Source: BERTRAND GUAY / Getty
Though the late, great Prince became an ascended master in 2016, interest hasn’t waned in the vault of music he left behind. This week, The Prince Estate announced that they’d be opening the vault for a super deluxe edition of his 1991 release Diamonds and Pearls.
Anchored off the vocals of Rosie Gaines, the album’s titular cut was a huge hit for Prince at a time when some believed he’d fallen short of his 80s Purple Rain glory. In fact, the album was a huge success, introducing his second band The New Power Generation for the first time. It marked the end of Prince’s recording with The Revolution who were there for his 80s run of classics like Purple Rain, Lovesexy, Around the World in a Day and Parade.
“Cream” was a #1 hit from Diamonds and Pearls, and the title track went #1 R&B, becoming a staple on radio and one of Prince’s signature duets with Gaines. (The other was their version of ‘Nothing Compares to You,” a monster hit for Sinead O’Connor which was written by Prince.)
Prince fans have been clamoring for a new super deluxe edition after ones were done for 1999 and for Sign O’ The Times, both with photos, essays, and previously unreleased music and video. The Diamonds and Pearls set includes a remastered version of the original release, seven CD/12-LP edition (with both two-CD and single CD versions), 47 previously unreleased tracks, and two hours of video.
One of those videos is a 1992 performance from Prince’s Glam Slam nightclub in Minneapolis (at one time he owned Glam Slams in Los Angeles, Miami, and Yokohama, Japan) which was shown to fans attending the annual Prince Celebration in 2022.
It appears to be a dress rehearsal of sorts for Prince’s Diamond and Pearls tour which went to Asia, Australia and Europe in 1992. Prince released The Diamonds and Pearls Video Collection on VHS in 1992 and then again on DVD in 2006. There is also footage from Prince’s 1991 Special Olympics soundcheck, Special Olympics concert, and a restored version of the video collection.
The set also comes with a poster and booklet that includes liner notes from Prince scholars including NYU professor DeAngela L. Duff, who has curated several Prince symposia both online and in New York City (Disclaimer: I have participated in several), social media personality KaNisa Williams of the Darling Nisi blog and podcast, Prince historian Duane Tudahl, who is now the archivist and senior researcher for the Prince Estate, and with special contributions from Chuck D. and unreleased pics from Prince collaborator Randee St. Nicholas.
Previously unreleased tracks from the era include two that dropped with the announcement, “Alice Through The Looking Glass,” and an alternate version of “Insatiable,” along with an extended version of “Get Off (Damn Near 10 Minutes)” and “Gangster Glam” a song notable for the video in which Prince wears a mankini and a polka dot du-rag that matches his polka dot outfit.
Though some of the footage and music has floated around between collectors, appeared on YouTube, or has been rumored about, the major surprise is that some of the video and music has never been seen or heard before, proving that Prince’s legendary vault contains some ‘gems’ still to be uncovered.
The Diamonds and Pearls super deluxe edition sets are available for pre-order now and will be released on Oct. 25.
