Rush to enter exclusive sponsorship deal with Walmart

UPDATE - 4/1@6:14PM: APRIL FOOLS!!!! ... in case you hadn't already figured it out. I hope everyone enjoyed the joke! Thanks for playing along and being good sports about it. Let's hope Walmart doesn't try to sue me. Now I just need someone to come up with some lyrics for Walmart Man. :)

Back in February US retail giant Walmart began running a commercial featuring Rush's Working Man as part of its new ad campaign aiming to put the spotlight on the company's initiative to invest $250 billion over the next 10 years towards creating new manufacturing jobs in America. The move garnered mixed reactions from fans and pundits due to Walmart having been the subject of a lot of criticism for their business practices over the past few years. In yet another move that is bound to raise a few more eyebrows, Rush is now rumored to be entering into an exclusive new deal with Walmart where the band will become an official sponsor of the retail chain, similar to recent deals the retailer made with acts such as Journey and The Eagles. In an article from the Hollywood Star released earlier today, April Fulton reports that the deal will make Walmart the exclusive retailer for all of Rush's music and dvds going forward, beginning with a new 5.1 Surround Sound Deluxe Edition re-issue/re-master of the band's debut album (different from the vinyl re-issue due out later this month). This re-issue will include a bonus recording of a modified version of Working Man titled Walmart Man, featuring vocals from American Idol contestant Kaleb Johnsen. The deal is also rumored to include provisions for Rush to appear in further Walmart commercials on TV and radio, along with a possible performance at the company's upcoming shareholder's meeting. Here's a promotional video featuring a snippet from the new Walmart Man track, due out this summer.