the new pieces, which is a good sign for us all.

The band will once again return to Dublin’s Windmill Lane Studios on April 16th to record the second batch of tracks for the yet-unnamed fifth album. As you will recall, the band’s first batch of songs were mixed last December in Dublin.

In other news, congratulations to guitarist Noel Hogan on the delivery of his second daughter, Sophie Hogan, on March 26th, 2001, in London. As you probably know, Noel was absent from last week’s rehersal due to his wife’s pregnancy.

And finally, we have a photo of Stephen Street from last week’s session.

The Cranberries made their last public appearance last November at Dublin’s MTV Europe Awards Preshow, and we have seen little of them since. And for good reason — they’re in the studio, recording an album, after all.

But that doesn’t keep the Official Page from rolling along. The page has posted three new pics of the band. Dolores has once again changed her hair back to the long bleached look that she had nearly two years ago when “Bury the Hatchet” hit store shelves.

“From a Whisper to a Scream”, a DVD that documents the history of Irish rock was released last week in limited distribution. However, it seems that the DVD does contain some rare footage indeed.

Unfortunately, The Cranberries segment is very very short. However, the segment does manage to feature an extended clip of the very first “Dreams” video. The astute fan can tell you that there were three videos made for “Dreams”, the second being the blue-green watery scene, and the third being Dolores running with the white horse. However, the first video has been very elusive, and virtually no one has seen it.

The first video, probably made in mid-1992, is described as very low- budget, and the band is quite young. The majority of the video simply features the band’s heads superimposed over each other on a black background — not to mention Dolores’ teeth were still in the Austin Powers stage.

Because of the limited distribution, it’s been very hard to find a copy except by special order, but The Herald hopes to have its own copy within the next few days.

Thanks to Paul for the info.

Nearly a year after the European and Asian release of “Bury the Hatchet: The Complete Sessions”, the double-disc set was released today in the United States, with an MSRP of $19.99. The US release is nearly identical to the European release, except for the added link of “www.islandrecords.com” to the very bottom of the back. No variation in the track listing is to be found.

The Cranberries recently held an interview with the specialty arts television network, Ovation. They appeared on the show “Music Express”, a half-hour show dedicated ot one artist.

The interview was recorded last summer, and as Dolores discusses the band’s European festival tour. Dolores also disucsses the troubles the band had in late 1996, when it was almost certain that the band would have broken up. Other parts of the interview revolve around one of the band’s recent European tours (uncertain whether it was 1999 or 2000). However, most interestingly, Ovation also broadcasted an extended clip of the band’s 1991 title “Uncertain”. The video for this is quite rare, and only a 30-second clip of the video is readily available.

For those that receive Ovation, but missed the interview, it will reair again in a month. The Cranberries episode of “Music Express” reairs Saturday, April 21st, 2001 at 6:00 PM EST (3:00 PM PST).

Thanks to DIver5532 at aol.com for the news tip!
If someone receives the Ovation channel and can record and trade this, please email me and let me know.

The official US headquarters for The Cranberries, www.cranberries.com, has relaunched with a slightly simpler look, promoting next Tuesday’s release of “Bury the Hatchet: The Complete Sessions”. There’s not a whole lot to see, but it’s worth the look anyway. The site had not been updated previously for nearly a year and a half.

However, there is a major point of interest under “Current Album”, where information about “Complete Sessions” is listed. Firstly, the “frontal” image is not the same as the cover of the import version — this image was inside. Seconly, the track list neglects “Delilah” live, one of the live tracks also featured on the import. Does this suggest that the US version is different from the import?
We will have a full report on the US release on Tuesday.

We have word that the the previously-announced tour scheduled for August will not be a “world tour” as previously reported. Instead, the tour will be for promotional interviews and appearences on TV networks, for radio stations, etc…
Here’s the message we received from Rainer, the official page webmaster:

While looking through your site (and many others) we noticed that there is a misbelief that the band are doing a worldwide tour in August 2001. The band will be starting a media tour, that means just things like tv shows and press meetings. A full scale live tour has not been planned as yet, and will most likely come after the release of the new album.
We hope that this is helpful to you!
Webmaster – www.cranberries.ie

As previously reported, a new DVD title will be released on Tuesday, titled “From a Whisper to a Scream”. The documentary covers over thrity years of Irish music history, including of course, The Cranberries. We now have the self-description of the release, from its back cover:

“Ireland in the 1950’s was a gray and conservative place. Elsewhere, it was the decade that heralded the birth of rock ‘n’ roll. But as the ’50s accelerated into the ’60s, an emerging generation began to turn on to the revolutionary sounds that were changing musical expectations and values around the globe. Irish songwriters and musicians embarked on an adventure that, in time, would lead to an explosion in creativity and achievement unparalleled anywhere in the world.

“Ireland, a small country off the Western coast of Europe, has succeeded in producing some of the most popular and acclaimed music of recent decades. It has done so to an extent that is completely out of proportion to its size. From a Whisper to a Scream focuses on the extraordinary individuals behind this story. It traces the evolution of the music, from its humble beginnings in overcrowded dance halls and beat clubs to the glittering venues where it is performed today. Featuring rare archival footage, exclusive interviews and live performance clips, this electrifying film presents thrilling highlights from over 30 years of Irish popular music.”

The documentary appears to be a limited release, so if you’re eager to watch it, you may want to try some online retailers.

The Cranberries have donated an autographed poster to the Great Daffodil Day Internet Auction to aid the Irish Cancer Society.

The poster is a lithograph of the “Bury the Hatchet” cover and back artwork. The litho is autographed by the artist, Storm Thorgerson, as well as the band. The auction is being hosted by EBid.ie. The bidding began at £5 (about $7.20 US) and is currently at £180 ($260 US). The auction ends on March 23rd.

The Irish Cancer Society, founded in 1963, is the national charity dedicated to eliminating cancer as a major health problem and improving the lives of those living with cancer through patient care, research and education. All of the funding to the organization comes from public donations.

The Cranberries have begun scheduling for the new world tour to launch later this year. The new tour, to coincide with the band’s 5th album, will kick off in August and last until the end of this year. Venues are currently being planned for Asia, Australia, Europe, South America and North America. At the moment, the tour will most likely begin in Asia.

In other news, the yet-untitled fifth album is still on schedule for October 2001, while the first single has been confirmed for a September release. It will begin airing on radio stations in mid-August. (No title has been selected for the first single release.)

Source: Official Cranberries Homepage

Just when you thought things were getting boring. The brand new, gorgeous Official Cranberries Site has hit the internet and with it come tons of news.

Dolores and he new baby girl Molly are in the best of health. Today Molly turns 5 weeks old. Dolores hasn’t been able to leave the house much, as she is nursing Molly herself. Noel, on the other hand, is currently in London, as his wife is carrying their second child, due in about three weeks.

And now on to the new album and tour (drumroll please!). As you know, the band finished up the first half of the album in August and September of last year. “The new stuff sounds very cool,” said Dolores. “Real music I’d say. Doesn’t all that manufactured stuff sound sooooo the same really?” Indeed it does. She went on, “Well that’s all I can think of for now except I’m totally looking forward to the next album and tour.”

The band got a chance to do some rehersals last week and write some new material, according to Fergal. The band will return to Windmill Lane Studios in April to resume recording of the fifth albu. As you will recall, Windmill Lane was the same studio where “To the Faithful Departed” was recorded five years ago. Also, the news section now states that album has been moved up to a September release!! Previously, the album was slated for October.

The new biography section is extremely well-written (yes, it rivals my own Biography here). In fact, the intro gives us much insight to the August and September sessions of Album #5 (still untitled). The new tracks have “a unique sound that has lost none of its character” from the band’s previous works. Here’s a very informative excerpt:

“One song, ‘Pretty Eyes’ slips out between the more feisty numbers, a soft lulliby ballad that blends the talents of band and producer into one soft, lucious performance. A hint of things to come.”

Anyway, that’s the new site, and it has met and exceeded my expectations. For those of you having trouble accessing the new flash site at the www.cranberries.ie, try here for a direct link. (Link no longer available)

Source: Official Cranberries Site

I love writing news stories about odd merchandise, and this is about the oddest thing I’ve seen from “Bury the Hatchet”. As a promotional effort for the “Promises” single in the UK, apparently Universal created a very limited production of actual teddy bears to coincide with the release. The bears themselves seem to be normal high-class collectible bears. The bears include a small white T-shirt, with the logo “The Cranberries: Promises”. If you’re looking for one of these rarities, watch your wallet. This turns out to be one of the most expensive pieces since the $50 “Bury the Hatchet” golf shirts sold on tour.

As previously mentioned on the Official Cranberries Homepage, the double- disc set “Bury the Hatchet: The Complete Sessions” would release this month in the US.
Apparently, the release is suprisingly still on schedule.

“The Complete Sessions” was released in Europe and Japan in April 2000. The set includes all of “Bury the Hatchet”, 6 B-sides, and 7 live tracks recorded in Paris, December 9th, 1999. Unfortunately, according to listings at Amazon and Tower Records the US release will be identical to the European release. Americans can look for the limited edition in stores March 20th, 2001 with an MSRP of $19.99

As reported earlier, “Fields of Hope”, the new benefit compilation for those starving in central Africa, has just been released in the UK. Below is the first image of the cover art, which features a painting of a person travelling across a sun-scortched land. The new compilation, which features a live version of the Cranberries’ “Dreaming My Dreams”, is available in the UK on Dara Records.

“Empire Records”, a movie about the dying breed of independent music stores, will be released on DVD in less than two months. The movie, filmed in 1995, features the Cranberries tracks “How” and “Liar”.
“Liar” was also placed on the film’s soundtrack, being pushed as a major selling point for the CD.

The DVD release of the movie will feature several new additions, including theatrical trailers, widescreen anamorphic display, Dolby Digital 2.0, and subtitles in English, Spanish, French, and Portugese.
The disc will be cased in snap case packaging. The movie will be released on DVD on April 3rd, 2001 with an MSRP of $19.99

Source: Amazon

The opening page of the Cranberries official site is a far cry from what it was just days ago. The opening page features a preview of what to expect from the newly-designed site. The new design features a curious mix of the “Bury the Hatchet” signature line-and-circle art, mixed with morphed band photos and sketches that look like they’re out of a 1950’s biology book.

Some new features are also to come. A “Press Release” section will be launched. Flash technology will also be mandatory to view the page. Lastly and most intriguing is a bright red-and-blue sun that features the word “Live” lightly enscribed into its center.

I’m now quite anxious to see the new page, so be sure to check it out when it launches this Saturday.
In the meantime, click here to see the preview, or check out the picture below. (Link no longer available)

Source: The Official International Cranberries Website

In an unsuprising note, the webmaster of the official international Cranberries webpage reports that the new redesign of the site has once again fallen behind schedule. The new site has been planned to hit the bandwith today. The relaunch has been pushed back innumerous times since its original planned launch late last year. The new layout will feature art by Storm Thorgerson, the “dark and sexy” artist who did most of the art for “Bury the Hatchet” and its singles.

In related news, an official mailing list is now up on the official site. Those interested can enter their email address and receive news and other updates, sent straight to their inbox.

Source: Cranberries Official International Homepage

A review is out to promote the new benefit compilation “Fields of Hope”

VARIOUS ARTISTS “FIELDS OF HOPE” Dara 2000
65 min

Tracklisting:
Dolores Keane: Storm in My Heart – Altan: Castles in The Air – Van Morrison & The Chieftans: Irish Heartbeat – Sinead Lohan: Everything Around Me is Changing – Mary Black: Ae Fond Kiss – David Gray: Lead Me Upstairs – U2: Staring at The Sun – Sinead O’Connor: Ode To Billie Joe – Maire Brennan: Ceolfidh Mi – Christy Moore: Lovely Young One – Dsnal Lunny & Coolfin: Butlers – The Cranberries: Dreaming My Dreams – Jack L: Rooftop Lullabye – The Corrs: Runaway

Although it goes without saying that the thinking behind it was a truly admirable demonstration of how people power in a needy hour could really save lives, the Band Aid single “Do They Know It’s Christmas? (Feed The World)” will always bring a bad taste to many mouths. Apart from giving rise to countless other cheesy charity tunes featuring duets from ‘well intended’ faltering stars who linked arms while grinning inanely (you know who they are!), the music itself amounted to little more than second rate, lame pop. Several years on from this we have learnt the hard way that like puppies, benefit albums are not just for Christmas, but for life! Here’s where this album comes in. There are no ill-fitting duets or sing-along anthems here, but quite a few rare tracks which showcase some of Ireland’s most established songwriters and musicians with a predominantly traditional and folk vibe. Dolores Keane’s distinctive sean nss touch to an airy “Storm in My Heart” complements the low-key acoustic touches of Sinead Lohan’s “Everything Around Me is Changing”. Meanwhile U2’s live acoustic version of “Staring at The Sun” proves that they can still churn out a striking tune without the aid of their arsenal of electronic gadgetry, just as David Gray’s sauntering sonnet “Lead Me Upstairs” finds him in flying form on front of an adoring audience. Doing more than their bit to compensate for The Corr’s uninspired, albeit well delivered live rendition of “Runaway”, Sinead O’Connor offers her sparse, soulful recording of “Ode To Billie Joe” while Kildare crooner jack L does his Scott Walker thing on the wide screen “Rooftop Lullabye”. More importantly, the distressing fact that 40,000 children die every day from lack of food is a problem that really shouldn’t be forgotten until the next Christmas compilation is rolled out. Buy this record, not just because you feel you should, but because it is worth the money.

Source: Thanks to Suzy Aston

A new benefit compilation has been released in Ireland to aid starvation in central Africa. Fourteen Irish artists collaborated for the project, ranging from the classic The Chieftains to the contemporary U2, and everything in between. The project is funded by the Gorta organization. The profits from the new compilation, “Fields of Hope”, go entirely to The Street Children’s Repatriation Project in Zimbabwe, one of several starvation-fighting projects funded by Gorta.

Most notably, the album features a previously unreleased live version of The Cranberries’s “Dreaming My Dreams”. The album also features live and B- side material from the most prominent of Irish bands. The band list includes:

» Sinead O’Connor
» Van Morrison
» The Chieftains
» U2
» The Cranberries
» The Corrs
» Dolores Keane
» Sinead Lohan
» Mary Black
» Maire Brennan
» Donal Lunny’s Coolfin
» Jack L.
» Christy Moore
» Altan

The album was produced in Ireland and is only available in limited quantities. Gorta is a program estabished by Ireland’s Department of Agriculture in 1965 and continues to fight hunger throughout the world, especially in Africa, Asia, and South America. Over 800 million people in the world are chronically undernourished and nearly 40,000 children die a day due to it.

Source: 1550 AM Boston