Speaking of time: Who’s up for eight hours of Prince? Cause that’s what you get in the latest mammoth data dump from His Purple Majesty’s apparently bottomless vault — more specifically, an eight-CD (or 13 LP) deep dive into 1987’s post-Revolution outing Sign O’ The Times.
Of course, at least half of that consists of the remastered original album (which included the hits U Got The Look, If I Was Your Girlfriend and I Could Never Take The Place Of Your Man, for those keeping score at home), singles and remixes and B-sides, and a live show from Holland (the box also includes a DVD of a 1987 New Year’s Eve show at Paisley Park, which you can check out below). But even so, that still leaves three full discs featuring 45 previously unreleased studio recordings, including the joyfully funky Miles Davis collaboration Can I Play With U?, the smoking Witness 4 The Prosecution, the groovy Big Tall Wall, the Latin-flavoured In A Large Room With No Light, the mega-jam Soul Psychodelicide, alternate versions of several cuts and dozens more long-lost gems. Make the time.
THE PRESS RELEASE: “I feel that we’re on the brink of something. It is going to be strict and wild and pretty.” – Prince, 1986.
Overflowing with musical ideas and topical lyrics that sound just as relevant today as they did when they were initially released, Prince’s iconic double album Sign O’ The Times captured the artist in a period of complete reinvention. The final 16-track album included just some of the countless songs Prince recorded in the prolific period of 1985-1987, which saw the dissolution of his band The Revolution, the construction of his innovative recording complex Paisley Park, and the creation (and ultimate abandonment) of the albums Dream Factory, Camille and Crystal Ball. This September 25, The Prince Estate, in partnership with Warner Records/Rhino UK, will reissue Sign O’ The Times. The Super Deluxe Edition will feature the classic album remastered for the very first time, 63 previously unreleased tracks, and a previously unreleased 2+ hour video concert performance from Prince’s legendary vault that illuminates his wide-ranging and prolific creativity in this era. Following the successful release of the 1999 Super Deluxe Edition in the fall of 2019, the Sign O’ The Times Super Deluxe Edition represents the deepest dive to date into Prince’s vault and includes a total of 92 audio tracks across eight CDs or 13 LPs.”
https://youtu.be/v_aAug_PpUM
