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Thread started 10/07/10 6:06pm

Dave1992

Compile a dream outtake single album!

Show us the tracklist of your dream album, consisting of outtakes/alternate versions of songs (which will be heard in perfect quality, of course) only! Think about songs, their order, name of the album and everything else you'd like to mention about your perfect outtake album.

Mine would be:

Prince - The Grand Progression

1. Tick, Tick, Bang (1980 version)

2. We Can Funk (1986 version)

3. Do Yourself A Favour

4. Electric Intercourse

5. Extra Loveable

6. Miss You

7. If I Love U 2night (1987 version)

8. A 1000 Hugs And Kisses

9. Baby Go-Go

10. Rebirth Of The Flesh

11. In A Large Room With No Light (1986 version)

12. The Grand Progression

13. All My Dreams

14. Wally (original version)

The thought of it makes me drool.

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Reply #1 posted 10/07/10 6:32pm

MikeyB71

The Flesh.

1. Junk Music

2. Up from Below

3. Y'All Want Some more?

4. A Couple Of Miles

This is the instrumental album that never was. Recorded Late Dec '85, early '86. Junk Music is 20 min in length and was going to take up side one of the album, the other tracks, side two.

I want it.......sadly, i probably never will.

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Reply #2 posted 10/07/10 6:46pm

MikeyB71

A more regular album would have these....

1 The Grand Progression

2 Purple Music

3 Moonbeam Levels

4 Can I Play with U

5 Others Here With Us

6 Letter 4 Miles

7 High Fashion (Prince vocal)

8 Neon Telephone

9 In A Large Room With No LIght (original)

10 Rebirth Of The Flesh

A quadruple album would be needed. lol

edit: no idea what happened with the gap.

[Edited 10/7/10 18:47pm]

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Reply #3 posted 10/07/10 10:16pm

PicklesMcMilla
n

wonderful ass

irresistible bitch

allegiance

hard 2 get (81 version)

a million milles(i love you)

all day,all night

Cloreen Bacon Skin

we can funk ( dream fractory)

purple music

me touch myself

get blue '

last u always

[Edited 10/7/10 22:17pm]

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Reply #4 posted 10/07/10 10:42pm

StonedImmacula
te

avatar

Here's one I call Soul Psychedelicide (basically my Dream Factory)

Visions

Crystal Ball

The Dream Factory

Train

Power Fantastic

In A Large Room With No Light

Crucial (7 min Eric Leeds version)

The Last Heart

Sexual Suicide

Girl O My Dreams

Cant Stop This Feelin I Got

We Can Funk

Witness 4 The Prosecution

Movie Star

A Place In Heaven

There's Others Here With Us

Old Friends 4 Sale

All My Dreams

blunt music She has robes and she has monkeys, lazy diamond studded flunkies.... music blunt
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Reply #5 posted 10/07/10 11:15pm

Abdul

Royal Groove

1. Purple Music

2. Feel U Up/Irresistable Bitch (81 version)

3. Do Yourself A Favor

4. Extra Lovable

5 Turn It Up

6. Wonderful Ass

7. Moonbeam Levels

8. Hard To Get (81 Version)

9. Broken

10. Tick, Tick, Bang

11. Electric Intercourse

12. Possessed

[Edited 10/7/10 23:19pm]

[Edited 10/7/10 23:23pm]

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Reply #6 posted 10/08/10 1:11am

Swa

avatar

Crystalised

1. Dance With The Devil (intro)

2. All My Dreams

3. Electric Intercourse

4. Others Here With Us

5. Rebirth of the Flesh

6. Baby Go Go

7. Breathe

7. Dream Factory

8. In a large room with no light

9. I wonder

10. Soul Psychodelicide

.

.

.

.

.

.

77. 1000 Hugs and Kisses

"I'm not human I'm a dove, I'm ur conscience. I am love"
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Reply #7 posted 10/08/10 1:29am

bigd74

avatar

Dave1992 said:

Show us the tracklist of your dream album, consisting of outtakes/alternate versions of songs (which will be heard in perfect quality, of course) only! Think about songs, their order, name of the album and everything else you'd like to mention about your perfect outtake album.

Mine would be:

Prince - The Grand Progression

1. Tick, Tick, Bang (1980 version)

2. We Can Funk (1986 version)

3. Do Yourself A Favour

4. Electric Intercourse

5. Extra Loveable

6. Miss You

7. If I Love U 2night (1987 version)

8. A 1000 Hugs And Kisses

9. Baby Go-Go

10. Rebirth Of The Flesh

11. In A Large Room With No Light (1986 version)

12. The Grand Progression

13. All My Dreams

14. Wally (original version)

The thought of it makes me drool.

i take it you're going by reputation? not that you've heard it, it may be crap, has anyone here heard it?

cool

She Believed in Fairytales and Princes, He Believed the voices coming from his stereo

If I Said You Had A Beautiful Body Would You Hold It Against Me?
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Reply #8 posted 10/08/10 1:56am

DaphneLovesPR1
NCE

avatar

SLOW LOVE: Prince shows what loving is all about, relax and enjoy, this would be one smoking hot live show!!! A small venue, Prince like he was back in the 80s...wow

Slow Love (MN 1987)

Somewhere Here On Earth (Leno Show)

Insatiable/Scandalous/The Beautiful Ones (Montraux)

Shhh (Coachella)

Purple Rain (Atlanta 1985)

The Question of You/The One (Musicology Tour 2004)

Electric Intercourse (1st Ave 1983)

I Love You In Me (Act II Tour)

Do Me Baby (Controversy Tour 1981)

Prince is GORGEOUS. I'm inspired. GOD is GREAT. Is there anything else to say? lol
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Reply #9 posted 10/08/10 2:37am

Spinlight

avatar

bigd74 said:

Dave1992 said:

Show us the tracklist of your dream album, consisting of outtakes/alternate versions of songs (which will be heard in perfect quality, of course) only! Think about songs, their order, name of the album and everything else you'd like to mention about your perfect outtake album.

Mine would be:

Prince - The Grand Progression

1. Tick, Tick, Bang (1980 version)

2. We Can Funk (1986 version)

3. Do Yourself A Favour

4. Electric Intercourse

5. Extra Loveable

6. Miss You

7. If I Love U 2night (1987 version)

8. A 1000 Hugs And Kisses

9. Baby Go-Go

10. Rebirth Of The Flesh

11. In A Large Room With No Light (1986 version)

12. The Grand Progression

13. All My Dreams

14. Wally (original version)

The thought of it makes me drool.

i take it you're going by reputation? not that you've heard it, it may be crap, has anyone here heard it?

cool

It doesn't exist.

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Reply #10 posted 10/08/10 3:20am

Dave1992

Spinlight said:

bigd74 said:

i take it you're going by reputation? not that you've heard it, it may be crap, has anyone here heard it?

cool

It doesn't exist.

Yep, it used to, but it was destroyed by Prince himself, after putting track after track over the original recording.

However, according to interviews, it was the "saddest song ever written". That's why it would be on my album, as the last song!

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Reply #11 posted 10/08/10 3:46am

MikeyB71

Dave1992 said:

Spinlight said:

It doesn't exist.

Yep, it used to, but it was destroyed by Prince himself, after putting track after track over the original recording.

However, according to interviews, it was the "saddest song ever written". That's why it would be on my album, as the last song!

Yes, Susan Rogers has said that it was one of the most personal songs she had ever heard from Prince.

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Reply #12 posted 10/08/10 5:14am

bigd74

avatar

MikeyB71 said:

Dave1992 said:

Yep, it used to, but it was destroyed by Prince himself, after putting track after track over the original recording.

However, according to interviews, it was the "saddest song ever written". That's why it would be on my album, as the last song!

Yes, Susan Rogers has said that it was one of the most personal songs she had ever heard from Prince.

didn't he re record it for the vault?

cool

She Believed in Fairytales and Princes, He Believed the voices coming from his stereo

If I Said You Had A Beautiful Body Would You Hold It Against Me?
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Reply #13 posted 10/08/10 5:27am

MikeyB71

bigd74 said:

MikeyB71 said:

Yes, Susan Rogers has said that it was one of the most personal songs she had ever heard from Prince.

didn't he re record it for the vault?

cool

That is not known for sure, but Susan Rogers said that after he recorded the track he instructed her to put all tracks on erase. Susan said she hesitated and Prince told her that if she did not do it then he would erase the song himself. Which according to Susan, he did.

[Edited 10/8/10 5:30am]

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Reply #14 posted 10/08/10 6:36am

littleredcorve
tte

Dave1992 said:

Show us the tracklist of your dream album, consisting of outtakes/alternate versions of songs (which will be heard in perfect quality, of course) only! Think about songs, their order, name of the album and everything else you'd like to mention about your perfect outtake album.

Mine would be:

Prince - The Grand Progression

1. Tick, Tick, Bang (1980 version)

2. We Can Funk (1986 version)

3. Do Yourself A Favour

4. Electric Intercourse

5. Extra Loveable

6. Miss You

7. If I Love U 2night (1987 version)

8. A 1000 Hugs And Kisses

9. Baby Go-Go

10. Rebirth Of The Flesh

11. In A Large Room With No Light (1986 version)

12. The Grand Progression

13. All My Dreams

14. Wally (original version)

The thought of it makes me drool.

bow

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Reply #15 posted 10/08/10 8:33am

joyinrepetitio
n

avatar

Abdul said:

Royal Groove

1. Purple Music

2. Feel U Up/Irresistable Bitch (81 version)

3. Do Yourself A Favor

4. Extra Lovable

5 Turn It Up

6. Wonderful Ass

7. Moonbeam Levels

8. Hard To Get (81 Version)

9. Broken

10. Tick, Tick, Bang

11. Electric Intercourse

12. Possessed

[Edited 10/7/10 23:19pm]

[Edited 10/7/10 23:23pm]

Yeah that's what I'm talking about!

__________________________________________________
2 words falling between the drops and the moans of his condition
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Reply #16 posted 10/08/10 11:00am

Bohemian67

avatar

Title: Purple Music

Roadhouse Garden

Purple Music

The Line

Stone

Spirit

Slave to the system

Make it through the storm

I'll do anything

I hear your voice

Get blue

Climax

Love Accoustic

I wonder

2020

"Free URself, B the best that U can B, 3rd Apartment from the Sun, nothing left to fear" Prince Rogers Nelson - Forever in my Life -
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Reply #17 posted 10/08/10 7:43pm

itsjustaroundt
hecorner

The Screams Of Passion

The Sex Of It

G Spot

Wonderful Ass

Desire

Mutiny

The Grand Progression

Moonbeam Levels

A Place In Heaven

In All My Dreams

All Day, All Night

[Edited 10/8/10 22:56pm]

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Reply #18 posted 10/08/10 10:59pm

Abdul

joyinrepetition said:

Abdul said:

Royal Groove

1. Purple Music

2. Feel U Up/Irresistable Bitch (81 version)

3. Do Yourself A Favor

4. Extra Lovable

5 Turn It Up

6. Wonderful Ass

7. Moonbeam Levels

8. Hard To Get (81 Version)

9. Broken

10. Tick, Tick, Bang

11. Electric Intercourse

12. Possessed

[Edited 10/7/10 23:19pm]

[Edited 10/7/10 23:23pm]

Yeah that's what I'm talking about!

Yup, early 80's Prince outtakes are the best

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Reply #19 posted 10/09/10 6:33am

vitriol

Dave1992 said:

Compile a dream outtake single album!

What, then? Single or Album?

I'm confused... lol

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Reply #20 posted 10/09/10 6:52pm

Dave1992

vitriol said:

Dave1992 said:

Compile a dream outtake single album!

What, then? Single or Album?

I'm confused... lol

Single album. Not double album, nor triple album; single album.

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Reply #21 posted 10/18/10 6:36pm

eyeofbangtheor
y

HEAD

"As soon as we got there good times were rollin'...White, Black, Puerto Rican, everybody just-a freakin'"

CONTROVERSY
"People call me rude. I wish we all were nude. I wish there was no black or white, I wish there were no rules."

ALL THE CRITICS LOVE U IN NY

"Look out all u hippies, u aint as sharp ar me, it aint about the trippin, but the sexuality"

DMSR

"I don't wanna be a poet
Cuz I don't wanna blow it
I don't care 2 win awards
All I wanna do is dance (Yeah)
Play music, sex, romance
And try my best 2 never get bored (Oh)
If U feel alright, let me hear U scream!
Yeah!"

POSITIVITY

"In every man's life there will be a hang-up
A whirlwind designed 2 slow U down
It cuts like a knife and tries 2 get in U
This Spooky Electric sound
Give up if U want 2 and all is lost
Spooky Electric will be your boss"

Call People Magazine, Rolling Stone
Call your next of kin, cuz your ass is gone
He got a 57 mag with the price tag still on the side - uh!
Cuzzin' when Spooky say dead, U better say died
Or U can fly high right by Spooky and all that he crawls 4
Spooky and all that he crawls 4
Don't kiss the beast"

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Reply #22 posted 10/18/10 8:04pm

V10LETBLUES

At this point it in time it doesn't make sense to release an outtakes album as "just an album". All the die-hard fans already have all if not most unreleased tracks. And it seems releasing any music today is just as a loss leader so there is no point really as "just an album" unless there was a tour or something to promote.

I think Prince has to start think about about quality releases now. The kind worthy of a legendary artist as himself. With all the sort of background information we love to read about. A quality booklet with never before seen pictures and insight from the musicians and technicians behind the scenes. Just a nice limited edition release with all the goodies. Something you cannot download, and something that can be sold at a premium to a built in fan base than buys all his releases. But this one more so, because this era is the era most examined, studied and appreciated by fans and critics alike.

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Reply #23 posted 10/18/10 8:29pm

Cerebus

avatar

V10LETBLUES said:

At this point it in time it doesn't make sense to release an outtakes album as "just an album". All the die-hard fans already have all if not most unreleased tracks. And it seems releasing any music today is just as a loss leader so there is no point really as "just an album" unless there was a tour or something to promote.

I think Prince has to start think about about quality releases now. The kind worthy of a legendary artist as himself. With all the sort of background information we love to read about. A quality booklet with never before seen pictures and insight from the musicians and technicians behind the scenes. Just a nice limited edition release with all the goodies. Something you cannot download, and something that can be sold at a premium to a built in fan base than buys all his releases. But this one more so, because this era is the era most examined, studied and appreciated by fans and critics alike.

There are far more people - fans, fams and music listeneres in general - who have never heard a single unreleased Prince track than you might think. There quite a few serious fans who haven't even heard all the extended versions and the more obscure b-sides. There is definitely a paying audience for this material, especially if it was remastered properly (and not edited). If not as physical albums than as something like an iTunes Prince store where he could sell every 10-15 songs as a downloadable "album". No single track sales. Even if he just released songs that fit his current religious beliefs we're still talking, what, twenty albums? Dude would break the bank and set all kinds of digital sales chart records. He just won't do it! mad lol

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Reply #24 posted 10/18/10 8:43pm

Cerebus

avatar

And I can't list songs that would just fit on one CD. If I was FORCED to y'all have already named a lot of them. I'd have to include Dance Electric and a Prince version of 100 M.P.H., too. Actually....

Dance Electric

Roadhouse Garden

Wonderful Ass

Possessed

There's Others Here With Us

Mutiny

Purple Music

I'll Do Anything

Chocolate

High Fashion

100 M.P.H.

Data Bank

The Sex Of It

All My Dreams

Extra Loveable

In A Large Room With No Light

All Day, All Night

Wet Dream Cousin

Father's Song

I'm sure I'm missing a few. Y'all get the picture. As many of those as would fit on a single CD - all Prince (and his bands) versions, all full-lengths. That's what I'd like to hear first if I could pick 'em myself.

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Reply #25 posted 10/20/10 11:57pm

V10LETBLUES

Cerebus said:

V10LETBLUES said:

At this point it in time it doesn't make sense to release an outtakes album as "just an album". All the die-hard fans already have all if not most unreleased tracks. And it seems releasing any music today is just as a loss leader so there is no point really as "just an album" unless there was a tour or something to promote.

I think Prince has to start think about about quality releases now. The kind worthy of a legendary artist as himself. With all the sort of background information we love to read about. A quality booklet with never before seen pictures and insight from the musicians and technicians behind the scenes. Just a nice limited edition release with all the goodies. Something you cannot download, and something that can be sold at a premium to a built in fan base than buys all his releases. But this one more so, because this era is the era most examined, studied and appreciated by fans and critics alike.

There are far more people - fans, fams and music listeneres in general - who have never heard a single unreleased Prince track than you might think. There quite a few serious fans who haven't even heard all the extended versions and the more obscure b-sides. There is definitely a paying audience for this material, especially if it was remastered properly (and not edited). If not as physical albums than as something like an iTunes Prince store where he could sell every 10-15 songs as a downloadable "album". No single track sales. Even if he just released songs that fit his current religious beliefs we're still talking, what, twenty albums? Dude would break the bank and set all kinds of digital sales chart records. He just won't do it! mad lol

People trade music too casually nowadays. Put no price on it. Just pass it along like the jokes and funny pictures in your in-box or spam folder. I think it would be greater appreciated by both casual and hardcore fans if was released as a nice package. A custom USB, and a nice informative booklet you can lay on the couch and read while enjoying the music. This is where its at. This is what fans want. This is why I still have all my gorgeous 12" records and albums even though I have the same music stored on a computer somewhere. I cherish them. It has a value that is immeasurable. It is something that a download cannot do. Same with profitability, it is something that a download cannot do. I don't even think releasing as a download or a plain CD would even be worth his effort.

I think the main problem with a nice package release is Prince's idea of nice nowadays can be pretty chintzy. It would only work if he allowed other professionals in the arts free to do their work.


[Edited 10/21/10 0:15am]

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Reply #26 posted 10/21/10 1:18am

NelsonR

1) thunder

2) a million days

3) lion of judah

3) calhoun square

4) the beautiful 1's

5) dolphin

6) the ? of u

7) play in the sunshine

8) controversy

9) 1 + 1 + 1 = 3

10) adore

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Reply #27 posted 10/21/10 11:59am

Cerebus

avatar

V10LETBLUES said:

Cerebus said:

There are far more people - fans, fams and music listeneres in general - who have never heard a single unreleased Prince track than you might think. There quite a few serious fans who haven't even heard all the extended versions and the more obscure b-sides. There is definitely a paying audience for this material, especially if it was remastered properly (and not edited). If not as physical albums than as something like an iTunes Prince store where he could sell every 10-15 songs as a downloadable "album". No single track sales. Even if he just released songs that fit his current religious beliefs we're still talking, what, twenty albums? Dude would break the bank and set all kinds of digital sales chart records. He just won't do it! mad lol

People trade music too casually nowadays. Put no price on it. Just pass it along like the jokes and funny pictures in your in-box or spam folder. I think it would be greater appreciated by both casual and hardcore fans if was released as a nice package. A custom USB, and a nice informative booklet you can lay on the couch and read while enjoying the music. This is where its at. This is what fans want. This is why I still have all my gorgeous 12" records and albums even though I have the same music stored on a computer somewhere. I cherish them. It has a value that is immeasurable. It is something that a download cannot do. Same with profitability, it is something that a download cannot do. I don't even think releasing as a download or a plain CD would even be worth his effort.

I think the main problem with a nice package release is Prince's idea of nice nowadays can be pretty chintzy. It would only work if he allowed other professionals in the arts free to do their work.


[Edited 10/21/10 0:15am]

We're agreeing and disagreeing at the same time. I agree completely with you that a nice package (maybe something like Neil Young's Archive release box sets which include everything on Blu-Ray) with a book would sell. But I disagree with you regarding profitability otherwise. If remastered outtakes were compiled and released by Prince in any format they would sell enough to create a "profit". Production cost of CDs (or other discs) is near nothing. The cost for a basic website (if he didn't just use somebody elses to sell them) and bandwidth is small. If he hired somebody to restore/remaster a lot of the tracks at one time, again, very little cost (you can go online and hire people to master/remaster your own music - it's not that expensive). There is no studio or musician costs because they were recorded years ago. The only hassle may be whether or not he would have to share the income with the musicians on the tracks. It's more likely that they were work for hire, though, so that wouldn't be an issue, either. There IS an audience who wishes to PURCHASE this material. It doesn't matter that some of them would share it (which is certainly the case). All that matters is that IF he cared about this stuff (his history, legacy and making fans happy), he COULD release it and make a tidy profit.

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Reply #28 posted 10/21/10 12:39pm

V10LETBLUES

Cerebus said:

V10LETBLUES said:

People trade music too casually nowadays. Put no price on it. Just pass it along like the jokes and funny pictures in your in-box or spam folder. I think it would be greater appreciated by both casual and hardcore fans if was released as a nice package. A custom USB, and a nice informative booklet you can lay on the couch and read while enjoying the music. This is where its at. This is what fans want. This is why I still have all my gorgeous 12" records and albums even though I have the same music stored on a computer somewhere. I cherish them. It has a value that is immeasurable. It is something that a download cannot do. Same with profitability, it is something that a download cannot do. I don't even think releasing as a download or a plain CD would even be worth his effort.

I think the main problem with a nice package release is Prince's idea of nice nowadays can be pretty chintzy. It would only work if he allowed other professionals in the arts free to do their work.


[Edited 10/21/10 0:15am]

We're agreeing and disagreeing at the same time. I agree completely with you that a nice package (maybe something like Neil Young's Archive release box sets which include everything on Blu-Ray) with a book would sell. But I disagree with you regarding profitability otherwise. If remastered outtakes were compiled and released by Prince in any format they would sell enough to create a "profit". Production cost of CDs (or other discs) is near nothing. The cost for a basic website (if he didn't just use somebody elses to sell them) and bandwidth is small. If he hired somebody to restore/remaster a lot of the tracks at one time, again, very little cost (you can go online and hire people to master/remaster your own music - it's not that expensive). There is no studio or musician costs because they were recorded years ago. The only hassle may be whether or not he would have to share the income with the musicians on the tracks. It's more likely that they were work for hire, though, so that wouldn't be an issue, either. There IS an audience who wishes to PURCHASE this material. It doesn't matter that some of them would share it (which is certainly the case). All that matters is that IF he cared about this stuff (his history, legacy and making fans happy), he COULD release it and make a tidy profit.

I think you are underplaying all the costs involved. The re-mastering, the legalities, other musicians writing credits, manufacturing, maybe even ex-managers. Who knows if contractual issues still apply to the tracks. The promotion. etc. etc.

The way the system is structured right now, I honestly do not think it is worth it. That is why I think he went the newspaper distribution route on his last release and the $77 website route on his previous release with a store promotion with Target. The music industry is in a state of flux and CD and internet downloads are loss leaders for most artists. I honestly believe that. And that is also why I think he is not putting much effort into the free radio downloads he is releasing now.

In my opinion, nowadays there has to be added value attached to the actual music, whether a concert series, a website, memorabilia. Some intrinsic added value that cannot be downloaded and repeated infinitely like a bad joke.

Whoever is interested in the outtakes can get them right now freely if they took a second to look them up. No need for Prince to bother spend the resources to spruce them at the moment other than archival purposes if it was just about his legacy.


[Edited 10/21/10 12:53pm]

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Reply #29 posted 10/21/10 1:01pm

Cerebus

avatar

V10LETBLUES said:

Cerebus said:

We're agreeing and disagreeing at the same time. I agree completely with you that a nice package (maybe something like Neil Young's Archive release box sets which include everything on Blu-Ray) with a book would sell. But I disagree with you regarding profitability otherwise. If remastered outtakes were compiled and released by Prince in any format they would sell enough to create a "profit". Production cost of CDs (or other discs) is near nothing. The cost for a basic website (if he didn't just use somebody elses to sell them) and bandwidth is small. If he hired somebody to restore/remaster a lot of the tracks at one time, again, very little cost (you can go online and hire people to master/remaster your own music - it's not that expensive). There is no studio or musician costs because they were recorded years ago. The only hassle may be whether or not he would have to share the income with the musicians on the tracks. It's more likely that they were work for hire, though, so that wouldn't be an issue, either. There IS an audience who wishes to PURCHASE this material. It doesn't matter that some of them would share it (which is certainly the case). All that matters is that IF he cared about this stuff (his history, legacy and making fans happy), he COULD release it and make a tidy profit.

I think you are underplaying all the costs involved. The re-mastering, the legalities, other musicians writing credits, manufacturing, maybe even ex-managers. Who knows if contractual issues still apply to the tracks. The promotion. etc. etc.

The way system is structured right now, I honestly do not think it is worth it. That is why I think he went the newspaper distribution route on his last release and the $77 website route on his previous release with a store promotion with Target. The music industry is in a state of flux and CD and internet downloads are loss leaders for most artists. I honestly believe that. And that is also why I think he is not putting much effort into the free radio downloads he is releasing now.

In my opinion, nowadays there has to be added value attached to the actual music, whether a concert series, a website, memorabilia. Some intrinsic added value that cannot be downloaded and repeated infinitely like a bad joke.


[Edited 10/21/10 12:43pm]

Look into the Bob Dylan and Neil Young archiving efforts. Regardless of the costs (which I'm not underplaying, it's really not that much in relation to the possible returns), there is an audience. Or how about Rhino records, who specialize in this type of thing and has done quite well. Do you honestly thing that Prince wouldn't sell, let's say, ten thousand copies of remastered archival releases? Because that would bring a more than reasonable profit. The numbers don't need to be in the millions or even hundreds of thousands for it to be worth the effort. Prince just needs to be interested and he's clearly not.

No, instead we continue to get difficult Prince who does things like proclaim the internet dead because his website failed and it won't pay him in advance for his albums. lol Or distributes his albums in newspapers overseas because they WILL pay him in advance. That's just Prince being Prince and really doesn't reflect what his audience actually wants.

As far as music as a product being a loss leader, no way. Record labels are still making money - they're just making LESS money. Also, digital music sales are actually profitable these days. That's why more companies (Google, Microsoft) are either opening or considering opening their own digital stores. Lastly, if an artist like Prince took control of his archives and released them himself all of the profit would be his. Again, he could do it, he just doesn't want to.

I do understand what you're saying about added value. That's why Prince doing box sets like Neil Young is doing would probably be the best way to go. Large amounts of music at one time with a book, movie(s) and ALL the music mixed in 5.1 (or higher) on a Blu-Ray (with pics, etc). But as a music love/collector - one who has been very loyal to his Purple Difficultness - I would want physical copies of whatever archive material he saw fit to release. Even if it was single discs of songs that don't offend his current religious views. IMO, looking around this board and the others that discuss Prince and music in general, there are still plenty of other people who feel the same way.

(Man it would be awesome if he did limited edition 180 gram double vinyl releases for those single CDs, too. drool Yes, dreaming. lol )

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