Hi All

New to this site so don't know if this topic has been debated. Does anyone think that Prince (or the old record company) would ever consider remastering his back catalogue? Seems to be done a lot nowadays with extra/rare tracks etc , new packaging.

Strange what you think of, but i was listening to Parade and thought what about.....

Just thought it would be amazing to have each LP remastered in a 2 CD set with picture booklets- one CD the original album and then a second CD of 12" mixes, remixes, live tracks from that era.

Would love to hear Parade (my personal fave, but would love to hear them all) digitally remastered with an extra CD with the 12" versions of Kiss, Mountains (OH YES!!!!), ALHIYH and b-sides plus outakes such as
"In all My Dreams"- have a very used bootleg version!! and more.

Just a thought

Mark

Welcome to org and beware

Anywho - This comes up often. It would seem Prince doesn't like going backwards musically to do that kind of stuff. It would also mean he would be making more money for Warner Bros.

I think your wishlist is common around here.

it has been 'rumored" that he remastered his back catalogues. but, i guess we will never know until the man himself either "speaks" or "releases"

He needs to do this!! Some of those albums are so low.

Prince actually said in a TV interview I saw in 04 that he felt the older albums need to be remastered, but it's Warners masters,so He needs their permission, which he indicated was not given at that point.He also indicated that "if they could be persuaded"he would be more than happy to have it done.With all the crap he gave them about the tapes, it seems their pulling a power trip,in which the fans suffer the most(again).

Prince is one of several high-profile artists in desperate need of remastering. Neil Young & The Beatles also come to mind. I'm sure it will happen eventually.... whether he includes stuff from the vault, especially in light of his religious conversion, we'll have to see...

Somehow I doubt that "Electric Intercourse" is going to get the OK from the "new & improved" Prince the Virtuous.

I have long thought that SOTT deserves a remaster. Incredible album. Terrible mastering.

515073 said:

Can you remember which interview this was? I can't recall any interview where he spoke in such detail about the subject.

It is largely considered that the hold-up with any remastered packages is Prince himself. Warners would surely love to remaster his old albums because of the money they would make for basically old rope, but they need Prince's permission to do this which does not seem to have been forthcoming. Prince would also make money from the royalties, but since he basically wants the publishing rights for his masters returned to him entirely, and Warners don't want to do that, he is not inclined to help them out with the permission required. Also there is a theory that Prince would rather attention be focused on his future work rather than looking back.

The Ultimate collection was the first time Prince gave permission for tracks to be remastered, but even that project was soured with a last minute block on the release which led to it being delayed for 6 months.

Sometime in the late 90s Prince re-recorded his entire back-catalogue, at least there is some evidence of this, with the idea of re-releasing his albums as 'new masters' and bypassing Warners altogether, but in the end the material was never released.

metalorange said:

I would be interested in knowing too. 2004 would have been during musicology, and I don't recall anything talking about his remasters. The most he talked about in 2004 interviews was about how he had already pushed the envelope and, real musicians playing real music.

I think sometimes Prince doesnt want to be entirely clear on things to make us do the work (no pun) and learn for ourselves.

But there are certain things we cannot
find out about unless either party divulges their cards. So no one is privy
to important info that could be hepfull
to up and coming artists or business students.

How awesome would it be if he did a Q & A
session for real people.

Rev said:

Oh please, stop believing the BS Prince peddles in interviews. He knows damn well that he stopped making good/relevant musio a decade ago, and that his 1980s music will be his legacy, not his post-1995 crapfest. He barely promotes his latest album on his tours, why do you think that is?

BartVanHemelen said:

I'm sure you're right he knows his earlier music is an important legacy, but he certainly doesn't seem that interested in doing anything with it until he has complete control.

I can't agree he has 'barely' promoted his recent albums - Musicology was promoted via various tv performances and a titled tour during which he did in fact play several songs from the album. 3121 has not been promoted as heavily as it could have been but he still chose to play half the album on various tv shows, as for a tour he has not done a solo one to go with the album yet, but even so he has been playing various songs from the album including naming his whole night-club project after it. I hardly think all that falls under the definition of 'barely'.

BartVanHemelen said:

1995 now? You couldn't say much nice about Gold back in the 90's and you were all about Sign o the Times.

I do wish he would focus on an album on the next tour. ala One Night Alone with Rainbow Children. Before that, when is that last time he did that??? Gold Tour?
[Edited 12/29/06 7:54am]

YES we need remastered albums!

WB would agree if Prince agreed. I would love steve hoffman to master the albums or maybe bernie grundman who mastered the lps in the 80's.

Ultimate is slightly compressed but sound great compared to the orginals especially the first disc. WB did that using tape copies and not the actual master tapes; although there is no remaster credit on album.