The Cranberries Official Site has updated with a note that says, “As you know, ‘Daffodil Lament’ was the OVERWHELMING winner, and we also mentioned that the band wanted to add the winning song onto the forthcoming ‘STARS- Best of The Cranberries 1992 – 2002’ as a bonus track! Well in fact, we can confirm that you (the fans) choice HAS been added! The artwork on the album will reflect the fact that the song was chosen by the fans!”

At this point, we’re not sure if we will be seeing some daffodil-themed art somewhere inside the album or if the designs will simply represent the “fans” in some way. As previously mentioned, Storm Thorgerson will handle the art for “Stars,” as he has for virtually all of the band’s releases since 1999. Other art will include photos of the band taken at the Boulder Dam area in Nevada.

Also, the latest update lists the 10 winners of the “greatest hits” competition, who all won signed copies of the “Beneath the Skin” VHS. Congratulations to all!

Source: The Cranberries Official Site

Yesterday’s report of a concert in Aquila, Italy (originating from an article in Il Centro) has been denied by The Cranberries’ official Italian site, Cranberries Italia. “An official denial arrived quickly from both the record company and the [band’s] management,” reads a notice posted late yesterday. The site also warns readers to be extremely cautious if they “find other announcements of this type,” as this is the second falsely-advertised Cranberries concert in Italy this summer.

Thanks to Aiencran for notifying us!

Source: Cranberries Italia

An article newly published in Il Centro states that The Cranberries have been hired as a last-minute “substitute” to replace the singer Jovanotti on August 23rd in Aquila, Italy. The multi-artist week-long concert series, organized by l’Istituzione Perdonanza, hopes to raise awareness on several worldwide social and human rights issues.

“It’s characteristic,” comments the director of l’Istituzione Perdonanza, Kind Michele, “that they have made the difference in the quality of the names available [for this concert]. Our hope is that the presence of the artists engages you in social topics of our own brotherhood…”

The article states that the agreement has been finalized, but as always, we await official confirmation!

Source: CranPortal

Cadena 40, one of the most popular radio stations in Spain, has just added the title track from “Wake Up And Smell The Coffee” to it’s regular playlist. Spanish radio stations are among the first in the world to add new singles to their playlists, which may suggest that “Wake Up” is on its way to single- dom. However, it’s only speculation at this point and we won’t know for sure unless we see promo singles begin to surface or we get an official confirmation from some source.

With the exclusion of “Wake Up” from the setlist of “Stars: The Best of…,” it was assumed that there would be no more singles from the current album. However, what we do know is that a “Radio Edit” has been available for quite some time and it would be nearly effortless to put it onto a promo CD in a half-hearted promotion attempt.

Thanks to Uncer for the news. Zombieguide will have more as it develops!

Source: Exclusive

Finally, The Cranberries Official Site confirmed today that “Stars: The Best of the Cranberries 1992-2002” is on track for a mid-September release. Specifically, the compilation will be on store shelves in Spain on September 16th. Still no official word on the date for the US release, but we can probably expect it within a week’s timespan of that date.

Additionally, the site verifies our report from yesterday that the Spanish tour dates have been moved to October 23rd and 25th in order to better promote the new CD.

Source: The Cranberries Official Site

The Cranberries Official Site updated today with a notice saying that “Before a licensing permit for this show [Jakarta] was granted, the Indonesian government decided to hold their parliamentary convention from August the 1st to August 16th. As is common during this period, NO activities with mass gatherings are allowed in Jakarta, and that includes music concerts!” The site says that the band will return to Jakarta at a later date.

In related news, there are some strong rumors going around that the gigs scheduled for Malaga and A Coruña, Spain next week have been likewise rescheduled for October. The information has appeared in several Spanish publications including La Opinion de Malaga. Another magazine, Indyrock, additionally reports that the dates have been moved to October 24th and 25th in order to better promote “Stars: The Best of…,” due out in September. The papers report that Universal Music has confirmed the cancellations, and a representative for El Coliseu cited the “expressed wishes of the band.” No further reason (if any) has been given.

As of yet, the Cranberries Official Site has not made any changes to the Spanish tour schedule and still has links to ticket vendors. We at Zombieguide await official confirmation of the news, and will watch the story for the next few days.

Sources: The Cranberries Official Site, La Opinion de Malaga

The Straits Times has posted an article regarding the slew of upcoming concerts in Asia, which includes, of course, several Cranberries gigs. Here’s a Cran-related snippet from the article:

MORE WILLING TO TRAVEL

INDUSTRY players credit a relaxation of post-911 travel phobia for the return of Western artistes.

Promoters are also willing to take the risk because Singaporeans are travelling less during the slump and spending more on concerts, they say.

Says Sistic’s Mr Ta: ‘They still need entertainment to relieve stress, and being discerning spenders, Singaporeans tend to save up to afford tickets to concerts by popular artistes or those they perceive as good.’

Promoters Adrian Hobbs of M2 (Diana Krall), and Michael Hosking, managing director of Midas Entertainment, say the tour plans of artistes also account for the increasing arrivals over the next six months.

Mr Hosking, whose company is bringing in Blue, notes that The Cranberries are headlining a festival in Jakarta for US$500,000 (S$880,000). ‘Since the group is already flying all the way to Asia, the thinking is that they might as well perform here,’ he says.

Source: The Straits Times

A representative for Universal Music Spain has confirmed the tracklisting and order of the upcoming Cranberries disc, “Stars: The Best of The Cranberries 1992-2002,” due out this fall. As we can see, the titles of the two new tracks have been finalized as “Stars” and “New New York”. Interestingly enough, the disc ends with the fan-picked “Daffodil Lament” rather than concluding with the new bonus tracks. There are 20 total, rather than the previously- reported 16 (which seems to make much more sense anyway).
Here’s the lineup:

1. Dreams
2. Linger
3. Zombie
4. Ode To My Family
5. I Can’t Be With You
6. Ridiculous Thoughts
7. Salvation
8. Free To Decide
9. When You’re Gone
10. Hollywood
11. Promises
12. Animal Instinct
13. Just My Imagination
14. You & Me
15. Analyse
16. Time Is Ticking Out
17. This Is The Day
18. Stars
19. New New York
20. Daffodil Lament

Source: Chocolate Brown

The Cranberries Official Website has updated today with a brand new look on its opening page: a teaser for the band’s upcoming greatest hits disc, which is now officially titled “Stars: The Best of The Cranberries 1992-2002”. The intro now scrolls amusingly in Star Wars-esque text, well befitting of the song title, and set to the opening of “I Still Do.” As for a date, it reads only: “Coming Soon.” So whether it is September (like the official Italian site reports) or Christmas (as the main official site last reported), we’ll know soon.

Source: The Cranberries Official Website

Several major Spanish newspapers reported this morning that The Cranberries have scheduled to play at the island of Majorca, Spain this September.

It is reported that the Council of Majorca are in the final stages of securing an agreement with the band for them to play as part of the Diada de Mallorca celebration. The date will be somewhere between September 11th and the 14th, although it has yet to be finalized, as it cannot conflict with the band’s touring schedule in Asia. If confirmed, it will be the seventh tour date that The Cranberries have played in Spain this year!

Check out some front-page articles from the Majorcan press below or click here to read an online article from El Mundo, which mirrors the printed article. (Link no longer available)

Sources: The Cranberries of Prat, El Mundo

The Cranberries are mentioned in two new Italian magazines on newsstands this month, TV Sette and the oft-recurring Tutto. The first article, from Sette, takes a look at the ongoing Sprite promotion in Italy, which it praises as a “good idea.”
Here’s a translation:

Drink And Listen

 

Today it’s possible to download legally and practically free on your PC hundreds of songs, chart singles included. A TV spot [commercial] shows a guy in his car who asks another one:
– Have you got the latest Cranberries’ single?
And he, to answer him, points to a fridge full of Sprite, the drink in green bottle produced by Coca-Cola. On its wrapper there’s a special code which, [when] entered on the website www.thespriters.it lets, after listening to 30 second snipped files, anyone download one of the hundred songs of the Universal Catalogue. With some limitations: the file destructs itself at the end of 2002, and it isn’t copyable on a CD or even on another PC. We’re always in doubt when we’re publicizing about an advertisement, but it’s right, in the interest of those who read, publicizing a good idea. In this case also because it shows that not every major [company] has fear of the Internet. It is also a way to tell people how to act in regards to a product of talent which is a song, which can be enjoyed, like the sea, the beach, the sun, never possessed or stolen; after a work like writing, arranging and playing a song, a little expense (in this case the purchase of the drink) is justified. In the list we find Jovanotti, Nannini, Cranberries, Elton John etc.

—————————————————————————————————————————————————
Caption: Above The Cranberries, included among the artists of the Universal catalogue downloadable from the Net after drinking a Sprite.

The second article, from Tutto, includes an extensive feature about The Red Hot Chili Peppers. The article includes a listing of bands who, like the Chili Peppers, didn’t find success right away, and The Cranberries are among them.
Here’s what it says:

CRANBERRIES
When the first album EEIDDISWCW? (1993) comes out, grunge and hip-hop is played. Result: in England the album sold only 12,000 copies, a misery. But it will be greatly re-discovered after its American success.

Thanks to Mattia of The Cranberries Videography for the scans and translations.

Source: Exclusive

The Cranberries of Prat has posted more images of the interview The Cranberries gave live on Linea Directa on the station Telehit in Mexico City two weeks ago. Check them out below.

Source: The Cranberries of Prat

The Cranberries of Prat has posted some nice images of the interview The Cranberries gave live on Linea Directa on the station Telehit in Mexico City two weeks ago. Check them out below.

Source: The Cranberries of Prat

Although Europe has to wait until the middle of the month and America has to wait until the end of the month, the individual releases of the “Complete Sessions” albums are already out in some parts of the world.

First to get them is Mexico, where the discs were sent to retail to coincide with the band’s Mexican tour last week. And now, reports have come in from Paris (thanks to François) that some stores there have already begun to sell them as well.

As expected, the individual releases of the albums are nearly identical to those found in the “Treasure Box” boxed set, released in May. The only changes are minor; the notice that reads “Not to be sold separately” has been removed from the back of the casing and has been replaced with a barcode.

Also thanks to Arturo for the info.

Source: Exclusive

“Star,” “Stars,” “The Stars” — we’re still not exactly sure what its title is, but we DO know that it’s right here for your listening pleasure!

The file showed up this morning on file-transfer program KaZaA and was recorded from this past week’s gig in Mexico. The quality is poor, yes, but at least we’ve now got a glimpse of what we’ll be seeing on the Greatest Hits disc this fall!

Major thanks to Insider27 for sending the file to us!!

The Stars (Live in Mexico) (2.3 mb, MP3) (Link no longer available)

Source: Jorge Iván Balderas Hernández

On this week’s episode of TechTV’s Audiofile, the show interviewed Joe O’Herlihy, The Cranberries’ Front of House Sound Engineer for the band’s tours. Of course The Cranberries fans may remember him best from the “Tech Docs” on the “Beneath the Skin: Live in Paris” DVD. Also being a Sound Designer for U2, O’Herlihy talked a lot about the challenges of setting up a sound system for a concert in the short span of a few hours, and also gave a quick tour of some of the equipment he uses.

“We’ll have a structure within the context of a mix in place and some buildings will respond accordingly, other buildings will be much more difficult,” he explained. “You’ve got plastic seats which are very reflective. You’ve got a concrete floor which again is a very reflective surface. But you can’t move all the frequencies [of the soundboard] because once the people come in, they have this automatic dampening effect.”

The job isn’t for everyone he admits. “If a studio engineer came in, it would be an ‘Oh My God!’-type situation. He would probably lose his mind in seconds!”

Source: Exclusive

UK online store 101CD has put up a listing for the British releases of the “Complete Sessions” quartet of albums. According to the site, the individual CDs will be out on July 15th in the UK, almost two weeks before their US release on July 30th.

Thanks to Daniel Robert James Steward for the tip.

Source: 101CD

Universal Japan has just posted the first listing for The Cranberries’ “best of” disc, due out early this fall. As it is listed, the title is simply “Greatest Hits.” Although this could change to a more “creative” title, this is how it stands at the moment. It appears that the album will contain only 1 CD (as opposed to the rumored two) and will have a total of 16 tracks, which includes both “Star” and “New York Skyline.” The listing gives the release as late September 2002 in Japan, which gives us a more exact timeframe.

In related news, French mega-radio station NRJ recently ran a news short about the CD and also pinned its release to “September.” Thanks to Stéphane for that bit of info.

Source: Exclusive

Apparently The Cranberries had good reason to deny the newspaper reports that hit the stands this morning — the one below reads, “The Cranberries already see their end” which is most certainly not true. Although the headline is very misleading, it does contain some important quotes, which we’ve translated below:

“That would be very nice, but we signed a contract for six discs, so first we have to release the Greatest Hits and another studio one, so that afterwards we can start our individual projects: I believe that we have many desires to take a break,” Fergal reportedly said.

Some of the other quotes are even more misleading, with the paper reporting that Dolores said, “It’s not like a marriage, and for that reason, I think we’ve spent too much time together. If we want to separate, we’ll do it”.

Although we can’t definitively deny these quotes (as some of the others in the article mirror the ones found in other reports), the band’s denial on Linea Directa earlier today should be enough to quell fans’ fears.

On another topic, the article also reports that Daffodil Lament is the imminent winner to the Official Site’s fan poll-contest, and will probably be included on the band’s “Best Of” disc this fall. Assuming that you haven’t thrown this whole article out the window yet, Dolores said, “We had a poll on the Internet page, where Daffodil Lament, a song which was never a single from the disc No Need To Argue, is winning.”

Thanks to Edgar Torres for the scan.

Also below is another press conference pic, sent to us by Uriel. Thanks to both.
But just remember — don’t believe anything you hear and only half of what you read!

Source: Exclusive

At approximately 3:30 local time (4:30 EST), The Cranberries finally arrived at the studios of the station 9 85 Radio in Mexico City. The interview covered several topics (including an extensive conversation about drinking!), the most important of which are below:

Dolores talked extensively about the day she wrote one of the band’s new songs, “New York Skyline.” She said, “Usually when I decide to write a song like that, it usually happens to me when I’m very relaxed and I’m having a couple glasses of wine. And then my inhibitions and my walls are down so I don’t think about what I’m doing. It’s kind of like you just sit down with music and it just starts to come out, because usually songs like that, when you’re sober in the middle of the day, you’d probably be too conscious to talk about stuff like that. So, when I wrote ‘Zombie,’ I remember I’d come home at night when I’d been out partying for three or four hours. And I had this guitar music and I remember I started singing it and I was quite edgy as well… It was kind of something that was way deep down inside my soul and I was kind of, you know, too embarrassed to talk about it in sobriety. So that came after a social kind of thing as well. When you’re really reflective and relaxed, as I said for me sometimes I have a glass of wine and my heart opens up and I start writing better. I mean, artists use things sometimes to write and find a deeper part of their souls and usually all those tracks came after, you know, a bit of a social thing. The New York song came after our gig in New York, the first gig [in New York that] we did since September 11th. And it was a brilliant show, I mean the New Yorkers were amazing and it was amazing to be there, to be back there, you know, still a beautiful city and the energy was brilliant.”

Dolores then revealed about how she wrote the song, and even seems to reveal the first known lyrics from the song. She continued, “But then we had a few jars afterwards and I went back to my hotel room and I was on my own and I put on the music that the boys had recorded at soundcheck. I turned it up and looked out my window and I started writing, like, ‘I look across these city streets, my heart is cold as it beats.’ And I started thinking about it, you know, and then I just started writing down my thoughts. So, it just happens without thinking usually.”

And after Dolores mentioned “jars” about half-a-dozen times, the host couldn’t help himself and said, “I have to get one of those jars! … We only have Corona down here though.”

“I love it! It’s my favorite beer,” responded Dolores, “with a little bit of lime!”

While they were on the subject, Dolores gave out her recipie for her favorite alcoholic treat. “I have one for the Mexican people, ‘cos it’s very hot here in Mexico, a suggestion from Dolores! Get a watermelon, okay? Make a hole in the top. Pour a bottle of tequila into it. Put it in the fridge and then the next day when you have a party, slice it up, and when you eat it, you get wrecked off your head! (giggle)”

View some pictures from today’s interview below and don’t miss Dolores’ cute ponytail!

(Pictures no longer available)

More news from the show Linea Directa on the Mexican television station Telehit:

Several Mexican newspapers reported this morning that members of The Cranberries will be doing solo projects. The band just denied the report on their live Q&A session, and commented that it was a “bad translation.” It is assumed the new “independent compositions” will be within the context of the band and not as solo projects. Dolores also added that she would never think to take on a solo career.

In addition to the “Best Of” compilation, the band has also announced a DVD compilation of all The Cranberries’ music videos for release around the same time! Fans’ request for such a compilation has been high within the past few years.

The band has just left the Four Seasons Hotel where the Q&A session took place, and it is said that the door of the hotel was crowded by a myriad of fans. The band is on their way to the studios of 9 85 Radio for an interview within the next few minutes — expect an exclusive first-hand report of the interview (including pictures!) right here on Zombieguide within the next few hours.

Thanks to Arturo Garcia for the news. More news coming FAST!

Source: Exclusive

On the show Linea Directa on the Mexican television station Telehit, The Cranberries are currently hosting a live Q&A session with fans as we speak. They just announced within the last few minutes that “Star” will in fact be the band’s next single. The track was recorded earlier this month with Stephen Street at Criteria Studios in Miami for the band’s “Best Of” disc to be released around September. There’s no concrete information on the single’s release yet, but you can read fans’ impressions of the song when it was performed live in Atlanta on the 12th of this month.

Thanks to Arturo Garcia for the news. More news coming FAST!

Source: Exclusive

The Spanish site Reforma has posted another very similar article about the band’s press conference yesterday which seems to clarify some of the topics the band discussed.
Here’s a rough translation:

The Cranberries desire a world of awareness

 

Dolores O’Riordan, singer of the group, showed that it is necessary to approach more serious topics to wake up the conscience of people

 

By IVETT RANGEL/ Reforma
City of Mexico (25 June 2002). – They know that with a song they will not change to the world, but The Cranberries always considered it to be important to approach universal conflicts in his music, since they have done it with “Zombie” and “New York Skyline,” the last dedicated to the victims of the attacks of 11 of September last year.

 

The Irish group will appear today and tomorrow at the Auditorio Nacional.

 

Dolores O’Riordan, singer of the group, showed that it is necessary to approach more serious topics to wake up the conscience of people

 

“It’s lovely to share more things about life, not only songs about love or about conflicts between men and women.

 

“It is important to compose serious songs, although we know that these will not change anything, but it will help people to find out about things that happen and therefore, we can wake up consciences. That’s something we can do,” also explained the guitarist.

 

During a press conference, at which they arrived after one hour of delay, the musicians remembered that “New York Skyline” was written after their concerts in the Great Apple.

 

This one subject will be including in its next album, they say, which will compile their greatest successes, which will be chosen by their fans via Internet.

 

“It was like a reflection on how people live at the moment in that city,” O’Riordan said.

 

The band, also formed by the brothers Noel and Mike Hogan, guitarist and bass, respectively, clarified that they will not resort continuously to this type of theme, since they could bore their fans.

 

“There will always be terrorism and it will always be cowardly because it is, simply, the nature of the human race, but we don’t want people to become bored with us,” expressed Fernal Lawler, drummer of The Cranberries.

 

Prior to their shows at the Auditorio Nacional (25 and 26 of June) and at the Auditorio Benito Juárez, in Guadalajara (the 28 of June), where they will present their fifth album called Wake Up and Smell the Coffee, the Irishmen assured us that they are concluding their present contract with the MCA label, [and] they will create a new sound with a basis in individual compositions.

 

Lawler indicated that it is necessary to explore other styles, but that [it] will be after a disc of greatest hits and another yet-unpublished one with the sound that until now has characterized them, as it is stipulated in their contract.

 

“This does not mean that we are going away to separate, but it will only be to get some freedom,” he indicated.

 

“We’ve never worried about being a fashionable band, but [only] to remain effective in the eyes of the people,” concluded O’Riordan.

 

So now we’re not only talking about a sixth album, but a potential seventh one as well, with a foundation on individual compositions from each band member. Interesting…

Source: Reforma

Discussion board member cwinter sent us a tip about an article on Emol.com which bears even more surprising news from yesterday’s press conference! According to the article The Cranberries will be recording on “separate ways”.
Here’s a rough translation:

The Cranberries Will Record on Separate Ways

The members of the Irish band The Cranberries revealed yesterday in Mexico their plans to record separately. “We’re not married, we’re free inside the band, it’s more about exploring, not about breaking apart,” said the vocalist, guitarist and keyboardist Dolores O’Riordan yesterday.

Does this mean a Fergal Lawler solo album is in our future??! Shocking indeed. We await further comment from the band…

Source: Emol

Yahoo! has posted a photo of the band from their press conference yesterday in Mexico.
We’ll have more images soon, but until then, enjoy this first look.

Source: Yahoo! News

Weeks ago, drummer Fergal Lawler put the situation very bluntly on the official page, saying, “We weren’t sure what to expect as some (not all), members of our record company informed us that in their eyes, “Wake Up And Smell The Coffee” is “over” in America, and they have moved on to other things. Not exactly the words of encouragement you would like to hear as you are about to embark on a U.S. tour!!! But thanks to you, our incredibly supportive fans we say F*** ’em!!! We are here to play music and enjoy every minute of it, and thankfully that’s the way it’s been working out!”

Their response? According to the band’s press conference today, drop MCA! In all honesty and reason, why would they keep a record company that not only does no work for the band, but slaps them with an insult like the one above? After only a year of being signed onto MCA’s boat, they are abandoning ship, and fast.

UPDATE – JUNE 25 – 9:00 PM

It seems our translation was interpreted a little bit on the liberal side. Judging from other information flowing out from the press conference, it seems most likely that The Cranberries will simply fulfill the 6- album requirement that they signed on with and then allow the contract to expire with Universal. That is, after they’ve fulfilled it, don’t expect them to re-sign for more CDs on any Universal label anytime in the future.

It should be noted that the upcoming “Best Of” disc is still on track for a September release on Island Records. The just-reported article from Reforma breaks the news, although it does no mention where the band is looking for a further record company. If someone can provide us with a better translation than our rough one below, please email it!

World-wide situation worries The Cranberries

 

They consider to compose relevant songs on more serious topics although they recognize that a song will not change the world
By IVETT RANGEL/ Reforma

 

Mexico City (24 June 2002). – The Irish group The Cranberries considered it important this Monday to approach universal conflicts in their music as they have done with “Zombie” or “New York Sky Line”. However, they recognized that a song cannot change to the world.

 

Dolores O’Riordan, singer, indicated that she won’t always do it because they could bore their followers, but this type of situation has to be shared.

 

“I believe that life is much more enjoyable, not only with songs about love or children, its great to compose songs on more serious topics even though I do not believe that a song changes the situation, but wakes up people’s consciences that it happens.

 

“I believe that there will always be terrorism and it will always be cowardly because simply it is the human race”, indicated the singer in a press conference.

 

Prior to their presentations at the National Audience and Benito Juárez in Guadalajara where they will present their fifth record production titled “Wake Up and Smell the Coffee,” the musicians indicated that now that when they conclude their contract with this record company [MCA], they will create a new style.

 

Without any pretensions of splitting up, Fergal Lawler, drummer of The Cranberries considered it necessary to explore greater musical styles, but that this will [not] be [until] after two more discs, one of greatest hits and another unpublished [studio] one, with the sound that until now has characterized them.

 

In addition, they announced that the concerts will be the 25 and 26 in the City of Mexico and the 28 in Guadalajara.

There you have it, we’ll have more from the press conference ASAP!
Thanks to Arturo Garcia for the tip. Also thanks to Matias “Walko” Walkoski for some help with the translation.

Source: Reforma

The Mexican news site Reforma has posted a quick blurb from the band’s press conference in Mexico City earlier today. Although it lacks any real new concrete info, it’s a fascinating read none-the-less. Thanks to Arturo Garcia for sending us the tip.

World-wide situation worries Cranberries
They excellently consider to compose songs on more serious topics although they recognize that a song will not change the world
By IVETT RANGEL/Reforma

Mexico City (24 June 2002). – The Irish group The Cranberries considered it important this Monday to approach universal conflicts in their music as they have done with “Zombie” or “New York Sky Line”. However, they recognized that a song cannot change to the world.

There you have it, we’ll have more from the press conference ASAP!

Source: Reforma

Dolores & Co. hosted a proverbial blitzkrieg of promotional events in Mexico City today, including a press conference, a radio interview, and an autograph signing session, with more coming this week.

The promised press conference took place at the Four Seasons hotel in Mexico City. Our own Eduardo from Zombieguide Mexico was one of the select few able to attend the conference, and we’ll hopefully have lots of photos and information once he checks in with us. Also in the day was an interview for the station Orbita 105.

Rounding out the afternoon was an autograph session at the Mixup Plaza Loreto which began at approximately 2:50 PM. Some fans began lining up at Mixup as early as midnight last night. Our contributor Arturo arrived in line at 3:30 AM and was the 12th person in line. He remained there for the next 12 hours to get a chance to meet the band face-to-face. Autographs were available only to people holding a copy of “Wake Up And Smell the Coffee,” and were generally restricted to one per person. However, Arturo was sly enough to own all four international copies of the album and had them all signed by the band! Only the first 200 people were guaranteed a signing, but the band stayed long enough to sign an additional 100 for the long line of people gathered at the Mixup.

Tomorrow, the band will appear on Telehit’s Linea Directa television show to answer fans’ questions live on the air. Also, the band will be doing an interview for 98.5 Radio. And of course, all of this is a only an hors d’ouvres for the big event, the band’s first concert in Mexico City for the Wake Up And Smell The Coffee World Tour.

Thanks to Arturo Garcia for all the news.

Source: Exclusive

Thanks to none other than Niall Quinn, we have a little bit of clarification on yesterday’s reported news. With the addition of a little bit of research, it seems the title is most probably “Iosa” (with an I, not an L, pronounced “Ee- Oh-Sa”). This is in fact the Gaelic word for “Jesus,” recurrent in many hymns and prayers. This seems to best match Dolores’ words on the video.

However, it is possible that the title could also be “A Iosa.” This title, as Niall told us, translates better as “Dear Jesus,” as “Iosa” alone is “Jesus,” and the “a” particle is somewhat untranslatable. However, the extra syllable does not fit Dolores’ introduction nearly was well as “Iosa.”

Well, students, there’s your Gaelic lesson for today. Study it well, there’ll be a quiz on it tomorrow!

Source: Exclusive

Several Mexican newspapers have reported this weekend the Mexican rock singer Julieta Venegas will open for all three of The Cranberries’ Mexican tour dates. One paper, “El Universal,” interviewed the singer on what she thought of opening for such an enormous act. Here’s a translation of the article, thanks to Scott!

JULIETA TO OPEN UP CRANBERRIES CONCERTS
The Mexican assures the contract was made between the Irish band and a girl who sells her dates.

 

For the first time in her career, Julieta Venegas will be opening three concerts for a band like the Cranberries, who counts with a ten year career and is the second most important band after U2.

 

But the singer says she didn’t have to do anything to appear as the opening act for the gigs that Dolores O’Riordan and company will be offering in Guadalajara and in the Distrito Federal (Mexico city).

 

“The contact was made thanks to a girl who sells my dates in the United States and they did it directly with her; she told them about me, I imagine they liked my music and I’m looking forward to see them at the concert to say hello.” said the singer who was born in Tijuana.

 

It has to be mentioned that Julieta was the opening act for bands like Soda Stereo, los fabulosos Cadillacs, and Suzanne Vega. For the next concerts she will sing a selection of songs of her two previous albums.

 

Besides these special presentations, Venegas said that today she is leaving to Los Angeles, California, to look for a producer for her next album which according to her “will have more influences, not that much rock, but disco and hip-hop; besides I think it’s too early to talk about my new material, but I already have the lyrics for all the songs”, she said. The recoding will take place at the end of the year and the beginning of next year is the temptative release date.

 

Among other projects she’s done this past days, the Tijuanan specified that she recorded the cover of “El liston de tu pelo” of the Angeles Azules, for the film “Asesino en Serio” from Antonio Urrutia, where she is accompanied by Jarabe de Palo (Spanish band).

 

Likely, she participated in the recording of a pair of songs for the new discogrphic material of Celso Piña (Colombian artist), who is planning a crossover with rockers.

Source: El Universal

“And this is an Irish song that I wrote about my grandfather and it’s called ‘Iosa’,” Dolores told the audience.

It’s been a years-old mystery that we at Zombieguide have just put together for ourselves, although apparently there have been a few that have known it for a long time. The title of the previously-unknown song performed in London on November 14, 1991, is “Iosa”, an address in Gaelic (native Irish language) that translates as “Jesus.” The song appears to be entirely in Gaelic, which would explain why no one has been able to transcribe any of its lyrics.

The information comes out of the November 16th, 1991 issue of the UK’s New Musical Express which had a summary of the concert only two days after it took place.

This marks the first and only time that Dolores has composed a Cranberries song entirely in Gaelic. Dolores is fluent in Gaelic and even attended Lauren Hill Seconday School, an all-Gaelic-speaking high school in Limerick. However, she dislikes the idea of mixing “trad” (traditional Irish elements) with modern rock ‘n’ roll, so the band has shyed away from such hybrids.

The death of Joe, Dolores’ intimate grandfather, in early 1991 was evidently a strong impact on her life — it also spawned the track from 1996’s “To The Faithful Departed” which bares his namesake.

No matter what the case, this is the only known performance or recording of “Iosa” and it seems that there will not be another one again anytime soon.

Thanks to Rach and Dolores159 for the help!

Source: Exclusive

More than a month after the European 2-track release of the “This Is The Day” single, Universal made a surprising move this week by silenting slipping out a brand-new 5-track maxi version of the single in Germany.

Tracks are:

1. This is the Day (Album Version)
2. Such a Waste (unreleased)
3. Animal instinct (Live from Vicar Street, November 11, 2000)
4. Time is Ticking Out (VIDEO)
5. This is the Day (VIDEO)

Below is a scan of the new single’s cover with the tracklisting seen to the left. We’ll have more information on the new single as we get it!

Universal has put out a few promo releases in weeks past, most of which we have already reported on, but here’s some better images of them. The only newcomer here is a Taiwanese “Wake Up And Smell the Coffee” DJ- only sampler CD, which is dated for 2002.

There are four tracks on the disc:
1. Analyse
2. Never Grow Old (which is mistakenly written as “Never Growing Old”)
3. Wake Up And Smell the Coffee
4. Every Morning

Also below are a nice scan of the disc art to the European “This is the Day” promo (1-track) and the rather generic liner notes found in the US release of the promo (also 1-track).

Earlier today, Universal Music sent out their “New Release Books” to retailers covering new releases for the dates of July 23rd and 30th. The Cranberries’ remastered “Complete Sessions” albums are of course due for individual release in the United States on July 30th and have secured a 2-page spread in the books. Zombieguide was able to obtain images of the promotional materials, which appear nearly identical to the Treasure Box promotional info. Check them out below.

Source: Exclusive

The Spanish-language publication Emol posted a rather shocking piece of news today, which states that The Cranberries next record (assumed to be referring to the sixth album on track for release next year) will include “songs in (Castilian) Spanish and Latin rythms”!
Here’s the full, albeit short, article:

MUSIC:
The Cranberries will record in Spanish Mercury
Monday 17 of June of 2002
The Irish band announced that its next disc will include songs in Castilian and Latin rythms, although its singer, Dolores O’Riordan, does not speak Spanish. The album does not yet have a release date.

Wow. We’ll definitely be awaiting some futher, um, commentary on this. Thanks to cwinter for the tip.

Source: Emol

Universal Music and Coca-Cola have teamed up in Italy for a new summer promotion called “1 Sprite 1 Song.” Patrons can buy a can or bottle of the soft drink Sprite, obtain a secret code, and go to the drink’s Italian website at TheSpriters.it to download one of over 100 different songs. The Cranberries are among the very few select artists listed on the product’s label (below), which is pretty cool if I do say so myself. The Cranberries’ offerings include “Analyse (Oceanic Remix)” and “Time Is Ticking Out” available for download from the site. The biggest drawback is that the downloaded song will expire (and therefore no longer be playable) on Dec. 31st, 2002.

Thanks to Mattia Sarzi Madidini for the news.

Source: Cranberries Videography

The recent release of the Les Printemps de Bourges bootleg carries a curious little surprise on the back — for us anyway. The CD lists Zombieguide for its “customers” to check out for “other info on the internet” (although it should be noted that we had nothing to do with its production). A nice little surprise it is (much more than, say, having our artwork stolen), so thanks out there, whoever you are!

Source: Cranberries Tape Trader

Zombieguide has learned that a new interview has been recorded for American news channel CNN earlier this week. Reportedly, Dolores had just finished filming a new interview for the channel hours before the Atlanta gig on Wednesday night. We don’t have any information as to when the interview will air (whether it be on TV or on the network’s website), but we’ll let you know when we get more information.

Source: Exclusive

The Cranberries are scheduled to be in attendance at a press conference on Monday, June 24th in Mexico City. The event is being hosted by Mexican TV station Telehit, who has begun promoting a contest for it on its airwaves. Fans are encouraged to send their questions to Telehit via email and the top five questions will be the first ones asked at the conference. The press conference will also be broadcasted on the network’s “Linea Directa” show.

We’ll have a summary of the press conference as soon as it happens, so be sure to check back. Thanks to Scott for the info.

Source: Exclusive

The newest edition of the “Chastain Park Concert Series” magazine has an article featuring The Cranberries to promote this week’s concert in Atlanta. Thanks to Paul Beardsley for sending us the scans!

Source: Exclusive

We’ve got yet more impressions of “Star,” performed Wednesday night in Atlanta, GA, these coming courtesy of Gambit455 and (yet more from) Paul Beardsley, who attended Wednesday night’s show:

The concert in Atlanta was great!! I truly enjoyed it …every bit. She talked to the audience a great deal more than she did in 99 in Manassas, VA at the Nissan Pavilion. She apologized for not being there on the 30th. And, said thank you to the audience for coming back. She talked about the weather, mentioned how she had an ex-boyfriend from Atlanta who talked and said ‘ya’ll’. The crowd laughed. She dedicated Zombie to the Americans and said how bad terrorism is. And also mentioned she was taking her children to EuroDisney on their break after Atlanta. She called Taylor her ‘little man’. Also, Dolores’ voice was spectacular. She did wonderful … If there was an exception it had to be Time Is Ticking Out. It seemed the band was a bit off when playing that one.

 

But the new song was excellent. At the beginning, I tried to figure out if they were improvising on an old song but they weren’t…I turned to my sis and said “Oh my God…It’s a new song”. And it rocked!! It was a really great song. I loved it… Not just because I’m a Cran fan. But I enjoyed it very much. I liked the part which goes “I’ll take you just the way you are”… and the beginning starts “The stars are out tonight…” and it has a real catchy tune, like the official website says. I don’t think it sounds like When You’re Gone at all, as previously stated. At the end, Dolores stated “That’s a brand new one. We’ve never played it before”.

 

The outfits were cute. The stage was perfect. The audience loved it (especially Linger and DREAMS!! < everyone stood at dreams. It was a fantastic concert – well worth the 5 hour drive both times…hehe 🙂

 

“Gambit455@aol.com”

———————————————————————————————————————————————–

“About “Star”, with all the action going on at the concert, I really couldn’t give an honest review. I was totally thrilled to be hearing new material, but without hearing the song a couple times, I can’t really say how good it was. It’s kinda like when I bought BTH and thought that I had wasted money. Now it’s one of my favorite Cranberries albums. Same with WUASTC.

 

The Concert:
“You’ll know IT”
We, my son Patrick and I, arrived at the park about 3:00 PM. The gates were wide open so we walked in and checked out my seat for the concert. I was impressed, row 7 seat 15 in the pit! We left soon after this to avoid being thrown out. After a quick trip to gas the car, I decided to scout for a good parking spot. I noticed a white van in my rear view mirror as I was driving past the rear entrance to the park. I was told later that the band had been in that vehicle. Damn! Missed them! Around 5:00 PM the soundcheck started and I heard Analyze! WOW! This was going to be good!
We met some really nice people before the show that I need to mention. Kenny was a trip in his beanie cap. And the other “10 year” fan whose name I failed to get. We had a great time discussing past and future CB hits. The entire band was AWESOME!!!!!!! Fergal appeared to be putting everything he had into his drums. He really appeared to be getting into it. Noel was on the other side of the stage from me so I didn’t get the whole effect of his performance. Mike, “DO IT MIKE!!”, was right on! He was directly in front of my seat for the entire night. Dolores was a real treat!!!! She really puts on a great show! If you’ve never seen her in person, you’re missing a real GEM! Her vocals were Outstanding! With so much going on, it’s like the whole concert was a dream. I was really rockin… Hearing “Star” was the highpoint because I’d been watching the setlists from all the past shows and had never seen a deviation anything like this! All of the songs were perfect in my opinion. It would have been a perfect night if some of the “non-rockers” hadn’t gone to security to have my son (and all the row in front of them) sit down so they could watch the show. Real Losers! EXCELLENT SHOW!!!!!!!!!!
I was too slow to get a setlist, damn! But, as the crowds were ushered out, I had a stage hand retrieve a small feather that Dolores had pulled out of the green boa she was wearing during “Pretty”. I’ll place it with my ticket stub in my collection of concert memorabilia.
“I’ve been to a hell of a lot of great concerts in my days, including U2 last May, but The Cranberries in Atlanta were 100 times better than either.
“I wonder if I can find a reason to be in San Francisco next month?

 

“Pb”

Again, if you attended Wednesday night’s gig in Atlanta, please send us your full impressions of the song, including lyrics or anything else you can remember about it! In the meantime, Zombieguide will have more impressions of the song up as soon as possible.

Source: Exclusive

We’ve got yet more impressions of “Star,” performed last night in Atlanta, GA, these coming courtesy of Paul Beardsley, who attended last night’s show:

“My first impression of the new song (as a Cranberries fan) were great! I knew it was something different when they started playing! But, thinking back about the song, I can’t recall anything that would make it a hit on the current charts…

 

“The concert was awesome!! I’ll try to put something together tonight about it. I tried to get a setlist but was too slow to the stage after the concert. I did manage get some pieces of the green boa ‘D’ wore during ‘Pretty’ .
More to come,
Paul B.”

Again, if you attended last night’s gig in Atlanta, please send us your full impressions of the song, including lyrics or anything else you can remember about it! In the meantime, Zombieguide will have more impressions of the song up as soon as possible.

Source: Exclusive

We’ve got more impressions of “Star,” performed last night in Atlanta, GA, these coming courtesy of Colin E. Tingle, who attended last night’s show:

“I thought the song was great! The music was good, and the lyrics are just as poetic as their other songs. I don’t know why people are so down on the song, perhaps it’s because it was the first time everyone had heard it. I found it quite good and will become a favorite, in due time.”

Again, if you attended last night’s gig in Atlanta, please send us your full impressions of the song, including lyrics or anything else you can remember about it! In the meantime, Zombieguide will have more impressions of the song up as soon as possible.

Source: Exclusive

Earlier today, Zombieguide reported that the new track “Star” was played publicly for the first time last night in Atlanta, Georgia. Fans’ impressions of the song are trickling in; here’s one from Zombieguide visitor Bella, who posted her thoughts in the forum:

“It’s really not that good. She said it’s a new song, and when they started playing it, I thought it was ‘When You’re Gone.’ It’s the same ol’, same ol’.

 

“It has the whole doo-bop thing going on. And the lyrics are the worst part, “Will you be there, be my star? I never thought you’d get this far.. star, star, star”

 

“Its just like ‘When You’re Gone’…. boring.”

So there you have it — the first report isn’t so positive, but we’ll see what others have to say.
Again, if you attended last night’s gig in Atlanta, please send us your full impressions of the song, including lyrics or anything else you can remember about it! In the meantime, Zombieguide will have more impressions of the song up as soon as possible.

Source: Exclusive

It looks like the delayed Atlanta gig was definitely worth the wait. For the first time in several years, The Cranberries have played a previously- unreleased song on tour, according to the setlist posted on the band’s official page. The new song “Star” was sandwiched in the middle of last night’s setlist in Atlanta, Georgia between “How” and “Free to Decide.”

The band began to shy away from playing “new” songs on tour beginning with the Loud And Clear World Tour in 1999, warned by their record company (Island at the time) of bootlegging. In fact, this is the first “unreleased” track on record to be played on tour since 1995 — a time when the band would play up to six or seven “future” songs that were taken from the forthcoming “To The Faithful Departed.” Even the current Wake Up And Smell The Coffee World Tour has been fairly devoid of surprises.

It seems likely that the track will remain in the setlist for the next few gigs for all you lucky fans in Mexico and possibly Europe. Could “New York Skyline” be close behind?

If you attended last night’s gig in Atlanta, please send us your full impressions of the song, including lyrics or anything else you can remember about it! In the meantime, Zombieguide will have fans’ first impressions of the song up as soon as possible.

Source: Cranberries Official Website

Zombieguide has translated the full Fergal Lawler interview from Reforma, in which he speaks for the first time about the band’s two new songs, entitled “New York Skyline” and “Star”. Check it out below

The Cranberries dedicate a song to NY
The track will be included in their upcoming “Greatest Hits”
By ALBERTO CASTLE/ Reforma Group

 

City of Mexico (11 June 2002). – The pain that the terrorist attacks on New York, which happened on Sept. 11th of last year, has caused to The Cranberries has become a new song that the Irish band will include in a greatest hits album that will be released this autumn, revealed drummer Fergal Lawler on Monday.

 

“New York Skyline” was written three weeks ago during The Cranberries’ first performance [since the attacks] in the city of New York.

 

In a telephone conference from Puerto Rico, Lawler indicated that song in question, called “New York Skyline”, will try to show the feeling that has permeated in the Great Apple in the nine months since the attacks on the Twin Towers.

 

The musician remembered that their video clip for the track “Analyse” was recalled due to images of airplanes flying over skyscrapers and of a chalk outline of a body on the sidewalk.

 

“Honestly it’s one of the worst videos that we’ve ever done, the director didn’t get the idea of what we wanted. That video came out four weeks before the attacks, and once we saw the similarity with the attacks, we decided to recall it so that we didn’t hurt anyone in such terrible times.”

 

“‘New York Skyline’ was written three weeks ago when we had our first performance in the city since the attacks. The song speaks a little bit about how the spirit of New York is nowadays,” he said.

 

Scheduled to arrive in Mexico in two weeks with the Wake Up And Smell The Coffee World Tour (25 and 26 of June in the National Auditorium, and the 28 in the Benito Juárez Auditorium in Guadalajara), Lawler added that the compilation disc will contain all of the radio hits of their career, and in addition to “New York…”, it will include “Star,” another unpublished song.

 

According to the companion of Dolores O’Riordan (vocals), Noel Hogan (guitar) and Mike Hogan (bass), the difference between the next disc and the box of 4 albums titled “Treasures Box,” is that the box contains no previously-unreleased material.

 

“When we record an album, we usually record 19 or 20 songs and only choose 14 [for the album], so there are always excess tracks. Bury the Hatchet even took a second disc to contain all the extra songs.”

 

“Actually, the box came about so that fans could have all our songs, the published ones, the unpublished ones, and B-sides.”

Source: Reforma

Zombieguide has just learned that The Cranberries drummer Fergal Lawler has just divulged the titles to the two new tracks currently being recorded with Stephen Street. The reported titles for the two new songs are “New York Skyline” and “Star”. The information reportedly comes from an interview given to a Mexican newspaper, while the band is currently in Puerto Rico at the moment.

Fergal noted that “New York Skyline” was written about the horrendous terrorist attacks on American soil last September — a topic which Dolores told Edge 102 late last year that she had already written some songs about.

Dolores told the Canadian station in November, “There’s been a couple of songs actually that have definitely been affected or influenced by what happened, you know? So hopefully you’ll see those kinds of things next year. As I said, I didn’t want to kind of run out, jumping on stage singing all that stuff, which is the one route one can take, but I just personally felt safer at home and just felt that’s where we should be. So if you get inspired to write lovely songs or whatever, then good, you know, whatever.”

Fergal did not give any further information about “Star” beyond its title.

The full article is in Spanish we’ll have a translation as soon as possible!

Major thanks to Ana Paola Espinoza Medina for the news.

Source: Reforma

The year was 1989 and in the town of Limerick, Ireland, a novice group collectively known as “The Cranberry Saw Us,” were putting together some tracks to put down as a demo tape. The four — Niall Quinn, singer; Noel Hogan, guitarist; Mike Hogan, bassist; and Fergal Lawler, drums — were only teenagers with an average age of 16.

As the end of the year approached, however, Niall was becoming concerned about the time he invested in the band. In his mind, he was firstly and primarily a drummer for The Hitchers. He wanted to be sure that his reputation would remain that way and he wouldn’t become instead “the singer for The Cranberry Saw Us.” Mike, Noel, and Fergal were also anxious to record a demo of their new mass of songs. Niall remembers: “The lads were gung ho to book a day in Xeric Studios and record a few songs. I was a bit hesitant if only for the simple reason that I couldn’t afford it. The plan was for each of us to chip in fifty quid which would be enough to get us a day. Truthfully they may as well have been asking me to chip in fifty million. I didn’t have it and had little way of raising it. In the end I managed to scrape £25 together and that was through calling in a lot of favors.”

The band booked January 7th, 1990 at Xeric Studios and recorded their first and only demo, titled “Anything,” the title being an alluding tribute to the English guitar band Ride. The art to the demo was hand-done by Noel, who ironically misspelled “Cranberry” (as “Cranbery”).

To read more about the early ‘Sauce, visit Zombieguide’s Ultimate Bio or check out our Interview with Niall Quinn, taken this past January.

We want to take this time to thank Mr. Quinn for sending us these files to share with you! So without further delay, click below (Link no longer available) to download the full version of The Cranberry Saw Us’ first demo, “Anything” with vocals by Niall Quinn.

“Anything” Demo by The Cranberry Saw Us, 1990
1. Throw Me Down a Big Stairs (MP3, 1.8 mb)
2. How’s It Going to Bleed? (MP3, 2.8 mb)
3. Storm In a Teacup (MP3, 2.6 mb)
4. Good Morning God (MP3, 2.0 mb)

Click here to visit the Media Vault to download these archived tracks! (Link no longer available)

Additionally, we have lyrics transcribed for all of the songs, so click below(Link no longer available):

“Throw Me Down a Big Stairs” lyrics (coming soon)
“How’s It Going to Bleed?” lyrics
“Storm in a Teacup” lyrics
“Good Morning God” lyrics
(Note that the lyrics aren’t exactly right at the moment, so they will be updated as needed. If you have corrections/suggestions, email them to alex@zombieguide.com)

Webmasters: You may post these files on your site, but you must include a link to Zombieguide.com on the same page. The files must be hosted on your own server. Or, alternately, you may link directly to this page but not to the files themselves. Thanks for your cooperation!

Source: Exclusive

Zombieguide reported days ago that The Cranberries are featured on a new “The Very Best of MTV Unplugged” compilation in Europe. We now have the full tracklisting and scans, thanks to Pedro Miguel Gomes Augusto of Cranberries-PT.

1. Eric Clapton – Tears in Heaven
2. Alanis Morissette – Ironic
3. R.E.M – Losing my Religion
4. Sheryl Crow – Strong Enough
5. Lenny Kravitz – Are You Gonna Go My Way
6. Page & Plant – Gallows Pole
7. Bryan Adams – Summer of 69
8. Paul Simon – Mrs Robison
9. Annie Lenox – Here Comes the Rain Again
10. Paul McCartney – Every Night
11. Rod Stewart – Tonights the Night
12. The Cranberries – Linger
13. Kd Lang – Constant Craving
14. The Corrs – What Can I Do
15. Seal – Kiss from a Rose
16. Live – Lightning Crashes
17. Noel Gallagher – Don’t Look Back in Anger
18. Sting – Walking on the Moon

Additionally, the CD will be released in the UK tomorrow, June 10th.
We’ll have more info on this CD as it arrives, so check back.

Source: Exclusive

French music mega-site FNAC has begun selling tickets for a Cranberries gig in Monaco, France for July 30th and 31st at The Sporting Club.

Monaco is considered one of the most affluent areas of France, and because of it, tickets are a whopping 50,50 € (approx. $48 US) for the concert alone and 97,50 € ($92 US) for the concert and a dinner.

The date comes as the third European tour date announced for this summer. Although the official site has yet to confirm all of these dates, a summer Euro tour seems almost certain.

Thanks to Stéphane for the news.

Source: Exclusive