Report: GUNS N' ROSES' "Democracy" To Be Retail Exclusive?
August 15, 2008, 15 years ago
Billboard.com has issued the following report from Ed Christman:
The June leak of nine allegedly "mastered, finished" tracks from GUNS N' ROSES' long-delayed Chinese Democracy spurred a renewed round of chatter about whether the Axl Rose-led band will finally release the 14-years-in-the-making album.
But some concrete signs are finally emerging that the album's release could be imminent. That's because, according to sources, negotiations are underway for Chinese Democracy to come out as an exclusive at one of the big boxes - either Wal-Mart or Best Buy.
Negotiations are also ongoing to have conventional record company distribution, another source says.
Guns N' Roses is now managed by Irving Azoff's Front Line Management, and Azoff is a well-known proponent of issuing albums exclusively through retailers. He released the EAGLES' Long Road Out Of Eden through Wal-Mart, much to the chagrin of other merchants.
Most recently, it became known that AC/DC's next album will come out exclusively through Wal-Mart. Merchants were particularly incensed that the deal was apparently struck with the blessing of Columbia.
Read more at Billboard.com.
