The Rolling Stones are the latest flagship artist to announce a partnership with Starbucks, though unlike the coffee chain's previous controversial deals with Alanis Morissette and Bob Dylan, this one does not involve exclusivity.
Working with Virgin Records, Starbucks have put together a compilation of Stones rarities, including live versions of tracks like 'Tumbling Dice' and 'Beast of Burden', dance remixes of 'Miss You' and 'Harlem Shuffle' and b-sides, such as their live 1971 cover of Chuck Berry's 'Let It Rock'. The album will go on sale in Starbucks stores across America and Canada on 22 Nov - however the album will also be available to other music retailers on the same day, and will be managed outside North America by Virgin as if it was a standard release.
As previously reported, Alanis Morissette's recent deal with Starbucks gave the coffee chain a six week head start selling the acoustic version of 'Jagged Little Pill', while Bob Dylan gave the firm the exclusive rights to sell his album 'Live At The Gaslight 1962'. Those deals have caused much resentment among traditional music retailers, with HMV Canada taking all of Morissette and Dylan's stock off their shelves for the duration of any exclusivity deal.
Why the Stones project does not give Starbucks any exclusivity is unclear, although the band are more than familiar with HMV Canada's response to such deals. The music chain boycotted Stones' products when they signed a four month exclusivity deal with North American retailer Best Buy giving them the exclusive right to sell 2003 DVD release 'Four Flicks'.