Between the muted 40th anniversary celebration of Purple Rain and the bizarre drama over an estate-sanctioned Netflix documentary on his life and career, Prince fans could probably use a win lately. A new compilation from Cherry Red looks like it might finally offer one.

Dearly Beloved - A Prince Songbook is an unexpectedly robust-looking 3CD set that will pay tribute to the Minneapolis icon as a songwriter - one whose classic hits have become pop standards, with so much talent overflowing from his person that he penned more than a few massive hits for others at his commercial peak. The 52-track set, housed in a digipak, will feature five tracks making their CD debuts.

Not long after signing to Warner Bros. Records and developing a reputation as an emerging pop/rock/soul genius, Prince was quick to spread his Minneapolis sound around. Under the pseudonym Jamie Starr, he wrote and played the instruments on albums by funk collective The Time and female trio Vanity 6 (later reorganized as Apollonia 6 after the release of Purple Rain in 1984). In 1985, Warner started distributing Prince's own label Paisley Park, and The Artist would sign an eclectic array of acts from bandmates and side projects (Sheila E., The Family, Madhouse) to soul legends (Mavis Staples, George Clinton) and even off-beat acts he found enjoyment in (former Missing Persons singer Dale Bozzio, alt-rockers The Three O'Clock).

But that creativity extended even beyond the walls of his Paisley Park recording complex in Chanhassen, Minnesota. Prince would give away songs to artists outside of his clique, from pop (The Bangles' "Manic Monday," kept from the No. 1 spot on the Billboard Hot 100 by Prince and The Revolution's "Kiss") to funk ("The Dance Electric," a Purple Rain-era outtake that became a minor hit for his childhood best friend and former bandmate André Cymone). Even after his mentorship and collaboration slowed down in the 21st century, the depth and breadth of his catalogue meant other artists started putting their unique spins on his songbook.

Dearly Beloved starts with a disc of tracks that sort of acts like a companion piece to 2019's Originals, which featured Prince's demos and versions of songs he wrote for others. Four of the 18 songs appeared on that album or elsewhere from The Vault as Prince sang them: Martika's 1991 Top 10 smash "Love... Thy Will Be Done," The Bangles' "Manic Monday," Cymone's "The Dance Electric," and Kenny Rogers' "You're My Love" (credited to songwriter "Joey Coco"). Other fan favorites include Sheena Easton's "Sugar Walls" (cited alongside Prince's "Darling Nikki" on the Parents' Music Resource Center's infamous "Filthy Fifteen"), the confident "The Sex of It" by Kid Creole & The Coconuts and "Yo Mister," a Minneapolis-styled new jack track that became a Top 10 R&B hit for Patti LaBelle in 1989. Several of Prince's bandmates are here - Revolution bassist Brownmark, New Power Generation keyboardist/singer Rosie Gaines ("I Want U") and latter-day vocal foil Shelby J ("North Carolina," a 2012 duet with Anthony Hamilton) - along with cuts by Paula Abdul ("U," a long-gestating outtake given to the dancer/singer in 1991), Dutch act Lois Lane ("Sex," a reworked B-side from the Batman era), and even Portugese fado singer Ana Moura (whose Prince co-write "Dream of Fire" features solos by Herbie Hancock).

Disc 2 starts Dearly Beloved's lengthy journey through covers of Prince; this disc mostly sticks to soul-oriented takes on his bigger hits and favorites. British folk/soul singer Corinne Bailey Rae kicks things off with a rendition of "I Wanna Be Your Lover," his first pop hit. Along the way, there's covers from The Pointer Sisters (whose take on "I Feel for You" hewed far closer to Prince's 1979 original than Chaka Khan's epochal 1984 rework), Stephanie Mills (who takes on the B-side "How Come U Don't Call Me Anymore"), and even Jordan Knight of New Kids on the Block (performing 1987's "I Could Never Take the Place of Your Man"). Deep cut covers of deep cut Prince tracks include a version of early ballad "It's Gonna Be Lonely" by Atlanta funk combo Princess & Starbreeze, British soul/dance singer Joe Roberts' take on Sign O' the Times closer "Adore," and the Traces Gospel Choir lending their voices to Diamonds and Pearls cut "Walk Don't Walk."

Dearly Beloved's third disc deepens both the repertoire and the bench of performers, expanding beyond the confines of funk and R&B and showcasing Prince's works in other genres. From Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings ("Take Me with U"), Broadway actress Morgan James ("Call My Name") and dance-pop icon Robyn ("Jack U Off") to Dead or Alive ("Pop Life"), former Prince and James Brown horn player Maceo Parker ("Other Side of the Pillow") and indie-pop songstress Amanda Palmer ("Purple Rain"), there is much to discover here.

This exciting alternate dive into the unbelievable musical gifts of Prince is slated to be released November 15. Pre-order links are starting to come online and can be found below; as an Amazon affiliate, we earn from qualifying purchases.

Dearly Beloved - A Prince Songbook (Cherry Red CD3BRED908 (U.K.), 2024) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)

* previously unreleased on CD

Disc 1

1. Love... Thy Will Be Done (Single Version) - Martika
2. Sugar Walls - Sheena Easton
3. Manic Monday (Extended Version) - The Bangles
4. The Dance Electric (Single Version) - André Cymone
5. Yo Mister (Single Version) - Patti Labelle
6. Oooh This I Need - Elisa Fiorillo
7. The Sex of It - Kid Creole & The Coconuts
8. In a Word or 2 (Paisley Park Mix) - Monie Love
9. I Want U (Purple Version) - Rosie Gaines
10. You're My Love - Kenny Rogers
11. If I Love U 2 Nite (Nellee's Club U 2 Nite Edit) - Mica Paris
12. Sex - Lois Lane
13. Baby Go-Go (7" Alge Mix) - Nona Hendryx
14. U - Paula Abdul
15. Shall We Dance? - Brownmark
16. Van Gogh - Van Gogh
17. Dream of Fire - Ana Moura feat. Herbie Hancock
18. North Carolina - Shelby J feat. Anthony Hamilton *

Disc 2

1. I Wanna Be Your Lover - Corinne Bailey Rae
2. How Come U Don't Call Me Anymore? - Stephanie Mills
3. I Am - Jonny Lang
4. I Feel for You - Pointer Sisters
5. Do Me, Baby (Single Edit) - Meli'sa Morgan
6. Uptown - Crystal Waters
7. Crazy You - Valerie Carter
8. Walk Don't Walk - Traces Gospel Choir
9. Why You Wanna Treat Me So Bad? - Tuesday Knight
10. Adore (Radio Version) - Joe Roberts
11. Gotta Broken Heart Again - Debra Hurd *
12. Gigolos Get Lonely Too (1996 Players Version) - Passion
13. Soft and Wet - N'Dambi
14. Irresistible Bitch - Mellow Man Ace feat. Geo
15. Damn U - Workshy
16. I Could Never Take the Place of Your Man - Jordan Knight
17. It's Gonna Be Lonely - Princess & Starbreeze
18. Sometimes It Snows in April - Bobby Sparks II feat. Lizz Wright

Disc 3

1. Sexy Dancer - 7 Hurtz feat. Peaches & Bitch Lap Lap
2. Take Me with U - Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings
3. Sign O' the Times - Hue & Cry
4. When You Were Mine - Lambchop *
5. Pop Life - Dead or Alive
6. Jack U Off - Robyn
7. Vibrator - The Dirty Monroes *
8. Joy in Repetition - Dayna Kurtz
9. Love 2 the 9's - Michelle Mailhot
10. How Come U Don't Call Me Anymore? - Bilal
11. Controversy - Surferosa
12. Call My Name - Morgan James
13. Partyman - Joe Stilgoe
14. Other Side of the Pillow - Maceo Parker
15. Paisley Park - Anne Marie Almedal
16. Purple Rain - Amanda Palmer & Jherek Bischoff *