The Norwegian local newspaper Bærumsavisen has a 3 page story about the deal the Stones have made with the Varner group (Dressmann). The Varner brothers live in Bærum. I found two things of interest for Stones fans:

1. The story has some details about the deal. It says that there is a $10 million budget for expenses for concert stages, lightning, commercials and miscellaneous. Would this make any sense if there was no upcoming tour ?

2. It says that they have bought the rights to 5 songs : Start me up, IORR, Beast of burden, Heartbreaker plus "and then there will come a new song in the autumn"!
This seems to imply a brand new release, although I guess it could be interpreted to mean another song will be added in the autumn.

The brand new song in the Autumn could refer to the SOME GIRLS Deluxe Edition. Perhaps "Scarlet" will be tossed onto that package. It was being worked on as late as BLACK AND BLUE so it could be considered a holdover. Particularly since Don Was keeps referring to it as "a hit then, a hit now."

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walkingthedog
It says that there is a $10 million budget for expenses for concert stages, lightning, commercials and miscellaneous.

To me that is a giant amount of money, but in Stones terms that would be a rather small budget.

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Keep On Rolling

Yep. Considering the last tour grossed an average of $4 million per show.

There is no 'upcoming tour'. Not in the next 12 months anyway.

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Rolling Hansie

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walkingthedog
It says that there is a $10 million budget for expenses for concert stages, lightning, commercials and miscellaneous.

To me that is a giant amount of money, but in Stones terms that would be a rather small budget.

This would be Varners part. The total budget is something completely different, of course.

So what exactly does that mean they bought the rights to those 5 songs? I mean I know what it means, but does it mean only that they get a cut of the profits everytime that it's played, or are the Stones obligated now to play those songs? Some (OK all) of which I don't really care if I hear again.

Pretty sure it would be licensing rights for use in commercials only.

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VoodooLounge13
So what exactly does that mean they bought the rights to those 5 songs? I mean I know what it means, but does it mean only that they get a cut of the profits everytime that it's played, or are the Stones obligated now to play those songs? Some (OK all) of which I don't really care if I hear again.

I think it means that they can freely use these songs in their commercials. It says that the songs were picked to "fit their concept". I think it is highly unlikely that the 5th song is an old outtake, which would have zero commercial value for Varner. A brand new single to be released in the autumn, on the other hand....
This would also be of interest for the Stones, of course, remember "Should I stay or should I go"? But of course, it could be an old song that they just haven't decided on yet.

Oh OK - thanks!

"Plundered My Soul" and "Following the River" were both singles and, to judge by the vocals, were new songs as far as most people were concerned. Since the band isn't in the studio working on a new album now and since it's even less likely Dressman would be given an exclusive Rolling Stones single cut specially for Dressman in 2011, I suspect a single to promote SOME GIRLS DELUXE EDITION is the most likely scenario. It's good cross-marketing with a CD/DVD in stores (presumably packaged separately) this Autumn and as with "Plundered My Soul," there will certainly be at least one track considered commercial enough to help promote the release as new product rather than just another reissue with bonus tracks that are substandard tacked on for completists.

The "concert stages, lightning, etc" is for the store decorations, I believe.
The songs used so far in the TV commercials are Start Me Up, Beast Of Burden, Hot Stuff and IORR.
Concerning a tour or record, Charlie said in Helsinki "We don´t play any longer" when asked. Don´t know what to think of that statement.

Vilhelm
Nordic Stones Vikings

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Rocky Dijon
"Plundered My Soul" and "Following the River" were both singles and, to judge by the vocals, were new songs as far as most people were concerned. Since the band isn't in the studio working on a new album now and since it's even less likely Dressman would be given an exclusive Rolling Stones single cut specially for Dressman in 2011, I suspect a single to promote SOME GIRLS DELUXE EDITION is the most likely scenario. It's good cross-marketing with a CD/DVD in stores (presumably packaged separately) this Autumn and as with "Plundered My Soul," there will certainly be at least one track considered commercial enough to help promote the release as new product rather than just another reissue with bonus tracks that are substandard tacked on for completists.

You may be right. Could be the 5th song is just a regular Some Girls song, too,
if the Dressmann commercials coincide with the re-release. We'll see.

The 3 page story is an interview with Petter Varner where he speaks about the company and the deal with the Stones. Apparently they were so happy with the deal that they flew 600 of their employees to a vacation in Argentina in January to celebrate the deal. The company had total sales of $ 1.7 billion last year and are aiming higher this year. He makes it clear they are aiming for world domination! (And I believe them, I can remember when their dad, who started the company, ran a combination of a clothes store and pinball hall in somewhat run-down facilities downtown Oslo in the early sixties.) There is a big picture
of Petter with Mick,Keith, Charlie and his market manager. And another picture of Petter, Mick and Keith on the front page. The value of the whole deal is $20 million.

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Gazza
There is no 'upcoming tour'. Not in the next 12 months anyway.

That sounds ominous.

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mickijaggeroo
Concerning a tour or record, Charlie said in Helsinki "We don´t play any longer" when asked. Don´t know what to think of that statement.

That´s it, I guess.

I wouldn't read too much into Charlie's statement. If you think about it all logically, if they had in fact finished, then why would they not announce it officially? They would have nothing to lose by doing this and financially would gain as the publicity would be world wide and their back catalogue sales would soar. Personally, and this is just from following the band for 36 years, I think they are in limbo, as they have been many times before. They are not playing any longer (as Charlie says), but neither have they completley given up. There is no way the Stones would just fizzle out like this, there would be at least a handful of final shows in London and US, even if it was just for commercial reasons. They could put on just one final show in London and have Taylor and Wyman sit inand it would be the ultimate finale' both in terms of commercial value and as a fitting farewell to the band itself.

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VoodooLounge13
I think it is highly unlikely that the 5th song is an old outtake, which would have zero commercial value for Varner. A brand new single to be released in the autumn, on the other hand....

What about an old outtake released as a brand new single?

It makes sense - why would Dressmann go into to Stones deal if Stones were on the way down. CD sales is very little and the name is slowly fading away, specially if they aren't going on tour or releasing a new CD. The only known Stones thing / brand is the Tounge.

10 mio. USD is not that much, but Dressmann will not be the main sponsor (far away from) - just a smaller sponsor amongst other (just like in football or olympics). In football / olympics you have 2-3 very big ones and then several smaller ones (which will be Dressmans case).

In US it will be a very big US name, the same with Europe, Asia South America.

A new CD coming up - yes, like Charlie said in Austria - they are working on it, fx. Charlie and Mick in Mick's house in France. Bookings are slowly being made, tour planning also slowly under way as well.

I have the paper in front of me. The Varner brothers are of course proud to be pictured next to Mick, Keith and Charlie, even if Petter Varner is stating he is more of a Coldplay fan... But this is business. They say they paid 6 million US dollars for royalties, the rest is advertising and staging up the Dressman stores to look like concert venues. After the Stones sold themselves i.e. theitr tongue, name and image to Varner I do not go into another of these stores, and I will never wear a t-shirt with the Varner adverisising, which used to be the brand of our great rock'n roll band. And the 5th song is simply another one from the catalogue they will use for another commercial, I am sure.

See you on tour by the way.

Bjornulf

Well as long as Björnulf got his hopes up, and hopefully some inside information, I m happy, the man tend to have good point in these matters.

Btw, got the Ronnie Wood live boxset, from the concert I attended, wow!! Thats rock n roll with nerve and feel, great, great stuff.

I man to feel like playing,
Cheers!

...mtaylor excuse me, can you tell me when Charlie in Austria said that they were working on a new cd?!Charlie and Mick in Mick's house in France...This is a dream or what?!?What are your sources?!

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crumbling_mice
I wouldn't read too much into Charlie's statement. If you think about it all logically, if they had in fact finished, then why would they not announce it officially? They would have nothing to lose by doing this and financially would gain as the publicity would be world wide and their back catalogue sales would soar. Personally, and this is just from following the band for 36 years, I think they are in limbo, as they have been many times before. They are not playing any longer (as Charlie says), but neither have they completley given up. There is no way the Stones would just fizzle out like this, there would be at least a handful of final shows in London and US, even if it was just for commercial reasons. They could put on just one final show in London and have Taylor and Wyman sit inand it would be the ultimate finale' both in terms of commercial value and as a fitting farewell to the band itself.

Wishful thinking. They don't announce it "officially" because they simply don't want to. They could do a handful of "final shows", but why should they when they are not up for playing?

In a way, not "officially calling it quits" is leaving he future open. But the more years are passing by, the more obvious it becomes that indeed the days of the Stones as a touring band are over.

A crucial point will be the 50th anniversary. When this time frame passes without at least some concert action, then it will become more and more obvious that they won't return to whatever concert stages at a later point in time.

If you look at this thread and at this video:

[www.iorr.org]

Listen from 3:30 where he says they will work together again in the near future and that he worked with Mick in Mick's house in France

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bv
I have the paper in front of me. The Varner brothers are of course proud to be pictured next to Mick, Keith and Charlie, even if Petter Varner is stating he is more of a Coldplay fan... But this is business. They say they paid 6 million US dollars for royalties, the rest is advertising and staging up the Dressman stores to look like concert venues.

Your interpretation may be correct, but I do not see anywhere in the story anything about "staging up the Dressmann stores to look like concert venues". What I see is the text I mentioned in point 1 of my original posting.

Hi BV what do you know about Charlie's comments on Austrian radio about recording with Mick in Mick's house in France and Stones soon getting together to record in studio?

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sweetcharmedlife

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Gazza
There is no 'upcoming tour'. Not in the next 12 months anyway.

That sounds ominous.

Wasnt meant to be. I just thought it was pretty much accepted by now by everyone (well, almost everyone - ) that they wont tour in 2011. And a 2012 tour would be unlikely to start earlier than April.

well since they are waiting for the 50th i wouldnt count on a scaled down cheaper price tour, they are gonna milk this thing for all its worth, not sure if iam interested in that

btw its funny how when mick is asked or told about certain points in the stones career he shrugs it off with an if you say so answer but yet he is gearing up for the 50th to soak it for every dime

I didn't know lightning was so expensive!

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sweetcharmedlife

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Gazza
There is no 'upcoming tour'. Not in the next 12 months anyway.

That sounds ominous.

Ha ha! It doesn't sound like 'done deal' or 'it will happen' now does it! I'd say it sounds realistic.

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Gazza

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sweetcharmedlife

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Gazza
There is no 'upcoming tour'. Not in the next 12 months anyway.

That sounds ominous.

Wasnt meant to be. I just thought it was pretty much accepted by now by everyone (well, almost everyone - ) that they wont tour in 2011. And a 2012 tour would be unlikely to start earlier than April.

Damn math

"It's just some friends of mine and they're busting down the door"