I would like to buy the 5 cd set Crystal Ball from the NPG Music Club but I would like to know one thing first. I emailed the Got Questions address at the club itself and I never heard back. I have seen the set for sale on Ebay and it was in its origional state and by that I mean it was in an orb type arrangement that was see through and appearded to have no artwork/liner notes at all. But when I looked at one for sale at Amazom it had artwork and was in the traditional (square cover) cd type of arrangement. So what I would like to know is that if I buy it from the NPG Music Club, which one will I get, the orb and no artwork or the one like they have at Amazon?.

Help is here....

1. The original 5 cd set in the orb...had no art work
[i got 1st print without art work]

2. The original 5 cd set in the orb...With art work
not sure how long after mabye 1/2 year later...they included the art work

3. The [4] cd set [traditional square cover] with out Kamasutra
was sold in stores

one funny thing, is about a year or more later the 4 & 5 cd sold around the same price $50.00

The one I got from NPG (1-800-NEW-FUNK) when it first came out was the "orb" one with no artwork. A few months later I saw the square one at Best Buy and it looked like it had artwork (at least a cover). I felt a little funky because I had to get a copy of the songs from SamGoody so I would know what’s on which disc. I do believe that the one from NPG has an extra disc than the one from the store (square cover), at least that is how it worked when it first came out. I believe the extra disc I got was either "The Truth" or "Karmasutra" (Both came with my set but one was considered extra).

OH YEAH - I also got a free T-shirt with mine...probably because I received it like a year later after I placed the order (not as late as others but it was later than told in the media).

I hope this helps

Peace PRIME

U know when the cds 1st came out....
i allso seen the 4 cd set sold in the orbs...at TowerRecords
But i cant remember if it had art work.....[but i dont think it did]

I also got the t shirt...The 4 cd set in stores had the truth cd
The cds were available in stores be4 any 1 who orderd got theres
That the reason we got free T shirts....

Edit : check this link for some more help
http://www.prince.org/msg...sg_3677505
[Edited 6/30/06 20:41pm]

mplsmike said:

OH YEAH ... I do remember seeing them in the stores shortly b4 we got ours and people over the web was trippin'. We should have gotten another "cyrstal ball" cd not the other stuff.

What did your t-shirt have on it? I think mine was from TGE era...he was wearing a big a$$ hat with a rose on it. That sucka went right into my box of NPG collection.

prime said:

And was never shown to anyone.

prime said:

Mine had him with some kind of vale looking? on...
On 1 Arm it say Sex...the other side Love
The back has a big symbol and say liberty

I just pulled mine out..still have it in bag ..i never wore it..

mplsmike said:

You know that I might have gotten the same...I remember it saying something like Liberty and Sex...from Emancipation. I think the photo I was thinking of was on back of the new 1-800-NEW FUNK catolog/poster they sent when everything was still open.

the front has him standing straight face front, about from the waist up
one side of him is like a blue negative / the other half is normal color
ohhh.its printed on a hanes t shirt
Edit : I still have my new 1-800-NEW FUNK catolog [1st edition i think]
[Edited 6/30/06 20:59pm]

mplsmike said:

If, by "artwork", you're referring to the little blurbs about each song in that booklet, then yes, it was in the 4-cd orb. I have that one.

There use to be a website that gave all of the info... crystal ball.com or something?

xpsiter said:

i knew i seen the 4 cd set in the orbs

prime said:

Bang..... http://www.crystalballcd.com/

The have the covers for the orbs / square cds

The CDs are not available to buy from the club, only the downloads, and there is no artwork included..? Best to go to the link mplsmike supplied, this artwork was put online later after the initial release.

The set was initially only for order over the net - Prince was only going to send it out when there were 100,000 guaranteed orders. In the end, a set appeared in stores before the internet ordered ones were sent out - which put a lot of fans out as in some cases it was cheaper instore. However the one in stores was a square box with the 3 Crystal Ball CDs plus The Truth 4th disc and artwork brochure. The transparent film-can version sent out to internet orders had no artwork at all, but included the extra 5th disc Kama Sutra (an instrumental orchestrated music album that many think is very boring).

To try and make up for the mess, T-shirts were also sent out (mine said 'Eye Love Safe Sex' as it happens) also free cassettes of The War single.

Thank you all for your input, but I am really hoping to hear from someone that has bought it from the club and fairly recently too.

kjm said:

As I said, as far as I know the physical CDs version is not available from the club, only the downloads - Windows Media Audio files which need a license file to play on your computer. You can burn them to disc, however. I have heard they are in the original form, ie cursing and all.

metalorange said:

wow i thought this was a rumor..your the 1st person i know who reseved it

the sight used to have a on line booklet {on line only web page}
info/dates on tracks...check this link but im not sure if all the links work..but have a look ; )

http://web.archive.org/we...rames.html

My mistake, I thought you were able to buy the cd in the physical form.
I will send them another email and hopefully hear back from them this time. What about the ones for sale at Amazon, has anyone here bought one of theirs because they at least have a cover and I have seen somewhere( I cannot remember where) a cover for The Truth that was all black apart from a picture of a lady.

mplsmike said:

Having placed an online order about 12 months before its eventual release, I received it together with:

"Love, Sex, Liberty" T-shirt
"The War" - cassette
"Emancipation" - lyric booklet

.
[Edited 7/1/06 1:56am]

kjm said:

A lady?

The CD single for 'The Truth' is of an angel:




There was also a planned release for The Truth album which was likely to feature Prince on both the front and back cover.

The planned back cover image is in the gallery here:



Can't see the planned front cover image in the gallery, but that's possibly what you are referring to. Princ's face - dark background

.
[Edited 7/1/06 2:06am]

langebleu said:

I placed my order 8 months in adavance.

THAT is the lady I was talking about
Never knew what it was though

mplsmike said:

You know...I think I received the same "gifts." I was mad because I already bought the lyric book in '96.

kjm said:

Since the NPGMC is now on 'hiatus' you may want to look elsewhere, especially if you are interested in having the physical cds. I bought mine from www.secondspin.com last year--it was reasonably priced and in great condition. It was the 4 disc set in the clear 'orb' with the booklet/liner notes. The four discs were: Crystal Ball 1, 2 & 3, and The Truth. Later I downloaded Kamasutra from NPGMC.

Good luck!

mplsmike said:

I also ordered it through 1800 etc- and half a year or so after getting the 5 cd orb I got a cassette with "The War"

There are some great songs on it (and some fillers), but well worth getting. I don't know if I would download it though...better buy a "real" copy

Krid said:

Hmmm...?.....You know what...I still remember when i 1st got my Cds...
....When the box arived it was partly open...i had to sign 4 it..but be 4 i did,
I looked inside.....the Cd's were fine....and there was a free t shirt....so i never thought any thing about it.....
Now i know what happen...either it fell out...or was stolen
this sucks.....thanks 4 filling me in

Edit....So u didnt get the shirt or did U?
[Edited 7/7/06 1:25am]