Diamonds And Pearls Deluxe – rumours resurface

With 27 October being touted as a potential release date, rumours of Diamonds And Pearls Deluxe are hotting up again. As previously reported back in March 2023, official looking vinyls complete with serial numbers of Diamonds And Pearls Deluxe and a repressing of Love Symbol Album surfaced on eBay left many hoping a release announcement would follow at Celebration 2023. That not happening, in response to fan dismay, the official Prince Twitter account put out an admission on 7 July that the Estate’s new management still needed time to settle in and establish “set up” with the record companies:

New management has been installed for “less than one year” addressing many issues from prior years … We understand the assignment for new music. We hear you…

But more importantly that “More Prince Music To Be Announced By NPG Records In August”.

The reason for the delay we have since learnt is that the new Estate, who took over the reigns in July 2022 following the settlement of probate, was unhappy with the quality of the audio of the release started under the Estate’s previous management. Poor communication since the new management took over has caused frustration amongst fans – acknowledged in the Estate’s 7 July Tweet.

With the vinyl reissues of Lovesexy, For You, and Come which dropped on 28 July, and those for Graffiti Bridge and Batman due on 8 September, Diamonds And Pearls and Love Symbol will be Prince’s only albums under his tenure with Warner Bros yet to receive a vinyl format reissue. With August ticking by, fans have been scouring industry databases for a heads-up on the state of play. The discovery of recently added track registrations by Warner Bros Records has raised hope of what that new music announcement could look like. The database reveals new entries of Diamonds And Pearls era outtakes for what would undoubtedly comprise a Deluxe or Super Deluxe set, which all note a 2023 release. A CD version can also be expected. Those database entries are below in what is understood could be an incomplete listing and that others are likely to be added.

The Estate will be issuing an announcement on Thursday 24 August.

• Schoolyard (7:10)
• My Tender Heart (5:03)
• Pain (5:57)
• Streetwalker (4:48)
• Lauriann (4:15)
• Insatiable [Early Mix] (8:01)
• Glam Slam ’91 (6:16)
• Live 4 Love [Early Version] (7:32)
• Skip To My You My Darling (3:57)
• Daddy Pop [12“ Mix] (6:07)
• Martika’s Kitchen (4:21)
• Spirit (4:32)
• Open Book (4:59)
• Work That Fat (4:35)
• Horny Pony [Version 2] (4:21)
• Something Funky (This House Comes) (7:04)
• Hold Me (4:36)
• Blood On The Sheets (5:46)
• The Last Dance (Bang Pow Zoom And The Whole Nine) (5:36)
• Get Blue (4:43)
• Tip O‘ My Tongue (4:08)
• The Voice (4:42)
• Trouble (5:36)
• Alice Through The looking Glass (4:18)
• Hey U (6:10)
• Letters 4 Miles (4:36)
• I Pledge Allegiance To Your Love (4:41)
• Thunder Ballet (10:56)
• Standing At The Alter (4:48)
• Cream [Take 2] (4:50)

In addition to studio versions of vault tracks, as usual with Super Deluxe Editions a live CD also appears in the database, titled Live At Glam Slam, Minneapolis, 1 November 1992:

• Thunder (4:18)
• Daddy Pop (6:23)
• Diamonds And Pearls (5:31)
• Willing And Able (5:40)
• Jughead (6:52)
• The Sacrifice Of Victor (10:05)
• Nothing Compares 2 U (4:50)
• Thieves In The Temple (7:01)
• Sexy MF (5:45)
• Insatiable (7:42)
• Gett Off (6:11)
• Get Off [Housestyle] (8:05)
• Cream / Well Done / I Want U / In The Socket (13:58)
• 1999 / Baby I‘m A Star / Push (9:12)