There seems to be a lack of understanding here regarding hits compilations.

They rarely chart highly - as mentioned the Bowie one charted at a similar place.

Hits compilations are slow and steady. They maintain a steady sales pace over time, year in, year out.

This is why labels sometimes try and time them with the release of new material by the artist which may be happening on another label. When "Ultimate Prince" came out, WB tried to get it released at the same time as 3121 to capitalise on the promo of that album. This is just to give it an initial boost.

But they aren't expected to do huge numbers on their own.

I should know - Virgin/EMI issued a hits compilation for me/my band back in 2009. It's maintained a steady pace of sales ever since, although it's digital only at this point, it never had a physical re-print.

Truth be told the average Prince consumer has this already, albeit The Hits/B-Sides, The Ultimate Prince, and The Very Best of Prince. I will go ahead and throw in the Girl 6 album. From what I understand this album was something that Prince was in agreement to release anyway because he wasn't pleased with the other compilations. Either you're going to get this album or you're not. It is what it is.

[Edited 11/29/16 13:53pm]

Why is this sad? He is dead. That is the sad part. WTF?

Dibblekins said:

I think it's worth remembering that P passed 7 months ago and his Greatest Hits then scaled the top of the charts...

Unfortunately, for all intents and purposes, Prince4Ever is a rehash..Maybe if it contained entirely different tracks (and some more unreleased songs) it would have done better but, as far as the average music-lover is concerned, the perception is that they'd already bought this album 7 months ago, why buy it again (albeit with a change of artwork)?

Truly, I think Warners missed a trick with this, I really do.

Also, Purple Rain charted, too.

Militant said:

Dibblekins said:

I think it's worth remembering that P passed 7 months ago and his Greatest Hits then scaled the top of the charts...

Unfortunately, for all intents and purposes, Prince4Ever is a rehash..Maybe if it contained entirely different tracks (and some more unreleased songs) it would have done better but, as far as the average music-lover is concerned, the perception is that they'd already bought this album 7 months ago, why buy it again (albeit with a change of artwork)?

Truly, I think Warners missed a trick with this, I really do.

.

Exactly, the material is already out there. WB just added "Moonbeam Levels" to attract sales.

Militant said:

EmmaMcG said:

Militant said:

There seems to be a lack of understanding here regarding hits compilations.

They rarely chart highly - as mentioned the Bowie one charted at a similar place.

Hits compilations are slow and steady. They maintain a steady sales pace over time, year in, year out.

This is why labels sometimes try and time them with the release of new material by the artist which may be happening on another label. When "Ultimate Prince" came out, WB tried to get it released at the same time as 3121 to capitalise on the promo of that album. This is just to give it an initial boost.

But they aren't expected to do huge numbers on their own.

I should know - Virgin/EMI issued a hits compilation for me/my band back in 2009. It's maintained a steady pace of sales ever since, although it's digital only at this point, it never had a physical re-print.

That's a good point regarding the expected sales of hits compilations. But, taking that into account, does it not make the release of 4ever a bit pointless seeing as a better version was released nearly 25 years ago which also included a third disc of B-sides? It's not as though they included any songs from 1994 onwards to make it a worthwhile purchase. A reissue of the Hits/B-sides with 2 additional discs of material from the second half of his career would have been more beneficial to casual fans who may want The Most Beautiful Girl in the World or Black Sweat but not necessarily want to buy The Gold Experience or 3121. I know it could be a rights issue with some of his later recordings but surely it wouldn't be that difficult to put together something different than what was already released?

It's a very conservative release, to test the waters, basically. See what kind of interest they can gauge by releasing a previously unreleased song - they'll make a note of what blogs talk about, they'll track the social metrics, etc. They'll note how well the ad campaign does with the promo videos etc.

Then they'll have some data to use for marketing when they release Purple Rain deluxe.

It's more a business release than an artistic release in many ways - whilst also being of value to collectors and completists (like myself).

Yes - they could have and probably should have done a bit more, and made it more exciting. But like I said, it's a conservative release to better aim future releases - and also something to appeal to new fans.

As to why it's only material up until 1994 - it's a WB release. Trying to get rights to songs from various other labels would take way too long to make it worth doing for this release.

Militant said it all. No one expected this to hit the top 10... except people here on the Org and a few particularly unrealistic fans.

Rejoice dear fans, today I saw Prince in the elevator at work. On a small screen, yes, but I never thought I'd see Prince in that cold steel tower.

u'd have to be crazy to buy it...with only one song

jaawwnn said:

because the general public really cares about Moonbeam Levels and Girls & Boys single edit? They already bought a best of with all the hits back in April. This is getting the chart position it deserves.

exactly. even casual general listeners might already have 2 hits pacakges and a one or two
of his albums.

then in april people bought a million albums. mostly hits packages.

so why would they even release this now? and why would any prince fan think that this was
going to sell millions of copies and put prince at #1 on the chart again?

we should all be glad that shit releases like this are selling badly because it gives them all a
hint that his fans want something else.

luvsexy4all said:

Where the hell is it? Sure, I could have bought it online, but I went to Target on 11/22 and was told you have to order it online, it wont be at Target until 12/02? Went to another Target, not there. Went to FYE...not there. The record store clerks are clueless that there's a new Prince release. I gave up and ordered online, still waiting.

I bought it and the new Kate Bush live album today, it came in early (was suppose to get it this Friday)

KingSausage said:

I'm hoping to get Prince4ever as a Christms gift. I've told my kids enough times, that maybe one of them will follow thru.

Ironic that the must crass commercial choice to release this Cd rather than one that had some new things on it ends up bombing commercially whereas I believe that the PR Deluxe Cd would have done better unless that too is virtually hidden in the stores and on Amazon.

Like the Very Best of Prince and the other greatest hits albums it will sell many copies in the following years.

Maybe a Symbol greatest hits will follow...but that will take some time...

Without a full sales week and no streaming at all (even not at tidal) it is hard to get a better first chart week...

Including streaming The very best of Prince and Purple Rain sold in the US alone 1.7 million copies...plus nearly 4 million song downloads in the US...

VBOP and PR still sell like 2-3 k copies a week there...

How heavily is it being pushed by WB?

Moonbeam levels is such a great song.

Hear it a lot on the radio, and you know it fits in (Prince's music still fits in) perfectly well with it all.

-

This song has something that's been gone for a long time,

and that's a good 'bridge' in the middle.

A special mainstay in Prince's music of the eighties imho.

Musicaly it's a superb piece; just listen to that suporting and singing guitar melody...

:

"...A newborn child knows nothing of destruction

Nothing of love and hate

What happens in between is a mystery
Because we don't give a damn about his fate..."

Militant said:

EmmaMcG said:

Militant said:

It's a very conservative release, to test the waters, basically. See what kind of interest they can gauge by releasing a previously unreleased song - they'll make a note of what blogs talk about, they'll track the social metrics, etc. They'll note how well the ad campaign does with the promo videos etc.

Then they'll have some data to use for marketing when they release Purple Rain deluxe.

It's more a business release than an artistic release in many ways - whilst also being of value to collectors and completists (like myself).

Yes - they could have and probably should have done a bit more, and made it more exciting. But like I said, it's a conservative release to better aim future releases - and also something to appeal to new fans.

As to why it's only material up until 1994 - it's a WB release. Trying to get rights to songs from various other labels would take way too long to make it worth doing for this release.

Wasn't The Gold Experience a Warner release though? It seems strange to me that The Most Beautiful Girl in the World is not included despite it being one of his biggest songs.

It was a joint NPG/Warner album. Was it licenced to Warner or maybe just a distribution deal, i've forgotten... I'm always confused by the specifics of that one.

Come, Old Friends 4 Sale and Chaos & Disorder and Art Offical Age /Plectrum Electrum all came out on Warner (via various different deals) as well and, while obviously missing any big hits, if Warner could release something off these albums on a greatest hits i'm sure they would have.

Here is one of the old great "ultimate" threads that goes into great detail, god it really was a mess back in 1994/5

edit: in fact, it's worth posting scififilmnerd's entire linkage:

Part 1 - ULTIMATE COME:
The Come(back) album that never happened: http://www.prince.org/msg/7/317254

Part 2 - ULTIMATE THE UNDERTAKER:
No records allowed, only videos: http://www.prince.org/msg/7/317534

Part 3 - ULTIMATE THE GOLD EXPERIENCE:
All that glitters ain’t Gold: http://www.prince.org/msg/7/318315

Part 4 - ULTIMATE EXODUS:
Slave to the system: http://www.prince.org/msg/5/319042

Part 5 - ULTIMATE CHAOS AND DISORDER:
Chaos and disorder: http://www.prince.org/msg/7/319752

Part 6 - ULTIMATE EMANCIPATION
Free at last!: http://www.prince.org/msg/7/342786

[Edited 11/30/16 2:00am]

After reading the title I thought it had sold 80 copies.

EmmaMcG said:

They didn't entice people with this compilation at all. They needed to do a career retrosepective release, including his post-Warners output. At least that way, casual fans who may only own Purple Rain and the Very Best Of Prince, would find at least one disc of material they didn't already own. And the inclusion of Moonbeam Levels just seemed like throwing a scrap of meat to the hardcores to give them something to chew on in the meantime. Trouble is, any fan worth their salt would've had a good quality, albeit bootlegged version of Moonbeam for years now. They should've released two completely unheard, quality unreleased songs, alongside Moonbeam Levels, to really peak the interest and get proper Prince fans backing this release.

A 32 track career-retrospective like this, with no crappy single edits, would've been so much better:

1. I Wanna Be Your Lover

2. Dirty Mind

3. Controversy

4. 1999

5. Little Red Corvette

6. Moonbeam Levels

7. Lets Go Crazy

8. When Doves Cry

9. I Would Die 4 U

10. Purple Rain

11. Raspberry Beret

12. Kiss

13. Sign O The Times

14. U Got The Look

15. Alphabet St

16. Previously unreleased 80's song

1. Thieves In The Temple

2. Gett Off

3. Nothing Compares 2 U

4. Cream

5. Diamonds & Pearls

6. My Name Is Prince

7. Sexy MF

8. 7

9. The Most Beautiful Girl In The World

10. Gold

11. Betcha By Golly Wow

12. The Holy River

13. The Greatest Romance Ever Sold

14. Musicology

15. Black Sweat

16. Previously unreleased 00's song

[Edited 11/30/16 2:56am]

Militant said:

MattyJam said: