Rock N’ Roll Is Alive! (And It Lives In Minneapolis) Prince single

Sony Legacy

single

Prince enjoyed basketball – as a player and a fan.

Rock N’ Roll Is Alive! (And It Lives In Minneapolis) is a re-release of a track originally available as a B-side to Prince’s 1995 single Gold from The Gold Experience. The opening chants are from the live audience participation from a show Prince (then as Prince Love Symbol) performed for VH1 at Paisley Park Studios in the early hours of 10 September 1995, which was put onto the new song he recorded with the NPG on the 12th.

In 2019, the track was reissued, as a 7inch vinyl pressing given exclusively to each attendee of the Minnesota Timberwolves vs. Miami Heat NBA basketball game that took place at the Target Centre on 5 April 2019. Timberwolves won 111 points to 109. The occasion was marking the final game in a run of Prince-themed events hosted by the Timberwolves in their home games throughout the 2018/19 season – a Prince song was played in tribute in each break in the games (totalling 82 songs).

Members of Prince’s former backing band the New Power Generation and Sheila E., Morris Day, performed during the 5 April game’s half-time. The team wore their purple jerseys “City Edition” which had been designed specially and available since 8 November 2018 also in honour of Prince. The song’s re-release, in collaboration with The Prince Estate, is the first ever record giveaway at any NBA game.

Rock N’ Roll Is Alive! (And It Lives In Minneapolis) was also available for purchase in digital format on the same day of the game – the record’s B-side Calhoun Square (also recorded at Paisley Park, in June 1993) was previously released in 1998 on Crystal Ball – the track is named after a popular shopping district in Minneapolis and site of the NPG store – is omitted from the digital release.

Purple And Gold

The Prince’s Estate’s release follows the vein the original ‘fight song’ Prince recorded in honour of the Minnesota Vikings NFL team after watching their 34-3 win against the Dallas Cowboys at the Hubert H Humphrey Metrodome Stadium in Minneapolis. Recorded at Paisley Park Studios on 17 January 2010, the song, named Purple And Gold (running length 3:42) after their football kit, was streamed on vikings.com on 21 January 2010 four days ahead of their game at the Caesars Superdome against the New Orleans Saints. The Vikings lost 28-31. Because it was written following the format of a traditional ‘fight’ anthem and thereby completely out of character for a Prince song, Purple And Gold is regarded at Prince’s worst. The track was not otherwise commercially available.

Performers

Vocals / All instr.

Prince

Bass Guitar

Sonny T

Drums

Michael B

Keyboards

Tommy Barbarella

Morris Hayes

Data

Producer

Prince

Label

NPG Records

Distribution

Sony Legacy

Cover/Design

Steve Parke

Released

7 years ago on 5 April 2019

Running Time

9:20

US Chart Peak

Timberwolves exclusive

UK Chart Peak

No release

Orig. Formats

Tracklist

Side A

1. Rock N' Roll Is Alive! (And It Lives In Minneapolis)

   The Gold Experience (1995)
   [feat. Mayte] (4:34)

Side B

1. Calhoun Square

   Crystal Ball (1998)
   (4:47)

Rock N’ Roll Is Alive! (And It Lives In Minneapolis) single review

The Prince Estates went through a daft patch creating releases so limited to mark a plethora of special occasions, Rock N’ Roll Is Alive! (And It Lives In Minneapolis) is the first of those. There’s nothing wrong with the song, a long out of print B-side to 1995’s Gold, but the occasion was the climax of the Prince themed commemorative basketball season hosted by the Minnesota Timberwolves. Things like this deserve wider release and demonstrate lack of understanding of Prince’s global fan base.

Rock N’ Roll Is Alive! (And It Lives In Minneapolis) is rated 3 out of 5 by Goldies Parade.

Related release

The Gold Experience

Warner Bros. Records • 1995

About this release and review