I remember the original release day of the Black Album. I was working in my local record store & was SO gutted when they pulled it 
it wasnât long before the bootlegs started appearing & I remember someone paying some ridiculous sum (ÂŁ12k?) for an original âstolenâ vinyl album version!
Also there is a 1 frame subliminal message in the Alphabet Street video âDonât buy the Black Album - Iâm sorryââŠ
Didnât Prince say that god told him to pull the release of the black album in a dream?
His cancelled releases are really interesting. âCamilleâ was going to be an album based on his male/ female alter ego who then pops up all over âsign Oâthe timesâ in songs such as âhouse quakeâ
Thanks, @Singlespeed !
With the last purchase of The Superdeluxe edition of Sign O the times, now I can create by files the original unreleased âCrystal Ballâ, based on the track list here:
David
Fascinating isnât it. The super deluxe realease is a real gem, so much great stuff. Was listening to âBallâ and it dawned that it was âEye Noâ from Lovesexy.
Another highlight was an early release of â forever in my lifeâ where the backing vocals follow rather than preceded the main lyrics.
I always enjoyed the live version of âForever in my Lifeâ of the âSign Oâ The Timesâ concert film a lot more that the album version. It is fascinating to hear the early release in that context.
My favourites are « If I was your girlfriend », « the ballad of Dorothy Parker » ( the album version and not the jazzy live version) and « hot thing »âŠ
But it is the desert island album for me as well
In addition, last but not least, my girlfriend loves « Slow love », so⊠
David
âŠsay no more!
Just checked the stats on the super deluxe.
92 tracks - 8 hrs 2 mins running time
I found an old Italian music magazine (issue December 1989), quite popular in that period, with their chart of the 100 best albums of the 80s: I, just turned 14, was very happy especially for the first 4 places on the chart! 
Week 10 (March 1st): âLovesexyâ - 1988
For me, another brilliant album. My favourite tracks are âAnna Stesiaâ and âAlphabet St.â but really the whole album is a great listen, start to finish.
With the release of 10 strong albums in the 10 years since his debut album âFor Youâ, the question I would ask is have we now reached âPeak Princeâ. With the release of âLovesexyâ, was he at the absolute pinnacle of his career?
Quick mention for the 77 show âLovesexyâ tour - it just blows me away every time I watch it. The set list (34 songs with snippets of half a dozen more, including âBob Georgeâ from the black album), the band (with Sheila E., Cat and Doctor Fink etc), the costumes, the props, the set pieces - this tour has absolutely everything. In my opinion, if anybody ever wants to know just how good Prince was, I would recommend they watch this tour.
stats:
albums finished: 10
Total Album tracks: 89
Total vault tracks: 93 ()
albums finished (production only): 5
Music videos: 18
Live Concerts: 3
( - âBâ Side, Vault tracks, demo tracks - 7/12 inch edits etc)
Week 11 (March 8th): âBatmanâ - 1989 (also picking up on a few more production credit)
I think so, in those years he has certainly reached his peak between creativity and musical quality: the proof for me, if ever necessary, was the release in the 90âs of the box set âCrystall ballâ and of âthe vault: old friends for saleâ with all the songs recorded more or less between the second half of the 80âs and something in the early 90âs âŠ
But, obviously, apart from something, in the 90s the level has always been very high on average, albeit with a slight decrease compared to the âquadrupleâ Parade-Sign o the times-Black Album-Lovesexy âŠ
I remember that I wanted to see him on that tour, although small in age my parents would certainly have been able to see him, but I cancel his date in Rome âŠowever the Italian TV broadcasting had agreed to show his concert live from Hamburg that summer 
âŠI was probably just about old enough to have gone to the London leg of the tour, most likely I was at home watching the âAâ-team on television!
Although he might have reached his peak, still lots of good stuff to comeâŠ
Indeed!!
This has inspired me to have a re listen to his early works. Iâve fond memories of hearing nothing but Prince on car journeys as my dad was a super fan. Truly a musical genius. I often surprise myself knowing mostly every lyric from his less racy albums.
Great stuff, it is quite a trip down memory lane.
Week 11 (March 8th): âBatmanâ - 1989
Prince was a Batman fan so I suppose you can let him off this sound track but for me the album doesnât really stand up on its own. Favourite track, at a push, would be âPartymanâ, but for me the whole album has not aged well and is one best forgotten . âBatmanâ certainly breaks the sequence of 10 great albums in some style!
stats:
albums finished: 11
Total Album tracks: 97
Total vault tracks: 93 (-)
albums finished (production only): 5
Music videos: 21
Live Concerts: 4
( - âBâ Side, Vault tracks, demo tracks - 7/12 inch edits etc)
Week 12 (March 15th): âGraffiti bridgeâ - 1990 (Also The Time - âPandemoniumâ)
Managed to find a couple of 6x4 photos from about 1987 I thinkâŠ
Nice 80âs decor there! I wish I could get some better images but the negatives arenât about & so I couldnât tell you what a lot of the vinyl actually is!?
I carried on collecting until about Diamonds & Pearls era then sold the lot!! 
Sold the lot??? Damn, I hope at very good price (for you) at least!!!
About ÂŁ2-3k as I recall⊠think the rarest itemâs were Strange tales from the rain promo album (ÂŁ400!!!) & a UK single of Gotta stop messinâ about which was very tough to find bitd. Each month you would wait for record collector mag to come out & scan the endless listings 
