When we get eventual re-releases of classic Prince albumsn, as a means of marketing the material to a younger audience, how about having artists perform covers from the album?

For example, when the re-release of CONTROVERSY happens, along with the original album remasterm the b-sides, the unreleased tracks, the accompanying live album from the era tour, etc., how about having someone like St. Vincent doing a cover of Private Joy?

What do you think?

What could be other cover-collaborations?

How about for PRINCE having Sufjan Stevens cover WHEN WE'RE DANCING CLOSE AND SLOW?

Or, for DIRTY MIND, having Lady Gaga cover HEAD?

Or, for 1999, having CHROMEO cover D.M.S.R.???

Allthough I am looking forward to special re-releases, a disc with covers by other artist would not leave its package at my house. I would not be interested in it, at all.

But hey, if it works for others, let's go then!!!

[Edited 1/11/18 10:15am]

no!

people can cover his songs as much as they want but let's just leave prince's releases
be just that 'prince' and nothing else, except the people he chose to work with on the
songs, of course. but no remixes, 'featured', pseudo duets or covers included on *any*
disc of a re-issue. even if it's a seventeen disc package, the answer is still no

sufjan covering prince, i have all the time in the world for although his 'alphabet st'
isn't really memorable. he can do better

D

[Edited 4/15/18 11:59am]

No thanks

soladeo1 said:

Or, for DIRTY MIND, having Lady Gaga cover HEAD?

Please, no.

No, seriously though, I wouldn't want that. My love for Star Wars has already been warped, they cannot have my Prince love.

NO

NO

No, and it's not just because I'm a Prince fan. I didn't see the point when they did that with Thriller 25 (and MJ was still alive then!). If they absolutely feel the need to do something like this, then do it as its own tribute album similar to the Joni and Jimi tribute albums Prince himself took part in. As a career-spanning tribute to his songwriting I'd maybe check it out, but as a forced addition to his own albums I'd prefer they didn't.

STOP WITH THE COVERS. The last goddamn thing I want is another yahoo coming along and fuckin' up a Prince track, and especially putting it on one of his already established records. No. Fucking. Way.

It was a disaster when they put Fergie, will.i.am, etc., on the Thriller anniversary edition. DI-SAS-TER.

We have the best artist to ever live singing the songs he wrote and produced. What the fuck would. St. Wannabe have anything to offer to that?! Keep that bullswanky out of here.

I am 1000% against any "new artist" (or even old ones) covers landing on Prince albums. I don't think any artist in history has been so badly "covered". I can only think of 2 or 3 covers (a handful max) of Prince songs in 40 years that were above, at or even near the level of the Prince version. Nothing Compares 2 U and I Feel For You are the only couple that immediately spring to mind...


I am not opposed to a tribute album, but please keep it far away from an actual Prince album.

No.

Very few covers do justice to the original. Whilst it may be interesting to hear someone's take on a Prince song, they shouldn't be an 'official' release from the estate.

No means no.

When there's so much music in the vaults that people are dying to hear you don't need to bother with gimicks like cover versions. Just release every album as a double disc set, one cd of the remastered albums, the other disc of vault songs or B-sides from the same sessions or era, they would sell themselves.

I think the idea could work with the right Band or Artist. I wouldn't mind if D'Angelo, Tori Amos, Alicia Keys, or the Dixie Chicks picked out a new, unreleased song and recorded it. It would have to be some one who admires Prince and also a good musician. However, if it's a popular mainstream artist like Justin Beiber or Bruno Mars picked just to sell units I'd probably be opposed to it. But I think the Weeknd or Justin Timberlake might do okay. So it depends...

I'm not envisioning officially produced songs, ala The Michael Jackson Thriller re-master project. I am thinking more lo-fi, acoustic, live performances...something like the NPR Tiny Desk Series.

How cool wold it be to have someone like Tori Amos come in and rip a fiery solo piano and voice version of ANNA STESIA around the re-release of LOVESEXY: THE REMASTER?

Or D'Angelo doing a scorching version of Hot Thing around the re-release of Sign Of The Times??

000000 said:

I think the idea could work with the right Band or Artist. I wouldn't mind if D'Angelo, Tori Amos, Alicia Keys, or the Dixie Chicks picked out a new, unreleased song and recorded it. It would have to be some one who admires Prince and also a good musician. However, if it's a popular mainstream artist like Justin Beiber or Bruno Mars picked just to sell units I'd probably be opposed to it. But I think the Weeknd or Justin Timberlake might do okay. So it depends...

The guys that P respected, Stevie Wonder, Santana, I'd have dug them doing a tribute single by covering one of his songs. Or Stevie Nicks doing Little Red Corvette, you know established artists that had a real connection with him. But no-one wants to hear something like Ed Sheeran singing Do Me Baby, or Drake and Miley Cyrus duetting on Erotic City. But any cover versions should be their own seperate album, not tacked on Prince ones.

Or Chris Stapleton doing a version of THE CROSS also around the re-release of Sign Of The Times??

Just NO

soladeo1 said:

..and mods let THESE threads live.....

And album wouldn't be a good idea, but what about a special tv show with artists performing the album songs, to promote it.