Prince Sets "Musicology" Date

Having had some rough-and-tumble times with Warner Bros. and Arista, Prince will give the major labels another try with the April 20th release of his new album, Musicology, on Columbia.

The album is Prince's first release since last year's instrumental N.E.W.S., and his first pop/vocal release since 2001's The Rainbow Children. Musicology's title track, which Prince has previewed during a pair of early club shows this month, will be the first single, shipping to radio on March 29th.

"I am really an artist and a musician at heart, that's what I do," Prince said. "Musicology has no boundaries or formats. It is long overdue to return to the art and craft of music -- that's what this album is about. School's in session."

School actually started in the middle of winter this year. Prince played a short gig at Los Angeles' El Rey Theater last month to preview some of the new songs. He also opened the Grammy Awards with a collaboration with Beyonce and was the star of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction last week, playing three of his hits and joining in on a tribute to George Harrison. Last month, Prince announced the first round of dates for his Musicology Tour, and this week, he added another twenty-five dates to the North American itinerary. The shows will find him reunited with the New Power Generation, which now includes legendary saxophonist Maceo Parker, John Blackwell (drums), Greg Boyer (trombone), Candy Dulfer (saxophone), Chance Howard (trumpet), Renato Neto (keys), Rad (vocals and keys) and Rhonda Smith (bass). Last month, Prince said that with this tour he hopes "to bring back music and live musicianship."

Prince tour dates:

3/27: Reno, NV, Lawlor Events Center
3/29: Los Angeles, Staples Center
3/30: Bakersfield, CA, Centennial Gardens
3/31: Phoenix, Glendale Arena
4/2: Dallas, American Airlines Center
4/6: Oklahoma City, Ford Center
4/7: Omaha, NE, Qwest Center
4/8: Ames, IA, Hilton Coliseum
4/10: Champaign, IL, Assembly Hall
4/12: Indianapolis, Conseco Fieldhouse
4/13: Cincinnati, U.S Bank Arena
4/14: Pittsburgh, Mellon Arena
4/16: Columbus, OH, Value City Arena/Schottenstein Center
4/17: Cleveland, Gund Arena
4/18: State College, PA, Bryce Jordan Center
4/21: Columbia, SC, Colonial Center
4/22: Knoxville, TN, Thompson-Boling Arena
4/23: Raleigh, NC, RBC Center
4/25: Ft. Lauderdale, FL, Office Depot Center
4/26: Tampa, FL, St. Pete Times Forum
4/27: Jacksonville, FL, Veterans Memorial Arena
4/29: Birmingham, AL, BJCC Coliseum
4/30: Atlanta, Philips Arena
5/1: Biloxi, MI, Mississippi Coast Coliseum
5/4: Kansas City, MO, Kemper Arena
5/5: St. Louis, MO, Savvis Center
5/6: Nashville, TN, Gaylord Entertainment Center
5/24: Anaheim, CA, Arrowhead Pond
5/26, 28: Los Angeles, Staples Center
5/29-30: Las Vegas, Mandalay Bay Events Center
6/1: San Jose, CA, HP Pavilion
6/12: Bossier City, LA, CenturyTel Center
6/16-17: St. Paul, MN, Xcel Energy Center
6/20: Detroit, Palace at Auburn Hills
6/24: Milwaukee, Marcus Amphitheater
6/25-26: Chicago, Allstate Arena
7/12-14: New York, Madison Square Garden
7/16, 18: East Rutherford, NJ, Continental Airlines Arena
8/9: Atlanta, Philips Arena
8/12: Washington, DC, MCI Center
8/17-18: Boston, FleetCenter
8/22-23: Philadelphia, Wachovia Center

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Song Stories

“Help Me”

Joni Mitchell | 1974

Joni Mitchell wrote and recorded this song for her album Court and Spark, but she had to switch from her regular band to make the song sound exactly the way she wanted. "I had attempted to play my music with rock & roll players," she told Rolling Stone. "They’d laugh, 'Awww, isn't that cute? She's trying to teach us how to play.'" Mitchell switched to a jazz band, Tom Scott’s L.A. Express, and scored the biggest hit of her career in the process.

More Song Stories entries »

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