I remember seeing that CD in a record store and I didn't buy it."DMSR" is one of the best tracks!

SoulAlive said:

They should have dropped Free or International Lover instead of D.M.S.R.

I'm never sure why that song, but a song was dropped because CDs originally only held 74 minutes of music. It wasn't until they held 80 minutes that it was repressed and "DMSR" was added back to the tracklist.

I mean, they could have cut "Let's Pretend We're Married" or even shortened "Automatic" a bit. Who knows, could've just been WB that made the decision and Prince OK'd it.

I own copies of both versions of the CD.

TrivialPursuit said:

TrivialPursuit said:

I mean, they could have cut "Let's Pretend We're Married"

They really couldn't. That was a single.

Since Prince was the producer it was probably his choice.

Moonbeam said:

I have the 10-track CD as well! One thing that doesn’t make sense is that the album with all 11 tracks is just over 70 minutes. Maybe early CDs couldn’t hold 74 minutes? A possible reason “D.M.S.R.” was removed is that it appeared on the Risky Business soundtrack. For a time, the tracklist of 1999 was different for the CD, cassette, and vinyl editions of the album!

...that's gotta be it...

funkaholic1972 said:

They should have dropped Free or International Lover instead of D.M.S.R.

International Lover. He'll no, that's one of my favourites.

Cindy said:

funkaholic1972 said:

They should have dropped Free or International Lover instead of D.M.S.R.

International Lover. He'll no, that's one of my favourites.

Let's drop Free in that case!

funkaholic1972 said:

Cindy said:

International Lover. He'll no, that's one of my favourites.

Let's drop Free in that case!

I'll buy that.

funkaholic1972 said:

They should have dropped Free or International Lover instead of D.M.S.R.

"Free" has to be one of the worst songs he recorded in the 80's, idk why he put that out instead of "Moonbeam Levels"

Was there not also a single LP version of 1999?

I think it was as follows:

Side A:

1999

Little Red Corvette

Delirious

Free

Side B:

Let's Pretend We're Married

Something in the Water (Does not Compute)

Lady Cab Driver

So, did Prince chose those songs as being the "best" / "most commercial"? Or WB? Did other artists also have this, that double LPs were cut down to single LPs? Were they sold seperately in parallel, or only the single LP (e.g. Europe got the single LP, while US has the double?)

Strange...

[Edited 7/31/20 3:41am]

fms said:

That they would cut even one song was a grave insult. Produce two CDs if you have to buy don’t edit a brilliant landmark album like 1999. They would never think of cutting The White Album, Physical Graffiti, The Wall, Quadrophenia, Songs in the Key of Life or any other landmark double album. But with Prince it was no big deal. And one of the key cuts, DMSR. Stuff like that really bugs me.

I'd argue it's even cut into its legacy as a double album like the other records you mention. I rarely see if emphasized like it is when discussing all those other records, even like it is when references/reviews are made to Sign O the Times. To me it seems obvious a generation grew up with the single-disc CD so they think of it as a single album.

[Edited 7/31/20 3:50am]

Krid said:

WhisperingDandelions said:

I read in a book (I can't recall which one) that the decision was Prince's.

Afaik, CDs could always hold 74 mins, so it perplexed me that that they wouldn't have included a 4 minute edit of it.

It makes no sense. DSMR is one of 1999's setpiece tracks and it sort of ties the whole sound together. Free is one of the worst Prince songs of the 80s.

While we're at it, Moonbeam Levels should have made it in place of Free.

Shockedelicus said:

It makes no sense. DSMR is one of 1999's setpiece tracks and it sort of ties the whole sound together. Free is one of the worst Prince songs of the 80s.

While we're at it, Moonbeam Levels should have made it in place of Free.

Yeah, Free never did it for me.

I really don't get the hate for Free.

IAdoreWeronika said:

I really don't get the hate for Free.

I don't either it's a great song!

IAdoreWeronika said:

I really don't get the hate for Free.

I don't hate it, but it has never been a favorite either. It would certainly be my pick to be booted off 1999 so DMSR (which I believe is a much better track) could be included.

IAdoreWeronika said:

I really don't get the hate for Free.

It's just a corny and non-essential ballad compared to other tracks that Prince was writing during that time period. I appreciate the message he was trying to convey (mostly; it feels vaguely preachy in a "you shouldn't complain about your struggles when others probably have it much worse!" kind of way) but it's one of the most skippable parts of 1999.