I bought a very good used Lovesexy CD; it has the original cover and track listing inserts in the CD case but the CD plays as one track 45:03 (45mins:03secs). Where all the CDs made that way, for those that may have bought it long time ago back when it first came out in 1988?

Prince wanted it that way, a single track and I like it that way to be honest. I think they released a tracked version later, but I prefer to listen to a CD as it was intended (this is not music, this is a trip).

I loved the album so much as it was, but I did keep the track timings on a piece of paper too. I just wish Lovesexy was released as a single instead of Glam Slam and it may have all been different.

You have an original CD, keep hold of it, I still have mine.

[Edited 5/1/18 8:32am]

Ah ha, thanks for the info. I have mp3s of Alphabet St. and Anna Stesia anyway to listen as singles.

I bought the UK version all separate tracks.

Awesome

Really?!? I'm surprised, Astasheiks. I might expect a newbie wouldn't know about this, but you've been on the org since '02. Guessing you had this on vinyl or cassette but never had the CD?

From princevault.com:

"As an artistic statement, the initial CD release of the album was not split into tracks, but was instead tracked as one single 45:07 track, designed to be listened to as a whole (track titles were included, however). Later releases of the CD split the album into the nine named tracks, however."

http://www.princevault.co...:_Lovesexy

For years, I was after a promo CD that I heard was tracked. I still haven't seen a tracked version for sale anywhere but have heard about re-issues being tracked. Anybody know how to identify a tracked version without popping it in a player?

https://www.discogs.com/P...ster/22006

Interestingly, 15-20 years ago, when CD burners were new, I used SoundForge to split disc up into individual tracks. I didn't use any reference to a tracked version when choosing where to split tracks, but, my finished result was recognized by the online database as the tracked version of Lovesexy, so, I must have done a good job. After that, my desire to seek out a tracked copy waned. I just got a 2CD jewel box to put the original CD, artwork and my CDR in and forgot about it.

djThunderfunk said:

Anybody know how to identify a tracked version without popping it in a player?

I think you can identify a European pressing by checking the top left of the back cover and looking where it says "7599-25720-2" - in original pressings that's written in the Lovesexy font, in the tracked pressings that's written in a standard font. I haven't checked this comprehensively mind you.

Not sure how to identify US pressings, if you can open up the case itself the cd should have "Songs are in a continuous sequence" printed on it so you don't have to actually put it in a player.

jaawwnn said:

djThunderfunk said:

Anybody know how to identify a tracked version without popping it in a player?

I think you can identify a European pressing by checking the top left of the back cover and looking where it says "7599-25720-2" - in original pressings that's written in the Lovesexy font, in the tracked pressings that's written in a standard font. I haven't checked this comprehensively mind you.

Not sure how to identify US pressings, if you can open up the case itself the cd should have "Songs are in a continuous sequence" printed on it so you don't have to actually put it in a player.

Thanks for this. I'm mostly interested in your first suggestion as I suppose if I see one in a store, I won't have the opportunity to inspect the disc itself, unless maybe it's a used copy.

TKO said:

I bought the UK version all separate tracks.

I picked up my first copy in OurPrice (UK) in the early nineties, and it was a single track. I remember being deeply confused by it all – I thought that it was a dodgy pressing at the time.

djThunderfunk said:

Really?!? I'm surprised, Astasheiks. I might expect a newbie wouldn't know about this, but you've been on the org since '02.

That's what I'm saying, it's like asking "Did you know Prince took the bass out of 'When Doves Cry'?"

There are at least three versions of Lovesexy. The regular one-track version (and it's still one track on Spotify etc), the German tracked one (likely duplicated throughout Europe in the same way), and the tracked version with a fade at the end of every song probably made for radio outlets. I own the first and last.

I got so frustrated trying to find a tracked Lovesexy CD that I actually ripped the vinyl and tracked it myself.

I eventually got the tracked version (I think I ordered it from Amazon UK), but frankly, I think my rip sounds better.

Potato head.

fen said:

TKO said:

I bought the UK version all separate tracks.

I picked up my first copy in OurPrice (UK) in the early nineties, and it was a single track. I remember being deeply confused by it all – I thought that it was a dodgy pressing at the time.

I bought a physical copy from Amazon a few years ago and it's tracked.

TKO said:

fen said:

I picked up my first copy in OurPrice (UK) in the early nineties, and it was a single track. I remember being deeply confused by it all – I thought that it was a dodgy pressing at the time.

I bought a physical copy from Amazon a few years ago and it's tracked.

AFAIK all new copies since the late 90's have been tracked

databank said:

callimnate said:

databank said:

Awesome

Hey DB. I know it's hard being a P snob. I'm one as well. But we have to learn to accept that there are newbies or "fams" that know little about our P. And enjoy the likes of Shelby and all the tribute shows going on atm. It's not their fault they aren't hardcores from the 80s. Like i said. We just have to learn to accept the New Dawn. It's what he would've wanted.

I just found it hilarious that this would pop-up again after 30 years, in this digital age on top of it all.

I remember my friends telling me how they brought the CD back to the store a coupla times in 88, until they and the clerk figured out the CD was intended to be like that.

I just didn't expect to run into a thread like that again. Nothing against the OP. Just amused that P's pranks are still working even even after he's gone.

Astasheiks said:

I bought a very good used Lovesexy CD; it has the original cover and track listing inserts in the CD case but the CD plays as one track 45:03 (45mins:03secs). Where all the CDs made that way, for those that may have bought it long time ago back when it first came out in 1988?

Hehehehe... memories...

I got the CD through a friend (who's uncle worked at WB Alsdorf) before the CD was available in a recordshop.

Since I didn't have a CD player at that time, I went to a classmate who's father worked at Philips (the inventor of the CD). He was always bragging that he had a CD player. We put the CD in and were shocked when the CD player only indicated 1 track.
I thought I had been fooled by the friend I got the CD from

When we found out that there actually more then 1 song on the CD, I thought that it was a mis-pressing and might be a highly sought after collectable in the future.
It didn't turn out that way

One for the collectors out there: I have a Lovesexy CD that actually plays the 10-track version of 1999.

A misspress obviously and nothing intentional at all, but a cool mistake nonethless if you're into collecting!

It's definetely a Europen pressing (German/UK). Have another copy with the same catalogue numbers AND matrix and plays correctly the untracked Lovesexy version.

Genesia said:

I got so frustrated trying to find a tracked Lovesexy CD that I actually ripped the vinyl and tracked it myself.

I eventually got the tracked version (I think I ordered it from Amazon UK), but frankly, I think my rip sounds better.

If you had the ability to do that, couldn't you have just ripped the audio from the CD and tracked that?

TKO said:

I bought the UK version all separate tracks.

I bought a UK version, all one track. I later got a tracked version.

TrivialPursuit said:

djThunderfunk said:

Really?!? I'm surprised, Astasheiks. I might expect a newbie wouldn't know about this, but you've been on the org since '02.

That's what I'm saying, it's like asking "Did you know Prince took the bass out of 'When Doves Cry'?"

There are at least three versions of Lovesexy. The regular one-track version (and it's still one track on Spotify etc), the German tracked one (likely duplicated throughout Europe in the same way), and the tracked version with a fade at the end of every song probably made for radio outlets. I own the first and last.

Interesting! I have the first two and have never heard of the version with the fades. Is that the DJ promo copy then Trivial Pursuit? I'd waver a guess it's this one on Discogs: https://www.discogs.com/P...se/8557592

fen said:

TKO said:

I bought the UK version all separate tracks.

I picked up my first copy in OurPrice (UK) in the early nineties, and it was a single track. I remember being deeply confused by it all – I thought that it was a dodgy pressing at the time.

I still remember Simon Mayo on the Radio 1 breakfast show trying to play the title track, and failing miserably to get his CD to skip to that track. He was totally unaware it was untracked, poor bloke.

The funny thing is, an untracked CD is basically a cassette or 8-track tape. That's the way all music was listened to in your car back in the day.

player said:

TrivialPursuit said:

That's what I'm saying, it's like asking "Did you know Prince took the bass out of 'When Doves Cry'?"

There are at least three versions of Lovesexy. The regular one-track version (and it's still one track on Spotify etc), the German tracked one (likely duplicated throughout Europe in the same way), and the tracked version with a fade at the end of every song probably made for radio outlets. I own the first and last.

Interesting! I have the first two and have never heard of the version with the fades. Is that the DJ promo copy then Trivial Pursuit? I'd waver a guess it's this one on Discogs: https://www.discogs.com/P...se/8557592

Yes, never heard of this either!

jaypotton said:

I never got a tracked version, only had the continuous-play version.

When iTunes came out, and I was ripping all my CDs, I spent a lot of time making a tracked version! (using Start/Stop times).

I think I still have my numbers logged somewhere. Then you just rip the CD 9 times, once per song.

TheEnglishGent said:

Genesia said:

I got so frustrated trying to find a tracked Lovesexy CD that I actually ripped the vinyl and tracked it myself.

I eventually got the tracked version (I think I ordered it from Amazon UK), but frankly, I think my rip sounds better.

If you had the ability to do that, couldn't you have just ripped the audio from the CD and tracked that?

I didn't have the CD. That was my point. I couldn't find a tracked CD, so I ripped the vinyl.

[Edited 5/2/18 10:01am]

darlingnikkkki said:

jaypotton said:

I have two copies of Lovesexy on CD, one is a single track and the other is tracked. Despite Prince's vision I only ever played the tracked version if using a CD (well I never really cared for Eye Wish U Heaven so skip it).

Originally bought in on vinyl when it was released (didn't have a CD player in 88) and remember having to pick up the needle and guess where to put it back down... Awwww the analogue era!

Blasphemy!

cra1g0s said:

but I prefer to listen to a CD as it was intended (this is not music, this is a trip).

I feel the same which is why I never bothered looking for a tracked CD. I always play the album all the way through anyway.