By Raymond Ward, Chicago Crusader
LET’S GO CRAZY!: NPG Records and Warner Bros. Records have announced the 2017 release of Prince’s Academy Award and Grammy Award-winning masterpiece Purple Rain in new Deluxe and Deluxe-Expanded Edition formats. Save your coins because the new releases will be available on June 23rd.
The two-CD Purple Rain Deluxe set includes the official 2015 Paisley Park re-master of the original tapes from the soundtrack, presenting an unheard vision of the album overseen by Prince himself. The From The Vault & Unreleased disc boasts 11 gems unearthed from the heart of Prince’s storied vault including “Electric Intercourse” which was recorded in 1983 and heard only in live incarnations. This marks the very first time fans will experience the studio version of the song. In addition, the tracklist features much sought-after rarities such as 1984’s “Our Destiny/Roadhouse Garden,” and more.
Six tracks that have never been released or distributed in the collector or bootleg community include: “Possessed” – the ‘83 Prince solo version, never heard before; “Father’s Song” – a full, five plus minute version that prior to this fans could only find a minute and a half snippet of in the movie; “We Can F@^k” – a track that has never circulated as the full 10 minute version with these lyrics; and “Katrina’s Paper Dolls” – a finished master of the song, which has previously only circulated as a demo. Aditionally, all of the material is taken from the source and mastered by Bernie Grundman, the mastering engineer who worked on the original album.
In addition to the Original Album (2015 Paisley Park Re-master) and From The Vault & Unreleased, the Purple Rain Deluxe-Expanded Edition presents a third disc of Single Edits & B-Sides, as well as the concert DVD Prince And The Revolution Live at the Carrier Dome, Syracuse, NY, March 30, 1985. With audio and video restored from the original production master tape, it offers an exclusive vignette into the passion and power of Prince’s legendary live performances during one of the artist’s most celebrated eras.
The DNA of Purple Rain can be felt throughout pop culture at large. It is a timeless body of work with an immortal resonance exemplified by smashes such as “Let’s Go Crazy”
