http://numerogroup.com/products/purple-snow-forecasting-the-minneapolis-sound

A book and 32 tracks.

"Bubbling up from the snow-blanketed land of 10,000 lakes, the Minneapolis Sound defied expectations, emerging late in the ‘70s as a slick, black, technologically advanced fusion, poised to storm the charts. In relative silence, the Twin Cities had been harboring a tight-knit community feverishly at work in radically manipulating American dance music, varnishing futurist funk with guitar rock’s glamorous sheen. Purple Snow, the Numero Group’s ambitious 50th mainline release, chronicles false starts and follow-throughs toward Minneapolis Sound, on 4 LPs and 32 rare and unreleased recordings from the years just prior to, and just after, one gifted Nelson was crowned Prince. At some 30,000 words, our 144-page hardbound book meticulously directs the listener through two hours of music, and a decade dotted by adept producers, combos, and characters—like 94 East, Flyte Tyme, and Alexander O’Neal, whose less celebrated groundwork put Minneapolis’ purple launchpad on the map. From Jimmy Jam’s extroverted Mind & Matter collective to André Cymone’s polish-free bedroom demos, Purple Snow gathers as the sprawling, nonfiction prequel to Purple Rain’s cultural takeover. In image-rich splendor, funk-informed hordes of unsung Twin Cities talent bask for a spotlit moment, out of that persistent violet shadow, to shine."

Perfect christmas present... looks fascinating.

I bought it yesterday - the vinyl edition. it's soooo beautiful. the most beautiful present i made myself the whole year. great book, great 70s-style pictures of really cool people.

haven't had time to listen to the music yet. but the snippets you can hear on numero's homepage sound very promising, too.

this is a warning: over the holidays i had the time to listen to the first two of the four records in the vinyl box. and i'm sorry to say that at least the first record of the box i bought is a misprint. not one song on side A is the one it should be. track 1, which should be "if you see me" by 94 east and one of only two tracks in the whole box that features prince is in fact "no one else can do it..." by mind & matter, the others i do not yet recognise.

so if you plan on buying the vinyl edition: please check side A first.

Sides B to D are quite fun to listen to, though. not listened to the rest yet.