While I'm aware that, to non-completists, this topic will smack of hair-splitting, I assure you that to collectors it will be anything but.

After much fanfare, 'The Work', volumes 1-5, which comprises a set of 5 volumes of 4CDs, has been hailed by collectors as the best there is. The main reason: it succeeds in finally gathering in all of Prince's demos and outtakes (330 in total) from the beginning of his career onwards to the present day. Uniquely, it attempts to compile all the above material in chronological order.

But is it really "the only outtake set to own"?

Each set retails at £45 ($63@). This would not be so bad were it not for the following limitations this collection suffers from:

1- The much vaunted 'remastering' process amounts to little more than tweaking up the volume and mostly pumping up the bass indiscriminately on each track (to these ears the results are dire). Was this really "a year in the making", guys???

2- Each set LACKS a substantial number of recognised demos and outtakes, whilst allowing the odd fake to slip in (both Thunderball and Sabotage should know better than to allow this to happen so repeatedly over the years)

To illustrate: Volume One would have accrued substantial points for the inclusion the following stragglers from pre- 'For You' era onwards. Alas, the following tracks have been ignored and left out of this collection (incidentally, they are all available on the 'Studio Nights' CD set):

'Don't You Wanna Ride' (5:14)
'For You' [parts 1, 2, 3 & 4]
'I Spend My Time Loving You' (7:20)
'Nightingale' (4:16)
'Rock Me, Lover' (3:51)
'Sweet Thing' (4:23)
'Baby'[demo] (3:13)
'Baby' [instrumental] (3:21)
'My Love Is Forever'[demo] (4:07)
'Just As Long As We're Together' #2 (5:42)
'Just As Long As We're Together' #3 (5:57)
'Baby, Baby, Baby' (2:52)
'Nadeara' (1:53)
'Wouldn't You Love To Love Me' #1 
'Turn Me On'(1:53)
(This survey leaves aside the untitled 'Instrumentals' related to the above period, which amount to a total of 27)


The above can be dismissed as an early period during which Prince's experimental and creative phase had not yet become evident. However, most completists would baulk at the following omissions from Volume One of 'The Work':

From 'Controversy':

'The Second Coming' (available on 'Jack U Off' bootleg CD) (1:58)


From '1999':

'Delirious'[unedited version](7:07)


From 'Purple Rain':

'Jamming Till The Dawn'[bass part](available on 'Apotheosis') (4:41)
'Computer Blue'#1 [St. Louis Park Warehouse version](available on 'Paisley Libido') (13:28)
'Sex Shooter'[Vanity 6](available on 'Jewel Box II') (7:02)
'The Bird' [studio version by The Time] (available on 'Jewel Box II') (6:27)
'Purple Rain'[orchestration] (available on 'G-Spot') (13:19)
'Vibrator' #2[spoken part](available on 'Apotheosis'] (1:06)
'Baby, I'm A Star' (available on 'Mirrorball') (4:54)
'Erotic City'#1 (6:40)
'Our Destiny' (available on 'Roadhouse') (3:03)
'Roadhouse Garden' (available on 'Roadhouse') (5:00)
'Computer Blue'#4[preliminary version] (available on 'Studio Nights') (7:33)
'Around The World In A Day'#2 [preliminary version] (available on 'Mirrorball') (5:15)



Plus points for Volume One of 'The Work': It does contain the previously unavailable full-length version of 'I Would Die 4 U'[long version] (30:41), pre-empting Sabotage, Thunderball's main rival label.



The following demos and outtakes have been left out of Volume Two of 'The Work':

From the 'Parade' era:

'Toy Box'[instrumental version] (6:21)
'Girls & Boys' [diff beginning & ending] (available on 'Charade') (5:38)
'Sexual Suicide'[demo] (available on 'Cosmos') (3:34)



From the aborted 'Dream Factory' project:

'Visions' (available on 'Dream Factory') (2:11)
'S.O.T.T'['Dream Factory' version] (available on 'Dream Factory') (3:40)
'Joy In Repetition'#1 (available on 'New Jewels') (5:26)
'Interlude' (available on 'Dream Factory') (0:58)
'Crystal Ball'['Dream Factory' version] (available on 'Dream Factory) (9:29)
'The Ball/Joy In Repetition'['Crystal Ball' sequence] (available on 'Jewel Box') (9:19)



From 'Sign O' The Times':

'Housequake'['Razormaid' remix] (available on 'Jewel Box II)
(7:19)



From 'Lovesexy':

'Alphabet St Blues' (available on 'Jewel Box') (4:25)
'Pink Cashmere' (available on 'Rare2Prince') (6:01)
'Alphabet St'[This Is Not Music, This Is A Trip] (available on 'Cosmos') (7:55)
'Intermission' (available on 'Lovesexy Rehearsals, vol. 1')
(4:48)



Plus points for Volume Two of 'The Work': the inclusion of the previously unavailable demo of 'Fuschia Light' (4:48) - point immediately deducted for clumsily attempting to join 'Can't Stop This feeling I Got' with version #3 of 'We Can Funk', when it should have been version #1 instead... it didn't work, guys and it sounds awful!
Also, and inexplicably, this set contains 'The Cross' (the officially released version, no less) as well as the fake 'acoustic' version of 'If I Had A Harmen II'(sic) (2:15)


Someone else can contribute to this thread as far as Volumes 3, 4 7 5 are concerned. I'm due back at work in a few minutes...

In the meantime, I will briefly list some more demos and outtakes omitted from subsequent volumes of 'The Work', as well as some of their existing CD bootleg sources:



From 'Rave Unto The Joy Fantastic' ( the 1989 version, note original spelling):

Rave Unto The Joy Fantastic (available on 'The Illusion Continues') (5:18)




From 'Graffiti Bridge':

'Round And Round' (3:26) ('Take It 2 the Bridge')
'Soul Psychodelicide' (11:01) ('Mirrorball)
'My Summertime Thang' (10:58) (RarePrince)
'Melody Cool'[Mavis Staples vocal] (7:45) ('Take It 2 The Bridge')
'We Can Funk'#6 (7:45) ('Take It 2 the Bridge')
'Tick, Tick, Bang'#2 (2:57) ('Take It 2 The Bridge')
'Graffiti Bridge'[demo] (3:34) ('Take It 2 The Bridge')
'Still Would Stand All Time' [demo] (5:16) ('Take It 2 The Bridge')
'New Power Generation'(pt II) (2:30) ('Take It 2 The Bridge')
'New Power Generation'[parts I & II, sequenced] (5:55)('Take It 2 The Bridge')
'Love Machine'#3[spoken part] (0:39)



From 'Diamonds & Pearls':

'The Thunder Ballet' (10:57) (12" volume 3)
'The Voice' [Prince/Mavis Staples co-lead vocal]('Yellow)
'Gett Off' (9:24) ('The Illusion Continues')



From 'Come':

Four versions of 'Come' are missing (4:40)(4:29)(3:15)(3:17)
'Pheromone'[video LP instrumental version] (3:56) ('Cosmos')


Other notable omissions include:

'Beautiful Strange' (4:48) ('Apotheosis')
'Madrid 2 Chicago' (2:00) (NPG Music Club 6)
'U're Still The One' (3:10) ('Ultraviolet')

Etcetera, etcetera...


Gotta go!

roadhouse garden and our destiny were not the studio versions of the songs, but rather live rehearsal versions, right? So they shouldn't be included... I think.

Please! Keep on going with your analysis!... very nice notes.

I agree, but those are still the best available versions of those songs (no studio recordings are available).

Also, Thunderball did include the rehearsal of 'Electric Intercourse' (the rehearsal version) as one of the tracks on Volume One - after they digitally cleaned up Prince's little asides to Wendy, to make it sound more 'official'. I, for one, do not mind its inclusion on this set one bit.

Wow. And to think that *I* thought I knew my prince outtakes/demos. Wow! I am floored by the wealth of info here.

It also seems to lack "Jelly Jam" (circulates under the name "Jammin' 4 U" on the internet)

I suppose it’s better than nothing, and at least the quality is improved a little bit. Buying these sets is a good way to start collecting boots.

sexualfreak said:

Where can I buy this CD?!?!

Madhouse Music:

madhouse@zetnet.co.uk

Nice list. The Toybox instrumental can't really be considered an outtake, however, since it's taken from a rehearsal and was never intended for any particular project, which, strictly speaking, is a requirement if a track is to be dubbed an "outtake". You have more to stand on with Roadhouse Garden and Our Destiny though, as Prince thought very highly of both and considered their release as late as 1999.