ladycat said:

Does anyone understand if the WB rights apply to *unreleased* tracks? I wondered if he'd given up the distribution rights in return for owning the masters and also thr unreleased material. I guess it depends whether the original contract covered all intellectual material created in the period, or just released. It's so confusing. All I can gather is that it's almost inevitably going to involve a horrible court case. I wish it could all go to his favourite charities and be used as a legacy for the things he loved.

I belive Prince got into trouble with WB regarding the 97 Crystal Ball release and the outtakes on that which were recorded under his WB contract. From what I understand, they could have collected on that release but instead just wagged their finger at Prince and told him not to do it again. A possible reason for never getting CB2?... That would suggest anything he recorded, released or not, under that contract belonged to WB. Whether those songs were involved in the 2014 WB deal is anyones guess.

... all of this is so confusing and it is so extensive too. I would love to hear more, new music, or rather old coming from the vault. but then in the end, it is all not in our hands.

we can just be really happy, he has left so much there with us. I am always amazed of how much, much MUCH there is. and each of every work of art is so full of detail and I hear and notice something new each time I listen to it, and always get my pleasure of exaclty knowing when which sound or breathe will come and all that....

I am not sure anyone will ever have the time and staying power to go through all the music and tapes he has left. I mean he recored every jamsession, rehersals, night time ideas, music with friends and all that.

wouldn't it be lovely if we could just put a plug in the vault and just stream it from second one to the very last second and just enjoy. oh that would make some hours of streaming...what do I say,..days. weeks. we could just all party and live the music.

I have to say, it was only yesterday I managed to listen to the last show he did on 14th as it was widely spread on the internet. I listend to it and inhaled every single second of it. 1 minute before it was over I stopped it...I just can't stand the idea that this will be the very, very last minute of him living music for us.

have a good day my friends

☮ & ❥

[Edited 5/30/16 1:36am]

mattpierson said:

beatz01 said:

Matt Pierson (who is this guy ??) apparently thinks he's qualified and already has some very BAD ideas (bad as in bad, not good):

https://www.facebook.com/...5061180218

EDIT: He's edited his original post, which in the last paragraph included the suggestion to "destroy anything which is not of historical interest".He kinda still defends that idea in his responses to comments to his original post.

[Edited 4/26/16 19:59pm]

"This guy" worked at WB for 12 years, most of which I served as Exec. VP/GM, Jazz. I have also worked on many catalog reissues, including the release of preivously unavailable material from legendary artists (Miles Davis, Jaco Pastorius, Bill Evans, Count Basie, etc.). I simply told a story about one of my experiences with Prince. In terms of my position about the release of material, I feel strongly that if an artist isn't clear about wanting stuff released, it's very important to tread lightly and rely on those with the most direct knowledge of the artist's wishes. For example, Prince was very clear to me that the track "Can I Play With You" was not to be released. Yet many people continue to share bootlegs of it and share videos and SoundCloud streams of it. If Prince were alive, it is VERY safe to say that he would send out takedown notices. His legacy needs to be based on HIS vision, respecting his wishes as much as possible.

O.k. Mr. Pierson, one simple quesion.

If the music should not be released, then what is the use of keeping it?
IMHO, the music was saved to do something with it, other then just storing it.

If P didn't want the music to be released at all, the he could (should [or even would]) have destroyed it.

While I understand of the need to protect his wishes, shouldn't the whole picture be considered as well? When Franz Kafka died, he wanted his work to be destroyed, but his best friend did not carry out his wish- which is why we have his work today.

While the world would still have Prince music if the vault were destroyed, what

I mean is that legacy and the greater picture should also be considered.

TweetyV6 said:

mattpierson said:

"This guy" worked at WB for 12 years, most of which I served as Exec. VP/GM, Jazz. I have also worked on many catalog reissues, including the release of preivously unavailable material from legendary artists (Miles Davis, Jaco Pastorius, Bill Evans, Count Basie, etc.). I simply told a story about one of my experiences with Prince. In terms of my position about the release of material, I feel strongly that if an artist isn't clear about wanting stuff released, it's very important to tread lightly and rely on those with the most direct knowledge of the artist's wishes. For example, Prince was very clear to me that the track "Can I Play With You" was not to be released. Yet many people continue to share bootlegs of it and share videos and SoundCloud streams of it. If Prince were alive, it is VERY safe to say that he would send out takedown notices. His legacy needs to be based on HIS vision, respecting his wishes as much as possible.

O.k. Mr. Pierson, one simple quesion.

If the music should not be released, then what is the use of keeping it?
IMHO, the music was saved to do something with it, other then just storing it.

If P didn't want the music to be released at all, the he could (should [or even would]) have destroyed it.

So much money to be made from this material. Things generally work out when making money is involved for all parties.

DarkKnight1 said:

So much money to be made from this material. Things generally work out when making money is involved for all parties.

oh yes, you are very right with this. most ptobably this will be the key argument to what will happen to all the music.
I really hope that there might be some 'spoken' tapes. like the intro from the 'one song' something to just listen too other than music. it would be so interesting to listen to.

oh well, time will tell.

schnupp said:

DarkKnight1 said:

So much money to be made from this material. Things generally work out when making money is involved for all parties.

oh yes, you are very right with this. most ptobably this will be the key argument to what will happen to all the music.
I really hope that there might be some 'spoken' tapes. like the intro from the 'one song' something to just listen too other than music. it would be so interesting to listen to.

oh well, time will tell.

We only have to look at the charts. According to Forbes, in the top 200 last week, Prince charted:

- every album from 1978-1989

- 3 greatest hits compilations

- his last 4 albums

The numbers indicate demand for his music in the wake of his death is wide, and deep.

I wonder if his will could be with the vault keys (he said there are multiples) and those might be with the legal papers that document his non disclosure agreements?

We know there is at least one key. We know there were many non disclosure agreements. If the key hasn't been found, perhaps a will is with it. The key must be somewhere.

The more time passes, the more I am thinking that there is not a Will for Prince. It is said that Prince hated contracts. A Will is a contract.

Even if Prince wrote a Will himself, he still needed two witnesses. No one is stepping forth saying that they witnessed such a document.

[Edited 6/5/16 9:27am]

mailaccount63 said:

The more time passes, the more I am thinking that there is not a Will for Prince. It is said that Prince hated contracts. A Will is a contract.

Even if Prince wrote a Will himself, he still needed two witnesses. No one is stepping forth saying that they witnessed such a document.

[Edited 6/5/16 9:27am]

been thinking this myself about his sentiment towards contracts as well as absence of any person proclaiming to be a witness to any such contracts. also,i forget which interview it is in, but they touch on the vault and how much is in it and prince acknowledges that 'one day someone will release it all.' something in his reponse feels really earnest to me, as if he knows it one day its contents will see the light of day, but he honestly doesn't know how or when.

mailaccount63 said:

The more time passes, the more I am thinking that there is not a Will for Prince. It is said that Prince hated contracts. A Will is a contract.

Even if Prince wrote a Will himself, he still needed two witnesses. No one is stepping forth saying that they witnessed such a document.

[Edited 6/5/16 9:27am]

i still dont believe that prince would want almost 50% of his estate to go to a Minnesota death tax which is what will happen with no will....

jstar69 said:

i still dont believe that prince would want almost 50% of his estate to go to a Minnesota death tax which is what will happen with no will....

MN Estate Tax rate is 9-16% with $1.6 mil exemption, plus potential other business and expense exemptions, which I'm sure Bremer will maximize.

I'm okay with revenue coming from the estate of a deceased person who can't use it now, vs. the revenue having to be made up for by folks working paycheck to paycheck.

Eileen said:

jstar69 said:

i still dont believe that prince would want almost 50% of his estate to go to a Minnesota death tax which is what will happen with no will....

MN Estate Tax rate is 9-16% with $1.6 mil exemption, plus potential other business and expense exemptions, which I'm sure Bremer will maximize.

I'm okay with revenue coming from the estate of a deceased person who can't use it now, vs. the revenue having to be made up for by folks working paycheck to paycheck.

If Prince were married, he could have passed on the entirety of his estate to his spouse tax free. However, without a spouse, only $1.6 million of Prince’s estate will be free from Minnesota’s death tax and only $5.45 million will escape the federal death tax.

The combination of Minnesota’s top death tax rate of 16 percent, plus the federal government’s 40 percent rate, means that over 50 percent of Prince’s estate will go to the government.

jstar69 said:

i still dont believe that prince would want almost 50% of his estate to go to a Minnesota death tax which is what will happen with no will....

Eileen said:

MN Estate Tax rate is 9-16% with $1.6 mil exemption, plus potential other business and expense exemptions, which I'm sure Bremer will maximize.

I'm okay with revenue coming from the estate of a deceased person who can't use it now, vs. the revenue having to be made up for by folks working paycheck to paycheck.

If Prince were married, he could have passed on the entirety of his estate to his spouse tax free. However, without a spouse, only $1.6 million of Prince’s estate will be free from Minnesota’s death tax and only $5.45 million will escape the federal death tax.

The combination of Minnesota’s top death tax rate of 16 percent, plus the federal government’s 40 percent rate, means that over 50 percent of Prince’s estate will go to the government.

You said the Minnesota Estate Tax rate was almost 50%. Yes I know the Fed has it's own larger cut, along with a larger over $5.45 mil auto-exemption and others that have to be justified.

I'm still okay with working folks not having to make up that revenue. Or a spouse who is still alive and living on those assets. Makes perfect sense.

Prince had a lot of attorneys who talked to him about such things, so I presume it made sense to him too.

[Edited 6/5/16 23:50pm]

Eileen said:

deerpath said:

I wonder if his will could be with the vault keys (he said there are multiples) and those might be with the legal papers that document his non disclosure agreements?

We know there is at least one key. We know there were many non disclosure agreements. If the key hasn't been found, perhaps a will is with it. The key must be somewhere.

To be valid, most wills are required to be registered with the city/county/etc. where you live, and Prince's lawyers would've already come forward with one. It's not always up to the family to "find" a will.

But, it's been stated that there might be a will in the Vault or on Prince's own computers, which then might have to be authenticated? Could be another disaster.

i dont understand why he wouldnt make a will to make sure the proceeds of his catalog/vault GO TO CHARITIES.

Se7en said:
To be valid, most wills are required to be registered with the city/county/etc. where you live, and Prince's lawyers would've already come forward with one. It's not always up to the family to "find" a will. <<<This is NOT true.

Wills don't need to be filed with the county until someone passes. You can keep your Will wherever you want to - you can keep it in your freezer if you so desire. This has nothing to do with a Will's validity. Usually it IS the family that looks for and finds the Will - and usually knows where estate documents are when someone passes. The majority of the time it is the family that turns over the decedent's Will.

Although it IS true that if Prince's lawyers had drawn up a Will they would have already come forward.

Eileen said:

jstar69 said:

i still dont believe that prince would want almost 50% of his estate to go to a Minnesota death tax which is what will happen with no will....

MN Estate Tax rate is 9-16% with $1.6 mil exemption, plus potential other business and expense exemptions, which I'm sure Bremer will maximize.

I'm okay with revenue coming from the estate of a deceased person who can't use it now, vs. the revenue having to be made up for by folks working paycheck to paycheck.

Plus Prince was patriotic. AND it is recorded where he said several times how much he loved Minnesota. Maybe he didn't care if a large chunk went to taxes. I have seen it happen before.

And he (reportedly) was dealing with excrutiating, chronic pain while trying to keep the "money machine" cranking for everyone, and wasn't able to physically deal with unraveling his estate. He trusted the Probate Court would do it for him - which it will. The State of Minnesota loves/d Prince - they will take care of his estate. Bremer will maximize every exemption it possibly can.

My theory anyway...........

[Edited 6/6/16 19:54pm]

luvsexy4all said:

i dont understand why he wouldnt make a will to make sure the proceeds of his catalog/vault GO TO CHARITIES.

See previous.

http://www.ibtimes.com/will-unheard-prince-songs-be-released-singers-heirs-want-see-whats-inside-paisley-2372198?rel=rel2

Not sure if anyone's seen this yet......for some reason Tyka Nelson is the only relative disputing the release of unheard of vault releases.

mailaccount63 said:

luvsexy4all said:

i dont understand why he wouldnt make a will to make sure the proceeds of his catalog/vault GO TO CHARITIES.

See previous.

but what does that have to do with proceed GOING TO CHARITIES...and NOT warner or his slimey relatives?

Possible reasons Prince did not execute a Will:

1) The "D" word. Some people just have a problem talking about death, especially when the talk is regarding their own.

2) Giving up control.

3) Don't want to deal with attorneys.

4) The cost of estate planning.

5) Family decisions need to be made.

6) A Will is like a contract. Prince said many times that he did not like contracts.

http://wills.about.comody...e-Planning...

Prince’s Unreleased Songs, Paisley Park Compound Could Be For Sale To Pay Taxes

http://www.ibtimes.com/pr...es-2379689