Prince: '1999' (Deluxe edition) Nov. 2019

[Dubstar]

Prince / 1999 super deluxe reissue offers a wealth of unreleased material

Six physical formats • 5CD+DVD super deluxe • 10LP+DVD vinyl box • two CDs or 4LPs worth of unreleased ‘vault’ tracks • Live material

Warner Records will reissue Prince‘s fifth studio album 1999 in November across six different physical formats, including a 5CD+DVD super deluxe and 10LP+DVD set, both of which feature 35 previously unreleased audio tracks.

The 1982 album, which features the hits ‘1999,’ ‘Little Red Corvette’ and ‘Delirious’ was a major turning point in Prince’s career, delivering top 10 singles in the pop charts in both sides of the Atlantic (albeit in Britain it was via a double A-side reissue). The groundwork was effectively laid for even bigger success with Purple Rain (which was re-released in 2017).

The reissue of the 1999 album is more ambitious than the already very good Purple Rain set. As well as the remastered album, the 5CD+DVD super deluxe offers two further discs of previously unreleased ‘vault’ material (23 tracks in total), a CD of seven-inch versions and promo edits, a complete live audio performance from the 1999 tour and a DVD containing another complete, previously unreleased concert from the 1999 tour.

Vinyl fans can rest easy (although not their wallets) since the entire 65 tracks of audio on the CD super deluxe is being released as a massive 10LP vinyl box. And the good news is you get the DVD as well (sense prevails).

I have listened to ALL the bonus ‘vault’ audio on this set and there’s some incredible songs and recordings on here, including the early 1982 version of ‘Possessed’ (the later recording has already been a bonus track on the Purple Rain reissue), the full unedited six minute version of ‘Delirious’, an recording of B-side ‘Irresistible *****,’ live in the studio takes of ‘International Lover’ (sung without the falsetto) and ‘How Come U Don’t Call Me Anymore?’ and of course loads of completely unreleased songs such as ‘Money Don’t Grow On Trees,’ ‘Rearrange,’ ‘Bold Generation,’ ‘Purple Music,’ ‘You’re All I Want’ and, er, ‘Vagina’. Most of this was recorded in and around 1982.

The live audio performance comes from the late midnight show in Detroit from 30 November 1982. The early show has circulated amongst fans but apparently this later show has never leaked. The DVD offers the 29 December show (recorded in multi-cam) live at the Houston Summit.

As well as the two big sets (5CD+DVD and 10LP+DVD) Warner are also offering a two-CD edition which pairs the remastered album with the disc of seven-inch edits. This version is also available as a 4LP set. While the edits are welcome in the bigger sets, this being the only bonus material on the ‘mid-range’ offerings should all but ensure everyone opts for the super deluxe! As is always the way, the standard (double) remastered album is available as a single CD and a 2LP vinyl set. All the vinyl sets are black vinyl, except the 2LP edition which is pressed on purple vinyl.

Unlike the modest packaging of Purple Rain, the 1999 5CD+DVD super deluxe will be large format book edition with images of tape reels from the vault, rare photos and new sleeve notes from David Fricke, Duff McKagan, Andrea Swensson and Duane Tudahl. The two big sets are distinguished by revamped silver cover artwork. The 2CD, 4LP, CD and 2LP stick with the purple background.

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1999 5CD+DVD super deluxe

CD1 / Remastered Album

1 1999
2 Little Red Corvette
3 Delirious
4 Let’s Pretend We’re Married
5 D.M.S.R.
6 Automatic
7 Something In The Water (Does Not Compute)
8 Free
9 Lady Cab Driver
10 All The Critics Love U In New York
11 International Lover

CD2 / Promo Mixes & B-Sides

1 1999 (7″ stereo edit)
2 1999 (7″ mono promo-only edit)
3 Free (promo-only edit)
4 How Come You Don’t Call Me Anymore (“1999″ b-side)
5 Little Red Corvette (7″ edit)
6 All The Critics Love U In New York (7” edit)
7 Lady Cab Driver (7″ edit)
8 Little Red Corvette (Dance Remix promo-only edit)
9 Little Red Corvette (Special Dance Mix)
10 Delirious (7” edit)
11 Horny Toad (“Delirious” b-side)
12 Automatic (7″ edit)
13 Automatic (video version)
14 Let’s Pretend We’re Married (7″ edit)
15 Let’s Pretend We’re Married (7″ mono promo-only edit)
16 Irresistible ***** (“Let’s Pretend We’re Married” b-side)
17 Let’s Pretend We’re Married (video version)
18 D.M.S.R. (edit)

CD3 / Vault, Part 1

1 Feel U Up
2 Irresistible *****
3 Money Don’t Grow On Trees
4 Vagina
5 Rearrange
6 Bold Generation
7 Colleen
8 International Lover (Take 1, live in studio)
9 Turn It Up
10 You’re All I Want
11 Something In The Water (Does Not Compute) (Original Version)
12 If It’ll Make U Happy
13 How Come U Don’t Call Me Anymore? (Take 2, live in studio)

All tracks previously unreleased

CD4 / Vault, Part 2

1 Possessed (1982 version)
2 Delirious (full length)
3 Purple Music
4 Yah, You Know
5 Moonbeam Levels **
6 No Call U
7 Can’t Stop This Feeling I Got
8 Do Yourself A Favor
9 Don’t Let Him Fool Ya
10 Teacher, Teacher
11 Lady Cab Driver / I Wanna Be Your Lover / Head / Little Red Corvette (tour demo)

All tracks previously unreleased except **, released on the 2016 compilation, 4Ever

CD5 / Live In Detroit – November 30, 1982 (midnight show)

1 Controversy
2 Let’s Work
3 Little Red Corvette
4 Do Me, Baby
5 Head
6 Uptown
7 Interlude
8 How Come U Don’t Call Me Anymore?
9 Automatic
10 International Lover
11 1999
12 D.M.S.R.

All tracks previously unreleased

DVD / Live In Houston – December 29, 1982*

1 Controversy
2 Let’s Work
3 Do Me, Baby
4 D.M.S.R.
5 Interlude – piano improvisation (contains elements of “With You”)
6 How Come U Don’t Call Me Anymore?
7 Lady Cab Driver
8 Automatic
9 International Lover
10 1999
11 Head (contains elements of “Sexuality”)

All tracks previously unreleased

*N.B. video content is exclusive to the physical DVD and will not appear on digital download or streaming versions of the Super Deluxe Edition set.