Axl Rose sues Geffen Records

[1234-5678 0]

I find it interesting that Duff and Slash backed him up since they are on such awful terms.

 

 

Guns N' Roses Files Lawsuit

Monday March 15, 11:14 am ET

 

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 15, 2004--GUNS N' ROSES have filed a lawsuit against Geffen Records, a division of UMG Recordings, Inc., to stop the unauthorized release of a Greatest Hits package by the band. The lawsuit seeks a temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction against this unauthorized release and was filed in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles. The band has not been given the opportunity to approve the choice of songs, the artwork, the release date or the re-mastering done on the tracks included on this compilation. GUNS N' ROSES have sold over 80,000,000 albums worldwide - almost 40,000,000 in the US alone - and founding member W. Axl Rose is concerned that not only will their audience be misled into believing that the planned compilation is an authorized release, but that it will hinder the release of the band's long awaited new studio album CHINESE DEMOCRACY. There has been a massive outcry among the band's loyal audience against the Greatest Hits record, as they too believe the track selection is fundamentally flawed, does not reflect the band's best work and is clearly not the ultimate package that would be selected by the band or their fan base if they were given the opportunity. They have flooded the offices of Geffen Records' senior executives with thousands of emails over the last few weeks expressing their dissent.

 

W. Axl Rose is joined by former band members Slash and Duff McKagan in bringing the action against Geffen Records.

 

 

 

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - A federal judge on Monday cleared the way for Geffen Records to release a greatest-hits album next week from the rock band Guns N' Roses over the objection of its lead singer, Axl Rose.

 

Rose sued Geffen, a unit of Universal Music Group under Vivendi Universal, seeking to prevent the best-of collection from being released, claiming he was not consulted on the choice or remixing of material for the album.

 

He was joined as a plaintiff in the suit, filed last Friday, by two band members from the original lineup -- guitarist Slash and bassist Duff McKagan -- even though their rights to the Guns N' Roses name was signed over to Rose years ago when they left the group.

 

But U.S. District Judge Dale Fischer denied their request for a temporary restraining order, allowing Geffen to issue the album as planned next Tuesday. A hearing on a motion for a preliminary injunction was set for next month.

 

"Their lawsuit is meritless," Universal Music spokesman Peter LoFrumento said. "Fortunately, since the court has denied their application for a temporary restraining order, the album will be released as scheduled on March 23."

 

According to the lawsuit, Rose objected to the selection of songs for the compilation album, the timing of its release, the album's artwork and the re-mastering of the original tapes.

 

The album features 14 tracks in all and eight of Guns N' Roses' hit singles, including "Welcome to the Jungle, "Paradise City" and "Sweet Child O' Mine" from the mega-selling 1987 album "Appetite for Destruction."

 

The group's last studio album, "The Spaghetti Incident?," was issued in 1993. A 2002 MTV appearance by a reconstituted Guns N' Roses, with Rose as the lone member from the band's heyday, helped spark interest in the group's new lineup, but a subsequent U.S. tour was cut short.

 

The suit, which accuses Geffen of trademark infringement and breach of contract, says the label is barred under its contract with Guns N' Roses from altering its master recordings without the band's permission.

 

A statement from Rose's manager added that the greatest-hits set "will hinder the release of the band's long-awaited new studio album, 'Chinese Democracy."'

 

Geffen officials had no further comment on the dispute. But a source familiar with the situation said the label has been waiting seven years for Rose to deliver "Chinese Democracy" and has poured $13 million into production of that album after repeated promises that he was about to finish the project.

 

"Every year there's been a new reason why Axl is not done with the record," the source told Reuters, adding that Geffen went ahead with the greatest-hits package only because Rose failed to come through with "Chinese Democracy." "Had he delivered this record like he promised seven years ago, this would not be happening right now."

 

A representative for Rose was not immediately available for comment.

[B. Brian Brunzell 0]

Meh, this is just a way for Axl to get the public interested in him again so he'll once again fail to deliver Chinese Democracy.

[snuffbox 0]

Meh, this is just a way for Axl to get the public interested in him again so he'll once again fail to deliver Chinese Democracy.

then why are so many fans, Slash, and Duffy supporting him on this?

[B. Brian Brunzell 0]

Possibly because they all want the most definitive Guns best of album? And if Axl has the rights to Guns N' Roses, he SHOULD be consented on the aspects of the album, from artwork, remixing, and track listing. Slash and Duff were a vital part of Guns N' Roses, so I can understand why they'd support Axl on this.

 

I'm still not bettng on Chinese Democracy being released anytime soon.

[jimmy no nose 0]

Geffen officials had no further comment on the dispute. But a source familiar with the situation said the label has been waiting seven years for Rose to deliver "Chinese Democracy" and has poured $13 million into production of that album after repeated promises that he was about to finish the project.

Damn, $13 million? Are there any albums ever that have cost that much?

[1234-5678 0]

Geffen officials had no further comment on the dispute. But a source familiar with the situation said the label has been waiting seven years for Rose to deliver "Chinese Democracy" and has poured $13 million into production of that album after repeated promises that he was about to finish the project.

Damn, $13 million? Are there any albums ever that have cost that much?

Is it even possible for the record company to make a profit off of this album?

[NoCalMike 0]

can music fans group together and file a class action lawsuit against Axl Rose for trying to stay relevent in 2004?

[Use Your Illusion 0]

Geffen officials had no further comment on the dispute. But a source familiar with the situation said the label has been waiting seven years for Rose to deliver "Chinese Democracy" and has poured $13 million into production of that album after repeated promises that he was about to finish the project.

Damn, $13 million? Are there any albums ever that have cost that much?

Ever heard of a guy named Michael Jackson?

[1234-5678 0]

Geffen officials had no further comment on the dispute. But a source familiar with the situation said the label has been waiting seven years for Rose to deliver "Chinese Democracy" and has poured $13 million into production of that album after repeated promises that he was about to finish the project.

Damn, $13 million? Are there any albums ever that have cost that much?

Ever heard of a guy named Michael Jackson?

Please don't compare the two. There's already the obvious plastic surgery jokes for both of em.

[Use Your Illusion 0]

Well, hasn't Geffen already pumped upwards of 10 million into Chinese Democracy?

 

They wouldn't blow all that cash and not release it.

 

Also, so much for that GNR/WMXX rumour, eh JAxl? I didn't even remember it while I was watching the show.

 

I expect some form of an annoucement close to RIR '04.

[converge241 0]

i side with geffen im surprised its not more than 13 million because they have been pumping money for so long into a new gnr record they need to recoup anything they can at this point because even when a new album comes out they wont make any money in the US off of it

[jimmy no nose 0]

I wasnt sure if I should start a new topic for this, so I just threw it in here.

 

Buckethead has officially left Guns N Roses. I'm disappointed. The question now is does Brain go with him?

 

After fours years as a member of Guns N' Roses, during which time the band canceled more shows than it played and released no original material, guitarist Buckethead has had enough.

 

The eccentric musician, who wears a fried-chicken bucket on his noggin and talks only through a hand puppet, has walked out before but has always returned to the fold. This time, however, it looks permanent. At the end of last year, Buckethead became fed up with Guns' inability to complete an album or tour and stopped working with them, his manager said.

 

Buckethead appeared on the green carpet at the Grammy Awards last month and was introduced by Parliament/Funkadelic bassist Bootsy Collins as a member of Guns N' Roses, but by that time Buckethead had already told Guns frontman Axl Rose he no longer wanted to be in the band, the manager said.

 

Guns N' Roses are scheduled to headline the Rock in Rio festival in Lisbon, Portugal, on May 30. It is unclear whether the band will have a new guitarist by then. Guns N' Roses' label would not comment on Buckethead's departure.

 

The guitarist will now focus on numerous projects, including two solo albums — Population Overdrive and Cuckoo Clocks of Hell — which are due this summer. In addition, a group called Col. Claypool's Bucket of Bernie Brains, which features Buckethead, Primus bassist Les Claypool, Guns N' Roses drummer Brain (ex-Primus) and legendary funk keyboardist Bernie Worrell, will release a debut studio album this summer (see "Buckethead's Brains On Hold During GN'R Tour, Claypool Says").

 

The record was mostly recorded last year in Northern California at Claypool's home studio, Rancho Relaxo, and includes the songs "Buckethead," "Tyranny of the Hunt," "The Big Eyeball in the Sky" and "Hip Shot From the Stab."

 

"There are slices of all of our worlds," Claypool said. "We're talking about four pretty strong personalities, so you can hear Primus with Buckethead flailing over the top and Bernie Worrell's monster tidbits over the top of what we're doing. It's unbelievable."

 

Half of the Col. Claypool's Bucket of Bernie Brains album will be instrumental. The band has played various live improvisational shows, but this will be the first time audiences will hear the band performing structured material.

 

"It's not as chaotic as you would think," Claypool said. "You'd think, 'OK, here come these four guys and they're just gonna start flailing,' but Brain is a very structured player, so everything tends to be very groove-oriented."

 

Also on Buckethead's plate are shows and recordings with his recently reunited high school band, Deli Creeps, which features a singer named Maximum Bob, drummer Pinchface and bassist Tony.

 

And Buckethead will likely join bassist Bill Laswell, Brain and others for a show as Material at this year's Bonnaroo festival, which is scheduled for June 11-13 in Manchester, Tennessee, according to the guitarist's manager. The festival may also feature a reunion of Praxis — a band featuring Laswell, Buckethead, Collins, Worrell, Brain and DJ Flip — who haven't played together in five years.

 

Buckethead will start a solo tour Wednesday (March 17), opening for Particle in Austin, Texas. Dates run through April 15 in Atlanta.

http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1485811/2...?headlines=true

[Henry Spencer 0]

Les Claypool and Buckethead? Wow, I do believe that I need to get that album.

[Guest wayzing]

Geffen officials had no further comment on the dispute. But a source familiar with the situation said the label has been waiting seven years for Rose to deliver "Chinese Democracy" and has poured $13 million into production of that album after repeated promises that he was about to finish the project.

Damn, $13 million? Are there any albums ever that have cost that much?

Is it even possible for the record company to make a profit off of this album?

It would take a couple of million units to recoup so I doubt it. But the Greatest Hits package could probably do it so I can definitely see why Geffen has chosen this road instead of waiting for John Lennon to record anoth eh, I mean waiting for Chinese Democracy.