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Reply #30 posted 08/05/05 7:49am

Neversin

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calldapplwondery83 said:

That's really interesting. Did he really re-record them from scratch? That must have taken ages. I just cannot see him have the patience for that. Or how much would he have to alter the originals to make them re-recordings?

Listen to the "Purple Medley" (it consists of his re-recorded material...)

Neversin.
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Reply #31 posted 08/05/05 7:51am

Neversin

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BorisFishpaw said:

Outtakes are not covered in WB's contract, so they have no power to release
them. Prince can do so if he wishes, he just chooses not to.

Outtakes are never covered in any contract, it's about what's being recorded on THEIR STUDIO TIME...

Any alternate version of, say, "Purple Rain", the long version of "Computer Blue" for instance, are under the ownership of WB and they are allowed to release that whenever they want, Prince on the other hand can't release that without WB's permission...
WB owns every demo and alternate version (longer versions, edits etc.) to everything Prince released on WB...
One off releases on soundtracks ("Good Love") are the only exception, since they abide to a different contract...

Neversin.
[Edited 8/5/05 8:19am]
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Reply #32 posted 08/05/05 10:38am

Susann209

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So Boris, how long ago was this rerecording done?
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Reply #33 posted 08/05/05 10:46am

Abrazo

squirrelgrease said:

From what I've read, Prince and WB have to both come to agreement terms in order for any remastered CDs to come out. In other words, both sides have loopholes in their contracts and a stalemate has occured.

nod

That's most likely the reason why no remasters are released. Can't be 100% sure tho'.
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Reply #34 posted 08/05/05 10:46am

Abrazo

BorisFishpaw said:

OK, let's clear things up as this question keeps popping up all the time.

The person stopping Prince's back catalogue from being remastered is... Prince.
WB would actually quite like to remaster them, and sell all those old albums to
us all again (obviously), but they can't unless they have Prince's permission.
WB can only continue to produce copies of Prince's albums in the form that
they were originally agreed upon and released, they cannot make any changes
to the musical content or packaging (though there may be some leeway with the
packaging) without Prince's consent.

Outtakes are not covered in WB's contract, so they have no power to release
them. Prince can do so if he wishes, he just chooses not to.

Prince obviously cannot remaster his WB back catalogue and release them
independantly as this would violate his contract. He can however re-record
any of the tracks on his WB albums and release them if he wishes as they
would not be the actual recordings under contract to WB.

So the whole situation is actually a stalemate, with the lynchpin being
Prince himself.



nod
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Reply #35 posted 08/05/05 10:52am

Abrazo

Neversin said:

squirrelgrease said:

Fuck. So does Warners have the right to remaster Prince's/WB's CDs? Or can they only release to consumers the current mixes/masters?

AFAIK (unless they struck a deal) WB can do whatever they want with them, problem is is that Prince has the mastertapes...
So if we're getting remasters WB has to raid Prince's vault or do releases a la "Girl 6" by improving the tapes Prince provided back then for release and release those instead of real remasters (improved vocal track, guitar track etc.) from the mastertapes...

Neversin.

Nope, I don't think that's true nor correct. Even if Prince had the original master tapes (which I don't believe he has but that besides) he still wouldn't have THE RIGHTS to reproduce and (re) release these tapes, since WB has THOSE rights. WB on the other hand doesn't have the rights to reproduce and release DIGITAL REMASTERS of the original tapes, because that most likely wasn't covered by their contract, since at the time of signing those deals digital remasters didn't exist and therefore couldn't be covered by the contract.

This would only be different if Prince had TRULY made his albums under a "work for hire"contract. However producing a CD at the time did not and also now does not fall under the "work for hire" clause of the US Copyright Act. WB would like that of course, but it doesn't.
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Reply #36 posted 08/05/05 11:42am

funkylust

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Well I hope he has digitally remastered and re recorded the catalogue...I would hate to think the masters are deteriorating! In the hope we will get them one day!
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(you squeeze your balls?) no that's not it...
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Reply #37 posted 08/05/05 4:14pm

BorisFishpaw

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funkylust said:

Well I hope he has digitally remastered and re recorded the catalogue...I would hate to think the masters are deteriorating! In the hope we will get them one day!


Well the last I heard, the masters were indeed deteriorating and Prince didn't
seem interested in doing anything about it. That may have changed, but somehow
I doubt it.
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Reply #38 posted 08/05/05 7:43pm

funkylust

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BorisFishpaw said:

funkylust said:

Well I hope he has digitally remastered and re recorded the catalogue...I would hate to think the masters are deteriorating! In the hope we will get them one day!


Well the last I heard, the masters were indeed deteriorating and Prince didn't
seem interested in doing anything about it. That may have changed, but somehow
I doubt it.



NO!!!!!
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The feeling you get when...

(you squeeze your balls?) no that's not it...
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Reply #39 posted 08/06/05 1:00am

doctamario

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Probably considers all his pre-JW music too sinful to remaster and rerelease.
Don't hurt me, I'm a newb. I'm supposed to be stupid.
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Reply #40 posted 08/06/05 2:52am

calldapplwonde
ry83

Neversin said:

calldapplwondery83 said:

That's really interesting. Did he really re-record them from scratch? That must have taken ages. I just cannot see him have the patience for that. Or how much would he have to alter the originals to make them re-recordings?

Listen to the "Purple Medley" (it consists of his re-recorded material...)

Neversin.



I don't have that one here right now, but still cannot see him do this for his ENTIRE back catalogue. We know how quickly he moves on from new projects because he's bored with it and then he re-records music that he did almost 20 years ago? Even "Baby" from "For You"?
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Reply #41 posted 08/06/05 2:57am

calldapplwonde
ry83

Neversin said:


After reading some contracts this week I can say that since Prince's back catalog AND UNRELEASED DEMO'S, OUTTAKES AND ALTERNATE VERSIONS RECORDED ON WB STUDIO TIME (haven't got a clue which ones or how many those are, could be all of 'em or just a part or even none...) are NOT set to be returned to him
Neversin.


So maybe they don't have the rights to those at all? If he paid the studio time himself? IIRC, he said that ever since his 3rd album he recorded in his own studios (maybe also meaning with his own money). Dirty Mind was done in his home studio, hence the outtakes/alternate versions weren't recorded on WB studio time. Same with anything recorded in Paisley Park.
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Reply #42 posted 08/06/05 7:41am

Neversin

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Abrazo said:

WB on the other hand doesn't have the rights to reproduce and release DIGITAL REMASTERS of the original tapes, because that most likely wasn't covered by their contract, since at the time of signing those deals digital remasters didn't exist and therefore couldn't be covered by the contract.

Good point, hadn't thought of that...

This would only be different if Prince had TRULY made his albums under a "work for hire"contract.

Which to my knowledge he did...

However producing a CD at the time did not and also now does not fall under the "work for hire" clause of the US Copyright Act. WB would like that of course, but it doesn't.

But the sound recordings he did do fall under the "work-for-hire" clause...

Neversin.
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Reply #43 posted 08/06/05 7:44am

Neversin

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calldapplwondery83 said:

So maybe they don't have the rights to those at all? If he paid the studio time himself?

That's just for the outtakes then...
Demo's and alternate versions of RELEASED MATERIAL ON WB's are all WB's, Prince is not allowed to release those whatsoever...

Neversin.
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