Prince (1958-2016)
- FrauBlucher
- Joined: Mon Jul 15, 2013 8:28 pm
- Location: Greenwich Village
Re: Prince (1958-2016)
I saw on another forum to expect an official press release tomorrow.
- FrauBlucher
- Joined: Mon Jul 15, 2013 8:28 pm
- Location: Greenwich Village
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- Joined: Fri May 18, 2018 3:07 pm
Re: Prince (1958-2016)
The super deluxe vinyl is a must-buy for me-you're basically getting 3 new albums with it! Not gonna miss out like I did with the 1999 deluxe reissue.
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- Joined: Sun Apr 10, 2011 11:12 am
Re: Prince (1958-2016)
Sign O' The Times is one of my all-time favourite records so I'm extremely pleased with this announcement. The film is conspicuous by its absence though; I have the recent 101 Films Blu-Ray and there's an impressive-looking German release, but I thought the rumour was that the lack of a US release was due to the estate waiting to package it with something like this (in a new restoration, presuming they have the original elements). Evidently not.
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- Joined: Fri May 18, 2018 3:07 pm
Re: Prince (1958-2016)
Calvin wrote: ↑Thu Jun 25, 2020 1:20 pmSign O' The Times is one of my all-time favourite records so I'm extremely pleased with this announcement. The film is conspicuous by its absence though; I have the recent 101 Films Blu-Ray and there's an impressive-looking German release, but I thought the rumour was that the lack of a US release was due to the estate waiting to package it with something like this (in a new restoration, presuming they have the original elements). Evidently not.
The feature was not a possibility due to the complex financing structure that went into its production. It was owned in North America by Cineplex Odeon, and
their catalog was absorbed into Universal, but the home video rights are a mess.
Some fans are saying that the concert may not have all of the Miles Davis collaborations on it?
- hearthesilence
- Joined: Fri Mar 04, 2005 4:22 am
- Location: NYC
Re: Prince (1958-2016)
Great interview with archivist Michael Howe. A few things though:
1) As mentioned, they do not include everything used for Crystal Ball, Camille and I think the final version of Dream Factory in the box set (I've lost track of what's on which version of that scrapped album), but he makes it sound like they do...since he brings up streaming, it's possible he means all the missing material is available via streaming services and therefore can be sequenced via playlists (or by simply buying that material elsewhere). Not really ideal due to segues and edits made to certain tracks that were eventually released on later albums (like "Joy in Repetition").
2) Supposedly WB was going to lose the rights to Prince's catalog after this - I'm not sure if that's actually true anymore, but regardless, Howe says more super deluxe sets are coming, probably one a year.
3) Howe gives a brief summation of why the film is so tough to release here in the U.S.:
1) As mentioned, they do not include everything used for Crystal Ball, Camille and I think the final version of Dream Factory in the box set (I've lost track of what's on which version of that scrapped album), but he makes it sound like they do...since he brings up streaming, it's possible he means all the missing material is available via streaming services and therefore can be sequenced via playlists (or by simply buying that material elsewhere). Not really ideal due to segues and edits made to certain tracks that were eventually released on later albums (like "Joy in Repetition").
2) Supposedly WB was going to lose the rights to Prince's catalog after this - I'm not sure if that's actually true anymore, but regardless, Howe says more super deluxe sets are coming, probably one a year.
3) Howe gives a brief summation of why the film is so tough to release here in the U.S.:
SDE: Michael, one thing I must ask you about is the Sign O’ The Times film. It isn’t part of this box set. Why not?
MH: I can do my best to explain why not. The short-ish version is that Prince sold the rights to the film in 1987 and the film went through a number of different rights-holders basically, and the difficulty in untangling all of those rights worldwide, was so problematic that we couldn’t really figure out how best to do it and present the film as part of the overall body of work. It’s unfortunate – we intended to – but the rights issues became so problematic, primarily because Prince sold them in the early days, that we could not disentangle every single knot and get it agreed upon in time to include in this body of work. And unfortunately, the film rights extend to both of the concerts that were recorded as part of the film – meaning Rotterdam and Antwerp – so we couldn’t really use any of the music from those two shows [either]. So as a result, what we wanted to do was make this the most comprehensive look at the album and the music we possibly could, and then I hope at some point – this is just me thinking aloud – at some point in the future I hope we can represent the film in a more holistic and comprehensive way.
SDE: You’ll be well aware that Turbine Media in Germany put together a pretty impressive deluxe edition of the Sign O’ The Times film for the German marketplace.
MH: I know. We talked to Turbine, we tried to get all of the territories cooperating but it was just very, very difficult. It wasn’t for lack of trying. We certainly wanted to include it but unfortunately just could not.
- domino harvey
- Dot Com Dom
- Joined: Wed Jan 11, 2006 2:42 pm
Re: Prince (1958-2016)
Aren’t the people who would drop a lot of money for this set mostly the same people who would be unlikely to support streaming over physical copies?
- FrauBlucher
- Joined: Mon Jul 15, 2013 8:28 pm
- Location: Greenwich Village
Re: Prince (1958-2016)
I still listen to music via CDs. I have never streamed. But I purchase music much less now than I did. So when I do buy it’s almost always a special edition of an album that I’m familiar with. So I don’t mind splurging. I also still have a Sony discman although I never use it. I do have one of the original IPod shuffles that is loaded with music from my CD collection. I think overall I listen to music less now than in years past. Partly because I don’t own a car anymore being that I have lived in Manhattan for the last 20 years.
- zedz
- Joined: Sun Nov 07, 2004 7:24 pm
Re: Prince (1958-2016)
Personally, I'm glad they didn't try and reconstruct the various constituent albums, as:
1) it would have taken up a lot of disc real estate with redundancy if they'd done it comprehensively;
2) if they went for the DIY model we would have been left with a bunch of compromised tracks with hanging crossfades etc. (e.g. 'Rebirth of the Flesh' - I'd much rather get the longer version that's being included in this set);
3) Versions and mixes that are already out there in the wild would have been prioritized over unheard material.
There's no way any major label would have built a set of this size around the Crystal Ball tracklist. Sign of the Times is the hook, and it's what has to be delivered, and there's already an inferior triple album by Prince with that title out there - and which Sony owns the rights to.
The obvious course of action now is for those configurations to come out as special releases (RSD, most likely) once the catalogue ends up with Sony - though I think Warners could compile the Camille album without any licensing troubles if they want one last bite of the cherry. If they're going to the trouble of reissuing an obscure South African promo 7" and a completely redundant US promo 7" with the 'Hot Thing' edit on both sides (not to mention the curio The Versace Experience on CD and vinyl), they're sure as hell going to put out those legendary cancelled albums with maximum fanfare at some point.
1) it would have taken up a lot of disc real estate with redundancy if they'd done it comprehensively;
2) if they went for the DIY model we would have been left with a bunch of compromised tracks with hanging crossfades etc. (e.g. 'Rebirth of the Flesh' - I'd much rather get the longer version that's being included in this set);
3) Versions and mixes that are already out there in the wild would have been prioritized over unheard material.
There's no way any major label would have built a set of this size around the Crystal Ball tracklist. Sign of the Times is the hook, and it's what has to be delivered, and there's already an inferior triple album by Prince with that title out there - and which Sony owns the rights to.
The obvious course of action now is for those configurations to come out as special releases (RSD, most likely) once the catalogue ends up with Sony - though I think Warners could compile the Camille album without any licensing troubles if they want one last bite of the cherry. If they're going to the trouble of reissuing an obscure South African promo 7" and a completely redundant US promo 7" with the 'Hot Thing' edit on both sides (not to mention the curio The Versace Experience on CD and vinyl), they're sure as hell going to put out those legendary cancelled albums with maximum fanfare at some point.
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- Joined: Mon Jun 27, 2005 3:31 pm
- Location: Indiana
- Contact:
Re: Prince (1958-2016)
I do both. Most of the CD's I buy either aren't available to stream or are part of a bigger packages. I've also amassed a lot of purchases on Amazon Music. I also use Spotify mostly to test-drive new releases.FrauBlucher wrote: ↑Fri Jun 26, 2020 2:57 pmI still listen to music via CDs. I have never streamed. But I purchase music much less now than I did. So when I do buy it’s almost always a special edition of an album that I’m familiar with. So I don’t mind splurging. I also still have a Sony discman although I never use it. I do have one of the original IPod shuffles that is loaded with music from my CD collection. I think overall I listen to music less now than in years past. Partly because I don’t own a car anymore being that I have lived in Manhattan for the last 20 years.
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- Joined: Fri May 18, 2018 3:07 pm
Re: Prince (1958-2016)
flyonthewall2983 wrote: ↑Fri Jun 26, 2020 4:47 pmI do both. Most of the CD's I buy either aren't available to stream or are part of a bigger packages. I've also amassed a lot of purchases on Amazon Music. I also use Spotify mostly to test-drive new releases.FrauBlucher wrote: ↑Fri Jun 26, 2020 2:57 pmI still listen to music via CDs. I have never streamed. But I purchase music much less now than I did. So when I do buy it’s almost always a special edition of an album that I’m familiar with. So I don’t mind splurging. I also still have a Sony discman although I never use it. I do have one of the original IPod shuffles that is loaded with music from my CD collection. I think overall I listen to music less now than in years past. Partly because I don’t own a car anymore being that I have lived in Manhattan for the last 20 years.
I'm in a similar boat; I typically use Spotify to listen to music that I often eventually purchase on vinyl.
Between the super deluxe SOTT and the much-needed PJ Harvey vinyl re-releases that are trickling throughout the summer, my
wallet has taken an incredible hit.
- FrauBlucher
- Joined: Mon Jul 15, 2013 8:28 pm
- Location: Greenwich Village
Re: Prince (1958-2016)
I will add that if there is something that piques my interest from something I read or heard that I'm not familiar with I'll go to Amazon to take a listen. Like when I heard a song that TCM used for one of their monthly promos. I ended buying the album after listening to it off of Amazon.
- whaleallright
- Joined: Sun Sep 25, 2005 12:56 am
Re: Prince (1958-2016)
Can anyone explain the difference between these two blu-rays of Sign o' the Times (the movie) on Amazon?
1) https://www.amazon.com/Sign-O-The-Times ... 667&sr=8-1
2) https://www.amazon.com/Prince-Limited-M ... 667&sr=8-2
Is one a UK release, and the other a German release? And which one is to be preferred?
1) https://www.amazon.com/Sign-O-The-Times ... 667&sr=8-1
2) https://www.amazon.com/Prince-Limited-M ... 667&sr=8-2
Is one a UK release, and the other a German release? And which one is to be preferred?
- hearthesilence
- Joined: Fri Mar 04, 2005 4:22 am
- Location: NYC
Re: Prince (1958-2016)
Absolutely, anyone who spends money on a boxed set based around an album is going to want a physical release, not streaming.
FWIW, I still prefer physical releases for a lot of reasons. However, I think we all can agree that streaming is a godsend whether it's YouTube or a subscription service, especially to discover music you haven't heard. I'm glad it's not like the '70s or '80s where you could read about a great, unavailable record and not be able to hear it for months, years, maybe even a decade unless you were willing to spend the time and a good deal of money tracking it down. (This was especially true for bootlegs, but look through any old record guide from the '70s and you'll see how a shocking number of important albums were deleted en masse - even strong sellers like Aretha Franklin's Atlantic albums were mostly OOP at one point.)
I don't doubt an RSD release has crossed their minds, and given the precedent set by the previous two Prince box sets, I'm not surprised that 1) Sign 'O' the Times is anchoring this set, not one of the unreleased albums and 2) discs recreating the lost albums were passed over to avoid redundancy. But that still doesn't change my preference for Crystal Ball over Sign 'O' the Times, and had they gone that route (and to be clear, anyone who'd want a remastered Sign 'O' the Times would still be able to get it as a standalone), it wouldn't be unprecedented either. Bob Dylan's Cutting Edge and More Blood, More Tracks box sets are more or less album box sets without the album-as-originally-sequenced included.
FWIW, I still prefer physical releases for a lot of reasons. However, I think we all can agree that streaming is a godsend whether it's YouTube or a subscription service, especially to discover music you haven't heard. I'm glad it's not like the '70s or '80s where you could read about a great, unavailable record and not be able to hear it for months, years, maybe even a decade unless you were willing to spend the time and a good deal of money tracking it down. (This was especially true for bootlegs, but look through any old record guide from the '70s and you'll see how a shocking number of important albums were deleted en masse - even strong sellers like Aretha Franklin's Atlantic albums were mostly OOP at one point.)
I don't doubt an RSD release has crossed their minds, and given the precedent set by the previous two Prince box sets, I'm not surprised that 1) Sign 'O' the Times is anchoring this set, not one of the unreleased albums and 2) discs recreating the lost albums were passed over to avoid redundancy. But that still doesn't change my preference for Crystal Ball over Sign 'O' the Times, and had they gone that route (and to be clear, anyone who'd want a remastered Sign 'O' the Times would still be able to get it as a standalone), it wouldn't be unprecedented either. Bob Dylan's Cutting Edge and More Blood, More Tracks box sets are more or less album box sets without the album-as-originally-sequenced included.
The one with the purple case looks like it may be the same as the Australian Madman BD, which is basically just the movie. The German box set was mentioned in Howe's interview and it should be loaded with exclusive extras (mainly "making of" docs interviewing people who helped put on the production), hence the inflated price.whaleallright wrote: ↑Fri Jun 26, 2020 11:00 pmCan anyone explain the difference between these two blu-rays of Sign o' the Times (the movie) on Amazon?
1) https://www.amazon.com/Sign-O-The-Times ... 667&sr=8-1
2) https://www.amazon.com/Prince-Limited-M ... 667&sr=8-2
Is one a UK release, and the other a German release? And which one is to be preferred?
- swo17
- Bloodthirsty Butcher
- Joined: Tue Apr 15, 2008 10:25 am
- Location: SLC, UT
Re: Prince (1958-2016)
Well the purple one is by 101 Films, whose Black Label has put out some solid editions (their Phase IV for instance is a definitive release). I don't know how this one fares, but they amusingly put it out on its own label (the Purple Label)
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- Joined: Sun Apr 10, 2011 11:12 am
Re: Prince (1958-2016)
The 101 Films release is the cheap option (and the one I have) - it's barebones. For the German release, Turbine put together a selection of their own extras and produced a Dolby Atmos mix for the soundtrack.
- FrauBlucher
- Joined: Mon Jul 15, 2013 8:28 pm
- Location: Greenwich Village
- Reverend Drewcifer
- Joined: Sat Mar 09, 2013 5:16 pm
- Location: Cincinnati
Re: Prince (1958-2016)
His "bye bye guitar" toss at the end is god-level.
- FrauBlucher
- Joined: Mon Jul 15, 2013 8:28 pm
- Location: Greenwich Village
- Jean-Luc Garbo
- Joined: Thu Dec 09, 2004 1:55 am
- Contact:
Re: Prince (1958-2016)
Has anyone seen the Sign "O" the Times blu released by Turbine? I've been wanting to get the 101 Films blu from UK but this looks like the ideal package.
- ando
- Bringing Out El Duende
- Joined: Mon Dec 06, 2004 6:53 pm
- Location: New York City
Re: Prince (1958-2016)
Prince: the Story of Sign o’ the Times, the first of eight episodes premiered yesterday on Apple, Spotify and other platforms.
- FrauBlucher
- Joined: Mon Jul 15, 2013 8:28 pm
- Location: Greenwich Village
Re: Prince (1958-2016)
Another sample from the upcoming Sign O' the Time release:
Forever in My Life (Early Vocal Run Through) (2020 Remaster)
Forever in My Life (Early Vocal Run Through) (2020 Remaster)
- ando
- Bringing Out El Duende
- Joined: Mon Dec 06, 2004 6:53 pm
- Location: New York City
Re: Prince (1958-2016)
The Chocolate House Grooves Prince & NPG (2020)
It's, essentially, a new release of alternative takes of tracks from The Chocolate Invasion and Slaughterhouse. Straight up funk. YT Playlist
- ando
- Bringing Out El Duende
- Joined: Mon Dec 06, 2004 6:53 pm
- Location: New York City
Re: Prince (1958-2016)
Well, the super deluxe edition of Sign is out today. This review sums up what I feel about the release. I went straight to extended versions of tracks on the original release, then longest times of tracks I didn't know. That only made for about a dozen. The 2 cds of live performances will require a separate listening session. If anything, the deluxe edition is a great source for a personal Sign O The Times playlist. Miss him. Nice unboxing vinyl edition vid.
CD version.
I've been looking for the instrumental version of the title track which appears at the end of the concert film. If anyone here comes across it let me know! Thanks
CD version.
I've been looking for the instrumental version of the title track which appears at the end of the concert film. If anyone here comes across it let me know! Thanks