I was watching a Prince video from the Crystal Ball and under the comments one poster said it was a flop because it only sold 250K copies. Another poster stated it wasn't a flop for Prince because it sold around 250K at around $50.00/copy for Prince. The latter poster and I agree we would gladly take $12,500,000.00 Dollars. Anybody have knowledge on those figures???

I don't recall it being that expensive, but then again, it was a long time ago and at that time in my life, I would have forked over money for a Prince album regardless of the cost.

I would imagine it cost in about $1 a CD to press it, and that minus other cost

he probably cleared 8 or 10 million. But that's only a guess.

And the $1 figure is based on something Prince said in an old interview, which

knowing Prince could have been an exaggeration.

My assumption is that during the early symbol years, his indie efforts probably

earned him a good deal of money.

But after an often contentious relationship with his Internet fan base, those

figures may have been affected. lotusfailure.com was probably affected by this; hence,

the strange but ultimately clever distribution methods through newspapers/magazines.

Yeah, he said he made more money off either that or "Emancipation" than he did off of "Purple Rain".

Which might be true, but if there had been no Warners Brothers distribution of "Purple Rain", he wouldn't have made squat off anything else.

There were Direct sales for $50, and then he sold a bunch to record stores (yes, there used to be record stores in the 90's). Obviously, the records stores would buy them for less than we did.

I have the direct sale copy for $50 and then I bought another petri dish at Harmony House (or Tower Records) for something like $25.

There was also a release that did not have The Truth or Kamasutra.

I think the pressed 250K but did not sell that many. Not at the full price. And I got the 4dc set (w/ the truth) for $35 give or take at a record shop when it first came out.

He had huge stocks left over. I picked up 4 copies of the full club 5 disc edition for 5 pounds each.

Then again, maybe he made all that money from the bank interest while he sat on all those fans hard earned money for a year while they sorted out the big pile of post it notes.

Brilliant marketing move by Prince & one of the first of its kind at the time. There were problems with distribution but he was learning. I rather have Prince pocket all the money than a shady Record label.

KCOOLMUZIQ said:

Brilliant marketing move by Prince & one of the first of its kind at the time. There were problems with distribution but he was learning. I rather have Prince pocket all the money than a shady Record label.

He was learning is a bit of an understatement.

It was an utter utter shambles. Most cub scout groups could have arranged it better.

The petri-dish packaging had to be quite expensive, so a good chunk of change had to be put toward production.

Best Buy sold the 4-CD clear units for $75 and the quad jewel-case version for $40.

http://www.noiseland.com/gallery/

KCOOLMUZIQ said:

Steve Parke on the packaging and subsequent 1-800-NEW FUNK fiasco:

http://www.zoominfo.com/p...05692.aspx

Crystal Ball Legacy - Published on: 5/26/1999

According to Steve Parke, the art director for "Crystal Ball," in an interview given to Replication News, the Artist wanted something different that would not only "catch the eye," but would "circumvent the bootleggers by putting out a package they can't replicate. "Apparently the original plan was to come up with a package that would live up to the "Crystal Ball" name, but there was some concerns over breakage and the notion of packing and shipping a fragile piece. And then once it was decided that the package would be available in stores, Parke adds, "A lot of the time, retailers won't deal with it if they can't put it on their shelves. "Therefore, if you'll pardon the pun, the "real" alternative packaging got shelved. What we ended up with instead is a 3-piece clear plastic contraption--shaped like a large pill--where the middle "half-moon" piece holds the 5 discs, and the two clear outer plastic dishes encapsulate the funk.

In a wee bit of irony, the discs themselves, much like the actual music contained within, don't fit the mould. In fact, you'll need the hands of a surgeon to get your 5-discs to fit in their proper slots without scratching them all to hell. And, make no mistake, no matter how hard you squint, the packaging doesn't look even remotely like a crystal ball...

Parke explains, "We later changed our minds when we realised that not everyone had access to the Internet."

Apparently then, this decision must have been made after the first batch of "Crystal Ball" albums were already manufactured and sealed, because fans who ordered via phone did not get the booklet, but those who purchased their copies in stores did. Why they couldn't have just printed up extra booklets and thrown in a copy with the FedEx package, I certainly can't understand.

However, maybe it was for the best, as adding yet another element of possible confusion onto NewFunks' already shaky cardboard table, would no doubt have created even more confusion, and may have just collapsed the damn thing altogether! I can just imagine the look on the poor person's face who does not have access to the Internet or one of the Fanzines trying to figure out what music is on these 5 discs, when only the tracks contained on the fourth disc are labelled. Talk about your adventures! Somebody needs to send these folks at least a hand-scribbled note containing the track list, or else they might just have to make up names to all these songs for themselves; much like has already been done for years by bootleggers.

According to Billboard that year,they counted that album as a 3 cd set and according to Forbes that year,Prince made out as a fat rat Indy artist..Regarding Prince and distribution,He was the first U.S. major artist to do what he did with the likes of"Emancipation" and "Crystal Ball",as well as "New Power Soul", 3 pack featuring "Come into my House", as well as Larry Graham's "Free" cd's...He was the only artist with the money to be able to take those chances as a free artist and it worked..He realized he wasn't selling records like Brittney Spears and Eminem at the time,but he made a statement to the industry and he was successful..With "Emancipation" and "Crystal Ball",remember at that time Prince was still internet friendly and his marketing was unheard of,but he took a dare...

Don't sleep on Prince these days,as Usher said in a recent Interview,the Industry watches and always have,what Prince does,He is the ultimate innovator..

Besides,who is selling records like Thriller and Purple Rain anymore?

SquirrelMeat said:

KCOOLMUZIQ said:

Brilliant marketing move by Prince & one of the first of its kind at the time. There were problems with distribution but he was learning. I rather have Prince pocket all the money than a shady Record label.

He was learning is a bit of an understatement.

It was an utter utter shambles. Most cub scout groups could have arranged it better.

Must. Leave. Thread. Old Wounds. Re-opening........

NouveauDance said:

SquirrelMeat said:

He was learning is a bit of an understatement.

It was an utter utter shambles. Most cub scout groups could have arranged it better.

Must. Leave. Thread. Old Wounds. Re-opening........

Lets not go there. Too painful. Post its. Phone calls, delays, retail first........

Sit in a corner and think of a happy place.

waynemusic1 said:

According to Billboard that year,they counted that album as a 3 cd set and according to Forbes that year,Prince made out as a fat rat Indy artist..Regarding Prince and distribution,He was the first U.S. major artist to do what he did with the likes of"Emancipation" and "Crystal Ball",as well as "New Power Soul", 3 pack featuring "Come into my House", as well as Larry Graham's "Free" cd's...He was the only artist with the money to be able to take those chances as a free artist and it worked..He realized he wasn't selling records like Brittney Spears and Eminem at the time,but he made a statement to the industry and he was successful..With "Emancipation" and "Crystal Ball",remember at that time Prince was still internet friendly and his marketing was unheard of,but he took a dare...

Don't sleep on Prince these days,as Usher said in a recent Interview,the Industry watches and always have,what Prince does,He is the ultimate innovator..

Besides,who is selling records like Thriller and Purple Rain anymore?

Exactly! I couldn't have said it better. School these peeps.....

4-disc jewel case version, HMV, Canada: $80.

I just bought an additonal 5 disc copy on ebay because the fucking plastic round case cracked all my cd's in my interstate move!

waynemusic1 said:

According to Billboard that year,they counted that album as a 3 cd set and according to Forbes that year,Prince made out as a fat rat Indy artist..Regarding Prince and distribution,He was the first U.S. major artist to do what he did with the likes of"Emancipation" and "Crystal Ball",as well as "New Power Soul", 3 pack featuring "Come into my House", as well as Larry Graham's "Free" cd's...He was the only artist with the money to be able to take those chances as a free artist and it worked..He realized he wasn't selling records like Brittney Spears and Eminem at the time,but he made a statement to the industry and he was successful..With "Emancipation" and "Crystal Ball",remember at that time Prince was still internet friendly and his marketing was unheard of,but he took a dare...

Don't sleep on Prince these days,as Usher said in a recent Interview,the Industry watches and always have,what Prince does,

He is the ultimate innovator..

Besides,who is selling records like Thriller and Purple Rain anymore?

^^^ Prince the ultimate innovator????

1-800-New-Funk was a disaster in 1998. I ordered my copy, but never got the album.

All that waiting - for nothing.... it was a huge disappointment.

I called, but they couldn't help me at 1-800-NF. And that call from Denmark was very expenssive.

I later bought my copy from my local record store, I guess half a year later than the original order was made.

Lesson learnt, never get involved with Prince's internet sales.

They are runned in a terrible way.

After the Lotusflow3r failure in 2009, I guess very few fans have trust in the way Prince runs his business.

Prince - it just just can't get any worse than what he has tried. He screwed his own fanbase.

Not cool.

[Edited 1/27/11 15:40pm]

I thankfully missed the Crystal Ball ordering challenge.

I think i paid £50 for the 4 disc jewel case version in HMV back in the day.

I have a couple of 5 disc "pill" versions too in the clear case, you would think for the extra money to buy the 5 disc version the tight fuckers could have thrown in a booklet.

KCOOLMUZIQ said:

Brilliant marketing move by Prince & one of the first of its kind at the time. There were problems with distribution but he was learning. I rather have Prince pocket all the money than a shady Record label.

and to this day remains one of the most ambitious and logistically challenging independent music releases of all time.

Self agrandizing nonsense. I could easily link to a dozen independent projects that make anything Prince has ever released in that way look like a second rate joke. The packaging and concepts behind the releases were cool at the time, but hindsight is 20/20 regarding a lot of what is being discusses here. All the projects mentioned in this thread were actually hugely frustrating to many fans and "fams" at the time of their release. It's one of the points when Prince lost a few people who never came back.

Cerebus said:

and to this day remains one of the most ambitious and logistically challenging independent music releases of all time.

Self agrandizing nonsense. I could easily link to a dozen independent projects that make anything Prince has ever released in that way look like a second rate joke. The packaging and concepts behind the releases were cool at the time, but hindsight is 20/20 regarding a lot of what is being discusses here. All the projects mentioned in this thread were actually hugely frustrating to many fans and "fams" at the time of their release. It's one of the points when Prince lost a few people who never came back.

Well, in all honesty, when I got the 5 cd set ordered from the club (arrived in time), and put the first disc on a with the NHT speakers and subwoofer, and heard the first tortured woodwind call with the slowmo train like beat of the title track, super loud and clear...it was really exciting, it was startling and dramatic. I laughed at the lack of packaging, and also the label "bootleg"... and I was VERY HAPPY with it.

ufoclub said:

Cerebus said:

Self agrandizing nonsense. I could easily link to a dozen independent projects that make anything Prince has ever released in that way look like a second rate joke. The packaging and concepts behind the releases were cool at the time, but hindsight is 20/20 regarding a lot of what is being discusses here. All the projects mentioned in this thread were actually hugely frustrating to many fans and "fams" at the time of their release. It's one of the points when Prince lost a few people who never came back.

Well, in all honesty, when I got the 5 cd set ordered from the club (arrived in time), and put the first disc on a with the NHT speakers and subwoofer, and heard the first tortured woodwind call with the slowmo train like beat of the title track, super loud and clear...it was really exciting, it was startling and dramatic. I laughed at the lack of packaging, and also the label "bootleg"... and I was VERY HAPPY with it.

I know there are a lot of people who have mad love for one, some or all of the projects that have been mentioned in this thread. But it's also fair to say that a great many people were frustrated and/or disappointed by them. Some to the point that they completely gave up (I have at a couple friends who never came back after Emancipation, and that's way back in 1996).

It seems like with shipping and all I paid around $60. A lot for a kid working in a burger joint. I was just able to legally work when it came out. I listened to those songs over and over. I remember telling a then girlfriend,"Why are these songs not on the radio?" My favorite is disc 3. I also love Dont Play Me.

Cerebus said:

ufoclub said:

Well, in all honesty, when I got the 5 cd set ordered from the club (arrived in time), and put the first disc on a with the NHT speakers and subwoofer, and heard the first tortured woodwind call with the slowmo train like beat of the title track, super loud and clear...it was really exciting, it was startling and dramatic. I laughed at the lack of packaging, and also the label "bootleg"... and I was VERY HAPPY with it.

I know there are a lot of people who have mad love for one, some or all of the projects that have been mentioned in this thread. But it's also fair to say that a great many people were frustrated and/or disappointed by them. Some to the point that they completely gave up (I have at a couple friends who never came back after Emancipation, and that's way back in 1996).

If there that easily persuaded away they shouldn't have been there in the first place. Good riddens!!!

[Edited 1/28/11 8:03am]

ufoclub said:

Cerebus said:

Self agrandizing nonsense. I could easily link to a dozen independent projects that make anything Prince has ever released in that way look like a second rate joke. The packaging and concepts behind the releases were cool at the time, but hindsight is 20/20 regarding a lot of what is being discusses here. All the projects mentioned in this thread were actually hugely frustrating to many fans and "fams" at the time of their release. It's one of the points when Prince lost a few people who never came back.

Well, in all honesty, when I got the 5 cd set ordered from the club (arrived in time), and put the first disc on a with the NHT speakers and subwoofer, and heard the first tortured woodwind call with the slowmo train like beat of the title track, super loud and clear...it was really exciting, it was startling and dramatic. I laughed at the lack of packaging, and also the label "bootleg"... and I was VERY HAPPY with it.

So was I. I got mine without much of a hassle. I was not able to pre-order too early, so I wasn't frustrated with shipping delays or anything like that. I wore out my first copy and since then have bought several more.

KCOOLMUZIQ said:

Cerebus said:

I know there are a lot of people who have mad love for one, some or all of the projects that have been mentioned in this thread. But it's also fair to say that a great many people were frustrated and/or disappointed by them. Some to the point that they completely gave up (I have at a couple friends who never came back after Emancipation, and that's way back in 1996).

If there that easily persuaded away they shouldn't have been there in the first place. Good riddens!!!

Riddance even.

KCOOLMUZIQ said:

Cerebus said:

I know there are a lot of people who have mad love for one, some or all of the projects that have been mentioned in this thread. But it's also fair to say that a great many people were frustrated and/or disappointed by them. Some to the point that they completely gave up (I have at a couple friends who never came back after Emancipation, and that's way back in 1996).

If there that easily persuaded away they shouldn't have been there in the first place. Good riddens!!!

[Edited 1/28/11 8:03am]

Unlike you, they didn't belong to the cult. They weren't "persuaded away" from anything. They were tired of Prince's drama and half-assed music releases. Emancipation is half filler (at least) for most sane people and it was NOT cheap upon it's release. Whether anybody cares to admit it now or not, there WAS a lot of unhappy fans/consumers at the time (and you can now buy it used for $6). Crystal Ball was MUCH worse as it took forever for some people to get it, it was sold for many different prices - some of them quite expensive, it's packaging was very lacking, the multiple configurations made it confusing and frustrating to buy and many of the songs included in the set had been altered or edited. Again, a lot of people were not happy. Notice at no point in my posts have I said EVERYONE, or ALL. But, judging by the post I've read from you in the past, I wouldn't expect you to ever whisper a single negative word against the leader of your cult.

I'm sure Prince made a bundle but I'm still disappointed that we got 2 discs of outtakes spread over 3 discs. He easily could have given us another 75+ minutes of music!

Does anyone else still have their Jam of the Year tour t-shirts? I was very happily surprised when I opened the package to find the t-shirt. I didn't get a copy of "The War" though.

It took about a year for my copy to arrive with the mail. It was accompanied by a 'I like Funky Music' T-shirt and later by a cassette of 'the War', which made the long wait and lack of bootleg materail on it good somewhat, but then not much later I found a much cheaper copy in the record store WITHOUT Kamasutra. I remember thinking liking the T-shirt and the cassette, but that I would have preferred to buy the record store release instead and still feeling a bit cheated. I figured: oh well, it's his first try, shit happens, but then he did it again in 2002 and I was through with it.