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1997
Kamasutra
1998
Newpower Soul
Newpower Soul New Power Generation album
RCA / BMG
albumCredited to New Power Generation, Newpower Soul is not officially a ‘Prince‘ album. His involvement on it is given in the liner notes as simply “The Artist” (truncated from The Artist Formally Known As Prince / Prince Love Symbol) “all musical instruments and tantrums”. Despite that, he is prominently and solely featured on the cover and, having wrote every track and performs throughout, Newpower Soul is in every essence a Prince album in all but name.
Newpower Soul was recorded at Paisley Park Studios throughout May 1997 to February 1998. Prince was inspired to write it while on the road with Jam Of The Year Tour, to create a funky album designed to capture the energy of his live shows – even incorporating sampled audience participation into the tracks Push It Up and Freaks On This Side. Keen observers will note the album’s title harks to 1988, when Newpower Soul was first seen in the artwork for Lovesexy. The reason Prince kept his name off Newpower Soul and issued it as the third and final LP credited solely to the New Power Generation (following 1993’s GoldNigga and Exodus 1995 – the latter also containing a song titled New Power Soul) was down to Prince’s contract with Warner Bros Records. His dispute with the label was the catalyst behind his name change to Prince Love Symbol in June 1993 in protest over their ownership of his music. Prince’s recording contract with Warner was due to expire on 31 December 1999 but his legal entanglement left him unable to release Newpower Soul under his own name. Once that contract expired no further albums credited to NPG were necessary.
The album was released on 30 June 1998 as a standalone CD issued under Prince’s independently owned NPG Records using a distribution partnership with BMG (Bertelsmann Music Group). Despite his distrust of major labels, his arrangement with BMG for Newpower Soul was established thanks to mutual respect between Prince and the label’s then CEO, Clive Davis, in a handshake deal that kept the ownership of the master recordings with Prince. Newpower Soul is the centrepiece of Prince’s triad of projects aimed at relaunching the careers of artists he admired; Chaka Khan, Larry Graham and rapper Doug E Fresh – believing they were not receiving the recognition they deserved. Newpower Soul was thereby additionally available for purchase through Prince’s merchandise website 1800newfunk.com packaged as one of a three-disc slipcase set entitled Newpowerpak that bundled Khan’s Come 2 My House and Graham’s GCS 2000 as companion albums. Come 2 My House and GCS 2000 were likewise recorded at Paisley Park, during November 1997, co-produced by Prince and separately commercially available under the BMG label as part of this deal.
Newpower Soul produced only one single Come On, for which the promo video was shot at Hyde Park Corner in London during the UK leg of the tour, with Prince disguised as an aged busker playing to unwitting passers-by. BMG’s retail version of the single was issued in October 1998 more than three months after the album and so charted in the UK at only number 65. This was followed in November by a second issue, independently released under NPG Records and including an expanded mix of The One. Due to its muted promotion, global sales of Newpower Soul amounted 400,000 units. Its one and only supporting single Come On generously featured four reimagined versions of the track, complete with alternate lyrics. NPG Records issue of Come On was issued as a double A-side to incorporate the reimagined version of The One, received limited release through 1800newfunk.com. A promo first issued on 13 April 1998, The One was likely intended as the album’s lead single and a promotional video was also created, directed by Mayte in the attempt to rekindle their relationship and save their faltering marriage. The song was written to celebrate their second anniversary, 14 February 1998 but the couple divorced in 2000. Newpower Soul also contains Prince’s first hidden track, on the album Wasted Kisses is notable that it features a sample of a flatlining heart monitor which appears to reference Prince and Mayte’s son Amiir who tragically died from complications days after birth in October 1996. The child’s death was also the inspiration behind Until U’re In My Arms Again.
How can it B about them when it’s about me?
Not only incorporating recordings of audience participation, Prince pays a tribute band the ultimate compliment in When U Love Somebody which features horn samples performed by Prince cover band Days Of Wild.
Newpower Soul was promoted as part of Prince’s wider two-year tour staged as a public demonstration to not being in the studio recording material for Warner Bros prior to his contract’s approaching expiration in December 1999. Newpower Soul dropped while Prince prepared for the European leg of this tour, named Newpower Soul Tour in support of the album albeit an evolution of the wider tour promoting his previous LP Emancipation when the tour was named Jam Of The Year. US promotion was launched with performances on The Today Show as part of NBC’s Summer Concert Series on 29 May 1998, followed by Vibe (including an extended interview) aired on 8th June CBS, and The Tonight Show With Jay Leno (NBC, 24th July), with the tour resuming that September once again renamed, Newpower Festival in promotion of Khan and Graham’s companion releases. Despite Newpower Soul being credited to the New Power Generation, the band do indeed perform throughout the album.
Following Prince’s triple album Emancipation in 1996, as well as yet another triple album Crystal Ball packaged with The Truth in 1998, Newpower Soul entered a market saturated with Prince’s music and retailed a modest 138,000 copies in result. Mainly aided by the tour, Newpower Soul peaked at 22 in the Billboard album chart and at number 8 in its R&B equivalent. Preceding the European leg of his tour, Newpower Soul reached 38 in the UK chart. Keeping his name off the cover had not helped, and Newpower Soul became Prince’s final album credited solely to the New Power Generation.
Cover story
Despite being credited to the New Power Generation, Prince is pictured solo on the cover of Newpower Soul, but the interesting feature of the artwork is on the album’s rear cover. The back displays the legs of the band’s bass guitarist Rhonda Smith. The overlaying track listing details every track as expected, except of course the hidden track Wasted Kisses, close inspection of the numbering on the initial NPG Records release number 6 is skipped as jumps from 5 and 7. This is because the original configuration included The Good Life [Big City Remix], but having issued the track as a B-side to the maxi-single of NPG’s previous album Exodus the track was removed, with the designer omitting to adjust the numbering. Moreover, the title track’s lyrics reference the removed track: “cuz the good life yeah we’ll be livin'”. The numbering was corrected in the subsequent BMG pressing.
Performers
- Vocals/Guitar
- Prince Love Symbol
- Keyboards
- Morris Hayes
- Acoustic Guitar
- Kat Dyson Come On
- Rhythm Guitar
- Mike "Rev" Scott
- Bass Guitar
- Rhonda Smith The One
- Larry Graham Come On [Remix]
- Trombone
- Michael B. Nelson Newpower Soul, Mad Sex and Freaks On This Side
- Trumpet
- Dave Jensen Newpower Soul, Mad Sex and Freaks On This Side
- Steve Strand Newpower Soul, Mad Sex and Freaks On This Side
- Baritone sax
- Kathy Jensen Newpower Soul, Mad Sex and Freaks On This Side
- Saxophone
- Kenni Holmen Newpower Soul, Mad Sex and Freaks On This Side
- Walter Chancellor Jr. Come On [Remix]
- Additional Horns
- Pierre Baptiste When U Love Somebody and (Eye Like) Funky Music
- Clark Gayton When U Love Somebody and (Eye Like) Funky Music
- Wayne DuMaine When U Love Somebody and (Eye Like) Funky Music
- Programming
- Kirk Johnson
- Scratches
- Brother Jules Mad Sex and Push It Up
- Backing vocals
- Marva King Newpower Soul, When U Love Somebody, Push It Up and Freaks On This Side
- Kim Berry Newpower Soul and Freaks On This Side
- Orchestration
- Clare Fischer Until U’re In My Arms Again and The One
Data
- Producer
- Prince Love Symbol "The Artist"
- Label
- NPG Records
- Distribution
- RCA / BMG
- Cover/Design
- Steve Parke and Debbie McGuan
- Released
- 28 years ago on 30 June 1998
- Running Time
- 59:54
- US Chart Peak
- 22
- US R&B Peak
- 9
- UK Chart Peak
- 38
- Orig. Formats
-
Tracklist
- Newpower Soul (5:01)
- Mad Sex (5:13)
- Until U're In My Arms Again (4:47)
- When U Love Somebody (5:56)
- Shoo-Bed-Ooh (3:24)
- Push It Up [feat. Doug E. Fresh, Chaka Khan and Larry Graham] (5:28)
- Freaks On This Side (5:42)
- Come On [feat. Chaka Khan] (5:59)
- The One (7:05)
- (Eye Like) Funky Music [feat. Doug E. Fresh] (4:32)
- Silence (0:44)
- Wasted Kisses (3:07) 1
Released as a single
1 Track #49, hidden after silent markers #13 to #48.
Singles from Newpower Soul
Come On
NPG Records
- Released
- 16 October 1998
- Distribution
- BMG
- US Chart Peak
- No Release
- UK Chart Peak
- 65
- Cover/Art
- Steve Parke and Debbie McGuan
- Formats
-
- Come On [Radio Edit] (4:30)
- Come On [Remix] [remix by Prince and Kirk Johnson] (8:14)
- Come On [Latenitemix] [remix by Prince and Kirk Johnson] (4:10)
Come On
NPG Records
12"/Maxi-Single
- Released
- 16 October 1998
- Distribution
- BMG
- US Chart Peak
- No Release
- UK Chart Peak
- 65
- Cover/Art
- Steve Parke and Debbie McGuan
- Formats
-
- Come On [Doug E. Fresh Mix] [remix by Doug E Fresh] (4:57)
- Come On [Remix] [remix by Prince and Kirk Johnson] (8:14)
- Come On [Album Edit] (4:30)
- Come On [Hypermix] [remix by Prince and Kirk Johnson] (7:58)
- Come On [Latenitemix] [remix by Prince and Kirk Johnson] (4:10)
- Come On [Acapella] (3:27)
Come On / The One
NPG Records
12"/Maxi-Single
- Released
- 9 November 1998
- Distribution
- NPG Records
- US Chart Peak
- Ineligible
- UK Chart Peak
- No Release
- Cover/Art
- Steve Parke and Debbie McGuan
- Formats
-
- Come On [Doug E. Fresh Mix] [remix by Doug E Fresh] (4:57)
- Come On [Remix] [remix by Prince and Kirk Johnson] (8:14)
- Come On [Album Edit] (4:30)
- Come On [Hypermix] [remix by Prince and Kirk Johnson] (7:58)
- Come On [Latenitemix] [remix by Prince and Kirk Johnson] (4:10)
- Come On [Acapella] (3:27)
- The One [Remix] [feat. Marva King] (7:09)
Supporting tour
Jam of the Year
1997/8
- Love 4 One Another Charities Tour (USA & Canada)
21 shows from 7 January to 29 June, 1997 - Jam Of The Year (USA & Canada)
65 shows from 21 July 1997 to 22 January 1998 - Newpower Soul Tour (Europe)
17 shows from 30 April to 28 August, 1998 - Newpower Festival (USA & Europe)
15 shows from 23 September to 28 December, 1998
Newpower Soul album review
Routinely overlooked Newpower Soul, Prince (Prince Love Symbol) had not been this funky since Dirty Mind so why did it have to take so long! With Mad Sex and Push It Up it is business as usual for the Purple Badness’s to revisit his favourite subject, although from this point forward swearing was firmly off bounds for Prince. Technically Newpower Soul is an NPG, not a ‘Prince/Prince Love Symbol‘ album, but with his photo on the cover and the Prince sound throughout every track there’s no secret who the creator is.
In subsequent years, Prince became more blues brother than funk soul brother and it is easy to forget just how funky Prince was able to be at the drop of a hat. Thankfully, proof of that comes back with a vengeance with this LP. Because it does not bare Prince’s name, Newpower Soul is a shamefully undervalued record. The highlights are When U Love Somebody, the moody Shoo-Bed-Ooh, playful Mad Sex and the rousing Push It Up, slowing down for Until U’re In My Arms Again and the classy The One (dig out the superior remix if you can find it). Freaks On This Side takes a couple of listens but when you let that, this puppy becomes the one you’ll play loudest. Prince’s bass elevates Newpower Soul with Come On the real classic on the LP (the remixes pack even greater punch). Be sure not to miss the classy bonus Wasted Kisses, which rounds off a sorely unappreciated but solid album that punches to its weight.
Prince may have sworn off swearing but he was still able to muster plenty of attitude when it counted. Newpower Soul is the non Prince album that is everything Prince.
Newpower Soul is rated 4 out of 5 by Goldies Parade.
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