I watched the drama unfold on the PPML, post by bitter post. I decided to wait until Crystal Ball was available at the wrecka stow. I purchased it at Blockbuster Video for $30. I really enjoyed that project -- it's definitely one of my favorite Prince releases of the 90s.

Reading all of the accounts on the mailing list left a bitter taste in my mouth, though. I decided right then that I would never enter into a Prince-related transaction through Prince's own channels. That fiasco is probably the reason I have never joined the NPGMC, despite being a Prince fan since '79.

MendesCity said:

I think he improved on it vastly with the Rave In2 album, but the original Rave Un2 has got to have some of the most uninspired drek I've ever heard the man produce. At least on NPS there are some songs that I *genuinely* enjoy - at best, I had to work to enjoy the songs on Rave that I didn't out-and-out loathe.

With Kamasutra, the whole thing was a little goofy, but I thought it was inspired and at least had some interesting ideas peppered throughout. I dunno. I don't get any joy from hating on it for some reason.

todd305 said:

It's a roll of the dice really. Nothing bad has ever happened to me yet. And I got front row seats too!

Good thread. I'd never completely understood how the whole Crystal Ball situation played out from beginning to end and you all filled in a lot of gaps for me.

Thanks for explaining things.

I must have been in a cloud in 98(?) when this all happened because all I remember is walking through Best Buy, seeing it, and almost shitting myself. I had no idea it was even out. When I bought it I thought it was the original Crystal Ball set (THAT'S how out of Prince-dom I was at the time). I got into my car, put the 1st CD in, and was BLASTING the song Crystal Ball looking through the booklet and seeing Lovesign and Loose! and feeling disappointed that it wasn''t the original Cyrstal Ball with The Ball, Rebirth of the Flesh, and all of those awesome 86/87 unreleased tunes. But I still liked it, thought The Truth was great and listen to the set all the time. I am glad I didn't know about it earlier because I would have pre-ordered it for sure.

I got my 5 CDs with no problem, but I never did get any t-shirt or War cassette.

sextonseven said:

Same here!

Is the 5CD set still available anywhere?

Green said:

No, I don't think so. But, why do you even want that 5th disc of classical junk? I saw the 5-disc CD at ebay for $20 dollars. Doesn't Tower Records still carry the 5-disc versions of CB? I got mine, which was the 4-disc set from a seller at Amazon.com for $30. Why don't you check Amazon and Tower Records?
[Edited 1/12/05 20:48pm]

it was on pre-order so long that my visa expired by the time they started shipping. since the store already had it by then, that's where i went.

i'm wondering, does Prince even know the word: "sorry" ?? i know where i work i represent who i work with and we often have to say the word. why don't Prince represent even if he's not the one to blame? the npgmc never say sorry, for they "know all," and this fiasco was meant to be from the beginning of time. they really need to save the spiritual vibe for times when it's more appropriate. this ain't it.

oh yeah, and i'm still on pre-order for Vanity's "new" book -- it's only been like, what? 5 years or so?

langebleu said:

That was funny! I mean you CAN see the humor in it now... can't you?

Pagey said:

Ok wait a minute. Are you saying there are more than one version of Crystal Ball?
I know CB was originally set for WB but WB wouldn't release it so another CD went in it's place and some songs off of CB appeared on that WB CD. (Sorry, I am a newbie and I don't know the CD's name)
But what is this about an original CB with unreleased titles.
Is this something I can search for on Gemm star or ebay? And how would I know the original from the 2nd release?
Dayum!For the 1st time, I am feeling pretty envious of Mani right now. If I were Mani, I could just put on my slippers, turn on the basement light and walk down the basement stairs to the Vault, and just pick out whatever CD I want.

prodigalfan said:

There was a CD that contained all of the 'Black Album' tracks plus 6 or 7 of the original 'Crystal Ball' tracks. On the back of the album it had a picture of Prince and Sheila E. at a birthday thrown 4 Sheila back in '87, from the Black Album era. I think u should check it out if you ever find it. I saw it one time at Ebay.

The Black Album orginally started as music for Sheila's birthday party, but those songs were created after the original Crystal Ball which Warners released as the abridged Sign O' The Times. There's a humongous thread around here somewhere about the whole thing.

silverchild said:


There was a CD that contained all of the 'Black Album' tracks plus 6 or 7 of the original 'Crystal Ball' tracks. On the back of the album it had a picture of Prince and Sheila E. at a birthday thrown 4 Sheila back in '87, from the Black Album era. I think u should check it out if you ever find it. I saw it one time at Ebay.[/quote]

And what would the name of this CD? Crystal Ball? and how can you tell you are getting this one and not the more common one? Is this pic of Sheila E not found on the common version Crystal Ball.

prodigalfan said:

I can deal with it

After several bouts of therapy, a 'Love, Sex, Liberty' t-shirt, two copies of the Emancipation lyric book, and 'The War' on cassette, I'm on the road to recovery ... but I have to take each day at a time.
.

What was so strange for me is that I never pre-ordered or ordered CB from 1-800-New-Funk, I just got it from our local record store, but somehow I managed by surprise one day 2 receive The War Cassette in my mailbox, when we lived in Minnesota!! The only thing I ever ordered from them was the Emancipation Lyric Book, so obviously I was in their database, so they mailed the cassette out 2 me!!!

thats
why
you
need
a
middleman

prodigalfan said:

And what would the name of this CD? Crystal Ball? and how can you tell you are getting this one and not the more common one? Is this pic of Sheila E not found on the common version Crystal Ball.
[/quote]

It has a black and white picture of Prince doing a pose on the album cover.

I have that version of the Black album bootleg - In fact it was my first bootleg B)

prodigalfan said:

And what would the name of this CD? Crystal Ball? and how can you tell you are getting this one and not the more common one? Is this pic of Sheila E not found on the common version Crystal Ball.
[/quote]

The original Crystal Ball I am talking about ended up becoming Sign o the times after WB rejected CB for being a 3 record set. The original had all of the Camille songs, as well as the song Crystal Ball, The Ball (which became Eye No from Lovesexy), what am I missing? I can't remember the track listing...but it didn't have any Black album tracks except Rock Hard in a Funky Place. The album would have been a landmark album imo. Its the triple album that should have been released (its WAY better than Emancipation) Sorry for the confusion.

Gosh I hate to use the dreaded word 'bootleg' were the Crystal ball cd's offered online referred to as "bootleg" cd's? And should I be concerned that there is no artwork with the CD's?
I am looking at some used Crystal Balls and a very reasonable price but not too sure about this. Could this be the original CB version that contained the entire black album?

silverchild said:

Thanks for the info - I've never heard any of CB - so just thought it would be good to get the whole deal and see what all the debate is about. If I join NPGMC can I get it there...?

Green said:

I don't think it's available through the official website any longer.
.

I bought a four disc copy of Crystal Ball for 20 bucks at a
used record store about 2 months ago and
I LOVE IT!!

prodigalfan said:

hey Prod..is your head about to explode yet???


The offical released version of Crystal Ball (online and in store) on the actual CD its has "bootleg" (as a joke , I guess)
written on it. If you see one of these on Ebay it is the 1997 offical release. As far as I know the real unleased bootleg Crystal Ball/Black Album/Camille/Sign o the Times set does not have this.

Anxiety said:

Ditto!