Why was there no new Prince music in this year?

Eeh, he was touring 1999 and started Purple Rain the movie?

He had the shits?

The '1999' album was released in late 1982 (October,I think).It was a 2-record set.There was no need for a new Prince album in 1983.The singles from '1999' kept Prince on the radio all throughout 1983.

But there was a rumor about a planned 1983 album called 'The Dance Electric'.Do you guys think it was true? It's hard to believe that Prince was planning to release an album in 1983.He spent the first part of the year on tour,then he started preparations for the 'Purple Rain' movie.

DavidEye said:

understand that argument about there being no need for a new album, but there have been many times when he's had a popular album and immediately released something new while also touring and working on various other projects.

doctamario said:

Very true,and I certainly wouldn't have complained if he had given us another album that year.He had alot of great songs to choose from...

"Extra Lovable"
"Turn It Up"
"Do Yourself A Favor"
"No Call U"
"Moonbeam Levels"
"Feel U Up"

That would have been such an awesome album. I always wished he'd gone ahead with that. '83 is my favorite period. Love all the out-takes from around then. That time was like a bridge from the clean synth sound of 1999 to the slightly dirty synth/guitar sound of PR.

And technically, wasn't Irresistible Bitch released in '83? So, it's not like it was a totally dry year .

Phantastique said:

and we also got another new song in 1983: "Horny Toad" (B-side of 'Delirious').

DavidEye said:

Ahh, yes! Forgot about that one

Phantastique said:

As much as I would've loved to have been a fan back in the day, if all I had to rely on during 1983 was 'Iressistible Bitch' and 'Horny Toad' I would've gone cuckoo!

onenitealone said:

I was a fan back then....who knew how prolific he would become...so it wasnt a case of being deprivd...like now.

How I understand it, Prince had an album ready to go for 1983 but Warner Bothers wanted to wait for Purple Rain to come out.

DavidEye said:

Morning!
I've often seen positive things written about the song "Moonbeam Levels"... I haven't been able to hear it yet though. (lower lip quiver)

Anyway, does anyone have lyrics of it? ..... is it a love song?

OceanOfViolets said:

http://www.dtt-lyrics.com....html#moon

People often compare it to 'Free', in it's pace/tempo.

doctamario said:

See it in context:

In 1982 he not only released his first double album, but he had also delivered up 'What Time Is It?' and 'Vanity 6'. Following this he embarked on a US tour for 6 months taking in approximately 90 concert dates, and then embarks on a major film project together with recording the soundtrack album, the third Time album (work starting in March 1983) an album for Apollonia 6 (work starting November 1983), and an album's worth of material for Sheila E (recording starting December 1983).
.

langebleu said:

So what you are saying is that he had plenty of time in 1983 to do another album and tour!

Sowhat said:

Yes. P mentions this in his first cover story interview for Rolling Stone. He said this was his follow up to 1999, which was to come out in 83. Warner's told him to hold it so he could build anticipation for the movie.

blackguitaristz said:

That's where I saw it, now I remember. Thanks!

blackguitaristz said:

I'm quite interested in chasing this up. Maybe Prince just had it in his head, or maybe it's just never surfaced?

I mean there can't be many stones before 1996 that have been left unturned by the likes of the Uptown gang. If there really was an album project in 1983, beyond it being in Prince's head, is there any evidence - because I don't think any has surfaced thus far.

doctamario said:

Give an example of this. I can never recall Prince having a popular album out and he releases another album while the previous one is still making noise. The closest to your claim can only be Purple Rain and he released ATWIAD.

NeoSoulScribe said:

Maybe there hasn't been another time like that. But still, it seemed like during 82-96 he was always planning something like 3 CD's a year while touring, writing for other artists, living his life, making a million music vids, etc.

langebleu said:

Exactly. There were a slew of outtakes that were top notch, but I think he did the right thing.

Sowhat said:

I was gonna say... Lazy *****!

MetroArea said:

He also mentioned that another reason this 'missing' album wasn't released was that
he felt it was too similar to 1999. How complete this 1983 album was is unknown
as I've never seen a tracklist or name for it ever confirmed.

blackguitaristz said:

He also mentioned this "lost" album in his 1985 Rolling Stone cover story titled "Prince Speaks"


"I have the follow-up album to 1999.I could put it all together and play it for you,and you would go "Yeah".And I could put it out and it would probably sell what 1999 did.But I always try to do something different and conquer new ground".


Interestingly,in a 1983 article in CREEM magazine,they said (jokingly?) that "Prince was gonna title his next album "Fingerprints" until somebody got it".

ok, so the music was all there, but nothing was released. OK, that's cool.

BorisFishpaw said:

Right. Thank you for replying to my question!

I DO think it was probably just in his head, or in the very early stages of compiling.

I'll go out on a limb and suggest that it was probably an idea that was started before the 1999 tour was taken up, so probably any tracks slated for inclusion might have been 1999 out-takes, Moonbeam Levels for example.

Once the tour began, and he started thinking about Dreams/Purple Rain, the idea was forgotten, and PR is made of newer material (except for just Baby I'm A Star, off the top of my head), so PR didn't evolve from the 1999 follow-up idea, it replaced it.

ALL just speculation of course!