Piano and a Microphone 1983 explained

Piano and a Microphone 1983
Type:demo
Artist:Prince
Cover:Piano and a Microphone 1983.jpg
Recorded:Late summer or Autumn 1983
Studio:Kiowa Trail home studio (Chanhassen, Minnesota)
Length:34:21
Label:
Prev Year:2018
Next Title:Originals
Next Year:2019

Piano and a Microphone 1983 is a posthumously released album by Prince, released on CD, vinyl, and digital formats on September 21, 2018.[1] [2] It is the first album released by the Prince estate consisting solely of material from his archive, the Vault.[3]

Background

The album was discovered as a single cassette tape in Prince's vault at Paisley Park. The music was recorded in one take in 1983 at Prince's Kiowa Trail home studio in Chanhassen, Minnesota. The session is nearly 35 minutes of Prince's vocals while he played piano and segued between songs.[3] [4]

The session includes alternative versions of previously released and yet-to-be released songs, cover versions, and sketches of songs.[5] Four of the album's nine tracks were previously unreleased – "Mary Don't You Weep", "Wednesday" (originally recorded by Jill Jones for a deleted scene in Purple Rain), "Cold Coffee & Cocaine", and "Why the Butterflies".

Critical reception

The New York Times called the album "a glimpse of a notoriously private artist doing his mysterious work"[3] while Adam Mattera in Echoes cited "Mary Don't You Weep" as "a telling choice that points both to his political awareness and gospel heritage – not something people would have expected from a 25 year-old more famous at the time for his flasher mac, high heels and songs about incestuous siblings and used condoms".

Track listing

All songs composed by Prince, except where indicated.Notes

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart (2018)! scope="col"
Peak
position
Japanese Hot Albums (Billboard Japan)Web site: Prince on Billboard Japan Hot Albums. October 1, 2018. 42

Year-end charts

Chart (2018)! scope="col"
Position
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[7] 163

Notes and References

  1. Prince Estate Plots New Album 'Piano and a Microphone 1983'. Rolling Stone. June 25, 2018.
  2. News: Prince Estate Announces 'Piano & a Microphone 1983' Album,' Shares Song (Listen). Aswad. Jem. June 7, 2018. Variety. June 25, 2018.
  3. News: Pareles . Jon . Alone in the Studio in 1983, Prince Is Revealed . 20 September 2018 . New York Times . 19 September 2018.
  4. News: 1983 Prince home studio rehearsal set for release in September . July 31, 2018 . 947wls.com . June 8, 2018.
  5. News: Prince's New 'Piano & A Microphone 1983' Basement Tape Is as Simple as It Sounds . 20 September 2018 . Billboard . 18 September 2018.
  6. News: Unheard Prince album 'Piano & A Microphone 1983' to be released by estate. EW.com. June 25, 2018.
  7. Web site: Jaaroverzichten 2018. Ultratop. October 26, 2020.