Apologies if this is a topic that has been covered at length before, but I've just downloaded this album (I think it's great) and was wondering if anybody had any details about it such as when it was recorded, who played what, was it ever intended as an "official" release etc.....

you mean liner notes?

i wish.

you'll probably get bits and pieces of info from folks as a result of you starting this thread, but there's no formal "info sheet" on this album, unfortunately.

Wish I knew too. Thing is THAT and Slaughterhouse tracks (and a few others) were made over a two/three year period. I doubt that they are old. I imagine that at the time that the NPGMC (as it is now known) ...this was going to be a way to get songs out to the fans as he made them.

i think this is the orphaned vault stuff that woulda wound up as bootlegs if it were the late '80s/early '90s, just served up fresher and with less hiss.

Huh?

Tracks on TCI and Slaughterhouse all come from NPGMC Year One downloads, recorded 1999/2000 (odd one or two might have been 1998 at the very latest I would imagine).

Many of the tracks were for the abandoned album, 'High' (from 2000).

Many of the tracks were for the abandoned album, 'High' (from 2000).....

which was the the PLANNED follow-up to Rave Un2 The Joy Fantastic for Arista IF Prince was happy with results from the major record label venture.

Either way, the album is off the chain!! The title track, Underneath the Cream, The Dance, High (the song). I'm groovin to that this summer!