Bob Dylan is the latest musician to sign an exclusivity deal with coffee chain Starbucks. The coffee company has bought up an unprecedented 18 month deal that gives it the exclusive rights to sell 'Dylan: Live at the Gaslight 1962', a new album featuring ten previously unreleased tracks recorded at New York's Gaslight Cafe more than 40 years ago. The album will go on sale through Starbucks' US stores from Aug.
The Dylan deal is the latest in a string of partnerships that are helping to establish Starbucks as a credible music retailer. The success of Ray Charles' album 'Genius Loves Company' - with which Starbucks shifted over a quarter of all units sold - has encouraged a number of other high profile artists to use the coffee chain as away of reaching music fans. However Starbucks' music deals have not been without controversy. As previously reported, HMV Canada boycotted all Alanis Morissette products after the singer entered into a deal with Starbucks that gave the coffee chain exclusive rights to sell an acoustic version of her album 'Jagged Little Pill'.
It's also not the first time Dylan has entered into a deal with a retailer. Last year he made an exclusive compilation CD of his work available to lingerie retailer Victoria's Secret, who sold the album through their stores across America.