Rolling Stones Release Rarities
The Rolling Stones are savvy marketers — syndicating singles from their latest release, A Bigger Bang, during Monday Night Football and even a daytime soap opera. In their latest venture with the corporate world, the Stones are partnering up with Starbucks, Virgin Records and other select music outlets to release an album of rare tracks, aptly titled Rarities 1971-2003.
Due November 22nd, the sixteen-track album features previously released but hard-to-find live versions of “Tumbling Dice” and “Beast of Burden,” dance mixes of “Miss You” and “Harlem Shuffle,” and a cover of Chuck Berry’s “Let It Rock.”
The Stones join Bob Dylan, Alanis Morissette, Sheryl Crow, Carole King, Herbie Hancock and Antigone Rising in partnering with the coffee conglomerate — which boasts some 33 million customers a week — to sell music. Last year, Starbucks sold 700,000 copies of Ray Charles’ multiplatinum, Grammy-winning swan song, Genius Loves Company. The Stones, no doubt, are looking for some more pull in CD sales for Bang, which has at this point sold just over 300,000 copies in its eleven weeks out after peaking at Number Three.
In the meantime, the Stones are continuing their blockbuster tour in support of Bang, heading to Calgary on October 28th. “I can’t think of a tour that’s kicked off with such wonderful enthusiasm,” guitarist Keith Richards told Rolling Stone. “Even at this late date, this is an adventure.”