Sorry if this has already been asked and answered elsewhere, but here goes: does anyone in the UK know what is going on with the physical release of the CD? I've been ringing my local HMV since Monday and keep being told that they are awaiting delivery. I've been on their website today and it says "Do not stock: legal ban," next to the album cover! I was really looking forward to this week and now feel completely deflated! If anyone can shed any light on this, I'd be really grateful.

As far as I can tell, HMV were selling it as an import and have been told not to. Maybe because an official release is planned for the UK? If you're really desperate, you can buy it cheaper on ebay than you could from HMV anyway.

TheEnglishGent said:

Nice one. Cheers for the info.

Pentapus said:

They had lots of them for £29.99 a couple of weeks ago in HMV oxford st. I was in there earlier and they are ALL gone. Sold out. So Prince is making a big mistake by not releasing it officially over here.

TheEnglishGent said:

Were they asked to take them off the shelves? That would explain the empty spaces. They said it was sold out?. Anyway 29.99 is wrong, wrong, wrong.

Rorywan said:

Yes, that's why we need an official release and not rip off importers.

in a recordstore here in Belgium u can buy the Benelux(belgium - holland) version of lotusflow3r for 20.95 euro

brechten said:

Is that a different version than the target release?
If so it is not an import.

?

Rorywan said:

it looks exactly the same.. the 3cds wrapped in the package, but it certainly isn't an import..
strange thing is.. the releasedate for belgium has been delayed in all the big retailers .. mediamarkt, freerecordshop, extrazone. but the owner of the recordstore who works on his own, is a fan himself and ordered it a long time ago, and it looks like he's the only one who has received them..

brechten said:

What is it that makes you certain?

TheEnglishGent said:

his orderinglist gave 2 lotusflow3r results.. the benelux version, and the import. but he just ordered the benelux..

I just bought it today in Holland (Delft). I don't know if it is an import or not...but i do now that also bol.com has a pushed back release date of 08 may...

Haven't seen it anywhere else yet...

You can get it here for £7.99 using Play Trade

http://www.play.com/Music...Price&fb=0

and Free postage

Got mine delivered in the Uk by HMV last week, £12.99 delivered.

No probs.

Rorywan said:

Totally agree with you. I know he doesn't like dealing with record companies much anymore, but how hard can it be to organise an overseas distribution for someone who has been in, and around, the music business for over 30yrs.
From what I've heard of Lotusflow3r and MPLSound, these are the albums I've been waiting, and hoping, for since the release of TGE and am bitterly disappointed I still can't walk into a shop and buy them.
Thanks to bigd74 for the Play Trade tip: they still seem to be shipping it out as of 10:15am today, so that's probably the way for me.

I bought mine on ebay in perfect condition. but here in Belgium the cd was in stores but already sold out. It was an import.

tomds said:

what store ?

AS FAR AS IM AWARE HMV ARE USELESS.I ORDERED IT AND GOT NO JOY.I GOT A SECOND HAND HAND COPY OF LOTUS FROM AMAZON AND IN HOPE I GET IT.IM FED UP WITH BEING MESSED AROUND

brechten said:

Free record shop. More copies would be in stock pretty soon (so they told me).

brechten said:

Dude, that just means there are two firms importing it. There's NO other version yet.

Pentapus said:

They're exactly the same pap he's been peddling for the past decade plus. Hell, plenty of it IS old songs, recorded years ago.

Trust me, there's NOTHING on these records that comes near the worst of TGE.

BartVanHemelen said:

Ever heard of the phrase "it's a matter of taste"?

I do think LF is as cool as TGE.

BartVanHemelen said:

Can you back up that claim, mister?

No you can't.

MartyMcFly said:

As much as I hate to back him up. There is a recent interview with Michael B. (it's on a thread somewhere here) where he stated that some tracks from the last few albums 3121 onwards, were recorded in one late night session in 2004.

That of course only accounts for small portions of Lotusflow3r, 3121 etc....

Well having waited a month and still my order through play trade has not even shipped yet i've just ordered one from amazon.com for £15 including postage which is not bad, the play trade dealer said last week that they are expecting a delivery any day now, yeah right, more like they were expecting it to be available outside the US which it is not. has anyone else had there's from play trade yet?

u can buy the cd in freerecordshop in shoppingcenter waasland in belguim .and also in oostende at bilboard .and in a little record collector shop "backtrack" in antwerpen .
and bartvanhemelen ge zijt ne dikke zagevent .gij hebt altijd wel negatieve comentaar dat zegt veel over u persoonlijkheid .

for me to travel to belguim just to buy the cd would be a bit silly wouldn't it as i'm from the uk!

bigd74 said:

i'm sure you can order them online. In Belgium lots of stores have the cd in stock. just try at www.freerecordshop.be or www.bol.com
good luck

tomds said:

Thanks anyway but i've just ordered it from amazon.com for just under £15 including postage which is pretty good.

BartVanHemelen said:

So on the one hand, we want vault stuff. Then on the other, complain when old songs are released.