The Prince Estate and Warner Bros. Records has unearthed the original version of the iconic song, “Nothing Compares 2 U,” from late music icon Prince.
The previously unreleased cut was recorded in 1984, six years before 1990’s classic reimagining by Sinéad O’Connor and before Prince started performing the song live. The track was originally composed, arranged and performed in its entirety by Prince, aside from the backing vocals by Susannah Melvoin and Paul “St. Paul” Peterson. Also featured on the original track is saxophone work by Eric Leeds.
As remembered by Michael Howe, long-time industry A&R executive, Prince expert, and the Prince Estate’s official Vault Archivist, “I spotted the 2″ multitrack reel in the Vault some weeks back while doing a 1984-era inventory. After retrieving my jaw from the floor, we took the reel upstairs, analyzed it, put it up on the Studer 24 track machine, and digitized it to 24/192. Even our ‘faders up’ rough mix was compelling enough to indicate that this was something very special indeed.”
Howe continued, “No Prince-penned song performed by another artist has enjoyed more chart success (#1 in over a dozen countries) and overall cultural impact than Sinead O’Connor’s 1990 recording, so hearing the song in its original context performed in its entirety by the author makes it particularly noteworthy.”
Accompanying the song is a visual featuring never before seen rehearsal footage of Prince & The Revolution practicing their choreography in that same Eden Prairie warehouse during the same summer of 1984. Captured for Prince as a part of his rehearsal process, the footage is presented for the very first time in a video directed by Andrea Gelardin and Ruth Hogben. The video offers a glimpse into Prince’s total commitment to his art and its emotional impact, even when no audience is present.
A black vinyl 7” will be available for pre-order from major physical retailers and will be released on Friday 25th May.
The Prince Estate has also launched a new site Prince2Me.com for fans to showcase what Prince means to them.
In addition to the Prince2Me site, the Estate has launched an immersive annotated discography website highlighting the incomparable breadth and depth of Prince’s recorded catalog. Featuring audio previews, photos, videos, quotes and editorial commentary, the discography site provides a rich platform for fans old and new to immerse themselves in the creative genius of Prince. Visit the discography website here: https://www.princeestate.com
The Prince Estate serves to present Prince’s life and work, and celebrate his ground-breaking cultural impact.
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