Prince Estate & Sony Release 23 Previously Unavailable Albums Digitally
As part of an agreement struck in June, the Prince Estate and Sony's Legacy Recordings have dropped the first batch of digital catalog releases with a set of 23 albums initially issued between 1995 and 2010.
Some of Prince's most popular albums, including The Gold Experience, 3121, and Rave Un2 the Joy Fantastic are now available across all major digital streaming platforms. This is exciting news for Prince fans because many of the albums are available for the first time for streaming and download.
Additionally, a new 37-track compilation called Prince Anthology 1995-2010, is now available. The anthology opens with what Prince deemed his "most important record ever," 1996's "Emancipation," which was recorded after he split with Warner Bros. The anthology closes with “We March” from 1995's The Gold Experience.
As part of the deal, Legacy has also secured the future distribution rights to 12 classic Prince titles initially released by Warner Bros. between 1978 and 1996, although the agreement does not include soundtracks such as Purple Rain and Parade. This means that some of Prince's most revered albums, including Dirty Mind, Controversy, 1999, Lovesexy and Sign o' the Times will be distributed by Legacy beginning in 2021.
In addition to the batch of music just released, the music icon's estate previously announced that Piano & a Microphone 1983 will arrive on Sept. 21 via Warner Bros.
"This raw, intimate recording, which took place at the start of Prince's career right before he achieved international stardom, is similar in format to the Piano & A Microphone Tour that he ended his career with in 2016," said Prince Estate entertainment adviser Troy Carter. "The estate is excited to be able to give fans a glimpse of his evolution and show how his career ultimately came full circle with just him and his piano."
Jay-Z is also reportedly compiling a new Tidal-exclusive Prince album, tentatively scheduled for a 2018 release.
Per Variety, Prince catalog titles newly available digitally via SME/Legacy are:
- The Gold Experience (1995) (“The Most Beautiful Girl in the World” greyed out, partial album streaming only; album unavailable for download)
- Chaos and Disorder (1996)
- Emancipation (1996)
- Crystal Ball (1998)
- The Truth (1998)
- Rave Un2 The Joy Fantastic (1999)
- Rave In2 The Joy Fantastic (2001)
- The Rainbow Children (2001)
- One Nite Alone… (2002)
- One Nite Alone…Live! (2002)
- One Nite Alone…Live – The Aftershow: It Ain’t Over (Up Late with Prince & The NPG) (2002)
- Xpectation (2003)
- N.E.W.S. (2003)
- C-Note (2004)
- Musicology (2004)
- The Chocolate Invasion (Trax from the NPG Music Club: Volume 1) (2004)
- The Slaughterhouse (Trax from the NPG Music Club: Volume 2) (2004)
- 3121 (2006)
- Planet Earth (2007)
- Indigo Nights (2008)
- LOtUSFLOW3R (2009)
- MPLSoUND (2009)
- 20Ten (2010)
- Prince Anthology: 1995-2010
Prince Anthology: 1995-2010
Prince Year by Year: 1977-2016 Photographs