RODSERLING said:

since a lot of great albums by other artists have now been remastered and rereleased
twice if not three times, each time including different content, -even if it is just one or
two more remixes etc, i don't think warners releasing their remastered PR right now
is going to really hurt another universal rerelease down the line. if warners just has a
single disc of extra material at this point, that will sell none the less, especially if the

extra material is unreleased tracks.

but universal now has the right to go through the entire vault, so in 2018 or whatever
they can compile a super deluxe package that includes everything we could want and
more. and just rerelease the thing again.

companies have been milking some legendary albums for decades, it's not like this is
the only rerelease we'll ever see for Purple Rain.

I'd like 2 know what is the best label who nowadays release the Best products as Deluxe & Superdeluxe editions?...Universal?...Sony/Colombia? etc...

love2thenines2003 said:

I'd like 2 know what is the best label who nowadays release the Best products as Deluxe & Superdeluxe editions?...Universal?...Sony/Colombia? etc...

Sad to say, Universal has not been that great at putting out such product in recent years. Actually, my ideal for the Prince catalog would have mirrored what Rhino (part of Warner Music) did with Elvis Costello's catalog a few years back (when they had the rights, before he brought them over to Universal) : put out each album as a 2 CD, with the first CD a remastered version of the original album as it was released, and the second CD containing relevant demos, B-sides, remixes , and live recordings . That was my DREAM for the Prince catalog

I really really hope that the remastered version of Purple Rain is not simply just Purple Rain: Loudness War Edition. I would pay top bucks to have a company like Audio Fidelity or Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab work their hands on Purple Rain and the rest of Prince's 80's material

ForceofNature said:

I really really hope that the remastered version of Purple Rain is not simply just Purple Rain: Loudness War Edition. I would pay top bucks to have a company like Audio Fidelity or Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab work their hands on Purple Rain and the rest of Prince's 80's material

If WB has a guy like Bill Inglot master it, it will be fine. Inglot did great work when he was at Rhino (check out his work on the Costello and Paul Simon catalogs to see what Prince COULDV'E sounded like...if he wasn't so pissed off at Warners regarding his old work )

To me it sounds fairly straight forward.

Universal have bought an exclusive time limited licence for all Prince media, from PRN/PP, who retain ownership, and I guess, have an element of control over what is released.

Within that agreement, some elements will not move to PRN/PP and Universal control until an existing (2014) licence and distribution deal with WB expires. This is all material released or agreed under a previous WB deals.

Within the 2014 WB agreement, control falls back to PRN/PP in a staggered form. At a date unknown, PRN/PP will gain full control of all ownership rights.

The biggest unknown for me is whether Universal have the ability to release unreleased music that falls in the recording period of a WB contract. (78-96).

.

[Edited 2/10/17 11:14am]

jjhunsecker said:

ForceofNature said:

I really really hope that the remastered version of Purple Rain is not simply just Purple Rain: Loudness War Edition. I would pay top bucks to have a company like Audio Fidelity or Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab work their hands on Purple Rain and the rest of Prince's 80's material

If WB has a guy like Bill Inglot master it, it will be fine. Inglot did great work when he was at Rhino (check out his work on the Costello and Paul Simon catalogs to see what Prince COULDV'E sounded like...if he wasn't so pissed off at Warners regarding his old work )

As a big Costello fan I agree his work sounds great on that! With Purple Rain even simply a little more low end and general clarity would be all I would ask for when it comes to a remaster

SquirrelMeat said:

To me it sounds fairly straight forward.

Universal have bought an exclusive time limited licence for all Prince media, from PRN/PP, who retain ownership, and I guess, have an element of control over what is released.

Within that agreement, some elements will not move to PRN/PP and Universal control until an existing (2014) licence and distribution deal with WB expires. This is all material released or agreed under a previous WB deals.

Within the 2014 WB agreement, control falls back to PRN/PP in a staggered form. At a date unknown, PRN/PP will gain full control of all ownership rights.

The biggest unknown for me is whether Universal have the ability to release unreleased music that falls in the recording period of a WB contract. (78-96).

.

[Edited 2/10/17 11:14am]

some of that may well depend on who paid for the studio time. If Prince Billed WB... WB may well have some legal claim.

linus4000 said:

Purple Rain Deluxe/Remastered is part of Prince's deal with warner in 2014. So this will be released for sure this year, in my opinion. All other things have to be worked out...

If it was really part of a deal, it would have been released at least before he signed a deal with Universal to release HITNRUN 1 and 2. Why would have they waited on it for so long ? What was the point ? Still today, 1 year after his death, what is the point to not release it ?

Maybe it was an oral deal as many suspect it.

One thing is for sure : this deal, whatever it is, was not restrictive at all for Prince. Or else, PR deluxe would have been released in 2014, for the 30th anniversary.

laurarichardson said:

RODSERLING said:

Universal, Sony and WB were all competiting for the rights to the vault. So, in a word, WB lost against Universal. The game is changed.

.

What kind of work exactly is needed for a re-release, knowing the album has been remastered in 2011 (if not in 2009!) and that they had just to pick outtakes already known by the biggest fans or extented b faces ? And all in one disc ! Knowing that Prince's tracks last often more than 6 minutes before being edited for an album.

.

It's highly doubtful that WB will release PR deluxe knowing they will lose the rights 5 or 6 months later. They won't do the job for Universal, with promoting and all. This news complicate even more the things, and they were already extremely complicated.

.

As are the things now, nothing new will be release before 2018.

Even from Universal there is still no word about reprinting post 1993 albums, or even making them available digitally. Now that they've got the rights, what are they waiting for to make them digitally available ?

And what about streaming rights for the 1994-2016 era ?

In fact, everything is still to be continued...

.

Edit : look at this interview from Mcmillan and Koppelman : http://www.billboard.com/...l-mcmillan

.

Not a word about Purple Rain deluxe, and they confess they only began to look into the vault...

[Edited 2/10/17 5:03am]

[Edited 2/10/17 5:24am]

You could be right about WB but they may have already put money into. So we shall see. I doubt Universal will reprint CDs. I think Universal I believe is interested I licensing music for T.V and movies. I really do not they are interested in anything beyond streaming and license opportunities. Maybe the peer to peer portion of the deal will get the music in the hands of the fans.

I don't deny there could be a battle over WB /Universal for the Purple Rain deluxe. Universal will claim WB has no right to release it since the new deal contradicts the first one ; but WB will claim they already put money in it.

.

ON the other side, I still don't see how WB put money in PR deluxe...There is not even a tracklist, no indication at all of what would be in it.

.

They hired Susan Rogers (after Sheila E walked out) because she knows what to find in the vault (maybe she's the one that proposed them Moonbeam Levels for 4EVER, who sounds exactly like the bootlegs, so it doesn't come from the vault).

But it's clear with the McMillan interview, with the Universal deal that neither Rogers nor WB entered the vault to select tracks.

This news are really sad for us, fans, because it again pushes back unreleased material to an undetermined date.

IstenSzek said:

since a lot of great albums by other artists have now been remastered and rereleased
twice if not three times, each time including different content, -even if it is just one or
two more remixes etc, i don't think warners releasing their remastered PR right now
is going to really hurt another universal rerelease down the line. if warners just has a
single disc of extra material at this point, that will sell none the less, especially if the

extra material is unreleased tracks.

but universal now has the right to go through the entire vault, so in 2018 or whatever
they can compile a super deluxe package that includes everything we could want and
more. and just rerelease the thing again.

companies have been milking some legendary albums for decades, it's not like this is
the only rerelease we'll ever see for Purple Rain.

Purple Rain is the core of any deal with Prince. Even when he toured live, he had to sing Purple RAin.

.

It's highly doubtful that Universal put a reported 40 millions dollars in the vault with no exclusivity for the PUrple Rain unreleased material. Commercially, it will be the first re-release that will have the best impact.

.

Universal released the two HIT N RUN, including one after his death. So they know for sure his "unreleased material" can't sell without being accompanied by a classic album : 1999, SOTT, etc.

jjhunsecker said:

love2thenines2003 said:

I'd like 2 know what is the best label who nowadays release the Best products as Deluxe & Superdeluxe editions?...Universal?...Sony/Colombia? etc...

Sad to say, Universal has not been that great at putting out such product in recent years. Actually, my ideal for the Prince catalog would have mirrored what Rhino (part of Warner Music) did with Elvis Costello's catalog a few years back (when they had the rights, before he brought them over to Universal) : put out each album as a 2 CD, with the first CD a remastered version of the original album as it was released, and the second CD containing relevant demos, B-sides, remixes , and live recordings . That was my DREAM for the Prince catalog

Universal did a great job recently with the unreleased material of the Jackson 5, thanks to Harry Weinger.

RODSERLING said:

one thing is that whoever is going to pay an advance to publish the songs must have an idea as to the scoop and size of the vault. And I am not sure if it was mentioned but the deal likely includes the many many hours of videos.

I said this months ago: for some acts they will sometimes find a lost song...Like a lost Led Zepplin song as found (in 1990 or so)...that was a big deal.... for Prince: they will find albums. Someone will find a tape or even a record Prince sent to someone with unheard songs.

Also: Prince said there was more than one vault.... so I hope they searched carefully.

OnlyNDaUsa said:

love2thenines2003 said:

RODSERLING said:

Universal did a great job recently with the unreleased material of the Jackson 5, thanks to Harry Weinger.

Do u have examples with LINKS? Thanx

You can find on wikipedia : I WANT YOU BACK ! The unreleased masters, in 2009 https://en.wikipedia.org/...ed_Masters

.

LIVE AT THE FORUM (2cd), released in 2010

.

https://en.wikipedia.org/...on_5_album)

COME AND GET IT ! The rare pearls (2 cd), in 2012

.

https://en.wikipedia.org/...are_Pearls

.

Sadly, the lack of commercial appeal of these albums stopped more subsequent releases. Harry Weinger talked about a cover of Yesterday done by the J5, that has yet to be released !

[Edited 2/11/17 7:32am]

you OnlyNDaUsa said:

And I am not sure if it was mentioned but the deal likely includes the many many hours of videos. carefully.

If it wasn't mentionned, then the deal doesn't cover the video material (music video, movies, tv movies, live, tv performances, etc.) at all.

When the 2014 deal with Prince and WB was announced, it was specified that it didn't cover the material video. Which was kind of odd and awkward, knowing that Purple Rain was the score of a movie, and that his live performances is why he was so acclaimed.

RODSERLING said:

linus4000 said:

Purple Rain Deluxe/Remastered is part of Prince's deal with warner in 2014. So this will be released for sure this year, in my opinion. All other things have to be worked out...

If it was really part of a deal, it would have been released at least before he signed a deal with Universal to release HITNRUN 1 and 2. Why would have they waited on it for so long ? What was the point ? Still today, 1 year after his death, what is the point to not release it ?

Maybe it was an oral deal as many suspect it.

One thing is for sure : this deal, whatever it is, was not restrictive at all for Prince. Or else, PR deluxe would have been released in 2014, for the 30th anniversary.

With Prince, who knows the rhyme or reason for anything he does. believe me, if WB COULDV'E released the Deluxe "Purple Rain" in 2014, they WOULDV'E... They love to take advantage of anniversarys, and would have relished the opportunity

RODSERLING said:

jjhunsecker said:

Sad to say, Universal has not been that great at putting out such product in recent years. Actually, my ideal for the Prince catalog would have mirrored what Rhino (part of Warner Music) did with Elvis Costello's catalog a few years back (when they had the rights, before he brought them over to Universal) : put out each album as a 2 CD, with the first CD a remastered version of the original album as it was released, and the second CD containing relevant demos, B-sides, remixes , and live recordings . That was my DREAM for the Prince catalog

Universal did a great job recently with the unreleased material of the Jackson 5, thanks to Harry Weinger.

Weinger does great work...but sad to say, it has dimished in quantity in recent years. My guess is that it's partly due to the demise of big record stores that would carry catalog product. Even in my hometown of NYC, we have NO big music stores anymore, just a few hole in the wall spots, and Best Buy , who are diminishing their CD selections by the day. Weinger last James Brown set "Live at the Apollo Vol 4", never got a physical release and went straight to streaming

^^I agree,Harry Weinger does great work.I used to go on the Motown message boards and he would be there,chatting with people,taking suggestions on what remasters/reissues they would like to see,etc.He really knows how to dig in those vaults and find the best material to release.

jjhunsecker said:

RODSERLING said:

If it was really part of a deal, it would have been released at least before he signed a deal with Universal to release HITNRUN 1 and 2. Why would have they waited on it for so long ? What was the point ? Still today, 1 year after his death, what is the point to not release it ?

Maybe it was an oral deal as many suspect it.

One thing is for sure : this deal, whatever it is, was not restrictive at all for Prince. Or else, PR deluxe would have been released in 2014, for the 30th anniversary.

With Prince, who knows the rhyme or reason for anything he does. believe me, if WB COULDV'E released the Deluxe "Purple Rain" in 2014, they WOULDV'E... They love to take advantage of anniversarys, and would have relished the opportunity

SoulAlive said:

^^I agree,Harry Weinger does great work.I used to go on the Motown message boards and he would be there,chatting with people,taking suggestions on what remasters/reissues they would like to see,etc.He really knows how to dig in those vaults and find the best material to release.

I actually met him once- very nice guy. I love his JB reissues.

Can you provide a link to the Motown message boards ?

jjhunsecker said:

jjhunsecker said:

RODSERLING said:

If it was really part of a deal, it would have been released at least before he signed a deal with Universal to release HITNRUN 1 and 2. Why would have they waited on it for so long ? What was the point ? Still today, 1 year after his death, what is the point to not release it ?

Maybe it was an oral deal as many suspect it.

One thing is for sure : this deal, whatever it is, was not restrictive at all for Prince. Or else, PR deluxe would have been released in 2014, for the 30th anniversary.

With Prince, who knows the rhyme or reason for anything he does. believe me, if WB COULDV'E released the Deluxe "Purple Rain" in 2014, they WOULDV'E... They love to take advantage of anniversarys, and would have relished the opportunity

I agree

Considering that we now have some factual info, I wonder whether the couple of "pulling this shit out of my ass" posters in this thread will admit to being wrong.

BartVanHemelen said:

Considering that we now have some factual info, I wonder whether the couple of "pulling this shit out of my ass" posters in this thread will admit to being wrong.

You never did so why should they?

BartVanHemelen said:

Considering that we now have some factual info, I wonder whether the couple of "pulling this shit out of my ass" posters in this thread will admit to being wrong.

Hallelujah!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

IstenSzek said:

but universal now has the right to go through the entire vault, so in 2018 or whatever
they can compile a super deluxe package that includes everything we could want and
more. and just rerelease the thing again.

.

Don't believe that until it happens. The simple fact that they've already announced that they're not gonna get access to the WBR-era releases until next year, I wouldn't be surprised that negociations are ongoing and that still can fall through. And that alternate versions of WBR-era material isn't going to be released until that is settled. I find it hard to beleive that WBR would just surrender a significant part of their back catalogue, especially considering they've just received Moonbeam Levels and are about to drop a significant amount of PR-era music.

BartVanHemelen said: