Audio Fidelity is a record company that specializes in audiophile versions of classic titles (check out their vintage Bob Marley SACD... killer!). AF is run by Marshall Blonstein, who has worked for many record labels in the past and was the president of DCC, who specialized in 24 karat Gold CDs in the 90s.

The AF message board solicits suggestions for future reissues. Since AF has been concentrating on hybrid SACDs, Marshall hasn't had as much luck licensing titles from the major record companies as he did at DCC. With the gold discs, they were able to mark up the price for an audiophile edition ($30 list back then) so that it wouldn't compete with the major label version. Their SACDs were lower in price, so it was very difficult to find good titles that were profitable. So they've started up the 24k gold discs again in hopes that they can license better titles (and it looks like the prices won't be too high either).

What does this have to do with Prince? A recent request for Prince at the AF message board received this response from Marshall:

"Prince is out of the mix. I spoke to WB today and they are redoing his whole catalog so this is a no."

Good news if it happens!

PS I hope the responses to this thread don't break down into pro/anti audiophile stuff. It's pretty silly if you ask me. Most of us just want stuff that sounds good, and we're not as snobby as people make us look!

I hope Warner's does re-release his stuf...I have have discs that are sorely in need of replacing

Fingers crossed!

zrzrzrzr said:

Could be. In a recent interview Prince said that he was in talks with WB about remastering his catalog. I've been complaining about the sound of his classic material for a while. It's time to get it done, at least the first decade.

Of course, it won't all come out at once if/when it does. It'll be 3 or 4 discs at once, and the next batch would be a couple of months later, and so on. That's how major labels do it.

Forgot the link:

http://www.audiofidelity.....php?t=381

This is interesting news. I thought the company that did GOld DIscs went out of business.

zrzrzrzr said:

Good News.....???? > Without Prince involvement....No way 4 me !!!

ok now the dude who said that he was complaining about the sound ur not the only one who dont like the sound

Nikster said:

Co-sign

Supernova said:

One would hope they do it that quickly...sometimes its years between batches...



...still waiting for "The Clones Of Dr. Funkenstien",etc.....

MrTation said:

Hmm, could it be possible that Parliament's first few remasters didn't sell as well as Casablanca had hoped?

I want to keep my scruffy-soudning, no-high-end-at-all Prince CDs forever! And you do know if the remasters someday hit the stores everybody's here are going to be like "they sound so wrong!". You just couldn't help yourselves.

Novabreaker said:

Yup. I'm sure they'll find something to bitch about

Personally, I do hope this news is true - as long as they don't actually re-mix the original albums. I've bought albums by other artists previously where, granted, the sound has been improved but the new versions have also been mixed differently. If that's the case, I'll take the scruffy-sounding cds too

love2thenines2003 said:

Good News because of no Prince involvement.

Yes, they should remaster at least black album and gold exp, because new copies cost at the moment between $50-150. I will receive my gold exp copy finally 50$. I should have bought it in 95-96, when it was cheaper.

CD reissues would be even more welcome if they included bonus tracks, much like the recent Clash, London Calling 25th Anniv editon, David Bowie and many other artists releases.

Personally I compile, what I call, "Extended Albums", adding B-Sides and Extended versions to the disc where relevent.

misty2k said:

I would love some extended stuff, like God, Erotic City 17 Days and Lonely Xmas on PR, I Love U in Me, Sex, Feel U Up, 200 Baloons on Batman etc. I shouldn't think they'd remaster The Hits but some of those tracks would be sorely missed and some of the b-sides haven't been put to cd albums before like love left, love right, thats if they get as far as G. Bridge which sounds pretty ok as it is. The remasters of the Bowie stuff are excellent and I'm so glad I only became a real fan after their release. But older reissues of the Bowie albums had extra stuff like outtakes and alternate versions of tracks from the period. The reissue of Meatloaf's Bat out of Hell is superior to the original cos of the extra tracks. It would make the serious Prince student really sit up and take note if some extras were included I think. Improved sound quality would be enough for most of us but not all and of those who'd buy them, it'd be most albums but again not all. New cover art would be nice too, mabye.

love2thenines2003 said:

Fine then, go ahead... if it's more important for you to act correctly (on a PERSONAL level) towards a person you've never met in your life than having high-quality remastered versions of that person's MUSIC, which you've been digging all your life...

Supernova said:

It seems that way. It has been a while since they were released.

Xpertlover said:

Suck my Ass xpertsucker!!
[Edited 11/5/04 7:53am]

misty2k said:

ill have to agree with u on having bonus tracks like the way they did michael's thriller and bad reissues with bonus songs that were great
[Edited 11/5/04 15:23pm]

love2thenines2003 said:

Yes, but when Prince gets involved, so will Larry Graham and Doug E. Fresh.

No Prince invovlement for me. I want to remember songs like "If I was Ur Girlfriend" free of Larry's deep and annoying voice interluding and bridges with Doug E. Fresh rapping over them. Not pretty.