Nothing Compares 2 U

Warner Bros. Records

Posthumous

This one song would ring a bell to his musical legacy in the extreme

Four key versions exist of this song that has been passed down through the years. The original version of Nothing Compares 2 U was recorded by Prince at his warehouse facility at Flying Cloud Drive, on 15 July 1984. The track was immediately re-recorded and released on the debut album for his side-project The Family the following year.

Nothing Compares 2 U was inspired by Prince’s then personal housekeeper, Sandy Scipioni. She had been forced to quit her job when her father died suddenly from a heart attack, and on her last day left Prince a bunch fresh flowers on his piano. July 1984 was also the time Prince and his fiancee Susanna Melvoin were in the process of splitting up, and so his sense of loss in this moment was undoubtedly prevalent.

When The Family disbanded, in 1990, the manager for Sinead O’Connor, Fachtna O’Ceallaigh, recalled Nothing Compares 2 U on The Family’s debut and only LP, and thought it would be a great track to cover as a eulogy to O’Connor’s mother who died in 1985. Prince famously agreed and passed O’Connor the track, which she rerecorded and released that year and became her breakthrough single – indeed, Billboard ranked it #1 World Single in their year end chart of 1990. In 1991 Nothing Compares 2 U received a Grammy nomination for the year’s top song. Finally, in 1993, Prince’s live version of the song captured in 1991 as a duet with Rosie Gaines was configured into his greatest hits compilation The Hits 1.

Following Prince’s death in 2016, Warner Bros Records in partnership with The Prince Estate, released Prince’s original 1984 version. In this version, Prince performs every instrument and sings lead vocals, and is accompanied by Susannah Melvoin on backing vocals and Eric Leeds on sax. The original song finally received its release in 2018, as the first single released since Prince’s death. Nothing Compares 2 U was released, first on digital platforms on 19 April, and then physically on 7″ vinyl on 21 April which included a limited run of 1984 copies on picture disc containing a second version of the track, titled Cinematic Mix, with Clare Fischer‘s original string arrangements restored.

On 21 June 2019, Nothing Compares 2 U was included in the track list of Originals compilation album, featuring many of Prince’s demos and vocal guides of the songs that he gave to other artists throughout the 1980s.

Performers

Vocals / all Instr

Prince

Saxophone

Eric Leeds

Backing Vocals

Susannah Melvoin

Orchestration

Clare Fischer ^{Cinematic Mix}

Data

Producer

Prince

Label

NPG Records

Distribution

Warner Bros. Records

Cover/Design

Nancy Bundt and Alex Tenta

Released

6 years ago on 19 April 2018

Running Time

8:52

US Chart Peak

Did not chart

UK Chart Peak

Did not chart

Orig. Formats

Tracklist

Side A

1. Nothing Compares 2 U [Edit] (4:12)

Side B

1. Nothing Compares 2 U

   Originals(2019)
   (4:40)

Nothing Compares 2 U – review

Probably Prince’s most recognisable song, this 1984 original of Nothing Compares 2 U was released in 2018. Make no mistake this is no demo but a full studio is a production of that seminal song which in fact is the best version available. Utterly tragic to hear in the wake of Prince’s death, this version oozes more power and emotion than O’Connor in 1990 and even the duet he recorded with Rosie Gaines released by Warner in 1993. This original, written at the time Prince’s personal assistant had suffered loss, is both captivating and haunting in equal measure. Personal loss beautifully captured in song.

Nothing Compares 2 U is rated 5 out of 5 by Goldies Parade.

Related release

Originals

Warner Bros. Records (2019)

About this release and review