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Prince / Purple Rain reissue / full details including four-disc expanded edition

By Paul Sinclair

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4-disc expanded edition • 2CD deluxe • remastered • Prince-approved

NPG Records and Warner Bros. Records will release two expanded editions of Prince‘s 1984 album Purple Rain in late June, both of which contain a disc of unheard tracks from the late musician’s infamous ‘vault’.

The four-disc expanded edition and the two-CD deluxe both include the official 2015 Paisley Park Remaster of the album and From The Vault & Unreleased, a disc of sought after rarities, more than half of which “have never been released or distributed in the collector or bootleg community”.

These unheard tracks include Possessed – the ’83 Prince solo version; Electric Intercourse– the studio version not known to exist before it was discovered at Paisley Park; Father’s Song – a full, five plus minute version that prior to this fans could only find a minute and half snippet of in the movie; We Can Fuck – a track that has never circulated as the full, 10 minute version with these lyrics; and Katrina’s Paper Dolls – a finished master of the song, which has previously only circulated as a demo. All of the material is taken from the source and mastered by Bernie Grundman, the mastering engineer who worked on the original album.

The 3CD+DVD expanded edition adds a third disc of Single Edits & B-Sides, as well as the concert DVD Prince And The Revolution Live at the Carrier Dome, Syracuse, NY, March 30, 1985. Audio and video has been restored from the original production master tape, although there is no confirmation as to whether the sound is mixed at 5.1 surround, in addition to stereo. The DVD is region free.

Finally, a vinyl LP of the new Paisley Park remaster is being issued, although curiously, there is no word out the vinyl picture disc, noted by SDE last month. Indeed, this is still listed on Amazon Italy. It may have been cancelled – we’ll keep you informed.

Warners have provided no information on packaging or presentation right now, for either expanded edition, and we don’t know what kind of book/booklet, sleeve notes or annotations fans can enjoy (if any!). We are also left to wonder what happened to the “two incredible albums of previously unreleased Prince music and two complete concert films.” that Warner Bros. Records promised us back in February. On the positive side, the four-disc expanded set is a wallet-friendly £25 in the UK right now.

Purple Rain will be reissued on 23 June 2017.

Prince / Purple Rain vinyl LP remaster

Vinyl LP pre-order links:

PURPLE RAIN DELUXE (2CD)

Disc One:  Original Album (2015 Paisley Park Remaster)

  1. Let’s Go Crazy
  2. Take Me With U
  3. The Beautiful Ones
  4. Computer Blue
  5. Darling Nikki
  6. When Doves Cry
  7. I Would Die 4 U
  8. Baby I’m A Star
  9. Purple Rain

Disc Two:  From The Vault & Previously Unreleased

  1. The Dance Electric
  2.  Love And Sex
  3.  Computer Blue (“Hallway Speech” version)
  4.  Electric Intercourse (Studio)
  5.  Our Destiny / Roadhouse Garden
  6.  Possessed (1983 version)
  7.  Wonderful Ass
  8.  Velvet Kitty Cat
  9.  Katrina’s Paper Dolls
  10. We Can Fuck
  11. Father’s Song

PURPLE RAIN DELUXE – EXPANDED EDITION (3CD+DVD)

Includes Disc One and Disc Two as from deluxe and adds:

Disc Three:  Single Edits & B-Sides

  1.  When Doves Cry (edit)
  2. 17 Days
  3. Let’s Go Crazy (edit)
  4.  Let’s Go Crazy (Special Dance Mix)
  5.  Erotic City
  6.  Erotic City (“Make Love Not War Erotic City Come Alive”)
  7.  Purple Rain (edit)
  8.  God
  9.  God (Love Theme From Purple Rain)
  10. Another Lonely Christmas
  11. Another Lonely Christmas (extended version)
  12. I Would Die 4 U (edit)
  13. I Would Die 4 U (extended version)
  14. Baby I’m A Star (edit)
  15. Take Me With U (edit)

DVD:  Prince And The Revolution, Live at the Carrier Dome,  Syracuse, NY, March 30, 1985

  1. Let’s Go Crazy
  2. Delirious
  3. 1999
  4. Little Red Corvette
  5. Take Me With U
  6.  Do Me, Baby
  7.  Irresistible Bitch
  8.  Possessed
  9.  How Come U Don’t Call Me Anymore?
  10. Let’s Pretend We’re Married
  11. International Lover
  12. God
  13. Computer Blue
  14. Darling Nikki
  15. The Beautiful Ones
  16. When Doves Cry
  17. I Would Die 4 U
  18. Baby I’m A Star
  19.  Purple Rain

Purple Rain Vinyl LP (2015 Paisley Park Remaster)

  1. Let’s Go Crazy
  2. Take Me With U
  3. The Beautiful Ones
  4. Computer Blue
  5. Darling Nikki
  6. When Doves Cry
  7. I Would Die 4 U
  8. Baby I’m A Star
  9. Purple Rain

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