DR PEPPER Making Good On GUNS N' ROSES Offer

Soft drink manufacturer Dr Pepper, which this past spring offered to send a free can of the beverage to "everyone in America" (excluding ex-GN'R members Slash and Buckethead) if GUNS N' ROSES' new album, "Chinese Democracy", were to arrive anytime during the calendar year 2008, has revealed details of the plan.

"We never thought this day would come," says Dr Pepper VP of marketing Tony Jacobs. "But now that it's here all we can say is: The Dr Pepper's on us."

According to Billboard.com, interested fans are being asked to visit DrPepper.com on November 23, the day "Chinese Democracy" is released in the U.S. exclusively via Best Buy. After registering online, fans will receive a coupon redeemable for a 20-oz. Dr Pepper wherever the drink is sold.

The twist: the coupon is only available for 24 hours and will expire on February 28.

"Chinese Democracy" has been in the works since the mid-'90s, with speculation and mystery surrounding the album's 13-year journey, ever-changing roster of players and spiraling recording costs.

The last all-new GUNS N' ROSES releases were the 1991 double albums "Use Your Illusion I" and "II". Since that time, every single original member of the band except for singer Axl Rose has departed. Former guitarist Slash told The Pulse of Radio why he finally found it too difficult to work with Rose. "Something with Axl was very insecure and it just kept the band from sort of functioning properly," he said. "Although he was wanting to do things, I never to this day really understand exactly what he was getting at, and because it took so long to ever get anything done, I always attribute it to some sort of fear factor."

Keyboardist Dizzy Reed, who joined in 1990 and is the longest-serving member after Axl Rose, told The Pulse of Radio a while back that he thinks fans will be pleased when they finally get to hear "Chinese Democracy". "It's a pretty intense musical journey, really," he said. "Everyone that is in the band, or was in the band at some point — 'cause there, you know, there's been a few guys who have come and gone even since the old band — has contributed, and because of that I think it really takes you to some interesting musical places. When you add Axl and guitars, of course, though, it kinda glues it all together. There's something for everybody, but I think if you're a GUNS fan, if you're an Axl fan, you'll like it all. You'll love it all."

A new song called "If The World" appears under the closing credits of the current film "Body of Lies", while another new track titled "Shackler's Revenge" will appear on Rock Band 2 at the end of this month.

Photo by George Chin: