So… were they dropped by their record label, or did they leave of their own accord? Confusion surrounds the reason behind Velvet Revolver’s split with RCA.It’s rumoured that the split is down to poor sales of the band’s second album, Libertad, which has shifted just 300,000 units in the US since its July 2007 release, compared to the 1.98 million their debut, Contraband, sold in the States.

Amind all the speculation the official fansite of VR guitarist Slash has come up with an interesting, not to say somewhat bizarre, explanation.

Here’s their account in full:

On the net, rumour has it that RCA has dropped Velvet Revolver. Slash says that while it is true that VR is no longer with RCA, the truth is not as negative as the rumour.

The band owed RCA money for a third album which at this time they are unable to produce (no singer). The band and RCA parted amicably. When they are recording the new album, it most likely will be for a new label.

Now while we at the Clog aren’t exactly experts in the machinations of the music industry, this doesn’t really make too much sense to us. Like… because VR were in hock to their record company, plus they didn’t have a frontman, RCA were more than happy to see ’em sail off into the sunset? Hmm…

Meanwhile, ex-VR singer Scott Weiland is also in the news – and not just because his new solo album, Happy In Galoshes, goes on sale this week.

When Billboard asked Weiland if a new Stone Temple Pilots album was in the pipeline, the wayward frontman offered a less than enthusiastic response:

Q: Are you planning to make a Stone Temple Pilots album now that you’ve toured?

Weiland: “I don’t know how things are going to go with STP. It was sad to find out that we’re still in some way locked into a contract with Atlantic Records, which is a travesty, actually.

“When we signed to them it was a great label. It was a beautiful time in music. Now if you say, ‘We’re going to do this song as the first single,’ they go, ‘OK, we’re going to do some radio testing.’ What the…?

“When we first talked about putting STP back together, it was, ‘Do this tour and then see about doing a creative deal with another company.’ So if it ends up being we have to make a certain amount of records for Atlantic in order to be free, then I don’t know if I have that in me.”

Read more here.