I just checked Amazon, and most of his WBR albums are in print and in stock. I know there are certain titles that reverted back to him ("The Gold Experience," for example), but all the key albums are available.

What's your point?

<<And, I don't believe any of Prince's WEA material reverted back to him. I believe he only controls everything from Emancipation onward. >>

how does that work for unreleased songs recorded during the WEA era? Songs like Dream Factory turned up on later compilations.

Because I'm betting even though they have the masters, he has the multitracks tucked away.

Ding ding ding!!!

<<Thing is, can Prince afford the hit in royalties from having all these records out of print? It's not like he's very liquid at this point, is he?>>

with the biggest tour of '04, the hottest ticket in London plus those Roosevelt shows I'm betting he's got a bit of a jingle in his pockets. Plus making supersized royalties on everything he does control...

Yes, WEA has deleted the Prince catalog, and it will shortly be available from another source - the exact same CDs - except not from WEA. And, I am told it will come as a surprise to many.

Following Joni to Starbucks?

If only they'd sell a banded version of Lovesexy...

PRINCE has always been edgy and seeking different methods to market his music.

He came out of a very controversial Minneapolis music/studio school and was always looking for the different way. Like his Super Bowl performance when it started raining, the odds and timing have always seemed to favor him. It would not surprise me if he did anything deemed anti label or distro. It's his nature and unless he can stamp his own unique personal mark on it he won't do it.

if actual multitrack REMASTERS (ie NEW masters) are tucked away in Paisley Park somewhere, and Warner never owned rights to remasters (not rerecordings)...he must have made a deal with someone else and Warner to delete the old crappy ones, so better ones can come out somewhere else...woah, this IS a huge deal, absolutely...

Why is it that the greatest artists (Prince, Dylan, The Beatles, The Stones. Neil Young, Stevie Wonder, etc) have the least regard for their physical product?

<<To imply that "remastering" creates a new "Master Recording" is ridiculous. >>

agreeance, but that's Prince's argument.

I will tell you exactly what I heard at dinner this week in LA.

Yes, WEA has deleted the Prince catalog, and it will shortly be available from another source - the exact same CDs - except not from WEA. And, I am told it will come as a surprise to many.

CCR got a great remastering in the box set a few years back along with a separate Steve Hoffman remastering for SACD.

planned albums that never came to be like "Dream Factory" and the original "Crystal Ball", the Camille project, the Black album, etc...

The Black Album came out for a period of time... its been out of print... Those Camille tracks came out in various form from B sides to Sign O The Times

Amazon is not WEA. If Amazon has stock, they can sell it. If it's OOP, Amazon can't restock it. so they will no longer offer it once they are out and can't get anymore.

If WEA has confirmed the product is cut-out - it's cut-out. The point is that once the existing stock is gone - it's gone.

Pretty big deal when you think about it. How many copies of Purple Rain scan each week?...

And, I don't believe any of Prince's WEA material reverted back to him. I believe he only controls everything from Emancipation onward.

There's so much stuff in those vaults its maddening to try and comprehend why he just sits on it. I know for a fact that in a lot of cases there's artwork, photography, in some cases VIDEO's and all kinds of schwag....just lying around. He was very busy up at Paisley Park. Prince could set up his own i-tunes branch put out a BUNCH of this stuff as just pseudonyms/alter ego type vanity projects and just his fan base ALONE would gobble this stuff up. But it has to be the cream of the crop stuff. And there's PLENTY of that.

Someone with a good ear and access to his catalog could make that man a kings ransom. Someone with an appreciation for his catalog but gets music today. And in a total fantasy land he'd approve it all and again make a fortune.

He's a modern day Willy Wonka. I'd kill for THAT gold ticket.

well, the thing is he's not sitting on so much of it. Pristine copies have leaked out of so many projects, outtakes, alternate albums, soundboards, etc. The guy is a complete control freak so he's obviously letting this stuff out for free... I just don't understand why. As you say, there's a goldmine there.

Okay...I just checked the WEA B2B site, and the Prince CDs are still available. They do not appear to be cut-out.

well, the thing is he's not sitting on so much of it. Pristine copies have leaked out of so many projects, outtakes, alternate albums, soundboards, etc. The guy is a complete control freak so he's obviously letting this stuff out for free... I just don't understand why. As you say, there's a goldmine there