Happy ending: Prince fans to get royal treatment

Posthumous albums to include unreleased tracks from late musician

LOS ANGELES: Fans of legendary singer Prince will soon be able to hear new music from the late artist, who passed away earlier this year. Two new albums will feature previously unreleased and unheard tracks from Prince’s vault of recordings.

Prince 4Ever, available to US audiences on November 22, will feature Moonbeam Levels, originally recorded by Prince in 1982, Warner Bros Records and NPG Records said on Friday. The record will include a selection of Prince’s greatest hits such as Kiss, When Doves Cry and Purple Rain and will come with a booklet featuring never-seen photos of the artist taken by acclaimed photographer Herb Ritts.

The album is the first posthumous release since Prince’s sudden death in April at his estate Paisley Park, in Minnesota. He was 57 years of age. An all-star roster of artists such as Stevie Wonder and Chaka Khan came together in Minnesota last week, to perform a tribute concert to the late artist.

In early 2017, a new remastered and remixed version of Prince’s 1984 record Purple Rain – which was agreed with the artist before his death – will be released, featuring old and new songs. No further details have been given regarding this album yet.

Prince notably blended elements of jazz, funk, R&B, disco and rock in a prolific output of more than 30 albums that have sold over 36 million copies in the United States alone, since 1978. He was also known as fiercely determined to maintain creative control over his music, famously changing his name to an unpronounceable symbol for several years during a bitter contract battle with Warner Bros.

The value of his musical legacy, including an extensive cache of unreleased recordings said to be locked in a vault, has been estimated by some to exceed a $500 million, after factoring in future royalties, retail sales and commercial rights.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 23^rd, 2016.

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