[Edited 5/30/10 17:00pm]

http://www.theblackalbum.info/ This is the website link for anyone who wants it.

The Black Album was legitimately released by Warner Bros. Records in November 1994—again, containing only a track listing and a new catalog number (45793) printed onto the disc itself, the copyright date of 1994 (with the exception of "When 2 R in Love," which was released in 1988 on Lovesexy), and only legal copy appearing on the spine. It was released in a strictly limited edition and deleted by Warner Bros. the following January.

ernestsewell said:

The Black Album was legitimately released by Warner Bros. Records in November 1994—again, containing only a track listing and a new catalog number (45793) printed onto the disc itself, the copyright date of 1994 (with the exception of "When 2 R in Love," which was released in 1988 on Lovesexy), and only legal copy appearing on the spine. It was released in a strictly limited edition and deleted by Warner Bros. the following January.

Thanks for the info Ernest, but have you any idea of the actual amount of copies that were pressed?

Or is that something that only WB would know?

I vaguely seem to remember it was 500,000. Certainly could be wrong though.

sro100 said:

I vaguely seem to remember it was 500,000. Certainly could be wrong though.

I recall it being 500k as well.

I'd have to lean to the 500K number as well. I can't imagine them pressing more than that in only a 3 month period.

ernestsewell said:

I'd have to lean to the 500K number as well. I can't imagine them pressing more than that in only a 3 month period.

i also remember it being 500k, and im assuming that is worldwide since it scanned about 250k in the US.

does anyone have any idea or an educated guess of how many of the 500k were issued on vinyl?

thanks

http://www.ukmix.org/forums/viewtopic.php?t=34161

"The Black Album" ('94)

RIAA = none ; SS = 261k ;
Int sales : Japan = 59k ;
Estimated sales : 275k in US and 300k overseas = 575k globally.

It stands to reason that since only 400,000 copies were pressed and (almost all) destroyed in 1987, a substantially smaller amount was manufactured for each continent in 1994. This and the fact* that sales of The Black Album were given a time limit before being pulled from shelves in 1995 means an oddball number of CDs would be counted instead of a normal full first edition pressing, as part of that unsold pressing was again destroyed.

*To my knowledge.

Thanks Everyone.

My CD's a bit worn now I have it on vinyl but I've never played it.

I still have mine on cassette tape, vynl and CD. Believe it or not, I like the sound of it on wax and on tape. The CD just sounds "too clean".

I bought 2 the night before it's release at the NPG store in Mpls. One still remains sealed to this day without a price tag or sticker!

soulyacolia said:

I recently bought a brand new CD of the Black Album. A guy who runs a local record shop found some in a warehouse so copys still surface. The new one went into the Prince storage cupboard and I continue to play my older slightly more worn copy.

That always a cool find. It's nice to know someone at that warehouse didn't chuck them. I find them used very rarely at the record store bins. I want to find a gold stamped promo CD on the cheap - I passed on these when the CD was released in 1994 now they seem to be pretty hard to find. Actually, the regular version almost never shows up used. Peeps are obviously keeping their copies.

The OOP CDs that I see most often at wrekka stowes are:

1) Emancipation (Clean)

2) Emancipation (Parental Advisory)

3) Newpower Soul

4) The Gold Experience

5) NEWS (NOS)

6) The Vault - Old Friends 4 Sale*

7) Chaos And Disorder*

8) Crystal Ball (4-disc Petri Dish and Jewel Case versions)

9) Girl 6

10) Exodus

*Assumed OOP

squirrelgrease said:

That always a cool find. It's nice to know someone at that warehouse didn't chuck them. I find them used very rarely at the record store bins. I want to find a gold stamped promo CD on the cheap - I passed on these when the CD was released in 1994 now they seem to be pretty hard to find. Actually, the regular version almost never shows up used. Peeps are obviously keeping their copies.

The OOP CDs that I see most often at wrekka stowes are:

1) Emancipation (Clean)

2) Emancipation (Parental Advisory)

3) Newpower Soul

4) The Gold Experience

5) NEWS (NOS)

6) The Vault - Old Friends 4 Sale*

7) Chaos And Disorder*

8) Crystal Ball (4-disc Petri Dish and Jewel Case versions)

9) Girl 6

10) Exodus

*Assumed OOP

I find Emancipation for $4.99 all the time, new or used. I see the Petri dish CB a lot too in used bins. I need to pick one up. I see Vault and NEWS a lot too. The others are far less readily available.

ernestsewell said:

squirrelgrease said:

That always a cool find. It's nice to know someone at that warehouse didn't chuck them. I find them used very rarely at the record store bins. I want to find a gold stamped promo CD on the cheap - I passed on these when the CD was released in 1994 now they seem to be pretty hard to find. Actually, the regular version almost never shows up used. Peeps are obviously keeping their copies.

The OOP CDs that I see most often at wrekka stowes are:

1) Emancipation (Clean)

2) Emancipation (Parental Advisory)

3) Newpower Soul

4) The Gold Experience

5) NEWS (NOS)

6) The Vault - Old Friends 4 Sale*

7) Chaos And Disorder*

8) Crystal Ball (4-disc Petri Dish and Jewel Case versions)

9) Girl 6

10) Exodus

*Assumed OOP

I find Emancipation for $4.99 all the time, new or used. I see the Petri dish CB a lot too in used bins. I need to pick one up. I see Vault and NEWS a lot too. The others are far less readily available.

Wow. I haven't seen a sealed copy of Emancipation for years. That's interesting.

MikeyB71 said:

On my officially released cd copy of The Black Album, the sticker on the front cover says 'Limited Edition'. A website dedicated to the Black Album (theblackalbum.info) has this piece of info regarding the official release....... "November 22, 1994, The Black Album is officially released to the world but for a limited time". Does anyone know how how many copies were pressed? I cannot seem to find this info. I think it was deleted in January 1995. Seeing as it is now out of print, just how limited was its production? Thanks in advance.

[Edited 5/30/10 17:00pm]

its all marketing. if something says limited people will buy it. when the rainbow children came out, it said "the controversial new album by prince." really???? controversial to whom?

don't kill yourself looking for an answer that doesn't really exist.

I have the white promo 12" and the regular vinyl, but I've actually kicked myself a couple times for not picking it up on cd. I see it used fairly often, but running into a sealed copy would be nice.

MikeyB71 said:

On my officially released cd copy of The Black Album, the sticker on the front cover says 'Limited Edition'. A website dedicated to the Black Album (theblackalbum.info) has this piece of info regarding the official release....... "November 22, 1994, The Black Album is officially released to the world but for a limited time". Does anyone know how how many copies were pressed? I cannot seem to find this info. I think it was deleted in January 1995. Seeing as it is now out of print, just how limited was its production? Thanks in advance.

[Edited 5/30/10 17:00pm]

I still have my copy of the Black Album on vinyl...

blueautumn said:

I bought 2 the night before it's release at the NPG store in Mpls. One still remains sealed to this day without a price tag or sticker!

I'm sorry....THE NPG STORE IN MPLS? Was Prince manning the counter? But seriously, what is this and does it still exsist?

the Black Album is great! i dont see why Prince decided not to release it

MikeyB71 said:

On my officially released cd copy of The Black Album, the sticker on the front cover says 'Limited Edition'. A website dedicated to the Black Album (theblackalbum.info) has this piece of info regarding the official release....... "November 22, 1994, The Black Album is officially released to the world but for a limited time". Does anyone know how how many copies were pressed? I cannot seem to find this info. I think it was deleted in January 1995. Seeing as it is now out of print, just how limited was its production? Thanks in advance.

[Edited 5/30/10 17:00pm]

Great album.

VinnyM27 said:

blueautumn said:

I bought 2 the night before it's release at the NPG store in Mpls. One still remains sealed to this day without a price tag or sticker!

I'm sorry....THE NPG STORE IN MPLS? Was Prince manning the counter? But seriously, what is this and does it still exsist?

Prince had NPG Stores in the early-mid 90s at various locations. There was one in Uptown Minneapolis and one at the Mall Of America in Minnesota. Another one was located in London, UK.

The Mall Of America store was open for a very short period and the other stores closed after a handful of years. They were very cool, especially the Uptown location. A replica Thunderbird from the Lovesexy tour was sunken into the floor and you could sit in it and listen to Prince music. They were also only the places that sold certain products off the shelf, such as the 16-track Goldnigga and the 2gether EP. They previewed the New Power Trio Undertaker movie at the Uptown store as well.

squirrelgrease said:

soulyacolia said:

I recently bought a brand new CD of the Black Album. A guy who runs a local record shop found some in a warehouse so copys still surface. The new one went into the Prince storage cupboard and I continue to play my older slightly more worn copy.

That always a cool find. It's nice to know someone at that warehouse didn't chuck them. I find them used very rarely at the record store bins. I want to find a gold stamped promo CD on the cheap - I passed on these when the CD was released in 1994 now they seem to be pretty hard to find. Actually, the regular version almost never shows up used. Peeps are obviously keeping their copies.

The OOP CDs that I see most often at wrekka stowes are:

1) Emancipation (Clean)

2) Emancipation (Parental Advisory)

3) Newpower Soul

4) The Gold Experience

5) NEWS (NOS)

6) The Vault - Old Friends 4 Sale*

7) Chaos And Disorder*

8) Crystal Ball (4-disc Petri Dish and Jewel Case versions)

9) Girl 6

10) Exodus

*Assumed OOP

The SOTT double disk jewel case is also out of print.

shonenjoe said:

The SOTT double disk jewel case is also out of print.

Seriously? But not Sign of the Times itself, right? Just that specific version of the release. Because SOTT being out of print just makes my head hurt from a business standpoint. No kinda sense at all.

Cerebus said:

shonenjoe said:

The SOTT double disk jewel case is also out of print.

Seriously? But not Sign of the Times itself, right? Just that specific version of the release. Because SOTT being out of print just makes my head hurt from a business standpoint. No kinda sense at all.

No, not SOTT itself. It's now sold in a single disc jewel case that houses two cds. Eco-friendlier.

The larger, two disc case is out of print. I bought it used from a shop and I find it odd, because the back only lists the first disc's songs. The front says "Two Disc Set".

But that new Japanese reissue has a bigger case. And all of the artwork/inserts of the original vinyl.

thank God I own 2 copies of these: The Black Album official CD's from 94, the music is indeed legendary like it say on the sticker.

And no I'm not gonna sell 1 of those.

I also own the double 2 cd box version of Sign O' The Times including the blue heart sticker, but God forgive me, I had to steal this cover from a local store, back then in 1987/ 1988. Not so nice, but I just had to own this 2 cd box, I had already bought the 2 cd's in 2 different single cd cases.

All 16 songs is listed on on the back on this SOTT box.

Those were the days to be a Prince fan, just brilliant music.

shonenjoe said:

squirrelgrease said:

That always a cool find. It's nice to know someone at that warehouse didn't chuck them. I find them used very rarely at the record store bins. I want to find a gold stamped promo CD on the cheap - I passed on these when the CD was released in 1994 now they seem to be pretty hard to find. Actually, the regular version almost never shows up used. Peeps are obviously keeping their copies.

The OOP CDs that I see most often at wrekka stowes are:

1) Emancipation (Clean)

2) Emancipation (Parental Advisory)

3) Newpower Soul

4) The Gold Experience

5) NEWS (NOS)

6) The Vault - Old Friends 4 Sale*

7) Chaos And Disorder*

8) Crystal Ball (4-disc Petri Dish and Jewel Case versions)

9) Girl 6

10) Exodus

*Assumed OOP

The SOTT double disk jewel case is also out of print.

True. I have the set which came in two separate jewel cases - I guess that's also OOP. I should probably pick up the double thick jewel case at the used store sometime. I always thought the packaging was odd that it only had tracks for one disc printed on the back.

I'm assuming the double thick jewel case was the first US pressing...

shonenjoe said:

Cerebus said:

Seriously? But not Sign of the Times itself, right? Just that specific version of the release. Because SOTT being out of print just makes my head hurt from a business standpoint. No kinda sense at all.

No, not SOTT itself. It's now sold in a single disc jewel case that houses two cds. Eco-friendlier.

The larger, two disc case is out of print. I bought it used from a shop and I find it odd, because the back only lists the first disc's songs. The front says "Two Disc Set".

But that new Japanese reissue has a bigger case. And all of the artwork/inserts of the original vinyl.

So does that mean all the songs of the two-disc set are now on one disc? I bought a copy at the used store a few months ago that matches your description, but I immediately returned it because I thought one disc was missing (I thought there may have been two discs in the case)! Damn! And I bought it for $6!