The Artist Looks Into His Crystal Ball

Even a clairvoyant is having a hard time predicting the arrival of The Artist's newest release, Crystal Ball. The major label-free "xperiment in truth" will be a three-CD compilation encased in a free-standing plastic globe. According to Paisley Park's official website www.Love4oneanother.com, pre-orders are at 84,000 and "the check has been cut to begin production." Apparently, they are waiting for pre-orders to reach 100,000. The recording at The Artist' toll-free line, 1-800-New-Funk, states that, "there is no release date as of now." Stay tuned....

• 
  MUSIC 100 Greatest Debut Albums
• 
  MOVIES 'Star Trek' Is Crazy Good
• 
  TV 10 Shows to Watch This Summer
• 
  POLITICS No Price Big Banks Can't Fix

Song Stories

“1999”

Prince | 1982

“I don’t consider myself a great poet,” Prince told Rolling Stone. “I just know I’m here to say what’s on my mind.” In the case of the apocalyptic party anthem “1999,” he was worried about then-president Ronald Reagan’s foreign policies. The song’s melody is based on a riff borrowed from the Mamas and Papas’ “Monday, Monday,” and Prince originally envisioned the first verse with three-part harmony but later split the vocals between himself and members of the Revolution. Because Warner Bros., with whom Prince was locked in a contractual battle, owned the original’s masters, Prince rerecorded the song and appropriately released that version in 1999.

More Song Stories entries »

Twitter