I saw it in a facebook group.

It is a letter people can sign for the release of Vault material :

https://www.ipetitions.com/petition/message-for-the-release-of-princes-vault-material

Quote of point 1 :

The term "petition" generally refers to a formal written request in order to appeal for a political decision. In this instance, a petition system was chosen because it was the easiest way collect multiple signatures via an online system. This is not an attempt to try to force a decision but rather a way to send a message across with multiple parties cosigning it.

Prince fans want Prince's music released? I think the estate knows this. Waste of time, 10,000,000 signatures wouldn't make any difference.

petition to make lustmealways the new archivist for the prince estate

Ridiculous.

Yes cause petitions online have historically been something that moves the needle? lol

[Edited 7/10/21 21:02pm]

a petition? I guess if it doesn't work,they'll go on a big march to Paisley Park Studio,lol.

This is comical.

I remember a similar petition on the NPG music club, just before the forum got closed.

You are all right. Prince sucks. Why would we want to see more of his material? Nobody wants that kind of crap.

That, I do agree with my fellow Prince fans.

More seriously.. when I read comments like the ones above, I start to think Prince was killed by his fans who refuse the principle of more releases.

@andrewm7 : the petition back in the day of the npgmc was mine but it was not drafted properly. Agreed. However, the NPGMC was watching the reactions very closely and was prepared to release more. It simply did not happen because people did not express they wanted to see more of Prince. It may be the same story again.

I personally signed this petition because I want to see more videos of full Prince shows. I do not think it is being a vulture to want to see more performances and own archive material. The comment is childish (sorry) and I would not be surprised that folks who type this kind of provocation own tons and download tons of bootl$gs.

[Edited 7/11/21 2:45am]

Prince is awesome, we all love his music and we all want more released. I want an online vault with a monthly subsctiption.

A petition will make no difference to this and it's naive to think that it will.

TheEnglishGent said:

I want to give it a chance and try.

It did not cost me any money to put my signature.

Even if the petition itself does not go far, it will still carry a message that there are people who want more frequent releases.

TheEnglishGent said:

I did not think about options. An online vault with a subscription sounds like a great idea. Totally agree!

"we are the only audience for that kind of material" : the world has not listened to all shows and unreleased studio recordings. I think you are jumping to conclusions a bit fast. Because of the lack of LIVE material, it is my opinion that we cannot tell what the general public will say on tours which are not available. Most people don't know it exists and what it is like.

Bertrand said:

You missed my point about LIVE material.

On jazz material, ONA live was quite popular among Prince fans and jazz listeners.

On instrumentals, NEWS was also popular among jazz listeners.

I know personally people who no interest in funk or Prince but purchased the ONA live boxset and enjoy it.

Alternate configurations would not generate any interest. I have never ben interested in remixes myself.

Members of prince groups on prince.org, facebook etc are not the only listeners. There is a wider audience.

OperatingThetan said:

Bertrand said:

I did not think about options. An online vault with a subscription sounds like a great idea. Totally agree!

"we are the only audience for that kind of material" : the world has not listened to all shows and unreleased studio recordings. I think you are jumping to conclusions a bit fast. Because of the lack of LIVE material, it is my opinion that we cannot tell what the general public will say on tours which are not available. Most people don't know it exists and what it is like.

How interested do you think the general public would be in the Madrid 2 Chicago album? The original configuration of the Come album? Outtakes from the NewPowerSoul sessions in 98? Alternate versions and remixes of songs and rehearsal jams? Instrumental albums? Perhaps with right kind of promotion and marketing they could be, but you would need to be very selective about what you presented and how. Whereas I would happily pay a premium price and take it all.

I don't think the "general public" was much interested in hearing Colleen or Walkin' In Glory either.

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Archive projects, particularly expensive boxsets, were always aimed at fans (and, to some extent, hardcore music afficionados or people curious about a particular album's sessions), not the general public. I don't think many people who weren't already Miles Davis fans purchased that overpriced Complete Bitches Brew Sessions boxset back in 98.

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Some products are aimed from the start at niche markets, yet profitable. I'm not sure why it seems so hard to understand for some Prince fans, but not each and every record released is expected by its label to be the next Thriller. There are things you can sell to millions of people, and things you can only sell to a few thousands, which is fine as long as you still make a profit.

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I remember a relatively famous French artist saying, 15 years ago, that he needed 40,000 copies of each new album sold to make up for production costs, so the label would keep him. It's not like the label would deem him worthless if he wouldn't sell 1M copies.

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It's even truer when we're talking archives and rereleases (production costs are very low by comparison to recording an album from scrach, so the profit doesn't need to be gigantic). Labels keep rereleasing obscure records no one remembers except some hardcore niche audiences.

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So of course the Estate needs one or 2 high profile release every year, but wether digitally or otherwise, they certainly could (and hopefully will) produce more niche products for the fans only beyond RSD limited editions.

I did not create this petition and have no emotional involvement in that bit.

However, I am surprised how easy it is for Prince fans to knock down intiatives of this kind rather than try to help out and offer to reshape it to make it more successful.

Whoever wrote that petition text must have thought about it, and my point of view is to RESPECT and APPRECIATE somebody is trying to do something.

Of course, it can always be different.

It is just so easy to complain and comment rather try to do something to move things in the direction.

Fun fact :

A petition to add fake eyes to a mall in the shape of poo (https://www.change.org/p/embra-cooncil-pit-googly-eyes-oan-the-jobby) gets more interests than Prince fans can give to the music in the vault (Paisley Park vault).

[Edited 7/15/21 12:33pm]

[Edited 7/15/21 12:35pm]

Bertrand said:

Fun fact :

A petition to add fake eyes to a mall in the shape of poo (https://www.change.org/p/embra-cooncil-pit-googly-eyes-oan-the-jobby) gets more interests than Prince fans can give to the music in the vault (Paisley Park vault).

[Edited 7/15/21 12:33pm]

[Edited 7/15/21 12:35pm]

That's hilarious. Petition signed!