According to PrinceVault there are a handful of songs that Prince gave to radio stations or websites to stream, but he never made files available to download or offered a physical copy for sale.

This includes (but not limited to):
- In A Large Room With No Light (Montreux Jazz Festival website)
- Hot Summer (Radio Station 89.3 The Current)
- The Dance Electric Rehearsal (drfunkenberry.com)
- Let's Go Crazy Reloaded (YouTube stream)
- Love Acoustic (3121 audio stream)
- Rich Friends (KTU.com)

On the one hand, he played these song publicly, so you could argue they were released.

But on the other hand, he provided no means for fans to have their own copies, so in that sense you could argue they're unreleased.

Obviously he must have realized that playing these songs publicly would result in copies being made... but that doesn't necessarily mean he wouldn't have consider those copies to be bootlegs. When he'd hand out promotional CDs he realized those would be copied, but he still considered those copies to be bootlegs.

If you have a copy of any of these songs do you consider it considered a bootleg or an official release?

PrinceVault is silent on this issue for most of the songs I listed, but for Hot Summer and Rich Friends PrinceVault explicitly characterizes them as "unreleased".

I realize this is an academic question, but I'm an organization freak and have my collection divided up between official releases and bootlegs -- I'm not sure where to put these songs.

[Edited 1/6/20 12:39pm]

One Song
Cybersingle
Purple and Gold
Glam Slam 91

Add Turn Me Loose to your list.

There was also the studio version of "All Along The Watchtower/Best Of U" that Howard Stern played excerpts from on his show. I REEEEAAALLLY wish he had released that. Would have been smart to put that on iTunes the night of the Super Bowl performance. Oh well...

OnlyNDaUsa said:

One Song
Cybersingle
Purple and Gold
Glam Slam 91

Cybersingle was offered as a free download on Napster, iirc.

I consider them official releases, with probably more of an emphasis on official than release.

With the cultural shift to primarily streaming versus an emphasis on physical copy as the be-all, this seems more accurate in 2019 than it did when each of these were initially "released."

They also stand in contrast to songs we never really did get a 100% confirmation that Prince wanted them "released" as-is (bootlegs). These we know he approved totally and completely, at least in terms of what's being heard publically on the actual tracks themselves.

[Edited 1/6/20 21:35pm]

OnlyNDaUsa said:

One Song
Cybersingle
Purple and Gold
Glam Slam 91

Thanks. According to PrinceVault Cybersing was offered as a download. Here are all the songs I've identified so far:

Baltimore (original version) -- 9 May 2015 on Prince3EG Soundcloud stream
Chapter & Verse -- Streamed on 20 Jan. 2013 on 3rd Eye Girl YouTube channel
Dance Electric rehearsal -- drfunkenberry.com stream
Hot Summer -- Debute on 7 June 2010 on 89.3 The Current online stream
In A Large Room With No Light -- 15 July 2009 on montreuxjazz.com audio stream (Jazz Festival website)
Indifference -- video stream only, not audio; 30 September 2014 on Yahoo! Live video stream, 7 September 2015 on Tidal full video stream
Laydown Xtended -- Streamed on 6 Jan. 2013 on 3rd Eye Girl YouTube channel
Let's Go Crazy Reloaded -- video stream only, not audio -- 3rdEyeGirl's YouTube account
Love accoustic -- 3121.com audio stream
Midnight Blues -- 8 June 2013, 3rdEye TV broadcast # 6 stream
Purple and Gold -- 21 January 2010 on Minnesota Vikings website audio stream, www.vikings.com
Rich Friends -- 14 October 2010 on KTU.com online stream (KTM 103.5 FM New York)
Same Page Different Book - Streamed on 6 Jan. 2013 on 3rd Eye Girl YouTube channel

As of right now I have them in my "Officially Released Non-Album Tracks" folder, rather than my "Bootleg" folder.

I have a similar dilemma about cataloging songs where were released as an integrated part of an NPG Ahdio Show. Example: Jukebox with a Heartbeat. On the one hand, Prince released it in a download-able file. But on the other hand, it required fan editing to cut the song out of the longer file. So does that make it a fan edit?

I consider them same as promo videos and promo singles. Official not bootleg, not sold to the public but made available for the public to hear with the possibility of the public to record them or get hold of promo copies.

The original version of "Vavoom" was played once or twice on a Minneapolis radio station (one known date is on Tony Fly's show on KDWB, 8 June 2001). See also: https://groups.google.com...rxVDns6bYJ

.

( http://www.princevault.co...tle=Vavoom doesn't even mention the radio broadcast.)

.

The later NPGMC download had various minor differences, including in the vocal (as noted on an old a.m.p thread: " (maybe) Kip going 'ah' and Prince going 'iu' " / " Right at the beginning, before the first "Va Va Voom" Prince goes "Huh!", then directly after, goes "oom oom oom oom". Then there's a "Yeow!" and another "Huh!" which are all missing in the NPGMC version. ").

.

The infamous T from a.m.p got a copy of the CD sent to the station and thus this original version is in the hands of elite traders (the regular radio rip circulates widely, but is of course heavily compressed and incomplete). T proved he had the promo copy by providing a "porno version": an MP3 rip of the promo version but with porn noises all over it (and possibly removed about 37 seconds from the end).

.

[Edited 1/7/20 7:18am]

lurker316 said:

OnlyNDaUsa said:

One Song
Cybersingle
Purple and Gold
Glam Slam 91

Thanks. According to PrinceVault Cybersing was offered as a download. Here are all the songs I've identified so far:

Baltimore (original version) -- 9 May 2015 on Prince3EG Soundcloud stream
Chapter & Verse -- Streamed on 20 Jan. 2013 on 3rd Eye Girl YouTube channel
Dance Electric rehearsal -- drfunkenberry.com stream
Hot Summer -- Debute on 7 June 2010 on 89.3 The Current online stream
In A Large Room With No Light -- 15 July 2009 on montreuxjazz.com audio stream (Jazz Festival website)
Indifference -- video stream only, not audio; 30 September 2014 on Yahoo! Live video stream, 7 September 2015 on Tidal full video stream
Laydown Xtended -- Streamed on 6 Jan. 2013 on 3rd Eye Girl YouTube channel
Let's Go Crazy Reloaded -- video stream only, not audio -- 3rdEyeGirl's YouTube account
Love accoustic -- 3121.com audio stream
Midnight Blues -- 8 June 2013, 3rdEye TV broadcast # 6 stream
Purple and Gold -- 21 January 2010 on Minnesota Vikings website audio stream, www.vikings.com
Rich Friends -- 14 October 2010 on KTU.com online stream (KTM 103.5 FM New York)
Same Page Different Book - Streamed on 6 Jan. 2013 on 3rd Eye Girl YouTube channel

As of right now I have them in my "Officially Released Non-Album Tracks" folder, rather than my "Bootleg" folder.

I have a similar dilemma about cataloging songs where were released as an integrated part of an NPG Ahdio Show. Example: Jukebox with a Heartbeat. On the one hand, Prince released it in a download-able file. But on the other hand, it required fan editing to cut the song out of the longer file. So does that make it a fan edit?

You can also add the instrumental cover of Pearl Jam's "Even Flow", a 1:36 snippet of which streamed on Dr. Funkenberry's site in May of 2013.

renfield said:

lurker316 said:

Thanks. According to PrinceVault Cybersing was offered as a download. Here are all the songs I've identified so far:

Baltimore (original version) -- 9 May 2015 on Prince3EG Soundcloud stream
Chapter & Verse -- Streamed on 20 Jan. 2013 on 3rd Eye Girl YouTube channel
Dance Electric rehearsal -- drfunkenberry.com stream
Hot Summer -- Debute on 7 June 2010 on 89.3 The Current online stream
In A Large Room With No Light -- 15 July 2009 on montreuxjazz.com audio stream (Jazz Festival website)
Indifference -- video stream only, not audio; 30 September 2014 on Yahoo! Live video stream, 7 September 2015 on Tidal full video stream
Laydown Xtended -- Streamed on 6 Jan. 2013 on 3rd Eye Girl YouTube channel
Let's Go Crazy Reloaded -- video stream only, not audio -- 3rdEyeGirl's YouTube account
Love accoustic -- 3121.com audio stream
Midnight Blues -- 8 June 2013, 3rdEye TV broadcast # 6 stream
Purple and Gold -- 21 January 2010 on Minnesota Vikings website audio stream, www.vikings.com
Rich Friends -- 14 October 2010 on KTU.com online stream (KTM 103.5 FM New York)
Same Page Different Book - Streamed on 6 Jan. 2013 on 3rd Eye Girl YouTube channel

As of right now I have them in my "Officially Released Non-Album Tracks" folder, rather than my "Bootleg" folder.

I have a similar dilemma about cataloging songs where were released as an integrated part of an NPG Ahdio Show. Example: Jukebox with a Heartbeat. On the one hand, Prince released it in a download-able file. But on the other hand, it required fan editing to cut the song out of the longer file. So does that make it a fan edit?

You can also add the instrumental cover of Pearl Jam's "Even Flow", a 1:36 snippet of which streamed on Dr. Funkenberry's site in May of 2013.

Thanks. I just learned Rock and Roll Love Affair Remix 7 was also only streamed.

lurker316 said:

renfield said:

You can also add the instrumental cover of Pearl Jam's "Even Flow", a 1:36 snippet of which streamed on Dr. Funkenberry's site in May of 2013.

Thanks. I just learned Rock and Roll Love Affair Remix 7 was also only streamed.

Not true - it was available for sale on 3rdEyeGirl.com for a short time. I bought it.

Great to know that folks still remember all of these one-off streams n stuff!

The only original song i ever deleted and will never hear again is that "P&G" junk.

The rest was kinda exclusive-like

lurker316 said:

I have a similar dilemma about cataloging songs where were released as an integrated part of an NPG Ahdio Show. Example: Jukebox with a Heartbeat. On the one hand, Prince released it in a download-able file. But on the other hand, it required fan editing to cut the song out of the longer file. So does that make it a fan edit?

The other streaming songs you now catalogued as "official" require similar fan-ingenuity to archive for posterity. To me therefore they're the exact same situation/designation.

I seem to recall a very low quality version of "You're Still The One" (Shania Twain cover) being streamed in RealAudio format at one point in the early 00s.

Rita Ora's "The Single Most Amazing" if we're counting songs he wrote, too.

I always loved this track, wish I could hear the full version:

PrinceVault.

"Xylophone"

Militant said:

I seem to recall a very low quality version of "You're Still The One" (Shania Twain cover) being streamed in RealAudio format at one point in the early 00s.

It's available on Marva King's official youtube channel, in the same bad quality.

WhisperingDandelions said:

Rita Ora's "The Single Most Amazing" if we're counting songs he wrote, too.

I always loved this track, wish I could hear the full version:

PrinceVault.

-

1 minute vcersion is to be heard on you know, 'U-toob'

as well as a 1minute remix by Cavalli

-

TwiliteKid said:

lurker316 said:

Thanks. I just learned Rock and Roll Love Affair Remix 7 was also only streamed.

Not true - it was available for sale on 3rdEyeGirl.com for a short time. I bought it.

Thanks for the info. I had it as streamed-only because PrinceVault indicates that it was streamed on the 3RDEYEGIRL website but says nothing about a download. I realize that info on that site -- while generally pretty comprehensive and accurate -- is imperfect. That's why I come here and ask questions / double-check, even though I risk that wrath of Bart for asking questions that are supposedly already answered online.

WhisperingDandelions said:

lurker316 said:

I have a similar dilemma about cataloging songs where were released as an integrated part of an NPG Ahdio Show. Example: Jukebox with a Heartbeat. On the one hand, Prince released it in a download-able file. But on the other hand, it required fan editing to cut the song out of the longer file. So does that make it a fan edit?

The other streaming songs you now catalogued as "official" require similar fan-ingenuity to archive for posterity. To me therefore they're the exact same situation/designation.

That's a very good point.

Though, to split hairs, carving songs (such as Jukebox with a Heartbeat) out of larger files isn't really about preserving them for posterity. They fact that they're available in an official download-able file (regardless of whether they're isolated) already preserves them for posterity. Carving them out of the larger file is really about changing the details/format of their preservation.

Granted, being stand-alone is not how Prince intended the file to be heard/preserved, so it's reasonable to argue that the presentation of the song as a stand-alone is inauthentic and unofficial. However, no one would say the song itself is unreleased or bootleg.

For example, if you'd had a stand-alone copy of "Anna Stasia" back when Lovesexy was commerically available only as a single continuous track, someone could have argued the presentation (having it as a stand-alone) was inauthentic/unofficial, but I doubt anyone would have said the song itself ("Anna Stasia") was not officially released.

So I've talked myself into considering isolated songs to be official releases, despite being fan edits... though I'm open to hearing opposing opinions. I'm less certain about streamed-only songs because there was no official download or CD/vinyl.

[For the record, I realize that ultimately this is semantics. We should listen to the songs and not worry about categorizing them. It's simply my desire (OCD?) to organize my collection into managable folders, as well as my love of a good academic-yet-ultimatly-pointless conversation, that's lead me to take up this topic.)

[Edited 1/8/20 5:49am]

TwiliteKid said:

lurker316 said:

Thanks. I just learned Rock and Roll Love Affair Remix 7 was also only streamed.

Not true - it was available for sale on 3rdEyeGirl.com for a short time. I bought it.

I just double checked PrinceVault and they do indicate this song was available for download. I missed that the first time. Thanks for pointing it out. Here's what PrinceVault says: "The same remix dubbed "Remix7" was made available to download on the 3rdEyeGirl.com website on 5 February 2013."

Are any PrinceVault contributors/editors on the Org?

ludwig said:

What If

...and all the jam sessions from 3rd eye girls

fabriziovenerandi said:

What If

...and all the jam sessions from 3rd eye girls

According to PrinceVault "What If" was emailed to ticket holders:

"Live Nation email delivery.... Studio Sent to ticket holders of 14 March 2015 and 15 March 2015, The Louisville Palace, Louisville, KY, USA"

I can't help you with any more suggestions, but just wanted to chime in I always really liked Jukebox With A Heartbeat and always wanted to have it in CD or master quality. Hopefully one day they will release it again!

lurker316 said:

fabriziovenerandi said:

What If

...and all the jam sessions from 3rd eye girls

According to PrinceVault "What If" was emailed to ticket holders:

"Live Nation email delivery.... Studio Sent to ticket holders of 14 March 2015 and 15 March 2015, The Louisville Palace, Louisville, KY, USA"

I can confirm this. IIRC, it was even in WAV format. Can't beat that.