New Prince Compilation
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Topic: New Prince Compilation
Posted By: JMD1961
Subject: New Prince Compilation
Date Posted: 28 October 2016 at 1:06pm
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There's a new Prince greatest hits collection being released on Nov. 22nd. It will contain 40 tracks (including one previously unreleased track). No word yet about which versions of the songs we'll be getting, but this one WILL contain "Batdance" on it.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prince_4Ever |
Replies:
Posted By: aaronk
Date Posted: 28 October 2016 at 1:12pm
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More importantly, it looks like the collection will contain "Moonbeam
Levels," which is one of his most highly sought after outtakes from the 1999 era. ------------- Aaron Kannowski http://www.uptownsound.com" rel="nofollow - Uptown Sound http://www.919thepeak.com" rel="nofollow - 91.9 The Peak - Classic Hip Hop |
Posted By: aaronk
Date Posted: 22 November 2016 at 3:21pm
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I just received my copy. Here's the rundown with actual times. I've bolded the noteworthy inclusions (first time 45 version appearances on a full-length domestic CD).
Disc 1 1. 1999 (45 version) (3:36) 2. Little Red Corvette (45 version) (3:08) 3. When Doves Cry (45 length) (3:47) 4. Let's Go Crazy (45 version) (3:48) 5. Raspberry Beret (3:32) 6. I Wanna Be Your Lover (45 length) (2:57) 7. Soft And Wet (3:02) 8. Why You Wanna Treat Me So Bad (3:48) 9. Uptown (45 version) (4:08) 10. When You Were Mine (3:43) 11. Head (4:43) 12. Gotta Stop (Messin' About) (2:54) 13. Controversy (45 version) (3:35) 14. Let's Work (appears to be 45 version but not faded at end) (2:59) 15. Delirious (45 version) (2:38) 16. I Would Die 4 U (45 version) (2:56) 17. Take Me With You (45 version) (3:41) 18. Paisley Park (4:40) 19. Pop Life (3:43) 20. Purple Rain (LP length) (8:40) Disc 2 1. Kiss (45 version) (3:46) 2. Sign O' The Times (45 length) (3:43) 3. Alphabet St. (45 version) (2:25) 4. Batdance (45 version) (4:07) 5. Thieves In The Temple (3:20) 6. Cream (4:12) 7. Mountains (LP length; truncated ending) (3:57) 8. Girls And Boys (45 version) (3:26) 9. If I Was Your Girlfriend (45 version) (3:46) 10. U Got The Look (3:46) 11. I Could Never Take The Place Of Your Man (45 length) (3:39) 12. Glam Slam (45 version) (3:28) 13. Moonbeam Levels (4:04) (previously unreleased track from 1999 recording sessions) 14. Diamonds And Pearls (45 version) (4:19) 15. Gett Off (Single Remix - not US 45 version) (3:59) 16. Sexy M.F. (45 version) (5:25) 17. My Name Is Prince (45 version) (4:03) 18. 7 (Album Edit - not US 45 version) (4:22) 19. Peach (3:48) 20. Nothing Compares 2 U (45 version) (4:18) ------------- Aaron Kannowski http://www.uptownsound.com" rel="nofollow - Uptown Sound http://www.919thepeak.com" rel="nofollow - 91.9 The Peak - Classic Hip Hop |
Posted By: chendagam
Date Posted: 22 November 2016 at 7:06pm
| Thanks for the update. Finally the 45 version of "Let's Go Crazy" |
Posted By: Santi Paradoa
Date Posted: 23 November 2016 at 9:51am
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You have to admit they did a nice job on this new compilation. Whomever compiled this one did a good job squeezing in as much music on two discs as possible. The best part of all is they used plenty of the correct single versions instead of reissuing the LP versions they've already included on the earlier Hits and/or Ultimate comps. Thanks to Aaron for the rundown. P.S. I like that previously unreleased track quite a bit. The more I listen to it the more it grows on me. ------------- Santi Paradoa Miami, Florida |
Posted By: eriejwg
Date Posted: 23 November 2016 at 9:56am
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I always thought the 45 version of "Let's Go Crazy" has
been available before. |
Posted By: eriejwg
Date Posted: 23 November 2016 at 10:03am
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I stand corrected. My source file says "The Hits 1" but
that's obviously wrong. |
Posted By: aaronk
Date Posted: 23 November 2016 at 1:11pm
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This is Ron's territory, but I was able to find that a lot of the sources are simply digital clones of other CDs, especially The Hits. The ones that are new-to-CD "45 versions" seem to be new transfers from the master tapes.
The one major bummer is that apparently WB does not (yet) have access to the Vault, because "Moonbeam Levels" is taken from a bootleg CD. There's lots of noise reduction on this track (on both the bootleg and 4Ever), but the overall sound quality is still really good on this track. ------------- Aaron Kannowski http://www.uptownsound.com" rel="nofollow - Uptown Sound http://www.919thepeak.com" rel="nofollow - 91.9 The Peak - Classic Hip Hop |
Posted By: chendagam
Date Posted: 23 November 2016 at 5:26pm
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Many people are writing negative reviews on Amazon. They are
claiming it's more of the same when it comes to a comp and that Warner Bros. is trying to cash in. I feel that for the first time someone was listening to us here on the board. I never thought I would get an official 45 version of "Let's Go Crazy" on CD (even if it is easy for us to recreate it from the album version). Same goes for "Take Me With You." For me this comp with be worth every penny! After some research I believe "LGC" and "TMWY" may be the only tracks that are seeing their first CD appearance. I believe the others Aaron highlighted in bold appeared on CD singles. From discogs.com: "some of the tracks are previously released on the 1999 'Back Tracks' CD single (track 1-2), the Alphabet St. promo CD (track 2-3) and the Peach & Glam Slam CD singles (tracks 2-8 & 2- 12)" This is also true for "Batdance" since it appeared on the promotional CD single back in '89. |
Posted By: eriejwg
Date Posted: 23 November 2016 at 5:38pm
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I read through one of the other Prince threads. From
what I can tell, the 'single remix' of "Gett Off" on this collection is the UK single remix. What are the differences between this remix and the U.S. 45 version again? I'm confused, lol. |
Posted By: Santi Paradoa
Date Posted: 23 November 2016 at 7:39pm
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Aaron in his post above said: "first time 45 version appearances on a full-length domestic CD." So yes, some of those 45 versions may have appeared on CD singles back in the day.
The US and UK Gett Off singles were not identical. You are correct when you identified the version on this new release as the UK remix. The easiest way to tell the difference between both is the US remix runs 28 seconds longer. It's obvious to me that the compiler(s) for this new release went with the shortest versions/lengths available (with rare exception). Did they know some of these shortest versions were not the actual US 45s? Maybe or maybe not. Regardless, I'm grateful they got it right on quite a few. ------------- Santi Paradoa Miami, Florida |
Posted By: sriv94
Date Posted: 25 November 2016 at 1:46pm
I wouldn't say it was easy to recreate it. I did eventually get it right, but it took some doing in my case. Even so, I went ahead and bought the single version from this CD on iTunes just to be on the safe side. ------------- Doug --------------- All of the good signatures have been taken. |
chendagam wrote:Posted By: Pat Downey
Date Posted: 27 November 2016 at 2:33pm
| There have been posts on this site as well as others that describe a 45 version of "Sign O' The Times". What differences are there between the LP version and the 45 version other than length? |
Posted By: aaronk
Date Posted: 27 November 2016 at 3:58pm
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I updated my post above. Just a length difference on "Sign O' The Times." ------------- Aaron Kannowski http://www.uptownsound.com" rel="nofollow - Uptown Sound http://www.919thepeak.com" rel="nofollow - 91.9 The Peak - Classic Hip Hop |
Posted By: crapfromthepast
Date Posted: 27 November 2016 at 5:30pm
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Aaron - How is the mastering? I expect that it will be pretty loud, but still hoping for reasonable volume levels. ------------- There's a lot of crap on the radio, but there's only one http://www.crapfromthepast.com" rel="nofollow - Crap From The Past . |
Posted By: aaronk
Date Posted: 27 November 2016 at 5:46pm
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They pretty much left the levels and EQ exactly as it was on the digital clones where they came from. There are a few tracks where they slightly changed the EQ and/or volume level, but a lot of them are bit-for-bit identical to previous CDs. The only tracks that have some peak-limiting are the last 5 tracks on Disc 2, which are mainly clones of their original sources. "My Name Is Prince," for instance, was pretty dynamically squashed on the original 1992 CD single, and it's a digital clone on this set. ------------- Aaron Kannowski http://www.uptownsound.com" rel="nofollow - Uptown Sound http://www.919thepeak.com" rel="nofollow - 91.9 The Peak - Classic Hip Hop |
Posted By: crapfromthepast
Date Posted: 27 November 2016 at 7:37pm
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That's good news! I may break down and buy a Prince CD new for the first time in over 20 years! (The last one was The Hits in 1993.) ------------- There's a lot of crap on the radio, but there's only one http://www.crapfromthepast.com" rel="nofollow - Crap From The Past . |
Posted By: crapfromthepast
Date Posted: 29 November 2016 at 10:40pm
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I did a bunch of A/B comparisons, and here's what I found:
Disc 1 1. 1999 (45 version) (3:36) - digitally identical to Hits 1 (1993) 2. Little Red Corvette (45 version) (3:08) - mastering not based on (LP version) on Hits 2 3. When Doves Cry (45 length) (3:47) - digitally identical to Hits 1 (1993) 4. Let's Go Crazy (45 version) (3:48) - mastering not based on (LP version) on Hits 1 5. Raspberry Beret (3:32) - digitally exactly 1.615 dB louder than Around The World In A Day (1985); different analog transfer than Hits 2 6. I Wanna Be Your Lover (45 length) (2:57) - digitally exactly 0.6 dB quieter than Hits 2 (1993) 7. Soft And Wet (3:02) - digitally exactly 0.322 dB louder than Hits 1 (1993) but doesn't clip 8. Why You Wanna Treat Me So Bad (3:48) - digitally identical to Hits 1 (1993) 9. Uptown (45 version) (4:08) - digitally identical to Hits 1 (1993) 10. When You Were Mine (3:43) - digitally identical to Hits 1 (1993) 11. Head (4:43) - digitally exactly 1 dB quieter than Hits 2 (1993) 12. Gotta Stop (Messin' About) (2:54) - digitally identical to Hits 3 (1993) 13. Controversy (45 version) (3:35) - digitally identical to Hits 2 (1993) 14. Let's Work (appears to be 45 version but not faded at end) (2:59) - I don't have this on any other CDs 15. Delirious (45 version) (2:38) - digitally exactly 2.9 dB louder than Hits 2 (1993) and clips a bit 16. I Would Die 4 U (45 version) (2:56) - digitally exactly 0.3 dB quieter than Hits 2 (1993) 17. Take Me With You (45 version) (3:41) - recreation of 45 edit; digitally identical to Purple Rain (1984) until 3:10, and same analog transfer after the edits (edits apparently not done in the digital domain) 18. Paisley Park (4:40) - digitally exactly 2.023 dB louder than Around The World In A Day (1985) but doesn't clip 19. Pop Life (3:43) - same analog transfer as Hits 1 (1993) but not digital clone; sounds essentially the same as Hits 1 but crowd sounds extend about one second longer 20. Purple Rain (LP length) (8:40) - digitally identical to Hits 2 (1993) Disc 2 1. Kiss (45 version) (3:46) - digitally identical to Hits 2 (1993) 2. Sign 'O' The Times (45 length) (3:43) - digitally identical to Hits 1 (1993) 3. Alphabet St. (45 version) (2:25) - digitally identical to track 1 ("Edit") from promo CD single Paisley Park PRO-CD-3079 (1988); Hits 1 contains the album version 4. Batdance (45 version) (4:07) - likely based on mastering for promo CD single (which I don't have) [edit: fixed thanks to Aaron's comment below] 5. Thieves In The Temple (3:20) - digitally identical to Hits 1 (1993) 6. Cream (4:12) - digitally identical to Hits 2 (1993) 7. Mountains (LP length; truncated ending) (3:57) - digitally exactly 2.035 dB louder than Parade (1986) but doesn't clip [edit: fixed thanks to Aaron's comment below] 8. Girls And Boys (45 version) (3:26) - not based on mastering (of LP version) on Parade 9. If I Was Your Girlfriend (45 version) (3:46) - digitally identical to Hits 2 (1993) 10. U Got The Look (3:46) - digitally exactly 0.199 dB louder than Hits 2 (1993) but doesn't clip 11. I Could Never Take The Place Of Your Man (45 length) (3:39) - same analog transfer as Hits 1 (1993) but not digital clone; sounds essentially the same as Hits 1 12. Glam Slam (45 version) (3:28) - same analog transfer as track 1 ("Edit") from promo CD single Paisley Park PRO-CD-3181 (1988), but a bit louder and a tiny amount of clipping 13. Moonbeam Levels (4:04) (previously unreleased track from 1999 recording sessions) 14. Diamonds And Pearls (45 version) (4:19) - digitally exactly 2.2 dB louder than Hits 1 (1993) but doesn't clip 15. Gett Off (Single Remix - not US 45 version) (3:59) - UK single version, different mastering than the UK 2-CD Now 20 (1991); different version than what's on Hits 2 16. Sexy M.F. (45 version) (5:25) - digitally identical to Hits 2 (1993) 17. My Name Is Prince (45 version) (4:03) - sounds kinda close to track 1 ("Edit") from US commercial CD single Paisley Park 2-18707 (1992) 18. 7 (Album Edit - not US 45 version) - previously released on US maxi CD single; cuts off 35-second introduction of LP version and fades early; mastering not based on Hits 1 [edit: fixed thanks to Aaron's comment below] 19. Peach (3:48) - digitally identical to Hits 2 (1993) 20. Nothing Compares 2 U (45 version) (4:18) - likely based on the mastering of US CD single; longer fade (applause) than version on Hits 1 [edit: fixed thanks to Aaron's comment below] Overall, the sound is great. There are 22 songs that are digital clones of Hits 1 or Hits 2, which are the best-sounding Prince discs out there. The newly-released 45-version tracks all sound comparable to what's been released before, which is great. Two minor complaints: "Delirious" and "Moonbeam Levels" are both too loud clip a bit. It's remarkable that this set sounds as good as it does, since the 2016 CD mastering style is EXTREME LOUDNESS. ------------- There's a lot of crap on the radio, but there's only one http://www.crapfromthepast.com" rel="nofollow - Crap From The Past . |
Posted By: aaronk
Date Posted: 30 November 2016 at 7:00am
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Thanks for the additional notes on the sources, Ron! A couple things for
your list above: 1) "Mountains" is from Parade, and 2) the Album Edit of "7" was previously released on the US maxi CD single. Also, "Nothing Compares 2 U" is likely a digital clone of the US CD single. It has a longer fade (applause) than The Hits, as it is not crossfaded into "Adore." "Little Red Corvette" is also not based on the full-length 1999 CD mastering, so it is likely a new transfer from the single master tape. I was a bit surprised to see your comment about "Take Me With U" being digitally identical to Purple Rain CD for the first 3:10. Lastly, is "Batdance" not a digital clone of the US promo CD? ------------- Aaron Kannowski http://www.uptownsound.com" rel="nofollow - Uptown Sound http://www.919thepeak.com" rel="nofollow - 91.9 The Peak - Classic Hip Hop |
Posted By: crapfromthepast
Date Posted: 30 November 2016 at 7:43am
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Thanks for the corrections, Aaron! I edited my post above to reflect your comments.
Were the 45 edits of "Little Red Corvette" and "Let's Go Crazy" ever released as lossless downloads? I'd be surprised if they were fresh transfers from an analog tape, just because the sound quality and volume levels are as good as they are. If they were new analog transfers, I'd expect them to be too loud, like "Moonbeam Levels". I don't have the promo CD single for "Batdance", but I'd wager that this version is based on that promo single's mastering. "Take Me With U" was odd. I got the first 3:10 to sync up and completely cancel the Purple Rain version. After 3:10, there was a tiny speed difference, so they wouldn't stay in sync. Very unusual. ------------- There's a lot of crap on the radio, but there's only one http://www.crapfromthepast.com" rel="nofollow - Crap From The Past . |
Posted By: aaronk
Date Posted: 30 November 2016 at 9:25am
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Not to my knowledge were the edits of LGC and LRC ever released as
lossless downloads. The old Backtrax CD single has LRC, but there's a dropout on that CD at 1:00 which is not on the 4Ever comp. I understand your logic on why they may not be new transfers, but all of the peak limiting/brickwalling happens during mastering. If the engineer wanted to use that technique, why not apply it to every track, including the digital clones from other CDs? As far as I can tell, the songs that are loud toward the end of disc 2 were also that way on their original CDs. Given that Moonbeam Levels comes from a bootleg CD, it's hard to say what that song was like on that disc. ------------- Aaron Kannowski http://www.uptownsound.com" rel="nofollow - Uptown Sound http://www.919thepeak.com" rel="nofollow - 91.9 The Peak - Classic Hip Hop |
Posted By: crapfromthepast
Date Posted: 30 November 2016 at 9:44am
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Good points.
I didn't know about the bootleg CD, but that makes sense. There's a lot of stuff that's leaked out of the vault over the years, usually in pretty dismal quality. Thanks for your help with the analysis. Lots of worthwhile tracks here (yay, Alphabet St.!), and probably the best sound quality we can ever expect for most of them. ------------- There's a lot of crap on the radio, but there's only one http://www.crapfromthepast.com" rel="nofollow - Crap From The Past . |
Posted By: aaronk
Date Posted: 30 November 2016 at 12:33pm
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Yeah, a lot of the fans were very disappointed to learn that it's a rip
from a bootleg called Blast From The Past 2.0. If you listen to the track closely, you'll see there is a lot of NR applied to remove tape hiss. The fade out is especially bad. That track did not come from the master tape, as everyone was hoping. ------------- Aaron Kannowski http://www.uptownsound.com" rel="nofollow - Uptown Sound http://www.919thepeak.com" rel="nofollow - 91.9 The Peak - Classic Hip Hop |
Posted By: eriejwg
Date Posted: 30 November 2016 at 12:58pm
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Poking my head in for the discussion here. Was the
'album edit' of "7" ever played on the radio? Or, was it always the 45 version? |
Posted By: aaronk
Date Posted: 30 November 2016 at 1:20pm
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It was the lead track on the promo CD single, so I'd imagine it did get
played on some stations. ------------- Aaron Kannowski http://www.uptownsound.com" rel="nofollow - Uptown Sound http://www.919thepeak.com" rel="nofollow - 91.9 The Peak - Classic Hip Hop |
Posted By: Santi Paradoa
Date Posted: 30 November 2016 at 2:43pm
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A real shame that the source used for the previously unreleased track ends up being a bootleg. The real test comes in the first quarter of 2017 when the promised deluxe CD reissue of the Purple Rain LP is finally supposed to be released. If they don't go in to the vault for outtakes, demos and/or unreleased tracks for that release then I will simply stick with my current CD copy of this classic '80s album (every song on it is a gem). ------------- Santi Paradoa Miami, Florida |
Posted By: eriejwg
Date Posted: 30 November 2016 at 3:04pm
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Top Hits U.S.A. back in 1992, for whatever reason,
issued the 'acoustic edit' to its subscribers that ran 3:53. I don't think anyone played that, even though there was a one-track CD single issued I believe. |
Posted By: eriejwg
Date Posted: 30 November 2016 at 4:14pm
| I should clarify that was for the song '7'. |
Posted By: aaronk
Date Posted: 30 November 2016 at 6:44pm
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Yes, I do also have that 1-track promo. The same Acoustic Version was on the main 7-track promo CD single, too. ------------- Aaron Kannowski http://www.uptownsound.com" rel="nofollow - Uptown Sound http://www.919thepeak.com" rel="nofollow - 91.9 The Peak - Classic Hip Hop |