While doing our usual search for news, we at Zombieguide came across anarticle from 2001 at VH1 which read, “The Cranberries recorded 18 songs at Windmill Lane, 13 of which will end up on the record. The rest, including a cover of Elvis Presley’s ‘In the Ghetto,’ will be released as B-sides.” Doing some quick math, that leaves five songs as B-sides. But suddenly it struck us: only four have been released, namely “Capetown” (US version of “Wake Up”), Elvis’s “In the Ghetto” (International version of “Wake Up”), “Many Days” (Official page Internet download and Asian Tour Edition of “Wake Up”), and “Such a Waste” (“This is the Day” single).

Obviously, this leaves one song missing. So we decided to investigate, and lo and behold, we’ve discovered the answer.

“Yes, there is an unreleased track recorded for the ‘Wake Up and Smell the Coffee’ sessions. The track is called ‘7 Years’ and is written by Dolores,” a representative for The Cranberries told Zombieguide today. “It is a country- tinged song featuring a Pedal Steel guitar.”

The unfortunate news is that we will likely not be listening to “7 Years” anytime soon. As the rep told us, “At present, there are no plans to release the song which might be used in a ‘Complete Sessions’ for the album. The track is owned by MCA/Universal Music Group.” That final statement should be the most worrysome for fans — after the band’s January announcement that they have split from Universal, the chances of seeing future Cranberries releases from Universal have been severely dampered.

The Unreleased Japanese Singles Compilation “7 Years,” from 1998

The title immediately jerked our minds back to something that we had seen recently in the December Cranberries Special Edition of the Irish mag “Hot Press.” Mixed into a collage of band photos (page 70) is something peeping up from behind — a CD-case-proportioned card which reads “The Cranberries ~7 Years~” in a Calligraphy-style font indicative of “To the Faithful Departed.” The Japanese katakana text on the lower right simply reads, “Cranberries: Seven Years.”

The image above comes from the unreleased Japan-only singles compilation “Seven Years,” (probably the same release as the fabled unreleased “Odd Bits and Hits”). Is there a connection between the song and the unreleased 1998 compilation? Many artists name their greatest hits compilation after the title of a bonus track — after all, even “Stars: The Best of…” was named after its bonus track.

The song and compilation “7 Years” are not related, see our update here.

As surprising as a 5th unreleased B-side from “Wake Up” may be, it’s certainly nothing new from The Cranberries. Many times in the past, the band has recorded tracks in the studio which, for one reason or another, never end up released to the public. Dolores told MTV News in a 1996 interview that the band usually has a few tracks that they record but never release. For example, last year’s “To the Faithful Departed: The Complete Sessions” release shows a studio chart that clearly shows that there was at least an attempt to record the song “False” during the late 1995 session. “False” is one of the band’s oldest songs, dating back to at least 1992. Furthermore, Fergal Lawler revealed via the Official Page last year that the band had tried to record the “Wake Up” track “Dying Inside” both during the “Faithful” and “Hatchet” sessions, but abandoned both attempts.

The Complete Cranberries Song List will be updated soon with the new addition.

Source: Exclusive!

The Croatian soccer team Dinamo Zagreb is losing goalkeeper Tomislav Butina over some much-publicized brawls with coach Miroslav Blazevic last year, one of which erupted over a Cranberries concert. Butina was placed as one of 23 to be put on Croatia’s national team last year.

Conflicts between the player and coach first started last year when Butina spent too much time talking to reporters before training session, causing the entire team to start the session later than was planned. Worse yet, Butina skipped a game last October to show up at The Cranberries’ Halloween concert in Zagreb. The Croatia team lost the match 3-0, with Butina’s concert-caused absence “further infuriating his coach,” according to Planet Football.

Butina, who’s been on the Zagreb team for over 11 years, will be heading to the Belgian champions Club Brugge, who reportedly offered a much higher salary than their Croatian counterparts.

Source: Planet Football

What do Cranberries fans have to say about The Cranberries’ presence on MTV Latin America over the last several days? It’s been good… but it could have been better. On one hand, Latin American fans of The Cranberries enjoyed an hour-long video homage to the band with The Cranberries edition of “Videologia.” On the other hand, Dolores was not included on MTV Latin America’s “MTV 10 Years: Top 20 Women Weekend.”

On May 14th, MTV Latin America featured a full hour (double the half-hour length reported earlier) of The Cranberries, featuring ten of the band’s most popular music videos. Included in the batch, were “Stars”, “Promises”, “Animal Instinct”, “Salvation”, “Zombie”, “Dreams”, “Ridiculous Thoughts”, “Ode To My Family”, “Linger” and “Just My Imagination”. In addition to the viewing the videos, fans had the opportunity to submit their own personal comments about each. Aired comments from hosts included admiration for Dolores’s “70’s look” in the “Animal Instinct” video, the notion that Dolores looks like “a crucified Cleopatra” in the “Zombie” video, and a generalized comment denoting the band’s accomplishment with album sales throughout the years.

All in all, not bad. Fans were, however disappointed with MTV Latin America’s omission of Dolores O’Riordan during the station’s “MTV 10 Years: 20 Women of Rock Weekend”. Female artists highlighted were, among others, Jewel, Björk, and Celine Dion. Though Dolores was nominated for the special, she was not included in the final 20. The Cranberries, were however, mentioned between the countdown, and aired as an extra clip with the music video for “Zombie”.

Thanks to Cranberrygirl and Sigma of ZG Mexico for the news.

Source: N/A

An update on the site for The Smoothside Organisation shows that The Cranberries have been working with Music Programmer Matthew Vaughanon their new material since February. Vaughan’s past clients include Pulp, Elton John, INXS, Depeche Mode, Jamiriquai, XTC, William Orbit and Texas.

This is, as far as we know, the first time The Cranberries have hired a programmer to assist with their recording, as most basic programming tasks can be handled by the producer. In case you’re not entirely sure what the programmer does, here’s a description: “A programmer is hired for his collection of instruments, sounds and samples, and is expect to be able to produce exactly the right sound for the occasion, and maybe do a bit of playing on the side… The programmer will also have a fantastic memory for sounds, and when you need a string sound that is just so, the programmer will be able to call up a few patches and demonstrate them to you so that you can choose the best… It is quite common for a producer to regard a programmer as a kind of producer’s assistant. The producer will give the programmer an idea of what he wants, then go away for an hour or two and leave the programmer alone with the equipment to see what he can come up with.” (For a more in-depth description, click here.)

A short bio on Matthew Vaughan, a listing of past credits, can be found here. The page additionally includes an MP3 sample of his past works (XTC, Jamiriquai, Alabama 3, etc.) so that you can get a taste of both his work and maybe of what’s to come.

Source: The Smoothside Organisation

Tonight at 6:00 PM (Mexico local time), MTV Latin America will present a new episode of the show “Videologia” with The Cranberries as this show’s artist. The program will present a half-hour of The Cranberries’ videography with additional commentary for some clips.

Additionally, MTVLA viewers have another good chance at seeing The Cranberries again later this week. On May 17th, the channel is showing its new special “MTV 10 Years: Top 20 Women Weekend”. MTVLA’s website is currently polling visitors to compile the final Top 20 Women — click here to vote! (You will need to create a screen name.) Dolores O’Riordan is one of 80 women nominated for the list — Zombieguide will let you know this weekend how she fared.

In related news, magazine Rolling Stone is polling site visitors to find out which 100 bands have the best live performance. The results will be published in an upcoming issue. The Cranberries aren’t among the options, although write-in ballots are being accepted at the bottom. You know what to do!

Source: Zombieguide Mexico, Rolling Stone

Granted, we’re a bit late with this news story, but there’s some interesting information here which is worth being repeated.

Recently, our affiliate to the south, Zombieguide Mexico, got the opportunity to question The Cranberries’ representative from Universal Music Mexico about the band’s January announcement that they were leaving Universal Music effective immediately.

To start, the representative stressed that they had not yet been officially advised from Universal headquarters in New York that The Cranberries were no longer part of the company. However, they admitted that they had seen the band’s press release and were aware of the current situation. The representative speculated that Universal would soon issue their own official statement, although, to date, one has not been made yet.

When asked about how this will change the distribution of the band’s past CDs in Mexico, it appears little will change. The CDs on the Universal label will continue to be manufactured as normal, although in smaller quantities as public demand for each CD goes down. The rep warned that in the unlikely event that demand for the discs dips too low, the albums may be put out of print permanently.

Next, Zombieguide Mexico inquired about rumors that the band’s original album releases were to be replaced by the newer Complete Sessions releases. This is already the case in the United States, where the original CD editions “Everybody Else…,” “No Need to Argue,” and “To the Faithful Departed” are officially out of print, replaced with last year’s “Complete Sessions.” Finding sealed copies of the originals in retail stores is now nearly an impossibility in the US (which may be for the better, since the CS releases carry several bonus tracks at a comparable price to the originals).

The representative responded that Universal Mexico has not received any instructions to discontinue the original releases, and therefore both the originals and Complete Sessions are still readily available in Mexico.

The Universal rep additionally commented that for special releases like singles (most of which are already out of print) and limited editions, most supplies are already exhausted and that no more will be produced. Universal recommends that people try special ordering items, as most “special” items will no longer be available.

Source: Zombieguide Mexico

Ever since its release in 1995, the film “Empire Records” has become a full- fledged cult favorite in its own right. And to boot, sales of the original DVD release seem to be healthy enough to spawn a special edition release of the movie.

“Empire Records Remix: Special Fan Edition” releases on DVD next month in the US. New features for the disc include 16 minutes of previously-unseen footage, new digital transfer, four additional scenes, three music videos, trailers, Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack, audio commentary with director Allan Moyle, widescreen anamorphic format, and closed captioning. No word yet on what music videos will be included.

“Empire Records” featured The Cranberries songs “How” and “Liar.” “How” received a prominent place during one scene of the movie, although not included on the soundtrack. “Liar,” on the other hand, was put on the OST, no doubt to lure in fans who didn’t yet have the B-side on an album. (“Liar” was even made into a promo single for the movie.)

“Empire Records Remix” will release on June 3rd with an MSRP of $24.99

Source: Amazon

This year, MTV Latin America celebrates its tenth anniversary and is doing so by presenting the best in music from the past ten years. The channel has allowed viewers to vote on their favorite videos from the past decade, and The Cranberries have secured a position on the list.

The Cranberries’ 1993 video for “Linger” landed at the #10 spot on the top twenty videos. MTVLA has compiled the Top 20 into an extended TV special which has been broadcasted several times on the channel within the past few weeks.

Thanks to Sigma of Zombieguide Mexico for the tip.

Source: MTVLA

In a letter posted on the Cranberries Official Site on Friday, Dolores writes from The Cranberries’ Kilmallock studio about her new do (“long” and “70’s hippish”) and how playing drums is an emotional release. Mellow and upbeat, Dolores tells fans that she is excited about the band’s upcoming rehearsals on Monday, and how the band is enjoying the inspiration of spring.

Dolores also writes that she is amused and excited about the notion of touring with The Rolling Stones, in particular, the show including AC/DC.

On a personal note for the band, Dolores reveals that Noel’s daughter is enjoying better health, and that Noel is especially excited about The Cranberries’ tour and rehearsals. Fans will remember that complications with the health of Noel’s daughter had previously prevented him from touring with the band during the early phase of promotion for “Wake Up And Smell The Coffee” and was an intermittent challenge for him throughout 2001.

Sounding optimistic about the season, the attitudes, and the future for the band, Dolores’s letter to fans is, as usual, an uplifting read. Oh, and this one ends with Dolores’s own wise advice: “Eat loadsa garlic!”

Source: Cranberries Official Site

Universal Music has included The Cranberries’ most recent single “Stars” on a new sampler of music in Argentina for Summer 2003. The 17-track sampler has been sent to media outlets “for broadcast only” and is jam-packed with all of Universal’s biggest artists (Although note that not all of these are on the Universal label in the US). The phrase on the cover reads, “We’ll walk all summer long… so that you hear our releases.”

The full tracklisting is:

1. “Electrtical Storm (William Orbit mix)” by U2
2. “Underneath it All (Acoustic Version)” by No Doubt
3. “I Have Seen” by Zero 7
4. “Lost Cause” by Beck
5. “Misunderstood” by Bon Jovi
6. “Tight (Remixec by Randy McMann)” by Inxs
7. “Stars” by The Cranberries
8. “Lose Yourself (Album Version – Explicit)” by Eminem
9. “Starry Eyed Surprised” by Paul Oakenfold
10. “All the Things She Said” by T.a.t.u.
11. “Hey Sexy Lady” by Shaggy
12. “Help Me” by Timo Maas
13. “It’s In Our Hands (Remix)” by Björk
14. “All the Things She Said (Extension 119 Club Vocal Remix)” by T.a.t.u.
15. “Take Me Home” by Sophie Ellis-Bextor
16. “Help Me (Deep Dish Attacks Mars Remix)” by Timo Maas
17. “Through the Rain (Full Intention Club Mix)” by Mariah Carey

This very well may be one of the last Cranberries-related promotional releases from Universal that you see, after the band announced their departure from the label this past January.

Say what you do; and do what you say. It sounds simple enough. And it’s what The Cranberries expect from promoters responsible for booking the band for live performances. But unfortunately, the promoters in charge of scheduling The Cranberries for the June 12th show in Luxembourg, reportedly had a little trouble in abiding by that golden rule of good business.

According to The Cranberries Official Site, after promoters failed to follow through on certain undisclosed details within the commitment between the promoters and The Cranberries’ management, Timeless Music Management, The Cranberries have decided to postpone the previously scheduled show in Luxembourg. The Cranberries offer their sincere apologies to fans who have been awaiting this show, but wish to re-assure fans that The Cranberries do plan on scheduling a live performance in the city of Luxembourg next year.

Source: Cranberries Official Site

In a new update via their DVD drivers CD, Sony has corrected a glitch in their initial batches of PlayStation 2 systems which prevented the viewing of the original release of “Beneath the Skin,” among other DVD titles.

Initially, the original release of “Beneath the Skin” simply wouldn’t play on the DVD-compatible videogame system, creating an error message on screen which read, “Unable to read disc.” Similar widespread loading errors, especially with older DVD players, prompted The Cranberries to discontinue the DVD only months after its release in 2001 and to replace it with “Beneath the Skin: Version 2” in October of last year. The first version contains extra band and crew interviews that Version 2 does not contain, and vice versa, Version 2 contains the “Wake Up and Smell the Coffee” documentary that the original did not include.

For those with an older PlayStation 2 system, the newest drivers (Ver. 2.12) can currently only be obtained by purchasing the official PlayStation 2 DVD remote (MSRP $14.99), which includes a CD of updated DVD drivers which can be installed onto your memory card. If you don’t want to shell out the cash for the remote and CD, you may want to try tracking down a friend who has the remote, since the update only requires a one-time installation.

New PlayStation 2 systems should also be shipping with the new drivers pre- installed.

Certainly good news for people (like myself) who use their PlayStation 2 as their primary DVD player!

Sources: Exclusive

This morning in San Francisco, CA, Apple CEO Steve Jobs kicked off the company’s new online music service, the iTunes Music Store. The service, which works in conjunction with Apple’s iTunes Player allows for Mac users to download music with one click, from a selection of over 200,000 songs, each at the low price of 99 cents. The service has gained the support of all five major music companies — Universal, Warner, EMI, Sony, and BMG — as well as support from individual artists like U2, who have previously not participated in any legal online music services.

During this morning’s press conference, while demonstrating the new iTunes service, Steve Jobs picked out The Cranberries’ track “Dreams” and used it twice for a demonstration to the audience.

In the first instance, “Dreams” was displayed as Jobs demonstrated the ease of one-click purchases. Later in the demo, he used the song along with the application iPhoto. Jobs then showed how you can take music purchased from the website and add it to a slideshow presentation — again choosing “Dreams” to go along with the slideshow.

This morning’s conference attracted names like Seal and Josh Groban to attend, and has additionally received much public support from Sheryl Crow.

The news is making big technology headlines today, so you can find plenty more about the new service from places like Fortune and Reuters.

Thanks to Luc for the news!

Sources: Fortune, Reuters, AP

For those who have followed The Cranberries closely, the name Timeless Music should sound very familiar. It’s the name of the band’s self-owned management company, founded just prior to the release of “Wake Up and Smell the Coffee” by Dolores O’Riordan and husband Don Burton. Since the release of “Wake Up,” the agency has taken on an ever-increasing role in the band’s promotion, culminating in Timless Music’s press release in January that The Cranberries were parting ways with Universal Music.

A recent stealthy update on the contact page on The Cranberries Official Website shows that The Cranberries may be planning to create a new record label under the same name, Timeless Music.

As you’ll recall, Dolores said in a phone interview with RTE’s Radio One on the day following the press release that “What we’d like to do now really is to be independent and start our own label, I mean, we’ll go off and look for distribution deals.” Days later, the band’s official site stated that other labels were interested in signing the newly-released artists.

But the new listing clearly states: “RECORD COMPANY: … Timeless Music: Future Albums.” The link goes to an empty website with the Timeless Music logo, the same that has remained at that site since before the release of “Stars.”

A second very interesting newly-added tidbit can be found on the band’s “Contact” page. The publisher for the new songs “Stars” and “New New York” are listed as “To Be Confirmed.” Upon reading this, we lunged for our “Stars” liner notes to see if we could find any more evidence of this, and sure enough…

“Administered by Copyright Control”

Additionally, a look at the Stars section on the band’s official site also refers to “Copyright Control, Ltd.” The exact importance of this is yet unknown. Could “Stars” and “New New York” be the first songs officially on a Timeless Music label?

Are The Cranberries one step closer to forming their own label, under the title of Timeless Music? Keep in mind we should remember that details on the publishing and distribution of the band’s next album are nowhere near final at this point, and are probably in fact still in the developing stages. Consider this speculation at the moment, although all of the above has come from official sources.

While we await more official word on this issue, Zombieguide will keep an eye on this matter and of course, anything even remotely to do with the band’s sixth studio album.

Big thanks to Celtic Yodels for the tip.

Source: The Cranberries Official Website

The Cranberries are included as part of an all-Irish selection of tracks on the “Rush Hour Jam CD”, a new promotional release put out by Jameson Irish Whiskey.

“Free to Decide” is the first track on the CD, which includes both newcomers and veterans of Irish music, ranging from Rubyhorse to Thin Lizzy. The CD was released last month by Universal Music Special Markets in order to coincide with St. Patrick’s Day. Tracks are:

1. “Free to Decide” by The Cranberries
2. “Into the Lavender” by Rubyhorse
3. “Whiskey in the Jar” by Thin Lizzy
4. “The Last Song I’ll Ever Sing” by Gavin Friday
5. “Come on Eileen” by Dexy’s Midnight Runners
6. “The Big Beat” by Blue in Heaven
7. “Big Decision” by That Petrol Emotion
8. “What’s Going On” by Taste feat. Rory Gallagher

The version of “Free to Decide” included is the original album version, as opposed to the edited version of the “Alternate Mix” found on “Stars.”

If you come across any other recent compilations featuring The Cranberries, be sure to give us a heads-up here at Zombieguide!

Source: Exclusive

The February 16th issue of the USA edtion of “Eres,” a magazine in Spanish, includes a two-page interview with Fergal Lawler, “direct from Ireland.”

The interview looks to be taken during the “Stars” tour, however since Fergal was in Ireland at the time he gave the interview, it could easily be more recent, although “Stars” and touring take up a good portion of the interview.

Fergal gives some brief commentary on the band’s current and future projects. “We want to work in a way that’s different to what we’ve done before. What normally happens is that we arrive at the studio with the finished songs, record them, and start to add the lyrics. Now what we’re doing in the studio is to compose it there and see how things develop.” More interestingly, when asked about producers, Fergal reveals that the band is very open to working with new producers in the future, despite their penchant for Stephen Street. “I believe that, for everyone, Stephen Street [has influenced us the most]. To work with the others has been an interesting experience, [and] in the future we will continue doing it with different producers.“

Another interesting thing said in the interivew was that “Before we had kids, there was nothing to worry about, while when you have them, they bring responsibility with them, you worry about them.” We only recently learned that Fergal’s youngest son, Nathan has been suffering with glaucoma in both eyes, which is certainly reason enough for him to be worrying. Thankfully, Nathan is reportedly well on the way to a full recovery.

Below is the fully translated interview. High-resolution scans can be found at the bottom of the page and will be added to the Magazines Gallery along with the rest of the recent print articles.

The Cranberries

Five-Star Fruit

Everyone remembers Salvation, Zombie, Linger, and Dreams, successful songs that have made The Cranberries today considered one of the most important groups from Ireland. Now they close an important chapter in their history with Stars, a compilation disc. Fergal Lawler (drummer) tells us about it.

By Alain Sefchovich

The past… is past

It’s already been 10 years since your first disc was released. What are the best experiences that you’ve had?
There’s been plenty. We’ve been through good and bad moments in those ten years, but definitely, we have been through a lot more good times than disasters.

Is it difficult to belong to a band with two brothers?
No, it’s been very easy, because they have an uncommon relationship as brothers. Above all they’re friends, they get along well, not like Oasis.

Why do you believe that a lot of groups that have a style similar to yours and started about the same time have separated, and you continue?
When we started, our goal was always not to change into something trendy. It was always “imagine recording five or six discs” or “to be together as a group for more than ten years.” It’s really like a marriage, you’re working with other people and you’re very close to them, and at times it can be very difficult, so for that we give each other a lot of space. Everything seems to have worked out well.

After the success that you’ve had, is it hard to keep your feet on the ground?
Not really, we continue living in Limerick, which is the city where we grew up. Every time we return, we separate ourselves completely and start to be treated like normal people, you don’t have admirerers following us, or anything like that.

I noticed on your official site that you’re the one that gets the most involved with the fans.
It’s something that I just started to do with my free time in 1997. I was surprised with the internet and the official pages of some groups, so we decided to make our own and start to write a diary or something like that, which interested me more than anybody, and its something that I continue doing.

On the compilation you included Daffodil Lament, which was voted by the fans as their favorite non-single. What’s yours?
There’s a song on the second disc called Disappointment, that’s one of my favorites. I don’t know why but it has something that I really like.

Why were the singles Hollywood and You and Me only released in certain countries?
In some places, the discs that included those songs, To the Faithful Departed and Bury the Hatchet, had a longer lifetime, so the record company asked us for more singles and we told them yes, so those were the ones that we chose.

Of the producers that you’ve worked with, which has influenced you the most?
I believe that, for everyone, Stephen Street. To work with the others has been an interesting experience, but in the future we will continue doing it with different producers.

Has there been jealousy that all the attention is given to Dolores?
No, never, and that’s how it’s been since we formed. It doesn’t matter what band you mention, it’s always the singer who receives the biggest amount of attention, and this is fine for us, we still enjoy playing.

All in the Family

How has the relationship among you changed since everyone has started their own family?
It’s a brilliant thing, that we’re already entering another period in our lives. Since we have kids, we relate to each other in a totally distinct form.

How has this situation affected the way you write songs?
When you become a parent, you become more more optimistic in how [you look] at life. Before we had kids, there was nothing to worry about, while when you have them, they bring responsibility with them, you worry about them.

Is it hard to be a parent and spend time on tour?
At first it was very difficult. Now we’re on tour for two to three weeks, and we return home for a week, after which we go back on tour another two or three weeks. We’ve done it that way to be with our family just when you start to feel lonely and tired, so we go home.

When you go home, what’s the most important thing for you: to rest or to spend time with your family?
Both, you just have to separate yourself and not think about the tour [or] the group, and make yourself a parent, a different person. You go out, do your shopping, take a walk, forget about the group.

Unknown Future

Why have you decided to work differently on the new material?
We want to work in a way that’s different to what we’ve done before. What normally happens is that we arrive at the studio with the finished songs, record them, and start to add the lyrics. Now what we’re doing in the studio is to compose it there and see how things develop.

Source: Exclusive

The Cranberries’ Planet Rock Profile special, originally recorded in 1995, will finally be aired for the first time in the United States next month on “premium” channel Showtime Next.

The interview was conducted by legendary Irish DJ Dave Fanning, whose name should sound familiar to diehard Cranberries fans. In 1992, The Cranberries recorded a set of demo tracks for the Dave Fanning Radio Show, which resulted in the only known studio recordings of “False” and “Like You Used To,” along with demo versions of “Put Me Down” and “The Icicle Melts,” among others. Dave Fanning is often given the extraordinary credit of bringing budding “garage bands” like The Cranberries and U2 to the limelight in their home country of Ireland, long before the groups gained international stardom.

The Cranberries’ episode was recorded in 1995 by EMI Productions for the Euro channel ARC. However, the US-based Showtime network recently picked up the rights on the series and is running a different episode every week. Here are the showtimes for the ‘Berries half-hour episode:

The band discusses topics like their early days with singer Niall Quinn, male chauvinism in the music industry, tacky tabloids, and that horrendous “Zombie” dance remix by A.D.A.M. For those that won’t get to see the interivew, or for those that just want a sneak peek, check out the screen grabs below from the interview.

Showtime Next is part of the Showtime Unlimited extra-cost premium cable package, although “Next” is not available in all areas. Contact your cable or satellite provider to see if the channel is available.

Source: Rock on TV

Ireland’s Minister of Arts, Sport, and Tourism, John O’Donoghue, went on record weeks ago to say that he was “delighted” at the trio of The Cranberries, Counting Crows, and David Gray, all who will be performing at this year’s SummerFest in Killarney, Co. Kerry, Ireland. The Cranberries perform with The Counting Crows on June 27th.

“I am therefore delighted to see that such an exciting programme has been planned for this year,” he said at a press conference three weeks ago at Muckross House in Killarney, where the three headlining acts were announced.

“I am confident that many people will decide to holiday in Killarney for the duration of the festival.”

Organizers report that “another major name on the worldwide entertainment stage” may also be added to the list of confirmed acts, as negotions are currently underway to add another rock singer to the festival’s itinerary.

Last year, nearly 100,000 people attended the weeklong festival, raising nearly €7 million in revenue for the town. This year’s festival will cost an estimated €350,000 ($375,000 US), and will be funded by the Bord Fáilte Festivals and Cultural Events Initiative.

Source: The Kingdom

Late last year, guitarist Noel Hogan told the Irish newspaper The Sunday Independent that he had planned to run in this year’s Flora London Marathon. He told the paper that he runs 15 miles every second day to stay fit.

However, a search of the official race results from the marathon, which took place this past Saturday, shows that Noel was not among the 36,000 runners that finished in this year’s event. (There is a match for “Mike Hogan,” although it is not the Cranberries’ bassist.)

The Cranberries are currently rehearsing new material at home, which may have prevented Noel from entering the marathon, though no official word has been given.

Source: Flora London Marathon

The Official Cranberries Website noted weeks ago that the band has been recording new material in London with longtime producer Stephen Street. Zombieguide has now learned that the site of these recordings is the lavish Olympic Studios in the Barnes district of London.

The tidbit comes out of a short press release by Aiken Promotions, who are promoting the band’s upcoming May 29th gig in Belfast. This marks the first time that The Cranberries have recorded at Olympic Studios.

The Olympic Studios website has also been recently updated, listing The Cranberries as one of the studio’s recent clients. The listing also shows that The Cranberries have been using Studio 2. According to the site, the Studio 2 room is “the perfect studio for a band… The acoustic of the room can be altered to suit the session by means of variable wall panels. Isolation booths also add flexibility and further options to session layouts. A Classic Bosendorfer Grand Piano is available for use in the studio.” The lavish studios are additonally outfitted with a separate lounge, restaurant, garden, tennis court, and soccer field. Photos of the studio are available on theOlympic Studios website.

When approached, an Olympic Studios representative declined to comment, telling Zombieguide, “We do not give out information on any clients that use our facilities apart from which room they worked in.”

But this isn’t the first time The Cranberries have had a relationship with the studio. “Bury the Hatchet” was mixed at Olympic Studios (and also at Sarm West) in late 1998 by Mike Plotnikoff.

In related news, the short press release by Aiken Promotions quotes Noel Hogan on the upcoming Belfast gig as saying, “After many years away, the band is looking forward to returning to a place we all love. We have had some great shows in Belfast in the past.”

Source: Aiken Promotions

Something incredible happened today. Ever since our original hosting serverwent offline in mid-March, we’ve been looking around for options as to how we could get Zombieguide as close to “normal” as possible. One of the people that approached us with an idea was Diego, who you may know as the webmaster of ChocolateBrown.com.

In case you’ve wondered how Diego has managed to host gigs of downloadable Cranberries media at his site, it’s because he co-founded his own hosting company in Spain (called Metropoliglobal). Diego offered us some hosting space for Zombieguide, and since the site is bigger than our current server’s capacity, we accepted.

Anyone who’s made a serious attept at hosting a full-fledged website will know that things like server size and bandwidth can be a restraint on how much content you can have. For example, a year ago when we first put up the Watercircle MP3’s, our bandwidth spiked up quickly, and we were stuck with a $350 bill from our server company for the excess.

Now here comes the fun part. The new media server (separate from the one that hosts the actual site) now gives us unlimited space and unlimited bandwidth! This means that we no longer have to be stingy with our downloadable media — videos, MP3s, scans. We can host downloads without fear of overusing any quotas. What does this mean for you? Bigger scans, more videos, and lots more audio here on Zombieguide!

As you can see, Diego has made a major contribution to the site, one which gives Zombieguide quite alot of room for growth for the future, both immediate and distant. He definitely deserves our thanks — you can drop Diego an email here.

The first fruits of this space will be getting resource-consuming sections like the Magazines Gallery and the Complete Discography (still in progress!) back online. Other parts of the site should follow within the coming days.

Requests for downloads to be posted on Zombieguide (new or old) can be made in the Zombieguide Forums. With all this space, a genuine Media section of the site would be the natural course of action, although how soon that will come is hard to say. Now, instead of having an MP3 of the Week, we could have a Full Bootleg of the Week. The possibilities are almost endless at this point.

This is definitely an enormous gain for the site, and one that we will try our best to optimize in the near future. Thanks Diego!!

Zombieguide reported weeks ago that the March issue of the Turkish magazine “Blue Jean” contains a bonus Cranberries booklet, which includes a biography, lyrics, photos, and bonus Cranny stickers.

We now have yet more scans of the oddly-timed bonus. Included in today’s scans is a year-by-year biography (in Turkish) plus several photographs. Among these are the delectable Andy Earl Bury the Hatchet-era photographs of the band against a pale blue background, one of which is Zombieguide’s Picture for the Moment (right menu bar). Also included is a rare live shot of Dolores with fruit-punch-red hair, circa 1995. Another rare one shows Dolores and Fergal backstage at the MTV Europe Awards in November 1998, the two’s first public appearance in over two years.

Many thanks to Haluk for the scans!

In related news, Zombieguide’s Magazines Gallery, Discography, Biography, etc., will be back online as soon as we can get them back up, as we continue moving to our new server.

Source: Exclusive

After just two weeks of recording, Fergal is thrilled with the progression of The Cranberries’ new studio material. On March 14th, Fergal posted a note to fans on The Cranberries Official Web Site stating that the band has nearly finished seven new songs for The Cranberries’ upcoming sixth album.

Fearing that the breaking point was approaching, Fergal announced that the band has decided to put further touring plans on hold (after the completion of the already confirmed tour dates throughout Europe in support of The Rolling Stones) to concentrate on their work in the studio. As the small tour progresses, The Cranberries plan to continue writing and recording new material. Fergal revealed that thus far, the new material is quite “impressive”, describing it as “different from anything [they’ve] done before; but still recognizable as The Cranberries.”

On a saddening personal note, Fergal announced that his youngest son has been battling complications with glaucoma and has undergone several surgeries on both eyes. Fergal says that he’s now hopeful that his son is near a full recovery and that time on the road and in the studio has helped him cope with his worries and concerns at home.

Fergal’s note to fans concludes optimistically as he states that the band is in positive spirits and that he, personally, is “looking at the glass as half full.”

Source: Cranberries Official Site

It was announced yesterday that ’80s big-haired rockers AC/DC will be added to the list of opening bands for the Rolling Stones’ European leg of the Forty Licks World Tour this summer. The first of the three dates where AC/DC will play is O-Vision Park in Oberhausen, Germany on June 13th, where they will be playing alongside The Cranberries as the opening acts.

The addition of AC/DC to the billing was said to have been done in order to “boost ticket sales.” As a result, the time table for the Oberhausen concert had to be modified, with The Stones’ concert now starting later in the evening. Tickets for the Oberhausen show are still available from online box offices like Getgo.

Thanks to Norbert of Zombieguide Europe for the tip.

Sources: Getgo, It’s Only Rock ‘n’ Roll

The British television control agency, the Independent Television Commission, or ITC for short, has issued a statement to media outlets that war-related content which many stir up public sentiment should be taken off the air. Several media groups are complying with the decision, most notably MTV Europe, drawing up lists of songs and videos which will temporarily be removed from broadcast. Not surprisingly, The Cranberries’ “Zombie” is among the list.

In an internal memo released a week ago by MTV Europe’s Broadcast Standards Manager Mark Sunderland reads, “In the light of the outbreak of war in Iraq in the last 12 hours… there will be heightened public sensitivity to representations of war, soldiers, bombing, destruction of buildings and public unrest at home. The ITC Programme Code requires us not to broadcast material which offends against good taste or is offensive to public feeling. We therefore recommend that videos featuring the following are not shown at the moment: war, soldiers, war planes, bombs, missiles, riots and social unrest, executions, [and] other obviously sensitive material.” Anyone who has seen the video for “Zombie” will know well that it violates several of the qualifiers in this list.

Other artists and videos specifically mentioned are below. Many of the songs, like Tom Jones’ “Sex Bomb” or videos by the B-52s are being censored simply on the basis of their title alone.

»  “Boom!” by System of a Down
»  “Don’t Want to Miss a Thing” by Aerosmith (contains footage from the movie “Armageddon”)
»  “So Why So Sad” by Manic Street Preachers
»  “Miss Sarajevo” and “Sunday Bloody Sunday” by U2
»  “This Ain’t a Love Song” by Bon Jovi
»  “Corruption” by Iggy Pop
»  “19′′ by Paul Hardcastle
»  “Lucky” and “Invasion” by Radiohead
»  “Hot in the City” by Billy Idol
»  “Koochy” by Armand van Helden
»  “Thug Holidy” by Trick Daddy
»  “B.O.B. [Bombs over Baghdad]” by Outkast
»  “Holy Wars” by Megadeath
»  “You, Me, and World War Three” by Gavin Friday
»  Any videos by the B-52’s, who share a name with the war plane
»  “American Life” by Madonna
»  “Sex Bomb” by Tom Jones

“It’s not a ban,” says a spokesman for MTV’s international divisions. “It didn’t come from programming. We’re complying with ITC guidelines on good taste, to avoid offending public feeling.”

“Like any other broadcaster we feel it is important to reflect current sensitivities. Any changes to the playlist will be temporary,” said another spokesperson. MTV Europe implied that the censorship will be lifted once the Iraqi conflict is over.

But it is apparent that the list of taboo songs is only being used currently by MTV Europe. “We’re not banning anything,” said a representative for MTV in the United States. “We’re being sensitive to the situation, in general and on a case-by-case basis.”

Meanwhile, on the opposite end of the spectrum, MTV Italy is paying no heed to the actions of its UK sister station. They kicked off a day-long focus dedicated entirely to the Iraqi conflict, playing pacificst videos and showing clips of celebrities speaking to the audience about the war. “Zombie” has been played several times throughout the day.

American radio stations employed a similar blacklist of songs immediately after the 9/11 attacks in 2001. U2’s “Sunday Bloody Sunday” was also included in that list.

Other UK media outlets, like the behemoth Radio One and rival station Xfm, are also toning down the amount of music played that contains “sensitive content.”

Sources: Cranberries Videography, TV Barn, Times Online, Rolling Stone

You’ve no doubt read by now on the Official Cranberries Website that this past Friday, The Cranberries played a secret, unannounced 3-song set for the launch of the “Hot Press 2003 Yearbook” in Dublin. Zombieguide has some of the nitty-gritty details from that event.

The Cranberries played at Dublin’s intimate Sugar Club this past Tuesday, the 25th, performing “Chocolate Brown,” “Dying in the Sun,” and “Linger.” Other entertainers for the night included Jerry Fish and the Mudbug Club, Think, Maria Doyle Kennedy, and the D1 DJs.

Guests included members of Altan, Skindive, Blo.tooth, The Chalets, Blink, Skyjack, The Jimmy Cake, Sack and The Saw Doctors. Woodstar was also there for the party, who opened for The Cranberries at The Point Depot on December 6th in Dublin. Also in the audience were artists Paddy Casey, Mary Stokes, Roesy, Mary Coughlan, Neosupervital, La Rocca and Perry Blake. Plenty of industry heads were also present for the private party.

We only have one shot of the concert, below, courtesy of Hot Press. Dolores can be seen with quite possibly the longest naturally dark hair that we’ve seen her have during her entire career! Will she keep it that way? Only time will tell.

The Hot Press Yearbook is an annual “who’s who” in the Irish music industry. The 2003 version includes info on record sales, radio plays and other vital stats on the Irish music industry.

Thanks to Jessica van Kessel for sending the news details.
Seen any other info about The Cranberries’ ultra-intimate gig at The Sugar

Club this week? Send it to Zombieguide!

Image Source: Hot Press

You may recall when in January of last year, Spanish live music show “Música Sí” set The Cranberries up for something bordering on public humiliation. The studio sound was overwhemlingly low quality, as could easily be heard on the broadcast. The band, Dolores in particular, had just finished an argument with the show’s producers over the generic sound system. Halfway through “Zombie,” Dolores, giving up trying to compromise with the faint prerecorded instrumentals, put the microphone, and said, “I can’t do this, this sounds like crap.” With that, she walked off the stage. To add insult to injury, the show mistranslated her words in the subtitles by writing, “I’m stressed and I can’t sing” — while the rest of the show’s dialogue was properly subtitled. And all this after comes after an incident in 1999 when the “Música Sí” audience reportedly boo’ed the band while they were on stage.

April Fools came early this year.

Now, even while the band is at home in Ireland, “Música Sí” is causing trouble for The Cranberries. Weeks ago, reports began popping up around Spanish Cranberries forums that the show had played a “new song” by The Cranberries called “Theme Banshis In Heaven”. Needless to say, those who had posted the information were slaughtered by unbelieving fans who had not seen the actual show.

But the truth is, “Música Sí” did in fact play this song and did claim it to be The Cranberries. In fact, only days ago, the show played the song again on their “Top Dance” part of the show. “Música S픑s hosts, Jennifer Rope and DJ Neil introduced the “surprise” song for a second time by saying:

“Now comes something that’s causing an uproar… a song characterized by the precious voice of the singer for The Cranberries, Dolores O’Riordan! ‘In Heaven!'”

Finally, on Saturday’s broadcast, “Música Sí” put their own false rumor to an end. The hosts ashamedly told the audience that the “surprise song” had absolutely nothing to do with Dolores or The Cranberries. They then related that the song, “In Heaven” is actually by a band called Them Banshis. Reviews of the song have made heavy comparisons to The Cranberries’ own “Zombie.”

Click here to listen to a Real Audio clip of Them Banshis’ “In Heaven”
(LINK NO LONGER AVAILABLE!!)

Source: Cranberries Star Page

In 2000, the Irish Music Rights Organization brought a case to the World Trade Organization stating that United States had not paid Irish artists the full amount of copyright royalties due to them. The complaint stemmed from a law passed by Congress in late 1998 that stated that small businesses — such as bars, restaurants, and small shops — were not obligated to pay for the royalties of broadcasting TV and radio in their business. That law, said the World Trade Organization, was in violation of international copyright treaties. The Irish Music Rights Organization, or IMRO, claimed that Irish aritsts and songwriters alone were losing millions due to their massive popularity in the United States. In late 2001, the US and the WTO agreed on a temporary solution, and now is nearing a finalized compensation agreement.

Last week, members of the United States Congress strongly pushed for an overdue payment of $3.5 million to be given to the WTO as compensation to European artists. The money, if allocated, will be used to fund up-and- coming struggling musicians in Europe.

One source cites that The Cranberries’ “Linger” is one of the most popular “pub” songs by an Irish group, often being played in bars without compensation. Van Morrison’s “Moondance” is cited for the same reason.

The Cranberries themselves are registered members of the Irish Music Rights Organization, alongside other notables like Samantha Mumba, Westlife, and The Corrs. Surprisingly, rock heavyweights U2 are not part of the rights protection group.

Sources: ArtScope.net, European Trade Union, Taipei Times

And then there was one. Despite the break-up of The Cranberries, many fans are celebrating the return of Dolores, who along with “the lads”, had been somewhat tucked away since the summer of 2003. One exceptionally talented fan, whose artwork has been frequently featured on Zombieguide, Maurizio di Bona, appropriately known as “The Hand.” Last year, The Cranberries commissioned The Hand to design cartoons for several pieces of official merchandise, which is available for purchase on the Official Site’s shopping section. This time, he has taken pen to paper to create a stunning piece of artwork showcasing the strength of Dolores’s personality as represented at Italy’s recent Sanremo Festival.

Encouraging fans to have “No Fear”, The Hand has detailed the excitement of Dolores’s future. Below, is The Hand’s most recent artistic tribute to Dolores O’Riordan.

Source: Exclusive
Thanks to The Hand for the contribution.

The Cranberries are among solid company on a new “as seen on TV” two- disc music compilation entitled Café Rock. With “Linger” opening the set, Café Rock is a blend of music from artists like Shawn Colvin, Ani Difranco, 10,000 Maniacs, and fellow tour mates Collective Soul and Toad The Wet Sprocket, among others. Described as music from artists who have “changed music forever”, Café Rock is available now, priced at $26.99 US for two CDs or two cassette tapes.

For a complete track-listing and to order online, logon to MusicSpace.com

Source: Exclusive

Thanks to Lionel A.Vasquez

Wondering what’s been going on in the Burton household lately? Dolores gives all the details (and we mean ALL the details) in a letter posted today on the Official Web Site. Dolores shares an important disclosure about the sixth album’s material being “really experimental”, and laments about the cold and flu season.

In Dolores’s letter to fans, she also reveals a few of her St. Patrick’s Day plans, including plans to attend Dublin’s St. Patrick’s Day parade with her kids dressed as “little leprechauns”. And speaking of the Burton children, Dolores tells fans that her stepson Donny, now eleven and a half years old, is venturing out into the world of rock ‘n roll for himself through the music of Avril Lavigne, who Dolores describes as “kinda cutesy”.

Still, “cutesy” or not, Dolores compliments the kindheartedness of young musicians like Dido and Westlife’s Brian McFadden. McFadden and Dolores worked together on the live performance of “The Little Drummer Boy” during the 2001 Vatican Christmas Concert for the Pope in Rome; and recently, with a seat next to McFadden on a plane headed to Dublin, the young boy-band singer gave Dolores a ride to her hotel where she met her mom and children. The experience prompted Dolores to comment on what “a really nice guy” Brian McFadden is, and how she is feeling like the “grandma of rock” with her inspiration to younger musicians. Dolores’s update on the Official Web Site even includes an interesting photo sent in from Litsa Derekenary (Litsa’s Zombieguide Forums profile) that perfectly embodies the “grandmother of rock” theme.

Want to see more pictures of Litsa’s drool-inducing Cranberries-deco bedroom? Check out the CranFanatics section for more!

Source: Cranberries Official Site

Reputable Italian online ticket vendor TicketOne posted a listing today thatThe Cranberries will be performing their own concert — apart from the Rolling Stones — in Bolzano, Italy on June 8th, 2003. The date is two days before the June 10th concert where The Crans will be opening for the Rolling Stones in Milan, which gives much credibility to the date and location. TicketOne is one of Italy’s largest ticket sellers and deemed to be extremely reputable. Tickets are not yet on sale, but a notice reads that they will be “out soon!”

Weeks ago, The Cranberries Official Website promised that several “warm up dates” were on tap (including one in Belfast), all of which should be announced shortly.

Another date, June 6th at the Cirkus Krone Bau in Munich, Germany with the Rolling Stones, reported by US-based tour resource PollStar has also yet to be confirmed by the band.

Thanks to Mattia for the tip.

Source: TicketOne

From TV concerts to online polls, The Cranberries are no strangers to St. Patrick’s Day celebrations when they involve music, and this year is no different. Next week on BBC 6 Music’s “Dream Ticket” concert broadcast, The Cranberries will be part of an All-Irish Rock special on St. Patrick’s Day.

“Dream Ticket” showcases past concerts from five notable artists daily in a gala that lasts for several hours. The Cranberries will be joining Sinead O’Connor, among others on next week’s billing. It is unknown which of The Cranberries’ past recorded concerts will be used, but British festivals are favorite choices, so something along the lines of the all-acoustic Fleadh Festival 1994 performance can be expected.

For those not in the UK, the concert will be streamed live from BBC 6 Music’s website. The show begins Monday, March 17 at 10:00 PM local time (5:00 PM EST). For those fortunate enough to be in the UK, the audio channel can be heard on Sky Digital. If you miss the broadcast, don’t worry, an archived on-demand version of the stream will be available on BBC 6 Music’s websitethe following week.

Thanks to Irish Phil for the news!
Heard of any other St. Patty’s Day festivities that include The Cranberries?

Send Zombieguide a news tip!

Source: Exclusive

Despite doubts that the DVD of “Stars: The Best of The Cranberries” (as the Japanese release is titled, as opposed to “Best of Videos”) would be delayed yet another time in Japan, it has finally been locked into a release for next Wednesday, March 12th. This past Monday, Universal Music Japan sent out updated release information on the Japanese edition of the DVD to retailers and online merchants, who responded by removing the ominous “Release Pending” notices found on listings for the DVD. Additionally, online retailers like Amazon Japan and the English-friendly CD Japan have now begun taking pre-orders for the new release, which wasn’t the case less than a week ago.

Zombieguide also reported previously that there was no reported cause for the DVD’s delay, but now we know at least a partial explanation: Japanese subtitles have been added to the release. This is unique to the Japanese release, since the original release of the “Stars” DVD carried no subtitles anywhere in the world, making things like the “Love and Rock ‘n’ Roll” documentary difficult to understand for those who don’t speak English as a primary language.

While the “Stars” DVD was released in most regions of the world (including America) in November, “Stars” originally was slated for a December 11th release in Japan. This date was then moved back to Christmas Day, then to January, and finally back to its current date of March 12th.

Aside from the new subtitles, no other new bonus features or extras have been announced for the Japanese release. The Japanese version of the DVD (cat. number UIBO-1006) will be released on March 12, 2003 with a retail price of 4,200 yen ($35 US, almost double the $20 retail price in America). A tiny shot of the cover, which includes a large Japanese sticker, can be seen below. The disc will be encoded in NTSC format and Region 0 (all region) coding, making it playable on American DVD players.

In related news, The Very Best of MTV Unplugged 2, featuring “Zombie,” will be released in Japan on April 9th with a retail tag of 2,400 yen ($20 US). Still no word yet on a US release.

Source: CD Japan

Lately, Zombieguide has been telling you a lot about the recent release of The Very Best Of MTV Unplugged Volume 2, featuring “Zombie.” So now, after all of this talk of The Cranberries 1995 MTV Unplugged performance, it’s completely understandable that you’re juiced up to see it again. And this Tuesday, your wish is MTV’s command… well, at least the MTV French Channel.

This Tuesday, March 11th, those with access to MTV France can tune in to catch a repeat of MTV Unplugged featuring The Cranberries. Those of us without access to MTV France will have to do what we always do when we get a craving for The Cranberries on MTV Unplugged… pop in our home- recorded videotape.

Source: Cranfrance

In 1995, The Cranberries’ MTV Unplugged performance featured a captivating acoustic version of “Zombie”. Now, that version is being included on The Very Best of MTV Unplugged Volume 2. First released in the UK, The Very Best of MTV Unplugged 2 was released yesterday in Germany, selling for approximately $16.00 online. Cover art in higher quality than our last news story can be viewed below.

As the album is released in more countries around the world, Zombieguide will keep you updated.

Source: Amazon.de

The Turkish music magazine Blue Jean has a very special Cranberries bonus packed in with their March issue, which has just hit newsstands. Apart from the magazine itself, the issue carries a 18-page bonus Cranberries mini booklet filled with the usual suspects: biography, lyrics, and a discography. Also included are eight Cranberries stickers that you can pull out and stick onto your favorite stuff. Best of all, the bonus booklet includes previously- unseen photos, claimed to be exclusive to Blue Jean.

The timing may seem strange for such a lavish promotional item, but Blue Jean is no strangers to such unexpected releases. In late 2000, while The Cranberries were in the studio recording “Wake Up and Smell the Coffee,” Blue Jean issued a promotional CD/CD-Rom entitled “Greatest Hits,”seemingly out of nowhere. (The Blue Jean “Greatest Hits” promo is not related to “Stars.”) The magazine has given equally good treatment to the Limerick quartet since then, giving them a cover article with the release of “Wake Up” in 2001, and a 2-page interview this past December.

The booklet does not bear any marks of licensing from Universal Music, which would only make sense after January’s announcement that The Cranberries were terminating their contract effective immediately.

Below is a shot of the cover of the booklet, showing an alternate photo from the “Stars” cover.

Huge thanks to Yagiz for the news. If you live in Turkey (or by some other act of God have managed to obtain a copy of the newest Blue Jean) and can make more scans of the new booklet, please send them to us! In the meantime, Zombieguide will have new scans posted as soon as they are available.

Source: Exclusive

The Cranberries Official Web Site was updated February 26th with some important announcements regarding the band’s current state of affairs. Most newsworthy, The Cranberries announce that new material will be recorded this week in London with hit producer, Stephen Street (‘Everybody Else…’, ‘No Need To Argue’, ‘Wake Up And Smell The Coffee’). The band is planning to use this new material to finalize distribution arrangements for the forthcoming album, and announce that one of these new songs may be included in an upcoming film or television production. Concertgoers may also be able to hear some of the new material prior to its release during The Cranberries tour with the Rolling Stones.

Also, The Cranberries are still interested in discovering the origin of a mysterious “Salvation” remix. Dolores first caught wind of the version while watching a UK-based “reality” television program on Sky Digital Satellite at her home in Ireland. Now, the Official Site has been anonymously tipped with an .MP3 of what may be the song, available for download. If you’ve ever wondered what a metal version of “Salvation” might sound like, this is your chance to find out!

European fans awaiting the confirmation of additional dates will be pleased to know that the Official Site plans to post confirmation for a show in Belfast as well as one or two “warm-up” performances.

And finally, The Cranberries are seeking input from fans regarding styles and colors of upcoming T-shirt merchandise. Providing modeled pictures of each style, the Official Site is hosting a survey in which fans can e-mail their preferences.

Source: Cranberries Official Site

According to a listing updated today on Pollstar, The Cranberries are slated to open for a sixth date for The Rolling Stones this coming June.

The date is for June 6th at the Cirkus Krone Bau in Munich, Germany. Tickets for the June 6th gig have been sold out, and an allotment of special tickets reserved for the Rolling Stones fanclub have all been distributed.

Although the Cranberries’ Official Site has yet to confirm the date, an update today reveals that “one or two other ‘warm-up’ date(s) will be confirmed shortly,” possibly referring to the Rolling Stones tour dates. As of late, Pollstar has been very accurate with their Cranberries listings, confirming the June 10th Milan date several days before The Cranberries Official Site.

Source: Pollstar

What happens when you pull the plug on “Zombie”? You get one of the finest MTV Unplugged performances ever… and we’re not the only ones who think so! Today, February 24th, the Very Best Of MTV Unplugged 2 has been released in the UK. This compilation features The Cranberries hit Unplugged rendition of “Zombie” from February 1995. Though this information comes from the UK’s HMV, Very Best of MTV Unplugged 2 will most likely follow its predecessor (which included “Linger”) and end up as a worldwide release.

TV commercials currently airing in the UK show a brief clip of The Crans’ performance on MTV Unplugged in promotion of the new CD. The classic gig was recorded on Valentine’s Day 1995 at the Brooklyn Academy of Music in New York City.

Very Best of MTV Unplugged 2 is made up of the following memorable Unplugged performances:

1. Sting – Every Breath You Take 2. Chris Isaak – Wicked Game
3. The Cranberries – Zombie
4. R.E.M – Imitation Of Life
5. Eric Clapton – Layla
6. Crowded House – Four Seasons In One Day
7. Tori Amos – Cornflake Girl
8. Rod Stewart – Have I Told You Lately (That I Love You)
9. Bob Dylan – Like A Rolling Stone
10. Björk – Human Behaviour
11. Seal – Crazy
12. Midnight Oil – Beds Are Burning
13. Sheryl Crow – Run Baby Run
14. Bryan Adams – I’m Ready
15. Phil Collins – In The Air Tonight
16. Elton John – Don’t Let The Sun Go Down On Me

Very Best of MTV Unplugged 2 is available for online purchase now fromHMV.co.uk for approximately $22.00. Thanks to IrishPhil for the tip!

Source: HMV.co.uk

Earlier, Zombieguide promised you an English translation to this month’s Italian ‘All Music’ interview with Dolores, taken last December during her stay in Rome. Never going back on our word, or at least trying not to, here it is:

Dolores O’Riordan: Double Life of a Star
The singer reveals herself after the end of the “Stars” tour.

I phone Dolores in her suite of a Roman hotel (the singer had just returned to Italy after the last stop on her tour for a special exhibition in Vatican for the Pope.) You may recall that recently, the prestigious Irish magazine “Hot Press,” dedicated an entire issue of their publication to the rock foursome from Limerick. Now, despite thousands of engagements and a hectic schedule, Dolores’s voice is calm and relaxed. She receives my phone call with a sigh of relief after leaving her children in another room.

It occurs to me that speaking with her is not at all like speaking with someone who boats six or seven costume changes in a single concert and can hold the unwavering attention of tens of thousands of people. Instead, I find her in an intimate moment of her life: the double life of a mother and a female rocker with an awareness of being successful in two fronts: a woman raising two children and an artist in a ten-year career, with five albums, selling millions each, and a new compilation, “Stars,” to mark the end of the first 10 years of their artistic life. It’s as if the celebrity must balance between Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde; and my interview is my chance to discover what is real and what is a facade.

Q: Dolores, after ten years of hit records, what prompted you to release your “best of” compilation?
A: We had to show the fans and ourselves that 10 years of success has meant a lot. So we asked the fans to vote on the only non-single of the compilation; and they chose “Daffodil Lament” from No Need To Argue.

Q: If you had to choose a non-single, what song would you choose? A: Difficult. I’d ask the other members of the group to do it.

Q: Is your compilation a way to declare the end of a cycle?
A: More or less, it is the end of a cycle. We can’t linger on what we’ve done up to now, running over and over again with the songs that made us famous.

Q: So “Stars” is not a marketing ploy?
A: Absolutely not. We’ve just finished an exhausting tour that we could have avoided if we didn’t believe in “Stars”.

Q: What sensations did you get from the tour here in Italy?
A: Big energy and big love. Our shows in Italy have been quite sold-out. Playing live is the most emotional part of a singer’s life, but also the most devisive. You’re far from home, from your children, from the things you love most.

Q: You said that ‘Stars’ is like the end of an era. What can we expect from a new beginning?
A: These 10 years have been as much generous as they have been intense. I don’t know what we have to expect from the next 10 years. I’m not sure that the Cranberries’ sound will change very much. Maybe it’s just time to pull the plug for a while and see our families and the world from a different side than a hotel room.

Q: Speaking of your views on the world, if I simply follow the track list of ‘Stars’ with my finger, it’s evident that the subjects of your songs have gone from a local, more specific dimension, to topics that are now broader, and more world-wide. For example, “Salvation” is perhaps the division between “Zombie,” where ‘No Need To Argue’ seemed to contain more Irish themes, and songs like “Time Is Ticking Out,” where it’s as if you are thinking in more global terms with ‘Wake Up And Smell The Coffee’.
A: Before, we saw the world from a particular perspective, I mean geographically as well. We saw it from Limerick. Now, my perspective on things comes from the window of a hotel room or from the seat of an airplane. What has remained in our songs is the spontaneity in talking about important themes, both personal and collective. In that way, there isn’t that much difference between “Ode To My Family” and “Analyse.” Maybe the biggest change has been in our feeling more mature in talking about problems that pertain to everyone, everything from love to the future of our children, with a soft touch.

Q: There was an evolution within your music that resulted in “pop” melodies…
A: That was a natural movement to melodies that made us feel good while we were playing them. In ‘Stars’ there is an unpublished track which sounds very heavy, not “pop” at all.

Q: “New New York”. What kind of feelings did you have in seeing the new New York?

A: I didn’t see it just after the Towers were brought down, instead I got there for the first time in May 2002, when the pain inside the hearts had already changed into the wish of rebirth. Everything is in that song that I think about the new New York: pain that generates energy

Q: The change in your music hasn’t anything to do with the economic boom in Ireland?
A: The boom changed the appearance of our nation, but it also brought forth advantages. However, that’s not the reason for a change in the music; during the last years I haven’t really had the chance to experience the changes in Ireland because I don’t really live there anymore.

Q: Where then, do you live? A: Hotels.

Q: Are you tired of hotel rooms?
A: They are the other side to the warmth of the being with the people we meet on Tour. Hotels are the cold and sterile side; it’s what makes me start thinking that I should be at home getting ready for Christmas celebrations. When a tour is over you feel happy but very tired.

Q: Are you going to still be an on-stage musician in twenty years?
A: I really don’t know. Maybe yes, perhaps my children will be grown-up and they won’t need me so I’ll keep on playing.

Q: When you were speaking about the upcoming changes in The Cranberries’ music, were you referring to a solo project?
A: That’s what everybody has been waiting for, for ages. It’s possible; but for now I am enthusiastic about being a member of The Cranberries.

Q: Of course, but as a soloist, you could vent any artistic ideas repressed by the group, and do something completely different.

A: In that case, I would do something extremely different than The Cranberries’ style, maybe a sort of sound track for a film. I really like film sound tracks, the sound of a warm atmosphere inclined through a crescendo. Lately, I’ve listened to Marconi’s soundtracks (he’s a film-music composer), and generally I listen to David Lynch’s films soundtracks with pleasure. But for now, my favorite pop band is Travis.

My conversation with Dolores continues on for several minutes. She talks about her impressions from various gigs, Ireland, music… and then, there’s a Christian good-bye from the rocker-mom. And that’s when we see the synthesis of the two halves of Dolores’s nature: the thoughtful one, and the angry one:

“God bless you, man!”.
Thanks to Mattia and Eva for help with the translation!

Source: Exclusive

Earlier this month, a fashion show put on in Manila, Philippines, “showcased a hodgepodge of classic and experimental British fashion.” Part of the gala, entitled “Through the Looking Glass,” showcased designer’s interpretations of British icons, including Catherine Zeta-Jones, David Beckham, the fictional James Bond, and none other than The Cranberries’ own Dolores O’Riordan.

O’Riordan’s look-alike model was handled by two award-winning fashion designers. Willy de la Vega, champion of Hair Asia’s Salon Spectacular competition, designed the hair in tribute to Dolores’ distinctive look. De la Vega collaborated with noted designer Lito Perez, former President of the Fashion Designers’ Association of the Philippines, who is currently a designer for Camp Suki, which specializes in costumes and exotic clothing.

“Through the Looking Glass” was held earlier in February at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Manila. The fashion show was part of a celebration of the “UK Fortnight,” a two-week long festival held by Filipino British Council to showcase “all things British.”

Source: Manila Times

The Official Cranberries Web Site has recently revealed more of The Cranberries plans for the summer and the release of their sixth album. Four more dates will be added soon to the band’s European Tour in support of The Rolling Stones. And though The Cranberries had opportunities to tour with Live and Matchbox 20 in North America, they have decided to continue writing and rehearsals in preparation for the recording of their sixth album.

Currently, the band expects to have the recording completed by September 2003 and the album released in early 2004. Once The Cranberries finish recording, they plan to begin their World Tour in support of the album’s release, with South America possibly being the band’s first stop.

Source: Cranberries Official Site

If you’re a UK Cranberries fan who watches the occasional “reality” TV show, you may be able to solve a mystery for Dolores. At her home in Ireland on Monday, February 17th, Dolores came across an episode of a reality television program where she believes she heard a dance remix of The Cranberries 1996 hit, “Salvation.” Catching only a few seconds of the show, Dolores has been unable to determine the show’s title, or even verify whether or not she did indeed hear a version of her song. Now, Dolores is asking UK fans to help her collect more information.

If you know of a reality television program that follows holidaymakers from the UK to a “getaway” destination, possibly Jamaica, Dolores asks that you help her discover the program’s title. The series airs on a Sky digital channel at approximately 9:30 pm Irish time. Those of you in the UK with any information are asked to e-mail The Cranberries’ Webmaster.

Source: Cranberries Official Site

Awhile ago, Zombieguide reported on a Brazilian “Time is Ticking Out” promo CD that included one very interesting track: an acoustic version of “Analyse.”

At the time, due to its scarcity, we didn’t know if it was a new version or simply an official release of a radio performance — however, now we know that it is in fact a radio performance, although we do not know the date or venue. What we do know — and what you can tell for yourself — is that the recording has supurb quality.

This version of “Analyse” has only been officially released on this Brazilian promo. This isn’t the first time that Brazilian promos have gotten exclusive tracks either — the Brazilian “I’m Still Remembering” promo CD is the only place where the “Radio Edit” version of that song can be found.

Download: (LINK NO LONGER AVAILABLE!!)
· “Analyse” (Acoustic Version) (MP3, 128k, 3.0 mb) Taken from the Brazilian “Time is Ticking Out” promo CD

Many thanks to Michael for the track and scan and sending them to us for this week’s MP3 of the Week. Be sure to check out his site, Forever Stars.

Source: Exclusive

The Japanese release of The Cranberries’ Stars: The Best of Videos 1992- 2002 looms in uncertainty, as the Japanese release has just been delayed for the second time.

The Japanese release, which is being handled by Victor Entertainment, was originally slated for December 2002, but was delayed for unknown reasons. The DVD was then given a second release date of March 12, 2003, but it seems that even that date will not be met, and a new release date has yet to be determined.

The situation is eerily reminiscent of the original 2001 release of “Beneath the Skin” when releases in regions like Spain were continually pushed back until ultimately cancelled. However, shortly after their cancellations came the announcement of a “new version” of the DVD, which came a year and a half later in the form of “Beneath the Skin Version 2.”

Nothing extra has yet been announced for the Japanese release (if it does in fact release), but Asian releases of any kind tend to carry bonuses. Since this Japanese release seems to be the only Cranberries release on the radar in the immediate future, you can be sure to expect more coverage of it here on Zombieguide.

Source: CD Japan

Responding to electronically submitted requests of fans around the world,The Cranberries Official Web Site has started to add extra features to the site. The Official Site will now link directly to Amazon.com, assisting global shoppers in finding back catalog audio material. The inability to shop locally for many of the Cranberries’ releases has been a consistent challenge for many fans around the world.

Additionally, the site is in the process of updating its ‘Merchandise’ section; and will soon offer discounted prices on many clearance items available for purchase online.

The Official Site’s February 13th update also mentions that Dolores and Noel are continuing to write material for the upcoming album and that the rehearsal process, in preparation for their sixth album’s recording session, remains steady and active.

Source: Cranberries Official Site

“Ooooh, you little white poodle!!”

“My eyes are goin’ crazy!”

“You ruined the whole ‘ting! Ahh! I’m gonna cry!”

Those are just some of the bits of random out-of-context goodness to be found in this week’s MP3s of Week: the all-acoustic performance on the On the Edge radio show (1993). The broadcast was put out in June 1993 by the nationally syndicated radio network Westwood One for their Flag Day slash D-Day “festivities.”

It takes a total of four attempts to properly start “How,” much to the audible disgust of whoever was attempting to run the sound booth — it’s worth the download just to get a good laugh!

1. False (MP3, 3.8 mb)
2. Away (MP3, 3.8 mb)
3. Linger (MP3, 6.4 mb)
4. How (MP3, 6.1 mb)

(LINKS NO LONGER AVAILABLE!!)

Source: Exclusive

The February issue of the Italian magazine “All Music” has published a new interview with Dolores, done via telephone while she was staying in Rome in December for the Vatican Christmas Concert.

To start the Interview, Dolores answered basic questions about “Stars” (which we’ve all read plenty of times), and then later reiterated her perspective on how the “Best of” marks the end of a period of the band’s evolution, while also marking the beginning of a new one.

Dolores also acknowledged the possibility of future solo side-projects, but assured that any such projects would be radically different from the style of music associated with The Cranberries. She says, “In effect, in that case, I would do something extremely distant from the Cranberries. [Maybe] even create a score for a film. I adore film scores, those warm or stiff atmospheric sounds that build up towards a crecendo. Lately I’ve been listening a lot to soundtracks by Marconi, a composer who does music for film, and… [also] those by David Lynch [Mulholland Drive, Blue Velvet]. I’m even listening to a little bit of the pop group Travis right now.”

Visit the Magazines Gallery to check out scans from the interview. We should have a full translation available shortly!

Thanks to Mattia for the scans and info!

Source: Exclusive

In the mid-1990’s, The Cranberries’ alternative yet subtle style in songs like “Linger” and “Dreams” grouped them in the same categories as artists like the Gin Blossoms. But at the same time, The Cranberries were also being played alongside artists like The Violent Femmes and Smashing Pumpkins. And now, if you’re not sure which is the more logical combination, you’ve got two various artist compilations to help you decide.

Radio Waves of the 90’s: Alternative Rock Hits a ten-track compilation CD from MCA Special Projects, was released last Fall. With “Linger” offered as The Cranberries’ contribution to the “alternative” sound of the nineties, Radio Waves… also includes tracks by milder rock bands such as Semisonic and Amitri. By contrast, JJJ Hottest 100 Vol.1 , a two-disc Australian import includes “Dreams” and “Linger” mixed with tunes from both harder rocking bands like Radiohead as well as pop artists like Ace of Base.

Radio Waves… is available at Barnes & Nobles for $6.98. The thirty-one tracked JJJ Hottest 100 is available for $27.99 online at www.jpc.de

Sources: JPC and Barnes & Noble