loosecannon3 Posted December 15, 2006 Share Posted December 15, 2006 PS I apologize to all the fans irked by my facetious comments regarding the release date to Rolling Stone magazine. They were meant to poke fun at a magazine that had announced a definitive release date, causing us all lots of grief, when none had been set. Unfortunately many of you took them to heart and for that I am sorry.What release date to Rolling Stone? Is this the Nov 21st rumour that we had?Begin forwarded message:From: Merck Mercuriadis Date: 12 December 2006 14:11:02 GMT-08:00Subject: Album Press ReleaseRegardless of the issues that exist between Axl and myself I believe it is important for an announcement on the album to be put out this week and at the same time cover the cancellation of the 5 shows in January. Further to this I have thought about the album release date taking into account the issues between Axl and myself and my view is that the album should be set for release on the 20th of March rather than the 6th of February. March 20th is the first day of Spring and a positive day. This allows for three months to set it up properly around the world without unmanageable pressure and for it to be well imbedded in the market place before the summer lull sets in. It also allows for the deal to be done with the label and any change in Management etc which may be made to be made as well as detailed meetings on the touring which on this basis would start in Dubai just before the album's release. The note will be most effective if it comes from Axl as he will then be seen as the good guy who is giving people the information they want. Having said that it could come from either Howard or myself or both of us. I have presented two options the first not giving a release date and the second one stating it. The message would be posted as the lead story on gunsnroses.com and we would then point all of the media there. I would appreciate it if you would all let me know your thoughts on all of this keeping in mind that this is a work in progress.Option 1Merry Christmas To You AllWe are into the last week of the tour and Christmas is almost here so I wanted to take the time not only to wish you Merry Christmas but to also explain why CHINESE DEMOCRACY is not under your tree or in the stores as we wanted it would be. We read the papers and we know you want - demand! - news. We have been in the final stages of renegotiating our deal with our record label and it has been a long slow process - not unlike making the record! The discussion started over a year ago but did not become serious until they started hearing the mixes. Everyone involved has worked hard to get the deal completed so we could get the record out this month but a few weeks ago it became obvious that was not going to happen. We then held out as we wanted to at least be able to give you the release date before Christmas but unfortunately we are still not there yet. This is not meant to spark a hate campaign on the label. This is an unusual and complicated situation as we have worked a long time on this album and it is important to us to make sure that everything including the deal is right. At the same time it is a business that has to work for everyone involved. We have all - you included - waited a long time for this and this is not the time to compromise. The first news you will hear from us in 2007 will be to announce the album's release date. Without the album out it does not make sense to do the 5 shows we have scheduled for January in isolation so they are being cancelled and we will focus on getting the album out. Until that time we want to thank you for all of your support in 2006 and wish you all the best for the holidays and a happy new year.W. Axl RoseOption 2Merry Christmas To You AllWe are into the last week of the tour and Christmas is almost here so I wanted to take the time not only to wish you Merry Christmas but to also explain why CHINESE DEMOCRACY is not under your tree or in the stores as we wanted it to be. We read the papers and we know you want - demand! - news. We have been in the final stages of renegotiating our deal with our record label and it has been a long slow process - not unlike making the record! The discussion started over a year ago but did not become serious until they started hearing the mixes. Everyone involved has worked hard to get the deal completed so we could get the record out this month but a few weeks ago it became obvious that was not going to happen. We have all - you included - waited a long time for this and this was not the time to compromise. We then held out on making an announcement as we wanted to at least be able to give you the release date before Christmas so here it is. Chinese Democracy will be released on the 20th of March in the US and Canada - the first day of Spring and a time for new beginnings! - and on the 19th of March everywhere else in the world. Without the album out it does not make sense to do the 5 shows we have scheduled for January in isolation so they are being cancelled and we will focus on getting the album out. We want to thank you for all of your support in 2006 and wish you all the best for the holidays and a happy new year. We look forward to seeing you in 2007!W. Axl RoseWhat is all the text about?Cheers,Andrew Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
december pain Posted December 15, 2006 Share Posted December 15, 2006 RS said the album would be out Nov 21.I think the text at the bottom is what Merck wanted axl to put on the website. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Turn_It_Up Posted December 16, 2006 Share Posted December 16, 2006 (edited) Incredible this guy would publish private emails like that. Just when you thought he couldn't get worse... But way to go Merck, lookin' good. Seeing this should have lots of top artists lining up outside your door!! Edited December 16, 2006 by Turn_It_Up Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ace Spade Posted December 16, 2006 Share Posted December 16, 2006 It seems to me that he was implying that he in fact was the author of the letter from Axl. Or at least as he puts it, he wrote the "blueprint" for him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KyleMac Posted December 16, 2006 Share Posted December 16, 2006 I haven't been around for a little while, what issues exist between Merck and Axl? From the tone of the two "Open Letters" it doesnt look like Merck is going to be around for much longer. As an agent, he has a contract with benefits, and is not work for hire - therefore likely cannot be fired at a moment's notice. However, he doesnt look like hes going to stick around much longer nonetheless. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
madison Posted December 16, 2006 Share Posted December 16, 2006 What release date to Rolling Stone? Is this the Nov 21st rumour that we had?I believe he's referring to his "Tuesdays" remark and the “I don’t know that we will announce a release date, ... You just might walk into your record shop one Tuesday and find it there” comment he made to RS in October. Axl made a reference to both of those comments in his letter. What is all the text about?Cheers,AndrewThose are copies of emails he sent to Axl, Del and Howard when making suggestions on how Axl should handle the announcement that the CD wouldn't be out in 2006.Incredible this guy would publish private emails like that. Just when you thought he couldn't get worse... ...Dude, the emails are copies of ones he sent out - not ones he received. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Estranged Reality Posted December 16, 2006 Share Posted December 16, 2006 Dude, the emails are copies of ones he sent out - not ones he received.To be honest, the first time I read it I thought he was asking us - as fans - to tell him which comments should be posted on the site. I was thrown off by the way he dropped them at the end of his letter to the fans. But now as I re-read them it makes sense and also makes Axl look like he basically stole Merck's idea and beat him to it! Poor Merck. Oh well. Glad we got a statement. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
angel of music Posted December 17, 2006 Share Posted December 17, 2006 Dude, the emails are copies of ones he sent out - not ones he received.To be honest, the first time I read it I thought he was asking us - as fans - to tell him which comments should be posted on the site. I was thrown off by the way he dropped them at the end of his letter to the fans. But now as I re-read them it makes sense and also makes Axl look like he basically stole Merck's idea and beat him to it! Poor Merck. Oh well. Glad we got a statement.not at all, Axl couldn't possibly had stolen anything from Merck cuz the two letters (Axl's and Merck's) are way different!! Merck's options are almost comical whereas Axl's letter is a whole lot more honest and professional if you ask me.. i'm glad Axl didn't use Merck's options, the fans reaction woulda been a lot different otherwiseand he didn't just drop them at the end, if you read the very beginning of his letter he explains he had written the blueprint of Axl's letter and that he had attached it below.. the blueprint makes reference to the first paragraph of what was sent in an email to Axl and what has the most similarity to what ended up as Axl's letter, while the actual options he presented to Axl to use as letters were scrapped and never used Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Turn_It_Up Posted December 17, 2006 Share Posted December 17, 2006 (edited) What release date to Rolling Stone? Is this the Nov 21st rumour that we had?I believe he's referring to his "Tuesdays" remark and the “I don’t know that we will announce a release date, ... You just might walk into your record shop one Tuesday and find it there” comment he made to RS in October. Axl made a reference to both of those comments in his letter. What is all the text about?Cheers,AndrewThose are copies of emails he sent to Axl, Del and Howard when making suggestions on how Axl should handle the announcement that the CD wouldn't be out in 2006.Incredible this guy would publish private emails like that. Just when you thought he couldn't get worse... ...Dude, the emails are copies of ones he sent out - not ones he received.Yeah, I fully realize that. Am I missing something or were those emails not meant to be private, internal sends within the camp? And now he's putting the emails out into the public to serve his personal agenda while making Axl look like a phony and a lapdog.Net/net: If Merck's not fired, those private, internal sends never make it to the public domain much like all other internal GNR camp correspondance. The fact that he's the one who wrote them doesn't make it any less inappropriate and unprofessional to then pubish them out, right?Don't get me wrong, Merck's being scapegoated as, most importantly, he's not the cause for the further album delay and he's been trying various tactics over the past few years to get the same result we all want--to force the album release. But I don't like the way he conducts much of his public business with this open letter being just the most recent example... Edited December 17, 2006 by Turn_It_Up Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cornfields Posted December 17, 2006 Share Posted December 17, 2006 Another longass useless letter.I'm not even going to bother reading this piece of toilet paper. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
War Of The Roses Posted December 17, 2006 Share Posted December 17, 2006 to be honest i prefer axls letter, more from the heart,this just looks like santa was writing an apology letter to the fans Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lukinx Posted December 17, 2006 Share Posted December 17, 2006 to be honest i prefer axls letter, more from the heart,this just looks like santa was writing an apology letter to the fansSanta is nice! Don't bash Santa!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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