nearly a decade since the HITS 1&2, which was a very incomplete collection. And lots of great music since then... So I decided to burn for myself a new comprehensive BEST OF collection... to survey 25 years of amazing music. It fits neatly onto 6 CDs (with some nifty editing here and there). I got MOST of the singles and key album tracks included, and the most famous B-SIDES... it's mostly in chronological order...

Let's face it... the back catalogue has been completely neglected. We're getting reissues left and right - digitally remastered with bonus tracks - from tons of inferior artists. When will Prince's back catalogue be revamped?? A nice comprehensive BOX SET would be a good start...

DISC ONE

1. Soft and Wet from For You
2. Just as Long as We’re Together from For You
3. I Wanna Be Your Lover from Prince
4. Why You Want to Treat Me So Bad? from Prince
5. I Feel for You from Prince
6. Uptown from Dirty Mind
7. When U Were Mine from Dirty Mind
8. Dirty Mind from Dirty Mind
9. Controversy from Controversy
10. Let’s Work from Controversy
11. Sexuality from Controversy
12. Do Me, Baby from Controversy
13. Private Joy from Controversy
14. Little Red Corvette from 1999
15. 1999 from 1999
16. Delirious from 1999
17. Automatic from 1999
18. Let’s Pretend We’re Married from 1999
19. Irresistible Bitch B-side single
20. How Come U Don’t Call Me Anymore? B-side single


DISC TWO

1. When Doves Cry
2. Let’s Go Crazy
3. Purple Rain
4. I Would Die 4 U from Purple Rain
5. Take Me With U from Purple Rain
6. 17 Days B Side single
7. Erotic City B Side single
8. Raspberry Beret from Around the World in a Day
9. Pop Life from Around the World in a Day
10. America from Around the World in a Day
11. Paisley Park from Around the World in a Day
12. 4 The Tears In Your Eyes from We Are the World
13. She’s Always In My Hair B side single
14. A Love Bizarre A-Side single with Sheila E.
15. Kiss from Parade
16. Mountains from Parade
17. Girls and Boys from Parade
18. Another Lover from Parade
19. Sometimes It Snows In April from Parade


DISC THREE

1. Sign o’ The Times from Sign o’ The Times
2. If I Was Your Girlfriend from Sign o’ The Times
3. U Got the Look from Sign o’ The Times
4. I Could Never Take the Place of Your Man from Sign o’ The Times
5. Adore from Sign o’ The Times
6. Cindy C from The Black Album
7. Good Love from Bright Lights, Big City soundtrack
8. Alphabet St. from Lovesexy
9. Glam Slam from Lovesexy
10. I Wish U Heaven from Lovesexy
11. Anna Stesia from Lovesexy
12. Lovesong from Like a Prayer with Madonna
13. Batdance from Batman
14. Partyman from Batman
15. Arms of Orion from Batman with Sheen Easton
16. The Future -remix from Batman
17. Thieves in the Temple from Graffiti Bridge
18. New Power Generation from Graffiti Bridge
19. The Question of U from Graffiti Bridge



DISC FOUR

1. Gett Off from Diamonds & Pearls
2. Cream from Diamonds & Pearls
3. Diamonds & Pearls from Diamonds & Pearls
4. Money Don’t Matter 2nite from Diamonds & Pearls
5. Sexy MF from Love Symbol
6. My Name is Prince from Love Symbol
7. 7 from Love Symbol
8. The Morning Papers from Love Symbol
9. Pink Cashmere from The Hits I
10. Nothing Compares 2 U from The Hits I
11. Peach from The Hits II
12. Get Wild From Exodus
13. Count the Days from Exodus
14. The Most Beautiful Girl in the World from The Beautiful Experience
15. LoveSign (with Nona Gaye) from 1-800-New-Funk
16. Let It Go from Come
17. Space from Come
18. Dark from Come


DISC FIVE

1. I Hate U from The Gold Experience
2. Gold from The Gold Experience
3. 319 from the Gold Experience
4. Shy from the Gold Experience
5. Dinner With Delores from Chaos and Disorder
6. Same December from Chaos and Disorder
7. Girl 6 from Girl 6 Soundtrack
8. Betcha By Golly Wow from Emancipation
9. The Holy River from Emancipation
10. Somebody’s Somebody from Emancipation
11. Sleep Around from Emancipation
12. Damned If I Do from Emancipation
13. Goodbye from Crystal Ball
14. 2morrow from Crystal Ball
15. The Other Side of the Pillow from The Truth
16. The One from New Power Soul
17. Come On from New Power Soul
18. Extraordinary from The Vault – Old Friends for Sale
19. Five Women from The Vault – Old Friends for Sale

DISC SIX


1. The Greatest Romance Ever Sold from Rave un2 The Joy Fantastic
2. Man o’ War from Rave un2 The Joy Fantastic
3. Wherever U Go, Whatever U Do from Rave un2 The Joy Fantastic
4. Baby Knows from Rave un2 The Joy Fantastic
5. Prettyman from Rave un2 The Joy Fantastic
6. 1999 (The New Master) from A-side single
7. U Make My Sun Shine from High
8. The Daisy Chain from High
9. Supercute from High
10. Vavoom from High
11. The Work (part 1) from The Rainbow Children
12. Last December from The Rainbow Children
13. 1+1+1=3 from The Rainbow Children
14. She Loves Me 4 Me from The Rainbow Children
15. One Nite Alone from One Nite Alone
16. Pearls B4 The Swine from One Nite Alone
17. Avalanche from One Nite Alone
18. Strange Relationship from One Nite Alone… LIVE!
19. Xpectation from Xpectation

JonSnow said:

I see the chronological ascention, but why do you have the songs in a different order from how they appear on the original albums? Just curious.

Well you gotta have "sexy dancer" somewhere on there

Nah, I'm looking for a better one than that. How about what they do with Beethoven and Mozart? If we gonna say complete, let's make it complete! Fo'real! Break open that vault and start shoveling it out!!

That's a very comprehensive collection but it doesn't really give me any new insights, it's too singles oriented and disc 5, tracks 12 and 14 seem out of place.

DrEverythingWillBeAlright said:

I tried to go in order of single, generally. Then from there, i would go to "next logical single" in my opinion, or sometimes the fan favorite. But that's only a general rule.. .sometimes it depended on sequencing and what sounds good together. The most songs I used from 1 album: 5 each From Controversy, 1999, Purple Rain, Parade, Sign o The Times, Emancipation and Rave. All albums I used at least one track.
[This message was edited Sat Feb 15 0:28:28 PST 2003 by JonSnow]

lovebizzare said:

without Bambi u may aswell not do a list

A retrospective box set would be a good way to launch and highlight a completely remastered back catalogue. Though these kinds of box sets are really only bought by the fans, so it should have a good quantity of previously unavailable material in the form of alternate versions and outtakes to make it worthwhile. Alan Leeds did such a good job with the sleeve notes for The Hits collections, that it would be nice to see him expand them into a more in depth overview for the box set. It would also be nice to have Prince's input too, like with Crystal Ball. Here's my selected track list for such a retrospective, collected over (a Princely) 7 discs;

DISC ONE: UPTOWN
1. Soft And Wet (Sound 80 version)
2. Make It Through The Storm (Sound 80 version)
3. Just As Long As We're Together (CBS/WB test session)
4. I Feel For You (Pepe Willie session)
5. I Wanna Be Your Lover (Album version)
6. Sexy Dancer (12" version)
7. Bambi (Album version)
8. You (The Rebels session)
9. Gotta Stop (Messin' About)
10. Uptown (Album version)
11. When You Were Mine (Album version)
13. Head (without the segues in & out)
14. Broken (Outtake)
15. Controversy (Album version)
16. Let's Work (12" version)
17. Wouldn't You Love To Love Me (Outtake)
18. Do Me, Baby (Album version)

DISC TWO: BABY, I'M A STAR
1. 1999 (Album version)
2. Little Red Corvette (12" version)
3. How Come U Don't Call Me Anymore?
4. Delirious (Unreleased long version)
5. D.M.S.R. (Unreleased 7" edit)
6. Moonbeam Levels (Outtake)
7. Baby, I'm A Star (Original version)
8. Extra Loveable (Outtake)
9. When Doves Cry (Album version)
10. 17 Days (Unreleased alternate version)
11. Let's Go Crazy (12" version)
12. Erotic City (12" version)
13. Purple Rain (Album version)
14. Computer Blue (Unreleased full length version)
15. Father's Song (Outtake)
16. I Would Die 4 U (Studio version)
17. Electric Intercourse (Outtake)
18. God (Instrumental)

DISC THREE: ALL MY DREAMS
1. Paisley Park (12" version)
2. Raspberry Beret (12" version)
3. She's Always In My Hair (12" version)
4. Roadhouse Garden (Outtake)
5. Pop Life (Extended version)
6. An Honest Man (Full instrumentation version)
7. Kiss (12" version)
8. Love Or Money (Unreleased alternate version)
9. Girls & Boys (with ending)
10. Old Friends 4 Sale (Unreleased original version)
11. Nothing Compares 2 U (Original studio demo)
12. Splash (Outtake)
13. Dream Factory (Album version)
14. In A Large Room With No Light (Outtake)
15. All My Dreams (Outtake)
16. Crystal Ball (Dream Factory version)
17. Strange Relationship (Dream Factory version)
18. A Place In Heaven (Prince vocal version)

DISC FOUR: LOVE & SEX
1. Sign O' The Times (Dream Factory edit)
2. U Got The Look (Long look)
3. Housequake (album version)
4. If I Was Your Girlfriend (Album version)
5. Rebirth Of The Flesh (Outtake)
6. Love And Sex (Outtake)
7. Joy In Repetition (With full intro)
8. Adore (without crowd noise over intro)
9. Bob George (Album version)
10. 3 Nigs Watchin' A Kung Fu Movie (Outtake)
11. If I Love U 2night (Prince's demo)
12. Alphabet St. (Album version)
13. Lovesexy (Unreleased alternate version)
14. I Wish U Heaven (parts 1,2 & 3)
15. Batdance (Unreleased full length version)
16. Partyman (The video mix)
17. Dance With The Devil (Outtake)
18. Scandalous (album version)

DISC FIVE: NEW POWER GENERATION
1. Thieves In The Temple (12" version)
2. New Power Generation (Parts 1 & 2)
3. Elephants & Flowers (Unreleased alternate version)
4. The Question Of U (Unreleased 12" version)
5. Gett Off (Promo 12" version)
6. Cream (Album version)
7. Horny Pony
8. Diamonds And Pearls (Album version)
9. Insatiable (Unreleased full length version)
10. Thunder (Unreleased extended version)
11. Sexy MF (Album version)
12. My Name Is Prince (12" version)
13. 7 (Album version)
14. The Ryde Dyvine (Prince's vocal version)
15. I'll Do Anything (Outtake)
16. Peach (Undertaker session version)
17. Zannalee (Unreleased version)
18. Empty Room (Outtake)

DISC SIX: WELCOME 2 THE DAWN
1. Come (Ulysses version)
2. Endorphinmachine (Ulysses version)
3. Space (Ulysses version)
4. Race (Ulysses version)
5. The Most Beautiful Girl In The World (Mustang Mix '96)
6. Days Of Wild (Unreleased alternate studio version)
7. P. Control (Fashion awards version)
8. Gold (album version without npg operator outro)
9. Billy Jack Bitch (Unreleased extended version)
10. The Ride (Unreleased studio version)
11. The Same December (Album version)
12. Slave 2 The System (Outtake)
13. Sleep Around (Unreleased 7" edit)
14. Face Down (Money Mix)
15. Joint 2 Joint (Album version)
16. The Holy River (album version)
17. The Truth (Album version)
18. Welcome 2 The Dawn (Unreleased full version)

DISC SEVEN: THE WORK
1. R U Ready? (Outtake)
2. Baby Knows (Rave In2 version)
3. The Greatest Romance Ever Sold (Rave In2 version)
4. Prettyman (Rave In2 version)
5. One Song (without spoken intro)
6. Y Should I Do That, When I Can Do This? (NPGMC release)
7. Supercute (NPGMC release)
8. When I Lay My Hands On U (NPGMC release)
9. Sex Me, Sex Me Not (NPGMC release)
10. U Make My Sun Shine (NPGMC release)
11. Vavoom (NPGMC release)
12. What Should B Souled? (Outtake)
13. The Work (Part 1)
14. 1+1+1=3 (single edit)
15. Last December (album version)
16. One Nite Alone (studio album version)
17. Xenophobia (studio version)
18. Xogenous (NPGMC release)

.
[This message was edited Sat Feb 15 6:06:44 PST 2003 by BorisFishpaw]
[This message was edited Sat Feb 15 6:48:02 PST 2003 by BorisFishpaw]

BorisFishpaw said:

??? Info?

Pretty good Boris. My one gripe would be too many outtakes from '86 and not enough material from Parade.

Just buy all the albums--and you got it covered, sheesh.

Your song selections are good but your sequences are weak. I mean can U really end a cd with 5 women? Look at the Hits they started each disc and ended each disc with good opening and closing songs. It needs to have a good flow too-not just be a sequence of songs according to time.

6 discs is easy try to whittle it down to 3

skywalker said:

I wanted 2 tracks from The Vault, and i thought Five Women was the strongest, and would've been the obvious choice for the second single. I thought an upbeat ending would be better than Extraordinary. Disc Five was the hardest, cause I was trying to essentially make a "singles" and "key tracks" collection, so had to pick and choose what would have made the most sense from Emancipation, Crystal Ball and The Vault. I did my own single edits for Damned if I Do and Sleep Around. And I thought that if I were releasing singles from Crystal Ball, Goodbye and 2morrow would be the best choices. Plus they fit (more or less) choronologically, whereas something like Acknowledge Me would be out of place on Disc 5. It was a very fun project, I've really had a good time going back and re-listening to things that I hadn't in a long time. I'm pretty happy with the way it turned out.

BorisFishpaw said:

wow, wonderful collection! I agree, I would love for something like this to come out. Mine was more of a singles/key tracks collection...

Xpertlover said:

Prince mentioned the track on a few occasions, saying it was gonna be on 'Crystal Ball 2', though it wasn't on the list of songs that fans chose from at the first Celebration.

TRON said:

I think you're right. I should've dispensed with Dream Factory and included the unreleased single version of New Position. Also maybe dropped Splash in favor of Sometimes It Snows In April.

Prince has so many great songs, it is hard to put together the ultimate collection CD!!! There a hundreds not listed that I love personally that i think should be included on the list.

How can u possibly neglect to include "Joy In Repetition"?
And it doesnt even matter which version u choose...
Studio cut, Live, Memorex...it's a classic

gettoff said:

I only had room for 1 more from Graffiti Bridge, and felt that The Question of U couldn't be left off... besides the beginning of Joy in Repetition makes it hard to be included on a compilation without sounding out of place, because of the segue directly from We Can Funk

Joshy84au said:

true 'dat, true 'dat,