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THE OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASE FROM UNIVERSAL RECORDS!!! FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
PRINCE SIGNS WITH UNIVERSAL RECORDS; NEW ALBUM, 3121, SCHEDULED FOR RELEASE IN 2006 PRINCE AND SALMA HAYEK’S “TÈ AMO CORAZÓN” VIDEO DEBUTS TODAY ACROSS ALL OF VH1’S TELEVISION, BROADBAND AND WIRELESS PLATFORMS New York, NY (December 13, 2005) – Announcing his new musical home, musical superstar Prince has signed an exclusive recording agreement with Universal Records, it was announced today by Doug Morris, chairman & CEO of Universal Music Group, Mel Lewinter, chairman of Universal Motown Records Group, Monte Lipman, president of Universal Records, and Prince. His first release on Universal Records, an album entitled 3121, is set to debut in 2006. Concurrently, VH1 will today shepherd the first audiovisual installment from his forthcoming album, the Salma Hayek-directed video, “Tè Amo Corazón” (“I Love You, Sweetheart”), marking the world’s first-ever multiplatform worldwide exclusive premiere of a music video. “‘The entire Universal Music Group family is thrilled to have the opportunity to work with such a visionary and charismatic talent as Prince,” stated Universal’s Doug Morris. “Prince is one of popular music’s greatest architects,” added Monte Lipman. “He is the embodiment of what musical artistry and talent is all about; he continues to be a major trendsetter whose many talents have always earned him the highest respect and praise.” Prince will premiere “Tè Amo Corazón” today across all of VH1’s platforms: television, broadband and wireless. This unique event will premiere simultaneously today, at 11:00 p.m. (ET/PT/global), on VH1, VH1 Classic, VHUNO, Tempo, VH1 Soul as well as VH1.com through VH1’s broadband channel Vspot and through VH1 Mobile through its partnership with Verizon’s VCast service. The gorgeous and decadent location of Marrakesh, Morroco provided the backdrop for the incredibly lush ballad and video featuring Prince and Mia Maestro, directed by Salma Hayek. ”VH1 is honored to present this unprecedented multimedia experience with a legendary innovator like Prince,” commented Tom Calderone, general manager of VH1. “Salma heard the song and came up with the original concept,” Prince said. “Salma is the most thoughtful, attentive director I have ever worked with. An absolute joy.” Prince’s rise to fame was nothing short of meteoric, from a buzzed-about musician (with the release of his first album, 1979’s For You) to arguably one of the most acclaimed and influential artist of the 20th century. USA Today has hailed him as “one of the most daring and brilliant artists,” just one of the many accolades bestowed on Prince by both critics and peers throughout his career. In fact, a chorus of acclaim literally exploded with the release of the Minnesota native’s world-changing, 1984 dual phenomenon of Purple Rain (the movie broke box office records, the Grammy-nominated album sold more than 11 million copies and spent 24 weeks at #1), making Prince one of the few triple-threats in history to simultaneously land the #1 single, album and movie. His plaintively brilliant single, “When Doves Cry,” the first of many Top Tens, exemplified the kind of transformational musical current that only Prince could deliver. To top it off, he won the “Best Original Score” Academy Award for Purple Rain. A series of seminal albums – from 1985’s Around The World In A Day to 1987’s prophetic Sign o’ the Times, to 1989’s Batman soundtrack to 1991’s Diamonds And Pearls, indelibly cemented his reputation as a 21st century impresario, and a fearless pursuer of the musical stratosphere. With more than 60 million records sold, Prince launched his web-centric NPG Music Club, a groundbreaking, completely autonomous Prince-authorized nexus, emphasizing direct sales and value-added content for Prince fans and subscribers, a virtual template of the kind of online, artist-driven entrepreneurial models artists and internet gurus would be gravitating towards the close of the decade. More groundbreaking albums followed, with Prince himself stewarding their marketing and promotion. A varied array of label distribution deals were interspersed throughout, with major imprints such as EMI, Arista and Columbia, forming temporary but fruitful relationships with the evocative artist. Last year saw the cultural icon command the mainstream music radar with a vengeance, releasing the critically and commercially acclaimed Musicology (the disc snagged two Grammys), being inducted to the Rock n’ Roll Hall Of Fame, and rolling out one of the most successful, talked about tours in music history, (Pollstar Magazine crowned him a top concert draw for the year) coinciding with the two-decade anniversary of his masterpiece Purple Rain. Prince also won an NAACP Image award in 2004 and was most recently inspired to write two songs to benefit Hurricane Katrina victims, “S.S.T.” and “Brand New Orleans,” both of which are available on NPGMusicClub.com. About Universal Music Group Universal Music Group is the world’s largest music company with wholly owned record operations or licensees in 77 countries. Its businesses also include Universal Music Publishing Group, one of the industry’s largest global music publishing operations. Universal Music Group consists of record labels Decca Music Group, Deutsche Grammophon, Interscope Geffen A&M Records, Geffen Records, Island Def Jam Music Group, Lost Highway Records, Machete Music, MCA Nashville, Mercury Nashville, Mercury Records, Philips, Polydor Records, Universal Music Latino, Universal Motown Records Group, and Verve Music Group as well as a multitude of record labels owned or distributed by its record company subsidiaries around the world. The Universal Music Group owns the most extensive catalog of music in the industry, which is marketed through two distinct divisions, Universal Music Enterprises (in the U.S.) and Universal Strategic Marketing (outside the U.S.). Universal Music Group also includes eLabs, a new media and technologies division, and Universal Music Mobile. Universal Music Group is a unit of Vivendi Universal, a global media and communications company. About VH1 VH1 connects viewers to the music, artists and pop culture that matter to them most with series, live events, exclusive online content and public affairs initiatives. VH1 is available in over 87 million households in the U.S. VH1 also has an array if digital services including VH1 Classic, VH1 Soul, VH1 Uno and VH1 Country. Connect with VH1 at http://www.vh1.com. | |
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It's not a simple distribution deal like he had with musicology, but rather a recording contract for which 3121 is the first release. Prince back on a major label for real. | |
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alandail said:
It's not a simple distribution deal like he had with musicology, but rather a recording contract for which 3121 is the first release. Prince back on a major label for real. Well see how that goes. I wouldn't doubt they are interested in having him rerelease his stuff through their label when he gets the chance. | |
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alandail said:
It's not a simple distribution deal like he had with musicology, but rather a recording contract for which 3121 is the first release. Prince back on a major label for real. A non-exclusive contract like Beck has with Geffen doesn't shock me, it would be in P's logic. | |
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How long does the contract last?   | |
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shaomi said: alandail said:
It's not a simple distribution deal like he had with musicology, but rather a recording contract for which 3121 is the first release. Prince back on a major label for real. A non-exclusive contract like Beck has with Geffen doesn't shock me, it would be in P's logic. the press release clearly calls it "an exclusive recording agreement". And goes on to describe 3121 as "His first release on Universal Records". Since 3121 is presumably already recorded, the wording makes no sense unless it is a multi-album deal. And the wording also makes no sense if it is simply to rerelease old material. [Edited 12/13/05 10:06am] | |
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sounds like another one-off deal to me. if not, i hope it's a non-exclusive deal like what beck and sonic youth have, where they can release stuff on indie labels or independently. | |
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Anxiety said: sounds like another one-off deal to me. if not, i hope it's a non-exclusive deal like what beck and sonic youth have, where they can release stuff on indie labels or independently.
how does the first paragraph of the press release sound like a one-off deal? It doesn't sound like that at all to me and I fully expected it to be a one-off deal before the press release came out. | |
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Sorry, i just don't care for this music anymore 
Now if he gave me a 4CD with 1985-86 era material i'd be doing a 180`  "Waiting to be banned" | |
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Whatever "exclusive" means, 2 things r sure:
- "Exclusive" cannot include NPGMC WMA releases, so P can always release as much as he wants via the club (admitting he'd want 2, considering the last 2 years' VERY FEW releases). - Prince will still own his masters. | |
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shaomi said: Whatever "exclusive" means, 2 things r sure:
- "Exclusive" cannot include NPGMC WMA releases, so P can always release as much as he wants via the club (admitting he'd want 2, considering the last 2 years' VERY FEW releases). - Prince will still own his masters. He might own his masters, but the copies made of his vault music are outta his control "Waiting to be banned" | |
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alandail said: Anxiety said: sounds like another one-off deal to me. if not, i hope it's a non-exclusive deal like what beck and sonic youth have, where they can release stuff on indie labels or independently.
how does the first paragraph of the press release sound like a one-off deal? because we're talking about prince here, that's how. | |
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shaomi said: Prince will still own his masters.
Well, maybe he will and maybe he won't. If he caved and let Universal retain ownership, it wouldn't be the first time he said one thing and did another. I suppose we'll have to wait until he begins doing interviews and the question comes up and see how he answers it. |
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Doesn't Universal know For You was released in '78? Stupid  I don't see "contract", I see "agreement." As long as Prince agrees to let Universal release his stuff. I doubt Universal has any say whatsoever about much. | |
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8up said: I don't see "contract", I see "agreement."
Tomato, to-mah-to. It's a contract. I doubt Universal has any say whatsoever about much.
Don't be so sure. |
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Wasn't he considering Universal prior to Musicology as well? Either way, nice to see a new album coming from him and it seems it will get some high profile exposure as well. | |
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serpan99 said: FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
PRINCE SIGNS WITH UNIVERSAL RECORDS; NEW ALBUM, 3121, SCHEDULED FOR RELEASE IN 2006 PRINCE AND SALMA HAYEK’S “TÈ AMO CORAZÓN” VIDEO DEBUTS TODAY ACROSS ALL OF VH1’S TELEVISION, BROADBAND AND WIRELESS PLATFORMS New York, NY (December 13, 2005) – Announcing his new musical home, musical superstar Prince has signed an exclusive recording agreement with Universal Records, it was announced today by Doug Morris, chairman & CEO of Universal Music Group, Mel Lewinter, chairman of Universal Motown Records Group, Monte Lipman, president of Universal Records, and Prince. His first release on Universal Records, an album entitled 3121, is set to debut in 2006. I interpret "an exclusive recording agreement" to mean he can only record with Universal--he can't put out a record with Sony or whomever. And "His first release..." I think means, his first release/first time working with Universal Records; not the first of many releases with them. Concurrently, VH1 will today shepherd the first audiovisual installment from his forthcoming album, the Salma Hayek-directed video, “Tè Amo Corazón” (“I Love You, Sweetheart”), marking the world’s first-ever multiplatform worldwide exclusive premiere of a music video.
I love how they point out that Prince, once again, is breaking the rules with regard to marketing his music.
Crossing my fingers that 3121 will bring the FUNK.  The check. The string he dropped. The Mona Lisa. The musical notes taken out of a hat. The glass. The toy shotgun painting. The things he found. Therefore, everything seen–every object, that is, plus the process of looking at it–is a Duchamp. | |
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GoldenGlove said: How long does the contract last?
1 album probably 2010: Healing the Wounds of the Past.... http://prince.org/msg/8/325740 | |
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I think you can interpret the wording in different ways, but I believe it to be a one album deal, possibly with an option to extend that if things go well. 'Exclusive recording agreement' could just mean that the release of 3121 is exlusive to Universal just like Musicology was exclusive to Sony. After all, remember when Prince was talking about releasing an album on all the major record companies simultaneously? And 'first release' could just mean it is the first release and the last, like Musicology was the first release for Prince on the Sony label.
I think if it was a confirmed mult-album deal, Universal would crow about it in this press release. Sony must be pissed off - they seemed to do a pretty good job of promoting and selling Musicology, I expect they thought the relationship would continue, but no, Prince jumps ship yet again. I think back to all those people who claimed they had inside knowledge of 3121 and said it WASN'T the name of his new album - it just goes to show, a lot of orgers info can't be trusted. | |
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Sounds like Universal's just being optimistic. Everyone knows Prince is a potential goldmine, so they might as well treat it like it's the first of many albums. But if the album's not a hit, record companies tend to lose Prince's favor.
I'm sure he reserved the right to get out quickly and he owns the masters. Check this song out at:
http://www.soundclick.com...tmusic.htm | |
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how about if he's already recording and told universal what albums he plans to release in the near future? by which i mean, the exclusivity comes from a set of 2 or 3 albums he's got in the bag, in the mean time he can tour and record for himself and the npgmc?
he's taken so long with this break (by his standards), i mean, its not like he didn't deserve it after all the work of 04 but i reckon he must have bagged so many songs now it wouldn't surprise me if this is how its working out in some form or another. | |
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metalorange said: 'Exclusive recording agreement' could just mean that the release of 3121 is exlusive to Universal just like Musicology was exclusive to Sony.
No, that was a distribution agreement. |
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I cannot wait until Prince starts trying to explain away all the contradictions between this deal and his recent statements regarding "CONtracts", being a "slave", yadda, yadda, yadda. It'll be the fanciest footwork we've seen since the "Thieves in the Temple" vid.
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I tried to get a clarification from NPGMC, but thus far they have ignored the question while answering another question I asked at the same time. | |
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metalorange said: After all, remember when Prince was talking about releasing an album on all the major record companies simultaneously? And 'first release' could just mean it is the first release and the last, like Musicology was the first release for Prince on the Sony label.
I. The reson he was saying that because he didnt want only sony exclusively to sell his album and the reason he did that was so he could have the give aways without having to deal with sony legally!!! I am sure sony was shocked when he started the giveaways but it worked becasue it created more publicity!!! |
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Ace said: I cannot wait until Prince starts trying to explain away all the contradictions between this deal and his recent statements regarding "CONtracts", being a "slave", yadda, yadda, yadda. It'll be the fanciest footwork we've seen since the "Thieves in the Temple" vid.
----- Well you we just have to wait and see if this is a one off deal or a long term agreement. If he can keep the master tape and still do things independently it will not matter if the deal is long-term because he will have accomplished what he set out to do in the first place. I think you are forgetting CD sales are still at a 5 year low. Record companies are not going to be set in stone on master tapes and exclusivity when sales are low. | |
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Crossing my fingers that 3121 will bring the FUNK.
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alandail said: I tried to get a clarification from NPGMC, but thus far they have ignored the question while answering another question I asked at the same time.
Gee, wonder why that would be?  |
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GoldenGlove said: Crossing my fingers that 3121 will bring the FUNK.
Me too. I'm not a fan of "old Prince". I'm not a fan of "new Prince". I'm just a fan of Prince. Simple as that | |
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asg said: metalorange said: After all, remember when Prince was talking about releasing an album on all the major record companies simultaneously? And 'first release' could just mean it is the first release and the last, like Musicology was the first release for Prince on the Sony label.
I. The reson he was saying that because he didnt want only sony exclusively to sell his album and the reason he did that was so he could have the give aways without having to deal with sony legally!!! He did sign a distribution deal with Sony. And as for this idea of having the record distributed by different companies simulatneously, that was a ridiculous fantasy you have to hope the man only floated for the publicity. I am sure sony was shocked when he started the giveaways but it worked
becasue it created more publicity!!! Oh, yeah - they were shocked. |
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