Prince Wants His Music Back ... Now
07.24.2003 7:32 PM EDT


Prince wants his music back. Just a month before he releases the first DVD from his New Power Generation Music Club, the club has sent its paid members a list of album rarities Prince would like returned in his continuing struggle to guard against bootlegging and to control his own sonic real estate.

In an e-mail sent Wednesday to the NPGMC, fans were asked to "Help the cause!" and look for "anything with a WB logo that was unofficially released during Prince's tenure at that label."

Among the suggested discs to send in, according to a list provided by the NPGMC, were releases by such companies as Back 2 Back, 2-on-1 and BackTrax, which included such classic Prince singles as "Purple Rain," "Little Red Corvette," "Erotic City," "When Doves Cry" and "Let's Go Crazy." Much of the material on the list — from CD and cassette singles to box sets and home videos — was released as imports sold in Germany, Japan and the U.K.

The e-mail asks for the material to be mailed to The Ways of the Pharoah, PO Box 169, Vermilion, OH 44089-0169, but without mention of a reward, reimbursement or compensation.

Fans are already in an uproar over the missive. One fan posting to a message board on Prince.org under the name Goldie's Parade wrote, "I bought all those in a shop, so I legally own them, and Prince wants me to send them back free of charge. Fool."

An explanation was later posted on the NPGMC Web site. "Not long ago, an unauthorized version of the concert film 'Sign O' the Times' surfaced online," the message read. "Supposedly originating in Brazil and distributed by WEA International, this DVD is not something that was approved by Prince or any of his affiliates. ... We all know that Prince is one of the most bootlegged artists of his generation, and while much of the activity is tolerated, it crosses the line when Prince's [former] record company ... gets in the mix. The [reason for this request is] to show a federal court the actual truth of this age-old rift between artist and label."

"Let Prince steward his own catalogue," the message pleaded. "Then the 'coupled,' poor-quality, unmastered versions of his classics would cease. Imagine in 2004, a brand new, pristine, remastered version of 'Purple Rain,' released on high-definition DVD with extras, outtakes and liner notes from the Artist himself."

Prince recorded albums between 1978 and 1996 on Warner Bros., whom he's accused of unfair business practices. He split from the label circa the release of Chaos and Disorder, citing issues of control. Though he failed to get Warner Bros. to return the ownership of his master recordings (the label still owns Prince's back catalogue), Prince is legally allowed to re-record any of his Warner Bros. songs.

A spokesperson for the singer could not reach Prince for comment at press time.



—Jennifer Vineyard

Wow. This has officially turned into a big deal.

TRON said:

yep...

That is because someone from this site emailed this to mtv.com. They would not have known about it otherwise.

Goldie! How could you!

SquirrelMeat said:

Who's goldie?

misschestylarue said:

i doubt it. they have folks looking all over the net for shit like this. its what they do for a living...look for news. the quote from 'goldie' they got from here, but the story could've come from anywhere.

Can't ya just smell CJ's upcoming column; girl's gonna have a hay-day with this one. So will the rest of the press by next week. I can see him sitting there right now, with his head in his hands, wishing that he had thought twice about this move. Or...maybe not...maybe he's just too dayum lost. Better move to Neverland P...join Michael. Your two of a kind.

Exactly. They have just picked goldies comments off the news thread.

And Judging by the response on U Tell Us, it could well have been a club member who told MTV.

summerdawn said:

I know for a fact that someone from this site sent it to mtv, and it wasn't me.

misschestylarue said:

But you previous post sueggests you are guessing. Now you know for sure? Who confessed? Spill the beans. Whoever did it should get a pat on the back!

SquirrelMeat said:

summerdawn said:

I can't say but if you go to okayplayer.com and search prince. You might find out who sent it , Because they confess on there.

All this just before the release of a new cd and dvd. Just remember there's no such thing as bad publicity...or so I've heard.

what is it with this sudden witch-hunt for whoever told emptee-vee about this? it don't matter...

prince fucked up in a major way. ain't the first time he's done so, won't be the last time he's done so. the press has a field day with this shit...ah well, it ain't nobody's fault but his. life goes on.



mine!

Handclapsfingasnapz said:

True. The die is cast. There's no use crying over spilled milk. Just let bygones be bygones and a whole bunch of other cliches, etc., etc..

LittlePill said:

LittlePill said:

this is an ex-parrot!

Handclapsfingasnapz said:

No it's not it's just restin'.

Handclapsfingasnapz said:

no it is not a witch-hunt people were wondering how they found out, and I give them some hints. I didn't know if the person really wanted to be revealed, because if they did they would have said so on this site. So I just gave the peeps who want to know a hint. That's all.

LittlePill said:

Co-sign.

He sent the mail, we reacted, MTV reported.

I didn't read anything that was inaccurate in that report, and Prince obviously had nothing to say about it either.

You buy the ticket, you take the ride.

Fans are already in an uproar over the missive. One fan posting to a message board on Prince.org under the name Goldie's Parade wrote, "I bought all those in a shop, so I legally own them, and Prince wants me to send them back free of charge. Fool."



Bad-fucking-ass!

LittlePill said:

tis deceased.passed on...

I still don't understand how these recordings could be considered bootlegs,or "unofficial" releases.These aren't rare songs or outtakes from the vaults,they're official songs that Warners presumably owns the rights to.I don't know how Prince's contract was structured,but don't they have the legal right to release these songs to other countries?


In any case,it looks like yet another war with WB is brewing and that can't be good news for the fans.I really wish Prince would just move on.

DavidEye said:

Co -Sign!

This should be a matter between him & Warners. Why should fams be the ones to bare the brunt of this?
We supported him all the way when he wanted 2 get out of Warners, ever since he's slacked off, and has runned a poor excuse of a business ever since - on purpose. Fair enough about teething problems, getting up an indi label and everything, but there's too many problems year in and year out. He's taking it all on his shoulders. At least through Warners, all he had 2 worry about was THE MUSIC. They handled the business side for him well, regardless however he saw it.

still does not explain why he is asking that bootlegs be mailed to him. WB has no control over vault leakage

misschestylarue said:

hmm, i wonder who that could have been

suomynona said:

me too.

misschestylarue said:

A few other people mentioned this on an earlier forum..

Legally the whole thing is a publicity stunt and a scam.

Certainly his music as of late doesn't make the news anymore. At least he got the second sentence plug.