Happy new year to y'all

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Browsing through LPs at wrecka stores the last few weeks, I saw TGE quite often and I was shocked at how awful the art looks, like very blurry, very low def. It's a pity cos I dig this cover and I'd have considered buying it for decoration, but IDK, it looks nothing like I assumed it should based on what the CD looked like.

First I thought "could it be possible that because it was designed for CD no version of the original art in hi enough def exists, that it was designed with a small format in mind because Prince and Parke, like everyone else back then, assumed LPs were gone never to return?", then realized there had been a limited LP release back in 95, so I guess this can't be it, but who knows....

So I guess my question is: did Prince/Parke screw up back then, or did the Estate/Sony screw up with the rerelease?

The pix or the original LP on Discogs isn't of much help, so I was wondering if anyone here has both versions and could tell me whether the 95 release looks "normal" (= hi-def, like the CD did look in smaller format) or like shit just like the rerelease.

Thanks if anyone knows

[Edited 1/8/25 21:39pm]

FrankieCoco1 said:

Probably the original artwork was lost, or most likely, no efforts were made to locate it @ WB headquarters. Sadly this is too common these days with the vinyl resurgence and one don't need a very trained eye to appreciate the lack of definition of the artwork just browsing on a record store.

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Another example that always comes to mind is the "Prince" album. You can even tell even from the online pics of the reissues that the blue in the background or Prince's skin tone has nothing to do with an original or any repress from the 80's.

If you send a message to Steve Park, I'm sure he will reply to you.

So you'll find out more maybe.

funkbabyandthebabysitters said:

The promo tge on vinyl has better cover art. [Edited 1/9/25 18:54pm]

knee-slapper

it's hard to tell from discogs because the 1995 release is overexposed scan for the front cover, but looking at the edge's and writing etc. the 1995 and 2023 vinyl release they look almost identical.

Vannormal said:

If you send a message to Steve Park, I'm sure he will reply to you.

So you'll find out more maybe.

I just did, thanks for suggesting it I'll let y'all know if I get a reply

psyche2 said:

Probably the original artwork was lost, or most likely, no efforts were made to locate it @ WB headquarters. Sadly this is too common these days with the vinyl resurgence and one don't need a very trained eye to appreciate the lack of definition of the artwork just browsing on a record store.

.

Another example that always comes to mind is the "Prince" album. You can even tell even from the online pics of the reissues that the blue in the background or Prince's skin tone has nothing to do with an original or any repress from the 80's.

Sad

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Let's see if the Black Album reissue, when they get to it, looks grey

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[Edited 1/10/25 14:15pm]

funkbabyandthebabysitters said:

The promo tge on vinyl has better cover art. [Edited 1/9/25 18:54pm]

You mean that one? https://www.discogs.com/r...M3MzE5Ng==

guitarman81 said:

it's hard to tell from discogs because the 1995 release is overexposed scan for the front cover, but looking at the edge's and writing etc. the 1995 and 2023 vinyl release they look almost identical.

Yeah, and the eBay scans didn't help me much either even on a larger screen

The Gold Experience is his best 90s album. I don't care if it came in a Ziplock bag, I would've bought it.

There's something to be said about him not really showing his face - focus on the music. There was that Come vs Gold release back then, so keep the focus on the albums. Which one is better? The contractual Come or the NPG Gold ? That was his original goal. So the artful was purposeful.

TrivialPursuit said:

The Gold Experience is his best 90s album. I don't care if it came in a Ziplock bag, I would've bought it.

There's something to be said about him not really showing his face - focus on the music. There was that Come vs Gold release back then, so keep the focus on the albums. Which one is better? The contractual Come or the NPG Gold ? That was his original goal. So the artful was purposeful.

i think you missed the point, dude
It's about the reproduction of artwork on the vinyl re-release.

As that's all cleared up, i think the vinyl re-release of 'The Truth' was stunning and something worth it's price.

nayroo2002 said:

TrivialPursuit said:

The Gold Experience is his best 90s album. I don't care if it came in a Ziplock bag, I would've bought it.

There's something to be said about him not really showing his face - focus on the music. There was that Come vs Gold release back then, so keep the focus on the albums. Which one is better? The contractual Come or the NPG Gold ? That was his original goal. So the artful was purposeful.

i think you missed the point, dude
It's about the reproduction of artwork on the vinyl re-release.

As that's all cleared up, i think the vinyl re-release of 'The Truth' was stunning and something worth it's price.

Yet, I was confused by the cover art.

The promo cassette had one design:

https://www.discogs.com/release/25707331-The-Artist-Formerly-Known-As-Prince-The-Truth/image/SW1hZ2U6ODg5MTM1Mzk=

Then, when it appeared on Tidal in 2015, it had a different design:

https://www.discogs.com/release/7899073-Prince-The-Truth/image/SW1hZ2U6MjEyMTEyMDk=

Then, the reissue had yet another design:

https://www.discogs.com/release/19102885-The-Artist-Formerly-Known-As-Prince-The-Truth

The cassette gives us an idea of what Prince had in mind in 97, but a few questions remain:

1/ Is the Tidal cover Prince wanted to use in 1997 before he decided to release the album without a cover alongside CB in 98, or something he came-up with in 2015?

2/ Is the LP cover the originally intended CD cover from 1997, or something made by the Estate in 2021?

3/ Could it be there was an original 1997 version that was the same as the cassette in square format (which is more or less what the LP is, except the symbol is different and placed on a different corner)?

Has Steve Parke ever elaborated on this?

nayroo2002 said:

TrivialPursuit said:

The Gold Experience is his best 90s album. I don't care if it came in a Ziplock bag, I would've bought it.

There's something to be said about him not really showing his face - focus on the music. There was that Come vs Gold release back then, so keep the focus on the albums. Which one is better? The contractual Come or the NPG Gold ? That was his original goal. So the artful was purposeful.

i think you missed the point, dude
It's about the reproduction of artwork on the vinyl re-release.

As that's all cleared up, i think the vinyl re-release of 'The Truth' was stunning and something worth it's price.

I can read.

databank said:

nayroo2002 said:

i think you missed the point, dude
It's about the reproduction of artwork on the vinyl re-release.

As that's all cleared up, i think the vinyl re-release of 'The Truth' was stunning and something worth it's price.

Yet, I was confused by the cover art.

The promo cassette had one design:

https://www.discogs.com/release/25707331-The-Artist-Formerly-Known-As-Prince-The-Truth/image/SW1hZ2U6ODg5MTM1Mzk=

Then, when it appeared on Tidal in 2015, it had a different design:

https://www.discogs.com/release/7899073-Prince-The-Truth/image/SW1hZ2U6MjEyMTEyMDk=

Then, the reissue had yet another design:

https://www.discogs.com/release/19102885-The-Artist-Formerly-Known-As-Prince-The-Truth

The cassette gives us an idea of what Prince had in mind in 97, but a few questions remain:

1/ Is the Tidal cover Prince wanted to use in 1997 before he decided to release the album without a cover alongside CB in 98, or something he came-up with in 2015?

2/ Is the LP cover the originally intended CD cover from 1997, or something made by the Estate in 2021?

3/ Could it be there was an original 1997 version that was the same as the cassette in square format (which is more or less what the LP is, except the symbol is different and placed on a different corner)?

Has Steve Parke ever elaborated on this?

Yeah, he talked extensively about this on FB at the time of the vinyl release of The Truth a few years ago. To my understanding, basically he came up with this "new" design from scratch. OK, the front cover picture of the promo cassette matches the one from the vinyl, but I understand the rest of the design was made like 5 years ago. Which, in my personal opinion, doesn't make it any better than any artwork from let's say Eye Records or any other nice fan release.

.

I'd have rather they could have been a bit more faithful to the inaly and all the graphic elements of the promo cassette. At least that was something that Prince got to see and approve.

psyche2 said:

databank said:

Yet, I was confused by the cover art.

The promo cassette had one design:

https://www.discogs.com/release/25707331-The-Artist-Formerly-Known-As-Prince-The-Truth/image/SW1hZ2U6ODg5MTM1Mzk=

Then, when it appeared on Tidal in 2015, it had a different design:

https://www.discogs.com/release/7899073-Prince-The-Truth/image/SW1hZ2U6MjEyMTEyMDk=

Then, the reissue had yet another design:

https://www.discogs.com/release/19102885-The-Artist-Formerly-Known-As-Prince-The-Truth

The cassette gives us an idea of what Prince had in mind in 97, but a few questions remain:

1/ Is the Tidal cover Prince wanted to use in 1997 before he decided to release the album without a cover alongside CB in 98, or something he came-up with in 2015?

2/ Is the LP cover the originally intended CD cover from 1997, or something made by the Estate in 2021?

3/ Could it be there was an original 1997 version that was the same as the cassette in square format (which is more or less what the LP is, except the symbol is different and placed on a different corner)?

Has Steve Parke ever elaborated on this?

Yeah, he talked extensively about this on FB at the time of the vinyl release of The Truth a few years ago. To my understanding, basically he came up with this "new" design from scratch. OK, the front cover picture of the promo cassette matches the one from the vinyl, but I understand the rest of the design was made like 5 years ago. Which, in my personal opinion, doesn't make it any better than any artwork from let's say Eye Records or any other nice fan release.

.

I'd have rather they could have been a bit more faithful to the inaly and all the graphic elements of the promo cassette. At least that was something that Prince got to see and approve.

Thank you.

It is sad indeed: in this case, if no art was made for CD format in 1997, it would have been better for the Estate to pick the Tidal design, which was after all the one Prince had chosen for the album's first commercial release with a proper cover art

Hopefully, they'll come to their senses for a future rerelease...

databank said:

psyche2 said:

Yeah, he talked extensively about this on FB at the time of the vinyl release of The Truth a few years ago. To my understanding, basically he came up with this "new" design from scratch. OK, the front cover picture of the promo cassette matches the one from the vinyl, but I understand the rest of the design was made like 5 years ago. Which, in my personal opinion, doesn't make it any better than any artwork from let's say Eye Records or any other nice fan release.

.

I'd have rather they could have been a bit more faithful to the inaly and all the graphic elements of the promo cassette. At least that was something that Prince got to see and approve.

Thank you.

It is sad indeed: in this case, if no art was made for CD format in 1997, it would have been better for the Estate to pick the Tidal design, which was after all the one Prince had chosen for the album's first commercial release with a proper cover art

Hopefully, they'll come to their senses for a future rerelease...

.
But Prince actually sold the cassette through his website, so while it said 'promo', in reality it was a (low key and indie, but) retail edition. So in my mind that was the original artwork.

databank said:

The promo cassette had one design:

https://www.discogs.com/release/25707331-The-Artist-Formerly-Known-As-Prince-The-

Oh wow, I never knew this, thought the re-release was based on the OG artwork.

Looks awesome!

I have the The Truth CD single, which has some odd artwork does not fit the theme though.

Kares said:

databank said:

Thank you.

It is sad indeed: in this case, if no art was made for CD format in 1997, it would have been better for the Estate to pick the Tidal design, which was after all the one Prince had chosen for the album's first commercial release with a proper cover art

Hopefully, they'll come to their senses for a future rerelease...

.
But Prince actually sold the cassette through his website, so while it said 'promo', in reality it was a (low key and indie, but) retail edition. So in my mind that was the original artwork.

As far as I know he never sold the album though the website, only the CD single. The cassette was only sent to a handful of music mags and fans mags for reviewing (and sadly, that didn't go well), but was never available for purchase befor the CB bundle. Princevault concurs with this, but of course if you have evidence of the opposite please let me know.

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[Edited 1/11/25 17:10pm]

^ If you look at it on Discogs, you can even see it was a mere Maxell cassette, not anything manufactured professionally.

databank said:

Kares said:

.
But Prince actually sold the cassette through his website, so while it said 'promo', in reality it was a (low key and indie, but) retail edition. So in my mind that was the original artwork.

As far as I know he never sold the album though the website, only the CD single. The cassette was only sent to a handful of music mags and fans mags for reviewing (and sadly, that didn't go well), but was never available for purchase befor the CB bundle. Princevault concurs with this, but of course if you have evidence of the opposite please let me know.

.

[Edited 1/11/25 17:10pm]

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Yeah, you're right. I just remembered the tapes I ordered were Kamasutra and The War, not The Truth. My mistake, sorry!

I honestly think it was a strang choice to print the lyrics on a 'log book' background (on the 2021 RSD vinyl release).

Don't think Prince' ever would approve of that. (...or am i wrong? Was it a official Prince approved release?)

To me it has little to no relation to 'The Truth' concept.

The 'Cosmos' back art print on the original cassette is more suitable.

Just my unimportant opinion.

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Vannormal said:

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What a weird decision to "mass"-produce a tape in-house on a C90 cassette with the same program twice. (How many were made? 50? 100?) It took them twice the time to make one, plus a C90 tape is thinner than a C45 or C60 so they should've used the later.

Kares said:

databank said:

As far as I know he never sold the album though the website, only the CD single. The cassette was only sent to a handful of music mags and fans mags for reviewing (and sadly, that didn't go well), but was never available for purchase befor the CB bundle. Princevault concurs with this, but of course if you have evidence of the opposite please let me know.

.

[Edited 1/11/25 17:10pm]

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Yeah, you're right. I just remembered the tapes I ordered were Kamasutra and The War, not The Truth. My mistake, sorry!

It happens to the best of us

Kares said:

Vannormal said:

.
What a weird decision to "mass"-produce a tape in-house on a C90 cassette with the same program twice. (How many were made? 50? 100?) It took them twice the time to make one, plus a C90 tape is thinner than a C45 or C60 so they should've used the later.

I'd say probably more like 5 to 10. Unsure how many reviews were published back then, the only one I have in mind is Uptown, but I seem to remember very few, like Prince just selected a handful of targeted mags to send it.

My take regarding putting the album on both side is maybe that it makes reviewing easier, as one doesn't have to bother rewinding after a first listen, and as we all know, music journalists' time is precious so if you want them to talk about you, you better make it easy for them