GUNS N' ROSES Shares New Version Of 'November Rain' Featuring 50-Piece Orchestra

GUNS N' ROSES has released a new version of the song "November Rain" featuring a 50-piece orchestra.

The reworked version of the epic track was arranged and conducted by film and television composer Christopher Lennertz. It was remixed by progressive rock icon Steven Wilson, who previously said of his involvement: "My mix of a fully orchestrated version of the @gunsnroses evergreen November Rain appears on the just announced 30th anniversary reissue of Use Your Illusion.

"The new 2022 version is the same performance as the original, and mixed faithfully to the established version, but with newly recorded orchestration replacing the sampled sounds used at the time."

Prior to working with GUNS N' ROSES, Wilson had remixed tracks by BLACK SABBATH, YES, MARILLION, RUSH, JETHRO TULL, ROXY MUSIC, KISS and KING CRIMSON, among others.

Released on 1991's "Use Your Illusion I" album, the original version of "November Rain" clocked in at nine minutes and seventeen seconds. The accompanying music video, which has been viewed 1.9 billion times on YouTube, follows the story of a troubled rock star (played by singer Axl Rose),his girlfriend (played by Axl's then-real-life flame Stephanie Seymour),and her mysterious suicide.

The "Use Your Illusion I & II" ultimate box set for GUNS N' ROSES' multi-platinum releases "Use Your Illusion I" and "Use Your Illusion II" is due on November 11 via UME/Geffen. "Use Your Illusion I & II" super deluxes feature a total of 97 tracks, 63 are previously unreleased. It will be available in multiple configurations including a Super Deluxe Seven-CD + Blu-ray, a Super Deluxe Twelve-LP + Blu-ray, Two-CD Deluxe Editions of "Use Your Illusion I" and "Use Your Illusion II" separately, standard 1CD and 2LP versions of "Use Your Illusion I" and "Use Your Illusion II" separately. In all formats, the original studio albums "Use Your Illusion I" and "Use Your Illusion II" have been fully remastered for the first-time ever, from high-resolution 96kHz 24-bit transfers from the original stereo 1/2-inch analog masters. All versions will be available to stream and as digital downloads, with all configurations available to pre-order and pre-save.

GUNS N' ROSES' highly anticipated third and fourth studio albums, "Use Your Illusion I" and "Use Your Illusion II", were originally released simultaneously on September 17, 1991. With the massive success of "Lies" and "Appetite For Destruction", the band had the daunting task of a follow up album. Not only did the band deliver, GUNS N' ROSES surprised the world by releasing not one but two new, full-length studio albums. Upon release, "Use Your Illusion I" reached No. 2 and "Use Your Illusion II" took the No. 1 position on the Billboard 200 chart concurrently, selling over 500,000 copies in the first two hours of release, with an estimated sales of over 685,000 and 770,000, respectively, within the first week of release.