Considered one of the most iconic and influential double albums in music history, Prince’s 1999 was released at a major turning point in the artist’s career.
The songs originally included on 1999 were just a small sampling of the work that was pouring out of Prince in the intensely prolific early 80s period. In addition to his own material, he was also working up tracks that he would give to his protégés Vanity 6 and The Time, and recording dozens of songs that would be stored in his vault.
Prince experienced his first true crossover moment with the mega-hits “Little Red Corvette,” “1999,” and “Delirious,“ shattering barriers with his revolutionary blend of rock, funk, R&B and new wave pop.
The Prince Estate have today announced a reissue of 1999 remastered for the very first time, along with 35 previously unreleased tracks from Prince’s legendary vault that showcase the creative flow Prince had tapped into during this era, and a complete live audio performance of the 1999 tour recorded in Detroit on November 30, 1982 - a total of 65 audio tracks across five CDs and ten 180g vinyl records.
The Super Deluxe Edition brings fans all the audio material that Prince officially released in and around 1982, as well as 23 previously unissued studio tracks recorded between November 1981 and January 1983,
In addition, both CD and vinyl sets also boast a brand-new DVD containing another complete, previously unreleased concert from the 1999 tour, recorded in multi-cam live at the Houston Summit on December 29, 1982.
The Super Deluxe Edition set also features Prince’s previously unseen handwritten lyrics for several songs from the era, plus images of the analogue tape reels from the vault and rare photography from Prince’s photographer, Allen Beaulieu. Completed with brand-new liner notes by longtime Rolling Stone critic David Fricke, revered Guns N’ Roses bassist and author Duff McKagan, Minneapolis historian and radio host Andrea Swensson, and Prince scholar Duane Tudahl.
Fricke notes, “A landmark collection of vision, craft, and urgency – an unprecedented immersion in the frenetic momentum and private working world of Prince in 1981 and 1982, en route to the profound breakthrough of his fifth studio album, 1999.”
The 1999 Super Deluxe Edition will be available on November 20, and you can pre-order it here.
