Does anybody here remember that interview from the mid nineties where Prince talked about the 52 song configuration of Emancipation ?
As far as I recall, there were different lyrics to the title song either in that interview ( Esquire ??) or in the now defunct Continental magazine.
The only thing I remember is that there was a line about Hitler and Napoleon.
Anybody remember ? Better yet, does anybody know the original tracklist ?

KoolEaze said:

In the Esquire Gentleman magazine interview from September 1995, it simply states:

"For some time, he has been working on Emancipation, which will be his first album when he is free -- maybe fifty new songs. Then, he says, he will reemerge. He will speak to the press. His face has changed now, as though the plastic boss face was to keep everyone else calm. He tells me that his heart and perhaps his best work are in Emancipation. This album is a big surprise to people to people at Warner. No one seems to know about it."

http://princetext.tripod....ire95.html
.

.

Thanks langebleu ...
Then it must´ve been in one of the ´95 issues of the Continental . I got it mixed up with that Esquire interview which came out around the same time ( after the Ultimate Live Experience tour in March ´95).

There was a poem/lyrics sheet handed out at Paisley Park during a show in late '95 - those are the "alternate lyrics" you're talking about, although I've never heard anything to indicate that those words were used on this song or any other.

I seem to remember the recurring phrase being "the Emancipation Proclomation", though - perhaps this is the title of an outtake, in the same way as the released track "Slave" and the outtake "Slave 2 The System"... Boris?

Like the last post said...I have that lyric sheet..alot different than the released song.

If you account for the known unreleased tracks I think it comes out to 52 with the 36 on the cds.

origmnd said:

Thanks for confirming this.
And which tracks do you have in mind when you say the unreleased tracks ?

The ones I´m familiar with are I´m the DJ, Goodbye (later on CB), 2020, Slave 2 the System, Journey 2 the Center of Your Heart, and maybe three or four other songs I can´t recall right now.

Do you remember some of the lyrics off the top of your head , especially the ones about Hitler and Napoleon?

Ill dig it out and post when i find it

another outtake is "Stone"

origmnd said:

I´ve NEVER heard of that track....