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Diamonds And Pearls Super Deluxe Edition - album by Prince and The New Power Generation, Warner Records (2023)

Diamonds And Pearls Super Deluxe Edition Prince and The New Power Generation • Warner Records • 2023
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2023

2023
Diamonds And Pearls Super Deluxe Edition

2024

Singles Review (5 / 5) Prince Biography Posthumous Releases Greatest Hits

Diamonds And Pearls Super Deluxe Edition

Warner Records

album

If it ain’t from Minneapolis, it ain’t worth shit.

The explosion of R&B and hip-hop in the music landscape of 1990 found Prince caught in a fight to maintain his musical relevance in the new decade. His thirteenth studio album Diamonds And Pearls was begun when on the road with Nude Tour and completed at Paisley Park Studios throughout 1990 and 1991. To emphasise the album’s vision to establish himself in new genres, Prince assembled a new recording band, formed from the lineup of his then touring band as well as newly enlisted musicians recruited from the Minneapolis area. Arguably his funkiest band, it was his also first named band since the dissolution of The Revolution in 1986: New Power Generation.

The debut LP by Prince and the New Power Generation, Diamonds And Pearls, spans many genres as result. Producing a cocktail of hip-hop, gospel, dance, soul, pop and rock. Out of the album’s six promotional singles, two entered the Billboard Hot 100 top-10 – Cream delivering Prince’s career fifth chart topping single, and the title track charting number 3. To aid the promotion, Prince turned to high profile TV appearances, something he largely resisted since Purple Rain in 1984/5. This led to his televised performance for the opening ceremony of the Special Olympics on 20 July 1991, at The Metrodome Stadium, Minneapolis. It preceded a memorable rendition of Gett Off at the MTV Music Video Awards that September 5th, re-enacting a Roman orgy to family audiences of millions, with Prince bedecked in lemon yellow butt-less trousers. Diamonds And Pearls became a resounding success and scored Prince’s best-selling non-soundtrack LP in the US and his highest ever selling record in the UK. Its supporting world tour launched that following April, the demand setting venue records wherever it visited. In October 1991 Diamonds And Pearls peaked at 3 in the US and 2 in the UK charts and its success urged Warner Bros Records to extend their contract with Prince with a record breaking six-album deal worth $100m, signed on 31 August 1992. Yet its terms quickly soured the relationship, leading to an acrimonious rift in 1993 which would endure for twenty years.

In 2020, to mark the thirtieth anniversary of the original album’s 1 October 1991 release, The Prince Estate began compiling Diamonds And Pearls Super Deluxe Edition. Commenced in the aftermath of their well-received nine-disc reissuing of Sign O The Times, Diamonds And Pearls Super Deluxe Edition adopts the packaging of a telescoping boxset housing an accompanying hardcover book, and Blu-ray. The release, however, fell victim to ongoing legal wrangling over the settlement of Prince’s probate and the project was shelved. When new management took over the Estate in July 2022, work re-started and the audio quality of the original Vault tracks was improved. The intent to release Diamonds And Pearls Super Deluxe Edition in October 2021 and then October 2022 is given credence with the issue of two tracks from a performance titled Live At Glam Slam pressed on vinyl exclusively for attendees of Celebration 2022, a likely signpost for a planned Super Deluxe release. The set was eventually released on 27 October 2023. The two-track Live At Glam Slam would be the last release by The Prince Estate until 7 July 2023 with Vault Series Vol 1 – a limited Celebration 2023 exclusive.

Diamonds And Pearls Super Deluxe Edition was produced in partnership with Warner Records and Legacy Recordings having been granted distribution rights with different territories: Sony Legacy Recordings in the US, with Warner Records covering other markets. The collection amasses a total of 75 tracks from which 47 are previously unreleased. With Disc 1 containing the remaster of the original album, Disc 2 reissues 15 promo singles and B-sides and their various extended mixes as released in 1991 in promotion of the original album.

A collection of 33 studio outtakes and alternative versions comprise Discs 3, 4 and 5, and features the many songs Prince created between 1990 to 1992 but for various reasons he never released. The tracks include Prince’s original versions of songs he created either intended for or subsequently gave to other artists: My Tender Heart was recorded in London in 1990 with Rosie Gaines during their stint there for Nude Tour; the version with her vocals was released on her solo album Closer Than Close in 1995 (the pair’s collaborations Pain and Streetwalker also originate from these sessions). Trouble is another 1992 collaboration with Gaines. Skip 2 My U My Darling was recorded in 1990 and subsequently given to Jevetta Steel and released on her solo album Here It Is in 1991. Martika’s Kitchen, Don’t Say U Love Me, Open Book and Spirit all date from 1990 and were intended for Prince’s contributions to 90’s pop sensation Martika for her second solo album Martika’s Kitchen. Hold Me is another Nude Tour creation from 1990; it and Open Book were later overdubbed by Jevetta Steele for Here It Is. Prince’s 1991 original Get Blue was rerecorded by Louis Cordero for his solo album Let’s Get Started in 1993. Tip O’ My Tongue likewise hails from 1991 and was rerecorded by El DeBarge for his In The Storm album in 1992. The Voice is Prince’s 1991 original of the song created for Mavis Staples as the title track of her second album released under Paisley Park Records in 1993. Standing At The Alter was created in 1991 and subsequently overdubbed by Margie Cox. Her version was released on the NPG Records compilation 1-800 NEW FUNK in 1994; Hey U originates from that same recording session.

Other notable tracks of the Vault releases are Letter 4 Miles a 1991 instrumental in tribute to Miles Davis who died two days prior to Prince recording the track in his honour. Thunder Ballet is a deconstructed version of Thunder produced especially for Joffrey ballet’s Billboards stage production created in collaboration with Prince; it was the only newly worked music used in the show, which premiered at the University of Iowa on 27 January 1993. Glam Slam ’91 is a mash-up of Escape and Love Machine mixed by Keith “KC” Cohen for radio promotion for the opening of Glam Slam nightclub in Minneapolis in October 1991.

Like other Super Deluxe Editions, Diamonds And Pearls Super Deluxe Edition is issued as expansive 7 CD and 12 LP format sets. To accommodate lower price points, 2xCD and 4xLP versions of the Deluxe Edition comprise the original album and the remixes and edits. A single CD and double LP editions are also available (the LP offered in classic black or clear ‘diamond’ 180g vinyl). The standard edition is the original album as remastered by Bernie Grundman. The digital remaster of the original LP was available on streaming platforms on 28 September 2023, one month prior to the physical releases.

The audio of the filmed performance of Prince and the NPG at Glam Slam Minneapolis in preview of their Diamonds And Pearls Tour on 11 January 1992 (available for the first time) occupies Discs 6 and 7. The show’s footage, restored to 2K video, comprises the Blu-ray’s main feature. The event was professionally filmed using five cameras and owes its existence to Prince’s last minute request to have the show preserved, and hastily assembling a film crew. The gig was unannounced and performed to Glam Slam’s regular Saturday night audience. The full band was squeezed on the venue’s tiny 20ft stage. Starting the performance just before midnight and under city curfew to end by 1:30am, police are filmed arriving at the venue to shut the show down – shining their torches at Prince during the closing song. The Blu-ray’s second feature is the filmed soundcheck on 19 July 1991 and subsequent main performance Prince and the NPG played at the Metrodome, Minneapolis on 20 July to open the Special Olympics. At the event, Prince is announced by Kirsty Alley who would guest on his next album Love Symbol. The video is presented in 1080p HD vision and the sound upgraded to Dolby ATMOS, Dolby True HD 5.1, as well as stereo audio. The Blu-ray’s third featurette reissues the Diamonds And Pearls Video Collection first released on VHS in 1993, restored to 1080p video with stereo audio.

Diamonds And Pearls Super Deluxe Edition is packaged with a companion hardcover book containing a foreword by Chuck D and previously unpublished photos by Randee St. Nicholas. This 120-page book includes essays by music journalist and podcaster Andrew Swensson, the Estate’s archivist and author Duane Tudahl, music critic Jason Draper, plus contributions from Celebration 2023 panellist De Angela Duff and social media personality KaNisa Williams. A fold-out poster republishing the LPs original inner sleeve lyric sheet is also included. The release triggered the re-entry of the original album on the Billboard 200 at number 85 and at 50 in the UK, and number 10 in the US R&B albums chart. Diamonds And Pearls Super Deluxe Edition received a Grammy nomination in 2024 for Best Historical Album.

The Diamonds And Pearls – The Singles was issued on prince.com on 24 August 2023 in support of the release and repackages the original album’s six singles. The set included the previously unavailable Alice Through The Looking Glass, backed with the also previously unreleased Horny Pony [Version 2]. The boxset was limited to 1,991 units to represent the year of the release of the original album, and owing to its limited availability the singles set was unable to chart.

Blu-ray Audio remaster

An additional release of the remastered original album followed on 24 November 2023, as Audiophile Blu-Ray in Dolby ATMOS – Prince’s first release in this 7.1 speaker format. In this version each audio track is separated and upscaled to 24BIT and 44.1KHZ, creating an immersive listing experience and superb clarity.

Prince, Diamonds and Pearl
Photography by Kevin Mazur

Live at Glam Slam

Vocals/Guitar
Prince
Drums
Michael Bland
Rhythm Guitar
Levi Seacer Jr.
Keyboards
Tommy Barbarella
Bass Guitar
Sonny Thompson
Keyboards/Vox
Rosie Gaines
Rap/Vox
Tony Mosley
Damon Dickson
Percussion
Kirk Johnson
Trombone
Mike Nelson
Tenor Sax
Brian Gallagher
Baritone Sax
Kathy Jensen
Trumpet
Dave Jensen
Steve Strand
Turntables
William Graves
Backing vox
Jevetta Steele
Fred Steele
JD Steele
Jearlyn Steele
Dance
Mayte Garcia

Performers

Vocals/Guitar
Prince
Drums
Michael Bland
Rhythm Guitar
Levi Seacer Jr.
Keyboards
Tommy Barbarella
Bass Guitar
Sonny Thompson
Vox/Purpleaxxe
Rosie Gaines
Raps
Tony Mosley
Percussion
Kirk Johnson
Backing vox
Damon Dickson
Elisa Fiorillo Daddy Pop and Walk Don't Walk
Flute
Eric Leeds Gett Off
Trombone
Michael B. Nelson Letter 4 Miles
Trumpet
Steve Strand Letter 4 Miles
Dave Jensen Letter 4 Miles
Baritone Sax
Kathy Jensen Letter 4 Miles
Tenor Sax
Brian Gallagher Letter 4 Miles
Orchestration
Claire Fischer Violet The Organ Grinder and Push

Data

Producer
Prince
Label
NPG Records
Distribution
Warner Records
Cover/Design
Randee St. Nicholas and Alex Tenta
Released
2 years ago on 27 October 2023
Running Time
8:01:23
US Chart Peak
Did not chart
US R&B Peak
10
UK Chart Peak
50
Orig. Formats

Tracklist

Disc 1: 2023 Remaster

  1. Thunder
    Diamonds And Pearls Diamonds And Pearls (1991)
    (5:45)
  2. Daddy Pop
    Diamonds And Pearls Diamonds And Pearls (1991)
    [feat. Tony Mosley and Rosie Gaines] (5:16)
  3. Diamonds And Pearls
    Diamonds And Pearls Diamonds And Pearls (1991)
    [duet with Rosie Gaines] (4:43)
  4. Cream
    Diamonds And Pearls Diamonds And Pearls (1991)
    [feat. Rosie Gaines] (4:12)
  5. Strollin'
    Diamonds And Pearls Diamonds And Pearls (1991)
    (3:46)
  6. Willing And Able
    Diamonds And Pearls Diamonds And Pearls (1991)
    [feat. Tony Mosley, Rosie Gaines and The Steeles] (4:59)
  7. Gett Off
    Diamonds And Pearls Diamonds And Pearls (1991)
    (4:31)
  8. Walk Don't Walk
    Diamonds And Pearls Diamonds And Pearls (1991)
    [feat. Rosie Gaines] (3:07)
  9. Jughead
    Diamonds And Pearls Diamonds And Pearls (1991)
    [feat. Tony Mosley] (4:56)
  10. Money Don't Matter 2 Night
    Diamonds And Pearls Diamonds And Pearls (1991)
    (4:46)
  11. Push
    Diamonds And Pearls Diamonds And Pearls (1991)
    [feat. Rosie Gaines and Tony Mosley] (5:52)
  12. Insatiable
    Diamonds And Pearls Diamonds And Pearls (1991)
    (6:39)
  13. Live 4 Love
    Diamonds And Pearls Diamonds And Pearls (1991)
    [feat. Tony Mosley] (6:59)
Running Time
65 min, 48 sec

Disc 2: Singles Mixes & Edits

  1. Gett Off [Damn Near 10 Min.] [feat. Rosie Gaines and Tony Mosley] (9:36)
  2. Gett Off [Houstyle] [remix by Steve "Silk" Hurley] (8:24)
  3. Violet The Organ Grinder [remix by Keith "K.C." Cohen] (5:05)
  4. Gangster Glam [remix by Keith "K.C." Cohen, rap by Tony Mosley] (6:04)
  5. Horny Pony [feat. Rosie Gaines] (4:19)
  6. Cream [N.P.G. Mix] (5:46)
  7. Things Have Gotta Change [Tony M Rap] [Tony Mosley] (3:58)
  8. Do Your Dance [KC’s Remix] [remix by Keith "K.C." Cohen, feat Jevetta Steele] (6:00)
  9. Insatiable [Edit] (4:03)
  10. Diamonds And Pearls [Edit] [duet with Rosie Gaines] (4:21)
  11. Money Don’t Matter 2 Night [Edit] [feat. Tony Mosley and Rosie Gaines] (4:15)
  12. Call The Law [feat. Tony Mosley and Rosie Gaines] (4:19)
  13. Willing And Able [Edit] [feat. Tony Mosley, Rosie Gaines and The Steeles] (4:17)
  14. Willing And Able [Video Version]
    Diamonds And Pearls Video Collection Diamonds And Pearls Video Collection (1992)
    [feat. Tony Mosley, Rosie Gaines and The Steeles] (5:09)
  15. Thunder [DJ Fade] (3:24)
Running Time
79 min, 13 sec

Disc 3: Vault Tracks (Part 1)

  1. Schoolyard [feat. Rosie Gaines] (7:10)
  2. My Tender Heart (5:03) 1
  3. Pain [feat. Rosie Gaines] (5:57) 3
  4. Streetwalker (4:48) 2
  5. Lauriann (4:15)
  6. Darkside (5:33)
  7. Insatiable [Early Mix] (8:01)
  8. Glam Slam '91 [KC’s Remix] [mix by Keith "K.C." Cohen] (6:16)
  9. Live 4 Love [Early Version] (7:32)
  10. Cream [Take 2] (4:50)
  11. Skip To My You My Darling (3:57) 4
  12. Diamonds And Pearls [Long Version] [duet with Rosie Gaines] (5:32)
Running Time
69 min, 04 sec

Disc 4: Vault Tracks (Part 2)

  1. Daddy Pop [12" Version] [feat. Rosie Gaines] (6:07)
  2. Martika’s Kitchen (4:21)
  3. Spirit (4:32) 5
  4. Open Book (4:59) 5
  5. Work That Fat (4:35)
  6. Horny Pony [Version 2] (4:21)
  7. Something Funky (This House Comes) [Tony Mosley and Rosie Gaines] (7:04) 6
  8. Hold Me (4:36)
  9. Blood On The Sheets (5:46)
  10. The Last Dance (Bang Pow Zoom And The Whole Nine) [feat. Tony Mosley] (5:36)
  11. Don’t Say U Love Me (4:20) 5
Running Time
56 min, 23 sec

Disc 5: Vault Tracks (Part 3)

  1. Get Blue [feat. Jearlyn and Jevetta Steele] (4:43)
  2. Tip O' My Tongue (4:08)
  3. The Voice [feat. Rosie Gaines and Levi Seacer] (4:42) 6
  4. Trouble [feat. Rosie Gaines] (5:36) 1
  5. Alice Through The Looking Glass (4:18)
  6. Standing At The Altar (4:48)
  7. Hey U (6:10)
  8. Letter 4 Miles (4:36)
  9. I Pledge Allegiance To Your Love (4:41)
  10. Thunder Ballet (10:56)
Running Time
54 min, 42 sec

Disc 6: Live at Glam Slam - 11 January 1992 (Part 1)

  1. Thunder (4:18)
  2. Daddy Pop (6:23)
  3. Diamonds And Pearls (5:31)
  4. Willing And Able [feat. The Steeles] (5:40)
  5. Jughead (6:52)
  6. The Sacrifice Of Victor [feat. The Steeles] (10:05)
  7. Nothing Compares 2 U (4:50)
  8. Thieves In The Temple (7:01)
  9. Sexy MF (5:45)
Running Time
56 min, 29 sec

Disc 7: Live at Glam Slam - 11 January 1992 (Part 2)

  1. Insatiable (7:42)
  2. Cream / Well Done / I Want U / In The Socket (13:58) 1 & 7
  3. 1999 / Baby I'm A Star / Push (9:12)
  4. Gett Off (6:11)
  5. Gett Off [Houstyle] (8:05)
Running Time
45 min, 09 sec

Blu-ray

  1. Thunder [Live at Glam Slam] (4:18)
  2. Daddy Pop [Live at Glam Slam] (6:23)
  3. Diamonds And Pearls [Live at Glam Slam] (5:31)
  4. Willing And Able [Live at Glam Slam] (5:40)
  5. Jughead [Live at Glam Slam] (6:52)
  6. The Sacrifice Of Victor [Live at Glam Slam] (10:05)
  7. Nothing Compares 2 U [Live at Glam Slam] (4:50)
  8. Thieves In The Temple [Live at Glam Slam] (7:01)
  9. Sexy MF [Live at Glam Slam] (5:45)
  10. Insatiable [Live at Glam Slam] (7:42)
  11. Cream / Well Done / I Want U / In The Socket [Live at Glam Slam] (13:58) 1 & 7
  12. 1999 / Baby I'm A Star / Push [Live at Glam Slam] (9:12)
  13. Gett Off [Live at Glam Slam] (6:11)
  14. Gett Off (Houstyle) [Live at Glam Slam] (8:05)
  15. Let’s Go Crazy / Baby I'm A Star / Push [Special Olympics: Soundcheck] (11:15)
  16. Diamonds And Pearls [Special Olympics: Show] (6:29)
  17. Let’s Go Crazy / Baby I'm A Star / Push [Special Olympics: Show] (6:47)
  18. Intro
    Diamonds And Pearls Video Collection Diamonds And Pearls Video Collection (1992)
    [Diamonds And Pearls Video Collection] (1:24)
  19. Thunder [Live]
    Diamonds And Pearls Video Collection Diamonds And Pearls Video Collection (1992)
    [Diamonds And Pearls Video Collection] (1:32)
  20. Gett Off
    Diamonds And Pearls Video Collection Diamonds And Pearls Video Collection (1992)
    [Diamonds And Pearls Video Collection] (5:32)
  21. Cream
    Diamonds And Pearls Video Collection Diamonds And Pearls Video Collection (1992)
    [Diamonds And Pearls Video Collection] (10:31)
  22. Diamonds And Pearls
    Diamonds And Pearls Video Collection Diamonds And Pearls Video Collection (1992)
    [Diamonds And Pearls Video Collection] (5:31)
  23. Dr. Feelgood [Live]
    Diamonds And Pearls Video Collection Diamonds And Pearls Video Collection (1992)
    [Diamonds And Pearls Video Collection] (2:03) 8
  24. Call The Law
    Diamonds And Pearls Video Collection Diamonds And Pearls Video Collection (1992)
    [Diamonds And Pearls Video Collection] (5:35)
  25. Willing And Able
    Diamonds And Pearls Video Collection Diamonds And Pearls Video Collection (1992)
    [Diamonds And Pearls Video Collection] (5:07)
  26. Jughead [Live]
    Diamonds And Pearls Video Collection Diamonds And Pearls Video Collection (1992)
    [Diamonds And Pearls Video Collection] (3:11)
  27. Insatiable
    Diamonds And Pearls Video Collection Diamonds And Pearls Video Collection (1992)
    [Diamonds And Pearls Video Collection] (6:24)
  28. Strollin’
    Diamonds And Pearls Video Collection Diamonds And Pearls Video Collection (1992)
    [Diamonds And Pearls Video Collection] (1:57)
  29. Money Don’t Matter 2 Night
    Diamonds And Pearls Video Collection Diamonds And Pearls Video Collection (1992)
    [Diamonds And Pearls Video Collection] (6:32)
  30. Live 4 Love [Live]
    Diamonds And Pearls Video Collection Diamonds And Pearls Video Collection (1992)
    [Diamonds And Pearls Video Collection] (7:23)
Running Time
190 minutes

Released as a single

1 Co-written with Rosie Gaines
2 Written by Rosie Gaines
3 Co-written with D. Channsin Berry
4 Co-written with Jevetta Steele and Levi Seacer Jr.
5 Co-written with Martika
6 Co-written with Tony Mosley
7 Well Done written by Prince, David Z. Rivkin and Levi Seacer Jr.
8 Written by Aretha Franklin and Ted White (as Dr. Feelgood (Love Is A Serious Business))

Singles from Diamonds And Pearls Super Deluxe Edition

Diamonds And Pearls / Nothing Compares 2 U, single from Diamonds And Pearls Super Deluxe Edition, NPG Records (2022)

Diamonds And Pearls / Nothing Compares 2 U

NPG Records

Released
4 June 2022
US Chart Peak
Celebration 2022 exclusive
UK Chart Peak
No release
Cover/Art
Randee St. Nicholas
Format
  1. Diamonds And Pearls [Live at Glam Slam, 11 January 1992] (5:31)
  2. Nothing Compares 2 U [Live at Glam Slam, 11 January 1992] (4:34)
Diamonds And Pearls - The Singles, single from Diamonds And Pearls Super Deluxe Edition, NPG Records (2023)

Diamonds And Pearls - The Singles

NPG Records

Released
24 August 2023
US Chart Peak
Limited to 1,991 units worldwide
UK Chart Peak
No release
Cover/Art
Randee St. Nicholas and Mathieu Bitton
Format
  1. Gett off [Single Remix] (4:01)
  2. Horny Pony [feat. Rosie Gaines] (4:17)
  3. Cream (4:12)
  4. Gangster Glam [remix by Keith "K.C." Cohen, rap by Tony Mosley] (5:06)
  5. Insatiable [Edit] (4:01)
  6. I Love U In Me (4:12)
  7. Diamonds And Pearls [Edit] [duet with Rosie Gaines] (4:20)
  8. Q In Doubt [Instrumental] (4:00)
  9. Money Don’t Matter 2 Night [Edit] (4:12)
  10. Call The Law [feat. Tony Mosley and Rosie Gaines] (4:19)
  11. Thunder [DJ Fade] (3:20)
  12. Violet The Organ Grinder [remix by Keith "K.C." Cohen] (4:59)
  13. Alice Through The Looking Glass (4:16)
  14. Horny Pony [Version 2] (4:21)

Prince Store exclusive 7x 7" disc boxed set.

Gett Off [Damn Near 10 Min.], single from Diamonds And Pearls Super Deluxe Edition, NPG Records (2023)

Gett Off [Damn Near 10 Min.]

NPG Records

12"/Maxi-Single


Released
24 November 2023
Distribution
Warner Records / Sony Legacy
US Chart Peak
RSD exclusive (7,000 units)
UK Chart Peak
-
Cover/Art
Prince (as Ecnirp)
Format
  1. Gett Off [Damn Near 10 Min.] (9:36)

Record Store Day exclusive single sided 12" vinyl recreating the original 7 June 1991 DJ issued white-label promo.

Prince & The NPG - Live at Glam Slam, single from Diamonds And Pearls Super Deluxe Edition, NPG Records (2025)

Prince & The NPG - Live at Glam Slam

NPG Records

12"/Maxi-Single


Released
12 April 2025
Distribution
Warner Records / Sony Legacy
US Chart Peak
RSD exclusive (4,000 units)
UK Chart Peak
-
Cover/Art
Alex Tenta
Format
  1. Thunder (4:18)
  2. Daddy Pop (6:23)
  3. Diamonds And Pearls (5:31)
  4. Willing And Able [feat. The Steeles] (5:40)
  5. Jughead (6:52)
  6. The Sacrifice Of Victor [feat. The Steeles] (10:05)
  7. Nothing Compares 2 U (4:50)
  8. Thieves In The Temple (7:01)
  9. Sexy MF (5:45)
  10. Insatiable (7:42)
  11. Cream / Well Done / I Want U / In The Socket (13:58)
  12. 1999 / Baby I'm A Star / Push (9:12)
  13. Gett Off (6:11)
  14. Gett Off [Houstyle] (8:05)

Record Store Day exclusive issued on 3x 12" 140g yellow vinyl. Etching of the cover of Diamonds And Pearls on side 6.

Diamonds And Pearls Super Deluxe Edition album review

As with any Super Deluxe Edition, there is so much material to digest. Not only there is the joy of hearing the original album in all its remastered glory, an early port of call for many listeners are the Vault tracks. A whopping 33 make their debut release in this beautifully presented boxset. It’s with monster SDE releases when The Prince Estate really shines. Forget the ranges of bedsheets and glassware and other pointless merchandise, it is SDEs that preserve Prince’s legacy and posthumous catalogue and fill the coffers.

Bringing pepped-up sound to analogue albums and packaging up every B-side and cherry picked outtake from its sessions. Few artists are curated as closely as Prince – the SDE makes no more an appropriate way to celebrate his music. Any ill-decided omission will bring the full might of the Prince Army into rage on Twitter. It is not only The Estate who walk a perilous tightrope. Prince felt it too when Diamonds And Pearls was criticised 32 years prior, that its output was way too polished for his gritty Royal Badness. That album and its supporting tour became smash hits. Today that same album is hailed as one of the greatest of the 1990s. Split into 7 discs, as usual, one is dedicated to singles mixes and edits, it’s there for purists but is always the least listened to – who wants a fade restored that ruins great songs – but this SDE is different. Its disc opens with the first-time issue of the original, near 10-minute cut of Gett Off. Intended for the club circuit only, the buzz Prince’s foray into hip-hop generated got it rushed into the configuration of the LP, shortly before going to press, famously ousting Horny Pony. We get all the Gett Off and Cream remixes restored and reissued also. The real reward in disc two, however, is Willing And Able – the live band recording in Studio C, its footage used as the promo video – is the superior version of the track.

The three-disc Vault houses the studio out-takes spanning 1990-92. The inclusion of Schoolyard raised eyebrows in the wake of the quiet culling of Lust U Always and Extraloveable from 1999 SDE, it is pleasing to see censorship did not continue here. The career spanning focus of Prince’s lyrics is well documented and those offended by Prince advisedly avoid his SDEs. The highlights are too plentiful to mention; Pain, Get Blue and Open Book are the standouts. Early cuts of Daddy Pop and Live 4 Love reveal how ordinary the finished album could have sounded without the hardness injected by Mosley, the strength of the album’s original hip-hop content reliant on the swiftly purged Horny Pony. Although the Vault tracks don’t enjoy the mythical stature of 1986, the quality chosen for Diamonds And Pearls Super Deluxe proves 1990 was not the moment of crisis as oft storied. We again hear Prince as bandleader in the studio, honing and directing the NPG in Darkside, and witness several of the album’s iconic tracks evolve into their final form. Diamonds And Pearls Super Deluxe does his legacy immense justice.

For many, the set’s peak is Live at Glam Slam. A show so completely unannounced, the hastily arranged unrehearsed camera crew did an admirable job capturing Prince’s and the NPG’s Diamonds And Pearls Tour preview gig. The restored footage and soundtrack, available separately, capture rare glimpses inside Glam Slam Minneapolis, including the graffiti corridor and bar, on which Prince dances at the show’s close. It captures perhaps his best filmed performance, preserving a moment of magic of an arena show crammed into a club. Some will argue not to include footage from the tour itself, Earls Court for instance, was a missed opportunity. The Glam Slam gig showcases the tour’s elements, with the added intimacy of the club. The performance of the then unavailable The Sacrifice Of Victor sees Prince delighting in his latest band the New Power Generation.

Thank heavens The Estate’s attention has finally strayed into the 1990s and served up a proper showcase of Prince and his funkiest band. Finally, we turn to the ATMOS release which followed on 24 November, one month later – to fix sound issues we are told. Being new to this format I remain uncertain how it is best played, but popped into my Blu-ray player the levelling is most noticeable, the voices seem crisp but seem to drown out the instrumentation – the drums in particular lurching from soft to loud – it’s most apparent in Push and Live 4 Love. This is no suggestion that was intentional, more likely my ignorance playing it in a basic 2 speaker setup but the listening experience is disorientating. The ATMOS introduces sounds not heard in the conventional album, due to the tracking separation, and although the sound is vibrant the jury is out – it takes some getting used to. This could even be an epiphany moment without realising. It does get the listener rediscovering this thirty-year-old album anew.

In practical terms, The Prince Estate has two responsibilities: First, is to keep the whole operation afloat; Second, preserve Prince’s musical legacy. Uniquely with Prince, his legacy does not simply comprise the music he released but also the material he didn’t release. The only sustainable way these two goals can be achieved is through Super Deluxe Editions. Long may they continue.

Diamonds And Pearls Super Deluxe Edition is rated 5 out of 5 by Goldies Parade.

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