On September 13, The Prince Estate and Legacy Recordings will release the next batch of exciting Prince reissues from his later career: The VERSACE Experience (PRELUDE 2 GOLD), Chaos and Disorder, and Emancipation. The three titles will be available individually on CD, LP, or as bundles through the Official Prince Store.
Originally released in July 1996, Chaos and Disorder is a collection of spontaneous and tight playing that reached No. 14 on the U.K. Album Chart and No. 26 stateside, all without promotion. For its new reissue, Chaos and Disorder will be released in a 1-LP configuration on limited-edition purple vinyl and a 1-CD package. This reissue campaign not only brings the CD back on shelves after decades out-of-print, but also marks its debut on purple vinyl.
Just four months after Chaos and Disorder, Prince unleashed Emancipation. The triple album was one of his most ambitious efforts, totaling 36 songs and exactly three hours. "This is my most important record," Prince revealed to the Minneapolis Star Tribune at the time. "I'm free, and my music is free." Here, listeners are witness to the breadth of Prince's influences, moods, and sensibility. As Legacy explains in their press release: "Romance and family are key themes ('Somebody's Somebody,' 'The Holy River,' 'The Love We Make'). Prince reflects on technology ('My Computer') and sex ('In This Bed Eye Scream'), and offers new, upbeat grooves ('Face Down,' 'Jam of The Year') as well as four unique covers (Bonnie Raitt's 'I Can't Make You Love Me,' the Thom Bell-composed Philly soul classics 'Betcha By Golly Wow' and 'La, La, La Means I Love U,' Joan Osborne's then-current rock hit 'One Of Us')." Now, the legendary album will be back in print on CD and available for the first time on vinyl in an elaborate 6-LP set.
Fans of obscure Prince mixes and alternate versions are sure to delight in The VERSACE Experience (PRELUDE 2 GOLD). The collection of rare material was originally pressed up as a limited-edition cassette for Paris Fashion Week attendees in 1995 and featured remixes of then-unreleased tracks from The Gold Experience, alongside special edits and unheard music by The New Power Generation, The NPG Orchestra, and the jazz-fusion side-project Madhouse, all mixed together into a seamless experience. The VERSACE Experience (PRELUDE 2 GOLD) was recently re-released on limited-edition cassette for Record Store Day, but this marks its first wide release on digital, CD, and vinyl.
To whet your appetite for the album, The Prince Estate has released Prince's Club Mix of "Pussy Control" (which was re-cut as "P. Control" for The Gold Experience). You'll receive a download of the song when you pre-order The VERSACE Experience (PRELUDE 2 GOLD) and you can listen to it below!
Pre-orders are now live so secure your copies with the links below!
Prince, The VERSACE Experience (PRELUDE 2 GOLD) (NPG/Legacy, 2019)
LP: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada
CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada
Side 1:
1. Pussy Control (Club Mix)
2. Shhh (X-Cerpt)
3. Get Wild In The House - The New Power Generation
4. Eye Hate U
5. 319 (X-Cerpt)
6. Shy (X-Cerpt)
Side 2:
1. Billy Jack Bitch
2. Sonny T. (X-Cerpt) - Madhouse
3. Rootie Kazootie - Madhouse
4. Chatounette Controle
5. Pussy Control (Control Tempo)
6. Kamasutra Overture #5 - The New Power Generation Orchestra
7. Free the Music - The New Power Generation
8. Segue
9. Gold (X-Cerpt)
Prince, Chaos And Disorder (NPG/Legacy, 2019)
LP: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada
CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada
Side 1:
1. Chaos and Disorder
2. I Like It There
3. Dinner with Delores
4. The Same December
5. Right the Wrong
6. Zannalee
Side 2:
1. I Rock, Therefore I Am
2. Into the Light
3. I Will
4. Dig U Better Dead
5. Had U
Prince, Emancipation (NPG/Legacy, 2019)
6-LP: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada
CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada
Disc 1:
1. Jam Of The Year
2. Right Back Here In My Arms
3. Somebody's Somebody
4. Get Yo Groove On
5. Courtin' Time
6. Betcha By Golly Wow!
7. We Gets Up
8. White Mansion
9. Damned If Eye Do
10. Eye Can't Make U Love Me
11. Mr. Happy
12. In This Bed Eye Scream
Disc 2:
1. Sex In The Summer
2. One Kiss At A Time
3. Soul Sanctuary
4. Emale
5. Curious Child
6. Dreamin' About U
7. Joint 2 Joint
8. The Holy River
9. Let's Have A Baby
10. Saviour
11. The Plan
12. Friend, Lover, Sister, Mother, Wife
Disc 3:
1. Slave
2. New World
3. Human Body
4. Face Down
5. La, La, La Means Eye Love U
6. Style
7. Sleep Around
8. Da, Da, Da
9. My Computer
10. One Of Us
11. The Love We Make
12. Emancipation
DAMIEN says
Here's hoping the wide-release of Versace bodes well for future CD/vinyl releases of The War, Kama Sutra, Chocolate Invasion, Slaughterhouse, ONA Piano, etc.
It'd be nice for albums like Chaos and Vault to get new critical looks, as both are chock full of solid material and well worth a revisit by more than just die-hards.
Mike Cox says
Glad to see some Prince material flowing. I may be in the minority of Prince fans but I do like Chaos. Emancipation could easily be condensed. I wouldn't mind Emancipation on vinyl but at $99.00 as listed now it is going to have to wait.
Al Chapman says
Will the LPs have downloads available?
Larry Davis says
Cool about this next batch of 3...interesting that Versace is getting a wide release on CD, vinyl, etc, not just the RSD cassette...if I had known it was getting a wide release beyond the tape, I woulda held off but oh well...Chaos I have not heard since it was new so I'm game for listening with fresh ears...as for Emancipation, I thought it was his best album yet at the time...now maybe not best BEST but it's still excellent...better condensed?? Don't think so but it could all fit on 2CDs & 4 LPs if I remember right but supposed to flow as a triple...
Alex Stassi says
Emancipation is 180 mins altogether so wouldn't fit on just 2 CD's.. but I do agree that it could have been condensed. I remember buying Emancipation on release day and just locked myself in my room for 3 hours.... Its up there as one of my favourites but it does have a couple of Duds and could have fitted on 2 CD's
My fave album of the time was The Gold Experience... but this album seems to get missed in all angles.... even The Most Beautiful Girl In The Wold (his only UK No.1) doesn't get a release anywhere. Not exactly sure why, I know it was his first album on NPG records and was distributed through WB... but from what i call TMBGITW was distributed in the UK through Bellmark?
CJ says
The rights for "The Most Beautiful Girl...." have been wrapped up in litigation for decades because of a copyright allegation that is still being fought in the courts. That's why we got Prelude 2 Gold but so far no Gold Experience, and it's why you don't see TMBGITW on compilations.
CarLo says
Wow. I never thought that Emancipation would come out one day on vinyl. I would prefer three gatefolds in a box and not six single covers in a slipcase but all in all I'm happy that it will come out. I never liked CDs...