Forget MTV…at least as far as Cranberries videos go. Here in the U.S., a Cranberries fan has just about as much chance of seeing the video for “Analyse” on MTV as seeing Dolores drive by in her gold BMW. It’s just not going to happen. But here’s a glimmer of encouragement: U.S.-based WAM Network, part of the Starz/Encore package, is airing promos of their “Get Reel” program airing on Thursday nights at 8:00 pm. The program showcases pop-rock music videos; and guess which video was included in the promo clip! Yes, it’s true. “Analyse” got approximately 0.10 seconds of air-time on U.S. television with the suggestion of a whole lot more.

Though the channel is dripping with pre-teen programs and off-the-wall movies, “Get Reel” takes an inside look at the world of entertainment and throws out the occasional music video. And if the promo is any indication of what to expect from the new season, this could be one of the few chances U.S. fans get to catch post-1996 Cranberries music videos on television without the need for a VCR. New episodes of “Get Reel” is currently slated to air on Thursdays at 8:00 pm, but may be shuffled around with WAM’s habit of haphazard scheduling.

The WAM Network is available through satellite television providers including Direct TV and Dish network, and through select cable companies as part of the Starz/Encore Superpak.

Source: Exclusive

Yesterday, music channel VH1 premiered their newest addition in their line of countdown specials, “The 50 Greatest Album Covers.” For the special VH1 interviewed Storm Thorgerson, considered one of the greatest album art designers of all time, working some striking pieces for Black Sabbath, Led Zepplin, Mike Oldfield, Phish, and perhaps most famously, Pink Floyd. Thorgerson, half of the team known as Hypnosis, was responsible for two of VH1’s top ten covers, with Led Zepplin at #6 and Pink Floyd at #4.

Of course Cranberries fans will know him best for the surreal dreamscapes that grace the covers of “Bury the Hatchet,” “Wake Up and Smell the Coffee,” “Beneath the Skin,” and all related singles. So of course we were on the lookout for a Cranberries nod during the segment, and sure enough, Thorgerson was interviewed while seated in front of two of his own pieces for The Cranberries and Pink Floyd. Apparently Storm Thorgerson enjoys his work for The Cranberries so much as to put it on the walls in his own office.

Thanks to our own Saeed Ali for the tip.

Source: Exclusive

While contemplating the possibility of a no new live Cranberries experiences in the near future, at least there’s the vicarious thrill of a “re-run”. Today, the Turkish CNBC station re-aired The Cranberries concert performance recorded live from Istanbul on November 5, 2002. Though the actual show boasted a full set list with a whopping 22 songs including an interesting blast from the past with “Put Me Down” and a look into the more recent era of “Stars” and “New New York”, the abbreviated televised version that aired today contained only 5 songs from the show. “Zombie”, “Animal Instinct”, “Empty”, “Promises” and “Dreams” were the songs that made the cut.

And if the abridged version doesn’t quite capture the full concert experience for you, feel free to do what we did, read the fan reviews, including an image of the full set list from the show, posted on the Official Site.

Thanks to Yaðýz Murat Aksu for the news.

Source: Exclusive

Just days ago, it looked as though both Dolores and Noel were each working on collaborations with outside artists: Dolores with Germany’s Jam & Spoon, and Noel with Indian artist Nishat Khan. Today, however, in a rather low-key update on the Official Site, it’s been revealed that Noel’s collaboration with Nishat Khan will not take place as suggested earlier. The Official Site cites Khan’s touring schedule as the reason for the change of plans.

Editor’s Note: Pay no attention to that “Latest Update September 1” on the Official Site’s main page. Updates on the Official Site are happening. And Zombieguide will keep bringing you the latest.

Source: Official Site

Just hours ago, the website for The Cranberries’ self-owned management company, Timeless Music, contained a phone number, a fax number and an email address for the band’s Limerick-based offices. The page, which was minimalist to begin with, has today been stripped down to only a logo and an email address in another quiet update.

No word on why the contact information just simply “disappeared.” We learned on Wednesday that along with the band’s hiatus, they have parted ways with head manager Lewis Kovac and will now be doing the largest portion of their business through Timeless Music Limited. (No word on how these changes will effect their other self-owned company, Curtain Call Limited, if at all.)

Source: Exclusive

Hoardes of anxious fans have emailed The Cranberries Official Site over the past two days regarding a press release which states that The Cranberries will be taking an extended official break, much like they did after the release of “To the Faithful Departed.” Today, all inqueries received the same response: “We will update the site once we have confirmed information, as always. Thanks for your inquiry. Webmaster.” Fans have been anxiously waiting for an Official Site statement.

It’s been nearly three days since Cranberries publicists Lindsey Holmes Publicity sent out a press release to all major Irish news outlets on Tuesday evening, according to The Irish Times, national network RTE, and others. Up until now, the Official Site has been quick to squash any false rumors, but their current delay is just another inidication that an unusual situation is taking place.

Thanks to many fans for the notice.
More news coming very soon. If you’ve heard a report that we haven’t posted

yet, please send it to us!

Source: Exclusive

Despite Dolores’s less than enthusiastic reaction to ADAM’s dance cover of “Zombie”, she’s now lending a hand to the club-based music scene as guest-vocalist on German dance group Jam & Spoon’s upcoming release. Currently scheduled to hit stores on October 26th, Jam & Spoon’s new album contains a track featuring vocals by Dolores O’Riordan. How will Dolores’s rock ‘n roll style blend with the techno/trance sounds of Jam & Spoon? Find out October 26th.

Currently, very little is known about the album (not even its title), nor have any press materials been released on the CD. Expect those details soon here on Zombieguide.

Source: Official Site

Despite their headline, it was Cranberries publicist Lindsey Holmes who spoke with Hotpress.com today, not Dolores O’Riordan herself. (Dolores was only quoted from yesterday’s press release.)

Holmes tells Hot Press, “She’s also recorded a song for Mel Gibson’s controversial new film about Christ, The Passion. Noel (Hogan), meanwhile, has been working on some demos of his own with the Indian sitarist Nishat Khan. There’s no word on where and when they’re going to come out yet, but I imagine you’re looking at sometime in the New Year.”

Dolores, meanwhile, remains in Canada with her husband’s family. “Dolores is staying on in Canada for longer than planned because her husband Don’s step-mum hasn’t been well.”

Holmes maintains that although the band are taking an official break, she believes that they will reconvene at some time. “They’re still on good terms and in regular contact with each other, so I think fans can take the contents of the statement on face value.”

The most shocking news to come from Hot Press — aside from Dolores’s contribution to the film “The Passion” — is that Noel, Mike, and Fergal may take up their own project under a new name without Dolores as singer. We kid you not. Here’s what Hot Press says:

As part of their “temporary shutdown in activities”, the Cranberries will no longer be represented by co-manager Lewis Kovac. Kovac will, however, continue to work with Fergal Lawlor and Noel and Mike Hogan who are planning an album together under a new name.

HUGE thanks to Jessica van Kessel for the news, we will have more news as we know it.

More news coming very soon. If you’ve heard a report that we haven’t posted yet, please send it to us!

Source: Hot Press

Earlier today, Dolores O’Riordan spoke directly to hotpress.com to refute the Irish press’s claim that The Cranberries are permanently breaking up.

She assures that the next two years will be used for “a temporary time-out to experiment on solo projects,” and not as an excuse to quit the band.

We will have the full article with quotes as soon as the lovely Jessica van Kessel can get them for us.

On a completely editorial note, The Cranberries need to seriously consider changing their PR staff. This “splitting up” / “not splitting up” chaos has been going on for a full year now and it has yet to cease. The band’s main publicity company, Lindsey Holmes Publicity, has no website and no email address, despite the fact that The Cranberries have a strong online fanbase. Something is seriously wrong with this picture. The fact that HotPress.com has had to publish three news stories within the past few months with the headline “Cranberries NOT Splitting Up” should be a clear sign that The Cranberries and their promotional staff need to be better equipped to handle such potentially lethal publicity. True, The Cranberries themselves are partially to blame for the chaos, since their own quotes have been used against them. However, to issue to a press release that can be construed to mean that The Cranberries are “no more” is simply a PR catastrophe.

More news coming very soon. If you’ve heard a report that we haven’t posted yet, please send it to us!

Source: Hotpress.com

A spokesperson for The Cranberries was quoted in today’s “Irish Times,” saying that the band’s two-year hold on group projects is “just a break and that nothing was ruled out for the future”.

Dolores has been in Canada since mid-June. The family illness previously mentioned on the Official Site is that of Don Burton’s mother, Dolores’ mother-in-law. Dolores has been working in Toronto with progammer Matt Vaughan on several new solo songs.

“The Irish Times” adds that Noel Hogan is working on what they describe as “a solo album.” Of course we will await further confirmation of this (since the term “solo album” has been thrown around quite a lot lately). The Official Site reported on September 1st that Noel was working with world-renowed sitarist Nishat Khan on an undisclosed project.

Dolores continues to work on her autobiography with RTE producer Paul Russell, which is still on track for release next year.

More news coming very soon. If you’ve heard a report that we haven’t posted yet, please send it to us!

Source: The Irish Times (Ireland)

It is very possible that September 17, 2003 will forever be known as the day The Cranberries officially announced their breakup. The press release is very open-ended as to the future of the band. Whether or not The Cranberries will continue even in (gulp) 2005 is still undecided. They will take a break and “see what happens.”

The irony is, seven years ago, TO THE DAY in 1996, the three Limerick lads and a lass said almost the exact same thing. The conditions are different now, however. They are not bowing out due to stress, they are bowing out due to personal and family obligations which came, ironically enough, as almost a direct result of their first hiatus from 1996 until 1998.

Unfortunately, most of the Irish press is not taking such an “open-ended” approach to the news, proclaiming that The Cranberries are dead and that Dolores will embark on a solo career. Truth is, they could be right.

An unnamed insider quoted in The Mirror stated, “They just aren’t the music power they used to be and people have moved on to new bands. Dolores is a realist and she knows when the game is up. She didn’t see the point in taking the band any further. Without their lead singer the band simply can’t carry on because she is the one that everyone goes to see live. They had a meeting about it and decided it was best to call it a day and see what the future holds.”

Other Irish stars have immediately chimed in with their own thoughts on what they believe to be the band’s dissolution.

Famous Irish DJ Dave Fanning, who has continually supported The Cranberries throughout their career said, “They were a lovely bunch of people and I wish them all the best in the future. It will be interesting to see what they do next and I think Dolores can make it as a solo artist.”

Mickey Joe Harte, winner of Irish reality show You’re a Star commented that, “I think they were a great band and they did a lot for Irish music. They are a big loss to the Irish music industry.”

However, Westlife dicta-, er, manager Louis Walsh slammed the group when he heard the news. “It’s the best news I have heard all day. I never liked them. I admired their success but I didn’t like Dolores’ voice. It sounded like she was wailing like a banshee.”

As if a boyband manager would know anything about music. It’s only natural that he would admire the profit, but not the talent.

Comedian Deidre O’Kane, who often incorporates a Dolores O’Riordan impersonation into her act, professed her liking for the band. “I definitely am a fan of them. I think they’re great, they had two amazing albums. Dolores’s voice is fantastic and I’m gutted. It’s a sad day for Limerick. Her family came to some of my gigs and they all took it great.

DJ Ryan Tubridy added, “I’m sure she’ll have a great solo career. I used to listen to them in college. Dolores has a unique voice. The band were ridiculed for pretentious lyrics, but they were a pop band and were allowed to do that. They will never be at the same level as U2, but they were a great band. Goodbye The Cranberries, Hello The Frames.”

More news on the so-called “temporary shutdown” of the Cranberries coming in the next few minutes here on Zombieguide.

Source: The Mirror (Ireland)

Today’s issue of the Irish tabloid “The Mirror” has reprinted excerpts from yesterday’s press release from Lindsey Holmes Publicity, which states that The Cranberries — as a group — will be taking a break from the music industry for at least two years. Excerpts are below.

“Dolores is also keen to be a regular mum for her two young children, preferring to be at home with them and not always on tour as was the case last year.”

“As part of the temporary shut-down in activities, The Cranberries have parted company with co-manager Lewis Kovac who is currently setting up his own entertainment agency.

“The band will continue its business dealings through the Irish based Timeless Music company.”

In the statement, Dolores says, “I’d prefer to be at home with them [my family] and not always aways on tour.”

More news on the so-called “temporary shutdown” of the Cranberries coming in the next few minutes here on Zombieguide.

Source: The Mirror (Ireland)

In a shocking press release released last night by Cranberries’ public relations company, Lindsey Holmes Publicity, Dolores O’Riordan regretfully revealed that the band is about to go on two-year break from their careers. In the release, Dolores states, “We’ve been together for 13 years and it’s a much needed break. It was getting predictable and lacking in a challenge and now it’s time to experiment.”

The jaw-dropping announcement comes after months of rumors flying about the band’s break-up. The Irish press — particularly tabloids like The Mirror — are having a feild day with the story, pronouncing the band as DOA. Quotes have popped up from Irish personalities all over the country.

We at Zombieguide are rushing to gather all the reports that we can and will have more reports in the coming hours.

Sources: RTE, The Mirror

In an article published in Ireland’s “Sunday Tribune” this past June, the newspaper claims that touring in recent years for The Cranberries has not been very profitable — in fact, the article claims, the band has lost money in tour expenses.

Public accounts for Curtain Call Ltd., the band’s in-house money management company, for the years 2000 and 2001 show that touring in 2000, which consisted mostly of European summer festivals, generated a gross profit of €3.7 million.

However, the hefty costs for travel and lodging, a whopping €1.3 million, quickly wiped out over a third of that touring profit. Crew expeses during the 2000 tour were €609,000, while the comparatively smaller 2001 promo tour drained another €224,000 in crew costs. Sound and lighting equipment costs totalled €308,000, while trucking came to €145,000. The band lost an additional €308,000 for the two years due to foreign currency exchange.

The band’s management received nearly €1 million in commission for the two years. The band paid €189,000 in other wages and an additional€436,000 to video directors. The article also notes that production costs for the “Beneath the Skin” DVD totalled €375,000.

In all, The Cranberries accumulated €3.86 million in touring expenses with only €3.7 million profit. Some simple math will show that the band lost approximately €160,000 on their 2000 and 2001 tours.

But the news is not all bad — after all, the band makes a healthy profit off their album sales. “The Sunday Tribune” cites that the band received a €3.9 million recording advance as part of their 2000 contract with MCA Records. Studio costs came to €276,000 while recording “Wake Up and Smell the Coffee.” No word on how much the band received as commission from actual sales of the CD.

“The Sunday Tribune” cites promoter Peter Aiken as saying, “It is the bands who make off with the lion’s share of the cash from concerts.” Aikenpromoted the band’s concert in Belfast this past May, and was spottedhanging out with Dolores and Don at a Bruce Springsteen concert in May.

Source: The Sunday Tribune (Ireland)

Zombieguide has learned that The Cranberries participated in yet another charity event over the summer, this time to the benefit of Ciara’s Crusade, a Limerick-based charity founded this year by The Irish Sun newspaper to fight cystic fibrosis. Dolores O’Riordan donated the wine-red jacket worn in the “Just My Imagination” video, while all four members of The Cranberries contributed an autographed Certificate of Authenticity and a copy of the 4CD “Treasure Box.” The band also donated tickets to the Killarney Summerfest concert, where they played with Counting Crows.

Mr. Kieran Murray is now the proud owner of the designer-brand “Just My Imagination”
jacket, a copy of “Treasure Box,” and autographs from the entire band.

The auction, held in Limerick’s Brazen Head Sports Bar on April 24, attracted a large crowd. The winning bid for what was touted as Dolores’s “favourite jacket” was placed by businessman Kieran Murray. Murray also won two other lots up for auction that night, a rugby ball signed by the Munster squad and a Majorca, Spain vacation package. His winning bid amount for the JMI jacket was not disclosed. Meanwhile, music lover Caroline Hayes won the pair of Killarney Summerfest tickets, the main raffle of the night.

Ciara’s Crusade was founded by The Irish Sun newspaper on January 21, 2003, named after cystic fibrosis sufferer Ciara Kelleher, a 10-year-old Limerick girl who died while waiting on a lung transplant. Proceeds from the aucion will be sent to the Cystic Fibrosis Association of Ireland and the children’s Sunshine Unit in Limerick Regional Hospital, where Ciara was treated.

The Cranberries were planning to visit Ciara, but she died before it could be arranged. Dolores told The Irish Sun, “The band was really touched when we heard about Ciara’s story in the Irish Sun. Being parents ourselves, we felt compelled to help out. We really hope that this campaign will encourage others to learn more about this dreadful disease.” When Ciara’s grandmother, Joan Kelleher, found out about the band’s donation, she remarked, “It’s a wonderful thing to do. Ciara just loved the band. They were among her favourites.”

Earlier this year, The Cranberries Official Website auctioned off the shoes worn in the “I Can’t Be With You” video for nearly $3000. Dolores plans to hold more clothes auctions for charity in the near future.

Source: The Irish Sun (Ireland)

The Cranberries have done very little press this year, as they’ve spent most of their time at home with their families and writing new material. Today, however, Zombieguide has learned of one low-profile interview that Dolores did for the UK tabloid The Mirror this past April in promotion of the band’s short summer tour.

Dolores has some very interesting quotes on the effects of fame on her personal life and how she has no plans to return to the media spotlight, pitying younger stars like Samantha Mumba and Westlife. It is clear that she has reached a level of almost zen-like happiness, one which she seems unwilling to let go of, no matter what the consequence — or reward.

The full article is below.

FAME WAS A LIVING HELL..I HAD TO GET OUT BEFORE IT DROVE ME TO SUICIDE; CRANBERRIES STAR TELLS OF HER STRUGGLE WITH CELEBRITY

April 1, 2003
BYLINE: PAUL MARTIN

BACK ON SONG: Dolores and band decided to play a few select gigs after years away SPEC-TACULAR: Dolores O’Riordan; JUKEBOX STAR: At home during the height of her fame with the Cranberries in the mid-1990s; REMOTE: Dolores lives near Dingle, Co Kerry, with her husband and three children

DOLORES O’Riordan has tasted glory and despair in equal measures over the years.

She has hit immense lows, suffering a nervous breakdown and vowing to turn her back on music for ever.

But for the first time since she burst into the pop charts as a wide-eyed teenager, the 31-year-old Cranberries singer is truly happy.

She may not sell the enormous number of albums that she did in her heyday, and she may not be one of the prominent faces on the showbiz circuit.

But after suffering a level of fame and intrusion on her private life that, she admits, could have driven her to suicide, being a No1 mum instead of a chart-topping pop star is a million miles better.

She spoke for the first time in nearly a year as the band prepare to hit the road for a small number of concerts.

Dolores explained: “I’m 100 per cent content, and that’s the first time I can honestly say that since I became famous.”

When we met, Dolores had just finished her daily five-mile ride through the countryside.

She is chirpy, relaxed and looks as if she doesn’t have a care in the world – and why should she? After all, she’s amassed an estimated pounds 30million over the years.

Rather than the madness and mayhem of tours, promotions and video shoots, Dolores says her life now is an idyllic blend of family days out and the odd live concert.

She added: “I have been there and done that as far as the whole rock star madness thing goes.

“I’m never going back there, I’m relieved to be out of it all to be honest.

“No, people don’t recognise me as much anymore and the papers don’t hassle me.

“But that’s a good thing, not something that I feel I am missing out on.

“Fame is great for a while but when it robs you of who you really are then that is a different game altogether.

“I don’t think I was the easiest person to be around when I was at a real low.

“I would’ve been unhappy about doing interviews and making appearances in public. It’s not a great way to be but that’s life.

EVENTUALLY all the pressure of fame gets to you and you aren’t acting like yourself anymore. That’s exactly what happened to me.”

Dolores admits she was completely out of her depth when fame and fortune landed on her 18-year-old lap.

She said: “Suddenly money was rolling in and the fame was huge, I’m talking about going anywhere in the world and people know who you are.

“At first it was great fun and I loved it, gradually it become a living nightmare and I didn’t know how to get out.

“At my worst moment I was having a nervous breakdown so I left the band for a year and went and lived on a tropical island.

“That did more for my sanity than hours of counselling could ever have done. It was so important for me.

“After that I finally got my head together and started moving my life forward the way I wanted it to be.

“I look back on old photographs of me and it brings back a lot of memories. It was great fun for a while and we were all very naive and innocent going into the music business.

“But after a while you start to go into the self-destruct mode and that can be scary.”

Dolores has kept the doors to her private life closed for the most part over the years.

In a rare insight into her family life she revealed how she has spent the past five years building a strong family unit, rather than concentrating on band commitments.

She said: “I have three kids and a great husband. We have been together nine years and are still going strong.

“My home is like a sanctuary to me. The kids run around the grounds and play to their hearts content.

“We go out on long walks, picnics, just normal family things. “It gives me a great sense of satisfaction.

“About five years ago I had the choice of touring for a couple of years with the band or raising my family. I made the right decision.

“I’m a very healthy person and have always been into eating a good diet and keeping fit in a big way.

“I go out on the bike for about two hours each day and cycle around five miles.

“Sometimes I go out and get completely lost among the hills and scenery around where I live and I have to ring my husband to come and get me.

“I’m much happier just sitting up on a grass verge watching the world around me as I am going to a big showbiz party or something.”

Dolores is relieved of the heavy burden that success placed on her life.

She looks at other young Irish pop acts like Samantha Mumba and Westlife and is glad to be out of the game.

“I feel sorry for them because there is this huge media spotlight constantly on their lives,” she said.

“Like happened to me. They will eventually hit a crisis point where they will feel like they can’t go on. I’m lucky in the fact that I got my head together and didn’t go down the whole road of self- destruction.

YOU can end up in some very lonely places when you are famous, and at the end of the day there are very few people who can offer you a way out.

“Being a celebrity now is even more intense than it was when I first became a star so I’m glad I’m not just coming into the game now.

“I think everyone is under a huge amount of pressure to keep an act going the whole time.

“With all these TV shows that create pop bands the whole standard of music is getting much worse. It’s just not my cup of tea.

“My advice to any young stars is that they should enjoy it as much as possible but not get carried away with all the bulls**t that goes with it.

“It’s easy to forget when the pressure is on that you are doing something that is meant to be fun.”

With the success of albums like No Need To Argue and Bury The Hatchet, the Cranberries have amassed 33 million album sales over the years.

Dolores recalled: “When I got my first pay cheque it was like a dream come true. I was in LA for a few months and I did the whole splashing out on designer clothes thing.

“I had every fancy item in my wardrobe for a while. I almost became addicted to it.

“But that’s just not me anymore.

“Now I’m content just running around like a real scruff.

“But you know what? At least I’m happy now.”

THE Cranberries will be launching their tour of Europe at the Ulster Hall in Belfast on May 29.

An article published on July 31st in the high-profile British tabloid (we emphasize “tabloid”) The Mirror reveals that Dolores has already written five songs for Brian Johnson’s “Helen of Troy.” Brian Johnson is, of course, the lead singer for rock greats AC/DC.

The Mirror quotes an unnamed insider from the show as saying, “It’s going to give the whole thing a real rock dimension and Dolores has a great talent for writing all kinds of music. She has really thrown herself into the work and has been having a ball. It’s given her a chance to do something away from the Cranberries material that she has been doing for 10 years.”

The article goes on to quote Dolores on her upcoming solo material. Aspreviously stated by the Official Site, the method of release for these side- project solo tracks are still unknown; they may be released as an album, part of a soundtrack, or some other means.

“It’s going to be totally different to the stuff I have done with the band,” Dolores is quoted as saying. “I want to experiment a bit and push the boundaries more. Hopefully it will appeal to all sorts of different music fans.”

According to the article, “Helen of Troy” is set to open in London’s West End at the end of the year.

Source: The Mirror (UK)

A singing Dolores O’Riordan is on the cover of a pack-in promo CD included with yesterday’s issue of Ireland’s “Sunday World.” The promotional CD, entitled “Dave Fanning’s Best of Irish Rock Vol. 2,” includes “Linger” as its sixth track. The CD was issued as a one-day-only promo for the September 7th issue of the “Sunday Times” and is not likely to be available through other means.

Tracklisting:
1. “Follow Me (Live)” by Rory Gallagher
2. “This Is” by Aslan
3. “Something for the Weekend” by Divine Comedy
4. “Mad Pit” by Horslips
5. “We Don’t Need Nobody Else” by The Whipping Boy
6. “Linger” by The Cranberries
7. “Some People Smile” by Paul Cleary
8. “Mary” by The Four of Us
9. “Bone Deep” by The Walls
10. “Sweet Suburban Sky” by Paddy Casey
11. “100 Boys” by The Golden Horde

The live cover image of Dolores is also silkscreened onto the CD itself. The back of the case shows a photo of the band taken last year during the “Stars” videoshoot in Wicklow, Ireland.

Source: Exclusive

In 1973, Dolores O’Riordan was only two years old. Who’d have thought then that she’d someday write what would become nominated as one of the best songs of her first thirty years?

French music channel M6 is selecting the best singles of the past thirty years and The Cranberries’ “Zombie” is in the running in the top 60 nominees. From punk rock of the early nineteen eighties to grunge rock in the nineties, even the pop rock of today, M6 is tracking down the best of the best from the last three decades of music. And in all of its political-angst glory, “Zombie” may be included in M6’s final pick. There’s a huge varitey of other songs chosen, such as the Spice Girls’ “Wannabe,” Tom Jones’s “Sex Bomb,” Michael Jackson’s “Thiller,” and a long list of French artists.

French fans can guess what song was picked as of the past 30 years via their mobile phone by dialing 08 92 683 583 or by SMS service by dialing 61888 (fees may apply). A vacation is awarded to the winner. “Zombie” is ID #060 on the list. Check out the magazine scan below for more details.

The list that makes the final cut will air on M6 this Saturday, September 6th at 20h50 local time. If you have access to the French channel, tune in to view the final results. If not, check back here at zombieguide.com to find out how “Zombie” fares in the end.

(IMAGES NO LONGER AVAILABLE)

Source: Lescranberries.fr.fm

Even more signs are now pointing to the possibility of Dolores O’Riordan taking up a full acting part in AC/DC’s Brian Johnson’s “Helen of Troy.” An article published yesterday in the UK’s “The Sunday Times” had this to say:

Helen of Troy is tipped to make its UK debut in November and Dolores O’Riordan, lead singer with Irish group the Cranberries, may play Helen, who is kidnapped on her wedding night by Paris, with the help of Aphrodite, the goddess of love.

Although this still isn’t a confirmation, it does appear to be fresh information. The rest of the article carries new quotes from Johnson and others involved with the play, which suggests that the information above may have been given by someone working first-hand on the project.

Click here to read the full article. (LINK NO LONGER AVAILABLE)

Source: News.com.au

The Cranberries Official Site has been updated today for the first time in nearly a month with news of several new Cranberries projects in tow.

The most surprising of which is that Dolores has contributed vocals to an upcoming album by German electronic/dance duo Jam & Spoon. The official site notes that Jam & Spoon’s new album could be out within a month, but after a bit of researching, Zombieguide could find no definite release date other than “autumn/winter 2003,” and very little detail beyond that. It’s our guess that you won’t be seeing it quite so soon as September.

Dolores contines to record at Metalworks in Toronto (where much of “Bury the Hatchet” was conceived), presumably with Matthew Vaughan in her company. She has just completed a “new recording” (no specification if that is a song or more than a song) for “for a possible soundtrack, which is scheduled to be released around the Spring of 2004,” the site reads. “Once we have confirmed details, we will give another update.”

Meanwhile, the rest of The Cranberries — Noel, Fergal, and Mike — remain at home in Limerick, also working on new material. Noel has also enlisted the help of Nishat Khan, a sitar player, “for a new composition Noel has just written for an undefined outside project.”

The official site promises to have “more news soon” and so do we.

Source: The Cranberries Official Site

The Cranberries have been nominated for a ‘Las Lunas del Auditorio’ 2003 award, a special program recognizing the finest artists who have played at Mexico’s prestigious Auditorio Nacional within the past year. The Cranberries are nominated in the “Rock in a Foreign Language” category and are facing some tough competition with 12 other big names up for the same award, including Creedence Clearwater Revisited, Cypress Hill, Garbage, INXS, Lenny Kravitz, Papa Roach, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Rod Stewart, and The Strokes, just to name a few.

The awards cover the best entertainment that Mexico City’s Auditorio Nacional has had to offer in the past year, including all genres of music, dance, and theater. A panel of 324 arts experts from around the country selected the final nominees from all of the performances between March 2002 and April 2003. The Cranberries played the Auditorio Nacional on June 25th and 26th of last year.

Public online voting for the awards ended on August 8th. The winners will be announced in an awards ceremony on September 10th, to be broadcasted on television by Televisa, TV Azteca and Canal 22. Luis de Llano, vice- president of programming for Televisa, said that, “It is always a challenge to unite efforts with other companies, especially now that the music industry is undergoing a crisis. We do this so that Mexico continues to be a launch pad for speading music at the international level.”

For much more on Las Lunas del Auditorio Awards or to check out the other nominees, you can check out the program’s official website.

Source: Las Lunas del Auditorio Awards

Zombieguide reported weeks ago that RTE TV presenter Alan Swan has been finishing up his first book entitled “From the Cradle to the Stage: A Complete History of Irish Music,” the proceeds of which will be given to Irish charity Fighting Blindness. Zombieguide got the chance to talk a little bit today with Mr. Swan about the progress of his upcoming book and some changes that have occurred with its content.

“Just one or two things you should know about; It will be Fergal that is featured in the book and not Dolores. Also there was a mistake in the press release and Larry Mullen Jnr won’t be featured,” Swan told Zombieguide earlier today. Although the news might disappoint U2 fans, no “Complete History of Irish Music” would be complete without extensive mention of the band, and the book is certain to include them, even without Mullen’s direct involvement.

Of course the book is much more than just U2 and Cranberries; he noted that the “other acts that will be featured include Ash, Devlins, The Corrs, Samantha Mumba, Christy Moore, Chieftains and many more — 70 acts in all.”

Aside from the book, which he considers a side project, Swan is currently busy with his day job at Ireland’s largest media network. “I am currently a TV presenter for RTE but have worked in commerical radio outside of RTE for a number of years,” he says.

Swan told us that “From the Cradle to the Stage: A Complete History of Irish Music” is currently on tap for a November release with an anticipated price of €19.99. Copies will be available for purchase from Fighting Blindnessupon release, and no doubt retailers as well.

“You certainly have your finger on the pulse,” he tells us. “It’s great to know that Cranberries fans will be able to pick up and copy and that they know about it… It would, I’m sure, help raise much needed funds for the charity.”

Zombieguide will have more on “From the Cradle to the Stage” as its November publication date nears. Keep it here for the latest!

Source: Exclusive

The website for the US magazine “Mix”, which focuses on the technical side of studio recording, reports that Olympic Studios have just finished buiding two brand new studios, a programming room and a small studio. The first to use the new facilities are none other than Cranberries producer Stephen Street and engineer Cenzo Townshend. From the Mix website:

Olympic Studios Adds Two New Rooms
London’s Olympic Studios has continued its expansion plans at the Barnes facility by adding one new programming/pre-production room and a small studio, increasing the total number of client suites to six.

Top record producers Stephen Street (Blur, The Smiths/Morrisey, The Cranberries) and Cenzo Townshend (Skin, Lightning Seeds and U2) have moved into the larger suite, which boasts an adjacent overdub booth for vocals or guitars. Working on an Audient desk and recording to RADAR and Pro Tools|HD, they have also incorporated a host of vintage outboard equipment.

The second suite, dubbed “The Green Room,” is available for lease and is currently housing a few short-term projects.

Siobhan Paine, Olympic Studio’s manager, said, “We are thrilled that Stephen and Cenzo are joining us here, and with the multitude of studios and mix rooms available at Olympic, the two new rooms add an extra dimension to the services we offer. Projects can make an easy transition from programming to production all under one roof.”

For more, visit www.olympicstudios.co.uk.

Last month, Dolores told Hot Press that she and the band were indeed making use of the more high-tech programming technology, which the band has shyed away from in the past. “I’ve come up with these piano-driven songs that I’m recording using Pro-Tools and all that other computer-y stuff,” she said.

With both Stephen and Cenzo in the same room, there’s no question of who’s performing there with them…

Source: Mix Online

Think female vocalists are pretty powerful? Well not even their commanding voices can compete with the strong opinions of fans from around the world. Poll after poll has challenged music listeners to cast their votes on favorite female artists; and now Brazilian music channel Universo Do Rock is asking for your vote in a poll that asks you to choose your favorite female-lead band. The Cranberries are in the running, positioned in the company of Hole, The Gathering, Kittie, Evanescence, and Nightwish. To help The Cranberries come out on top and prove their fan base in and around Brazil, cast your vote online at Universo Do Rock.

Thanks to: Daniel Chirzostomo for the information

In the mood for a good “coming of age” flick saturated with mid-1990’s flavor? 1994’s “Radio Inside,” newly released on DVD, may not have won any Oscar nominations or make for a prized piece in your DVD collection, but it does have one thing going for it: a soundtrack featuring music by The Cranberries that garnered attention from movie-goers and film critics alike. Even the cover of the new DVD boasts “music by The Cranberries and REM”. The soundtrack includes “Dreams,” among other songs.

The film is now on DVD courtesy of the Australian studio Capitol Films. Although the DVD is region-free, it is likely in PAL video format only, not North American NTSC.

Reciting the story of two brothers in love with the same woman, “Radio Inside” stars Williams McNamara, Elisabeth Shue, and Dylan Walsh. The film marks the directorial debut of Jeffery Bell, who is best known for his behind- the-scenes work on various pop culture television favorites of the 1990’s, like the “X-Files”.

Though the film fared with only mediocre reviews and lackluster attendance at the box office, critics rave about the movie’s soundtrack, with the inclusion of The Cranberries’ music commonly noted as poignant and relevant to the film’s dramatic, romantic tone.

“Radio Inside” on DVD is available for purchase online, priced at about $20 at shops like totaldvd.com and widely available on VHS for as little as $1. So if you’re a completist or just curious, “Radio Inside” may be worth a look.

The Cranberries may not be “analysing,” but their accountants certainly are. Recent audits of the band’s finances, managed by their self-owned company Curtain Call Ltd., seemed to show that The Cranberries were shorted royalties of over $2.6 million by former record company Universal Music. Curtain Call responded by quietly filing suit against UMG Recordings in the New York Southern District Federal Court on March 27th, 2003. On July 30th, 2003, the case was withdrawn by the plaintiff as quietly as it was initiated.

Curtain Call Limited was founded by Dolores O’Riordan, Noel Hogan, Mike Hogan, and Fergal Lawler in the mid-90’s to manage the band’s day-to-day business, touring, and merchandising affairs. The company is located in the city of Shannon, County Clare, Ireland and enjoys exemption from a large number of taxes due to its affiliation with the music industry.

The Cranberries abruptly terminated their contract with Universal Music in January of this year, citing poor promotion and support for the band’s last two releases, “Wake Up and Smell the Coffee” and “Stars: The Best of…” Despite the fact that the band still owed Universal one album from their 1991 contract with Island Records, the so-called “monolith” has remained mysteriously quiet. We’d bet the farm that the two actions are related.

Zombieguide first heard whispers about a court case in June of this year, when the paid online service Entertainment Law Digest posted the following one-sentence summary:

“Curtain Call Limited v. UMG, Inc.; Island Def Jam Music Group; and Island Def Jam Records, Inc. The recording company for the musical group The Cranberries claims subsidiaries of UMG Recordings, Inc. breached agreements by failing to pay over $2.6 million in royalties. New Filing SD New York.”

Intrigued by this statement, Zombieguide contacted a representative for the band’s management who told us that this was “a reference to an older issue.” This diffused our interest (temporarily), and we moved on. A month passes.

You see, this isn’t the first time that The Cranberries have filed a lawsuit against Universal for royalties. In 2000, Norwegian newspaper VG reported that the band was suing Universal for about £2 million (approx. $3.1 million) for royalties outside the UK for the period of 1992-1997. We assumed by the statement above that this was the “older issue” in question. The ruling from the 2000 case is still unknown to The Cranberries’ fanbase. But judging soley from the current ongoing case, it might suggest that the band was previously successful, and is attempting to do so again.

Now we go to August 2003. Our curiosity coming back around, we decided to check around further — only to find yet more listings of the case “03CV- 2158 Curtain Call Limited v. UMG Recordings, Inc.; Island Def Jam Music Group; and Island Def Jam Records, Inc.” In fact, one legal database even showed that on July 30, 2003, the appointed judge in the case, the Honorable Judge George B. Daniels signed a document describing certain stipulations of the case.

We knew that something was going on in New York. Once again, Zombieguide contacted the band’s management. This time, we got a response.

Lewis Kovac, The Cranberries’ London-based manager told Zombieguide, “The Cranberries back catalogue is controlled by Universal Music Group through its affiliates, Island Def Jam and MCA Records. At this time, there is a claim for the years 1997-2000 which has been presented to the record company and the court of jurisdiction, the Southern District of New York.”

In his statement, Kovac told us that the civil case was more routine than extraordinary. “Audits of royalties are routine and thus claims are filed with the appropriate court once a determination is made. All labels have many claims ongoing with the major royalty earners on their books.” Another employee of Timless Music, Ltd., the band’s self-owned promotional company, said that the ongoing procedure was “no biggie.”

Zombieguide also contacted the Universal Music Group (because we’re fair guys like that), but UMG declined comment.

Under the Federal Freedom of Information Act, any U.S. citizen is entitled to any non-classified governmental information, including that of lawsuits, arrests, etc. As an American citizen, I excersized that right and obtained a sole court document, dated July 30th, 2003, from the United States NY Southern District Federal Court.

With said document in hand, we found that the July 30th stipulation was more exactly a “Stipulation of Discontinuance Without Prejudice.” The case had been closed by Curtain Call “without costs to any party against the other.”

Exactly why The Cranberries’ lawyers decided to withdraw the lawsuit is still uncertain, and is likely to remain uncertain. The last clause of the short statment, stating that the suit was discontinuned “without costs to any party” may suggest that there was no out-of-court settlement, though even that is unknown at this time.

If we get further details, you can be sure to find them right here. In the meantime, check out our exclusively obtained court document regarding the lawsuit’s discontinuance, below. Stick here with Zombieguide for more upcoming won’t-find-it-anywhere-else Cranberries news.

Source: Exclusive!
Partial Sources: Entertainment Law Digest, Clare Champion

The Cranberries Official Site conservatively states that Dolores O’Riordan is waiting to hear more from AC/DC’s Brian Johnson regarding is comedy-in- the-making, “Helen of Troy.” Since then, unofficial sources have hinted that Dolores is more than simply waiting — that she is indeed going to have a very active role in the play. Pun intended.

Here’s the breakdown of the latest on “Helen of Troy,” conveniently separated into what, as best as we can confirm, is fact and rumor.

The Rumor:
A reputable poster by the name of Goulash has posted an update on “Helen of Troy” on the alt.rock-n-roll.acdc newsgroup. He writes that a rehearsal of the play was put on in London (to where the show is being moved) last month for potential sponsors. As we wrote in an earlier story, “Helen of Troy” has already been postponed several times due to lack of sponsorship. He writes:

“The lowdown is that a rehearsal was held at the Prince Edward Theatre in London (England, not Ontario) on 3rd July. Malcolm MacDowell is still in the role of Zeus and the singer from The Cranberries has been roped in. The production isn’t gonna be one of those ballet or rock opera affairs, it’s a comedy and Brian has written 21 songs for it while the script has been penned by those geniuses who wrote Auf Wiedersehen Pet (Dick Clemens and Ian La Frenais). Looks like it could be hitting the stage in London at the end of this year / beginning of next.”

As you are likely already aware, Dolores has made several statements over the past year hinting at her desire to land an acting role. Has she found the role she’s been looking for?

The Fact:
In a column posted this week on Southwest Florida’s Herald Tribune website, the editor recounts a very recent happenstance conversation with Brian Johnson. Johnson confirmed that he had just returned from London rehearsals for the comedy. Johnson told the newspaper that there are indeed some unspecified changes going on with the script. “The show isn’t quite there yet — we need to tinker with the second act,” Johnson said. “But people were excited.” One such potential backer in the audience was Cameron Mackintosh, the producer of “Les Miserables,” “Phantom of the Opera” and “Miss Saigon.”

Zombieguide will stay on top of the latest “Helen of Troy” news… keep it here!

Special thanks to Glenn of the AC/DC website Crabsody in Blue for his help on this story.

Sources: alt.rock-n-roll.acdc, Herald Tribune

In a newsletter sent out by German site Dolores-tv.de, the site’s webmaster claims that Dolores is considering participating in a televised auction to sell some of her personal affects for charity. This will be a continuation of the promised charity auctions of Dolores’s clothes, which began earlier this year, with one pair of shoes raising €2,775 for the Chernobyl Children’s Fund and Amnesty International. However, this time the rumored upcoming set of auctions will benefit the families of victims of the September 11th terrorism attacks.

Zombieguide will let you know if anything comes out of this rumor report!

Source: Dolores-tv.de Newsletter

This Sunday, Turkish radio station Radyo Eksen will be broadcasting The Cranberries’ Istanbul concert from the “Stars” tour (November 5, 2002). The station also has an online stream available, which means that anybody in the world will be able to tune into the broadcast.

The concert airs Sunday, August 10th at 15:00 (3:00 PM) local time, or 8:00 AM Eastern Standard Time (click here to find the time in your area). The main online stream is located here (an alternate is here). (LINKS NO LONGER AVAILABLE)

Thanks to Haluk for the heads-up.

Source: Daffodil Lament

The Cranberries have recently held pre-production sessions at Britain’s Gemini Studios — that is according to a listing of recent clients on the studio’s webpage. During that time, the band has evidently been working with engineer Cenzo Townshend on new material. Cranberries fans will remember that Townshend engineered their last studio album, “Wake Up and Smell the Coffee.” It was revealed only little over a week ago that Townshend and The Cranberries were working together again. There’s no word on exactly how recent the band’s session was.

The Suffolk, UK, based studio boasts itself as “one of the most comprehensively equipped recording studios in Europe,” providing a large range of both vintage and modern recording equipment. The studio specializes in microphones and outboards. Other pre-production clients include Skin (presumably of Skunk Anansie) and the Groove Doctors.

Zombieguide contacted Gemini Studios for further information, but received no reply as of posting time.

Source: Gemini Studios

Will The Cranberries ever top “Zombie”? In terms of its inclusion in video countdown programs from music channels broadcasting from all over the world, the “Zombie” phenomena just never seems to fizzle. In fact, if you were to count all of the times “Zombie” has been included in a video countdown program, it’d be a program within itself. And MTV Latin America’s upcoming Top 20 Countdown is looking as if it will be no exception.

On August 9th, MTVLA is celebrating its 10th anniversary with a Top 20 “Best Live Videos” countdown program with 153 video nominations that include none other than The Cranberries’ “Zombie,” live from the MTV Europe Music Awards 1995. There’s no limit on how often music fans can vote. Just visit MTVLA’s web site with information on the upcoming special to cast your vote. Then, if you’re fortunate enough to have access to the channel, tune in to MTVLA on August 9th to see if “Zombie” makes it to the countdown.

Thanks to cranberrygirl for the tip.

Source: MTVLA

Yesterday, Hot Press posted a clairification of their recent interview with Dolores, once again reiterating that The Cranberries are by no means in danger of splitting up. The article seems to be in direct response to a falsified news story printed by Irish tabloid “The Star”, which distorted Dolores’s current solo tracks into a story about the band breaking up.

Hot Press quotes an official representative as saying, “The situation is exactly as you reported… The rumours of a band crisis are simply untrue.” The rest of the article quotes liberally from the most recent update on the Official Page.

The entire scenario seems eerily reminiscent of this past December, when wild rumors started by a Hot Press story of a possible solo side project got out of hand. Hot Press editor Niall Stokes had to deny such rumors in a written statement on Hot Press’s website.

Surprisingly, since Hot Press’s last story, the news of a possible Dolores and Brian Johnson of AC/DC collaboration has gone global. The news has been relayed all the way to major news outlets such as MTV.com, Undercover News, and today, Billboard. Although the major news outlets seem to have the story pretty well investigated, as with all news, some outlets choose to exaggerate it, including this ridiculously unfounded piece which claims that Dolores is to star in “Helen of Troy.”

On a side note, today’s Billboard article relays that the Nielson Soundscan ratings report “Wake Up and Smell the Coffee” sales of 162,000 copies to date in the United States. That number makes up approximately one-tenth of the total worldwide sales of the album, which stands at approximately 1.5 million.

Thanks again to Jessica van Kessel for her help in this story.

Source: Hot Press

When in doubt, just make something up! That’s apparently the general rule of thumb used by journalists time and time again when it comes to The Cranberries. Fortunately, we have the Official Site to continuously and diligently keep the record straight. With an official update yesterday, The Cranberries laid to rest a plethora of rumors that have suggested so much as a band “crisis”: everything from Dolores ditching The Cranberries for a “solo” career (this one’s gotten really old) to the notion that Dolores is co-writing Brain Johnson’s (AC/DC) on-stage musical rendition of “Helen of Troy”. So, to clear the air and state the facts, here are the meat and potatoes of what The Cranberries want fans to know, according to yesterday’s official update:

Everyone’s all smiles! Right now, The Cranberries are on vacation. The band and their families are spending time now in Canada, Ireland, Spain, and Italy. Everyone in the band remains optimistic; and the opportunities are pouring in. For one thing, alternative rock’s Moby has supplied The Cranberries with several songs to use at their discretion. For now, however, The Cranberries have decided that Moby’s material isn’t right for the band; but Dolores is keeping the door open to the idea, and hopes to be able to use the material in some form or another sometime in the future. And in addition to attention from the likes of Moby, members of The Cranberries have had lots of invitations to take part in films, television, soundtracks, collaborations with other artists, and more.

Though most of these projects haven’t been confirmed as of yet, it has been confirmed that Dolores has completed her recording of “Puro Amore” with Italy’s Zucchero. Contrary to assumptions from a recent LA7 interview with Dolores, the Official Site notes that Dolores did not record the song entirely in the Italian language. Instead, she worked alongside another lyricist to adapt portions of the song for English translation, although she does indeed sing some parts in Italian.

Speaking of false suggestions, the granddaddy of all rumors has surfaced once again. After Hot Press published snippets of Dolores’s interview with Hot Press staff writer Stuart Clarke for an upcoming Ritz Magazine Yesterday (Irish newspaper) article, “The Star” distorted the facts of the interview to suggest, yet again, that Dolores is striking out on her own to form an exclusive solo career. But The Cranberries Official Site seeks to clear out that tired notion once again to reveal that Dolores is indeed always interested in individual projects while simultaneously working alongside Noel and other members of The Cranberries to create Cranberries-related material. Over the coming years, Dolores and other members of the band will be involved with side projects such as their opportunities noted in the arenas of film, television, soundtracks, etc. The Cranberries reaffirm, however, that these side projects are not intended to abolish The Cranberries’ union. They’re merely future opportunities, with no known time frame of completion.

As to Dolores’s proposed solo work with Brian Johnson (AC/DC vocalist) on his play “Helen of Troy”, the Official Site states that Dolores is not co-writing any of the material. She is simply listening to Brian’s work, and being considered, as are other artists, for inclusion in the project. As Zombieguidereported earlier, “Helen of Troy” has been Brian Johnson’s project for a number of years. After his meeting with Dolores during The Cranberries tour with The Rolling Stones, he and Dolores spoke about a future collaboration. Naturally, Johnson brought up his pet project, “Helen of Troy”. Dolores’s final involvement in the play remains yet to be determined.

And finally, there’s Dolores’s autobiography. The Official Site reports that author and record producer Paul Russell, has already completed eight chapters, and the finalized project is expected to be released some time in 2004.

So, when they’re not busy dispelling rumors, it looks like The Cranberries are continuing to work in the same fashion that’s brought them to 2003: writing, recording, touring, vacationing, and keeping their options open for new projects that come their way. Doesn’t sound too complicated to understand… yet as long as there are tabloids, there’ll be rumors. Here at Zombieguide, we’ll keep you up to date. For now, you can check out the unabridged facts straight from the source at Cranberries.ie

Source: The Cranberries Official Web Site

The Australian Cancer Council has designated August 22nd as the national Daffodil Day for 2003. The council, who run national public service announcements throughout the year, are dedicated to rasing funds and awareness to the various types of cancer that afflict Australians.

This year, the council has chosen two Cranberries songs to accompany the national TV announcements. The titles chosen are “Dreaming My Dreams,” and, of course, “Daffodil Lament.” Both songs run for approximately 15 seconds each in the background of the current 30 second TV spots. Another TV announcement features the song “Ode to My Family.” The campaign encourages Australians to purchase a paper daffodil for $5.00 AU, which will be used to fund research. The TV spots will run for approximately one month. Last year, the Council used Coldplay’s sublime “Yellow” as the background music.

One such “Daffodil Day” TV public announcement
For more on the Cancer Council Australia, go here, or click here for the Official Australian Daffodil Day website. (LINKS NO LONGER AVAILABLE)

In 2001, The Cranberries lent their support to the Irish Daffodil Day bydonating an autographed lithograph for auction. However, that auction was organized by The Irish Cancer Society, not The Cancer Council Australia.

Thanks to Bruce Miller for the news.

Partial Source: Cancer Council Australia

Massive Spanish radio network Los 40 Principales has constructed a poll of the Top 40 Sexiest Arists of all time — and Dolores O’Riordan is currently at a staggering position of #2. Dolores is among a huge variety of female singers ranging from the trashy chic of Courtney Love to the vintage appeal of Donna Summer.

However, only a handfull of votes have been accumulated at the moment, so that position is likely to change. Voting can only be done by Spanish residents via cellphone. Visit Dolores O’Riordan’s page here and check out the current poll results by clicking “Encuesta” under “13.” (Note that the singers here are listed by their first names alphabetically, not by rank.)

Currently leading the pack at #1 is Cher. Apparently Sonny Bono has access to the internet and a Spanish cellphone in heaven.

Sources: Los 40

Yesterday, Zombieguide relayed that Hot Press has reported on a confirmedDolores and Brian Johnson collaboration and also renewed its claim of a forthcoming Dolores O’Riordan solo album.

Dolores’s quotes in the article certainly seem to justify that claim — the lads “are cool with it” — despite previous denials from the Official Site that any solo projects were in the works.

“I’ve started working with this English programmer called Matt Vaughan,” she tells Hot Press. “When I joined the Cranberries I used to write everything on piano – I didn’t play guitar properly at all. So, 14 years on, I’ve come up with these piano-driven songs that I’m recording using Pro-Tools and all that other computer-y stuff.

“It’s completely different to the Cranberries – very experimental and out there. A couple of tracks have a David Lynch movie soundtrack feel, but they’re fully developed songs. I’m going to Toronto for an extended holiday, so Matt’s going to fly out for a week and do some mixes with me in the Metalworks studio.”

Dolores reveals that she’s recorded several rough versions at home in her own kitchen, and that some will consist of more than just piano and vocals. “I’m going to put real guitar on some of them, and redo the vocals which at the moment are rough ones that I did in the kitchen in my little gate lodge. The staff in the farm here thought I was bonkers roaring away on my own!”

Unfortunately, Hot Press doesn’t give any real specifics about her collaboration with Brian Johnson on “Helen of Troy.” Dolores does comment that she’s taken a liking to him — “It’s always fun working with other artists, especially when they’re operating in a totally different area to you. He’s such a darling, not in the least bit arrogant or full of himself. I ran into him last month when we were both supporting the Rolling Stones. Don (Burton, Dolores’s husband) had to tell me who he was ‘cause I didn’t recognize him!” Don beware!

After all this, we shouldn’t forget a certain little something that is still a big part of Dolores’s life — The Cranberries. She hasn’t forgotten either, as she relates to Hot Press once again, they’re still the biggest part of her musical career. “Very much so,” she resumes. “They’ve heard a couple of the piano songs I’m doing and are cool with it. Everybody needs a bit of space because we’re at that different place in life. We’re not a bunch of kids just starting.”

Additionally, she reveals that the band has finished a four-track demo of new songs for their next release. Earlier, the Official Site noted that this demo would be used to secure a new distribution contract for their next album. “As well as opening for the Stones and playing Killarney last week with Counting Crows, we’ve recorded four demo songs for the next Cranberries album. We’ve got another three really beautiful ones in the pipeline, so it’s shaping up well.”

Things are shaping up well, indeed. Hot Press states that the Dolores O’Riordan solo album is due to be released sometime in 2004.

Thanks again to Jessica van Kessel for fetching us the info! Zombieguide will have more developments as they happen!

Sources: Hot Press

Dolores O’Riordan’s biographer Paul Russell reported weeks ago that he had spotted “Dolores singing a song from a musical with Brian Johnson of AC/DC” in a restaurant. Foreshadowing comes from the strangest places.

Although a less ambiguous instance was when Fergal Lawler noted last month that Dolores and Brian were considering the idea of working together.

Irish magazine Hot Press reported Thursday that Dolores is collaborating with AC/DC singer Brian Johnson on a project related to “Helen of Troy,” a musical that Johnson has been working on for nearly seven years.

“Helen of Troy” is a humorous “‘Les Miserables’-style musical with rousing anthems, tender ballads and minimal dialogue.” The project has been Johnson’s dream for several years, finally deciding to put the songs together with British composer Brian Healy. Johnson was inspired to create the musical after seeing “Cats” several years ago. “I couldn’t wait to leave,” he said. “It was puerile drivel. That’s when I started thinking I may as well try to write a show. Then I went to see ‘Grease’ in New York, and it was friggin’ drivel, too. That spurred me on more.”

The $1.2 million dollar production was originally to debut in March 2003 at the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall in Sarasota, Florida. However, the show has been pushed back to a November 2003 debut. If all goes well, the musical may tour nationally. For much more on “Helen of Troy,” check out the page dedicated to it at the excellent AC/DC fansite Crabsody in Blue.

But the headline to Hot Press’s news story is this: “Dolores Readies Solo Album.” All we can say is, let’s hope they’re right this time: Hot Press stirred up some nasty rumors late last year when Dolores expressed that she wasconsidering doing a side project apart from the band. We now know that she recorded several songs this past spring by herself. Additonally, Matthew Vaugahn’s section of The Smoothside Organization’s website refers to Dolores as a “solo artiste.” All of this would certainly support Hot Press’s headline.

We should know exactly what is up with the purported “solo album” and the nature of Dolores’s Brian Johnson collaboration as soon as we can get our hands on the full Hot Press article — which will be very soon. Keep it tuned here!

Sources: Hot Press, Crabsody in Blue

British punk outfit “Dogshit Sandwich” (delightful name..) have just put out a 4-track EP entitled “Royal Sponger.” The 7″ vinyl includes three original songs by the band and one cover, which happens to be of The Cranberries’ “Zombie.” All four songs were newly-recorded for the EP. The tracklist is as follows:

1. Royal Sponger
2. Fuck the Law
3. R Ya Makin’ the Tea
4. Zombie

The vinyl EP can be ordered from indie label Weird Records.

The rather vile cover art, which inbues the not-so-subtle political criticism of Queen Elizabeth gone topless, can be seen here, if you are so brave to click. You’ve been warned.

Sources: Nihilism on the Prowl, Weird Records

Cranberries World has posted a full transcript of this past Tuesday’s interview of Dolores O’Riordan, broadcasted on “Access All Areas” on Italian channel LA7. Cranberries World has also made more video captures (seen below), plus an animated gif from the interview (here). Very interestingly, she reveals that the band is being very selective about what songs will go onto their next album. As an example, she suggests that more than half of the songs they are currently putting together may not end up on the final disc. Here’s a translation of Dolores’s (separate) monologue sequences from the show:

“We were on tour for more than a year [when] we all have small children, and at this moment of our lives we prefer to take it slowly — we don’t want to lose our children’s best years of childhood. When they start to turn about ten, you can start to go on tour longer because it becomes easier, but for this year we have 7 support slots for the Rolling Stones and 3 alone.

“I didn’t grow up with the Rolling Stones, because I’m only 31, but I think that it’s an experience that we can learn a lot from. It’s a source of inspiration see them still going on. It’s been very nice, the Stones came into our dressing rooms to greet us at the first gig, and it was almost surreal to meet them in person, because we’ve gotten used to seeing them on TV, so much so that you almost don’t believe it. It was great!

“We’re concentrating on writing right now, taking our time to do a really beautiful album. Even if we write 4 songs, we’ll throw 3 of them away and we’ll choose 1 (to keep). We’ve got to be very selective to be sure that the next album is really good, because it doesn’t make sense to make an album otherwise, so we prefer to take our time, to enjoy the period of writing, and time spent at home. Then we can go out with a really great disc and a good tour.

“Looking back at myself, I think that success isn’t the thing that matters most in life. It matters more instead to have friends and to enjoy every small thing because you will never be able to come back to that precise moment.

“I think that people are too stressed and are too worried about tomorrow. Women are very engrossed in their careers and are afraid to start a family, but perhaps thinking only about your career is not enough — for me it’s a matter of knowing how to balance things. I’m 31 and I think I’m in the best period of my life. It’s my favorite time in my life. I’m living better now than when I was 20.

“Artists are always forced, particularly from the media, to analyze everything they do, but if you start to analyse everything, you get mental block, like when you’re too deep in studying — (you’re) singing and have a problem with a single word, and if you repeat it continuously, surely you’ll continue to screw it up, because you’re thinking too much. It’s the same thing with music, writing, life — it’s better not to plan anything, just enjoy what you’re making without thinking too much. Thinking too much is bad, really!

“I sang a song for the new Zucchero album. I memorized the verse in Italian, but he didn’t want me to sing in your language cause we, English-speakers, when we sing in Italian we sound so foolish. It’s also true that Italians sound foolish when they sing in English.”

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Source: Cranberries World

An update to the “shopping” section of the Official Storm Thorgerson Website makes a new item available for purchase: A set of 16 Thorgerson art postcards, two of which were designed for the covers of Cranberries releases. The two Cranberries-related pieces in the set are the covers to the “You and Me” single (2000) and the “Wake Up and Smell the Coffee” international album cover (2001). The cards come housed in a custom hardback case. If you’re interested, the set will set you back £10.00, or about $16 US, not including shipping.

Set of 16 Thorgerson postcards
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If postcards that you’ll likely never actually use don’t suit your fancy, there are other previously-available Cranberries-related items in the shop. One item is a 2002 silkscreen reprint of the “Bury the Hatchet” cover art, part of “The Bodies Series.” (The BTH artwork had also been issued as a lithograph in 1999, limited to 800 copies.) According to the site:

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Set of six fine art limited edition silkscreen (serigraph) prints. Printed on 410gsm Somerset Tub Sized paper. Print size 33″ x 25.5″, image size approximately 19″ x 19″. Edition of 125 only. Printed by Brad Faine at Coriander from original artwork. Signed, titled and numbered by Storm Thorgerson.

The BTH print will set you back a measly £300.00, or about $490 US, not including shipping of course.

Lastly is Thorgerson’s 1999 book entited “The Eye of the Storm.” The book includes four pages dedicated to The Cranberries, and luckily enough, the sample picture shows the double-page spread for “Bury the Hatchet.” The books are autographed and are priced at £20.00, or $33 US each.

“The Eye of the Storm” book, featuring 4 pages on The Crans
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The Official Storm Thorgerson Website itself has lots of interesting production notes on his work with The Cranberries, which alone makes the site worth a visit. Just choose “Sort by Artist” and then scroll to “T” for “The Cranberries.” (A librarian would have a fit for indexing by a demonstrative article, but hey, this is art, its supposed to break the rules.)

Happy artful shopping!

Source: Official Storm Thorgerson Website

Yesterday we told you that Italian television station LA7 had aired a brandnew interview with Dolores O’Riordan, recorded after last month’s Milan gig with The Rolling Stones. She told the station that, for the first time in her career, she will be singing in Italian with Zucchero on the upcoming “Duets” CD.

Lorenzo has captured some screenshots from the interview and sent them to us, below. Thanks Lorenzo!

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Source: Exclusive!

RTE Radio Presenter Alan Swan is putting the last touches on his first book,“From the Cradle to the Stage: A Complete History of Irish Music,” a chronicle that promises to cover every genre of Irish music. Several artists are directly contributing to the book, of which proceeds go to charity, including The Dubliners’ Ronnie Drew, U2’s Larry Mullen, Christy Moore, and The Cranberries’ Dolores O’Riordan. The book is due to be published by Christmas 2003. (Editor’s note 8/29/03: Author Alan Swan tells us that it will be Fergal, not Dolores, who appears in the book.)

The book is being comissioned by Fighting Blindness, the only Irish charity dedicated to finding cures for blindness by funding Irish-based research. The organization is receiving all proceeds from the book.

A press release for the upcoming book states, “This chronicle allows Irish artists, from every genre, to share memories of what helped to shape their success. Alan Swan and all the musicians who have co-operated in the production of this volume did so in a way that will be of extraordinary help to the only Irish charity committed for finding cures for blindness, through Irish research.” The release also states that the musicians involved have been “generously giving their time to help Fighting Blindness.”

Author Alan Swan, 24 years old, is clearly “moving up” quickly. He was formerly presenter and producer for the regional station CKR FM’s Breakfast Show, but has recently been hired by Ireland’s national RTE Radio. “From the Cradle to the Stage” will be his first book, but according to Radiowaves.fm, he has several others “in the pipeline.”

Source: Fighting Blindness, Radiowaves

Fans can usually expect to pay a minimum of $15-$20 for a factory-pressed live CD, but for a very limited time, you can pick one up for less than $7 each.

Asian-based importer SOLcd is currently offering two different versions of two different bootlegs (4 total) for the ridiculously low price of $6.99 US each. It appears SOLcd is clearing the titles out of their catalog, so once they’re sold at this price, they’re gone.

The two offered titles are “Live in Concert” (MTV Unplugged 1995) and“One’s Better Self” (Hamburg, Germany, 1999). There are two variations of each, however, the tracklisting is the same on each variation — the only difference is the art. Having owned both of these titles for awhile, I can tell you that they are of excellent quality, both in sound and artwork.

At this price, they’re a complete steal, and won’t last long, so snatch them up quickly if you’re interested.

Source: SOLcd

The classic Cranberries track “Dreams,” a soundtrack favorite, is being used yet again in the movie trailer for the upcoming film “Mona Lisa Smile.” The movie stars Julia Roberts, Kirsten Dunst, and Julia Stiles, among others, a lineup that alone is sure to make the movie a major hit with the female demographic.

The trailer and a plot synopsis can be viewed at the Coming Soon Film Database in Windows Media, Quicktime, and Real Player flavors.

The film hits theaters on December 19th, 2003. No word yet on whether “Dreams” will be used in the actual movie or on the soundtrack, but Zombieguide will stay on this story until we find out.

Thanks to Uriel for the tip!

Source: Exclusive

Weeks ago, The Cranberries Official Website relayed that Dolores has been collaborating with RTE producer Paul Russell on an upcoming autobiography. Due to some ambiguous wording, we weren’t sure what to make of it, but we now know definitively: Paul Russell is writing Dolores O’Riordan’s official biography.

Russell has been travelling with The Cranberries throughout their summer tour and took some time to check in with Irish music mag, Hot Press. In an article published two weeks ago, he describes how touring mates The Rolling Stones and AC/DC have been getting along with The Cranberries — with some humorous anecdotes.

The Rolling Stones stopped into The Cranberries’ dressing room on opening night, June 4th, and Russell was lucky enough to witness the exchange.

“Mick [Jagger], needless to say, made an immediate beeline for Dolores while the others talked to the lads,” Russell writes. “Charlie Watts was a bit quiet, but everybody else was in flying form. Needless to say, the Cranberries floated on stage to play their set which lasted 45 minutes and got a good percentage of the 17,000-crowd up on their feet.”

As well as the Crans hit it off with the Stones, it seems to be not nearly as well as they got along with AC/DC, as Fergal wrote days ago.

Russell reports, “I was in the Thai restaurant where Liam Gallagher had his teeth kicked in, and saw Dolores singing a song from a musical with Brian Johnson of AC/DC, who then told some of the rudest stories I’ve ever heard! They’re also on the bill for three of the Stones’ German shows, so it was a good getting-to-know-you session.”

Paul Russell and Dolores O’Riordan’s co-written autobiography is due to be published sometime next year. We can expect to hear more from Russell over the next few months.

Thanks to Jessica van Kessel for fetching us the info!

Source: Hot Press

Days ago, an article published by Unison.ie relayed that Dolores O’Riordan and husband Don Burton spent some time at a Bruce Springsteen concert in Dublin on May 31st. As it ends up, Dolores and hubby were among a long list of Irish entertainment personalities present, reports Eircom.

Says the article, “Then the classic ‘Thunder Road’ had the audience lost in the music and the man as the 53-year-old New Jersey icon had Dublin eating out of the palm of his hand. They even cheered his beautiful back up singer and wife Patti Scialsa. Equally beautiful on the night was Dolores O’Riordan of the Cranberries in a denim mini skirt alongside the stunning Morah Ryan, Marina Egan, Elizabeth Mangan and Rita Fox. Gerry Ryan wore a Hawaiian shirt. Harry Crosbie was all in black as was Lillie’s Bordello owner Dave Egan with his wife Mairead. The Irish football team were there with manager Brian Kerr. It was great to have the E Street Band back. The gang was all here.

“‘This was one of the greatest shows that we’ve ever put onin Ireland in over 40 years,’ said promoter Peter Aiken. Jumping up and down to Born to Run, beside him, Dolores O’Riordan and Marina Egan seemed to agree. “

Peter Aiken is president of Aiken Promotions, who promoted The Cranberries’ gig at Belfast’s Ulster Hall, only two days prior to the Springsteen concert.

Source: Eircom

An update on The Cranberries’ Official Site yesterday included a letter from Fergal, reflecting on the band’s tour with The Rolling Stones. With an entourage the size of a small town, The Rolling Stones’ backstage and production crew left Fergal feeling “awe inspired.”

“We have never been on a tour the size of the ‘Stones one and it was seriously exciting and at times, awe inspiring even! The stage and the behind-the-scenes production were an incredible sight to behold,'” Fergal stated.

And excited to mention his personal meeting with the ‘Stones and AC/DC, Fergal commented that despite his “star-struck” feeling in the presence of the legendary rockers, everyone treated The Cranberries “really well”. Fergal notes that Dolores and AC/DC singer, Brian Johnson, got along especially well… perhaps even well enough to work together in the future.

According to Fergal, The Cranberries are now preparing for their upcoming outdoor festival in Killarney that includes the Counting Crows. Fergal mentions high expectations for a laid-back experience, since the band has toured with Counting Crows in the past. With shows on their home-soil of Ireland, The Cranberries are preparing to perform among family and friends, and for the familial festivities sure to follow.

Though The Cranberries stint with The Rolling Stones has come to an end, Fergal reveals that excitement amongst the band is still raging on. Since the Killarney show will be the last live show of the year for The Cranberries, the band is eager to make the most of their time on stage.

Following the band’s holiday in July, Fergal’s letter states that The Cranberries will be returning to the studio to continue work on the sixth album for the remainder of 2003.

To read all about it, in Fergal’s own words, visit The Cranberries Official Web Site to check out yesterday’s update, including more fan reviews of the live European shows.

Source: Official Site

Most fans are content just to share a few minutes with their favorite artists — for a handshake, photo, autograph, or some combination of the three. But could you imagine spending 48 hours with Dolores and the rest of The Cranberries? That’s what one reporter for the Irish-based Unison news network did late last year in Milan (likely at the same time as the author of the lengthy Sunday Independent article). The author, who is not credited by name, has published a short article about the experience in conjunction with the ongoing Killarney Summerfest, where The Cranberries performed tonight.

The author writes, “Dolores’s vehement denunciations of the world in press interviews circa 1996 that revealed a core of self-loathing have long gone. I hung out with her and Don and the rest of the Cranberries for 48 hours in Milan six months ago and we had an absolute six-bottles-of-red-wine howl. But more important than the vino, the Cranberries on stage earlier that night were mesmeric.”

And as if the two-day-long hang-out session weren’t enough to make you fume with jealousy, the reporter bumped into Dolores again only a little over a week ago at a Bruce Springsteen concert. The writer recounts, “Dolores has no self-censorship and will tell you the first thing that comes into her mind. This is very endearing: most superstars talk in soundbites without saying very much. Once you get Dolores going, she can’t be shut up. I met her at the Bruce Springsteen concert the other week and she talked all the way through the Boss’s three-hour set on everything from supporting the Rolling Stones to Limerick, from her daughter to God, and back again. It was a memorable experience. (And Bruce wasn’t bad either – from the bits I heard.)”

Although the article only contains one short interview bit, there are lots of interesting details to be read — including some more bits about the soldier- kissing that inspired “Linger.” For those without access to Unison.ie, the full article is below:

Cranberries take the rough rock ‘n’ roll with the smooth pop

Sunday June 22nd 2003

POP is about an ephemeral impulse – usually teenage longing. The songs are conceived to be quickly consumed, not analysed like a philosophical tract by Socrates or Goethe.

Occasionally, however, a truly perfect pop song emerges that transcends time and place and imprints itself indelibly on our consciousness. Though hardly representative of the band’s music at all, Linger by the Cranberries is one such song for me. Written by Dolores O’Riordan and Mike Hogan, it is one of the greatest – and most melancholic – Irish pop songs ever set to vinyl.

From the Limerick group’s debut album Everybody Else Is Doing It, So Why Can’t We? in 1993, Linger features floating strings over a gorgeous orchestration married to Dolores’s funeral-soul dynamics:

“If you, if you could return,” sings Dolores, “don’t let it burn, don’t let it fade. I’m sure I’m not being rude, but’s just your attitude. It’s tearing me apart – it’s ruining everything.” The song was allegedly inspired by Dolores’s first boyfriend, a 17-year-old Irish soldier who wrote her tender love letters from Lebanon after they broke up.

Sadly, there was a lot more pain involved when Dolores wrote Zombie, in response to the IRA bomb in Warrington. She can vividly remember seeing one of the devastated mothers of the boys who were killed on television.

Dolores felt sad for her that she’d carried him for nine months and then some “prick, some airhead who thought he was making a point, did that”. Like Sinead before her, you have to admire Dolores’s outspoken character.

Still, the Dolores I know is also a gentle, sweet, intuitive, neo-spiritual person with a sense of otherness about her (and a particularly filthy sense of humour).

In 2000, Dolores was walking through the trees near where she lives in Kilmallock, pushing her newborn daughter Molly in her pram. She can recall having an epiphany that literally rushed out of her. She felt like she was the one in the pram and her own mother was standing over her. She raced back to the house with the song that had just entered her head. Within an hour, she had created Perfect Day on the piano.

Dolores has no self-censorship and will tell you the first thing that comes into her mind. This is very endearing: most superstars talk in soundbites without saying very much. Once you get Dolores going, she can’t be shut up. I met her at the Bruce Springsteen concert the other week and she talked all the way through the Boss’s three-hour set on everything from supporting the Rolling Stones to Limerick, from her daughter to God, and back again. It was a memorable experience. (And Bruce wasn’t bad either – from the bits I heard.)

Dolores is a happy camper – the polar opposite of the outdated media image of her as Ms Sulky Knickers. Marriage (to Don Burton) and motherhood (Molly and Taylor) clearly suits her. The erstwhile Mouth of the Shannon is a changed woman now, embracing life and its infinite possibilities.

Dolores’s vehement denunciations of the world in press interviews circa 1996 that revealed a core of self-loathing have long gone. I hung out with her and Don and the rest of the Cranberries for 48 hours in Milan six months ago and we had an absolute six-bottles-of-red-wine howl. But more important than the vino, the Cranberries on stage earlier that night were mesmeric.

I had never seen them before live and I had my suspicions about their music. All of that fell away after about the second song in. Dolores has such power on stage. Her voice is a potent and evocative instrument: imagine a Caucasian Nina Simone on LSD. Add to this the fantastic musicianship of the rest of the band who played out of their skins for that night. Onstage in front of 20,000 screaming Italians, the Cranberries were truly an exercise in how to play almost Metallica-heavy rock one minute and the most tender pop the next.

The Cranberries play Fitzgerald Stadium, Killarney, Co Kerry on Friday 27 June as part of the Killarney Summer Fest 2003

Source: Unison.ie

You’ll recall that this past March, The Cranberries played at a secretunannounced concert for the launch of the Hot Press Yearbook, an industry- centric publication of who’s who in the Irish music biz.

The website for The Sugar Club, the intimate Dublin venue where the event took place has published two more photos of the band in addition to the one that was previously available from the band’s official site. Check them out below.

More news on Zombieguide soon.

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Source: The Sugar Club