NY Daily News

Friday 8/27/99

page 16-17



IT'S ARISTA FOR ARTIST



The Artist we Still Call Prince is back on a major label.
The diminutive funk genius has signed with Arista. The company is due
to release his first single, "The Greatest Romance Ever Sold," in late
September, followed by a new album, "Rave Un2 The Joy Fantastic," in
November.



Arista head Clive Davis promises that the album is nothing short of
"wonderful."
"He's done it again," Davis tells us. "The music is edgy and funky, and
yet there are songs you'll be singing for years."
The Artist waged a bitter legal battle with Warner Bros. before that
company released him from his contract in 1995. After recording briefly
on EMI, he's been releasing CDs on his own NPG label.
Under the Arista deal, NPG will be able to sell up to 100,000 copies of
"alternate mixes" of songs on the next album. Although the
coporation-allegeric singer is committing to only one album under the
contract with Arista, Davis is confident there will be a second CD.
"I didn't get into what his past problems were," says Davis, who
forecasts an international tour. "I just know we connected."



[The article also includes a photo.]