Moderators Note:

Speculated before, but still worth asking. Would the difference have been the same, better or worse for Prince's career at that point?

Well Black Album wouldn't have had the whole nude cover problem against it like Lovesexy did, but Lovesexy (like it or not) at least had an obvious radio-friendly single in "Alphabet St." and two other singles that were Top 40 hits in the UK. What would've been the single(s) for Black Album? Any recommendations on that front folks?

It would have done well. Cindy C as a first single and When 2 R In Luv next, and a slam funk dunk of Rockhard. Would have increased the legend imo.

RRA said:

Speculated before, but still worth asking. Would the difference have been the same, better or worse for Prince's career at that point?

Well Black Album wouldn't have had the whole nude cover problem against it like Lovesexy did, but Lovesexy (like it or not) at least had an obvious radio-friendly single in "Alphabet St." and two other singles that were Top 40 hits in the UK. What would've been the single(s) for Black Album? Any recommendations on that front folks?

I think the critics would've given a "WTF" review, but the bootlegs were highly desired at the time, so it became a "must have" cult classic. I don't think it would've helped or hurt his career.

Prince should've just "bootlegged" it himself with a fake "Import" record label once Warners realized how many copies were selling, for way more than they should have been, and for less than the bootleggers were selling it for, but should have figured a way to make it not seem like it was legal, like take the bar code off of it.

rdhull said:

It would have done well. Cindy C as a first single and When 2 R In Luv next, and a slam funk dunk of Rockhard. Would have increased the legend imo.

I wonder, without any evidence, that P and the suits pulled the Black Album because they were afraid that it would be too much of a "black" record for the black audience. Yet I think that's exactly what he should've done, because SOTT was obviously pointing towards that direction. It's a very damn good record, and you're right perhaps about the "legend" aspect.

Or put it another way, I would like to think it wouldn't have been labeled a failure like Lovesexy was. But who knows?

It couldn't have done any worse than Lovesexy. It probably would have at least sold a million if he picked a good first single I'm sure.

if sign o the times was struggling to sell, i dont see how the black album could get anywhere close. i like the album, but it just doesnt seem very commercially friendly. maybe i just cant get into a '87 mindset though

would have been massive cos you know in 87 he was massive

the tour would have been INSANE!!

THe BLACK tour

aww hell yeeah!

I am so thankful that it was pulled, because otherwise the Lovesexy album probably wouldn't have been recorded. And this masterpiece made me a fan.

But I also like the Black album very much.

I don't think it would have done that well.Remember,Prince was planning to release it in a very 'anonymous' way.....his name wouldn't have been on the cover,there would have been no singles,and it would have arrived in stores while 'SOTT' was still going strong.Diehard fans would have loved it but I think the mainstream audience would have been confused.

Someone correct me if I'm wrong....Prince was planning to release it the way I described,right? No singles or heavy promotion? That's what I've always believed.

..

[Edited 2/1/12 3:14am]

uuhson said:

if sign o the times was struggling to sell, i dont see how the black album could get anywhere close. i like the album, but it just doesnt seem very commercially friendly. maybe i just cant get into a '87 mindset though

I agree.The Black Album would have appealed strictly to the diehard fans.Pop radio would have ignored it completely.

It probably would've done well and received positive reviews - it is a great album.

But if it really was going to have no promotion, other than radio singles - well I don't think it would've blown up in any way - single material is limited to what, Cindy C, Le Grind and W2RIL? And without Lovesexy, Graffiti Bridge would've still probably been on track for 1988, although if it's a movie too still... maybe 1989. On that timeline, since Batman comes from an outside influence, would he still have been in a position to do the whole soundtrack? Yeah, he could record it, but would Warners release two soundtrack albums by the same artist in a year? Maybe he'd just submit a couple of tracks or something. Just extrapolating there of course.

Any success it would have had would be owed to Prince's popularity at the time. Otherwise, I don't think it would've done well commercially. I wouldn't use the terms 'black' or 'white' to refer to the music, but it's a funk album that wouldn't appeal to anybody but funk music fans. I'm not sure what things were like in 1987, but I don't think that (Prince aside) funk artists dominated the charts then.

The Black Album is my personal least favorite Prince album - I don't love anything on it, but I like three songs - "Superfunkycalifragisexy", "Rockhard In A Funky Place" and "When 2 R In Love" - I'd say those are the best choices for singles. "Rockhard" would probably be the biggest hit off the album. I can't see "Le Grind" or "Cindy C" being hit singles.

[Edited 2/1/12 3:30am]

Hmm, I think it may have sold marginally better than Lovesexy but I doubt it would have went platinum in the U.S.

Singles? That's tough. I would guess that "Le Grind," "Cindy C" and "When 2 R in Love" would have been the singles. I really can't see songs like "Bob George," "Superfunkycalifragisexy" or "2 Nigs United 4 West Compton" being singles. Maybe "Dead on It" or "Rockhard in a Funky Place" but I kind of doubt it.

I do agree with the conventional thinking that the album would have fared better on the black charts as opposed to the pop charts.

I think it would've done well with the critics, the clubs, and with us hardcores. I also think it would've given him some props for being daring and innovative. At the time there was nothing like Bob George out there. But I don't think it would've sold well or would've been a hit album. There are no radio friendly songs whatsoever.

I remember the uproar over the Lovesexy cover back in the days. Yeah, I don't see radio playing the black album in the late 80's. Radio already sold out and was on the decline.

I remember Musicland used to give out a free magazine with purchase in the 80's. (Can't remember the name of it for the life of me. I may still have it stored somewhere.) But I remember it had a review of The Black Album before the release date of The Black Album. Then, of course, the album was pulled. But from what I remember it gave it a good review! Though it did mention the album was darker and used "Bob George" as an example. Man I wish I had that magazine right now. We (Prince fans) were so excited for it. Tom Joyner used to play cuts from it in the morning on K104 in Dallas.

Black Album would have be a huge success,

--- following the singles from Sign O The Times:

I Could Never Take The Place Of Your Man was released in the fall and was a top 10 hit iirc...

and then next, december 1987: Le Grind as the leading single...

followed by: Cindy C

and maybe: SuperfunkyCalifragisexy.

Those songs would have done well IMO... riding on the success of Sign O' The Times.

Black Album is such a great album, so cutting the edge and psycadelic too, to me Black Album is the Sign O The Times twin brother.

(however When 2 R In Love belongs on Lovesexy. )

It would not have sold well.

The musical climate at the time would not have embraced this thing.

Look at what was on radio at the time:

None of the songs on the black album are strong singles. None of them leave a lasting impact

on anyone but fans.

I like the black album. I think it's funky and fun. And I think it would have been seen as more

of a strong afterglow of SOTT, whereas LoveSexy felt like a bit of a departure or leftover

b-sides overproduced.

But, I think Prince simply would not have had a hit with the black album in the USA.

It would have been a hit in Europe and the UK, but not to the scale of LoveSexy.

Had Prince released Camille, he would have had a big hit in the UK, and moderate success

in the USA. The USA was tired of Prince at this time.

[Edited 2/1/12 8:53am]

you guys need to put yourselves in the shoes of the everyday person, not the prince fan that cares so much about prince that they live on his forums