Sorry P if you're reading this!.

This may well apply to more old schoolers like me.

What a choice, the offical stuff has all the associated artists tracks, 12" mixes, rare vinyls, the list goes on. However the bootlegs have all llive versions of most offical trax anyway, tonnes of out-takes, aftershows in sound board quality, tonnes of videos/DVD', alternate mixes etc.

On balance I would dump the official stuff and keep the Boots !!. Shocking but true!.

How 'bout u?.

funkyhead said:

Sorry P if you're reading this!.

This is a hard as hail choice. Because I love his official output dearly (1999 is the greatest album of the 80's)..but Im not sure I cpuld live without Something In The Water 1984 Warehouse either.

Im going to have to pionder on this a bit.

I would keep the unofficial material, without a shadow of a doubt.

TheDigitalGardener said:

I would keep the unofficial material, without a shadow of a doubt.

so no SOTT ..No 1999..no Rain....no Controversy...No New Powe...oh wait...no Parade...no....

rdhull said:

TheDigitalGardener said:

I would keep the unofficial material, without a shadow of a doubt.

so no SOTT ..No 1999..no Rain....no Controversy...No New Powe...oh wait...no Parade...no....

I'd keep the officially released stuff, but I don't have as massive of a bootleg collection as some of you; and most of what I do have isn't great sound quality.

rdhull said:

TheDigitalGardener said:

I would keep the unofficial material, without a shadow of a doubt.

so no SOTT ..No 1999..no Rain....no Controversy...No New Powe...oh wait...no Parade...no....

Yup, quite happy to give all that up. I have close to 1,000 boots, probably more including all the video, so I have all those album tracks covered in terms of live shows, outtakes, rehearsals, video etc.

I would miss the WB albums for sure, and some other releases, but not for long.

I'd still go with the official albums. Feels like losing an arm though!

it is probably just because the regular stuff is played so much more..

but i couldnt live without the boots.... i would say lovesexy live is my favorite 'album' of all time...

and the LA conga room concert.. blows me away...

and desire & all day / all night which are classic.

TheDigitalGardener said:

rdhull said:

so no SOTT ..No 1999..no Rain....no Controversy...No New Powe...oh wait...no Parade...no....

Yup, quite happy to give all that up. I have close to 1,000 boots, probably more including all the video, so I have all those album tracks covered in terms of live shows, outtakes, rehearsals, video etc.

I would miss the WB albums for sure, and some other releases, but not for long.

Wow. Please let me be your friend in case the internet ever actually dies.

Maybe I'd rip all my official stuuf first onto CD-r s then add them to the bin ....so I'd still have the best of both worlds....but with the worst type of Boots ever...I hate the idea of ripping official stuff but you have backed me into a corner.

In reality while I love my boots I'd would want to keep the offficial releases over them

As much as I love my bootlegs (even the bad quality ones), official stuff is simply "official" and what Prince really wanted us to hear. Sure, the bootleg myth is great (especially with Prince), but, overall, his official catalog is still quite unbeatable.

electricberet said:

TheDigitalGardener said:

Yup, quite happy to give all that up. I have close to 1,000 boots, probably more including all the video, so I have all those album tracks covered in terms of live shows, outtakes, rehearsals, video etc.

I would miss the WB albums for sure, and some other releases, but not for long.

Wow. Please let me be your friend in case the internet ever actually dies.

I'd keep the official stuff, even though I don't listen to much of it past 1995/1996.

Not even close, I'd keep my official stuff. I haven't collected bootlegs in a long long time.

djdaffy1227 said:

Not even close, I'd keep my official stuff. I haven't collected bootlegs in a long long time.

I'd keep your official stuff too.

rdhull said:

TheDigitalGardener said:

I would keep the unofficial material, without a shadow of a doubt.

so no SOTT ..No 1999..no Rain....no Controversy...No New Powe...oh wait...no Parade...no....

flip side though is there'd be no Planet Earth, 2010, etc !

djdaffy1227 said:

Not even close, I'd keep my official stuff. I haven't collected bootlegs in a long long time.

what!, not even the recently released Purple rain 1st avenue gigs?.

Shiiiittt!! For some better quality videos of some of the splendor mine eyes have seen lately, I'd personally gift wrap my entire official collection and hand deliver it!

The boots. Some of the soundboard bootlegs sound a lot better than the bad CD masters of the 1980s and the overproduced, murky mixes of the 1990s.

Official stuff from 1978 through May 10, 1988 - and bootlegs after that. That way, I'd have the best albums - and I could still have Just My Imagination from the Small Club.

Without a doubt I would lose the boots and keep the official releases.

Certainly I would miss Small Club, Welcome to the Beautiful Exp, Livesexy(albeit officially released in Europe), what I consider a better copy of the Black Album - and countless other bootlegs.

But to be without Lovesexy, Sign o' the Times, the SOTT movie, 1999, Purple Rain(the movie, song, and album), D&P, The Gold Exp, Emanc II, TRC, and Lotusflower -- I just couldn't do that.

Especially "Lovesexy Deluxe"(my name for it)... The complete Lovesexy album with Escape, Scarlet Pussy, Glam Slam remix, I Wish u Heaven remix, Alphabet St remix...there just isn't another experience like it on the planet. I've danced and listened to it hundreds of times and it still blows my mind every time.

Genesia said:

Official stuff from 1978 through May 10, 1988 - and bootlegs after that. That way, I'd have the best albums - and I could still have Just My Imagination from the Small Club.

Nope, that's cheating lol. You have to either have all official or all bootlegery only.

rdhull said:

Genesia said:

Official stuff from 1978 through May 10, 1988 - and bootlegs after that. That way, I'd have the best albums - and I could still have Just My Imagination from the Small Club.

Nope, that's cheating lol. You have to either have all official or all bootlegery only.

Genesia said:

rdhull said:

Nope, that's cheating lol. You have to either have all official or all bootlegery only.

lol I know but dems da rules

I'm not getting rid of shit I want them all

XNY said:

Without a doubt I would lose the boots and keep the official releases.

Certainly I would miss Small Club, Welcome to the Beautiful Exp, Livesexy(albeit officially released in Europe), what I consider a better copy of the Black Album - and countless other bootlegs.

But to be without Lovesexy, Sign o' the Times, the SOTT movie, 1999, Purple Rain(the movie, song, and album), D&P, The Gold Exp, Emanc II, TRC, and Lotusflower -- I just couldn't do that.

Especially "Lovesexy Deluxe"(my name for it)... The complete Lovesexy album with Escape, Scarlet Pussy, Glam Slam remix, I Wish u Heaven remix, Alphabet St remix...there just isn't another experience like it on the planet. I've danced and listened to it hundreds of times and it still blows my mind every time.

"Lovesexy Deluxe"--I love it. I might have to create that mix.

To be honest its hard, but I would keep the official stuff (Bye bye Dream factory - weep weep) and at least I would have Sign o the times and 1999 left. I am assuming you count the officially released Crystal Ball set as official though.

Also ist sound quality, the boots may have more songs and versions and then the live recordings where Prince usually lets the band jam and improvise their hearts out, away from the sterility of the studio, But its missing the high sonic quality is missing (Sign excluded, I think the microphones were like 200 metres away from Prince there).

Its hard, but give me my Warner Brothers stuff anyday

I would keep the official collection, I would miss all of the unreleased songs and the amazing concerts but I cherish his official releases.