My friend bought these CDs and generously made a copy for me (I have kids, he doesn't and can afford it!) but I don't have the complete tracklisting. [Snip - luv4u]

Just remember that banner at the top of the forum....

ABSOLUTELY NO SOLICITING FOR BOOTLEGS.You want to discuss them? That's fine - but NO OFFERS TO COPY, NO REQUESTS TO COPY, NO "WHERE CAN I GET", etc. NO POSTING OF LINKS TO THESE SITES EITHER. Please be aware that the moderators here strictly enforce this rule. ~ luv4u

Work Volume 1, The

4 CD

Label : Thunderball

Catalogue : #TB 146-147-148-149

Disc Length : 77:32 / 75:43 / 77:10 / 77:32

Source : Studio Outtakes 1976-1984

Sound Quality : VG+ / EX+

Year Of Release : 2001



Disc 1

1. Leaving For New York 2. Soft And Wet 3. You 4. If I Love You Tonight 5. Hard To Get 6. Down A Long, Lonely Road 7. We Can Work It Out 8. Make It Through The Storm 9. Wouldn't You Love To Love Me? 10. Just As Long As We're Together 11. Soft And Wet 12. Donna 13. I Miss You 14. Lisa 15. Broken 16. Tick, Tick, Bang 17. She's Just A Baby 18. Feel U Up 19. Irresistible Bitch 20. Strange Way Of Saying I Love You

Disc 2

1. Turn It Up 2. Do Yourself A Favour 3. Purple Music 4. D.M.S.R. 5. Extra Loveable 6. No Call U 7. Something In The Water (Does Not Compute) 8. Delirious 9. Moonbeam Levels 10. Baby You're A Trip 11. Lust U Always 12. Chocolate

Disc 3

1. Vibrator 2. G-Spot 3. Wet Dreams Cousin 4. Climax 5. Possessed (vocal) 6. Electric Intercourse 7. Darling Nikki 8. The Beautiful Ones 9. I Would Die 4 U 10. Computer Blue (remix) (excerpt) (not listed on packaging)

Disc 4

1. Computer Blue 2. I Would Die 4 U 3. Erotic City 4. A Million Miles (I Love U) 5. Take Me With U 6. Manic Monday 7. All Day, All Night 8. High Fashion 9. Mutiny 10. Desire 11. Yes 12. Susannah's Pajamas 13. Feline 14. Nothing Compares 2 U 15. Miss Understood

COMMENT

Disc 1 contains various tracks spanning 1976 up to the Controversy era with 'Strange Way Of Saying I Love You'. As I'm sure most folks are aware there are also a mammoth amount of instrumental tracks from the same period which Thunderball have thankfully left off this collection. They also seem to have chosen the tracks based purely on the strength of their sound quality - which is no bad thing for a collection of studio material, however I can see why some collectors may not rate this as it certainly isn't a "complete" set - although in fairness to Thunderball it states nowhere that this is a complete collection of tracks. The sound throughout Disc 1 is of excellent quality with the only real sore point coming on the closing 'Strange Way Of Saying I Love You' which is very thin and slightly painful to listen to. A number of the remaining tracks contain some slight surface noise, but considering their age, it's completely acceptable and in no way detrimental. Included on the disc are various alternate versions of released tracks including the frantic 'Tick, Tick, Bang' from 1981 which is far superior to the Graffiti Bridge track nestled alongside the continuous jam of 'Feel U Up / Irresistible Bitch' which Thunderball have left intact and not split as two separate tracks. Disc 2 contains material from the 1981 - 1983 era with a fair amount of emphasis on the 1999 period. There are three alternate versions of tracks which ended up on the album including the stunning stripped down original 'Something In The Water (Does Not Compute)' and the supposed 1999 album leftover 'Moonbeam Levels'. As with all other discs in this volume, the sound quality is consistently high. A number of the tracks are slightly gritty in comparison to others, however the only track which could be classed as of noticeably different quality is 'Baby You're A Trip' which is stands out due it's very raw quality. Disc 3 is far more focused than the other discs, in that it contains tracks from the 1983 - 1984 Purple Rain era. 'Electric Intercourse' here is the "studio" version lifted from the First Avenue 83 performance followed by 2 alternate version of Purple Rain tracks. Nearly half the disc is taken up by the extended 30:41 version of 'I Would Die 4 U' which lasts an eternity, no matter how enjoyable it may be. Both 'G-Spot' and 'Darling Nikki' are the only tracks on this particular disc which aren't up to par with the remainder, however they still superior to any versions which pre-date this set. Disc 3 curiously contains a teasing 30 second snippet of a remixed, stunningly clear version of 'Computer Blue' complete with the hallway speech which is not listed on the tracklisting, nor in the accompanying booklet. Disc 4 begins with the 12 minute version of 'Compute Blue' complete with the hallway speech and of very respectable quality. This particular disc contains a large number of Prince's original versions of tracks handed over to various other related artists. These include 'Manic Monday' with Prince and Apollonia along with Prince's versions of various tracks for 'The Family'. The release closes out with alternate 'The Family' tracks and the unreleased chirpy 'Miss Understood'. Again the quality on this disc is consistently decent, although it's fair to say that Disc 4 contains a number of tracks which are rather gritty and slightly unclear. 'A Million Miles I Love You' is rather average and the certainly one of the worst sound quality outtakes circulating from that era. So, what's to say about this first volume of The Work? While it is by no means complete, Thunderball have picked the tracks extremely well and the set includes some of Prince's most inspired material dating from 1976-1984. With the exception of 3 or 4 tracks (out of a total of 57 on here) there is nothing below VG+, and the majority are impressively clean and clear. The 16 page booklet which accompanies the set contains brief notes on each track and there are some fairly decent pictures included. Released in 2001 you'd be hard pressed to find these tracks in better quality nowadays (2006), and for anyone who can't handle the sheer amount of material contained within sets such as Revelations or Testament, this is a great releases. Personally, I think all volumes of The Work are amongst the best releases by any bootleg label over the past 15 years - but what the fuck do I know. Forget the folks who bitch and moan - this is a stunning release.

Work Volume 2, The



4 CD

Label : Thunderball

Catalogue : #TB 150-151-152-153

Disc Length : 77:55 / 76:53 / 75:31 / 76:06

Source : Studio Outtakes 1984-1989

Sound Quality : EX- / EX+

Year Of Release : 2001



Disc 1

1. Around The World In A Day 2. The Dance Electric 3. Possessed (instrumental) 4. 100 MPH 5. 10 MPH 6. Jerk Out 7. Kiss (Mazarati) 8. Kiss (Prince) 9. Little Girl Wendy's Parade 10. I Wonder U 11. Others Here With Us 12. Old Friends 4 Sale 13. Neon Telephone 14. Heaven 15. Love Or $ 16. Old Friends 4 Sale 17. Go (not listed on packaging)

Disc 2

1. Splash 2. Wonderful Ass 3. Eternity 4. Can I Play With U? 5. U Gotta Shake Something 6. Dream Factory (intro) 7. Dream Factory 8. Train 9. Strange Relationship 10. I Could Never Take The Place Of Your Man 11. A Place In Heaven 12. Witness 4 The Prosecution 13. Movie Star 14. The Cross 15. All My Dreams

Disc 3

1. Teacher, Teacher 2. It's A Wonderful Day 3. Crystal Ball 4. Life Is Like Looking For A Penny In A Large Room With No Light 5. A Place In Heaven 6. Girl O' My Dreams 7. Can't Stop This Feeling I Got 8. We Can Funk 9. Data Bank 10. Euphoria Highway 11. Get On Up 12. Baby Go Go 13. The Sex Of It 14. Witness 4 The Prosecution 15. Rebirth Of The Flesh 16. The Ball 17. Big Tall Wall

Disc 4

1. Power Fantastic (intro) 2. Crucial 3. Fuchsia Light 4. God Is Alive 5. God Is Alive (reprise) 6. Superfunkycalifragisexy (instrumental) 7. Eye No (Remix) 8. We Got The Power 9. If I Had A Harem (I) 10. If I Had A Harem (II) [Fake Track] 11. I Wish U Heaven 12. Positivity 13. Alphabet St. (Remix) 14. If I Love U 2Night 15. Girl Power 16. The Line 17. Cookie Jar

COMMENT

Disc 1 opens with the alternate early version of 'Around The World In A Day' and the disc focuses on the extraordinary mix of tracks mainly recorded around 1984-early 1986. 'Possessed' is a slightly dubious addition as it bears all the hallmarks of a group 1983 recording, and is certainly similar in style to the output of the time - however that's purely academic. Disc 1 includes 3 Mazarati tracks (100 MPH / Kiss / Jerk Out) along with Prince's own versions of 2 of the same tracks (100 MPH / Kiss) - the latter being the bluesy acoustic demo recorded as a basic track for Mazarati to embellish. The following 4 tracks are from an early configuration of the Parade album and include the hauntingly original 'Others Here With Us' - a highlight of any outtake set and one of Prince and the Revolution's finest pieces of work. The sound quality on Disc 1 marginally varies with the majority of tracks being slightly unclear and raw. The Parade outtakes in particular are slightly abrasive - but again, they are still very respectable and certainly enjoyable quality. Hidden at the end of Disc 1 is a 40 second snippet from the studio version of 'Go' which doesn't appear on the tracklisting nor the accompanying artwork. The quality of the outtake is unimpressive, however for rarity value it's a nice hidden gem. The main bulk of Disc 2 concentrates on the Dream Factory project, and whilst these are circulating on numerous other releases, not having included them on this set would have been a big mistake. The inclusion of 'The Cross' is slightly questionable as there is no difference between this version and the officially released Sign O' The Times track - even though Thunderball have listed it as an alternate version it most definitely is not. The Dream Factory tracks are of sublime quality and certainly the amongst the most pristine quality outtakes in circulation. Both 'Wonderful Ass' and 'Eternity' which start off Disc 2 are rather gritty in comparison, but still very respectable. Disc 3 features tracks culled from various late 1985 / 1986 sessions and begins with a number of Dream Factory outtakes before finishing with tracks intended for the ill-fated Crystal Ball project. The opening 4 tracks on this particular disc are perfect examples of the Wendy & Lisa's influence on Prince at the time and are amongst the strongest (and yet criminally unreleased) songs they recorded together. The disc includes Prince's original versions of 2 tracks handed over to other artists (Nona Hendryx - Baby Go-Go & Kid Creole - The Sex Of It) and ends with Prince's first material recorded as a solo artist following the break-up of The Revolution. The version of 'Rebirth Of The Flesh' here also includes the intro segue in to 'Joy In Repetition'. The sound quality throughout is exceptional with the only slight downside coming during 'Euphoria Highway'. Disc 4 is less focused and contains tracks recorded over a vast amount of time (1986 - 1989), and in that respect it is slightly haphazard. The main bulk of material on here centres around the Black / Lovesexy period but this is certainly the weakest disc of the 4 in this volume. I have no problems with the opening 5 tracks here and they are all of a pretty high standard. Unfortunately both 'Superfunkycalifragisexy' and 'Eye No' are incomplete and the quality of 'Eye No' is pretty bad in comparison to most others on this set. My main complaint concerns the inclusion of 'If I Had A Harem (II)' which is obviously a fake recorded by someone in a bluesy rehearsal style - it's pretty passable, and one of the better fakes circulating, but it is a fake nonetheless and something which Thunderball should have picked up on. Sheila E's 'Girl Power' is undoubtedly one of the worst tracks Prince was involved in during this period, and it's baffling to conceive that the same person who was working on the Lovesexy album came up with this at the same time. As with all other volumes of The Work, this set is by no means complete and Thunderball appear to have picked the tracks judging by their sound quality as it is consistently high. The set includes some of Prince's best work, and Discs 1, 2 & 3 are a testament to the man's sheer genius. The accompanying booklet contains brief info on each track along with some nice pictures from the era, and whilst it isn't exactly detailed, it is nice eye-candy. Out of the 5 volumes in The Work, this set rivals Volume 1 as the best in terms of sound quality and content and it is a stunning overview of Prince's work from the period.

Work Volume 3, The



4 CD

Label : Thunderball

Catalogue : #TB 154-155-156-157

Disc Length : 78:59 / 77:09 / 78:35 / 77:05

Source : Studio Outtakes 1988-1991

Sound Quality : EX- / EX+

Year Of Release : 2001



Disc 1

1. 17 (Penetration) 2. 18 (R U Legal Yet?) 3. 19 (A Girl And Her Puppy) 4. 20 (Jailbait) 5. 21-24 (The Dopamine Rush Suite) 6. The Voice Inside 7. Me Touch Myself 8. Batdance 9. Partyman (Remix) 10. Electric Chair 11. Electric Chair (instrumental) 12. Batman Theme (not listed on packaging)

Disc 2

1. Dance With The Devil 2. Boom Boom, Can't U Feel The Beat Of My Heart? 3. Flesh And Blood 4. My Baby Knows How 2 Love Me 5. Number One 6. Undercover Lover 7. Elephants And Flowers 8. Love Machine 9. Can't Stop This Feeling I Got 10. Melody Cool 11. New Power Generation 12. The Question Of U (I) 13. The Question Of U (II) 14. Thieves In The Temple 15. Soul Psychodelicide (I) 16. Soul Psychodelicide (II) 17. We Can Funk

Disc 3

1. The Grand Progression 2. Soul Psychodelicide (III) 3. We Can Funk 4. Your Love Is So Hard 5. Play 6. Heaven Is Keeping Score 7. Segue 8. Oobey Doop 9. My Tree 10. A Positive Place 11. Seven Corners 12. Murph Drag 13. 9 Lives 14. Love Machine 15. Corporate World 16. My Summertime Thang 17. The Latest Fashion

Disc 4

1. R U There? 2. Brand New Boy 3. Warden In The Prison Of Love 4. Bed Of Roses 5. Good Man 6. We Can Hang 7. Curious Blue 8. Girls Will Be Girls 9. Good Body Every Evening 10. Good Man 11. Mind Bells 12. Bliss 13. Gangster Glam (Gangster Groove Mix) 14. Cream 15. Insatiable

COMMENT

Disc 1 focuses on late 1988 - 1989 and begins with 4 instrumental tracks from the Madhouse 24 project before staying with the same theme for the following 'Dopamine Rush Suite'. The frantic 'The Voice Inside' is one of the few low points of this set in terms of both quality and content. The 'Rave Unto The Joy Fantastic' project is slightly touched upon (no pun intended) with the inclusion of the sublime 'Me Touch Myself' before we are rushed off on to the Batman era with the next 4 tracks. 'Batdance' is simply an extended version of the edited track which ended up on the album, however the quality is a little rough and the track does run a little too long. 'Partyman' is an unreleased remix of the track, but it's uninteresting and very bland; which probably explains why it stays unreleased to this day. As with a number of discs in The Work set there is a hidden track at the end of Disc 1 which doesn't appear in the track-listing and isn't mentioned in the booklet. The hidden track on this disc is 'Batman Theme' which, whilst it is not of the best sound quality, not the most interesting content, is a great addition as it is usually overlooked and certainly not something which appears very often on outtake sets. Disc 2 opens with the exceptional 'Dance With The Devil' intended for the Batman album. It's hauntingly atmospheric and would have been a perfect compliment to the Batman theme - once again a real pity it remains unreleased. Next up are 3 tracks from the proposed Jill Jones album and whilst they are fairly typical of Prince's output from the period, they are actually pretty decent pop songs. Robin Powers awful 'Number One' follows and is a real contender for the worst piece of shit Prince ever got involved in - so bad I can't possibly pass comment. The remainder of the disc contains various alternate versions of Graffiti Bridge tracks, however the quality is rather lacking on a few - in particular the instrumental versions of 'The Question Of U' are extremely thin and slightly abrasive to listen to. The rough demo(ish) take on 'Thieves In The Temple' is another highlight, but as seems apparent with most outtakes from the era the quality of the recording is lacking. 'Soul Psychodelicide' is a funky track, however considering the tracks Thunderball have left off this collection, I'm puzzled as to why they included this track twice. The disc then closes with 'We Can Funk' which is the George Clinton-heavy version (often referred to as version #6). Disc 3 begins with 'The Grand Progression' which is slightly out of place on this particular disc as it dates from late 1987 - mid 1988. Yet another version of 'Soul Psychodelicide' has been added, however this is probably the best of the 3 which are on this volume, and certainly the best in terms of sound quality. The mid-section of the disc contains a few tracks from various side projects including a number of tracks intended for a maxi release of 'New Power Generation'. The disc finishes with 6 The Time tracks from different Corporate World / Pandemonium sessions. Ironically the sound quality of The Time's tracks is superb and certainly better than most of the Prince material. The opening 9 tracks on Disc 4 (R U There - Good Body Every Evening) contains the tracks recorded for the Flash project dating from late-1988 to mid-1989 and feature Margie Cox on lead vocals throughout. Unfortunately I find them extremely difficult to listen to due to a mix of her screeching, piercing vocals and their terrible mid-80's production values - these are not Prince's finest hour. The remainder of the tracks consist of Prince material culled from 1989-1990 and ends with 2 alternate Diamonds & Pearls album versions including the extended 'Insatiable'. I must admit that this is my least favourite volume in The Work series as nearly half the tracks on here are from various related artists, and whilst Prince's input is clearly audible throughout, the quality of the tracks is overall very amateurish and it's certainly understandable why they remain unreleased. The actual Prince material from this era is very reflective of the Batman theme and as such it is dark, brooding and lacking much humour. Obviously there are a number of stand-out tracks which take you completely by surprise, but unfortunately there aren't enough in here for my liking. As with any large collection of studio material, the sound quality varies slightly from track to track, but there's nothing on here which suffers from anything serious and all are of very respectable quality.

Work Volume 4, The



4 CD

Label : Thunderball

Catalogue : #TB 158-159-160-161

Disc Length : 79:01 / 77:09 / 76:07 / 76:40

Source : Studio Outtakes 1991-1994

Sound Quality : EX / EX+

Year Of Release : 2001



Disc 1

1. The Flow 2. Something Funky (This House Comes) 3. Daddy Pop 4. Horny Pony 5. School Yard 6. Willing And Able 7. Walk Don't Walk 8. Live 4 Love 9. The Voice 10. Martika's Kitchen 11. Spirit 12. Love...Thy Will Be Done 13. Don't Say U Love Me 14. Open Book 15. The Voice 16. Player

Disc 2

1. U 2. Glam Slam '91 3. Letter 4 Miles 4. Well Done 5. Uh Huh 6. I Wonder 7. 5 Women 8. Get Blue 9. 2Gether 10. 51 Hours 11. Power From Above 12. Carmen On Top 13. Go Carmen Go 14. Powerline 15. All That 16. The Juice 17. Mo' Funky 18. Fantasia Erotica

Disc 3

1. The Rest Of My life 2. Make Believe 3. I'll Do Anything 4. Empty Room 5. Be My Mirror 6. Don't Talk 2 Strangers 7. Wow 8. I Can't Love U Anymore 9. Poor Little Bastard 10. Allegiance 11. Hey Louie Louie 12. The Lost Segues 13. The Continental (Remix) 14. Sexy MF (Remix) 15. The Max (Remix) 16. MPLS 17. My Pony 18. Hit U In The Socket 19. Hold Me 20. I Hear Your Voice 21. Ain't No Place Like U

Disc 4

1. Work That Fat 2. The P 3. MPLS (12" Remix) 4. Poem 5. Endorphinmachine 6. Come 7. The Ryde Dyvine 8. Loose (Dub) 9. 18 & Over 10. Space 11. Guitar Segue 12. Asswoop 13. Ethereal Segue 14. Parlour Games 15. Michael Segue 16. (Got 2) Give It Up 17. Sonny & Miles Segue 18. 24

Work Volume 5, The



4 CD

Label : Thunderball

Catalogue : #TB 162-163-164-165

Disc Length : 76:50 / 77:56 / 75:22 / 78:34

Source : Studio Outtakes 1993-2001

Sound Quality : EX / EX+

Year Of Release : 2001



Disc 1

1. Days Of Wild 2. Billy Jack Bitch 3. Rock N' Roll Is Alive (Tony Fly Mix) 4. Empty Room 5. Zannalee 6. Calhoun Square 7. Love Sign (Remix) 8. Mad 9. Funky Design 10. Snow Man 11. Ain't No Place Like U 12. House Of Brick (Brick House) 13. Love's No Fun 14. If I Could Get Your Attention 15. Latino Barbie Doll 16. If I Love U 2Nite 17. However Much U Want 18. Free The Music

Disc 2

1. NPG Bum Rush The Ship 2. The Exodus Has Begun 3. NPG Operator 4. Get Wild 5. Count 6. DJ Gets Jumped 7. New Power Soul 8. DJ Seduces Sonny 9. It Takes 3 10. Rain 11. Hallucination Rain 12. Spooky Soup 13. NPG Outro 14. Slave 2 The System 15. Acknowledge Me 16. Super Hero 17. Outa-Space 18. Mad 19. Funky Design 20. Sonny 21. Love...Thy Will Be Done 22. Funky 23. Proud Mary

Disc 3

1. Heart Of Stone 2. Van Gogh 3. Eye'll Never B Another Fool 4. A 1,000 Hugs And Kisses 5. P. Control (House Mix) 6. Chatounette Controle 7. Starfish And Coffee 8. The Most Beautiful Girl In The World (Mustang Mix '96) 9. On Your Own 10. Somebody's Somebody 11. Slave 12. Slave 2 The System 13. 2020 14. Feel Good 15. Journey 2 The Center Of Your Heart 16. Eye Am The DJ 17. Emancipation 18. Livin' 2 Die (Our Lives) 19. Soul Sanctuary

Disc 4

1. One Song 2. Cybersingle 3. Peace 4. Y Should Eye Do That When Eye Can Do This? 5. Underneath The Cream 6. When Eye Lay My Hands On U 7. High 8. SexMe? SexMeNot 9. Gamillah 10. Northside 11. My Medallion 12. The Daisy Chain 13. Supercute 14. Props N' Pounds 15. Silicon 16. The Work, Part 1 17. Habibi

COMMENT

The 5th and final edition of Thunderball's remarkable collection of alternate versions and outtakes. This particular volume is subtitled 1995-2001, however there are a number of tracks which pre-date 1995. It would be unrealistic to comment on each and every track, so a brief overview seems far more appropriate due to the sheer amount of content. Disc 1 starts off with a selection of tracks from 1993-1994 including various alternate versions. The stand-out is obviously the sublime opening wildly different studio version of 'Days Of Wild'. The remainder of Disc 1 includes a fair amount of related artist tracks including Nona Gayes 'Snow Man' and various tracks intended for Mayte's Children Of The Sun project. Disc 2 can be viewed as an NPG disc as it is entirely comprised of tracks intended for various NPG projects, most notably Exodus. Disc 3 includes the original version of 'I'll Never Be Another Fool' later reworked for Chaka Khan along with 4 other remixed/reworked released tracks, with the second half of Disc 3 concentrating on the Emancipation leftovers. The 4th and final disc comprises tracks dating from 1998-2001. The majority are culled from the cancelled "High" project, and whilst most have since been released via the NPG Music Club there are some slight variations to the official releases. The sound quality throughout the 4 discs is perhaps the best of any of the 5 volumes in The Work set with nothing being less than excellent. There are a number of slight glitches on the opening tracks on Disc 3, however certainly nothing serious or worth commenting on. I am aware that certain people who own an original set (myself included) have problems with 'Soul Sanctuary' on Disc 3 which skips/jumps repeatedly - I'm not too sure if this flaw affects ALL original copies, or whether the fault was rectified. The accompanying artwork and booklet continue the themes of the previous volumes in the set, and whilst not containing the most detailed information, they are interesting reading. This Volume along with the previous 4 are certainly Thunderballs' finest hour, and make up a remarkable set of studio material. I'd certainly rate this as one of (if not THE) best collection of outtakes / alternate versions circulating. Released in 2001, you'd be hard pressed to find better quality even today in 2006.

Work Volume 6, The



4 CDR

Label : TBRIP

Catalogue : N/A

Disc Length : 72:42 / 77:34 / 78:30 / 77:43

Source : Studio Outtakes 1976-1989

Sound Quality : EX / EX+

Year Of Release : 2004



Disc 1

1. Baby (instrumental) 2. Baby 3. Just As Long As We're Together (#1) 4. Instrumental 5. My Love Is Forever 6. Jelly Jam 7. Just As Long As We're Together (#3) 8. K-Funk Interview 9. Disco Away 10. Instrumental (#1) 11. Instrumental (#2) 12. Turn Me On 13. Too Long 14. Thrill You Or Kill You 15. Turn It Up 16. Turn It Up (Extended Portion) 17. No Call U 18. Feel U Up 19. Irresistible Bitch

Disc 2

1. The Bird 2. Turn It Up 3. Vibrator (Dialogue) 4. Climax (Bass) 5. Around The World In A Day 6. Toy Box 7. Girls And Boys 8. Love Or $ 9. All My Dreams 10. Dream Factory 11. Witness 4 The Prosecution 12. Girl O' My Dreams 13. Can't Stop This Feeling I Got 14. We Can Funk 15. Interlude 16. Sign O' The Times 17. Play In The Sunshine 18. Joy In Repetition

Disc 3

1. Witness 4 The Prosecution 2. Housequake (Razormaid Remix) 3. G-Spot (Bass) 4. G-Spot (Guitar) 5. G-Spot (Keyboards) 6. G-Spot 7. Crystal Ball 8. Sexual Suicide 9. Crucial 10. If I Love U 2Night 11. Alphabet St. (Acoustic Demo) 12. Alphabet St. (This Is Not Music This Is A Trip) 13. Pink Cashmere 14. 18 (R U Legal Yet?) 15. 19 (A Girl And Her Puppy)

Disc 4

1. 21 - 24 (The Dopamine Rush Suite) 2. Can't Stop This Feeling I Got 3. Round And Round 4. Tick, Tick, Bang 5. Melody Cool 6. Still Would Stand All Time 7. Graffiti Bridge 8. New Power Generation (Part 2) 9. We Can Funk 10. We Can Funk 11. Love Machine (Dialogue) 12. Donald Trump (Black Version) 13. Data Bank 14. Shake 15. My Summertime Thang (Extended Remix) 16. Bliss 17. Mind Bells 18. Tony's Iggnant Mix

COMMENT

Not to be confused with The Works Volumes 1-5, this (along with Volume 7 & the Outtakes & Remixes releases) are not by the now deceased Thunderball label - hence TB R.I.P. These have been released to accompany the pressed volumes of 1 to 5, and are not to be confused with the Thunderball originals. Okay - to the music! It's a bit hit-or-miss for my tastes and there's no strong theme running through each disc and appears to be a smattering of outtakes/alternate versions lumped together with little thought - that said, it has it's moments. 'Turn It Up' is superior quality to the 'The Work Volume 1' version. 'Around The World In A Day' has some noise interference halfway through the track, although that could possibly be a bad disc I have (anyone else?). 'Girls & Boys' is identical to the released version, however it has a spoken intro by Wendy, and an abrupt ending. The highlight of this volume (for me) is Prince's solo 'Witness 4 The Prosecution' (#1). It was recorded by Prince in March / April 1986, before he handed it over to Wendy & Lisa to add their vocals, etc, and is FAR superior in my opinion. 'Housequake' (Razormaid) was shelved by Prince as a possible official remix - why, I dunno, as it wipes the floor with the Mo' Quake versions that appeared on the 12". I could spend all day reviewing each and every track here, but I won't. A nice collection of tracks, but certainly not an essential in anyone's collection. The "The Work" title is simply too confusing an association to the Thunderball releases to make any sense and the only thing they appear to have in common is they both contain unreleased studio material. Yes it's good, yes it's listenable, yes there are some gems on here, but nothing particularly earth-shattering and I'd choose any original volume of "The Work Volume 1-5" over this any day..

Work Volume 6 & 7, The : Outtakes - 10.07.02



1 CDR

Label : TBRIP

Catalogue : N/A

Disc Length : 63:46

Source : Studio Outtakes

Sound Quality : VG+ / EX+

Year Of Release : 2004



1. A Cappella 2. Yes 3. Baby Go Go 4. Crystal Ball 5. Data Bank 6. Player 7. Hit U In The Socket 8. Calhoun Square 9. Race 10. Eye Hate U 11. Acknowledge Me 12. Rock N' Roll Is Alive (And It Lives In Minneapolis)

Work Volumes 6 & 7, The : Outtakes 23.01.02



1 CDR

Label : TBRIP

Catalogue : N/A

Disc Length : 76:05

Source : Studio Outtakes & Released

Sound Quality : EX / EX+

Year Of Release : 2004



1. Do Yourself A Favour 2. Chocolate 3. Others Here With Us 4. Wonderful Ass (#2) 5. Eternity 6. We Can Funk 7. Wonderful Ass (#1) 8. Elephants And Flowers 9. Hot Wit' U (Remix) 10. Madrid 2 Chicago 11. Breathe 12. A Case Of U 13. U're Gonna C Me 14. One Nite Alone

COMMENT

Judging by the subtitle, I can only presume these are leftovers for Volume 6 & 7 dating from 23rd January 2002. Again, as with all volumes of "The Work" over Volume 5, these are not by Thunderball and appear to be an homage to the original 5 outtake sets. Alas, in this instance, not a particularly impressive one and outside of the clarity of 'Others Here With Us', I'd give this a wide berth. The closing 3 tracks are straight-rips from the officially released NPG Music Club album 'One Nite Alone' and shouldn't be included on an outtake set. Disappointing.

Work Volume 6 & 7, The : Unreleased Remixes



1 CDR

Label : TBRIP

Catalogue : N/A

Disc Length : 60:54

Source : Unreleased Remix

Sound Quality : EX+

Year Of Release : 2004



1. Gangster Glam (Hurley's House Mix) 2. Gangster Glam (Gangster Mental Mix) 3. Gangster Glam (Hurley's House Dub) 4. Gangster Glam (Hurley's House 7 Inch) 5. Gangster Glam (Gangster Groove 7 Inch) 6. Love Sign (Ted's Funky Chariot Mix) 7. Love Sign (Ted's Double Trouble Mix) 8. Love Sign (Ted's Love Sign Radio Mix) 9. Love Sign (Mack Attack Message Mix) 10. Love Sign (Shock's Silky Smooth Instrumental)

Work Volume 7, The



4 CDR

Label : TBRIP

Catalogue : N/A

Disc Length : 78:04 / 77:24 / 78:30 / 77:17

Source : Studio Outtakes / Other

Sound Quality : EX / EX+

Year Of Release : 2004



Disc 1

1. Sex 2. The Voice 3. U 4. The Ryde Dyvine 5. I'll Do Anything Medley 6. Children Of The Sun 7. The Rhythm Of Your Heart 8. Ain't No Place Like U 9. Love's No Fun 10. Baby Don't Care 11. In Your Gracious Name 12. Mo' Better 13. However Much U Want 14. Come (#2) 15. Pheromone (Video LP) 16. Come (#4) 17. Race

Disc 2

1. Loose 2. The Most Beautiful Girl In The World 3. Exploding All Over Europe 4. The Exodus Has Begun 5. Head (Kirky J Remix) 6. Pop Life (Kirky J Remix) 7. When Doves Cry (Kirky J Remix) 8. Sarah 9. Van Gogh 10. Eye'll Never Be Another Fool 11. Heart Of Stone 12. Come On (Remix) 13. Beautiful Strange 14. One Song

Disc 3

1. Vavoom 2. Get Wild (Miami Mix) 3. The Contest Song 4. Golden Parachute 5. High 6. Hit U In The Socket 7. Hypno Paradise 8. Judas Smile 9. Instrumental (The Holy River) 10. My Medallion 11. Jukebox With A Heartbeat 12. Paradigm 13. S & M Groove 14. Silicon 15. When Will We Be Paid? (ft. Audio Stepchild) 16. Pearls B4 The Swine

Disc 4

1. 2045:Radical Man 2. U Make My Sun Shine 3. When Will We Be Paid? 4. Sex Shooter 5. Computer Blue (#2) 6. Baby I'm A Star 7. Computer Blue (#1) 8. Superfunkycalifragisexy 9. We Can Funk 10. Glam Slam 11. NPG Operator (excerpt from The Sampler Experience)

Work Volume 8, The



4 CDR

Label : TBRIP

Catalogue : N/A

Disc Length : 79:49 / 78:28 / 78:33 / 79:57

Source : Studio Outtakes / Other

Sound Quality : VG+ / EX+

Year Of Release : 2004



Disc 1

1. Sweet Thing 2. Wouldn't You Love To Love Me? 3. I Spend My Time Loving You 4. Rock Me Lover 5. Nightingale 6. Instrumental #1 7. Instrumental #2 8. Instrumental #3 9. Instrumental #4 10. Instrumental #5 11. Instrumental #6 12. Instrumental #7 13. Instrumental #8

Disc 2

1. Don't You Wanna Ride? 2. Instrumental #1 3. Instrumental #2 4. Instrumental #3 5. Instrumental #4 6. Instrumental #5 7. Instrumental #6 8. Baby Baby Baby 9. Tick, Tick, Bang 10. Broken 11. Delirious 12. Something In The Water (Does Not Compute) 13. D.M.S.R. 14. 100 MPH (Mazarati) 15. U Gotta Shake Something 16. Train 17. I Could Never Take The Place Of Your Man 18. Rebirth Of The Flesh

Disc 3

1. Mo' Fun 2. What's My Name? 3. Come 4. Endorphinmachine 5. Space (recorded from PA) 6. Race (recorded from PA) 7. Chaos And Disorder 8. Right The Wrong 9. Gold 10. Shy 11. Gold 12. Give God A Try 13. The Boom 14. It's Our Music 15. Burn 16. 3 Shots 17. Pussy Control (recorded from PA) 18. Soul Sanctuary 19. Purple House

Disc 4

1. Instrumental #1 2. Instrumental #2 3. Instrumental #3 4. Instrumental #4 5. Instrumental #5 6. Instrumental #6 7. Instrumental #7 8. Instrumental #8 9. For You #1 10. For You #2 11. For You #3 12. For You #4 13. Hey Lover 14. Instrumental #1 15. Instrumental #2 16. Nadeara 17. Turn It Up 18. Heaven Must Be Near (Extended Mix) 19. Heaven Must Be Near (House Mix) 20. Heaven Must Be Near (Quiet Storm Mix) 21. Heaven Must Be Near (The Heavenly Mix) 22. Heaven Must Be Near (The Closest Thing To Heaven Mix) 23. United States Of Division 24. Silver Tongue 25. Magnificent 26. The Dance

COMMENT

Phew....where to begin?! Firstly, this is in no way connected with Thunderball's 'The Work' series. The title of the release is the same - the similarity ends there. Apparently this release was intended to gather all tracks not present on the previous The Work volumes, together with newly (as of it's release in 2004) 'freed' material, and various other tracks for their respective reasons. The result is that this releases is much less focused than the other The Work volumes, and suffers from a great deal of filler material, and 24 instrumentals is too many for a single release like this. Discs 1 & 2 are fine. They are filled to capacity with tracks from a particular period. The Studio Nights material is an improvement over the previous versions circulating. Disc 2 continues on with a fantastic studio version of 'Broken', and 3 alternate versions of '1999' tracks. The final 3 tracks were available to download earlier in 2004 - and it's cool to have them on disc. Disc 3 starts well with the 93/94 outtakes. The gaps have been removed between Come/Endorphinmachine - and they segue together perfectly. Both Space & Race are taken from PA from a club in Spain (August 1993). Space is very similar to the official release, however 'Race' contains some funky horn parts not evident on the released (or other) versions, and is almost a remixed version - VERY cool. The Poet 99 tracks seem out of place here also. The only difference is that they are in a different running order - otherwise, there is no change from the previously available 'PRINCE & POET 99' release. Pussy Control is also taken from PA, and features a more extended ending than the released version (and Prince rapping over the mic). Soul Sanctuary was flawed on the original THE WORK Vol. 5, so it was a nice touch to add it here. 'Purple House' has been officially released on pressed cd - and really should have been left off here. Disc 4 starts with the 1976 home recordings. The instrumentals are barely a minute long each, but in good sound quality (compared to previous versions). The Moonsound 1976 instrumentals (14/15) are also an improvement over my previous versions. My problem then lies with tracks 18-26. The Ingrid Chavez remixes are fairly decent - however adding not one, but...FIVE remixes is just too much for me. I've listened to them once, and will never listen to them again. 'United States Of Division' has been officially released, and (as with Purple House) should not be on a bootleg. A rather disappointing release compared to the other The Work sets.

Work Volume 9, The



4 CDR

Label : TBRIP

Catalogue : N/A

Disc Length : 77:43 / 76:03 / 70:03 / 73:35

Source : Studio Outtakes / Other

Sound Quality : VG+ / EX+

Year Of Release : 2004



Disc 1

1. Purple Music 2. Extra Loveable 3. Possessed 4. Vibrator 5. Computer Blue 6. The Beautiful Ones 7. Good Man 8. 7 (Final Vocal Version) 9. 7 (TV Track) 10. 7 (Instrumental) 11. 7 (Drums And Vocals)

Disc 2

1. 7 (Rumble Mix) 2. 7 (Final Vocal Safety) 3. 7 (Bigger End Chorus) 4. Dolphin 5. Dark 6. Loose 7. Space 8. Race 9. Pheromone (Instrumental Edit) 10. When Eye Lay My Hands On U 11. Judas Smile 12. Supercute 13. Underneath The Cream 14. SexMe? SexMeNot 15. Vavoom 16. High

Disc 3

1. The Dance 2. Gamillah 3. U Make My Sun Shine 4. Silicon 5. S & M Groove 6. Y Should Eye Do That When Eye Can Do This? 7. Golden Parachute 8. Hypno Paradise 9. Props N' Pounds 10. Northside 11. Peace 12. 2045:Radical Man 13. The Daisy Chain

Disc 4

1. Computer Blue (St. Louis Park Version) 2. Computer Blue (Sunset Sound Early Mix-down) 3. Computer Blue (Sunset Sound Hallway Speech Version #1) 4. Computer Blue (Sunset Sound Hallway Speech Version #2) 5. Computer Blue (Sunset Sound Preliminary Version) 6. Right Back Here In My Arms 7. Life Without End - At Last 8. Glass Cutter

COMMENT

As you would expect with a collection of material this size there are as many good moments as there are bad. This particular volume of The Work appears (at first glance) to be a messy, half-hearted collection of tracks spanning 22 years, however on closer inspection (and a few listens) there are more than enough high points to validate it's release. The opening tracks on Disc 1 appear to have been sourced from the 'Tweakin' series of fan releases, and are of exceptional quality. Things go a little off course on the remixes of '7' - there are FAR too many on here, and all are painful to listen to - a bad mistake to add them. The Glam Slam Ulysees tracks (Dolphin - Race) are an interesting addition, however the sound quality (recorded from a performance) is rather poor in comparison. This is (to the best of my knowledge at the time of listing) the best circulating quality. The remainder of the tracks on Discs 2 & 3 are a collection of downloads made available through the NPG Music Club as part of the Chocolate Invasion and The Slaughterhouse projects. Some are more extended than previously circulating versions, however as with most NPGMC material, their inclusion on a bootleg is a little questionable. Disc 4 contains an unusual array of versions of 'Computer Blue'. Tracks 3 & 4 have been edited together by the persona responsible for this set in an attempt to create the "complete" version.....it doesn't work, shouldn't have been attempted (the sources vary too much) and is just butchered. The only other track of note on here is the 'Life Without End - At Last' Jehovah's Witness instrumental. It's inclusion is rather questionable, as there is no proof that Prince actually participates on the track - it's a twee, simplistic, basic Sunday School number would have been better left off.