I can say the awful club mix was mixed by Sean Beresford in December 2007, & given that has the vocals in it then it the vocals and lyrics clearly existed at that point.

Brain: Axl is really interested in having everybody bring what they do into the picture. I just did a remix of  "Shackler’s,” - made it kind of more club. And I think he wants to put out a remix album of some of the other songs we did. http://www.heretodaygonetohell.com/arti … icleid=175

My friend Brain is the drummer for Guns N' Roses (he also used to be the drummer for Primus). He wrote  two of the songs on the new Guns N' Roses record 'Chinese Democracy" released late last year.
He and his musical collaborator Melissa Reese worked up a hip hop/club version of the song 'Shackler's  Revenge" with programmed beats and additional loops and cool sounds. They asked me to mix it. I've been  chipping away at it for a few weeks over the Christmas holidays and finally I think it is done. I'm quite happy with how it turned out, it is pretty wacky though! (later, sometime in February) Brain called to say that Axl  Rose finally heard the remix and really likes it. Yay!.. (Sean Beresford Sunday,January, 2009)

The remix actually was posted on Sean's profile page for a short time before being removed.  http://www.blightysound.com/Blighty_Sou … %99_Roses_- _Shackler_Revenge_club_remix.html (broken link)

http://www.reverbnation.com/seanberesfo … erengineer

If that interview with Sean was in January 2009 and Brain called him in February then it follows that Brain  and Mellissa Reese made the remix in December 2007. Which proves that at least this remix actually pre dated Chinese Democracy's release.

Oh and if anyone has ever found the drums on the 'Don't ever tell me' part of Shacklers sound familiar then go listen to the 'disco' drum beat from OMG