26 Jun Sony Music Signs Deal With PRINCE Estate To Re-Release 35 Catalog Albums Including “The Gold Experience” & “Emancipation”
The Sony deal with the PRINCE Estate is now official and the details include 35 catalog albums to be re-released via Sony Legacy Recordings and includes material from 1995-2010. World-Wide rights to the music begins immediately.
The first phase of releases will include The Gold Experience (1995), Emancipation (1996), Rave Un2 The Joy Fantastic (1999), The Rainbow Children (2001) and 3121 (2006), as well as Musicology (2004) and Planet Earth (2007), which were originally released via Sony through Columbia according to Billboard.
Additional album titles from 2014-2015 will be included later which could include Art Official Age, PlectrumElectrum, Hit N Run Phase 1 & Hit n Run Phase 2.
Along with the 35 albums, Sony gets the rights to other previously released singles, B-sides, remixes, non-album tracks, live recordings and music videos recorded before 1995.
The deal does NOT include VAULT recordings.
Plus in 2021, Sony will get 12 other PRINCE albums from The Warner Bros. era including Prince (1979), Dirty Mind (1980), Controversy (1981), 1999 (1982), Around the World in a Day (1985), Sign ‘O’ the Times (1987), Lovesexy (1988), Diamonds and Pearls (1991) and [Love Symbol] (1992). Purpleheadz will notice that “For You” Prince’s first album (1978) isn’t mentioned. The Estate already owned the master to that recording.
Prince Estate advisor Troy Carter had this to say about the deal; “The Sony team’s enthusiasm and deep knowledge of Prince’s music make them the ideal partner to release these iconic bodies of work,” “We’re looking forward to working with the heirs and Sony on giving fans what they’ve been waiting for — more great music from Prince.”
In the press release, SME Commercial Music Group President Richard Story was quoted as saying “A true artist and visionary, Prince changed the world with his music, bringing love, joy and inspiration to millions,” “Sony Music is honored to play a part in keeping Prince’s music alive and making it available for generations of lifelong listeners and future fans.”
Here is hoping each re-release will include a remastering and a special edition with bonus material. The numbers of the deal have not been released yet but were said to be millions under the original deal that Universal signed last year for $31 million but opted out of.-DocFB
Diagnosis: As a person who Loves PRINCE’s music, I am happy with the deal. I want everything under 1 umbrella and I wanted it to be Warner Bros. at first until the way they handled the Purple Rain Deluxe release last year and their underwhelming announcement of “Piano & A Microphone 1983” upcoming release September 21st, a 35 minute recording that would have been better served as a special record store day release or as a special edition instead of a stand alone only release this year.
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