Riddle me this Batman...

So why when WB do a GH package...it only goes up to the Symbol Album?

How did the Ultimate Prince get pulled like it did? I am figuring he had a hand in putting it together...couldn't he have asked them NOT to release on such and such date? (clearly doing it one month after 3121 or before would have been fine...no?)

Also what is P's take on such packages (of course discluding that WB makes some of the profit)?

WHy hasn't he put one out on his own of the post WB days?

Has he ever spoken out about this?

I bet they can't use TMBGITW on any compilations and that's the only hit after the Symbol album. So....

Prince died in 1993, don't you remember?

u2prnce said:

Well, I wasn't talking about hits...per say. Some of the songs that ended up on Ultimate are questionable "hits". GH packages these days can either be a singles package, a really big hits package or "hits"..popular songs that fans would probably like.

The reason can't be because they don't get one song.

PANDURITO said:

yeah, what's up with that. he's turning into a regular Tupac
releasing all this material after his death.

it must be a conspiracy

If I recall, around the time Ultimate was still slated for it's original release - the subject was raised on here, and the idea (fact if it's true and someone can verify) that Warners are only allowed to put stuff on a compilation/best of from releases upto and including

Even if this isn't true, well, there's really nothing from 93-96, from a commercial point of view, that would be worth adding to such a compilation, especially in place of something from earlier on (save for Gold perhaps) - So it's quite understandable.

superspaceboy said:

I'm not sure, but there were a lot of contactual re-negotiations after the Symbol album, it maybe that part of that inhibited Warners from re-using tracks on those later albums - that and there weren't many bone fide hits during the last few albums for Warners.

I'm not entirely convinced it was merely the clash of dates that made Prince (I would assume 'force' rather than 'ask) stop the release of Ultimate. I have a feeling he just went cold on the whole project, but then again, maybe he told them it would be better to put it out in the summer when he was touring (if he tours and if it ever does come out again...).

When The Very Best Of was released he basically told fans not to buy it, so clearly he's not keen on hits packages (though Uptown's The Vault actually says he was thinking of contributing some tracks to it at one point, but he and Warners couldn't agree a deal). Certainly he would still get money from such releases via artist and writer royalties.

Since he left Warner's he's had even fewer hits, so a 'best of' package is unlikely - though a re-introduction of some of the internet only songs to the wider public would be kind of cool. I get the impression Prince doesn't like looking back - in interviews he always focus's on the new material rather than the old.

Its a hits package, aimed squarely at non fans and casual listeners of Prince songs. What u may want is a Prince fan pleasers albums. Still u think a couple of his more accessible later tracks like Peach, Space, Cinnamon girl, Musicology, I hate u or Betcha By Golly wow could have been included

tane1976 said:

Musicology/Cinnamon Girl and Betcha By Golly were on different record company labels from his earlier Warner's work - since Warners apart from his independent releases Prince has been on 4 other record labels, which in itself makes it tricky to get all the permissions for a best of for that period.

metalorange said:

I suppose so, he didnt really have any real hits on his last Warners albums, Come TGE and C&D but still some of the accessible poppy sounding songs could have been on these. Eye Hate U and Dinner with Delores or Space and Letitgo 4 instance?

The most beautiful girl in the world was number 1 and it not on any greatest hits package.

Yes, but many of the songs on "The Hits" were not actually bonafied hits. Singles? Yes. Hits? No.

zennabell said:

That's because The Most Beautiful Girl was an independant release that Warners allowed Prince to put out - in essence, they can't use it. Prince reluctantly put a version on The Gold Experience at Warners request, but he still has ownership. Prince could let them use it if he wanted, but I guess he doesn't.