A lot of Monday morning quarterbacking post release but this exclusive still was the retailer coup in entertainment that happened last century. The ROI was negligible. The artist wouldn’t promote the work, a move that detractors used to pan the content into an early grave. The name created low-level negative international commentary. The fan base had a big delta between who loved it and who didn’t and were being squeezed by the Great Recession. Sum total by those viewing from their particular perch was that it was an epic fail. Musical taste aside, given all the intangibles, only Best Buy could make this release happen. Anyone sitting on our branch knew what a win it really was. It was a competitive proving ground. The team built a machine of human capital that quickly spat out anyone without a sense of humor or work ethic. It was no longer who was a vendor rep and who was a merchant and who was marketing and who was supply chain and who were Events and who was in the store making “the last ten feet*” work to deliver the experience for the customer. Silos were evacuated and a meet-up was designated. If a person is lucky. I mean really worked hard to play the odds to up their chance to be at the right place at the right time, they land a project of a lifetime. Very few people...for better or worse...can say they were a part of this. *This post is in honor of Gary Arnold.

2. J n thc uaning days ofzooo. could
I you hare gursscd tlrrr zooT woulcl
I nna The Police and Scx Pi:tols
reunited, that the biggest hit of the year
uould be abour a piece of rain gear
@ihanna's "Umbrella'), or that all your
things would end up in a box to the left,
to the left @cyonc6's "Incplaceable')?
Paste drd.
Using breakthroughs in ctueos theory,
heuristic computing and a team ofalbino
psychics kept in a sensory{eprir.ation tank
in the basement, rve're able to provide the
best music coverage possible. So we
thought we'd give you a glimpse of what
zoo8 lus in store.
Jan. 22 Jay-Z releases single, "I'm
Breaking Up X(/ith Beyonc6"; tells Tbe
Source it's just a song and his relation-
ship with Bcyonc6 has ncver been
stronger.
Feb. 6 Inspired by the collaboration
betweenJohn Nlellencamp and Stephen
King on a Broadway musical, Anne
Rice and Bruce Springsteen creare a
show about a young Jcrsey ruffian
whose emotionally distant father is a
gay vampire.
Feb. 29 lfhen confronted with
papers from the BALCO inve:tigation
on 6o Minutes, Diddy reveals that he
once took anabolic steroids to try to
improve his flow.
March 6 Aftcr years of bcing sur-
rounded by svcophants and luxury,
Britney Spears realizcs she has hit rock
bottom, and begs Apollo Creecl to train
her for her fight with Clubber Lang.
March 9 Vhile appearing on Oprah,
Kanye )i/est announces he's carrying
Hi11ary Clinton's baby.
April 15 Congress awards Andre 3ooo
the first Congressional Medal of St1,1e.
May 23 MTY's Cribs visits the mod-
est Montreal apartment of the Arcade
Fire's 7in Butler and Regine
Chassagne. Viewers get an eyeful of
the couple's zooz Volvo station wagon,
lots of rVest Elm furniture, a stack of
Believer magazines, and matching
N{acBooks.
June 4 Thc major record labels
announce that all new songs rvill only
he available a. domloadable ringtones.
June 25 Justin Timberlake and
Timbaland form partnership to buv
Timberland, timber land.
of "One." I{e is never heard from
again.
Aug. 28 STith a shorv in Nome
Counry, Alaska, Foghat completes its
longtime mission to play every coun-
ty f'air in the United States.
Sept. 1 Native son Prince kicks off
thr Republican Narionai Conrenrion
concert ever happens again.
Oct. 10 Kenny G and Michael Bolton
agree that if the other's alburn sells
more copics in its firsr week, hc rvill
end his career as a solo artist.
Oct. 19 Kanye lfest tells Conan
O'Brien he's $ad Late Night tapes dur-
ing the day, as he's actually r/4 were,
wolfl
Nov. I Chris Cornell, Scott Weiland,
Zach De La Rocha and Billy Corgan
forrt a c,tppelld supergroup The
lTandering Lead Singers.
Nov. 2 The Tanrlering Lead Singers
break up.
Nov, 14 zPac releases third nerv
album of the ycar. considers purring
together Christmas album.
Nov. 27 Genetic testing reveals Amy
Tinehouse to be the lovechild of
Keith Richards and Janis Joplin, the
reult of an adranccd cloning cxpcri-
ment Clive Davis commissioned in the
late r96os. Hordes of malformed biz
zaro lfinehouses escape from his lab,
but are rounded up at the nearest pub
before thev can do serious harm.
Dec. 14 TheJay ZlBeyonc6 love bal
lad "(]et the Hell Away From Me"
soars to the top ofthe ringtone charts.
Dec, 22 Not wanting anyone to think
he plays a role in rising East
Coast/!7est Coast hip-hop violence,
Kanye tells Charlie Rose he's changing
his name to Kanye Midwest.
Dec. 30 (12:OO AM) Hell freezes
Dec. 31 (12:01 AM) Best Buy hosts
a chain-wide midnight release part1,
for Guns N'Roses' Chinese Demoracy.
Fnu'*r
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l) r
li ,l I
i'ilr
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14* I
July 15 Beyonc6 drops her new dou-
blealbum,Jay-Z Ve're Througb / I Ilate
Tou Sbatan Carter: tells Barbara
Talters her love {or Jay-Z has never
been stronger.
July 27 VHr cancels Suruiving Sufjan
after the {irst commercial break of the
show's first episode.
Aug. 8 During the opening cere-
monies of the zoo8 Summer Olympics
in Beijing. Bono performs a moring.
poignant, politicallv charged rendition
in Minneapolis with a rousing rcndi-
tion of "Pussy Control."
Sept. 4 Continued outsourcing of
funk production overseas forces
George Clinton to retire
Sept. 24 After a rz-hour cor*ert for
peace featuring Sting, Crosby Slls and
Nash, Moby, Rage Againshe
Nlachine, Paul McCartney and the
viving members of Uz, all the countries
of the world lay down their weapons
and promise an end to international
violence, as iong as nothing like that
o
O
Z
Paul l. Willjams is a wjtcr Iiving in
Arlington, Va. He only uses his powers of
prognostication for good, never evil.
'I2O DEC OTJAN 08

3. BILLBOARD.BIZ BULLETIN PAGE 3 OF 6
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Guns N' Roses and its frontman Ax1 Rose
will now be represented by longtime managers
Irving Azoff and Andy Gould, according to a
statement from Rose on the band's Web site.
"We are very excited and look forward to
working with them and hope our relationship
proves beneficial for everyone, especially the
fans," Rose said in a statement on the site.
No further details about the management
agreement were available at deadline.
GNR and Rose were previously managed by
Merck Mercuriadis. Rose revealedthe splitwith
Mercuriadis in a December 2006 online post-
ing, citing disagreements over the set up for
GNR's long-awaited album "Chinese Democ'
racy." There's still no official word on when
the decade-in-the-works " Chinese Democracy"
will see the light of day.
"Chinese Democracy" was most recently
scheduled for release on March 6,2007,but
promptlyvanished from the schedule without
a new date being set. It will be the first Guns
N' Roses album since the 1993 covers collec-
tion "The Spaghetti Incident"; in the ensuing
decade, the group has burned through a re-
ported $13 million in recording expenses.
-Mitchell
Peters, L.A.
xmYS 5T &W* rW*4'rVl**Vg *4t*.w*-
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R&B singer Alicia Keys is starring in "Fresh
Takes," a newmicro-series createdby Dove Go
Fresh, a fragrance collection by Dove.
The series, which premiered this week dur-
ing "The Hil1s" show on MTV, follows three
20-something-year-o1d girlfriends as they strug-
gle with identity, careers and love.
"Fresh Takes" will broadcast three-minute
episodes nationwide over a five-week period at
10 P.M. EST. The micro-series, created and
produced by MindShare Entertainment and
MTV, will also be available on the Dove Go
Fresh site and on dove.com.
Alicia Keys, who plays Alex on the show,
headlines the series, alongside up-and-com-
ing actresses Desi Lydi (Diana) and )essalyn
Wanlim (Lizzie).
-M
ariel Concepcion, N.Y.
tqp, z;,,; xt*c*?4*.fr r&Y w*w' & tMT x"w?4u7
XETVfr I
The IFPi has appiauded the recommenda-
tions made in the pages of a report on the po-
tential hazards the Internet can pose to
children.
Britain's government has committed to ac-
cepting and taking forward all the points out-
lined in the Byron Review, a newly-published
research paper which was commissioned in
2007 by the prime minister and the secretaries
of state for Children, Schools and Families and
Culture, Media and Sport.
Among the moot points made by its author,
the clinical psychologist Tanya Byron, is the
lowering of the statutory age at which games
have to go before the British Board ofFilm Clas-
sification (BBFC).
"The Byron Review recognizes the dangers
that exist in the online environment," com-
ments IFPI chairman/CEO fohn Kennedy in
a statement. He adds, "We urge the U.K. gov-
ernment to undertake more education work to
help keep children safe when using the Inter-
net. "
Following publication of the report, the De-
partment for Children Schools and Families
and the Department for Culture Media and
Sport yesterday vowed to work with industry,
schools and parents to ensure children and
young people remain safe in the online wor1d.
Kennedy adds, "A recent court case in the
U.S. highlighted the fact that criminals are
using file-sharing networks to commit iden-
tity fraud, harvesting personal financial infor-
mation often unwittingly uploaded onto the
Internet when children use the family com-
puter to share copyright infringing music. "
The IFPI wili soon launch its own guide for
parents and teachers informing them on how
to obtaining music safely and 1egally online.
-Lars
Brandle, Lond.on
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wLV ?4 *AT* 3 AXZ vX.*T tl l4r*
Whitney Houston, Diana Ross, Rod Stewart
and Shakira are among the performers set to
take the stage at the fourth annual Plymouth
f azz Festival in Plymouth, Tobago, from April
25 -27.
Smokey Robinson, Peabo Bryson, James In-
gram, En Vogue, Steel Pulse and Ricky Minor
are aiso scheduled to partake in the festivities.
Past festivals have included appearances by
Stevie Wonder, Sting, Sir Elton Iohn, Sean
Puffy Combs, Gladys Knight, Earth, Wind &
Fire, Mary ]. Blige, Natalie Cole, Babyface and
LL Cool I to name a few. The event is sponsored
by CL Communications and LaRoda Group.
-Mariel
Concepcion, N.Y.

4. BILLBOARD.BIZ BULLETIN PAGE 3 OF 6
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Songwriter/producer Ed Cash was named
BMI's 2008 Christian Songwriter of the Year
during the organization's annual Christian
Music Awards, held April 19 at the company's
Nashville offices.
One of Cash's compositions, "Made to Wor-
ship," recorded by Chris Tomlin, was named
BMI's Christian Song ofthe Year. Cash was also
recognized for penning the hits "Holding Onto
You" and "How Can I Keep From Singing."
Universal Music Publishing Group was
named Christian Publisher of the Year. The
award is determined by the highest percentage
ofcopyright ownership in award songs.
The company's eight award-winning songs
include "The Blessing ofAbraham," penned by
Donald Lawrence, "Dead Man (Carry Me)," co-
written and recorded by |ars ofClay, "My Sav-
ior, My God," written and recorded by Aaron
Shust, and "imagine Me," co-penned and
recorded by Kirk Franklin.
During the evening, BMI recognized song-
writers and publishers in the Christian rock,
contemporary Christian, inspirational, urban
gospel and Southern gospel fields who had the
most performed songs on Christian radio. Jars
ofClay, Aaron Shust, and Isaiah Thomas per-
formed during the event.
Shust and Lawrence each earned two BMI
honors. Among the other songwriters recog-
nized were Franklin, Thomas, tobyMac,
Bady, |oel Lindsay, David Nasser, |asen
and Anthony Armstrong ofthe group
of Clay members Dan Haseltine, Charlie
ell, Steve Mason, Matt Odmark, and Casting
Crown's frontman Mark Hall.
-Deborah
Evans Price, Nashville
&Mt, %4,*74 "{4p,74 W*A U*ff*ru& %&W
&^*46W"{*m&L
In a move that breaks rank with normal pub-
lishing agreements, EMI Music Publishing has
signed a deal to administer the catalog of Edi-
tora San Angel, in confunction with Mexico's So-
ciety of Authors and Composers (SACM).
Editora San Angel is the publishing house of
all music compositions belonging to Mexican
media conglomerate Televisa, and includes the
music of many Televisa shows and soap operas,
as well as many of the tracks recorded by Tele-
visa's multiple artists, including RBD.
San Angel's catalog has long been adminis-
teredworidwideby SACM, which also represents
the writers. Under the new agreement, EMI will
step in to representboth San Angel's and SACM's
interests in the catalog worldwide, except for the
United States and Mexico. In the United States,
EMI will be the sole administrator of San Angel's
catalog. SACM will continue to act as adminis-
trator for the individual writers it represents
worldwide.
"This alliance exemplifies how societies and
editors can work together for the rights of au-
thors and composers," said Nestor
aging director for
Ame
[r in place, Guns
n negotiations" for the release ofits
decade-in-the-making album "Chinese Democ-
racy," according to a post on the band's Web site.
The message did not elaborate on what the dis-
cussions concern, or offer an approximate re-
lease date for "Chinese Democracy," which was
last on Interscope's release schedule in March
2007.
In other GNR news, guitarist Robin Finck has
left the Ax1 Rose-led band to return to Nine Inch
Nails, and will tour with the latter act this sum-
mer.
"Robin's plans caught everyone in Guns, as
well as our fans, a bit off-guard," the band says.
"Neither we nor management, etc., know any
more in this regard and we prefer not to specu-
late or offer opinions at this time."
"When we begin to put tour plans together,
we'll see where things are," the post continues.
"Until then, Robin's touring with NIN and we're
working with management on our game plans. "
-Jonothan
Cohen, N.Y.
&*Y,t?45 ?1*, &*W,* F *ru' V *r.)W& &"?&m
?}.rtr rltqYl trqq,
Trace Adkins will appear on CBS's daytime
soap opera "The Young and the Restless" on
May 2, when he will perform his song "You're
Gonna Miss This."
Adkins will take place in a plot twist where
s in Genoa City to help Nick (Joshua
surprise his wife, Phyllis (Michelle
) for their first anniversary.
ins recently appeared on "Celebrity Ap-
ntice," and is currently fiiming the Christ-
mas tale "An American Carol" for director David
Zucker.
-Ann
Donahue, L.A
' **%X*' ?4X{**7 t NY tt'].&' Y
w.&,gg"Nxw*-&L&uM

5. Previous Next Latest
"Ghinese Democracyt' Rumgrs; Release Date, Best
Buy Exclusive
9126/08, 10:48 am EST
The latest rumors regarding the release of Guns N' Roses' Chinese Democracy have been swirling
around message boards this week, The first rumor is that the long-awaited album will be released
exclusively through Best Buy on November 25th. The source of the multi-tiered rumors is a
supposed "vendor convention" that Best Buy had on Wednesday in Dallas, Texas. Reportedly, Guns
manager Andy Gould told the 900 employees the news about Chinese Democracy before previewing
three songs from the album. Cellphone recordings of the event were later distributed through GNR
fan forums. Gould also reportdly alerted the crowd that "If The World" would also be featured in the
closing credits for the upcoming Leonardo DiCaprio/Russell Crowe film Body of Lies, which was
confirmed by message boarders on movie websites (like IMDB) who happened to catch a press
screening of the film yesterday. The number of witness accounts, evidence and message boards
involved makes it hard to believe this is all just a hoax, but this is Axl Rose we're talking about, so
we'll believe it when the press release reaches our inbox, Still, we're cautiously looking forward to
Chinese Democracy and free Dr. Pepper on November 25th.

6. a
a
a
Guns N Roses 'Chinese Democracy' To
Get November Release
New reports claim by Jason Gregor),
26 September 2008
Photo by: WENN
Guns N' Roses long awaited studio album 'Chinese Democracy'will be released on
November 25th, according to new reports.
The album, which has been in production for over 14 years, will be available exclusively
in Best Buy stores.
According to internet reports, the band's manager, Andy Gould, informed 900 employees
at the retail store this week, before playing them three songs from the record.
Gould is also reported to have informed them that a new song, 'If The World', will feature
in the forthcoming movie, Body of Lies, which stars Russell Crowe and Leonardo
DiCaprio
'Chinese Democracy' is understood to have cost frontman Axl Rose $2milllion to make.
In June, a number of songs, purported to be finished edits, appeared on an internet blog.
27-year-old Kevin Cogill, who uploaded the tracks, was anested in August on suspicion
of violating federal copyright laws.
Prosecutors claim he could have caused a "significant" profit loss for the band. Cogill has
since appealed for donations to his defence fund.

7. WM
THE BOXER REBELLION:
The inside word is that Guns
N' Roses will follow the blue-
print drawn up by manager
lrving Azofffor The Eagles and
enter into an exclusive deal with
a big-box retailer for Chinese
Democracy. But unlike the
Eagles situation or the recent
2.5 million-unit dealwih C,olurn
bia for AC/DC's Black lce, the
GNR album will go notto Wal-
Mart butto Best Buy. Axl Rose
and company are co-managed
byAndy Gould and Azoff, who
also consulted on the AC/DC
deal. These arrangements are
very much a sign of the times,
as the majors get in deeper
wifr mega-retailers, cutting their
risk while pocketing immedi-
ate revenue... Five years after
AC/DC moved its valuable cat-
alog from one major to anoth-
er, Pink Floyd is in talks to take
its catalog off of EMl, which
has the band's first 11 albums,
including Dark Side of the
Moon'. According to Warner
Music insiders, Lyor Cohen
was given expanded responsi-
bilities because he was able to
tum around the company's pre-
viously moribund East Coast
operation while significantly
IYOR COHEN: Considerable
experience dealing with vice.
improving WMG marketshare
as a whole during the last four
years. Vftrile some nalrsayers are
predicting that this is the first
part of an up-and-out move for
much-maligned, highly contro-
versial executive, other ob-
servers point out that Edgar
Bronfman Jr. genuinely likes
Cohen, as well as being utterly
dependent on him. As parts of
WMG remain competitive in
an increasingly challenging busi-
ness landscape, even those of
us who have been most critical
of Cohen! abilities and inten-
tions are forced to acknowledge
that WMG would be in far
worse shape with Bronfman
running the company by him-
self... While tensions between
Cohen and Tom Whalley con-
tinue to simmer, insiders still
believe the head of Warner
Bros. Records will get his new
deal, though his corhpensation
is expected to be dramatically
reduced. As Bronfman and
Cohen were kicking the tires of
potential replacements for the
WBR chief, discussions have
been initiated between Whalley
and lnterscope, but *rose in dre
know don't see them amount-
ing to anything... Speaking of
lnterscope, the company's pro-
jected fourth-quarter release
schedule of a few months ago
has been decimated by delays
in a number of crucial recording
projects. While only the U2
album has formally been
bumped (following an announce-
ment from the band that it was
on a roll and intended to keep
working), release dates have
yet to be nailed down for Dr.
Dre, Eminem or the Black
Eyed Peas, making it doubtful
that any of them will see the
light of day before the end of
2008. The absence of releases
from three of the label's power
hitters could climax an unchar-
acteristic middling year for
what has been the most dom-
inant label of the last decade.
Year-to-date, the Jimmy lovine-
led label is 2.6 percentage
points off of last yeart 8.7"/"in
new-release marketshare. lnter-
scope's remaining hopes lie
wifr the Pusqycat Dolls (whose
2006 debut did nearly 2.9m)
and Robin Thicke (1.5m), both
on Sept. 30; the once-mighty
Guns N' Roses (42rn*ut that
was a greatest-hits set), proba-
bly on Nov. 28, the day after
Thanksgiving; and 50 Cent
(1.3m)... The reasons behind
Janet Jacksont exit from IDJ
after little more than a year aren't
complicated. According to in-
siders, Jackson was disappoint-
ed when Discp/ine topped out
at just 400k, while her singles
performed considerably below
those of Rihanna and Mariah
Carey, rubbing salt in the
wound. Jackson asked for her
release-despite the fact that
her significant other: Jermaine
Dupri, is company's ranking
urban executive-and got it.
Subsequent reports that she's
headed to Live Nation, which
is handling her current tour,
seem plausible, especially con-
sidering the seeming absence
of other viable options... Mean-
while, at Universal, it appears
thatJason Flom willjoin Monte
Lipman's team in a dedicated
A&R capacity, reuniting him
with his mentor, Doug Morris...
Most expect the Oa. 15 City
of Hope event honoring Monis
to draw a veritable who's who
of today's music business while
generating the most money in
City of Hope history. The even-
JASON FLOM: Reunited
and it feels so good.
ing promises to be a testament
to the myriad accomplishments
of the revered executive over
the last five decades, culminat-
ing in the shaping of UMG into
the most formidable company
of the last 20 years. Observers
attribute UMG's remarkable
success to the savrry leader-
ship of a true record man, at a
time when the business was
overrun by neophytes and
clueless outsiders, accountants
and private-equity Gordon
Gekkos... Names in the
Rumor Mill: Michael Fleisher,
Paul McGuinness, Rob C.avallo,
Doug Goldstein, Lee Trink
and Lucian Grainge.
DOUG MORRIS: Lrke A-Rod,
a shoo-in for the hall of fame.
l{l7S Santemh,ar 2A Z0,OA
KJ/D'S rcCKTN'
CAN COHEN? DOUG'S DYNASTY

8. E WWru
Lubel exers prssent 0 series of plotinum owords to legendory Columbio Rerords
group AC/D(, lhonks to o speciol government boilout progrom fiof guoronlees
every ploque's worth ot $2.87. The group, whose new qlbum Elock lce (omes out
exdusively ot Wol-Morl, Som's Club snd fieir own website Oct.20, hod to reod
fiis toplion to identify the following (l-r): VP Digitol Mktg/Biz Dev Glenn Frese,
At/DCt Molcolm Young, VP Publidty Benny Torontini, SilLG Choirmon Rob
Siringer, A(/DC's Angus Young, monoger Alvin Hondwerker, Columbio
Choirmon Sleve Bornett, RMC lnt'l's Robbie Mclnlosh, ihe bond's Brion
Johnson, VP Morketing Greg [inn ond PR moven Lorry Solters.
his will be the first story
about Jakob Dylan that
doesn't mention his
father.That's right, we
promise not to say a single word
about Donovan.
Nevertheless, the singer/
songwriter's first soio album
apart from his longtime band
the Wallflowers, the Rick
Rubin-produced Seeing Thlngs,
on Columbia Records, seems
to beg comparison with his old
man in its acoustic orientation,
even as it sets out in its own
very personal direction.
"The trouble, doll, no not
moving mountains," he sings on
the album's first single, "Some.
thing Good This Vay Comes,"
"but digging the ground that
you're on."
That outlook results in
Jakob's most forthcoming work
to date, one that has already
generated Grammy buzz in criti-
cal circles. The album's opening
week sales of 24k trumped all
expectations, with that number
now climbing close to 100k
since its June 10 release.
The album has moved a
majority of its copies through
the partnership with Starbucks,
which came about thanks to
former Hear Music exec Tim
Ziegler along with Columbia
Chairman Steve Barnett and
Mark DiDia.
"Starbucks has been a huge
component of the project's suc-
cess," says new Dylan manager
Rich Egan of Hard 8 Manage.
ment. "Bamett and Didia went
above and beyond the call of
duty to get the deal done, a
clear sign they recognize the
changing marketplace. They
had to clear a lot of hurdles to
ger rhis done.
Dylan just finished supporr.
ing Eric Clapton in Europe and
will go on tour with Willie Nel-
son through the fa1l.
As a solo artist, he per-
formed at last summer's Bon-
naroo and Austin City Limits
(both festival and TV show)
as well as the Bumbershoot
and Rothbury festivals.
The U.K. press has been par-
ticularly enthusiastic, with a
recent London Sunday Times
cover, as well as rave reviews
and features in Mojo andUncut.
'lTorking
without the safety
net of his former band, the
Wallflowers, for the first time,
Jakob opens up more than he
has in the past on several of the
tracks. In the closing "This End
of the Telescope," he sings: "l
was born in the summer of
Sam/Smaller and sooner than
planned/ln the spitting image of
the man/Raised by wolves on
the fat of the land."
At once an acknowledge-
ment of a unique upbringing, to
say the least, it's also a claim to
be allowed to grow-and be
accepted-as an artist on his
terms. "Got my weapons/l'm
lying low/On this end of the
telescope/l see clearly at last."
By stepprng out as a solo per-
former, Jakob Dylan may beg
comparisons with his old man,
but at the same time, he begins
to create an artistic space to
call his own.
"lt was all about presenting
Jakob's llncs and vocals up front,"
says producer Rubin. "Having
them stand by themselves."
"lt took a lot of courage for
Jakob to strip away the band,
both musically and in name,"
says Egan. "He's basically laid it
out there bare.bones, and the
music has resonated with critics
and music fans alike."
iT'S WiNE AND ROSE5 FOR AXL AND ANDY...
iT'S THE yEAR 0F THE T,VEASEL
FOR TH|S CART00N.
CHiNESE DEilOCRACT
i5 6ONNA BE B|66ER
THAN THE OLYI,IP|CSI
r' ANAN$IEN sQt' ARE
L?xene woi.;r, r*r-Flil tgag
THIT's T}1E FiRsI COIIiM FOI 5OIIE OF U5.
Jakob Dylan: I*ss is more
HITS September 26,2008 15

9. BILLBOARD,BIZ BULLETIN
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More than a decade after Guns
racy" will finally see
the light ofday before year's end, sources close
to the situation confirms to Billboard. As first re-
ported here, the set will be a Best Buy exclusive
and will be available Sunday, Nov. 23, rather than
the usual Tuesday.
Beyond enticing pre-Thanksgiving shoppers,
the move is tied to the sEucture of Best Buy's sales
week, which runs from Sunday to Saturday. As
such, "Chinese Democracy" would not be eligi-
ble to chart on The Biilboard 200 until the week
ofDec. 1, according to Nielsen SoundScan.
In the run-up to release date, album track
"Shackler's Revenge" will debut in the video game
"Rock Band 2," while a portion of "If the World"
is playing over the end credits in the new Leonardo
DiCaprio/Russell Crowe film "Body ofLies."
In addition, GNR's seminal 1987 debut, "Ap-
petite for Destruction," will be reissued on vinyl
on Oct. 28 via Interscope.
The band's last new studio albums were the si-
multaneously released "Use Your Illusion I" and
"II" in September 1991. A covers set, "The
Spaghetti Incident)," followed in 1993, and fea-
tured some of the last GNR recordings from orig-
inal guitarist Slash and bassist Duff McKagan.
-Jonathan
Cohen, N.Y.
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A record company has sued Lil' Kim for $2.5
million, saying the Grammy-winning rapper has-
n't delivered all the recordings their contract re-
quires.
Media filed the lawsuit Tuesday in
Manhattan's state Supreme Court. Lil' Kim's
lawyer, Londell McMillan, says Brookland sued
"to leverage their own position" in the contract
dispute.
The lawsuit says Brookland contracted with Lil'
Kim this year and spent hundreds ofthousands
ofdollars on recordings, equipment and advance
payments.
Court papers say the rapper later tried to change
the contract and refused to continue recording
unless Brookland agreed. The papers say she had
recorded only a few tracks toward a new album
by the beginning of September.
Brookland wants the court to declare the con-
tract valid and bar Lil' Kim from recording for an-
other company.
-Associated
Press
!fl'{ru}H$ fff[ Tli'{m &TTAC K *v[F+
The indie community has presented a united
front over digital rights in a special Popkomm
pane1.
Speaking under the "lmpala Presents" banner,
delegates flipped the subiect ofdebate at the last
minute. The panel had been due to discuss the
relationship between the EU and the independ-
ent community, but changed to instead focus on
developments with Merlin, the indies' digital li-
censing body.
Merlin CEO Charles Caldas said the end was
in sight for its dispute with Last.fm, which it re-
cently accused of streaming unlicensed tracks
from its members (Billboard.biz, ]uiy 19).
"We're in the middle of a negotiation to legir
imize the service," said Caldas, "But also to cre-
ate a business that will work for everyone. There
has been progress and we will announce a deal in
due course."
Caldas sounded notably less optimistic on the
subiect of MySpace Music, which launched with-
out any repertoire from Merlin members (Bill-
board.biz, Sept. 25) after the rights body held out
for equal terms with the majors, which all have
an equity stake in the business
"We're in an ongoing negotiation, but I don't
have a lot to add to my statement of two weeks
ago," he said. "lt's a service thatwe believe could
be of value to our members but the fact that the
majors are [part] owners raises serious concerns
for us. It's not healthy for the market or compe-
tition if it's allowed to go unchallenged. I would
hope that MySpace Music come good on their pub-
lic statements and put their money where their
mouth is."
Other panelists wete also critical ofdigital serv-
ices that continue to have different terms for con-
tent from maior labels and independents.
Alison Wenham, president of global indies body
WIN and CEO of U.K. indies group AIM, accused
such sites of "discrimination," adding: "lt's im-
perative that we establish financial value for these
copyrights that represent 307o of the music mar-
ket."
Impala president Horst Weidenmuller, also
CEO of German indie K7, even suggested the en-
tire future ofthe music industry rested upon par-
ity being achieved.
"Ifyou cut out these [digital] revenue streams,
[indies] won't have money to sign new artists, " he
claimed. "Then the majors don't have any new
acts to develop... the whole market will implode."
-M
ark S uth erl an d., B erlin

10. Emily Schroeder, Best Buy
(61 2) 29 1 -6124 or E m ily. Schroeder@bestbu y. com
GUNS N'ROSES CH"VESE DEMOCRACY CD SET FOR
NOVEMBER 23 RELEASE AT BEST BUY
****
First Single - "Chinese Democracy" - Premieres on Radio on
October 22
***
Pre-Order Begins Today at www.bestbuy.com/chinesedemocracy
MINNEAPOLIS, October 22,2008 - Best Buy and Geffen Records announced that one
of the most highly anticipated albums of all time, Guns N' Roses' Chinese Democracy,
will be available beginning Nov. 23 at Best Buy and BestBuy.com on CD, vinyl, and
digital downloads. The title track, the first single from the album, was released to radio
today, October 22. Chinese Democracy is the first album of new material from one of
rock's most influential bands since the 1991 simultaneous releases of Use Your lllusion
/ and Use Your lllusion ll.
"The release of Chinese Democracy marks a historic moment in rock n' roll," said co-
managers lrving Azoff and Andy Gould. "We're launching with a monumental campaign
developed by Gary Arnold and the Best Buy team that matches the groundbreaking
sound of the album itself. Guns N' Roses fans have every reason to celebrate, for this
is only the beginning."
"Chinese Democracy is one of the most highly anticipated albums in music history, and
Best Buy is thrilled to deliver this explosive and previously elusive release to Guns N'
Roses fans. Longtime fans will be rewarded for their patience and loyalty to this great
band, while a new generation of fans will be blown away," said Gary Arnold, Senior
Entertainment Officer for Best Buy. "Axl Rose is one of the most dynamic and gifted
writers and performers in modern music. Best Buy is excited to work with Axlto make
the release of Chlnese DemocracyTHE musical event of 2008!"
"Guns N' Roses is THE premier American rock band," commented Steve Berman,
President, Sales and Marketing, lnterscope Geffen A&M Records. "Partnering with
Gary and everyone at Best Buy to release one of rock's most anticipated and legendary
albums is truly a moment in music history. We're thrilled to be able to announce that
Chinese Democracy is coming, it's coming this year, and it's coming to Best Buy."
-continued-

11. GUNS N'ROSES.
CHINESE DEMOCRACY.
NOVEMBER 23.
****
First Single, "Chinese Democracv", Debuts Todav-October 22
****r<
SANTA MONICA, CA - October 22, 2008 - Chinese Democracy has finally arrived. One of
the most highly anticipated albums in rock history, the long-awaited Chrnese Democracy
marks the first album of new material from Guns N' Roses since 1991's simultaneous release
of Use Your Illusion I and Use Your Illusion II. With a frenzied energy/ Guns N' Roses arrived
on the music scene in the mid-'80s and rock was never the same. Now the enormously
influential G N'R is ready to rock once again.
Chinese Democracy (Black FroglGeffen Records) will be available globally on November 23
on CD and vinyl (accompanied by a free digital download of the tracks), and as a separate
digital album.
Produced by Axl Rose and Caram Costanzo, Chinese Democracy includes 14 tracks. The
title track and first single from the album, "Chinese Democracy", will be released to radio at
5:00 am eastern time today. Two of the recordings have been recently released-r'Shackler's
Revenge" debuted September 14 in the "Rock Band 2" videogame and "If The World" debuted
October 11 in the film Body Of Lies.
"The release of Chinese Democracy marks a historic moment in rock 'n' roll," said Irving
Azoff and Andy Gould, Guns N' Roses' co-managers, "and we're launching with a monumental
campaign that matches the groundbreaking sound of the album itself. Guns N' Roses fans
have every reason to celebrate, for this is only the beginning."
"Guns N' Roses redefined the American rock band and became a global music icon," added
Steve Berman, President, Sales and Marketing, Interscope Geffen A&M Records. "We're
incredibly excited that Chrnese Democracy will be heard worldwide through Geffen Records
and the Universal Music Group."
Seventeen years ago, the two previous original albums from one of rock's most intense and
compelling bands, Use Your Illusion I and Use Your Illusion II, were issued simultaneously, a
first for any contemporary artist. Debuting #2 and #1, respectively, they featured three gold
hits with "November Rain" (#3), "Don't Cry" (#10) and the previously released Top 30 "You

12. Best Buy seals the deal with Guns N' Roses Page I of 1
StarTribune. com, MINNEApoLIS - sr. pAUL. MINNESoTA
Best Buy seals the dea! with Guns N' Roses
October 22,2008
It's official: The Guns N' Roses record will be out in time for the holiday shopping rush,
and Best Buy stores will be the only place to get it.
The Richfield-based retail chain and GNR's label, Geffen Records, announced the
exclusive deal Wednesday after a month of speculation that was the culmination of 10-
plus years of gossip about "Chinese Democracy," the perennially delayed album from Axl
Rose that has reportedly cost several million dollars to produce. !t will be released Nov.
23 with 14 songs, three of which have not yet leaked onto the internet or been performed
in concert. Best Buy's website is already taking orders for the disc.
The title track, which is also the first single, hit the airwaves Wednesday. "This time, it's
coming to stay," read a big message on the website of 93X (93.7 FM). The Twin Cities
rock station heard from GNR's lawyers after spinning "Chinese Democracy" and some
other leaked tracks this summer.
Guns N' Roses have not released a new album since 1993, in which time frontman Axl
Rose overhauled the band's lineup and missed many previously announced release
dates.
CHRIS R!EMENSCHNEIDER
O 2008 Star Tribune. All rights reserved.
http ://www. startribune.com/templateslPrint_This_Story? sid:3241 437 9 t012212008

13. BILLBOARD.BIZ BULLETIN
; E:J
1
'" 1.
The title trackfrom Guns N' Roses' new album,
"Chinese Democracy." will be available to down-
Ioad by U.S. radio outlets at 5 a.m. ET this morn'
ing (Oct. 22), constituting the first authorized new
music from the group in nine years.
As previously reported, "Chinese Democracy"
the album is due Nov. Z3 exclusively via Best Buy.
The 14-track set includes only three songs that
have not either been performed live or Ieaked on-
line in recent years.
Guns N' Roses was last on Billboard's Main-
stream Rock chart in 1999 with "oh My God," its
contribution to the "End ofDays" soundtrack. The
song peaked at No. 26. Prior to that, it hadn't ap-
peared on the chart since 1994, when its cover of
" Sympathy lor the Devil" from the "lnterview With
a Vampire" soundtrack reached No. 10.
lonathanCohen, N.Y.
The FCC has hit Spanish Broadcasting System
with two fines of $ 16,000 each as a result of what
the regulator says was a rule violation in relation
to a prank call made last year on "El Vacilon de
la Maiiana."
According to an FCC document, the agency re-
ceived three complaints over the Jdy 79,2007
broadcast ofa call - purportedly from a hospital
- in which a woman was told her husband had
been shot to death and her daughter had been fa-
tally run over by a car. After the woman became
hysterical, the contractor hired to make the call
told the woman it was a prank.
SBS says the woman gave permission for the
call to be broadcast after it was recorded, accord-
ing to the FCC. But Miami's WXDJ EI Zol and
New York's La Mega WSKQ, which aired the call,
were found in violation ofan FCC rule due to
"the failure to inform the call recipient prior to
recording the call that it was intended for broad-
cast," according to the agency. SBS did not re-
spond to a request for comment as ofpress time.
The broadcaster has 30 days to contest the Oct.
17 fine notice.
Ayala Ben-Yehud.a, L.A.
The site ofthe central London Astoria venue
has been confirmed for acquisition as part ofthe
Crossrail project and compulsory purchase pro-
ceedings are now underway.
To enable the ma jor redevelopment of Totten-
ham Court Road station, a number ofproperties
will be compulsorily purchased and demolished.
The Astoria 2 venue is also affected.
"This is a major step forward in the delivery
of Crossrail and underlines the government's
commitment to the proiect," said rail minister
Lord Adonis in a statement.
Possession ofthe 1 3 affected properties is due
to complete in Jan. 2009 when Compulsory Pur-
chase Orders take effect and affected properties
transler to the secretary ofstate.
The 2,000-capacity Astoria venue has become
a staple of the live music scene in cerrtral Lon-
don since 1984, including the Rolling Stones,
David Bowie and Madonna.
The Astoria is controlled by Festival Republic,
which is majority-owned by Live Nation. Live Na-
tion did not comment on developments.
Westminster Council says a replacement venue
PAGE 2 OF 6
' octogeRzz
must be part of any new proposal when the un-
derground building works are complete.
The Crossrail development, Iinking Maiden-
head in Berkshire to Shenfield in Essex via
Heathrow airport and central London, rs due for
completion in 2077.
-Andre
Pqine, London
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