PrinceVault recently added this to their website.

Alternate Album Configuration

1. Let's Rock (4:00)
2. I Wanna Be Your Lover (3:30)
3. Bambi (3:30)
4. Why You Wanna Treat Me So Bad? (3:00)
5. When We're Dancing Close And Slow (4:30)
6. With You (4:00)
7. Still Waiting (3:00)
8. It's Gonna Be Lonely (3:50)
9. Sexy Dancer (2:50)
10. Darling Marie (2:00)

So as interesting as the inclusion of Let's Rock (Let's Work) and Darling Marie is, what strikes me is the track times of the songs that would eventually get released. Not only are they all round numbers, but they're also very different to how they would be released.

Is there anymore info on where this came from?

The detail came from the Prince note book up for auction. Prince's own handwriting.

The one thing I noticed from these original notes and how he shapes his 'r's'....could it be Darling Masie, not Darling Marie?

This is interesting! I wonder how similar musically "Let's Rock" is to "Let's Work". If it was similar to our 1981 version than that would've sent him straight up the charts. Anyway this is a nice tracklisting for the album. The album is perfect as is though so IDK. Got the vinyl of it and dumb fuck me being sick with the fucking flu tried transferring it from the turntable into its case...fucking dropped the vinyl.

I hope it is ok, I didn't see any cracks or such. Did I damage my vinyl in any permanent way? There were some items that softened the fall though as it could've been much worse lol. Anyway, gonna stop derailing the threads. Got my vyvanse today and am a bit too talkative and focused on stuff haha.

SquirrelMeat said:

The detail came from the Prince note book up for auction. Prince's own handwriting.

Ha! I'd seen the new entry but did not know the source. Thx for that.

bluegangsta said:

PrinceVault recently added this to their website.

Alternate Album Configuration

1. Let's Rock (4:00)
2. I Wanna Be Your Lover (3:30)
3. Bambi (3:30)
4. Why You Wanna Treat Me So Bad? (3:00)
5. When We're Dancing Close And Slow (4:30)
6. With You (4:00)
7. Still Waiting (3:00)
8. It's Gonna Be Lonely (3:50)
9. Sexy Dancer (2:50)
10. Darling Marie (2:00)

So as interesting as the inclusion of Let's Rock (Let's Work) and Darling Marie is, what strikes me is the track times of the songs that would eventually get released. Not only are they all round numbers, but they're also very different to how they would be released.

Is there anymore info on where this came from?

I'd noticed the round number s too and I'm pretty sure the lengths are approximate, just to make sure it'd fit into a LP and get a general idea of the album's pacing.

The fact that it comes from a notebook may suggest this was never put to tape but hopefully it was and it's somewhere in the vault.

Didn't someone say that "Let's Rock" was musically similar to "Let's Work"? If so we can fantasize "Let's Work" as the first track and ask around if "Darling Marie" is circulating at all. Theoretically all we need is "Darling Marie" then we're set on trying out this early configuration.

Anyone think this would've been better or ya think it's perfect as is? I think it's perfect tbh..

purplemajesty23 said:

Didn't someone say that "Let's Rock" was musically similar to "Let's Work"? If so we can fantasize "Let's Work" as the first track and ask around if "Darling Marie" is circulating at all. Theoretically all we need is "Darling Marie" then we're set on trying out this early configuration.

Anyone think this would've been better or ya think it's perfect as is? I think it's perfect tbh..

http://prince.org/msg/7/458444

purplemajesty23 said:

Didn't someone say that "Let's Rock" was musically similar to "Let's Work"? If so we can fantasize "Let's Work" as the first track and ask around if "Darling Marie" is circulating at all. Theoretically all we need is "Darling Marie" then we're set on trying out this early configuration.

Anyone think this would've been better or ya think it's perfect as is? I think it's perfect tbh..

No because Let's Rock would be significantly different from the Let's Work version, and the edits here are different from the released versions (mix could also be different), and even if some elite traders have Darling Marie, how exactly are you going to extort it from them?

.

So no, unfortunately there's no way we can recreate this configuration until a tape of it comes out.

.

[Edited 2/27/19 20:41pm]

databank said:

purplemajesty23 said:

Didn't someone say that "Let's Rock" was musically similar to "Let's Work"? If so we can fantasize "Let's Work" as the first track and ask around if "Darling Marie" is circulating at all. Theoretically all we need is "Darling Marie" then we're set on trying out this early configuration.

Anyone think this would've been better or ya think it's perfect as is? I think it's perfect tbh..

No because Let's Rock would be significantly different from the Let's Work version, and the edits here are different from the released versions (mix could also be different), and even if some elite traders have Darling Marie, how exactly are you going to extort it from them?

.

So no, unfortunately there's no way we can recreate this configuration until a tape of it comes out.

.

[Edited 2/27/19 20:41pm]

Oh well, at least we have what we got. I think the album is perfect as is anyway.

purplemajesty23 said:

databank said:

No because Let's Rock would be significantly different from the Let's Work version, and the edits here are different from the released versions (mix could also be different), and even if some elite traders have Darling Marie, how exactly are you going to extort it from them?

.

So no, unfortunately there's no way we can recreate this configuration until a tape of it comes out.

.

[Edited 2/27/19 20:41pm]

Oh well, at least we have what we got. I think the album is perfect as is anyway.

Yeah me too, but I really hope the estate will realize how all those early configurations are of interest to Prince specialists and think of a way of making them available digitally.

databank said:

purplemajesty23 said:

Oh well, at least we have what we got. I think the album is perfect as is anyway.

Yeah me too, but I really hope the estate will realize how all those early configurations are of interest to Prince specialists and think of a way of making them available digitally.

Yeah, they should do collections/box sets of early configurations, like when they release the 1989 Rave Unto The Joy Fantastic album, they could make it a 3 CD set with all three configurations. The same with Dream Factory - a box set with all three configurations, thanks. And of course a box set with all the Come configurations and another with all the Gold (Experience) ones.

Darling Marie a cute song.

What evidence is there to confirm this is an early album configuration and not just a list of songs?

This list could have been a list of tracks he wanted to play his friends or even for an internal record company showcase - or tracks he listened to on that day.

Sadly with the pages released so far there is no evidence to support this claim.

It is a shame that PrinceVault have jumped a conclusion without any provenance!

darkroman said:

What evidence is there to confirm this is an early album configuration and not just a list of songs?

This list could have been a list of tracks he wanted to play his friends or even for an internal record company showcase - or tracks he listened to on that day.

Sadly with the pages released so far there is no evidence to support this claim.

It is a shame that PrinceVault have jumped a conclusion without any provenance!

how could " its gonna be lonely" be on here as a 79 inclusion?

^^That's exactly what I was thinking^^

Wow, can't believe the mods haven't locked this and linked it to the auction thread.

luvsexy4all said:

darkroman said:

What evidence is there to confirm this is an early album configuration and not just a list of songs?

This list could have been a list of tracks he wanted to play his friends or even for an internal record company showcase - or tracks he listened to on that day.

Sadly with the pages released so far there is no evidence to support this claim.

It is a shame that PrinceVault have jumped a conclusion without any provenance!

how could " its gonna be lonely" be on here as a 79 inclusion?

Darkroman has a point but what's the problem with IGBL?

Speaking of early configurations, the 7 November 1983 configuration of Purple Rain should've been included in the Purple Rain Deluxe edition. Just sayin'...

scififilmnerd said:

Speaking of early configurations, the 7 November 1983 configuration of Purple Rain should've been included in the Purple Rain Deluxe edition. Just sayin'...

list those again....?? and the come and chaos

scififilmnerd said:

Speaking of early configurations, the 7 November 1983 configuration of Purple Rain should've been included in the Purple Rain Deluxe edition. Just sayin'...

The fandom is clearly divided between hardcore completists like us and those who say they don't want even the single edits to "waste precious CD space" (a false dilemma really) or spend extra money on an extra CD of edits, and one can assume the casual buyer would be on the latter's side. So I suspect the Estate would be taking a risk by releasing a CD set with all the different configurations of an album or, as you suggest, even one extra configuration that consists of mostly the same tracks than the final album.

So at the end of the day IDK. I guess either you make a super fancy complete PR boxset with like 15 CD's and a hard copy of Duane's book as the booklet, and you press 1000 copies that you sell at an outrageous price, or you go straight to digital for those kind of completists products.

luvsexy4all said:

scififilmnerd said:

Speaking of early configurations, the 7 November 1983 configuration of Purple Rain should've been included in the Purple Rain Deluxe edition. Just sayin'...

list those again....?? and the come and chaos

Prince & The Revolution: Purple Rain (7 November 1983)

A) Let’s Go Crazy (7:35)

The Beautiful Ones (6:10)*

Computer Blue (12:28) (Matt Fink/Lisa Coleman/Wendy Melvoin/John L. Nelson)

Darling Nikki (4:01)*

Wednesday (1:39)** - lead vocal by Jill Jones

B) Purple Rain (10:44)*

I Would Die 4 U (3:23)*

Baby I’m A Star (4:18)

Father’s Song (5:31) (John L. Nelson)

*= unreleased version/**= unreleased track

As for the Come and Chaos configurations, you can see what is known about them here: https://princevswarners.blogspot.com/

[Edited 3/6/19 3:08am]

databank said:

scififilmnerd said:

Speaking of early configurations, the 7 November 1983 configuration of Purple Rain should've been included in the Purple Rain Deluxe edition. Just sayin'...

The fandom is clearly divided between hardcore completists like us and those who say they don't want even the single edits to "waste precious CD space" (a false dilemma really) or spend extra money on an extra CD of edits, and one can assume the casual buyer would be on the latter's side. So I suspect the Estate would be taking a risk by releasing a CD set with all the different configurations of an album or, as you suggest, even one extra configuration that consists of mostly the same tracks than the final album.

So at the end of the day IDK. I guess either you make a super fancy complete PR boxset with like 15 CD's and a hard copy of Duane's book as the booklet, and you press 1000 copies that you sell at an outrageous price, or you go straight to digital for those kind of completists products.

I see your point and understand that the averagel consumer might not care about having every configuration of an album.

But seeing as every release since Prince's death deals with Purple Rain - Purple Rain Deluxe, Piano And A Microphone 1983 and even Duane Tudahl's Purple Rain Era book - releasing the early Purple Rain configuration might actually be a sound marketing strategy to sell what's already been sold once again, seeing how anything Purple Rain related apparently sells more than the rest of Prince's back catalogue.

But sure, I'd settle for a digital release.

[Edited 3/6/19 3:07am]