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Prince ‘Diamonds and Pearls’ reissue teased by official channels

Announcement coming this week

By Paul Sinclair

Comments

116

Official Prince channels have very recently posted teasers of what can surely only be a reissue of the purple one’s 1991 album Diamonds and Pearls which was recorded with the New Power Generation.

On X (formerly twitter) the post even specifies the date saying “So you’ve been wanting more music? Stay tuned for our Announcement on 8/24…”. This is accompanied by an alternate version of the album cover photo.

https://twitter.com/prince/status/1693643843936157927

The Diamonds and Pearls album features some big hit singles including ‘Cream’, Prince’s fifth, and final, US number one; and the title track and ‘Gett Off’, which were top five singles in the US and UK respectively.

It remains to be seen what formats will be offered when a reissue is announced, but the 2020 Sign ‘O’ The Times reissue was extremely generous, being offered in 8CD and 13LP vinyl super deluxe editions, both with DVDs.

What do you want to see in a Diamonds and Pearls reissue? Leave a comment.

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116 Comments

116 thoughts on “Prince ‘Diamonds and Pearls’ reissue teased by official channels”

  1. I work in the media, so ive been privy to this information for quite a while. I think so much is open to opinion. Like everything in life, if you are a fan of anything then get excited , add value to commentary or scroll or find something that excites you

    I don’t get putting Paul on blast or being rude adds anything to a discussion , an opinion is not a fact.

    Paul thank you for the articles, your work and the site is appreciated by many and I enjoy the positive discourse that adds value to a thread. As Taylor said “The Haters Gonna Hate Hate Hate”.

    Fact remains that this album (whether YOU like it or not) was a “Hit”, any artist would want a worldwide MULTI platinum , 6 million + selling album. For those of us that lived through the times, the videos were on repeatedly through the period and the album graced many front covers all over the world

    This will be another great success and we have to lump what the estate does because of a lack of a will. But there it is. Londell is back even though P got shut of him …..

    1. Seriously, I can’t find any rude comment in this section. Also, no one who I would consider a „hater“. That people have different opinions on the album and the fact that it was chosen as a SDE should not be surprising.
      Anyway, good that the tracklist and the price tag will be released today.

  2. Is It true that the song Diamonds and pearls is an edited version for the album? I read that originally is a suite that Warner wanted as single and of course don’t could be because of lenght of the track.

    1. never heard anything like that before. scandalous sex suite is a long 12″ which is basically 3 versions/mixes added together. thunder ballet was extended later. batdance was shortened a bit, as were a lot of tracks but not that one

  3. My interest in Prince waned a bit after SOTT, but D&P (and the follow-up Symbol album) definitely brought me back in. Glad to see this getting a super deluxe reissue. Agree with others hoping we’ll soon see similar treatment of earlier albums (esp. Around the World in a Day)!

  4. It’s not my favourite Prince album & I doubt there are many for whom it is but it was the sound of him updating his sound to absorb the trends of the time, rather than create which is perhaps what he had done previously during the Purple ( sorry ) patch. That said though, the singles were excellent.

    I’m interested but will look at the content & price before I commit.

    Much more interested in Lovesexy & Parade for SDE’s.

  5. A few things:

    -I thought the reissue campaign had come to a halt. 2 yrs ago people were already talking about the D&P reissue. What happened???

    -After Batman & Graffity Bridge, I thought Prince was on his way down but when he released D&P, I was pleasantly surprised. Thunder, Daddy Pop, Strollin’, Walk Don’t Walk, Money Don’t Matter Tonight and the great singles, Prince was back! He released two more great albums after this: Love Symbol and Gold Experience, after that he disappeared into mediocrity for 10 years until he released Musicology to be followed up by the excellent 3121.

    -What is the method behind releasing these specific albums? It started with Purple Rain which made sense. Then 1999, and then SOTT. People are dying to get expanded reissues of Around The World In A Day, Parade and Lovesexy, why D&P now?

    -In general it would be interesting to know if Prince’s side projects are being reissued as well at some point. Vanity 6, The Time, Sheila E, Mazerati, The Family, etc

    For now great news about D&P, wondering if they jump on the Atmos train. We all hope they do of course.

    1. -After Batman & Graffity Bridge, I thought Prince was…

      I think your breakdown is spot on! D&P is a cohesive slab of pop/funk. Prince got flack on D&P for allowing a dabble in rap after years of being critical of it but people overlook some things about it. D&P also saw a re-embrace of remix culture (beyond “house,” “dub,” “12” mix”) that he worked with on Batman and a little on the rather “meh” Graffiti Bridge. (I’m always amazed by the tenuous Prince/Underworld connection via William Orbit’s “The Future” remix for Batman. I think a Prince/Underworld collaboration or remix album would have been stellar. https://prince.org/msg/7/461815 )

    2. As far as anyone call tell, the reasoning behind D&P being next is purely a commercial one – it was a big comeback hit with several big hit singles (Cream was #1 in the USA, title track #3) – Yeah, personally I’d rather have anything up to and including Lovesexy reissued before D&P, but looking outside the hardcore fandom bubble, I can see their reasoning of going with D&P next.

    3. A few things I think have played into the delays…

      1) There have been management changes behind the scenes. The previous SDEs were released when Comerica were handling things. Now that The Estate has been settled we have the situation that 3 of the heirs held on to their shares and are being represented by Londell McMillan/Charles Spicer while the other 3 have sold their shares to Primary Wave – a music catalogue management company. More opinions – slower progress.

      2) A Netflix documentary series has been in production for some time now and there have been suggestions that Netflix have/had first view rights to any video footage – a feature of previous SDEs. The documentary series was first delayed by Covid and recently McMillan has indicated that there is currently a disagreement over the tone of the series – so this may also have impacted finalising plans for the next SDE. (Due to this I am very curious to see if we get a concert video with this release).

      3) In addition to the ‘commercial’ considerations I think we/they also have to consider the fact that the distribution rights to the catalogue is now split (at least for the US) between Warners (the soundtrack albums: Purple Rain, Parade, Graffiti Bridge, Batman) and SONY (pretty much everything else). I suspect this now plays into the decision making so neither one feels left out when it comes to the SDEs.

      My speculation: Rumour has it that both Parade and D&P SDEs had been ready for a while now – both finalised under Comerica when Warners still had the rights to all the pre-1995 albums. Initially Parade SDE sounded like it would be first – then we heard that D&P SDE would go instead (possibly so that Warners could squeeze one more set out before the rights transferred to SONY). The Netflix deal / management change / Covid interfered with all this and at the point they were ready to start thinking about SDEs again we now have the added Warners/SONY complication. I imagine Warners must be planning a proper Purple Rain 40th SDE for next year so it makes sense that SONY would get the 2023 SDE. Given that it will SONY’s turn again in 2025 I suspect Parade SDE won’t see the shelves until 2026, conveniently it’s 40th anniversary.

  6. I believe the title for the album came from International lover on 1999. I always thought the cover imagery was dangling bum beads

  7. D&P is one of my favourite Prince albums. Hope they could look to include a Dolby Atmos, DTS and LPCM Blu-ray as a start to upgrading the Prince experience of SDEs. Only really have SOTT like this where you had to buy the Turbine Medien release to add to the Estates SDE. Perhaps Paul could start with 1999 in the SDE series, on already published Estate releases? (I wish…)

  8. …also, out there in bootleg land, D&P Beginnings is worth hunting down for an early configuration of the album with different mixes of a number of tracks…

  10. My excitement for this release is somewhat tempered by my expectation it will be outrageously priced (the SotT SDE was very expensive). However, I hope it does include all of the remixes from the time, as a number of my Prince maxi-single CDs are suffering from CD-rot, so replacements would be welcome.

  12. ”Diamonds and Pearls” SDE has been talked about a lot on fan forums during the last months or even more. I would have preferred another album to be released as an expanded edition (Lovesexy, Parade, Batman) but, given the three years passed since the “Sign O’ The Times” SDE, I am happy we are getting something from the Estate. Surely a must buy for me. And let’s hope the packaging and the tracklist are good

  13. I want to see a version of the album with loads of bonus tracks, lots of details on the recordings, all the lyrics to every song in the package and a concert DVD from that period of time. Jethro Tull do this without any huge fuss with several of their past albums. Let’s see what the Prince Organization can come up with.

  14. I remember the excitement when the Gett Off bootleg was released back in 1990. Such a great track and it wasnt credited to Prince at the time. Prince’s answer to the awful Graffiti Bridge album. I couldnt and still dont get excited with DandP I have tried to play it. I had it on cassette thou with the hologram sleeve. I think Graffiti Bridge ruined Prince for me but redeemed with the Gett Off 12″ and went off the boil with D+P. Perhaps I should give it another go?

    1. I didn’t know about the existence of a “Gett Off bootleg”, but I respectfully disagree with you: Graffiti Bridge was not awful at all. (Maybe the movie was, though.) It ain’t no masterpiece, of course, but it’s a nice minor album, nothing to be ashamed of, and it includes “Thieves in the Temple” and fine cameos from the Time (“Shake!”), Mavis Staples (“Melody Cool”) and George Clinton. And like I said before, “Joy in Repetition” is just sublime.

      1. Each to their own but its not on par with Lovesexy or SOTT and it certainly isnt Purple Rain 2. Joy In repetition I believe is as old as 1986. Gett Off was a promo type bootleg sent to radio with no artist on it just the title in 1990.

  15. It might just be me, but whenever I here Cream or Sexy MF I always think of the Fast Show skit done in a George Formby stylee. Cracks me up every time.

  17. I haven’t listened to the album in over 30 years. Apart from Gett Off , Money Don’t Matter 2 Night and perhaps Cream, it’s a weak album, much like it’s predecessor Graffiti Bridge. Prince was past his peak, chasing instead of making trends. Not interested and will just have to wait longer for the mid 80s SDEs.

    2. After 30 years blow the cobwebs off and see if your memory holds up – The 2 or 3 Tony M-forward rap tracks have aged badly (they didn’t sound that hot in 1991 either) but everything else on there is top notch and a much more cohesive affair than the grab-bag of Graffiti Bridge. The pop/swing/gospel of Willing & Able is the best thing on the album and a career highlight. Strollin’ is effortlessly breezy, Live 4 Love is there for the guitar/pop fans, Thunder is as bonkers Prince as anything ever was, Insatiable is another faultless seduction ballad in a discography stuffed with equally great examples.

  18. Hmm, not to sure why skipped a deluxe of Lovesexy, but Diamond and Pearls? I’m down for that. His Estate’s deluxe box game has been good, especially with Sign O The Times.

  19. I am firstly praying that they do the hologram cover that made this album so unique for its time. It would be amazing and high quality. But based on the teaser pics, I think they won’t :( but I hold out hope. A concert DVD of the Earls Court Shows here in London that ran for many many nights would also be amazing. I want to see this back at the number 1 spot on the album chart with a major assault on a basic version of the album that can go to the top of the charts. Then the SDL versions with unique insights and songs. This was the album that introduced me to Prince. It holds a special place in my life. I would also love Gett off re-release and again major assault on the radio stations here in the UK, to remind the masses just how great Prince was, and this album was so commercial , it surely has to be a hit (heres hoping)

      1. The Earls Court gig I was at, he came back out about a minute after the house lights had gone up and he done one more song. Most of the venue had cleared out by then and those that were still about rushed up to the stage. And before you knew it, it was over. Great gig.

    2. “Planet Earth” also had an hologram cover. I wonder if it’s still in print. These things tend to disappear… I liked the song “Guitar” on that album. “I love you baby… But not like I love my guitar.” Wow. His whole life explained in eleven words.

      1. If I’m not mistaken, the “Planet Earth” cover is not a hologram but a 3D lenticular cover, which was retained on the NPG/Sony/Legacy digipack reissue…

    3. Funny, speaking of that hologram, with all the rumours of a D&P deluxe box over the past coupla years but no confirmation as to when it would actually happen & drop, I found and bought a used CD copy of the original with the hologram cheap…not sure if it’s worth much but it was something to hang onto until it does drop…tomorrow we will find out when…on another note, I also fairly recently found a used but pretty mint condition official CD of the Black Album…I recognized the spine and snapped that one quick!!

      1. I found a decent copy of the Black Album at a Bay Area Goodwill a few months ago. Like you, I recognized the spine imediately and snapped it up! I had a copy but sold this one online. Was surprised to find it at Goodwill. It was in a plastic cart in the middle of the store with some books.

  20. I have the CD with seven different mixes or remixes of “Gett Off”, and I think I listened to that maxi-single a lot more than to the album. For me, D & P is the beginning of the end, no matter how many hits it includes. I don’t want to say Prince did nothing good after Lovesexy/The Black Album, that would be untrue (for instance, Joy in Repetition, from Graffiti Bridge, is one of my favorite Prince songs, as fine as anything on Sign O’ Times), but IMHO, he never succeeded in making a really great from-beginning-to-end album in the nineties and afterwards. That being said, I’m happy to know the reissue campaign will at last resume, and the completist in me will probably end up buying this D & P SDE, depending on the vault tracks, the outtakes, the live performances, the remixes, etc.

    1. Joy In Repetition was an outtake from Crystal Ball, the 1986 three album set that Warners made Prince cut to become the double Sign O’ The Times.

      2. Being that’s the case, wouldn’t the song be on the SDE of SOTT?? That has all (or most) of the tracks recorded between 1986 & 1987, and slated to be on the albums Dream Factory (3LP), original Crystal Ball (2LP) & Camille, highlights condensed into SOTT…

  21. PrinceVault have the following unreleased songs slated for inclusion…

    Schoolyard
    Alice Through The Looking Glass
    The Last Dance (Bang Pow Zoom And The Whole Nine)
    Letter 4 Miles
    Work That Fat

    Plus many more hopefully!! Parade next please “Estate”.

  22. While it’s not atop my wishlist of Prince SDEs (not even in the top 5), it is something. I do like most of D&Ps and some of it is outstanding. AtWiaD and Lovesexy (combined w/ The Black album?) are my holy grails. When those finally drop and assuming I’m not in a walker by then, I’ll be jumping & dancing for an extraordinary and extended amount of time. This still gets a seated whoo though.

  23. Diamonds & Pearls was maybe not a favourite of hardcore Prince fans but really resonated with the general public. Although it’s not one of my favourites it’s still worthwhile.
    I’d be hoping that every track and version from all the singles are included, which should hopefully be a given as the Purple Rain, 1999 and SOTT reissues covered all 7” and 12” A and B sides. This was the era of the Prince maxi-single, with Gett Off being a prime example.
    I’m actually excited by this announcement and the prospect of maybe hearing some Prince tracks I haven’t heard before.

  25. Love how you sneaked that one in Paul; X

    I managed to order the SDE of Sign O the Times and to date it stands well above most box sets.
    Prince seemed to produce brilliant variations of his songs, not just remixes for the sake of it. I’m definitely looking forward to Lovesexy, but this Diamonds and Pearls release will be good.

  26. I would love to see a Parade SDE with the vault tracks that didnt make it onto Sign. Would also love to see a Black Album/Lovesexy era album with all the tracks from that.

  27. Ok great, the D&P SDE details about to be announced, bout frikking time…how do I feel about this album?? Not my fave, really like it though, some of it is pretty underrated, some just OK, the production has a freshness about it…not too keen on the wannabe hip-hop bits tho & Rosie Gaines was just OK, her over the top vocal on the title track did not impress, she’s no Chaka Khan…and “Thunder” I love except for the Jesus references which turn me off…yes it had a few big hits but they felt a bit radio pandering, except “Money” which felt like an underrated overlooked gem, a bit Stevie Wonder-ish…looking forward to this whole package and if that tracklist is what’s coming with more to be added, count me in…I buy every Prince SDE…and I do wonder when the followup “Symbol” SDE is coming?? The Estate did release a digital single of an unreleased mix of “7”, so something is coming with that too methinks…and my first Prince concert was the Act 1 tour in 1993 for that album…I got into Prince in 1982 when I saw him doing “1999” on Solid Gold, which my jaw hit the floor as a 15 year old kid…

  29. For me, Diamonds and Pearls is where Prince’s 1990s slump began. Sure, it has “Gett Off” (with real horns!) and the title track, and “Cream” and “Money Don’t Matter 2 Night” were decent singles, but the rest the album is mediocre at best, as Prince was clearly worried about the new competition he was facing in the forms of new jack swing and rap (he’d already recorded The Black Album as a way to silence those critics who thought he was going too soft)—it’s hardly a coincidence that his next album would open with “My Name Is Prince”…

    They’d be better off continuing the path through the albums from his imperial period that they haven’t got to yet—Around the World in a Day, Parade, Lovesexy, Batman, and Graffiti Bridge, and then circle back to Dirty Mind (which I think is overrated, though I recognize its classic status) and Controversy. Because, really, that’s the period in which he released his classic B-sides—from this bunch, “Hello”, “She’s Always in My Hair”, the 21-minute version of “America”, “Scarlet Pussy”, “Feel U Up”, “Escape”, “Sex”, “♥︎ or $”, “Alexa de Paris”.

  31. What is so great with a Prince super deluxe edition is that there is likely to be albums worth of brilliant material, regardless of the style and popularity of the original album. I don’t have access to or seek out bootleg recordings, so the additional music is all new when I buy Prince’s SDE’s. What a genius!

    1. I used to buy Prince CD bootlegs in the 90s and was a collector of the fan magazine Uptown which a coupla issues listed all the bootlegs and unreleased songs, was a great reference guide…

  32. I would have preferred Dirty Mind era stuff but I will buy ANYTHING Prince! It’s a beautiful day when your favorite artist has a Super Deluxe Edition release!

  33. We’re about to get another galore feast of vault tracks and people are moaning because they want Parade or Around the World, regardless of your feelings of the album, Diamonds and Pearls was a huge era for Prince so it makes sense for this album to get the SDE treatment, there’s lots of fans who love this album, I’m sure there’ll be more to come over the years.

    1. Personally, I don’t care what order these SDEs come out in, as long as they come out at all!! For a while, it seems like things just stopped…like uh oh…but I hope things are fixed and more is to come after this D&P…

  34. If anyone could supply enough material for an SDE every six months, it’s Prince. Not so sure we could keep up, but it would be fitting, the Purple One as prolific in death as he was in life. Rumour has it there will be a second attempt at a Purple Rain SDE for its 40th anniversary next year, but I maintain a slim hope for a Parade SDE next year too.

    1. If that does happen, I hope it’s all contents from the first one plus all the tracks from the Time & Apollonia 6, maybe a rumoured full version of “17 Days”, if it exists…and an SDE of “Parade” will be amazing too yes…

        1. Oooh how long is the full “17 Days”?? Like 8-10 minutes?? His 12″ & full versions are just sublime…and it would be great to get a full Madhouse package too…

          1. Approx 7 mins 30. Should of been on PR deluxe hoping its on the 40th next year.

  35. Ooh been looking forward to this , this album defo brought Prince back into the mainstream pop audience and brought some new fans along for the ride. Hope there are lot of unreleased gems on this

    1. Prob somewhere in-between the SDE of Sign and 1999, sizewise, I’m a-thinking my 2 big SDE box purchases of the 2023 holiday season will be this Prince and Neil Young’s Archives 3…

  37. I was waiting for parade – the only one I really want. And maybe around the world in a day if it has the full 12” of America.
    I found Diamonds and Pearls way too bland except for gett off…

    2. I’m looking forward to Parade extended deluxe edition too. Q – Does Parade count as a soundtrack album, especially as it provided the soundtrack for Prince’s ‘under the cherry moon’ a vanguard movie? Does this make it more tricky to do like the Batman soundtrack ‍♂️

      1. Maybe…I think “Parade” is not viewed as a soundtrack per se (even though it kinda is) because the title of the album is not the title of the movie, and it’s structured like an album not a movie score…when/if an SDE comes, it may become more like a soundtrack, with B-side score pieces added…Graffiti Bridge is more like a soundtrack than an album with songs by other Prince-associated acts the Time, Mavis Staples, etc on there…as for Batman?? Naaahhhh!! My least fave Prince album by far, but an SDE could redeem it…”200 Balloons” should have been the single over “Batdance” which was basically a dub remix of “200 Balloons”…

  38. Rasberry Beret and Paisley Park plus the lp they were on are my Prince favourites,so I am a bit miffed this fab follow-up lp to Purple Rain aint yet getting any attention for deluxe re-release. Especially as it has some of Prince’s best lp cover art.I am guessing that as this lp was close to Prince’s prime period where he was a songwriting workaholic tons of outtakes and unheard vault songs probably exist.So why aint the Prince Estate interested in getting to this lp?

    1. I don’t think that much extra material exists for Around The World In A Day. That album was basically recorded during/just after the sessions for Purple Rain. Though the ATWIAD album was released in May 1985 or so, Prince had delivered the album to the record company before the end of 1984 as he was on tour immediately after.
      What the album does have is enough (long) B-sides and remixes to fill up 2 CDs. But not much with regard to vault songs.

        1. That could work nicely, as not enough vault tracks on either to make SDE’s on both but combined would make a great SDE…4-5 CD box/8 LP vinyl with full artwork too…

      2. I too want that…I did buy that 2LP RSD release which was a Japanese compilation with combined singles (7″ & 12″) from Around the World, Purple Rain & 1999…called “Club Mix” or something I forgot, it’s a great fun gatefold compilation with 1 record at 33RPM & the other 45 and artwork on the front from the “Raspberry Beret” single…

      3. there is loads. during the period he wrote and recorded those tracks, he wrote and recorded tracks that ended up on later albums for himself and the time and the family for example, so those tracks could be included. there are numerous rehearsal and soundcheck etc type jams and takes of tracks as he worked through them, plus songs that have never been released in any capacity. they could also take earlier versions of raspberry beret for example

        the D&P set bonus material mainly comprises of tracks that are well known from bootlegs, such as the “yellow” bootleg, so has a lot of tracks he gave away to other artists like martika, but i wonder isn’t listed as one of them. so following that idea, other SDE’s could similarly include his original versions of tracks later released by others that were recorded around the same time as the album

  39. “Gett Off (Damn Near 10 Min.)” is the obvious hope. (I’d even settle for a replica vinyl on that one.) I am not a knows-what-all-the-vault-tracks-are fan of this period, so I’m just hoping to be pleasantly surprised. I hope there’s early versions of “Live 4 Love” (my favorite track) in there – would love to hear how that one evolved.

  40. Yay! This has been a long time coming. There are lots of vault tracks to be discovered, if the leaked tracklisting is to be believed.

    Rumor also has it that a couple of years ago, the Prince Estate was going to release a combined SDE for D&P and its follow-up, The Symbol Album. I’m glad they didn’t go that route. I want each album to stand on its own.

  42. Welcome 2 the dawn!
    This box dos not satisfy everybody……that would be impossible!!
    I hope for all remixes of Gett Off (nearly10min mix!!) & Cream, unreleased mixes and vault tracks!!!!
    Alternative versions without rap would be nice.
    There are many lists on fan sides – a lot of interesting songs!! (Martika, Mavis …..etc)
    We will see and look for the money !!
    Oh i miss the purple one !
    Let down your funky……

    1. there’s piles of remixes of gett off and cream that didn’t get released, on top of the many that were released. so much so that there could be a box set of just the remixes and videos for those two singles

    4. Batman??? Naaahhhh!! Even though I used to have that Batcan, that is my least fave Prince album by far BUT an SDE can redeem it…in my eyes, “200 Balloons” shoulda been the single, NOT the pandering “Batdance”, which was basically a dub remix of “200 Balloons” with the Batman theme bits sprinkled over it…I did like “Partyman”, “The Future” & “The Scandalous Sex Suite”, but the whole thing felt disjointed and all over the place…the Camille song “Feel U Up” is great too but it’s a Camille song not a Batman song…

    5. My first Prince album, and still a favorite.

      The singles aren’t quite as strong as the album itself, but I’d welcome an expanded reissue with all of the B-sides, remixes, edits, and outtakes. Because of this album’s particular licensing restrictions, it might be tougher to put together than most Prince albums, though.

      I think these are all of the leaked Batman-related outtakes and/or reworked demos:

      Rebirth of the Flesh (1986 demo, incorporated into Partyman)
      We Got the Power (1988 demo, incorporated into Batdance)
      19 (Jailbait) (unreleased 1988 Madhouse track, incorporated into Batdance)
      Rave Unto the Joy Fantastic (1988 version, incorporated into Batdance)
      Dance with the Devil
      Batdance (8:29 minute long version)
      Batdance (John Luongo Remix)
      Partyman (6:50 house version)
      Trust (7″ with New Vocals)
      Trust (Dub Version)
      Electric Chair (2 early versions over 7 minutes long)
      Electric Chair (Live on SNL)

      Pesonally, I’d skip Anna Waiting (the original version of Vicki Waiting, about waiting for his then-girlfriend to turn 18) and Me Touch Myself (recorded in the same period): both would be rather inappropriate…

  44. There will be those who totally disagree with me and whilst I hope “the estate” do a quality job of this , I just cannot get excited.

    The purple patch was Dirty Mind to Black Album / Lovesexy plus all the Jamie Starr and period aligned Paisley Park stuff not forgetting giveaway to the Bangles, Sheena, Taja, Stevie Nicks etc. this was the immortal period.

    Whilst Gett Off and Cream are great pop songs I want deep archive explorations of the immortal period, rather than mortal. After all who would want an SDE of London Town / Back to the Egg

    1. “Who would want an SDE of London Town / Back to the Egg”?

      Right here, chum. Sign me up.

      Ditto Diamonds &Pearls. But, yeah, hear you… I would have pulled for Dirty Mind or Controversy first.

      2. My attempt at poor ironic humour. Back to the Egg i would have happily taken ahead of V&M, W@SoS, RRS and WW. London Town, less so … just really highlighting everyone has their unique reasons and whilst D&P is a long way from the best of Prince I my view, I’m sure it is for some …

    2. This is constantly debated on Prince fan sites. (Of which I am a member.) When it comes to DE/SDE reissues, some people want the “classic” run first, some people actually want his 2000s output first.

      Me, I want them in this order (assuming D&P has already been released):
      Around The World In A Day
      Lovesexy
      Batman
      Purple Rain (the first DE was only so-so)
      Dirty Mind
      Controversy
      The Symbol Album
      …and then after that, I’ll take whatever they offer.

    5. I came here to say the same thing. When there’s still the staggering ‘Around The World In A Day’ / ‘Parade’ era to cover, this is a really unexciting release – the point where Prince was becoming an irrelevance, fading away.

      1. Okay, so we’re not even bothering to wait for the details before deciding it’s “unexciting”. Do you also review films without seeing them, by any chance?

        1. I don’t like anything off this album, so I think it’s fair not to be excited about it. For me this is unexciting news.

          And I’m hardly ‘reviewing’ anything am I? It’s a passing comment. Put your handbag down.

          2. Flag up the discrepancies between the two comments for me, would you? If you think it’s worthwhile getting into a strop with a reader and customer.

            Whatever indeed.

          3. Okay, on the first comment you said the reissue was an “unexciting release” which is specifically referring to a reissue you know nothing about (other than it contains an album you don’t particular care for). On the second comment you said it was “unexciting news” which is fair comment, if you don’t like the album. If you’d said that in the first place, then I wouldn’t have bothered responding. But saying something is an “unexciting release” when you are ignorant of the details is not fair comment. This could be an amazing reissue of a decent album.

        2. Might be stupendously exciting. A bit like hoping for a remastered copy of Raging Bull in a directors cut with lots of extras to boot , to be told that you’re going to get The Age of Innocence in a remastered form. It might come with a Directors cut, and lots of extras but it will still be the Age of Innocence, and I would be disappointed Whereas I’m keeping my power dry for Killers of the Flower Moon even though I know the arc of genius rarely has more than one arc.

    6. Yes agree that THAT was an immortal purple period no question, but I kept going in collecting Prince, I didn’t view him as good in just those years…my first ever Prince concert was the Act 1 Tour in 1993 for the Symbol album…as for Back To The Egg (Macca’s punk album) & London Town?? I’d buy those…hope they are coming soon…as for the order of Prince SDEs?? Doesn’t matter to me whatsoever, I want it all, just like those NOW Yearbooks, 1986, Millennium 00/01, 1992, 1973?? Don’t care, bring it on, all over the place makes it unpredictable & more fun… looking forward to this SDE Diamonds & Pearls…

  45. So excited for this, it’s been a long time coming, I’m seeing leaked vault tracks track lists and it’s all very exciting. In terms of remixes I can see them reissuing the singles rather than including them all in the box set, maybe a curated condensed disc for the remixes? Also I recall reading Love Symbol would be combined with Diamonds and Pearls but so far there’s no evidence of that?

  46. There were loads of remixes of tracks from this so I’m rather afraid it will be a CD of the album, three CDs of remixes, three CDs of vault tracks and a blu-ray of Live at Glam Slam. But maybe the live stuff will also be on CD? Can’t wait to find out. I’m a bit worried about the cost, as well….

    1. Afraid?? Sounds good to me!! Either a 7 or 8 CD with BluRay (cube/slipcase like the 1999 set or 12×12 like the SOTT or 10LP box with BluRay (12×12 lifttop box or side slide out, drawer or not)…with that alternate pic on the cover, like SOTT was…bring on the holiday season 2023!!

  47. Perhaps the start of my Prince fandom absolute favorite period of Prince 1991 – 1995 here’s to hoping for a massive reissue on this.

  48. This is going to be the big test of the new ‘estate’ management. Fans have been very frustrated over the last months (or years) so expectations are high that they have a series of releases lined up as well as NPG Records reissues. Mavis Staples with Prince album was withdrawn from streaming this month, for example, and 1-800 New Funk and NPG’s albums are still missing. So hopefully this is the unblocking of a big backlog of releases. D&P is of course a great, popular album. But I suspect fans are just as keen for Symbol, Black Album, Camille long teased, Lovesexy – so many great albums. Just hoping they all get lots of love sooner rather than later.

    1. If this is the test for the new management, I doubt they will pass it. This is a medium popular album with no real hits. I guess D&P was the biggest hit but nothing that many people remember. So who will buy a 7CD or 12 LP-Box expect for hardcore fans? Having the live tracks mostly from D&P won’t help selling big numbers also.

      they should have gone with Parade with contains Prince’s biggest hit. Maybe include ATWIAD to justify a big box.

      1. “No real hits”? Cream was a MASSIVE hit virtually everywhere (except the UK and DE) and #1 in America, Gett Off reached #4 in the UK, the title track was a top 5 hit in the USA. Hit-wise Diamonds and Pearls did much better than Parade which just had the one hit (Kiss).

        1. Really surprised that Cream was No 1 in the US. However, I doubt if there are many people who would put it in their Top30-Prince Hits. Kiss on the other hand must be the most famous Prince song, maybe tied with Purple Rain.
          Anyway, I would love if they would give all 80s-album the SDE-treatment before they went to the 90s. And I hope they won’t be discouraged if the sale numbers from the D&P-box are poor.

        2. Diamonds & Pearls definitely charted more singles (five in the UK, four in the US), but to be fair, Parade was more than “just the one hit,” with two Top 40 placements in the US (“Kiss” (#1) and “Mountains” (#23)), and three in the UK (“Kiss” (#6), “Anotherloverholenyohead” (#36) and “Girls & Boys” (#11)). (I also feel like it has far less filler than D&P, but that’s a personal opinion.)

        3. Money Don’t Matter 2 Night was also a moderate hit, top 40 in the US, UK, and several other territories. The album itself went double platinum in the US less than 6 months after release. Personally I’m excited to see what they come up with, I loved his period with Rosie Gaines and the NPG (even the occasional misstep, like Tony M’s rap interludes, which make me smile nonetheless).

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