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Two Prince albums due soon: A hits package and deluxe 'Purple Rain' set

The 40-song hits collection, due Nov. 22, will include one unreleased tune from 1982.

October 21, 2016 at 8:40AM
(The Minnesota Star Tribune)
(The Minnesota Star Tribune)

Prince's estate opened Paisley Park this month as a museum before they received the permanent green light from the Chanhassen City Council. Prince's estate staged a nearly five-hour Official Tribute Concert this month before the show was properly rehearsed.

Now comes news that Warner Bros. Records, in conjunction with Prince's own NPG Records, will issue a new greatest-hits collection in time for the holidays and a deluxe "Purple Rain" package in early 2017. The latter release was in the works before Prince's death on April 21.

"Prince 4ever," due Nov. 22, will contain 40 songs, including a previously unreleased selection "Moonbeam Levels," originally recorded in 1982 for the "1999" album sessions. The collection includes "Soft and Wet," "1999," "When Doves Cry," "Nothing Compares 2 U" and "Diamonds and Pearls" as well as such lesser known numbers as "Paisley Park" and "Glam Slam."

The package will include a 12-page booklet featuring never-seen photos by fashion photographer and video director Herb Ritts, who did sessions with Prince in the early 1990s.

This will be Prince's fourth hits package. The most complete one is 1993's three-disc "The Hits/The B-Sides," which includes 56 tunes.

The deluxe "Purple Rain" package will include the original album remastered and a second album of previously unreleased material. Prince reportedly approved the remastering before his death.

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about the writer

about the writer

Jon Bream

Critic / Reporter

Jon Bream has been a music critic at the Star Tribune since 1975, making him the longest tenured pop critic at a U.S. daily newspaper. He has attended more than 8,000 concerts and written four books (on Prince, Led Zeppelin, Neil Diamond and Bob Dylan). Thus far, he has ignored readers’ suggestions that he take a music-appreciation class.

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