Kares said:

keywiz said:

If I were you, I'd considered giving up as well.

There is nothing about the size of the vault and the shelfing capacity that indicates the quantity, let alone the quality what might be contained within.

For all we know, many of those shelves are empty. Or only partially filled. Or filled with outtakes or otherwise meaningless stuff.

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For all you know.
You're in for some big surprises.

i hope so. But all I'm saying is no one knows for sure. So all this insistence that they are chock full of great stuff is simply speculation and hope. There's not only no real evidence of that, but what we've seen released thus far indicates otherwise.

the three super deluxe editions released so far have had a LOT of unreleased material, but few true surprises. The idea they held back all the really good stuff that could have been included on those sets isn't very logical.

keywiz said:

Kares said:

.
For all you know.
You're in for some big surprises.

i hope so. But all I'm saying is no one knows for sure. So all this insistence that they are chock full of great stuff is simply speculation and hope. There's not only no real evidence of that, but what we've seen released thus far indicates otherwise.

the three super deluxe editions released so far have had a LOT of unreleased material, but few true surprises. The idea they held back all the really good stuff that could have been included on those sets isn't very logical.

I think we all agree that had they decided to omit known outtakes in the best quality available for the sake of rarer- known or uncirculated tracks would have led to massive complaints online.

Hell, even the longer version of "Sign O' The Times" (the "banjo" version) wasn't included on the SOTT SDE but we got an edited "Crystal Ball" for completists' sake.

There's most likely far more in the vault that we're aware of.

The main issue is how and when we'll get them and moreso that the estate won't be able to please everyone.

TrcikyChristopher said:

keywiz said:

i hope so. But all I'm saying is no one knows for sure. So all this insistence that they are chock full of great stuff is simply speculation and hope. There's not only no real evidence of that, but what we've seen released thus far indicates otherwise.

the three super deluxe editions released so far have had a LOT of unreleased material, but few true surprises. The idea they held back all the really good stuff that could have been included on those sets isn't very logical.

I think we all agree that had they decided to omit known outtakes in the best quality available for the sake of rarer- known or uncirculated tracks would have led to massive complaints online.

Hell, even the longer version of "Sign O' The Times" (the "banjo" version) wasn't included on the SOTT SDE but we got an edited "Crystal Ball" for completists' sake.

There's most likely far more in the vault that we're aware of.

The main issue is how and when we'll get them and moreso that the estate won't be able to please everyone.

Everyone? How about anyone?

At this point, the Estate is pleasing no one.

TrcikyChristopher said:

Yes, and they also refused to include the longer versions of Adore, U Got The Look and The Ballad Of Dorothy Parker. The set could have been so much better imo.

MIRvmn1 said:

TrcikyChristopher said:

I think we all agree that had they decided to omit known outtakes in the best quality available for the sake of rarer- known or uncirculated tracks would have led to massive complaints online.

Hell, even the longer version of "Sign O' The Times" (the "banjo" version) wasn't included on the SOTT SDE but we got an edited "Crystal Ball" for completists' sake.

There's most likely far more in the vault that we're aware of.

The main issue is how and when we'll get them and moreso that the estate won't be able to please everyone.

Yes, and they also refused to include the longer versions of Adore, U Got The Look and The Ballad Of Dorothy Parker. The set could have been so much better imo.

And 101. They could easily compile a companion CD to the Sign O' The Times SDE Vault Tracks.

keywiz said:

It does feel like you're changing the goalposts here, or backtracking. I can't tell which.

Not just surprises, but "true surprises". Presumably meaning, not just previously unavailable songs, but songs that previously weren't known to exist?... So if a title is known but the song is uncirculated, it doesn't count? For example the live studio version of International Lover, not a new song, but a version previously unknown (AFAIK). A joyful surprise to me, but I'm guessing you feel differently?

Are you asking without irony why they'd choose to include some fan favourite outtakes songs in pristine quality? That their focus should be on Proving to the 3 people on the org who think Prince didn't record as much as the people who worked with him said he did?

You've been quiet vocal about this but you haven't referenced a particular set to illustrate your point. i.e on X SDE, out of Y outtakes there are only Z previously uncirculated songs.

Ndorphinmachina said:

keywiz said:

i hope so. But all I'm saying is no one knows for sure. So all this insistence that they are chock full of great stuff is simply speculation and hope. There's not only no real evidence of that, but what we've seen released thus far indicates otherwise.

the three super deluxe editions released so far have had a LOT of unreleased material, but few true surprises. The idea they held back all the really good stuff that could have been included on those sets isn't very logical.

It does feel like you're changing the goalposts here, or backtracking. I can't tell which. Not just surprises, but "true surprises". Presumably meaning, not just previously unavailable songs, but songs that previously weren't known to exist?... So if a title is known but the song is uncirculated, it doesn't count? For example the live studio version of International Lover, not a new song, but a version previously unknown (AFAIK). A joyful surprise to me, but I'm guessing you feel differently? Are you asking without irony why they'd choose to include some fan favourite outtakes songs in pristine quality? That their focus should be on Proving to the 3 people on the org who think Prince didn't record as much as the people who worked with him said he did? You've been quiet vocal about this but you haven't referenced a particular set to illustrate your point. i.e on X SDE, out of Y outtakes there are only Z previously uncirculated songs.

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I'd just add a question:

why would they include totally unknown gems on SDEs if those tracks have nothing to do with the main album the set is based on? In my opinion they have already added far too many outtakes to the SDEs that would've deserved their own spotlight on newly compiled albums, instead of being "buried" on the 12th vinyl side of a massive and very expensive set. I mean, no one is going to spend $2–300 on the Diamonds And Pearls SDE unless they are already fans of the Diamonds And Pearls album! The typical bonus material on big box sets is different mixes, aborted takes, demos and such. And live versions. Becase that's the kind of stuff most artists have on the shelves, not fully finished, unknown gems by the dozens.

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When they find more-or-less ready to go, unreleased albums (which I'm sure they already have), they wouldn't add those tracks onto SDEs, it would be a stupid thing to do. Especially when those tracks have unseen videos too! They can be (and hopefully will be) marketed on their own, as new albums. So just because there weren't 50 totally unknown gems on the SDEs released so far, it is absolutely no indication that "there aren't many great surprises left".

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[Edited 7/17/25 17:00pm]