3rdEyeGirl.com

2013/4

Website

Developed by Dave Meyer and Andy Wojtowski 3rdEyeGirl.com was Prince’s first website to offer downloads since the closure of lotusflow3r.com in March 2010, and was created to promote his new backing band 3rdEyeGirl and their tracks – offered for download at the cost of $0.88 each. Unlike Prince’s previous websites, no membership subscription was required. The website design was based around an illustration Prince commissioned from an 22-year-old artist named Stella Blu, having found her work on the internet, it became the band’s logo. 3rdEyeGirl.com also offered full length song videos for purchase as well, and later promoted the dates of the band’s Live Out Loud Tour.

3rdEyeTV launched on livestream.com 12 June 2013, with a total of 21 broadcasts aired between then and 5 October 2013. Two broadcasts showcased rehearsals of previously unreleased instrumentals captured in sessions at Paisley Park Studios on 1 and 2 July 2013 and aired in the 8th and 9th broadcasts.

On 28 June 2013, 3rdEyeGirl.com was relaunched with a new design but in the capacity as an informational service only. Its downloads were transferred to a separate and dedicated website 3rdEyeTunes.com that same day. Tour news and merchandise were promised but never materialised and the website was taken down in August 2014 and its domain forwarded to a Warner Brothers store page taking pre-orders for the release of 3rdEyeGirl’s LP Plectrumelectrum. The websites served as the retail arm of a highly effective social media campaign raising awareness of the new band and tour. In addition to offering tracks for purchase, others were freely available and released exclusively on social media – these accounts were likewise deleted on 25 November 2014 when Prince took to promoting solo projects once again.

20pr1nc3.com

The year 2013 began with the surprise launch of 20pr1nc3.com on 22 January. It’s arrival sparked particular excitement among fans because it marked Prince’s return to the internet since the closure of his previous online platform in early 2010. The website’s domain name swiftly changed to prince2013.com on 8 February and although it was intended to provide a range of exclusive videos and potentially new music, it ultimately offered only the same three videos it launched with: Screwdriver Live (1:08) and lyric video (4:28), and Andy Allo’s acoustic album Qui Can Luv. prince2013.com remained in hiatus, usurped as Prince launched 3rdEyeGirl.com on 5 February in replacement of prince2013.com.

Downloads from 3rdeyegirl.com

Screwdriver

NPG Records

Released

5 February 2013

Running Time

4:13

Format

WAV

Recorded at Paisley Park Studios in 2011 by Prince, John Blackwell (drums) and Ida Nielsen (bass), Screwdriver was released February 2013 as a standalone digital single in promotion of Prince’s then latest band 3rdEyeGirl. The track was subsequently re-released on Prince’s thirty-ninth and final LP HITNRUN Phase Two in 2015.

Screwdriver [Remix]

NPG Records

Released

5 February 2013

Running Time

6:44

Format

MP3

Rockier remix of the original track completed in the latter half of 2012, this time Prince is joined by band members of 3rdEyeGirl – Hannah Ford (drums), Ida Nielsen (bass) and Donna Grantis (guitar).

Rock And Roll Love Affair [Remix 7]

NPG Records

Released

5 February 2013

Running Time

5:42

Format

MP3

Issued as the seventh remix, the CD single of the track containing the other six remixes, this seventh version was created at Paisley Park Studios in 2012. The original song was eventually included in the tracklisting of HITNRUN Phase Two in 2015.

Breakfast Can Wait

NPG Records

Released

5 February 2013

Running Time

3:46

Format

MP3

Recorded at Paisley Park Studios in 2012 by Prince and Joshua Welton, the track was later issued both as a standalone digital single and EP The Breakfast Experience releasing Welton’s remixes done of the same track at alternate tempos. The original version was eventually configured into the tracklisting of Prince’s thirty-seventh studio album Art Official Age in 2014.

Boyfriend [Demo]

NPG Records

Released

15 February 2013

Running Time

3:08

Format

WAV

Recorded at Paisley Park Studios during the summer of 2012 as a demo for an unspecified project for the NPG, Boyfriend is highly unusual in that Prince only released finished recordings. This funky track features NPG Hornz: Michael B. Nelson (trombone), Steve Strand and Dave Jensen (trumpted), and Kenni Holmen and Kathy Jensen (saxophone).

That Girl Thang

NPG Records

Released

18 February 2013

Running Time

3:33

Format

WAV

This stripped down acoustic demo is inspired by dancer Lala Escarzega and was recorded at Paisley Park Studios on 17 February 2013 the day prior to the song’s release on 3rdeyegirl.com.

Live Out Loud

NPG Records

Released

22 February 2013

Running Time

3:35

Format

WAV

Lyrics by Liv Warfield, sung by Hannah Ford, Prince created the music. Live Out Loud was recorded at Paisley Park Studios, performed by Prince and 3RdEyeGirl, it provided the title of their introductory US tour and is an outtake from their debut LP Plectrumelectrum. The video accompanying the track was published on the band’s YouTube account on the same day. Paradoxically, Screwdriver and Live Out Loud became the only two tracks featuring 3rdEyeGirl sold on the band’s website 3rdeyegirl.com.

Ain't Gonna Miss U When U're Gone

NPG Records

Released

12 June 2013

Running Time

6:01

Format

WAV

Recorded in 2012 at Paisley Park Studios, the track features “Ledisi” Anibade Young on backing vocals. NPG Hornz are again featured, recorded in the same session as Boyfriend. This was one of the two songs first published on 3rdeyegirl.com to move over to 3rdeyetunes.com when that site launched on 28 June 2013.

Extraloveable [Reloaded]

NPG Records

Released

19 June 2013

Running Time

5:02

Format

WAV

Reworked 2013 version of Prince’s 2011 single Extralovable with horns added by NPG Hornz. Andy Allo’s rap is removed from this version. This was the second of the two songs carried over to 3rdeyetunes.com when launched on 28 June 2013. It is Prince’s third studio version of the track, the original created in 1982 intended for Vanity 6 remains unreleased.

soundcloud.com/3eg

Menstrual Cycle

NPG Records

Released

3 July 2013

Running Time

4:18

Format

WAV

Live instrumental recorded at Paisley Park by Prince and 3rdEyeGirl on 2 July 2013. The track was offered as a free download from the band’s Soundcloud page soundcloud.com/3eg (since deleted).

Octopus Heart

NPG Records

Released

3 July 2013

Running Time

10:32

Format

WAV

Rehearsal live instrumental recorded with 3rdEyeGirl in studio at Paisley Park on 2 July 2013 and was made available as a free download from the band’s Soundcloud page along with Menstrual Cycle.

Dance Rally 4 Peace

NPG Records

Released

12 May 2015

Running Time

41:34

Format

WAV

Soundboard recording of the concert Dance Rally 4 Peace, Prince performed with 3rdEyeGirl at Paisley Park Studios on 2 May 2015 to honour Freddie Gray, whose death in police hands sparked race riots in Baltimore and the creation of Black Lives Matter. Attendees were asked to “wear something gray”. The show was streamed live on TIDAL but shortly after also available Prince’s Soundcloud page – renamed on 9 May 2015 /Prince3EG.

twitter.com/3rdeyegirl

The Sweeter She Is [Rehearsal]

NPG Records

Released

16 October 2013

Running Time

7:29

Format

MP3

Cover of the 1969 song by The Soul Children. This 2013 recording is captured during Prince and 3rdEyeGirl’s rehearsals at Paisley Park Studios. It was posted on the band’s Twitter account that same day.

livestream.com/3rdeyegirl

Midnight Blues

NPG Records

Released

28 June 2013

Running Time

7:05

Format

Streamed

Leveraging all channels of social media to promote his new band 3RdEyeGirl, on 12 June 2013 Prince’s livestream.com opened with streams capturing the band in rehearsals. A total of 22 were aired. Midnight Blues was the first original track broadcast. It is a live rehearsal of an improvised instrumental with 3RDEYEGIRL recorded on 19 June 2013.

Octopus Heart

NPG Records

Released

2 July 2013

Running Time

4:18

Format

Streamed

Rehearsal instrumental recorded live at Paisley Park on 2 July 2013, the track was also available as a free download on 3RDEYEGIRL’s Soundcloud page from 3 July.

Moon Drop

NPG Records

Released

2 July 2013

Running Time

3:54

Format

Streamed

Live instrumental recorded at Paisley Park Studios, with 3RDEYEGIRL captured in the same 2 July 2013 as Octopus Heart.

Menstrual Cycle

NPG Records

Released

3 July 2013

Running Time

10:32

Format

Streamed

Rehearsal instrumental recorded live at Paisley Park on 2 July 2013. Also available as a free download from 3RDEYEGIRL’s Soundcloud page on 3 July.

What If

NPG Records

Released

14 March 2015

Running Time

4:58

Format

MP3

Cover version of the 2005 track of the same name written by Nichole Nordeman. This version was recorded by Prince and 3RDEYEGIRL in March 2014 and released as a download emailed to subscribers of Prince’s Live Nation ticket distribution list, as was Judith Hill’s album Back In Time.