MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. (CelebrityAccess) — The Prince Estate is teaming up with Warner Bros. Records for the release of the original version of the Prince’s hit “Nothing Compares 2 U.”
Originally recorded in 1984, the previously unreleased version of the track was made famous when it was recorded by Irish singer Sinéad O’Connor in 1990.
The track was originally laid down at the Flying Cloud Drive ‘Warehouse’ in Eden Prairie by Prince’s long-time engineer Susan Rogers, and originally composed, arranged and performed in its entirety by Prince, with the exception of the track’s backing vocals, which were contributed by Susannah Melvoin and Paul “St. Paul” Peterson.
“I spotted the 2″ multitrack reel in the Vault some weeks back while doing a 1984-era inventory. After retrieving my jaw from the floor, we took the reel upstairs, analyzed it, put it up on the Studer 24 track machine, and digitized it to 24/192. Even our ‘faders up’ rough mix was compelling enough to indicate that this was something very special indeed,” Michael Howe, a label/A&R veteran who is currently serving as the official archivist for the Prince collection.
“No Prince-penned song performed by another artist has enjoyed more chart success (#1 in over a dozen countries) and overall cultural impact than Sinead O’Connor’s 1990 recording, so hearing the song in its original context performed in its entirety by the author makes it particularly noteworthy,” Howe added.
The release of the original “Nothing Compares” will be accompanied by a video featuring heretofore unseen rehearsal footage of Prince & The Revolution practicing their choreography at the Eden Park warehouse. The archival footage has been incorporated into a new video directed by Andrea Gelardin and Ruth Hogben. According to Warners, the video offers a “glimpse into Prince’s total commitment to his art and its emotional impact, even when no audience is present.”
The song will be released in a limited edition picture disk vinyl, which will be sold exclusively at a Prince HitNRun online pop-up store. A black vinyl 7” will be available for pre-order from major physical retailers and will be released on Friday 25th May.
