In the following Question and Answer Session from The Penguin (FleetwoodMac.net), Walter Egan repeatedly mentions a forthcoming "Best Of" compilation from Renaissance Records. The Q & A Session took place in 1999 and the compilation was never released. However, when I asked Walter (today, 6/17/05, via e-mail) why the album was never issued, this is what he had to say:
"Renaissance was a label based here in Franklin and was pretty much a one man show named John Edwards. He had been negotiating with Sony (Columbia) for the rights to release a 40 song package with a 32 page booklet. They were already doing this when I met them. I entered into the negotiating and got the reluctant Sony to agree to the release. Unfortunately they were in arrears to Sony at this time and couldn't afford to pay the licensing fee...then they released my "Lost Album" because they could afford that. The quest for the anthology led me back to my exmanager Greg Lewerke who took it to Evangeline records in the UK. You see the deal with Columbia/Sony gave them only the North American rights to my stuff, we (my exmgr and I) retained the rights worldwide other than N. America so made the deal - except they wanted to release the albums intact, which is what I really wanted all along. But I am pursuing the anthology project with Sony for domestic release. I have a new guy who wants to manage me and who believes we could make a big comeback. It would be nice. I'll keep you posted."
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Question And Answer Session at FleetwoodMac.net