In his last interview, Michael Howe hinted about a non SDE project in the work that would be "meaningful" or something like that, and about showcasing more of Prince's post-80's work (I'm paraphrasing, but that was the spirit).

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Coincidence or not, Princevault just created an entry for the unreleased album Happy Tears, conceived during Mayte's pregnancy and cancelled after the child passed. If the record and associated children book were completed, Happy Tears would indeed make for a strong project. Given the personal tragedy it's associated with for both Prince and Mayte, such a release would be associated with a strong narrative to feed the media, and have a stronger emotional impact over audiences than most other potential projects save maybe Prince's last recorded show ever. The music probably isn't the most interesting ever recorded by Prince, but everyone loves a sad story.

.

So IDK. It's probably not that, but it may just as well be.

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http://princevault.com/index.php?title=Album:_Happy_Tears

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CORRECTION: I was wrong about the page, the new page was for the song but the album's page has been there for years, so there's no reason to think this project is next in line more than any other.

[Edited 1/29/21 14:01pm]

It is an interesting idea, but my bets are still on a piano and microphone tour project.

I don't think this project was ever finished, but regardless, this entry isn't new - it's been up since 2015: http://princevault.com/in...on=history

TwiliteKid said:

I don't think this project was ever finished, but regardless, this entry isn't new - it's been up since 2015: http://princevault.com/in...on=history

Ah, my bad. The new page was for the song, not the album.

I have no clue whether the project was ever finished. We can only hope

andrewm7 said:

It is an interesting idea, but my bets are still on a piano and microphone tour project.

That was my first thought, too. I'd say it's a little too predictable, so part of me hopes for something more surprising.

But on the other hand, that tour, and particularly the last show, is indeed an obvious release that has to see the light of day sooner or later.

^if it was done well it would be great; there were some stellar,brave and surprising performances during that tour In my opinion.

I would really like a 77Beverly Park lane/3121 Antello rd box set too :-Dkinda “Prince, at home with his bad self

[Edited 1/28/21 7:49am]

if Prince decided not to release this project due to the death of his child, i feel it would be sick and morbid for his privacy to be violated, and sold off by the recording industry vultures and their evil minions

RJOrion said:

databank said:

I feel like Mayte would and should do her best to put a stop to any release of that nature

I'm sure beautiful songs were written during this period but I feel standalone release focused on them would be a bit insensitive. Who knows if we ever get a Emancipation SDE (of sorts) some of them could be included as vault material, but not with a complete spotlight on them!

I find it sad to read such negative reactions.

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Lack of interest, I can understand, but as with everything else some people wanna hear it, so let them. There's enough in the vault for everyone's tastes.

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"Prince chose not to release it so we shouldn't". OK. I thought we were through with this debate, but I see it'll likely last forever.

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Moral objections? Why? For all the tragedy this project carries with it, it most likely comes with a beautiful message and it's a moving callback to happy times in both Prince and Mayte's life, when they were newly married, soon to be parents and unaware of the heartbreaking events about to occur. If you're gonna refuse this because the boy passed, then you may just as well call for Emancipation to be deleted from the catalogue, since it addresses the topic just as much (and even, for chrissakes, features the baby's heartbeat!).

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In such a context, I don't see how releasing a cute project like that could possibly be insensitive or inappropriate. Nor why should Mayte, who spoke lenghtily of these events in a book, object. If anything is insensitive or inappropriate, it's for people who weren't directly affected by those events to elect themselves judge and jury and decide what is or isn't morally acceptable.

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And TBH I find it pretty sick if this project invokes disturbing, dark images in some people's minds. What I relate it to is the joy of 2 happily married soon to be parents, which is what it was about.

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So yeah. I find some of the replies here quite depressing. Truly

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But anyway since my only "clue" was misled, it's unlikely it was ever gonna be that in the first place, so I guess people won't have to debate this before another coupla years.

databank says:

Lack of interest, I can understand, but as with everything else some people wanna hear it, so let them.

------------------------------------

so if anyone (not just Prince) dies, its morally OK to rummage and pillage their personal belongings to find things to sell? without consent of the deceased?...if you die, and my friends and i broke into your house and stole and sold your PERSONAL and LOCKED UP belongings, and kept the proceeds, and continued to do this for years to come, you say thats morally OK?... thats strange because I would be arrested and incarcerated for doing just that...but in the entertatinment industry its OK to steal from a dead man's property and sell off his items???... in what othet enterprise can you do this legally?...there are NO MORALS in the entertainment industry, and there never has been...thats why you see so many tragic endings and even tragic existences therein...so much drug use... so much deceipt and corruption and mental abuse and sexual abuse... because these people are "slaves" to a wicked industry, and have very little control over their own finances and lifestyles and bodies...

its Prince's intellectual property...locked in a hidden vault...he never said or decreed, "after i die, if people wanna hear it, so let them"...so for them to invade his private property and auction off belongings, is not only immoral, but for all intents and purposes, criminal

RJOrion said:

databank says:

Lack of interest, I can understand, but as with everything else some people wanna hear it, so let them.

------------------------------------

so if anyone (not just Prince) dies, its morally OK to rummage and pillage their personal belongings to find things to sell? without consent of the deceased?...if you die, and my friends and i broke into your house and stole and sold your PERSONAL and LOCKED UP belongings, and kept the proceeds, and continued to do this for years to come, you say thats morally OK?... thats strange because I would be arrested and incarcerated for doing just that...but in the entertatinment industry its OK to steal from a dead man's property and sell off his items???... in what othet enterprise can you do this legally?...there are NO MORALS in the entertainment industry, and there never has been...thats why you see so many tragic endings and even tragic existences therein...so much drug use... so much deceipt and corruption and mental abuse and sexual abuse... because these people are "slaves" to a wicked industry, and have very little control over their own finances and lifestyles and bodies...

its Prince's intellectual property...locked in a hidden vault...he never said or decreed, "after i die, if people wanna hear it, so let them"...so for them to invade his private property and auction off belongings, is not only immoral, but for all intents and purposes, criminal

Dude. When a person dies, his or her belongings - ALL OF THEM - pass to the next of kin. That is how inheritance laws work - it is not stealing.

If you have a problem, take it up with the estate. The "industry" can't do anything with the family's say-so.

RJOrion said:

databank says:

Lack of interest, I can understand, but as with everything else some people wanna hear it, so let them.

------------------------------------

so if anyone (not just Prince) dies, its morally OK to rummage and pillage their personal belongings to find things to sell? without consent of the deceased?...if you die, and my friends and i broke into your house and stole and sold your PERSONAL and LOCKED UP belongings, and kept the proceeds, and continued to do this for years to come, you say thats morally OK?... thats strange because I would be arrested and incarcerated for doing just that...but in the entertatinment industry its OK to steal from a dead man's property and sell off his items???... in what othet enterprise can you do this legally?...there are NO MORALS in the entertainment industry, and there never has been...thats why you see so many tragic endings and even tragic existences therein...so much drug use... so much deceipt and corruption and mental abuse and sexual abuse... because these people are "slaves" to a wicked industry, and have very little control over their own finances and lifestyles and bodies...

its Prince's intellectual property...locked in a hidden vault...he never said or decreed, "after i die, if people wanna hear it, so let them"...so for them to invade his private property and auction off belongings, is not only immoral, but for all intents and purposes, criminal

Ridiculous. And if that's how you feel, I do hope you've been steering clear of the vault releases. Wouldn't want to taint yourself.

Genesia said:

RJOrion said:

databank says:

Lack of interest, I can understand, but as with everything else some people wanna hear it, so let them.

------------------------------------

so if anyone (not just Prince) dies, its morally OK to rummage and pillage their personal belongings to find things to sell? without consent of the deceased?...if you die, and my friends and i broke into your house and stole and sold your PERSONAL and LOCKED UP belongings, and kept the proceeds, and continued to do this for years to come, you say thats morally OK?... thats strange because I would be arrested and incarcerated for doing just that...but in the entertatinment industry its OK to steal from a dead man's property and sell off his items???... in what othet enterprise can you do this legally?...there are NO MORALS in the entertainment industry, and there never has been...thats why you see so many tragic endings and even tragic existences therein...so much drug use... so much deceipt and corruption and mental abuse and sexual abuse... because these people are "slaves" to a wicked industry, and have very little control over their own finances and lifestyles and bodies...

its Prince's intellectual property...locked in a hidden vault...he never said or decreed, "after i die, if people wanna hear it, so let them"...so for them to invade his private property and auction off belongings, is not only immoral, but for all intents and purposes, criminal

Dude. When a person dies, his or her belongings - ALL OF THEM - pass to the next of kin. That is how inheritance laws work - it is not stealing.

If you have a problem, take it up with the estate. The "industry" can't do anything with the family's say-so.

and who are Prince's next of Kin that are reaping all the proceeds from this pillaging?... because some of his family members feel the same way i do...who is getting all this money?...what family members are saying' Go get the songs out the vault and make LPs"?... what next of kin did Prince bestow these blessings to?...and i dont "have a problem"...im giving my opinion...

Genesia said:

RJOrion said:

databank says:

Lack of interest, I can understand, but as with everything else some people wanna hear it, so let them.

------------------------------------

so if anyone (not just Prince) dies, its morally OK to rummage and pillage their personal belongings to find things to sell? without consent of the deceased?...if you die, and my friends and i broke into your house and stole and sold your PERSONAL and LOCKED UP belongings, and kept the proceeds, and continued to do this for years to come, you say thats morally OK?... thats strange because I would be arrested and incarcerated for doing just that...but in the entertatinment industry its OK to steal from a dead man's property and sell off his items???... in what othet enterprise can you do this legally?...there are NO MORALS in the entertainment industry, and there never has been...thats why you see so many tragic endings and even tragic existences therein...so much drug use... so much deceipt and corruption and mental abuse and sexual abuse... because these people are "slaves" to a wicked industry, and have very little control over their own finances and lifestyles and bodies...

its Prince's intellectual property...locked in a hidden vault...he never said or decreed, "after i die, if people wanna hear it, so let them"...so for them to invade his private property and auction off belongings, is not only immoral, but for all intents and purposes, criminal

Dude. When a person dies, his or her belongings - ALL OF THEM - pass to the next of kin. That is how inheritance laws work - it is not stealing.

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No one is stealing shit. Everything the Estate does, they're allowed to do by law. And no one in their right mind is going to ask the US government to pass a law that makes it compulsory to destroy people's property, let alone IP, after they pass.

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Besides, Prince did say that vault material was to be released when he's not there. Not that it mattered if he didn't. But he did. Living in the "post truth era", aren't we?

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When I see debates about this, or the "debatable" lyrics on some songs, all I see is people in need for a new moral crusade every day. But as poet Léo Ferré once said, "the problem with moral values, it's that it's always other people's moral values". I really don't care discussing this any further, however, and I don't think anyone should. Not only is it a very dull and pointless debate, but you end-up having it with people whose sole agenda is to force their moral values upon others.

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[Edited 1/29/21 8:02am]

RJOrion said:

Genesia said:

Dude. When a person dies, his or her belongings - ALL OF THEM - pass to the next of kin. That is how inheritance laws work - it is not stealing.

If you have a problem, take it up with the estate. The "industry" can't do anything with the family's say-so.

and who are Prince's next of Kin that are reaping all the proceeds from this pillaging?... because some of his family members feel the same way i do...who is getting all this money?...what family members are saying' Go get the songs out the vault and make LPs"?... what next of kin did Prince bestow these blessings to?...and i dont "have a problem"...im giving my opinion...

You sure do. Chill, man.

RJOrion said:

Genesia said:

Dude. When a person dies, his or her belongings - ALL OF THEM - pass to the next of kin. That is how inheritance laws work - it is not stealing.

If you have a problem, take it up with the estate. The "industry" can't do anything with the family's say-so.

and who are Prince's next of Kin that are reaping all the proceeds from this pillaging?... because some of his family members feel the same way i do...who is getting all this money?...what family members are saying' Go get the songs out the vault and make LPs"?... what next of kin did Prince bestow these blessings to?...and i dont "have a problem"...im giving my opinion...

Who's getting "all this money"? The IRS, that's who. Because Prince gave zero fucks about what happened after he died and didn't set up a trust - or even make a will. Beef with the right person.

Genesia said:

RJOrion said:

and who are Prince's next of Kin that are reaping all the proceeds from this pillaging?... because some of his family members feel the same way i do...who is getting all this money?...what family members are saying' Go get the songs out the vault and make LPs"?... what next of kin did Prince bestow these blessings to?...and i dont "have a problem"...im giving my opinion...

Who's getting "all this money"? The IRS, that's who. Because Prince gave zero fucks about what happened after he died and didn't set up a trust - or even make a will. Beef with the right person.

did the IRS play any bass lines or guitar licks?...im not beefing with anyone, and i dont "have a problem" with anyone ... nor do i 'need to chill"....my point is, the system is just flawed and broken, and is set up for the artists to be robbed... ESPECIALLY BLACK ARTISTS WHO HAVE BEEN ROBBED THROUGHOUT HISTORY....if youre arguing against that, i dont know what to tell you

and for the record, i believe Prince DID have a will...not everyone believes everything they hear or read in the mainstream media...which has been known since the beginning of media, to lie and mislead the public...especially entertainment news... a control freak like Prince who meticulously mapped out every aspect of his career, and ran a multimillion dollar business, didnt have a will?... yeah OK.... and Christopher Colombus "discovered" America, too

Mayte said he had a will...and of course it had to be amended after the divorce, but why wouldnt he have done that?...he had their house razed to the ground, so its not like he wasnt getting his personal business and affairs rearranged after he kicked her to the curb...so he just up and FORGOT to amend his will?...

stop it

RJOrion said:

and for the record, i believe Prince DID have a will...not everyone believes everything they hear or read in the mainstream media...which has been known since the beginning of media, to lie and mislead the public...especially entertainment news... a control freak like Prince who meticulously mapped out every aspect of his career, and ran a multimillion dollar business, didnt have a will?... yeah OK.... and Christopher Colombus "discovered" America, too

And here we go again, conspiracy theories based on intuition and "common knowledge" (= based on nothing)...

.

Plus, TBH, turning the topic into some kind of racial issue is kinda below the belt, because anyone disagreeing will sound as if they're insensitive to the plight of Blacks in America when, in fact, this wasn't at all what was being discussed in the first place...

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First it's about Prince's baby and Prince's wishes, then it's about his family, then it's about unfair taxes, then it's about Blacks in America, then it's about the greed of capitalism and the music industry, then it's about a will and the media and a conspiracy, then it'll be this, then that... You keep moving the goalposts so the second one argument is dismissed you can come up with another, unrelated one...

.

Thing is, it don't work like that. Piling up one argument after another until you find one that others will agree with ain't gonna make the whole reasoning any more legit. A broken clock is right twice a day, so sure, inevitably, some of the things you mention aren't unworthy of being discussed in a broader context. We could talk about whether taxes are fair, whether artists should be more independant from labels, whether copyright should even exist or IP's should fall into public domain sooner than they do after artists die, etc. I ain't sayin', these are interesting topics. But is it really relevant here? IDK, because I don't even know what we're talking about anymore.

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So, no, I'm sorry man. Nothing against you but you just disqualified yourself from any serious conversation on this particular topic. You have an idea based on a mere, vague intuition ("releasing the material is wrong"), then you keep digging for any arguments that may support it until, hopefully, you find one that will resist examination. It don't work like that. You won't convince anyone like that. Please just move on, you'll be right about something else tomorrow, but today wasn't the day. It happens to the best of us

Wow...

databank said:

RJOrion said:

and for the record, i believe Prince DID have a will...not everyone believes everything they hear or read in the mainstream media...which has been known since the beginning of media, to lie and mislead the public...especially entertainment news... a control freak like Prince who meticulously mapped out every aspect of his career, and ran a multimillion dollar business, didnt have a will?... yeah OK.... and Christopher Colombus "discovered" America, too

And here we go again, conspiracy theories based on intuition and "common knowledge" (= based on nothing)...

.

Plus, TBH, turning the topic into some kind of racial issue is kinda below the belt, because anyone disagreeing will sound as if they're insensitive to the plight of Blacks in America when, in fact, this wasn't at all what was being discussed in the first place...

.

First it's about Prince's baby and Prince's wishes, then it's about his family, then it's about unfair taxes, then it's about Blacks in America, then it's about the greed of capitalism and the music industry, then it's about a will and the media and a conspiracy, then it'll be this, then that... You keep moving the goalposts so the second one argument is dismissed you can come up with another, unrelated one...

.

Thing is, it don't work like that. Piling up one argument after another until you find one that others will agree with ain't gonna make the whole reasoning any more legit. A broken clock is right twice a day, so sure, inevitably, some of the things you mention aren't unworthy of being discussed in a broader context. We could talk about whether taxes are fair, whether artists should be more independant from labels, whether copyright should even exist or IP's should fall into public domain sooner than they do after artists die, etc. I ain't sayin', these are interesting topics. But is it really relevant here? IDK, because I don't even know what we're talking about anymore.

.

So, no, I'm sorry man. Nothing against you but you just disqualified yourself from any serious conversation on this particular topic. You have an idea based on a mere, vague intuition ("releasing the material is wrong"), then you keep digging for any arguments that may support it until, hopefully, you find one that will resist examination. It don't work like that. You won't convince anyone like that. Please just move on, you'll be right about something else tomorrow, but today wasn't the day. It happens to the best of us

i didnt disqualify myself from anything...i could care less about your faux elitist opinion of my opinion....you are not in any way qualified to be judge or jury over Prince's post mortem affairs ...nor are you any kind of authority on racial inequities... with that said, i will continue to speak on racial issues as it releates to Prince or anyone else i feel like... you have no authority to "disqualify' me from ANYTHING...LMAO @ your edict wich says im "disqualified"....i know it KILLS some of you emotionally and spiritually to see/hear a black man speak against the status quo...and i LOVE it...so keep going...and keep supporting and justifying the thefts and sales of a Black Artist's intellectual property ... ill move on when im ready...im not your child or your ladyfriends...so save the orders for someone who MIGHT follow them...or go cry to the moderators like some others do.

RJOrion said:

databank said:

And here we go again, conspiracy theories based on intuition and "common knowledge" (= based on nothing)...

.

Plus, TBH, turning the topic into some kind of racial issue is kinda below the belt, because anyone disagreeing will sound as if they're insensitive to the plight of Blacks in America when, in fact, this wasn't at all what was being discussed in the first place...

.

First it's about Prince's baby and Prince's wishes, then it's about his family, then it's about unfair taxes, then it's about Blacks in America, then it's about the greed of capitalism and the music industry, then it's about a will and the media and a conspiracy, then it'll be this, then that... You keep moving the goalposts so the second one argument is dismissed you can come up with another, unrelated one...

.

Thing is, it don't work like that. Piling up one argument after another until you find one that others will agree with ain't gonna make the whole reasoning any more legit. A broken clock is right twice a day, so sure, inevitably, some of the things you mention aren't unworthy of being discussed in a broader context. We could talk about whether taxes are fair, whether artists should be more independant from labels, whether copyright should even exist or IP's should fall into public domain sooner than they do after artists die, etc. I ain't sayin', these are interesting topics. But is it really relevant here? IDK, because I don't even know what we're talking about anymore.

.

So, no, I'm sorry man. Nothing against you but you just disqualified yourself from any serious conversation on this particular topic. You have an idea based on a mere, vague intuition ("releasing the material is wrong"), then you keep digging for any arguments that may support it until, hopefully, you find one that will resist examination. It don't work like that. You won't convince anyone like that. Please just move on, you'll be right about something else tomorrow, but today wasn't the day. It happens to the best of us

i didnt disqualify myself from anything...i could care less about your faux elitist opinion of my opinion....you are not in any way qualified to be judge or jury over Prince's post mortem affairs ...nor are you any kind of authority on racial inequities... with that said, i will continue to speak on racial issues as it releates to Prince or anyone else i feel like... you have no authority to "disqualify' me from ANYTHING...LMAO @ your edict wich says im "disqualified"....i know it KILLS some of you emotionally and spiritually to see/hear a black man speak against the status quo...and i LOVE it...so keep going...and keep supporting and justifying the thefts and sales of a Black Artist's intellectual property ... ill move on when im ready...im not your child or your ladyfriends...so save the orders for someone who MIGHT follow them...or go cry to the moderators like some others do.

Dude, seriously...