hey guys, I need some help.

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Do you know anything about the nature of the vinyl pressings of the albums Musicology, 3121 or Planet Earth? I would like to pick up all the Prince back catalogue on wax if possible but many of the albums were never pressed onto vinyl. I have got most of the albums 79-99 on wax but my collection drops off at the beginning of the new millenium. Over the past few years there have been discussions on this site about whether or not the albums are official or not, with some people claiming to know people involved with the record labels etc. I want to know if these albums were official pressings or not so that I can buy them

-

-

I have used discogs as my main source of info. And for the purposes of clarity, my definition of an "official pressing" is one facilitated by the record label, from the master source, not by a third party ripping from a CD and pressing to vinyl unofficially. Below I have included a bit of context to my Q:

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Musicology

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According to discogs there has been one release of this album on vinyl. Is it an official pressing?

-

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UK/Europe Promo LP of Musicology:

http://www.discogs.com/Pr...se/1338117

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-

3121

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-

According to discogs there have been 2 vinyl pressings of the album 3121. They both appear to be released by Universal and NPG Records and both have the same catalogue number. Below are the links to both of these releases on discogs. Apparently both pressings are nearly identical. According to discogs; "You can distinguish both versions by the text on the center labels. The UK version has PROMO ONLY NOT FOR RESALE whereas the US copy just reads PROMO ONLY." Are either of these releases official pressings?

-

-

UK Promo LP of 3121:

http://www.discogs.com/Pr...ase/759416

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-

US Promo LP of 3121:

http://www.discogs.com/Pr...se/1836244

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-

There is also this 4 track promo 12":

http://www.discogs.com/Pr...se/1465972

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-

Discogs lists this 4 track promo as not being on a label but this sometimes happens with promos, and I think I would pick this up if the 3121 LP turns out to be an unofficial release.

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Planet Earth

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According to discogs there is one release of this album on vinyl. It is not listed as unnofficial but I have seen people debating whether or not it is an official release before on this site. Is it an official pressing?

-

-

European LP release of Planet Earth:

http://www.discogs.com/Pr...se/1221268

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-

-

-

Thanks in advance to anybody who posts, would like to clear this up once and for all for myself and all the others out there who might want to pick up a copy of any of these albums on vinyl.

Peace & B Wild

I'm not absolutely certain, but surely someone who is certain will post...

That said, I'm fairly sure that all the ones you mention are pirated copies (fakes) and not official vinyl releases or official promo releases.

You mention having vinyl through '99, so, I assume you have Rave Un2 The Joy Fantastic. After that, the only official vinyl releases I know about are:

The Rainbow Children

Lotusflow3r/MPLSound

(not counting the 180gm re-releases)

Good luck building your collection. Might I recommend you also get these on vinyl:

NPG - Exodus

The Family

Madhouse 8 & 16

the first 3 albums by The Time

and most essentially: Prince's 12" singles, at least up through 1991!

djThunderfunk said:

I'm not absolutely certain, but surely someone who is certain will post...

That said, I'm fairly sure that all the ones you mention are pirated copies (fakes) and not official vinyl releases or official promo releases.

You mention having vinyl through '99, so, I assume you have Rave Un2 The Joy Fantastic. After that, the only official vinyl releases I know about are:

The Rainbow Children

Lotusflow3r/MPLSound

(not counting the 180gm re-releases)

Good luck building your collection. Might I recommend you also get these on vinyl:

NPG - Exodus

The Family

Madhouse 8 & 16

the first 3 albums by The Time

and most essentially: Prince's 12" singles, at least up through 1991!

Hey, that's a great idea! I'm also buying Prince albums in vinyl and I hadn't thought about Exodus, just because it isn't exactly "Prince". But I love the album (even more than The Gold Experience, actually), and it'd be great to own the vinyl. It must be expensive though, I guess...

greyhoodiegirl said:

hey guys, I need some help.

-

-

Do you know anything about the nature of the vinyl pressings of the albums Musicology, 3121 or Planet Earth? I would like to pick up all the Prince back catalogue on wax if possible but many of the albums were never pressed onto vinyl. I have got most of the albums 79-99 on wax but my collection drops off at the beginning of the new millenium. Over the past few years there have been discussions on this site about whether or not the albums are official or not, with some people claiming to know people involved with the record labels etc. I want to know if these albums were official pressings or not so that I can buy them

-

-

I have used discogs as my main source of info. And for the purposes of clarity, my definition of an "official pressing" is one facilitated by the record label, from the master source, not by a third party ripping from a CD and pressing to vinyl unofficially. Below I have included a bit of context to my Q:

-

-

Musicology

-

-

According to discogs there has been one release of this album on vinyl. Is it an official pressing?

-

-

UK/Europe Promo LP of Musicology:

http://www.discogs.com/Pr...se/1338117

-

-

3121

-

-

According to discogs there have been 2 vinyl pressings of the album 3121. They both appear to be released by Universal and NPG Records and both have the same catalogue number. Below are the links to both of these releases on discogs. Apparently both pressings are nearly identical. According to discogs; "You can distinguish both versions by the text on the center labels. The UK version has PROMO ONLY NOT FOR RESALE whereas the US copy just reads PROMO ONLY." Are either of these releases official pressings?

-

-

UK Promo LP of 3121:

http://www.discogs.com/Pr...ase/759416

-

-

US Promo LP of 3121:

http://www.discogs.com/Pr...se/1836244

-

-

There is also this 4 track promo 12":

http://www.discogs.com/Pr...se/1465972

-

-

Discogs lists this 4 track promo as not being on a label but this sometimes happens with promos, and I think I would pick this up if the 3121 LP turns out to be an unofficial release.

-

-

Planet Earth

-

-

According to discogs there is one release of this album on vinyl. It is not listed as unnofficial but I have seen people debating whether or not it is an official release before on this site. Is it an official pressing?

-

-

European LP release of Planet Earth:

http://www.discogs.com/Pr...se/1221268

-

-

-

-

Thanks in advance to anybody who posts, would like to clear this up once and for all for myself and all the others out there who might want to pick up a copy of any of these albums on vinyl.

Peace & B Wild

Musicology is official

Musicology 4 track sampler is pirate

3121 US and UK pressing are official

3121 4 track sampler is pirate

Planet Earth is also a pirate

chopingard said:

Musicology is official

3121 US and UK pressing are official

Source?

Javi said:

djThunderfunk said:

I'm not absolutely certain, but surely someone who is certain will post...

That said, I'm fairly sure that all the ones you mention are pirated copies (fakes) and not official vinyl releases or official promo releases.

You mention having vinyl through '99, so, I assume you have Rave Un2 The Joy Fantastic. After that, the only official vinyl releases I know about are:

The Rainbow Children

Lotusflow3r/MPLSound

(not counting the 180gm re-releases)

Good luck building your collection. Might I recommend you also get these on vinyl:

NPG - Exodus

The Family

Madhouse 8 & 16

the first 3 albums by The Time

and most essentially: Prince's 12" singles, at least up through 1991!

Hey, that's a great idea! I'm also buying Prince albums in vinyl and I hadn't thought about Exodus, just because it isn't exactly "Prince". But I love the album (even more than The Gold Experience, actually), and it'd be great to own the vinyl. It must be expensive though, I guess...

Exodus is excellent on vinyl.

There's also a Get Wild 12" that plays from the inside out... pretty sweeeet!

the official Musicology vinyl is here:

[img:$uid]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v67/ecnirp2004/ekstrabladet06_zps9a0c1252.jpg[/img:$uid]

I'm NOT saying that I know for sure Musicology & 3121 aren't official.

However, I remember there being quite the debate about this topic once upon a time.

IIRC, the consensus was that they were not official.

My memory could be wrong....

So, I ask... Source?

[Edited 5/27/13 9:31am]

I have the Lotusflow3r/MPLSound vinyl.

luv4u said:

I have the Lotusflow3r/MPLSound vinyl.

As do I. Sounds fantastic!

djThunderfunk said:

Javi said:

Hey, that's a great idea! I'm also buying Prince albums in vinyl and I hadn't thought about Exodus, just because it isn't exactly "Prince". But I love the album (even more than The Gold Experience, actually), and it'd be great to own the vinyl. It must be expensive though, I guess...

Exodus is excellent on vinyl.

There's also a Get Wild 12" that plays from the inside out... pretty sweeeet!

I've been quite silly, actually. When thinking about completing my Prince vinyl collection, I've always forgotten Exodus! I love the album. I've seen a copy in ebay selling for 150$... I'm thinking about it... If I buy it, I'll tell you! You'll be to blame for my bankruptcy!

Javi said:

djThunderfunk said:

Exodus is excellent on vinyl.

There's also a Get Wild 12" that plays from the inside out... pretty sweeeet!

I've been quite silly, actually. When thinking about completing my Prince vinyl collection, I've always forgotten Exodus! I love the album. I've seen a copy in ebay selling for 150$... I'm thinking about it... If I buy it, I'll tell you! You'll be to blame for my bankruptcy!

djThunderfunk said:

chopingard said:

Musicology is official

3121 US and UK pressing are official

Source?

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-

-

yes please, source?

djThunderfunk said:

luv4u said:

I have the Lotusflow3r/MPLSound vinyl.

As do I. Sounds fantastic!

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-

-

i also got this last year

so i suppose my gap in wax is between 99-09

greyhoodiegirl said:

hey guys, I need some help.

-

-

Do you know anything about the nature of the vinyl pressings of the albums Musicology, 3121 or Planet Earth? I would like to pick up all the Prince back catalogue on wax if possible but many of the albums were never pressed onto vinyl. I have got most of the albums 79-99 on wax but my collection drops off at the beginning of the new millenium. Over the past few years there have been discussions on this site about whether or not the albums are official or not, with some people claiming to know people involved with the record labels etc. I want to know if these albums were official pressings or not so that I can buy them

-

-

I have used discogs as my main source of info. And for the purposes of clarity, my definition of an "official pressing" is one facilitated by the record label, from the master source, not by a third party ripping from a CD and pressing to vinyl unofficially. Below I have included a bit of context to my Q:

-

-

Musicology

-

-

According to discogs there has been one release of this album on vinyl. Is it an official pressing?

-

-

UK/Europe Promo LP of Musicology:

http://www.discogs.com/Pr...se/1338117

-

-

3121

-

-

According to discogs there have been 2 vinyl pressings of the album 3121. They both appear to be released by Universal and NPG Records and both have the same catalogue number. Below are the links to both of these releases on discogs. Apparently both pressings are nearly identical. According to discogs; "You can distinguish both versions by the text on the center labels. The UK version has PROMO ONLY NOT FOR RESALE whereas the US copy just reads PROMO ONLY." Are either of these releases official pressings?

-

-

UK Promo LP of 3121:

http://www.discogs.com/Pr...ase/759416

-

-

US Promo LP of 3121:

http://www.discogs.com/Pr...se/1836244

-

-

There is also this 4 track promo 12":

http://www.discogs.com/Pr...se/1465972

-

-

Discogs lists this 4 track promo as not being on a label but this sometimes happens with promos, and I think I would pick this up if the 3121 LP turns out to be an unofficial release.

-

-

Planet Earth

-

-

According to discogs there is one release of this album on vinyl. It is not listed as unnofficial but I have seen people debating whether or not it is an official release before on this site. Is it an official pressing?

-

-

European LP release of Planet Earth:

http://www.discogs.com/Pr...se/1221268

-

-

-

-

Thanks in advance to anybody who posts, would like to clear this up once and for all for myself and all the others out there who might want to pick up a copy of any of these albums on vinyl.

Peace & B Wild

Musicology and 3121 are official

djThunderfunk said:

Javi said:

I've been quite silly, actually. When thinking about completing my Prince vinyl collection, I've always forgotten Exodus! I love the album. I've seen a copy in ebay selling for 150$... I'm thinking about it... If I buy it, I'll tell you! You'll be to blame for my bankruptcy!

I've just bought it! Found it in a Spanish website similar to ebay just for 30 €! Thanks for the recommendation.

khemseraph said:

Musicology and 3121 are official

Again I ask... Source?

Javi said:

djThunderfunk said:

I've just bought it! Found it in a Spanish website similar to ebay just for 30 €! Thanks for the recommendation.

Sweeet! You'll dig it, I'm sure.

If Musicology and 3121 are official (something which hasn't been proved here), I guess there would be only two Prince albums without a vinyl version, Emancipation and 20ten (not considering the NPG Music Club internet-only releases).

Javi said:

If Musicology and 3121 are official (something which hasn't been proved here), I guess there would be only two Prince albums without a vinyl version, Emancipation and 20ten (not considering the NPG Music Club internet-only releases).

Planet Earth, Crystal Ball, The Truth...

Was Chaos And Disorder or The Vault... Old Friends For Sale released on vinyl?

djThunderfunk said:

Javi said:

If Musicology and 3121 are official (something which hasn't been proved here), I guess there would be only two Prince albums without a vinyl version, Emancipation and 20ten (not considering the NPG Music Club internet-only releases).

Planet Earth, Crystal Ball, The Truth...

Was Chaos And Disorder or The Vault... Old Friends For Sale released on vinyl?

I didn't count Crystal Ball and The Vault because they were somewhat "compilations", but yeah, they weren't released in vinyl. Planet Earth would be in the debate of it being official or not. But yes, I totally forgot Chaos And Disorder! Maybe that shows how little that album means to me!

Javi said:

djThunderfunk said:

Planet Earth, Crystal Ball, The Truth...

Was Chaos And Disorder or The Vault... Old Friends For Sale released on vinyl?

I didn't count Crystal Ball and The Vault because they were somewhat "compilations", but yeah, they weren't released in vinyl. Planet Earth would be in the debate of it being official or not. But yes, I totally forgot Chaos And Disorder! Maybe that shows how little that album means to me!

Hmmmm,

IMO C&D has much better tracks than Musicology, Planet Earth or 2010.

djThunderfunk said:

Javi said:

I didn't count Crystal Ball and The Vault because they were somewhat "compilations", but yeah, they weren't released in vinyl. Planet Earth would be in the debate of it being official or not. But yes, I totally forgot Chaos And Disorder! Maybe that shows how little that album means to me!

Hmmmm,

IMO C&D has much better tracks than Musicology, Planet Earth or 2010.

Well, I do love "The Same December", and both the title track and "Dinner With Delores" are very good. But, in my opinion, that's all there is. Not that I particularly like Musicology and 20ten. The one I really love is Planet Earth. I know I'm in the minority here, but that record sounds great to my ears.

djThunderfunk said:

khemseraph said:

Musicology and 3121 are official

Again I ask... Source?

I guess there are no sources for this info then?

In that case, the issue is still up for debate. No?

djThunderfunk said:

djThunderfunk said:

Again I ask... Source?

I guess there are no sources for this info then?

In that case, the issue is still up for debate. No?

yes !

sources ????

http://prince.org/msg/7/299606

The doubt about Musicology and 3121 I seem to remember is not wether they were official in the sense that Universal and columbia had pressed them. The debate was wether Prince had given them the go ahead to do it.

Similar to the controversy around Bellmark pressing stuff up just to create collectables. The Jacob Armen CD and a Mayte single Rythm Of Your Heart I belive

Planet Earth there is no debate about , It's obviously Pirate if you've ever held one in your hands the labels are diffrent to the Chelsea Rodgers/ Mr Goodnight 12" the NPG Records logo looks stretched and it comes in a cheapy non gloss plain sleeve

Musicology comes in the stock Columbia Urban Division sleeve and has the same label markings at the offical Musicology/Cinammon Girl 12" Promo

3121 again has the same label art as the Black Sweat/Beautiful Loved & Blessed 12" with plain black sleeve and sticker art on it.

Check for yourselves how they all look here (just for reference not as evidence)

http://sleevographia2.free.fr/0Chercher.htm

I seem to remember friends getting them (at least 3121) direct from people they knew at the label

I'm all up for being proven wrong but you'd have to have some pretty conclusive proof as to who faked them or some official denial from both Columbia and Universal

[Edited 6/2/13 4:51am]

player said:

http://prince.org/msg/7/299606

The thread you linked to is a lot like this one in that there are varying opinions and but no concrete answers.