is it because he knows he isn't has big as he used to be, and he won't have enough albums sold or is it because he could make as much as he likes, and sell then on line one after the another or you do you think?

I'f I'm not mistaken, One Nite Alone...Live was sold in stores.
So did The Rainbow Children.
[This message was edited Sun Nov 2 11:46:54 PST 2003 by TweetyBird]

You can still get his albums in stores. It's just that they're not as well distributed as they once were. TRC was widely distributed, though.

andykeen said:

Does he?

His latest release is N.E.W.S. and that is available in record shops.

wot i meen is hes newer album, i can never get hold of them, and when i ask, they tell me he only sells them online

andykeen said:

newer than his latest? didn't know there was such a thing.

the only album not available in stores was One Nite Alone (the piano version) and Xpectation.
All the rest are/were available in stores. just hard to find them there.

no their is another tht you cant buy, called the black album, your be lucky to pick it up in little run down stores

andykeen said:

Any half-decent record shop will have a copy of The Black Album

It's because he wants me to be able to get them first. I just know it.

andykeen said:

The "Black Album" was released to the retail stores back in 1994, but it was only in limited edition!

TweetyBird said:

I don't believe 'rave In2 the Joy Fantastic' received a retail distribution, and I'm unsure about Karmasutra - either as a single album release or as part of the 5CD Crystal ball set. As with Xpectation, it could be argued that the tracks planned for 'High' never got a standard release (although exactly what was planned for High has not been officially confirmed.

Whatever though, the premise that Prince ONLY brings out albums on the internet is mistaken - with him bringing out a 3cd box set last year and an instrumental album this year - but available for purchase in the UK where the person who strated this thread lives.

He doesn't. Perhaps the stores where you live are just not stocking them!

trc and news were in glasgow hmv on the day of release !!!

ona live was always supposedly coming in. after 6 weeks i stopped checking !!! rite enuf ! got it in paris !!!

rave was and still is on sale in the uk

the only albums i can remember online or 1 800.

were kamasutra - 1 800
gold nigga - 1 800
xpectation - online
ona piano - online

The effective distribution and promotion of albums is controlled by the record companies. And distribution and promotion only costs money, it doesn't bring it in. The only way record companies can make money is if they take a cut out of any albums sold or have the artist signed up to their label.

Since Prince believes record companies take far too large a cut for the service they offer, he no longer wants to be involved with them, unless it is on his terms, and they don't really want to be involved with him unless it is on their terms. Hence selling on the internet is Prince's best option at controlling every aspect of his business.

It is true some of his more recent albums find their way to stores, but the distribution deals he has made appear to be short-term and patchy at best, in other words, some stores, some countries will have the album, others won't.

I recently saw the press conference he gave not long after 'Rave Un2 the Joy Fantastic' came out back in 2000. He said some quite interesting things, though I would take issue with some of it. For instance, as an example of how the record business should work, he said if you want some bread you go to a baker, you don't need a middle man, you just go to the straight to the creator.

But actually, I'm sure most of us buy our bread from a supermarket, a type of 'middle man'. Even at a bakers, there's often people hired just to run the cashier! When you buy stuff from NPGMC I don't think it is Prince at the other end sorting out the orders! I

Although I tend to agree with his statement that he always thought he was employing the record company to sell his records, not the other way around. I think record companies have become far too powerful and over-reliant on huge profits and the immediate financial success of their artists rather than long-term development. Prince might not sell as well as he used to in his heyday, but he's still got a massive fan base that would generate a decent amount of money if they weren't so greedy with the cut that they want and insisting on owning the 'masters' so that they can make money over and over as new audio formats are developed and albums re-packaged.

From what I've heard he will soon start sellin' his records door-to-door. And he won't take no for an answer.

Prince is a strange little man with unique but strange ideas.
[This message was edited Sun Nov 2 16:29:49 PST 2003 by klhk]

andykeen said:

I personally think that as always, Prince is ahead of the game. Picture it... the year is 2013 and the only record stores that exist are those that sell vinyl to deejays and collectors. Computers will be the cost of VCR's and every home will have one. That means even more file sharing and "pay-per" music downloads.

danielboon said:

"rave in2 the joy fantastic" is only available at NPGMC, it has never been available in stores "rave un2 the joy fantastic" is the one you can buy in shops.

Tower Records and also my local record shop "the left legged pineapple" both stock the black album. It has never been that difficult to get hold of in the uk. NEWS, One Nite Alone and Rainbow Children can be found in quite a few locations in the uk also.