How many were there? I know of 3. The limited edition gold box, the pressing with the symbol on the case, and the pressing with the symbol on the booklet. How rare is the gold box?

I don't think it was all that rare - I sold mine, and in fact I saw many in a used record store near my old house.

I've seen all 3 over the years, in different places. I'd like to have the gold box one again. I never had the wooden boxed one, but it'd be fun to have.

I'd still like to have my first bootleg set, Prince In Rock. I remember buying that, and just wondering where all this stuff came from. It was so random, but so great. It was about 1994 and I was just getting into bootleg videos (Sacrifice of Victor, Glam Slam birthday, Beautiful Experience, etc) and CDs. My first boot was Black Album in 1987 in the Navy. Someone gave me a cassette copy. It was hissy, but I loved it.

DieLon said:

I don't know but I kept the outside when I pawned the inside. I have the music., just not the inside of that gold pressing.

Isn't there a censored version too?

I have the Gold box, it was pretty common at the time, so I don't think it's that rare. Nice though.

NouveauDance said:

Yes. The censored one was given out as promos and sold alongside the explicit one at retail. This had the Symbol silkscreened on the case and featured no Parental Warning logo artwork on the booklet.

ernestsewell said:

I always assumed that these wooden box sets were unauthorized.





But I understood the Diamonds And Pearls paisley box to be legit.

I have the gold box...bought it a year after it was released,for very cheap too.

squirrelgrease said:

U're right: they ARE unauthorized: (both: Diamonds & Pearls AND the Symbol Album)
because the wooden boxes are made by someone else and this person just put legit CD's inside...


btw.: the same 'problem' is also with the Exodus CD in this metal tin with the hologram (sticker)...
This is also 'fanmade'! O.K. The 'fan' was an employee by edel germany but he tinker this together in private! = unauthorized (= fake)

Wasn't there a wooden box with JUST the album in it, and not the "Sexy MF" single?

macbos said:

Gotcha. Thanks for the insight.

ernestsewell said:

Haven't seen that one.

Personally i dont care 4 all the packaging as most of it`s naff & cheap looking.However i would love 2 hear how the album sounded with Rosie`s vocals all over it.Ever since i read that when she left the NPG he erased her entire input from the set it always sounded `hollow` 2 me.
That is what he should be putting on the Lotusflow3r site that would keep the diehards happy & the rest would come flocking!!

Wave Ur Wild Sign High U`all.

I remember seeing the Paisley park , d&p box in a record store,it is official!

bought the gold box about a year or two after it was released as a cut-out.

purpleparty3000 said:

I've seen them in "official" stores too, but they are unauthorised..

I think they are both great items though!

purpleparty3000 said:

It's not. I've seen all of them in stores, but that doesn't mean it's official or authorized. And that one isn't.

There's also the promo version - packaged in the ltd gold box, but the CD inside has a picture of Prince and the band on it, rather than the purple with gold symbols.

I know it's not a CD but I really like the Mexican picture disc:

purpleparty3000 said:

I remember that i've seen in the early 90's a

Nude (Tokyo) CD,
the Black Album Bootleg and
a version of the Crucial CD
in official stores...

= they are official?

No: all three are illegal bootlegs and pretty quick removed out from the stores...

ernestsewell said:

yes, and it contains a big metal
[Edited 5/3/09 5:18am]

well they are really posh cd cases. i love the pretty paisley droplet