posted on npgmc by mods:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

PRINCE’S UNIVERSAL RECORDS DEBUT 3121, IN-STORES MARCH 21st
Sizzling New Single And Video, “Black Sweat,”
Kicks Off New Release In Classic Prince Style

(New York, NY, February 14, 2006) -- In what is sure to be one of the seminal music events of the year, Prince will release is Universal Records album debut, 3121, on March 21st. The much anticipated disc is being hailed as ‘classic’ Prince, the multi-talented superstar’s first studio album since 2004’s acclaimed album Musicology, and features the songs “Te Amo Corazon” (I Love You Sweetheart), “Beautiful, Loved & Blessed”, featuring rising R&B ingénue Tamar, and Prince’s newly released single, “Black Sweat,” the video of which has been embraced by MTV, VH1, and BET, among other outlets. The sultry black and white clip recently premiered on both MTV’s signature daily countdown show TRL and BET’s highly rated music program 106 and Park. “This is a return to vintage Prince,” stated BET’s Stephen Hill, Executive Vice President for Music and Entertainment programming for the innovative network. “BET viewers, both longtime fans of Prince new admirers are primed for this video, the perfect showcase for a true national treasure once again delivering like no other artist can.”

The video for “Black Sweat,” helmed by groundbreaking Moroccan director Sanaa Hamri (Mariah Carey, Lenny Kravitz, Seal) scores as a strutting, minimalist counter-punch to the lush exoticism of Prince’s first single, the ballad “Te Amo Corazon,” (also greeted with open arms this past December, simultaneously premiering across all of VH1’s platforms; TV, broadband and wireless), and directed by award winning actress Selma Hayek. Prince recently previewed another gem from his new repertoire of songs, the guitar-tinged “Fury,” the first major promotional appearance in support of the album which he performed on NBC’s Saturday Night Live on February 4th. It was the first time Prince appeared on the long running comedy show in 25 years, garnering the highest ratings for SNL since 2004.

As anticipation for 3121 builds throughout the entertainment industry, Prince is providing a bonus surprise for fans that purchase the album beginning March 21st. Billed as the ‘Purple Ticket Capmaign,’ a limited number of purple tickets will be included in specially selected albums, entitling the lucky purchaser to attend what is being hailed as An Evening With Prince – A Private Performance At Prince’s House. Digital tickets can also be won through Apple’s iTunes online music store.

Prince’s ascension to the top of the pop world has been both meteoric and enduring, inducted to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2004, his most recent release, Musicology, rose to the Top 5 of the album charts, netting the singer/songwriter two Grammy nominations, capping a three-decade reign in which he is generally regarded as one of the most acclaimed and influential musical artists of the 20th century. The Minnesota native’s career literally exploded in 1984 with the world-changing dual phenomenon of Purple Rain (the movie broke box office records, the Grammy nominated album sole more than 11 million copies an spent 24 weeks at #1) making Prince one of the few triple threats in history to simultaneously land the #1 single, album, and movie. A series of genre defying albums – from 1985’s Around The World In A Day, to 1987’s prophetic A Sign Of The Times, to 1989’s Batman soundtrack to 1991’s Diamond And Pearls indelibly cemented his reputation as a fearless pursuer of the musical stratosphere.

With more than 60 million records sold, Prince launched his web-centric NPG Records in the early ‘90s, pioneering direct sales and value-added content that would become the artist-driven online entrepreneurial model artists and internet gurus would be flocking to by the end of the decade. More groundbreaking albums followed, with Prince himself stewarding their marketing and promotion, with major imprints such as EMI, Arista and Columbia forming temporary but fruitful relationships with the visionary artist.

Prince also launched one of the most successful tours in music history in 2004 (Pollstar Magazine crowned him top concert draw for the year), as well as winning a NAACP Image Award, and being honored by Rolling Stone magazine in a special issue which named Prince #5 on the Top Pop Artists of the Past 25 Years. Most recently, the tireless singer/songwriter was inspired to write two songs to benefit Hurricane Katrina victims, “S.S.T.”, and “Brand New Orleans,” both of which are available on www.NPGMusicClub.com.

via Universal

Thanks.

2

Hot Damn!! Looks like confirmation of the "purple tickets" to me!!

It LITERALLY exploded??? How does a career explode in the literal sense?

JediMaster said:

About time someone finally said something about the tickets. Let the search begin come March 21.

Anybody notice how they misspelled "campaign" with "capmaign"?

I thought that was pretty funny.

UndercovaBrotha said:

I LITERALLY exploded with laughter when I read that. My guts are all over the walls.

JediMaster said:

*walks through the thread...slips on one of your large intestines*

txladykat said:

OMG it's official!?



But, will any be placed in albums distributed outside of the U.S.?? Guess we have to play via iTunes!

Funny, for a long time Prince wouldn't release anything on iTunes...now THIS!?
[Edited 2/16/06 14:07pm]

CandaceS said:

You know, he may very well have control of what is released, and not the how. That part may be up to Universal to decide HOW it gets released. Just a thought.

new responses from paisley mods:

the tix will be global, and they are working up something "special" for npgmc members

txladykat said:

Yes...members get either: a) one of those O)+> tamborines, or b) some Get Wild perfume....

txladykat said:

Beware this man:



[Edited 2/16/06 16:10pm]

get wild perfume..hehe....isnt that shit starting to seperate in the bottle by now?

KingSausage said:

1nonly said:

I see your point...but Prince put SST on iTunes well before he was involved with Universal...guess he just finally realized he couldn't afford to ignore it anymore.

JediMaster said:

Fuck, that's funny.