“FIXURLIFEUP” (2013)
Official New P – Check Comments For More

From The Soundboard: 1984 Birthday Show (1984)
Some More Live P

Thanks to Francis for recommending this one. Many of Prince’s early boots, especially from the Revolution-era, are a tough listen, but this one captures the band nicely, in a free-form mode live at Paisley Park. Not a whole lot in the way of hits… in fact, Prince warns the attendees in advance that he won’t be indulging their radio desires, so this birthday show offers a great cross-section of the familiar and the obscure. Like most of P’s music during this era, this is beat-heavy dance music, and Prince begins most of the performances with extended beats, unafraid to take his time to get the groove to his liking. He sings his balls off on “Something In The Water.” Introduces new Revolution member Wendy, and works extended versions of “Erotic City” and “When Doves Cry.” We’ve got more P in the archives, HERE.

Shortberry Strawcake (PA) + Drums Check (0:57)
17 Days (5:24)
Our Destiny (3:24)
Roadhouse Garden (4:45)
Interlude (1:21)
All Day, All Night (5:42)
Free (4:40)
Noon Rendezvous (9:02)
Erotic City (8:32)
Something In The Water (Does Not Compute) (10:10)
When Doves Cry (11:38)
Happy Birthday Interlude (2:27)
Irresistible Bitch (6:08)
Possessed (5:49)

Small Club (1988)
An Update Of An Earlier Post…

After we posted Nightclubbing, a popular and well circulated Prince boot, a couple readers pointed out that it was actually an abbreviated version of a complete show from The Haag. So we did some hunting and found the full show for those interested in an upgrade. And, Prince fans should be, as this is a stellar aftershow that has been released with a slew of different covers, under a number of varying titles, including Aftershow At Paard Von Troje Den Haag Holland 8-18-88, Small Club 2nd Show That Night and others. We went with the one you see above, entitled simply, Small Club. It’s a two disc boot that, as described below, features great sound and an intriguing set list… heavy on improv and light on the hits Prince’s regular, paying customers typically expect. The 1CD version is still there for the taking (for those who’ve enjoyed it since the vinyl days), but the 2CD set is the full monty. Listen to the band smooth groovin’ on the 11-1/2 minute “Forever In My Life.”

1
Instrumental Jam (12:54)
D.M.S.R. (8:47)
Just My Imagination (7:45)
People Without (10:28)
Housequake (4:32)
Down Home Blues (8:47)
2
Cold Sweat (9:35)
Forever In My Life (11:28)
Still Would Stand All Time (10:47)
I’ll Take You There, Pt. 1 (15:58)
I’ll Take Your There, Pt. 2 (2:40)
Rave Un2 The Joy Fantastic (2:11)

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Nightclubbing (1988)
Abbreviated From The Above 2CD Set

Here’s an excellent late-80s boot that finds The Purple One in a small European club, August 18, 1988. One of P’s famed aftershows, this set includes only a few of Prince’s standards, like the opener, “D.M.S.R.” (Dance Music Sex Romance), mixed with covers, allowing P and the gang an opportunity to blow off some steam. Old Prince boots are notorious for their bad sonics, but this one’s pretty good overall, sounding mighty live, though not studio perfect (as usual, there’s the typically lacking drum sound and way too much stage echo). As fans have come to expect from Prince club dates, there’s lots of improv and plenty of screwing around, and that’s half the fun. More Prince in the archives, HERE.

D.M.S.R. (8:49)
Just My Imagination (7:54)
Housequake (5:07)
Down Home Blues/Kansas City (7:59)
Cold Sweat (9:33)
Forever In My Life (11:30)
I’ll Take You There (5:19)
It’s Gonna Be A Beautiful Night (15:21)

Fastasia (1997)
Demos And Outtakes 1983-1996

Not a particularly coherent Prince boot, Fantasia contains 3CDs of odds & ends dating back to Prince’s Revolution and winding its way through his work with friends and protégés, including Madhouse, Carmen Electra, Ingrid Chavez, & N.P.G. The sound is uniformly excellent, even if versions of many of these tracks eventually found their way onto various releases over the years, like the abbreviated “Crystal Ball,” “Days Of Wild,” “18 & Over” or “”Slave 2 The System.” For P’s genuinely hip “Sexy MF,” you hear an enhanced groove, as the song is stripped of the original’s swirling Hammond. It’s a worthy gathering for those who haven’t got the time to search the nooks and crannies of Prince’s massive catalog of unreleased work. Check out all the other Prince in the archives, HERE. If any links are down, just leave a comment on the post.

1
Dream Factory (2:41)
The Sex Of It (3:32)
Crystal Ball (3:30)
All My Dreams (7:09)
Computer Blue (3:54)
Miss Understood (5:22) – The Family
Get On Up (4:33)
U Gotta Shake Something (15:19)
Alphabet Street (Remix) (6:00) – Kirk J. Remix
Seven Corners (Movie Mix) (4:40) – Ingrid Chavez
Sexy MF (Remix) (6:03) – Kirk J. Remix
The Continental (Remix) (5:34) – Kirk J. Remix
Work That Fat (4:27)
2
Power From Above (4:36) – Carmen Electra
Carmen On Top (3:43) – Carmen Electra
Go Carmen Go (4:34) – Carmen Electra
Powerline (4:02) – Carmen Electra
All That (5:28) – Carmen Electra
The Juice (4:06) – Carmen Electra
Fun Part II (2:01) – Carmen Electra
Fantasia Erotica (2:58)
Rootie Kazootie (7:03)
Space (4:47)
Guitar Segue (1:06)
Asswoop (7:08)
Ethereal Segue (0:32)
Parlor Games (4:02)
Michael Segue (0:41)
(Got 2) Give It Up (7:19)
Sonny & Miles Segue (1:40)
24 (6:48) – Madhouse
3
Poem (3:38)
Interactive (3:03)
Strays Of The World (5:08)
(Lemme See That Body Get) Loose (3:45)
18 & Over (6:39)
Days Of Wild (3:51)
Acknowledge Me (5:07)
Slave 2 The System (1:02) – N.P.G.
Acknowledge Me (5:15) – N.P.G.
Superhero (7:20) – N.P.G.
Slave 2 The System (3:05)
20/20 (2:05)
Feel Good (4:06)
Journey 2 The Center Of Your Heart (4:15)
I Am The DJ (4:48)
(Excuse Me Is This) Goodbye (4:31)
Emancipation (4:32)

“Rock And Roll Love Affair” (2012)
New Prince

A new retro-styled track from Prince, sounding lyrically like an autobiographical look at a career relationship. I’ve enjoyed P’s musical throwbacks of late… but miss his adventurism more. This track, however, is smooth and pleasing, stylistically from 1999, boasting a casually refined vocal. I like this side of Prince. Probably playing most, if not all, of the instruments, nailing the essence of his own patented vibe from a previous century. The extra mixes by Jamie Lewis are thin, beat-heavy club concoctions and, while good – as all Prince remixes are – are a bit monotonous back to back (unless you’re dancing, of course). The material is being released by the Swiss label, Purple Music. Amazon’s got it. You need to turn off the player or it will keep going.

Rock And Roll Love Affair (Original Radio) (4:01)
Rock And Roll Love Affair (Original Extended) (5:25)
Rock And Roll Love Affair (Jamie Lewis Club) (7:40)
Rock And Roll Love Affair (Jamie Lewis Stripped Down) (6:48)
Rock And Roll Love Affair (Jamie Lewis Club Radio) (3:36)
Rock And Roll Love Affair (Jamie Lewis Stripped Down Radio) (3:42)

There’s something about Prince and the Internet that just never quite gelled. In the last 15 years, the guy has abandoned more web/commerce models than anyone you can think of. Both NPGOnlineLtd.com and love4oneanother.com were early forays that quickly went by the wayside. At the turn of the century, The NPG Music Club was his best, offering these web-only releases and digital singles. I wanted to join The NPGMC, but it wasn’t Mac-friendly. Those are lost sales. Prince’s latest, LotusFlower, was scrapped barely a year in, and I’m sure I’m missing one or two. Was 1-800-NEWFUNK an online presence? These days, Prince appears to be looking for something completely, outside-the-box different, turning his back on the viability of the web as a sales vehicle in the process… even seemingly no longer fazed by its thieving denizens. He’s a smart guy, he’ll think of something. You know he can’t stop creating… so it’s just a matter of what he’s gonna do with it all. A note about the (included) art work. Unless I’m mistaken, it’s all fan-generated. We’ve got more Prince in the archives. BIG thanks to Grateful for all these re-ups.

The Chocolate Invasion (2004)
The Chocolate Invasion is comprised of tracks from the projected (but abandoned) full length 2000 album, High. Only “Judas Smile” and “The Dance” were not included, so most of this material comes from just before Prince’s religious conversion – after Rave Un2 The Joy Fantastic and before The Rainbow Children. There’s no obvious thematic thread here, just a solid collection of tunes. Note the smooth line in the opening track, “I will touch thee in the softest manner, like ‘Europa’ in the hands of Santana” (followed by a Carlos-ian lead riff). A good Prince release to have.

When Eye Lay My Hands On U (6:37)
Judas Smile (3:45)
Supercute (4:18)
Underneath The Cream (4:04)
Sexmesexmenot (5:46)
Vavoom (4:40)
High (5:09)
The Dance (4:45)
Gamillah (3:13)
U Make My Sun Shine (7:06)

The Slaughterhouse (2004)
Containing three more tracks from the shelved High, and “2045: Radical Man,” also found on the Spike Lee soundtrack, Bamboozled. The Slaughterhouse seems to contain more material from the same 1999-2001 period as The Chocolate Invasion. In fact, a few of the cuts on both web albums seem as if they were written with Bamboozled in mind, so maybe some of these tracks were offered for consideration. Only one Prince track was used. I like this set’s mix of grungy funk and smooth vibes.

Silicon (4:17)
SMGroove (5:10)
Y Should Eye Do That? (4:33)
Golden Parachute (5:38)
Hypnoparadise (6:05)
Props N Pounds (4:38)
Northside (6:34)
Peace (5:35)
2045: Radical Man (6:37)
The Daisy Chain (6:13)

Xpectation (2003)
It’s subtitled “New Directions In Music,” but, in reality, Xpectation is a smooth update of Prince’s jazzier experimentations, this time featuring the mostly female lineup of Candy Dulfer (sax), Vanessa Mae (violin), Rhonda Smith (bass) and John Blackwell (drums). Prince’s piano work had developed by leaps and bounds during this era, and he advanced way beyond his basic pop/funk fills into a fully nuanced jazz player. The One Nite Alone box set, and solo piano album of the same name – both from the early 00s – capture that growth. The music here, similar to past forays like N.E.W.S. and Crystal Ball‘s Kamasutra, may not be of much interest to P’s funkier fan base. Note: The irritating surface noise in “Xpand” is apparently intended.

Xhalation (2:04)
Xcogitate (3:33)
Xemplify (5:53)
Xpectation (4:01)
Xotica (3:05)
Xogenous (4:12)
Xpand (6:11)
Xosphere (3:34)
Xpedition (8:24)

C-Note (2003)
C-Note is a series of lengthy, instrumental live recordings – jams and soundchecks – from Prince’s 2002 One Nite Alone Tour. Only “Empty Room” is an actual song, which Prince dusted off from the 80s to reintroduce here. Most downloads of C-Note that you’ll find (like this one) include a “bonus” track – a longer version of “Copenhagen.” The story is that this extended version is the original one posted by Prince, only to be removed just days later, in favor of the shorter version. You get both.

Copenhagen (9:59)
Nagoya (8:54)
Osaka (5:42)
Tokyo (5:09)
Empty Room (4:02)
Copenhagen (13:28) (First Version Bonus)


High (2001)
Different from the above NPG web-only downloads, High is a never-released album Prince put together in, or around, 2000. Instead of issuing it, however, Prince ended up dismantling it and scattering various versions via The NPG Music Club a few years later. Most of these recordings found their way onto The Chocolate Invasion and The Slaughterhouse, though… some are slightly altered, lengthened and/or shortened. “When Will We B Paid” made it to a CD B-side. Archaeologists have given High two or three different unofficial running orders. This one works as well as the next. Worthwhile Prince.

High (5:04)
My Medallion (5:07)
Vavoom (4:03)
Sexmesexmenot (4:25)
Golden Parachute (5:32)
When Will We B Paid (4:07)
Gamillah (3:08)
Supercute (4:11)
Underneath The Cream (4:00)
The Daisy Chain (6:10)
Silicon (4:49)
U Make My Sun Shine (5:53)
When Eye Lay My Hands On U (3:40)

“Extraloveable” (2011)
A New Prince Tune, Sorta.

Surprising enough that Prince just decided to burp out a new tune (maybe to promote his upcoming Canadian tour), but the song he chose is a curious one. It’s actually from decades ago, and one of his more popular ‘unreleased’ tunes, then known as “Extra Loveable.” The unissued 80s version is just one of multiple times Prince has come back to the song over the years. This new version is more mature, and not as sexually or musically skittish as Prince’s 80s self. It’s actually quite brilliant. Check comments.

Extraloveable (5:01)

Montreux Jazz Festival (2009)
Prince Wows The Jazz Elite

As big a fan as I am of Prince (especially when he’s workin’ his Cool Mutherfucker routine), I don’t own many live boots of the guy. There’s something about the sound of most of ‘em – tinny, with weak and ineffectual drums – that makes it hard (for me, anyway) to listen to. Which is why this excellent 2009 performance at Montreux is so good. Great sound, two shows, one night, and some soulful set list choices tailored for the Montreux crowd – spotlighting Prince’s jazz/soul/pop fusion sides (using obscure tunes from The Vault: Old Friends 4 Sale and material written for other artists). Prince has done this before. He’s routinely incorporated jazz into his nightly repertoire, but it usually takes a backseat to his funk & soul sides. Prince altered his M.O. for Montreux, spotlighting the band’s lush soulful groove over the beat-heavy funk. His guitar style here is less gymnastic-Hendrix and more studied-Santana (who he name-checks), all with an MOR string chaser. Listen to the cool groove anchoring “When The Lights Go Down,” as P conducts the audience into “Willing & Able.” This is good  stuff. The tone, tempo and feel of “Little Red Corvette” is masterful, as the audience adds a haunting “slow down” chorus behind Prince’s forcibly restrained leads. I’ve always liked this side of Prince, and – as part of a larger show dedicated to this overall style – it provides another opportunity to witness Prince’s subtle soul mojo up close. He rocks out a bit more for the second show, adding a few rousing crowd pleasers… and even a Hendrix cover. Nearly 3 hours in total. There’s a ton of Prince in the archives, click HERE.

1st Show
When Eye Lay My Hands On U (6:33)
Little Red Corvette (6:13)
Somewhere Here On Earth (5:10)
When The Lights Go Down (6:40)
Willing & Able (2:45)
Eye Love U But Eye Don’t Trust U Anymore (5:07)
She Spoke 2 Me (6:25)
Love Like Jazz (3:06)
All This Love (8:36)
Empty Room (5:35)
Elixer (5:09)
In A Large Room With No Light (8:21)
Insatiable (3:28)
Scandalous (3:13)
The Beautiful Ones (3:47)
Nothing Compares 2 U (6:40)
Claude Nobs Speech (1:03)

2nd Show
Band Introduction (1:04)
When Eye Lay My Hands On U (6:34)
Stratus/That’s It (3:32)
Drums Solo (1:51)
Stratus (reprise) (0:47)
All Shook Up (4:14)
Peach (5:25)
Spanish Castle Magic (3:01)
When U Were Mine (4:21)
Little Red Corvette (6:15)
Somewhere Here On Earth (5:02)
She Spoke 2 Me (6:08)
Eye Love U But Eye Don’t Trust U Anymore (5:57)
Love Like Jazz (3:19)
All The Critics Love U In Montreux (11:23)
In A Large Room With No Light (8:33)
Purple Rain (10:33)
Claude Nobs Speech (2:39)

One Nite Alone… The Aftershow: It Ain’t Over (2002)
Some Legendary Aftershow Activity

Loose and free-flowing, Prince’s aftershow jams are the stuff of legend. His only officially released live box set, One Nite Alone… featured this hour-long taste. Check out how easily Prince conducts the band through an 11-minute version of one of his better melodies, the cinematically rich “Joy In Repetition” – altering the lyric, introducing the band and casually adding an extra measure, just so the crowd could take a line. George Clinton appears for a shout, while Prince offers up some of the lead guitar work that some believe is next only to Hendrix (more accurately, Santana). For this show, I made a CD-R to omit the off-key “Medley” featuring Musiq. It’s a show-stopper, and giving it the thumb will get you faster to Larry Graham’s bass work in “2 Nigs United For West Compton.” Maceo Parker and Candy Dulfer are also on board, reworking Prince classics like “Peach” and “Alphabet Street.” Not an entire performance, but a long overdue peek at what most of us will never get a chance to experience first hand. It’s only available as part of the box set at Amazon.

Joy In Repetition (10:57)
We Do This (Featuring George Clinton) (4:42)
Medley: Just Friends (Sunny)/If You Want Me To Stay (Featuring Musiq) (4:27)
2 Nigs United 4 West Compton (6:15)
Alphabet Street (2:55)
Peach (xtended Jam) (11:19)
Dorothy Parker (6:17)
Girls & Boys (7:00)
The Everlasting Now (vamp) (1:50)

Newfunk Sampling Series
From An Unreleased 7 Disc Set

In late 1999 and early 2000, Prince announced he was issuing a massive 7CD box set comprised of hundreds of archived samples. The price tag was a whopping $700, with the promise that these samples could be used by the buyer “free and clear,” without royalty payments. The 7 discs in the series we’re subtitled Bass, The Human Voice, Guitar, Keyboards, Loops & Percussion, Sound FX and Orchestral. Of course, like many a Prince project, this one failed to officially appear. But… some of the tracks have leaked out. There are some that believe these samples, most clocking in at barely a few seconds each, emanate from an industry sampler disc. The bit rate is low, and these 98 samples zip into a measly 6MB file, so your downloading time will be quick. We’ve recently seen another set of 36 files floating around, but they’re just reconfigured versions of what’s already in the first 98. No word on if any of this will ever be released. Can’t see why Prince would bother these days, since the set would only be copied ad infinitum, negating any possible profit from the project. But… until that day, here’s a small taste from Prince’s vaults.

Bass Loop 001 (Come)
Bass Loop 002
Bass Loop 003
Bass Sample 001
Voice Sample (Bob George)
Voice Sample (Female – Dead Like Elvis)
Voice Sample (Female – Playground For The NPG)
Voice Sample (Female 01)
Voice Sample (Female 02)
Voice Sample (Female 03)
Voice Sample (Female 04)
Voice Sample (Female 05)
Voice Sample (Female 06)
Voice Sample (Male – Partyman No Pictures)
Voice Sample (Male – Thunderball)
Voice Sample (Male 01)
Voice Sample (Male 02)
Voice Sample (Male 03)
Voice Sample (Prince – Batman)
Voice Sample (Prince – Come 1)
Voice Sample (Prince – Da Fuck)
Voice Sample (Prince – Da Fuck 2)
Voice Sample (Prince – Face Down)
Voice Sample (Prince – I Love You)
Voice Sample (Prince – Laughing)
Voice Sample (Prince – Northside)
Voice Sample (Prince – One Two)
Voice Sample (Prince – Ouh)
Voice Sample (Prince – Ouh 2)
Voice Sample (Prince – Pheremone)
Voice Sample (Prince – Vibrator 1)
Voice Sample (Prince – Vibrator 2)
Voice Sample (Prince – What I’m Sayin‘)
Voice Sample (Rosie Gaines – I’m Here To Party)
Voice Sample (Tora Tora – Oh My God)
Voice Sample (Tora Tora – Welcome 2 The Dawn)
Voice Sample (Tora Tora – WNPG)
Voice Sample (Vanity – Vibrator 1)
Voice Sample (Vanity – Vibrator 2)
Voice Sample (Vanity – Vibrator 3)
Voice Sample (Vanity – Vibrator 4)
Voice Sample (Vanity – Vibrator 5)
Voice Sample (Various 1999 Intro)
Voice Sample (Various 01)
Voice Sample (Various 02)
Voice Sample (Various 03)
Guitar Loop 001
Guitar Sample 001
Keyboard Sample 001 (LRC)
Drum Loop 001
Drum Loop 002
Drum Loop 003
Drum Loop 004 (Come)
Drum Loop 005 (Come)
Sound FX Loop 001 (Walking)
Sound FX Loop 002 (Tambourine)
Sound FX Loop 003
Sound FX Loop 004
Sound FX Loop 005
Sound FX Loop 006 (March)
Sound FX Loop 007 (Breath)
Sound FX Loop 009 (Handclap)
Sound FX Loop 010 (Fingerbell)
Sound FX Sample 001 (Bees)
Sound FX Sample 002
Sound FX Sample 003
Sound FX Sample 004 (Radio Interference)
Sound FX Sample 005
Sound FX Sample 006
Sound FX Sample 007
Sound FX Sample 008
Sound FX Sample 009
Sound FX Sample 010 (Engine)
Sound FX Sample 011
Sound FX Sample 012 (Dog)
Sound FX Sample 013
Sound FX Sample 014
Sound FX Sample 015
Sound FX Sample 016 (Ocean)
Sound FX Sample 017 (Thunder)
Sound FX Sample 018
Sound FX Sample 019
Sound FX Sample 020
Sound FX Sample 021
Sound FX Sample 022
Sound FX Sample 023
Sound FX Sample 024
Sound FX Sample 025
Sound FX Sample 026
Sound FX Sample 027
Trumpet Loop 001
Trumpet Sample 001
Trumpet Sample 002
Trumpet Sample 003
Trumpet Sample 004
Trumpet Sample 005
Trumpet Sample 006
Trumpet Sample 007

The Dawn (1995/2008)
Glorious Construction of Prince’s Mid-90s Unreleased Masterwork

As fan releases go, The Dawn is hands down one of the all time greats – with stunning studio quality sound, edited as professionally as any major label release. Over the years, Prince’s unreleased, mid-90s masterwork was spread piecemeal across various albums, scuttled projects and extended mix singles. Even casual fans could hear the connected threads that littered various albums like Gold Experience, Come, The Beautiful Experience and a slew of maxi-singles, but the big picture was always elusive… maybe even to Prince himself. Was this particular 3CD vision of The Dawn (a title Prince did have in the works) what he actually intended? Probably not. But, as a longtime fan, I can unequivocally state that the compilers of The Dawn have done a better job of it than Prince has (so far, anyway). Fanatics will enjoy hearing these mid-90s Prince essentials and rare mixes gathered into a massive conceptual structure, while non-fans get an introduction to the utterly fantastic music Prince was making back when no one was paying attention (since falling from public favor over his name-changing, face-painting antics). I’ve loved most of this material for years – though, many of these mixes are culled from outtakes and lesser known re-mixes – and hearing it all expertly compiled in one place brings new life to material I had overlooked myself (like the stitched together contractual obligation, Chaos And Disorder). Three, 19 track discs… each exactly 77 minutes in length. That’s attention to detail. Grab the gorgeous artwork, too. It might be fair to call this Prince’s greatest “release,” had he desired, or been allowed, to put it out like this himself.

ACT 1: COME
- Prologue: The Welcome Experience
Welcome 2 The Dawn (2:08)
- Part 1: The Wild Experience
NPG Operator (0:12)
Come (Part 1) (4:22)
Endorphin Machine (3:51)
Space (5:09)
We March (4:44)
Days Of Wild (7:17)
- Part 2: The Beautiful Experience
NPG Operator (0:18)
The Most Beautiful Girl In The World (6:21)
The Pope (4:33)
Ripopgodazippa (4:37)
NPG Operator (0:06)
Race (8:22)
Empty Room (3:17)
- Part 3: The Mad Experience
NPG Operator (0:07)
Mad (5:30)
Rock & Roll Is Alive (And It Lives In Minneapolis) (4:32)
Shhh (6:58)
Strays Of The World (4:42)

ACT 2: CHAOS
- Part 1: The Control Experience
Pussy Control (5:40)
NPG Operator (0:10)
Peach (3:06)
Chaos & Disorder (4:13)
Shy (4:56)
- Part 2: The Pheromone Experience
NPG Operator (0:15)
Pheromone (4:28)
319 (3:20)
Hide The Bone (5:07)
18 & Over (6:22)
NPG Operator (0:14)
Lemme See That Body Get Loose! (4:32)
- Part 3: The Hate Experience
Papa (2:58)
Dark (5:30)
NPG Operator (0:07)
Billy Jack Kid (8:27)
Eye Hate U (8:51)
Let It Go (5:38)
Don’t Talk 2 Strangers (3:13)

ACT 3: GOLD
- Part 1: The Interactive Experience
Interactive (3:02)
Acknowledge Me (7:11)
NPG Operator (0:11)
Somebody’s Somebody (3:42)
Love Sign (4:36)
- Part 2: The Now Experience
What’s My Name (3:03)
The Ride (8:45)
Zannalee (2:46)
NPG Operator (0:20)
Now (4:29)
Face Down (2:19)
- Part 3: The Dolphin Experience
NPG Operator (0:13)
2morrow (4:19)
The Same December (3:28)
Extraordinary (2:25)
Dolphin (6:18)
Come (Part 2) (11:50)
- Epilogue: The Gold Experience
NPG Operator (0:39)
Gold (7:28)

Indigo Nights/Live Sessions (2008)
Official, Though Obscure, Live Prince CD

Along with Prince’s 21 night stand at London’s 02 Arena in 2007, came a barely noticed commemorative book, 21 Nights, comprised of unseen photography, lyrics, poetry and… this outstanding live CD recorded at two Prince after-shows during his UK residency. Prince’s post-show shows are legendary for their looseness and carefree fun, filled with obscure cover renditions, jams and an anything goes attitude. They’ve also been a popular pastime of bootleggers, though Prince has officially released only one other after-show taste, on 2002′s One Nite Alone Live box set. Indigo Nights/Live Sessions boasts stunning sound quality, a broad cross-section of material and even a few guests. Yet another Prince album that will make you wonder why he hasn’t released more live material from his vaults, though, on the other hand… even when he does it goes largely unnoticed, as this one has. A must-have for any Prince fan. The hardcover book/CD retails for $50, but is available for as little as $8 new @ Amazon.

3121 (7:44)
Girls And Boy (4:05)
Song Of The Heart (1:40)
Delirious (2:01)
Just Like U (2:49)
Satisfied (6:19)
Beggin’ Woman Blues (6:43)
Rock Steady (featuring B. Knight) (6:37)
Whole Lotta Love (4:42)
Alphabet Street (6:09)
Indigo Nights (3:41)
Misty Blue (featuring Shelby J.) (4:25)
Baby Love (featuring Shelby J.) (3:54)
The One/The Question Of U/Fallin’ (9:08)
All The Critics Love U In London (7:05)

Outtakes 1993-1994
Our Fave Prince Period… Period

Cool, studio quality outtakes from Prince’s “Gold” period, circa 1993-1994. As fans know, Prince re-works his tunes ad infinitum, some of which have appeared on extended 30 & 40 minute single CDs, but many end up just sitting in the can. Here are some of those. Remixes of material that originally appeared, in different form, on albums such as Gold Experience, Come, Crystal Ball and Chaos & Disorder. Some differences are subtle, but many of these takes are stripped compared to their released counterparts. The funkier “band” version of “Come” is outrageously cool (hear it below), and all of this ragged gathering is good. We’ve got tons of Prince in the archives, including The Dawn, the mother of all Prince fan-releases from his mid-90s period of brilliance.

Shy #1 (4:52)
Gold #1 (5:58)
What’s My Name (3:09)
Come #2 (4:49)
Endorphin Machine (3:51)
Chaos & Disorder (4:14)
Right The Wrong (4:42)
Shy #2 (5:05)
Gold #2 (7:38)

20Ten (2010)
Is This The Future… Or The Past?

We don’t usually post brand new stuff here. Draws too much heat. But, after reading a comment from Prince about this month’s free release of 20Ten – only available in newspapers and magazines across Europe (Daily Mirror, Daily Record, Rolling Stone, Het Nieuwsblad) – it seems The Purple One is no longer concerned about the music industry… or the effects of downloading on his career. He told The Mirror that releasing 20Ten in this fashion was “the best way to go… no charts, no internet piracy and no stress.” Further, since he has no label to hunt down piracy on his behalf, it seems ludicrous that he’d bother to do it himself, which is a long way from the days he threatened fan sites over the use of his mere visage. As of today, there’s been no mention of legal download availability… or even a North American release (free or otherwise). And, when you think about it, it’s a brilliant approach (2007′s Planet Earth was issued in a similar way). 20Ten is just 40 minutes long, a quantity that Prince can routinely knock out before brunch. So, for the price of a skimpy 10 track disc, he’s getting press in all the aforementioned publications (and more), keeping his name current with the public, and generating more interest in his music (and profitable tours) in one month than in all the years he was battling Warners to release 3 hour sets like Emancipation, only to find it in the cutout bins within a year. Last year’s 3CD exclusive for Target, Lotusflow3r, was originally just $12, but is now discounted to as little as $4.99. So, this model makes sense on different levels.

Regular readers already know that we likes our Prince around these parts. He’s in my personal Top 5. But, I was stunned by the retro simplicity of 20Ten. It stylistically reconnects to his earliest work, mainly because Prince does virtually all the instrumentation himself, but it doesn’t come close in quality. The Mirror called 20Ten on par with 1999 and Purple Rain, and his best since Sign Of The Times. Sadly… that’s just the business relationship talking, not the actual zeros and ones. In reality, 20Ten sounds naked compared to his work of the last few decades, almost like outtakes or even super high quality demos. That’s probably a by-product of his one-man-band approach, or maybe just my own desire to hear Prince pushing the envelope, even when he falls short. The best news is that 20Ten is a short, sweet and consistent listen, sans the many style collisions Prince often indulges in, and I suspect that over the next month it will grow on me (as it already has). But… you be the judge. Just remember… he’s not charging us for it, and it’s never polite to be critical of sincere gift givers. Lots o’ P in the archives.

Compassion (3:57)
Beginning Endlessly (5:27)
Future Soul Song (5:08)
Sticky Like Glue (4:46)
Act Of God (3:14)
Lavaux (3:04)
Walk In Sand (3:30)
Sea Of Everything (3:49)
Everybody Loves Me (4:09)
(Hidden Track) Laydown (3:07)

Emancipation (1996)
Prince Unchained

The Artist Formerly Known As… was catching tons of shit by the time this 3CD declaration of independence hit the shelves in 1996. After years of unpronounceable, face-painting, anti-label, superstar antics, the nameless one had lost millions of the fans he had once so easily seduced with Purple Rain, and was now playing to a relatively small house of devoted followers. Even in retrospect, it’s still hard to believe how ignored he was, as mid-90s Prince is some of his best work (Gold Experience, Love Symbol). Once TAFKAP had secured his ‘artistic freedom’ from Warner Bros., and won the right to release what he wanted, when he wanted, Prince assaulted the world with this, a 3 hour album – which AMG calculated was “easily, the longest album of all-new original material ever released by a popular artist.” While I’m admittedly biased, it ranks as a minor favorite of mine – even if it did take me years to digest it. And I still haven’t fully embraced disc 2. Critics, who spent a week with it before deadline, weren’t as kind, and because the set was self-released through NPG/Capitol, it quickly went out of print. It lingers at Amazon for under 2 bucks. I’d be the first to admit it would have been a far better 2 disc set, but I generally prefer Prince when he indulges himself. Emancipation is not groundbreaking, as much as an affirmation of his diversity and depth. I won’t bore you with a track breakdown, but a mention should go to Prince’s stellar cover Joan Osborne’s (What If God Was) “One Of Us” (actually, an Eric Bazilian/Hooters tune). Hear some below. There’s more Prince in the archives.

ONE
Jam Of The Year (6:10)
Right Back Here In My Arms (4:44)
Somebody’s Somebody (4:44)
Get Yo Groove On (6:32)
Courtin‘ Time (2:47)
Betcha By Golly Wow! (3:31)
We Gets Up (4:19)
White Mansion (4:48)
Damned If I Do (5:21)
I Can’t Make U Love Me (6:38)
Mr. Happy (4:47)
In This Bed I Scream (5:41)

TWO
Sex In The Summer (5:58)
One Kiss At A Time (4:41)
Soul Sanctuary (4:42)
Emale (3:39)
Curious Child (2:57)
Dreamin‘ About U (3:53)
Joint 2 Joint (7:53)
The Holy River (6:56)
Let’s Have A Baby (4:08)
Saviour (5:49)
The Plan (1:48)
Friend, Lover, Sister, Mother/ Wife (7:38)

THREE
Slave (4:51)
New World (3:43)
The Human Body (5:42)
Face Down (3:17)
La-La (Means I Love U) (3:59)
Style (6:41)
Sleep Around (7:43)
Da Da Da (5:16)
My Computer (4:37)
One Of Us (5:20)
The Love We Make (4:39)
Emancipation (4:13)

“Cause & Effect” (2010)
New Freebie, Courtesy Of Prince

Prince donated a new, unreleased song to local Minneapolis radio station 98.3 last week to show his support for public radio. Don’t be thrown by the audience dubbed in the beginning (and later), it’s a rockin‘ studio track.

One Nite Alone (2001)
Prince’s Solo Piano/Voice Rarity

As brilliant as Prince routinely is, there are still a handful of his releases that are tough to penetrate. For me, this is one. Perhaps his rarest release, One Nite Alone was a CD freebie that was sent out to NPG Club members in 2001. Longtime fans agree that this CD is quite different from the majority of Prince’s work, even though he has included elements of this kind of quiet, soulful cocktail jazz on past albums. As on his “acoustic” album, The Truth, Prince finds it hard to lay off the additional instrumentation, so this isn’t strictly a solo piano and voice album… and is probably better for it. Still, the basic concept comes across clearly. Some of One Nite Alone sounds live in the studio, and you can even hear P pumping the pedals in the quieter moments, driving that point home. Often, when Prince lays off the big beats, his melodies tend to adopt a dreamy, wandering vibe, which is amazing when he layers on a dozen voices, but it’s hard on any given songs’ hook appeal. Still, Prince’s seemingly endless quality and varied, multi-layered styles provide plenty of study-worthy moments on One Nite Alone (not to be confused with the One Nite Alone… Live box set). You can hear one of the LPs more melodic tunes, “Have A Heart,” below. This is an ancient 192 download, so thanks to whomever.

One Nite Alone (3:38)
U’re Gonna C Me (5:17)
Here On Earth (3:23)
A Case Of U (3:40)
Have A Heart (2:05)
Objects In The Mirror (3:27)
Avalanche (4:25)
Pearls B4 The Swine (3:01)
Young And Beautiful (2:45)
Arboretum (Silence) (3:26)

Come (1994)
It’s OK To Admit To Liking Come

For reasons I’ve never understood, Come seems to get the short shrift when picking Prince’s more consistently groovy albums. True, it lacks the hard funk punch of most of his best work, but then, some of Prince’s more uniquely original albums (The Rainbow Children, for example) are also among his best. Come is largely a slow, sexy, beats album, a style Prince has mastered as well as anybody. It’s relaxed and comfortable, dominated by Prince’s pop and R&B expertise (yet oozing elements of his oft-ignored jazz side), with groove-enhancing horn charts that are less showy and better integrated than usual. The album’s chilled production even seems to temper the hard-driving 80s funk throwback, “Pheromone,” and the techno-driven “Loose,” as rolling waves and breathy segues link it all together. Those put off by Prince’s orgasmic chatter will have plenty of reason to repeatedly wince. I just like the atmosphere… and how the naked grooves sound like Prince’s many remix maxi-singles. Of which there are two below – 25 minutes of “Space” mixes and a 40 minute + set of “Letitgo” variations, easily one of Prince’s most convincing post-rap R&B creations. Forget all that 1958-1993 death of “Prince” hooey on the cover. Prince’s brilliance is most blinding when ignoring his non-musical shenanigans.

Come (11:13)
Space (4:28)
Pheromone (5:08)
Loose! (3:27)
Papa (2:49)
Race (4:28)
Dark (6:10)
Solo (3:49)
Letitgo (5:33)
Orgasm (1:39)

“Letitgo (Cavi‘ Street Edit)” boasts a string orchestration and funk-simple bass line that honors classic 70s movie soundtracks. While it’s not always the case with Prince records, the smooth rap bridge is a naturally groovin‘ fit here. Throw in some wah-wah and it all makes sense.

Letitgo Maxi Single
Letitgo (Caviar Radio Edit) (5:02)
Letitgo (Cavi‘ Street Edit) (5:04)
Letitgo (Instrumental) (5:04)
Letitgo (On The Cool-Out Tip Radio Edit) (4:36)
Letitgo (Sherm Stick Edit) (5:45)
Letitgo (Sherm Stick Edit Instrumental) (5:44)
Letitgo (Original Radio Edit) (4:16)
Letitgo (Original Album Version) (5:35)

Space Maxi Single
Space (Universal Love Remix) (6:10)
Space (Funky Stuff Remix) (5:42)
Space (Funky Stuff Dub) (4:47)
Space (Acoustic Remix) (4:41)
Space (4:31)

Rave Un2 The Joy Fantastic (1999 Arista Records)
Rave In2 The Joy Fantastic (2000 NPG Records)
A Tale Of Two Princes

Remember when Arista’s Clive Davis miraculously transformed 52 year-old, past-his-commercial-prime Carlos Santana into a crossover radio superstar by hooking him up with youngsters like Rob Thomas? Believe it or not, the legendary record man tried the same idea with Prince. Like Santana, Prince’s sales had tanked in the 90s, despite recording some of his finest material during the decade. Surprisingly, Prince considered Davis’ superstar/cameo/duet idea worth trying. The result is one of Prince’s weaker albums – not without its moments (and a great single) – but clearly without a singular vision to give it what Prince fans buy Prince albums for. One of the reasons might have been that Prince didn’t totally commit himself to the concept, which explains why one needs a magnifying glass to even find Chuck D, Sheryl Crow, Eve, Ani DiFranco & Gwen Stafani in the liner notes. As for the material itself, inconsistent is the keyword – though, “The Greatest Romance Ever Sold” was another under-the-radar million seller for the singer. What many don’t know is that the following year, Prince re-issued Rave, with a slightly different track list, slightly different cover, slightly different title and slightly different mixes… with slightly better results. Tracks were tinkered with or extended, while a handful were substantially re-modified. “Strange But True” and “Everyday Is A Winding Road” were removed from Un2 and replaced with the unreleased “Beautiful Strange” on In2. Online CD sales still being new in 2000, Rave In2 The Joy Fantastic went pretty much unnoticed outside the hive. On Amazon and Ebay, Prince’s version sells for between $300 and $400, when you can find one. Personally, I’m partial to the remix, but you get a public option.

Un2 (1999 – Arista Records)
Rave Un2 The Joy Fantastic (4:19)
Undisputed (With Chuck D) (4:20)
The Greatest Romance Ever Sold (5:30)
Segue (0:04)
Hot Wit U (5:11)
Tangerine (1:32)
So Far, So Pleased (With Gwen Stefani) (3:25)
The Sun, The Moon And Stars (5:16)
Everyday Is A Winding Road (6:13)
Seque (0:19)
Man O War (5:15)
Baby Knows (With Sheryl Crow) (3:19)
Love U, But Don’t Trust U Anymore (3:36)
Silly Game (3:30)
Strange But True (4:13)
Wherever U Go, Whatever U Do (8:51)
WebSite Promo (0:44)
Mr. Pretty Man (With Maceo Parker) (4:25)

In2 (2000 – NPG Records)
Rave In2 the Joy Fantastic (Remix) (5:15)
Undisputed (The Moneyopolis Mix) (5:46)
The Greatest Romance Ever Sold (Extended Remix) (8:07)
Hot Wit U (Nasty Girl Remix) (4:24)
Tangerine (Extended Version) (2:14)
So Far, So Pleased (3:25)
The Sun, The Moon And Stars (5:19)
Man O’ War (Remix) (5:12)
Baby Knows (Extended Version) (3:54)
I Love U, But I Don’t Trust U Anymore (3:34)
Beautiful Strange (Previously Unreleased) (4:56)
Silly Game (3:29)
Wherever U Go, Whatever U Do (Original Version) (3:17)
Pretty Man (Extended Version) (5:36)

The War (1998)
26 Minute Promo Only Live Psych

Prince’s sci-fi, anti-war, pro-human, conspiracy piece, “The War,” was recorded July 20, 1998 at Paisley Park Studios. Originally over 45 minutes, edited by P down to 26, “The War” is dreamy, meandering and slightly psychedelic jam, with nods to Gil Scott-Heron’s “The Revolution Will Not Be Televised” and Bob Marley’s “Exodus.” It was originally sent (unsolicited, on cassette in my case) to those who bought Crystal Ball online. Never officially for sale.


The War (26:00)

“In A Large Room
With No Light” (2009)
Free P Download

Prince has released a free track to celebrate his appearance at the Montreux Jazz Festival (just this past weekend). “In A Large Room With No Light,” is actually a reworking of a song Prince began in 1986, and is based on a jam created by The Revolution’s Wendy & Lisa. Prince collectors may know the original 80s track from bootlegs, inaccurately titled ““Welcome 2 The Ratrace” (a title culled from the lyrics). Prince’s intention was to include the tune as part of his unreleased Dream Factory album. This 2009 re-recording was made available by Prince himself, so enjoy it guilt free. (@192)

Welcome 2 The Beautiful Experience
Live At Paisley Park, Feb 13, 1994

A favorite Prince boot. Great sounding live show from Paisley Park that, at the time it was released by Italian bootleggers KTS, featured material Prince had yet to release. This CD first turned me on to the bizarre “Days Of Wild,” boasting a sample heavy, nasty groove chorus anchored by a perverted version of Duke Ellington’s jazz theme, “Caravan.” A slice of Prince’s “Interactive” period, more fully examined on our 3CD posting, The Dawn. NOTE: The track below begins with a muted beat… wait it out for a few seconds, it’s not representative of the album’s sound quality.

Interactive (2:50)
Days Of Wild (4:36)
Now (4:21)
The Ride (4:23)
The Jam (4:04)
I Believe In U (3:34)
Shhh (7:05)
What’d I Say (4:05)
Peak The Technique (5:53)
Martial Lawv (4:59)
None Of Your Business (5:51)

Loading Site (2009)
60 Min Non-Existent Prince Track

Visit Prince’s new web site and you’ll hear a spooky, kind of mesmerizing little loop playing while the site loads. It only lasts a few minutes. That is… until now. This is a continuous, 60 minute loop of Prince’s off-hand site introduction that you can use to space out to any time you want. Wanna turn your house into a chill room. This will make it happen. Stuck in traffic and craving mind relief? This might do the trick. Need some of Prince’s magic in the bedroom? You could do worse than this (and… you’ll still have 57 minutes to spare). Since Prince’s web pages have a history of not lasting long, you never know if you’ll ever hear this nugget again. We’re calling it “Loading Site.” (@320)

The Truth (1997)
Prince’s Acoustic Album

Many view Prince merely as a shrewd, self-inflating invention. But fans who devour each and every release know the tiny guy’s stunning depth. Unless you actually tackle his entire catalog, however, you’re probably the musical equivalent of those blind guys describing different parts of an elephant – and all coming up with different conclusions. Although “solo” albums are nothing new for Prince, the idea of an actual acoustic solo album (mostly, anyway) looks great on paper. What The Truth delivers, however, might be biased by which part of the elephant you’ve been feeling up. Prince’s performances are mostly all invigorating, with plenty of subtle invention, slyly brilliant harmonizing and fun & effective effects. The compositions are a different story, however. Personally, only a few of these songs have stuck with me over the years, and while I thoroughly enjoy Prince’s live-in-the-studio acoustic delivery and blissful vocal overdubs, The Truth has never been a go-to Prince disc for me. Your mileage may be different. There are a few production numbers that creep in, but a lot of this disc is stripped to the basics. Originally released as part of the 4 (& 5) CD box set, Crystal Ball. Click the cover for performance details.

The Truth
Don’t Play Me
Circle Of Amour
3rd Eye
Dionne
Man In A Uniform
Animal Kingdom
The Other Side Of The Pillow
Fascination
One Of Your Tears
Comeback
Welcome 2 The Dawn (Acoustic Version)