12 albums for Legacy reissue 4 February 2022

The Prince Estate has announced today that they, in partnership with Sony Legacy, will be reissuing twelve, yes twelve, of Prince’s albums covering three decades of his catalogue. The release includes all of Prince’s albums from his For You debut of 1978, through to his greatest hits packages parts 1 and 2 of 1993 and beyond. This expansive release sees the reissue of all of Prince’s non soundtrack albums created in the peak of his fame when signed to Warner Bros Records between 1978 and 1993.

Whilst Warner retains its publishing rights to his four soundtrack albums – Purple Rain, Parade, Batman and Graffiti Bridge – the dozen reissued in Sony’s latest phase notably extends to the 1990s with 1993’s The Hits parts 1 and 2, 1994’s Come, and The Vault: Old Friends 4 Sale of 1999. It marks the first release from the catalogue passed to Sony from Warner at the beginning of 2021. February’s phase chimes with the Estate’s usual spring and autumn release pattern.

Although these reissues are not full new remasters – the audio still benefitting from modern repressing – the NPGs Diamonds And Pearls and Love Symbol albums (the latter turning thirty in 2022) are interestingly (yet not surprisingly) omitted. Diamonds And Pearls, anticipated to receive a Super Deluxe Edition remaster in 2021 on the 30th anniversary of the original, is highly expected to appear in 2022, bumped due to the delayed release of Welcome 2 America Deluxe Edition during the summer of 2021 and the potential impact of coronavirus. It is also hotly rumoured Warner will be doing likewise with Parade at some point – being that a Netflix documentary on Prince is to air sometime next year, one of the predicted SDEs may coincide.

Sony Legacy’s twelve album bonanza drops on 4 February 2022, all of which will be issued both in CD and vinyl formats. And whether you have original copies or not, judging by past NPG Records era reissues, Sony Legacy faithfully recreate the packaging as well as introduce subtle enhancements to the design. The albums included in this phase are below, and make for an expensive but thrilling start to 2022 to add to or start your Prince collection:

1. For You (1978) [CD & vinyl]
2. Prince (1979) [CD & vinyl]
3. Dirty Mind (1980) [CD & vinyl]
4. Controversy (1981) [CD & vinyl]
5. 1999 (1982) [CD & 2x vinyl]
6. Around The World In A Day (1985) [CD & vinyl]
7. Sign O’ The Times (1987) [CD & 2x vinyl]
8. Lovesexy (1988) [CD]
9. The Hits 1 (1993) [CD]
10. The Hits 2 (1993) [CD]
11. Come (1994) [CD]
12. The Vault: Old Friends 4 Sale (1999) [CD]