NPG Records And Paisley Park Enterprises Release Expanded Reissue Of Prince & The New Power Generation's Multi-Platinum Album Diamonds And Pearls

NPG Records And Paisley Park Enterprises Release Expanded Reissue Of Prince & The New Power Generation's Multi-Platinum Album Diamonds And Pearls

Super Deluxe Formats Feature 47 Previously Unreleased Audio Tracks And Over Two Hours Of Live Filmed Concert Footage In High Definition

Super Deluxe Edition / Deluxe Edition / Remastered Album

Available Here

October 27, 2023 (Minneapolis, MN) – Today, NPG Records and Paisley Park Enterprises, in partnership with Sony Music Entertainment and Warner Records, has reissued Diamonds And Pearls via all physical, digital, and streaming partners, with the classic album remastered for the very first time, and featuring 47 previously unreleased tracks, as well as 2+ hours of previously unreleased video concert performances from Prince’s legendary vault. Purchase HERE.

Diamonds And Pearls is the thirteenth studio album by Prince, and was the first with his new backing band, The New Power Generation. Featuring six massive international singles, including the hits “Gett Off”, “Cream”, and the iconic title track, the album was a worldwide smash reaching multi-platinum status in the USA and the UK, where it remains his best-selling album.

Diamonds And Pearls is the thirteenth studio album by Prince, and was the first with his new backing band, The New Power Generation. Featuring six massive international singles, including the hits “Gett Off”, “Cream”, and the iconic title track, the album was a worldwide smash reaching multi-platinum status in the USA and the UK, where it remains his best-selling album.

The reissue suite is comprised of the following formats: 

• Super Deluxe Edition (7CD+Blu-ray / 12LP+Blu-ray / audio-only download and streaming)

• Deluxe Edition (2CD / 4LP 180g vinyl)

• Remastered album (1CD / 2LP 180g off-white “Pearl” vinyl (USA only) / 2LP 180g clear “Diamond” vinyl (ex. USA) / audiophile Blu-ray (feat. Dolby ATMOS and HD Stereo)  / download and streaming)

Following the successful release of the 1999 Super Deluxe Edition (2019), and Sign O’ The Times Super Deluxe Edition (2020), the Diamonds And Pearls Super Deluxe Edition represents the third deep dive into Prince’s vault. It includes a total of 75 audio tracks across 7x CDs and 12x 180g vinyl records. 

The set offers a newly remastered version of the album, plus 15 of the incredible remixes and B-sides from the era, including the never commercially released “Gett Off (Damn Near 10 Min.)” mix. The Super Deluxe Edition also features 33 previously unheard studio gems from Prince’s Illustrious vault, ranging from alternate versions of album tracks, to numbers Prince gave away to other artists, and songs recorded while on the road in 1990.

Prince & The NPG previewed the Diamonds And Pearls Tour at Prince’s Minneapolis nightclub, Glam Slam, on January 11, 1992. The sweaty, sold-out, last-minute show captures the sheer joy and sense of endless possibility that came to define this era. This previously unreleased live concert performance has been mixed from the 24 track master and rounds out the audio content of the 7CD and 12LP sets.

This same previously unreleased concert is also presented in stunning 2K video on the Blu-ray disc that accompanies both Super Deluxe Edition formats, in Stereo, 5.1 Dolby True HD, and Dolby ATMOS audio formats. The Blu-ray also features Prince & The New Power Generation’s performance at The Special Olympics at the Metrodome in Minneapolis in July 1991 (also in Stereo, 5.1, and ATMOS), as well as a previously unseen soundcheck. The Blu-ray is completed by the long out of print Diamonds And Pearls Video Collection, originally released on VHS and LaserDisc in 1992. 

The 120-page hardback book which accompanies the SDE set features rare and unseen photos by Randee St. Nicholas, Prince’s handwritten lyrics, and essays by: author & broadcaster Andrea Swensson; Archivist and Senior Researcher for the Prince Estate Duane Tudahl; British music critic and Prince expert Jason Draper; De Angela L. Duff, an Industry Professor at NYU Tandon School of Engineering in Brooklyn; Social Media Personality KaNisa Williams; and an introduction from Public Enemy founder, Chuck D.

The Diamonds And Pearls Super Deluxe Edition holds a magnifying glass to the prolific output of this truly unique musician, songwriter, producer, and performer who started the 1990s writing and recording at such a rapid pace that his next album would be practically complete by the time the Diamonds And Pearls Tour debuted in Tokyo that April.

Completing the product suite is a standalone audiophile Blu-ray, featuring the brand-new Dolby ATMOS mix of Diamonds And Pearls. This marks the very first time a Prince studio album has been mixed in ATMOS. The Blu-ray also includes the album in HD Stereo (24bit / 44.1kHz).

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Official website: prince.com

Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter: @prince

BACKGROUND

Unlike previous Prince albums, the majority of Diamonds And Pearls was recorded with The New Power Generation, a group he had assembled largely from the Twin Cities area. They shared cultural backgrounds and localized experiences, and helped Prince connect his past influences to the present creating a new uplifting blend of hip-hop, dance, gospel, and pop that would bring him to the top of the charts worldwide.

The New Power Generation was a band that Prince believed in so wholeheartedly that he gave them co-credit on the cover of Diamonds And Pearls, something he’d only done previously with one other band, The Revolution. The group consisted of Sonny Thompson (vocals & bass), Damon Dickson (vocals & percussion), Rosie Gaines (vocals & keyboards), Michael Bland (drums), Kirk Johnson (vocals & percussion), Tony M (vocals), Levi Seacer, Jr. (bass, guitar & vocals), and Tommy Barbarella (keyboards).

Diamonds And Pearls was unveiled to the world on October 1, 1991, and it instantly had a huge commercial and cultural impact, becoming the biggest selling non-soundtrack album of Prince’s career. Over the past three decades, the reasons for its enormous success have been discussed extensively. Not least of these was Prince’s decision to finally engage with major television exposure and an extensive tour of Europe, Japan and his first trip to Australia. The album also offered a diverse collection of sounds that could appeal to a wide variety of listeners. Diamonds And Pearls had something for everyone.

Ahead of the full album, yesterday saw the release of the latest episode from the official multi-part podcast series, The Story of Diamonds And Pearls. Hosted and produced by Minneapolis native, author and broadcaster Andrea Swensson, The Story of Diamonds And Pearls includes memories and insights from every member of that era’s New Power Generation and examines the process that led to the album’s creation, and its enduring impact on Prince’s legacy. 

Stream The Story Of Diamonds And Pearls Episode Three HERE

The full release of Diamonds And Pearls Super Deluxe Edition was preceded by the advanced tracks “Darkside”, “Daddy Pop (12” Mix)”, “Get Blue”, “Live 4 Love (Early Version)”, and “Cream (Take 2)”. Issued to accompany the project’s announcement in August, “Alice Through The Looking Glass” was praised by The New York Times as a “groove [that] tells its own sensual story”, while “Insatiable (Early Mix-Full Version)” is a previously unreleased 8'02" demo that reveals how the song originally sounded, complete with lyrics and instruments that were removed before it was placed on Diamonds And Pearls.  

Stream “Darkside” HERE

Stream “Daddy Pop (12” Mix)” HERE

Stream “Get Blue” HERE

Stream “Live 4 Love (Early Version)” HERE

Stream “Cream (Take 2)” HERE

Stream “Alice Through The Looking Glass” HERE

Stream “Insatiable (Early Mix – Full Version)” HERE