There's nothing confirmed as fact, but as the story goes, several of the songs (at least three) on 20Ten were supposed to have existed in longer versions -- Lavaux, Act of God, and Laydown. These "full versions" were planned for release on an expanded collection, 20Ten Deluxe, which also was to feature several additional songs, among them "Cause and Effect," "Hot Summer," and "Rich Friends."

It was speculated that Prince approached WB about releasing 20Ten Deluxe, but they turned him down. The three known bonus tracks circulate as radio rips, and one of the extended remixes (Laydown) was officially streamed on 3RDEYEGIRL's YouTube channel. I heard the supposed "Act of God" remix on a bootleg compilation, but I'm not sure if it's legit or fan-made. The "Lavaux" remix was mentioned by Prince to the Peach & Black guys when they interviewed him in 2011.

I don't think Prince paired down the album BEFORE release, as Bart implied. Rather, I think it was more akin to what happened with Rave Un2/In2: The proper album was released first, then a companion album was planned with extended remixes and bonus tracks. I could be wrong, though.

KingSausage said:

On another thread, somebody (Bart?) mentioned that numerous record companies rejected 20ten so Prince responded by cutting down the album and releasing it himself.

.

Wasn't me.

bluefish said:

I don't think Prince paired down the album BEFORE release, as Bart implied. Rather, I think it was more akin to what happened with Rave Un2/In2: The proper album was released first, then a companion album was planned with extended remixes and bonus tracks. I could be wrong, though.

.

Wasn't me.

.

But I wouldn't be surprised if the Deluxe edition was part of the original plan, much like the online pre-order of CB was intended to lure a distributor ("see how many people want to buy this set!"): the "normal/short" version of the album for free with some newspapers to build hype, and then follow that by a worldwide "deluxe" edition.

.

But that doesn't work when the album is a pile of shite nobody gives a damn about, of course. No sane record label would bother with releasing an album that's completely failed as a freebie.

The material is so aweful, I can't believe Prince thought anyone would rush to distribute it.

But, this could explain why this was Europe only release, with no eventual US distribution.
I wonder if this is why he stopped releasing albums for 4 years.

I'm honestly more intersted in why the Lotusflow3r website was such a flop. I don't mean that

from a fan's standpoint--I understand why people didn't want to signup for the

website. What I mean is why Prince didn't execute it better. It's as if he dreamed up this

concept complete with art, new protege, etc. and lost interest after a few television

appearances.

Blixical said:

The material is so aweful, I can't believe Prince thought anyone would rush to distribute it.

But, this could explain why this was Europe only release, with no eventual US distribution.
I wonder if this is why he stopped releasing albums for 4 years.

.

He stopped releasing things because he couldn't find anyone nuts to pay several million upfront. It's clear that he went to iTunes and that they laughed him out of the building with his insistence on wanting being paid upfront, as if he's doing them a favor by releasing something on their platform.

.

I'm honestly more intersted in why the Lotusflow3r website was such a flop. I don't mean that

from a fan's standpoint--I understand why people didn't want to signup for the

website. What I mean is why Prince didn't execute it better. It's as if he dreamed up this

concept complete with art, new protege, etc. and lost interest after a few television

appearances.

.

It's a feedback loop. He hired guys who weren't that competent. Then the go-live was a clusterfuck that took days/weeks to be resolved, by which time it became clear the enthusiastic reports from three fans who were invited to Prince's house were (as expected) utterly hyperbolic and that the actual website was a cheapish and amateurish vanity project where sensible navigation was nowhere to be found and the content was mostly things you'd already seen before. It didn't help that the videos were crappy quality and often had the wrong aspect ratio, etcetera.

.

The website was bad, and Prince fans who were on the fence WRT joining weren't doing so. And because the website was a flop, Prince stopped caring. Which again made fans angier, making it less likely that others would join, etc.

.

There was an interview with the guys who ran it a year or so afterwards and they basically admitted that what was theorized at the time: that they'd been promised plenty of exclusives and that those didn't materialize because the website was a flop and Prince stopped caring about it after a week or so.

.

It's the same problem Prince has had for a long time: he delivers a sub-par product and then loses interest shortly afterwards because he expected a grand success. The man simply can't follow through, doesn't invest. Just look at the haphazard approach of the past two years: bursts of activity followed by weeks of inaction and then a change of direction (3EG to NPG to solo to 3EG etc).

KingSausage said:

On another thread, somebody (Bart?) mentioned that numerous record companies rejected 20ten so Prince responded by cutting down the album and releasing it himself. Where can I read more about the backstory on this? I can't find anything substantive online. I want to learn more about the rejections and what Prince cut from that album.

I just checked out your favourite albums:

'12 Inches of Snow' by Snow, 'Looking for Freedom' by David Hasselhoff, 'Moment of Truth' by Milli Vanilli, and 'Hulk Rules' by Hulk Hogan's Wrestling Boot Band. Oh, and NPS!

That was my siesta laugh of the day. Thank you.

stesa said:

KingSausage said:

stesa said:

I just checked out your favourite albums:

'12 Inches of Snow' by Snow, 'Looking for Freedom' by David Hasselhoff, 'Moment of Truth' by Milli Vanilli, and 'Hulk Rules' by Hulk Hogan's Wrestling Boot Band. Oh, and NPS!

That was my siesta laugh of the day. Thank you.

I actually own the Hulk album. It's really fucked up.

And I own (and will defend) Snow's 12 Inches of Snow! (well, I'd defend at least "Informer...")

Guess I'm in the minority, I like a lot of the tracks on 20Ten. There are a few tracks that he could switched out, but there is some really good stuff here. And with all the tracks he has in the vault, there had to be some there he could have released with this set to make it a decent release. And why not release it for free, like U2 did for there latest album. Luckily I had folks over sea's who sent the 20Ten CD over to me. There are some great Prince fans out there!

BartVanHemelen said:

Blixical said:

The material is so aweful, I can't believe Prince thought anyone would rush to distribute it.

But, this could explain why this was Europe only release, with no eventual US distribution.
I wonder if this is why he stopped releasing albums for 4 years.

.

He stopped releasing things because he couldn't find anyone nuts to pay several million upfront. It's clear that he went to iTunes and that they laughed him out of the building with his insistence on wanting being paid upfront, as if he's doing them a favor by releasing something on their platform.

eh, I dunno. seems like U2 managed to get something out of it. at this point, U2 is still way bigger than Prince. but I'm sure he'd have settled for $10 million instead of $100 million. or even 5.

3NineteeN04 said:

Guess I'm in the minority, I like a lot of the tracks on 20Ten. There are a few tracks that he could switched out, but there is some really good stuff here. And with all the tracks he has in the vault, there had to be some there he could have released with this set to make it a decent release. And why not release it for free, like U2 did for there latest album. Luckily I had folks over sea's who sent the 20Ten CD over to me. There are some great Prince fans out there!

I also like 20Ten quite a bit, although it is not a great album like his 80's classics I have enjoyed it the most of all albums since TRC.

This is why I LAUGH my ass off when people say PRINCE should do what U2 did, SORRY not going to happen, ONE Prince is not U2 and most would not care about a "new" Prince album. TWO no one trusts him, sorry to break it to you all, he may still be a huge touring force, or could be when he decides to do a real one. But no one trusts him with "deals" like that anymore. the RAVE fiasco is fucking legendary, and he was lucky the SONY thing worked but that was more or less "I better save my ass" Prince getting real. But still handing him money and letting him do something is not what labels are after him for.

One problem with artists like Prince is that many can't grasp that with alternative distribution, you should be making less money. If you make equal money to what you were in the old music industry days, you're knocking it out of the park. If you make the rare Jay Z or U2 money, it barely has anything to do with the content itself, and everything to do with your endorsement, and the value of your name recognition. It's a cycle of letting the business plan dictate your output, instead of doing what a genius should be doing, writing undeniable great songs (if you can) instead.

lastdecember said:

KingSausage said:

On another thread, somebody (Bart?) mentioned that numerous record companies rejected 20ten so Prince responded by cutting down the album and releasing it himself. Where can I read more about the backstory on this? I can't find anything substantive online. I want to learn more about the rejections and what Prince cut from that album.

.

It was I who posted this:

.

I think something happened to Prince when his 20ten project was rejected by labels and distribution (with WB likely in that mix). Think about it... he pours himself into crafting a real throwback sounding Prince album, no one bites, so he chops the album down drastically and gives it away. Then, he becomes "album shy". There was another album project in the works, which would have included 'Rock & Roll Love Affair', 'Screwdriver', etc. Remember the shirts, guitar, and lyric sheet, all with the flaming graphics?

Giovanni777 said:

Askani said:

BartVanHemelen said:

.

He stopped releasing things because he couldn't find anyone nuts to pay several million upfront. It's clear that he went to iTunes and that they laughed him out of the building with his insistence on wanting being paid upfront, as if he's doing them a favor by releasing something on their platform.

eh, I dunno. seems like U2 managed to get something out of it. at this point, U2 is still way bigger than Prince. but I'm sure he'd have settled for $10 million instead of $100 million. or even 5.

.

Comparing Prince to U2 is just laughable. Why would iTunes bother dealing with Prince, a fickle artist with abysmal sales and a reputation for being difficult and unmanageable?

Fact is we don't know anything about why 20ten was released. officially said that WB Europe was to release 20ten Deluxe in an interview IIRC, and why this failed to happen no one knows but if he announced it it's likely they had shown a prior interest in it. At this point was trying alternate distribution means, even the domestic Target-only release of LF (with a limited French version as well) was an unusual way of releasing albums, and the 2 albums before had been released one alongside a book and the other alongside newspapers in UK/Ireland, while Musicology was also sold alongside concert tickets in the US.

My take is that small labels the likes of the labels that released NEWS and TRC could pay only little (if any) advance and provide little marketing, while majors at this point were only interested in very commercial, easy to grasp projects à la Musicology/3121, so probably thought alternative distribution means was a middle ground for more intimate albums.

I've always had the feeling that 20ten had the vibe of one of those things recorded "for personal use only", more of an intimate vault album, that finally decided to release in some countries for the fun of it and in order to promote his european tour that summer as well.

P probably earned more money with his press deals in 5 countries that if the album was released in stores worldwide.

I think he just wanted to sell the same album twice, with a deluxe version. LAYDOWN could have been a huge hit, but beside that, from 2007, nobody wanted to sign with Prince anymore.

WB was the only serious candidate from this moment on, because they had something to win with the reeditions.

Even for Prince, things are getting harder and harder, and I think he reconsidered the amount of money WB proposed him before.

He was reported to refuse 10 millions from YOUTUBE in 2006 (I read that somewhere, on P.org), for them to have the exclusivity of the Prince video. Today, they wouldnt give him a dime, the only thought of the idea would be laughable (be it Prince, U2 or Beyonce).

[Edited 9/22/14 5:21am]

Funny...I actually decided to listen to 20ten again this weekend all the way through -- just to see if I still thought I liked it. I admit I do. It has its own sound and the songs flow well when played in order. Having said that, I can also understand why a label wouldn't want any part of it. Definitely not for massive consumption. Even among us orgers it has very mixed reviews. I'd file it under fun-but-forgettable.

KingSausage said:

There are times when I like 20ten more than anything else he's done since TGE. Perhaps I've said too much...

Same here. And now I've said too much. I also really like Wedding Feast. Someone please stop me from typing.

If I were a label and if I could hold Prince contractual obligations properly, I would have released on singles :

1. LAYDOWN

2. BEGINNING ENDLESSLY

3. Sticky Like glue

4. Walk in sand

Very radio friendly

And pop ! easily goes the platinum status in the US.

Blixical said:

The material is so aweful, I can't believe Prince thought anyone would rush to distribute it.

But, this could explain why this was Europe only release, with no eventual US distribution.
I wonder if this is why he stopped releasing albums for 4 years.

I'm honestly more intersted in why the Lotusflow3r website was such a flop. I don't mean that

from a fan's standpoint--I understand why people didn't want to signup for the

website. What I mean is why Prince didn't execute it better. It's as if he dreamed up this

concept complete with art, new protege, etc. and lost interest after a few television

appearances.

You answered your own question.

RODSERLING said:

If I were a label and if I could hold Prince contractual obligations properly, I would have released on singles :

1. LAYDOWN

2. BEGINNING ENDLESSLY

3. Sticky Like glue

4. Walk in sand

Very radio friendly

And pop ! easily goes the platinum status in the US.

Tampax totally would have bought this to use for a commercial.

is it true copies of 20ten deluxe were stolen during tour ? they were supposed to be given at shows

Genesia said: