You do know that even if the estate etc release a set with just vault tracks, it still isn't going to burn up the cahrts right. A set with, let's say, Cosmic Day, Extraloveable, etc etc isnt going to sell a million or more. Not even close.

I'm sure what u mean.

Everything is a VAULT track now.

Graycap23 said:

I'm sure what u mean.

Everything is a VAULT track now.

Man, stop it.

Yeah but, I will buy it and listen to it. Will you buy it and listen to it?

SimonCharles said:

Yeah but, I will buy it and listen to it. Will you buy it and listen to it?

Fuck yeah. Just like this new one we have.

And what does sell a million these days anyway? It's rare. I don't know how people even get gold or platinum albums anymore unless streams are counted.

Prince fans think everyone is a Prince fan. They're not; not to the extent those of us here are fans. Sure, we will buy most anything that comes out because we have a need to hear his music and his process; the in-betweens are just as important. Casual Prince fans aren't going to purchase things like PAAM or even the PR deluxe. Some might out of nostalgia, but there is no nostalgia for PAAM among casual fans.

Prince fans also forget that the music landscape is 180º different from twenty years ago. Nsync released an album in 2000, and set a record for selling 2.4M in its first week of release. It was a record that stayed for 15 years after until Adele released 25. Adele was a rare moment selling beaucoup records. Prince fans think every album released should reach Purple Rain status. If they look at his record sales before and after that, he averages about the same across the board. Anywhere from 3-7M at best. Not bad really, especially in the 80s or 90s, but these days? Ain't gonna happen. He wasn't selling that when he was alive. Unfortunately, his death isn't going to increase sales overall. Charts don't mean diddly anymore. I remember being excited when a fave group hit gold or platinum sales. Nowadays - who cares? Maybe it's because I'm older and have seen both sides, maybe it's because it just doesn't matter like it used to.

It's disrespectful and hypocritical for hardcore fan base to yell and demand (like they're owed something) for vault tracks or outtakes, giving their laundry lists of extended-to-all-fuck deluxe sets or whatever, then the estate releases something that would never have been released in another 30 years if Prince stayed upright with a heartbeat, and they still want to bitch about its length, it is black and white photos, or whatever. I've said it before and I'll say it again, this is why Prince fans can't have nice things. They appreciate nothing. It doesn't matter what they release, and I hope they keep releasing a set a year, maybe two, someone's always going to be in a twist about it.

I'd sho nuff buy it. Just listening to Purple Rain Deluxe vault disc in the car. FREAKIN' FANTASTIC!!! PLEEEEEEEEEASE, Estate - get your shit together and get 'em coming!!!!

A release of his best vault material will sell better than a hissy casette of 30 minutes of him noodling on the piano with a few brilliant moments in between.

tacks *runs out*

donnyenglish said:

A release of his best vault material will sell better than a hissy casette of 30 minutes of him noodling on the piano with a few brilliant moments in between.

Doubtful. Thats the gist. Some of you think that a release with some heralded songs is gonna be a burner. It wont.

rdhull said:

donnyenglish said:

A release of his best vault material will sell better than a hissy casette of 30 minutes of him noodling on the piano with a few brilliant moments in between.

Doubtful. Thats the gist. Some of you think that a release with some heralded songs is gonna be a burner. It wont.

They won't be a burner.........and it simply donesn't matter.

The music is the thing.

rdhull said:

You do know that even if the estate etc release a set with just vault tracks, it still isn't going to burn up the cahrts right. A set with, let's say, Cosmic Day, Extraloveable, etc etc isnt going to sell a million or more. Not even close.

Oh for chrissakes!!

.

1/ Stop living in the past. Last year only two albums in the whole fucking world sold more than 2 million copies, and the 10th best selling record. Of course a posthumous Prince album won't ever sell 1M, who in the world said it would?

.

2/ Stop beating dead horses with attention seeking threads. This topic is being discussed to death in half a dozen threads right now, and has been for years. What exactly do you think you'll achieve with creating threads like this? Is this the posthumous way of doing the weekly "Prince is over and done" we used to have when he was alive?

.

3/ If you're so obssessed with sales go work at a record company's marketing department, they'll be happy to have you. But don't pollute this board with nonsense.

.

I'm signaling this to the mods.

Graycap23 said:

rdhull said:

Doubtful. Thats the gist. Some of you think that a release with some heralded songs is gonna be a burner. It wont.

They won't be a burner.........and it simply donesn't matter.

The music is the thing.

I agree. Remember that. The music is the thing.

rdhull said:

donnyenglish said:

A release of his best vault material will sell better than a hissy casette of 30 minutes of him noodling on the piano with a few brilliant moments in between.

Doubtful. Thats the gist. Some of you think that a release with some heralded songs is gonna be a burner. It wont.

Nothing will be a burner. Not even the Atlanta Piano & Mic show or the Gala. With that said, the very best material should be released. There is plenty of good material. I happen to think that Piano & Mic 83 as a sole standing release does not represent the top 1/3 of what is in the vault. The CD is interesting as a diehard Prince fan, but there is so much more that I would rather hear IN ADDITION to this release. I think the main gripe is that this should not have been the first and sole new release. It is great bonus material.

donnyenglish said:

rdhull said:

Doubtful. Thats the gist. Some of you think that a release with some heralded songs is gonna be a burner. It wont.

Nothing will be a burner. Not even the Atlanta Piano & Mic show or the Gala. With that said, the very best material should be released. There is plenty of good material. I happen to think that Piano & Mic 83 as a sole standing release does not represent the top 1/3 of what is in the vault. The CD is interesting as a diehard Prince fan, but there is so much more that I would rather hear IN ADDITION to this release. I think the main gripe is that this should not have been the first and sole new release. It is great bonus material.

Its more important than people think. Its more than bonus material.

rdhull said:

donnyenglish said:

Nothing will be a burner. Not even the Atlanta Piano & Mic show or the Gala. With that said, the very best material should be released. There is plenty of good material. I happen to think that Piano & Mic 83 as a sole standing release does not represent the top 1/3 of what is in the vault. The CD is interesting as a diehard Prince fan, but there is so much more that I would rather hear IN ADDITION to this release. I think the main gripe is that this should not have been the first and sole new release. It is great bonus material.

Its more important than people think. Its more than bonus material.

I can agree with that. I just can't agree that what was intended to be a private piano session (I assume there are hundreds of similar sessions of Prince creating on the piano) is better than One Nite Alone. As I said, I respect your opinion. I won't even start about your opinion that PM 83 is better than Xodus.

rdhull said:

SimonCharles said:

Yeah but, I will buy it and listen to it. Will you buy it and listen to it?

Fuck yeah. Just like this new one we have.

So there you go. That's the only sale you need to worry about.

SimonCharles said:

rdhull said:

Fuck yeah. Just like this new one we have.

So there you go. That's the only sale you need to worry about.

I understand. But I have a duty to save yall.

rdhull said:

SimonCharles said:

So there you go. That's the only sale you need to worry about.

I understand. But I have a duty to save yall.

From...?

dodger said:

I don't think anything will burn up the charts, except maybe a PR or SOTT release.

Nope. A remastered expanded SOTT still wont. We all want it and will buy it but it isnt gnna set charts to light up or gained enough new fans to get it lit like some think, talk about, want, whine about. The gist (there I go again!) is that folks saying this is wrong to release or wrong time to release, we need the other stuff right now need to relax..dont do it, when ya wanna su..Oh sorry...just need to relax. The estate is making the right choices at this time. In the meantime, dont denounce critical material that we now have.

SimonCharles said:

rdhull said:

I understand. But I have a duty to save yall.

From...?

It's complicated.

rdhull said:

SimonCharles said:

From...?

It's complicated.

Try me.

SimonCharles said:

rdhull said:

It's complicated.

Try me.

Its hard to quantify but the only way I can 'now' describe it is to say that its related to enchantennt and enlightenment.

Yeah – as others have said the record market has completely changed. This is why I think that deluxe releases akin the beautiful Miles Davis boxsets could work. If there’s a limited audience for this stuff, make us pay for something bespoke and lovingly crafted. What I loved about the Miles sets is their almost academic attention to detail – It would be great to see a similar series of chronologically themed releases for Prince. That said, the future looks pretty bleak for CDs... although Kate Bush has a series of boxsets on the way, so there's still a healthy market in dedicated fans:

http://katebush.com/news/...are-tracks

I'm not sure that the charts should even be a consideration at this point - as long as the releases are economically viable.

[Edited 10/5/18 16:12pm]

Piano and a Microphone went Top 10 worldwide and Top 3 in sales in US. So the 'won't sell much either' makes no sense...

TKO said:

Piano and a Microphone went Top 10 worldwide and Top 3 in sales in US. So the 'won't sell much either' makes no sense...

You know wtf I mean.

databank said:

rdhull said:

You do know that even if the estate etc release a set with just vault tracks, it still isn't going to burn up the cahrts right. A set with, let's say, Cosmic Day, Extraloveable, etc etc isnt going to sell a million or more. Not even close.

Oh for chrissakes!!

.

1/ Stop living in the past. Last year only two albums in the whole fucking world sold more than 2 million copies, and the 10th best selling record. Of course a posthumous Prince album won't ever sell 1M, who in the world said it would?

.

2/ Stop beating dead horses with attention seeking threads. This topic is being discussed to death in half a dozen threads right now, and has been for years. What exactly do you think you'll achieve with creating threads like this? Is this the posthumous way of doing the weekly "Prince is over and done" we used to have when he was alive?

.

3/ If you're so obssessed with sales go work at a record company's marketing department, they'll be happy to have you. But don't pollute this board with nonsense.

.

I'm signaling this to the mods.

I'm sorry you feel this way.

Moonbeam said:

I hear you, RD. I am loving this new release. Hell, I’ve loved all the posthumous releases so far. I can definitely see the sense in releasing this as is. It invites curious listeners to settle in for a side of Prince they may not have known, and it is really a nice listen. Yes, I want cold studio outtakes just as much as the next Prince fan, but I can’t imagine huge sales from any Prince album with vault outtakes.

Hell, its also for us die hards etc. Its like seeing him in soundcheck, like the days of the NPGMC and the Celebrations. It's almost a relief having this as the release and not being this juggernaut. In time this will be looked upon with much reverence. Like the VU. They were never big sellers but their releases influenced everyone who did listen.