4Ever (album)
| 4 Ever | ||||
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| Prince's compilation album | ||||
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Publication |
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admission |
Summer 1976 - June 1992 |
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| Label (s) | NPG Records / Warner Bros. Records | |||
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Format (s) |
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Contemporary R&B , electronic dance music , funk , pop music , rock music |
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Title (number) |
40 |
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running time |
155: 05 |
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| occupation | Prince, Prince and The Revolution , Prince and The New Power Generation
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Studio (s) |
Alpha Studios ( Burbank ) |
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4Ever ( English for Forever ) is the sixth compilation album by the US musician Prince and the first album to be released posthumously . It was released on November 22, 2016 as DoCD on the Warner Bros. Records / NPG Records label and includes Prince's most commercially successful single releases from 1978 to 1993.
4Ever's music belongs to the genres of contemporary R&B , electronic dance music , funk , pop music and rock music . Apollonia Kotero , Rosie Gaines and Sheena Easton are guest singers . Furthermore, Sheila E. represented as a guest musician.
Apart from six songs, all of 4Ever's pieces have already appeared on the Prince compilations The Hits / The B-Sides (1993), The Very Best of Prince (2001) and Ultimate (2006). Only the song Moonbeam Levels was previously unreleased. Music critics rated 4Ever very positively and from a commercial point of view, the album was able to achieve gold status in Great Britain.
Emergence
After Prince died unexpectedly on April 21, 2016, the music labels Warner Bros. Records and NPG Records announced on October 21, 2016 that they would release a greatest hits compilation with 40 songs under the name 4Ever . With Warner, Prince was under contract from 1978 to December 31, 1999 and in 2014. NPG Records is the music label he founded in 1994 and still exists today. In 2014 Prince got back all copyrights to the songs that he had previously recorded for Warner in his career.
Prince recorded the previously only unreleased song Moonbeam Levels on July 6, 1982 at Sunset Sound Studio in Hollywood , California, when he was busy with recordings for his 1999 album . On June 8, 1983, Prince reworked the piece in his then private recording studio Kiowa Trail Home Studio in Chanhassen , Minnesota. Susan Rogers, his sound engineer from 1983 to 1987, said after Prince's death: “Sometimes when we made a record we put him on it. But he always threw him down. ”For example, Prince Moonbeam placed Levels in 1989 on his as yet unreleased album called Rave Unto the Joy Fantastic , which has nothing in common with his officially released 1999 album Rave Un2 the Joy Fantastic .
4Ever's earliest recorded song is Soft and Wet , which Prince recorded in the summer of 1976. Peach is Prince's last recorded song in the compilation and dates back to June 1992. Prince also released a song called 4Ever on his album Lotusflow3r in 2009 , which has nothing to do with the compilation.
Design of the cover
The two CDs and the booklet are integrated in a digipak . On the front of the album cover one is black and white - portrait photo to see Prince from 2012, which by the Australian photographer was taken Justine Walpole and 'at that time as a tour poster of Prince Welcome 2 Chicago tour was intended. Prince stands sideways to the camera, only the left half of his face can be seen. As earrings he wears a crescent moon , with seven diamonds from cubic zirconia is equipped. With his left hand he holds the collar of his black jacket up so that his mouth is covered. At the top of the cover, the word “Prince” can be read in gold, followed by the word “4Ever” in white. The symbol that Prince wore as his artist name from 1993 to 2000 is printed at the bottom right of the picture. "Prince Rogers Nelson 1958-2016" reads under the symbol. The symbol and the track list of the double CD can be seen again on the back of the cover.
The booklet consists of 12 pages and on the third side is the statement of Barack Obama over Prince's death read on 21 April 2016 that he was then in Facebook wrote. The booklet also contains four black and white photos of Prince, all of which were taken by Herb Ritts in 1993 and were previously unpublished. Ritts was responsible for the Prince photos in the booklet of The Hits / The B-Sides back in 1993 .
In September 2017, ten months after the original publication, was 4Ever as 4- LP - Boxset released. The square box is 32 cm long and 32 cm wide. Apart from the four LPs, the box contains six photos of Prince in the format 30 × 30 cm, which can also be seen in the digipak booklet.
music
The music from the album 4Ever can be assigned to different music genres; for example, the songs Soft and Wet , I Wanna Be Your Lover and Why You Wanna Treat Me So Bad? from the Contemporary R&B division . Head , Pop Life , Girls & Boys and Sexy MF belong to the funk genre, 1999 and Let's Go Crazy come from the electronic dance music sector , Raspberry Beret and I Could Never Take the Place of Your Man from the pop music genre and Peach from the pop music sector Rock music . Apollonia Kotero , Rosie Gaines and Sheena Easton are guest singers ; Kotero is Prince ' duet partner on the song Take Me with U , Easton in U Got the Look and Gaines in the play Nothing Compares 2 U . Sheila E. also plays the drums in the song Pop Life .
Moonbeam Levels ( English for moonbeam levels ) is a melodic mid-tempo -Song from the genre rock music. Typically for Prince, he describes the sometimes spiritually inspired lyrics from the point of view of a male protagonist ; he lost his girlfriend in a "rainstorm", which was painful and sad for him. Therefore, he wishes that he should be sent “moon ray planes” so that he can find “a better place to die”. In the midst of the lyrics, Prince gives the protagonist a twist; he wants to "repeat all the good things he has done before" and "fight for perfect love". At the end of the song, the protagonist decides not to want to die. In 1992 Prince composed the song 3 Chains o 'Gold , which is based in part on verses from Moonbeam Levels . 3 Chains o 'Gold can be found on his album Love Symbol .
Title list and publication
| title | 4 Ever | Duration | Original sound carrier | ||||||
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| 1999 (edit) | Disc 1 # 1, LP-1 side 1 # 1 | 3:36 | 1982: 1999 | ||||||
| Little Red Corvette (edit) | Disc 1 # 2, LP-1 side 1 # 2 | 3:06 | 1982: 1999 | ||||||
| When Doves Cry (edit) | Disc 1 # 3, LP-1 side 1 # 3 | 3:48 | 1984: Purple Rain | ||||||
| Let's Go Crazy (edit) B. | Disc 1 # 4, LP-1 side 1 # 4 | 3:49 | 1984: Purple Rain | ||||||
| Raspberry Beret B | Disc 1 # 5, LP-1 side 1 # 5 | 3:31 | 1985: Around the World in a Day | ||||||
| I wanna be your lover (edit) | Disc 1 # 6, LP-1 side 1 # 6 | 2:57 | 1979: Prince | ||||||
| Soft and Wet A. | Disc 1 # 7, LP-1 side 2 # 1 | 3:02 | 1978: For You | ||||||
| Why You Wanna Treat Me So Bad? | Disc 1 # 8, LP-1 side 2 # 2 | 3:48 | 1979: Prince | ||||||
| Uptown (edit) | Disc 1 # 9, LP-1 side 2 # 3 | 4:08 | 1980: Dirty Mind | ||||||
| When You Were Mine | Disc 1 # 10, LP-1 side 2 # 4 | 3:43 | 1980: Dirty Mind | ||||||
| Head | Disc 1 # 11, LP-1 side 2 # 5 | 4:43 | 1980: Dirty Mind | ||||||
| Gotta Stop (Messin 'About) | Disc 1 # 12, LP-1 side 2 # 6 | 2:54 | 1981: non-album track | ||||||
| Controversy (edit) | Disc 1 # 13, LP-2 side 1 # 1 | 3:36 | 1981: Controversy | ||||||
| Let's Work (edit) | Disc 1 # 14, LP-2 side 1 # 2 | 2:56 | 1981: Controversy | ||||||
| Delirious (edit) | Disc 1 # 15, LP-2 side 1 # 3 | 2:38 | 1982: 1999 | ||||||
| I Would Die 4 U B | Disc 1 # 16, LP-2 side 1 # 4 | 2:56 | 1984: Purple Rain | ||||||
| Take Me with U (edit) ( Duet with Apollonia Kotero ) | Disc 1 # 17, LP-2 side 1 # 5 | 3:42 | 1984: Purple Rain | ||||||
| Paisley Park B | Disc 1 # 18, LP-2 side 1 # 6 | 4:40 | 1985: Around the World in a Day | ||||||
| Pop Life B | Disc 1 # 19, LP-2 side 2 # 1 | 3:41 | 1985: Around the World in a Day | ||||||
| Purple Rain B | Disc 1 # 20, LP-2 side 2 # 2 | 8:40 | 1984: Purple Rain | ||||||
| Kiss C | Disc 2 # 1, LP-2 side 2 # 3 | 3:46 | 1986: parade | ||||||
| Sign "☮" the Times (edit) | Disc 2 # 2, LP-2 side 2 # 4 | 3:42 | 1987: Sign "☮" the Times | ||||||
| Alphabet St. (edit) | Disc 2 # 3, LP-3 side 1 # 1 | 2:24 | 1988: Lovesexy | ||||||
| Bat dance (edit) | Disc 2 # 4, LP-3 side 1 # 2 | 4:06 | 1989: Batman | ||||||
| Thieves in the Temple | Disc 2 # 5, LP-3 side 1 # 3 | 3:20 | 1990: Graffiti Bridge | ||||||
| Cream | Disc 2 # 6, LP-3 side 1 # 4 | 4:12 | 1991: Diamonds and Pearls | ||||||
| Mountains | Disc 2 # 7, LP-3 side 1 # 5 | 3:58 | 1986: parade | ||||||
| Girls & Boys (edit) | Disc 2 # 8, LP-3 side 1 # 6 | 3:27 | 1986: parade | ||||||
| If I Was Your Girlfriend (edit) | Disc 2 # 9, LP-3 side 2 # 1 | 3:46 | 1987: Sign "☮" the Times | ||||||
| U Got the Look ( duet with Sheena Easton ) | Disc 2 # 10, LP-3 side 2 # 2 | 3:46 | 1987: Sign "☮" the Times | ||||||
| I Could Never Take the Place of Your Man (edit) | Disc 2 # 11, LP-3 side 2 # 3 | 3:38 | 1987: Sign "☮" the Times | ||||||
| Glam slam (edit) | Disc 2 # 12, LP-3 side 2 # 4 | 3:29 | 1988: Lovesexy | ||||||
| Moonbeam levels | Disc 2 # 13, LP-3 side 2 # 5 | 4:06 | 2016: 4Ever | ||||||
| Diamonds and Pearls (edit) | Disc 2 # 14, LP-4 side 1 # 1 | 4:19 | 1991: Diamonds and Pearls | ||||||
| Gett Off (edit) | Disc 2 # 15, LP-4 side 1 # 2 | 3:59 | 1991: Diamonds and Pearls | ||||||
| Sexy MF F | Disc 2 # 16, LP-4 side 1 # 3 | 5:25 | 1992: Love Symbol | ||||||
| My Name Is Prince (edit) E. | Disc 2 # 17, LP-4 side 1 # 4 | 4:04 | 1992: Love Symbol | ||||||
| 7 (edit) D. | Disc 2 # 18, LP-4 side 2 # 1 | 4:23 | 1992: Love Symbol | ||||||
| Peach | Disc 2 # 19, LP-4 side 2 # 2 | 3:48 | 1993: The Hits / The B-Sides | ||||||
| Nothing Compares 2 U (edit) ( Duet with Rosie Gaines ) | Disc 2 # 20, LP-4 side 2 # 3 | 4:18 | 1993: The Hits / The B-Sides | ||||||
| Total: 40 | |||||||||
| Notes: Prince is the author of all songs unless otherwise stated
A. Authors: Prince, Chris Moon
B.Authors: Prince and The Revolution
C. Authors: Prince, David Z. Rivkin
E. Authors: Prince, Tony Mosley
F. Authors: Prince, Tony Mosley, Levi Seacer Jr.
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On November 22, 2016 appeared 4Ever as a double CD in the US on November 25 in Europe and September 15, 2017, the album as 4- LP - Boxset published. The five songs Little Red Corvette (1982), Let's Go Crazy (1984), Take Me with U (1984), Alphabet St. (1988) and Nothing Compares 2 U (1993) are the first - apart from the respective promo CD - The shortened edit version has been published on CD.
The six songs Take Me with U (1984), Paisley Park (1985), Girls & Boys (1986), Mountains (1986), Glam Slam (1988) and Batdance (1989) could not be found on any Prince compilation before but present on the studio albums of the respective year of publication. Let's Work (1981) was released in the max version on Ultimate in 2006, Moonbeam Levels was previously unreleased. In November 2019, a slightly different version of Moonbeam Levels was placed on the 1999 Deluxe album , which is 15 seconds longer than on 4Ever .
Single releases
36 of the 40 songs on 4Ever are singles from 15 Prince albums from 1978 to 1993. The piece Gotta Stop (Messin 'About) was released as a single in 1981, but was not featured on any album at the time; only in 1993 was it to be found on The Hits / The B-Sides . The two songs When You Were Mine (1980) and Nothing Compares 2 U (1993) were only released as a promo single .
Music videos
There are music videos for 31 songs , all of which were released in the year of the respective single release. The nine songs Soft and Wet (1978), Head (1980), When You Were Mine (1980), Gotta Stop (Messin 'About) (1981), Let's Work (1981), Delirious (1982), Pop Life (1985 ), If I Was Your Girlfriend (1987) and Moonbeam Levels (2016) no music videos were produced.
Cover versions
Apart from the five songs Gotta Stop (Messin 'About) (1981), Let's Work (1981), Mountains (1986), Glam Slam (1988) and Moonbeam Levels (2016), there is at least one cover version of all songs on 4Ever , the musicians released on one of their respective studio albums.
reception
Press
4Ever has received high praise from most music critics. Many believed that it was difficult to create a suitable compilation with Prince songs, but with 4Ever it was mostly successful.
Stephen Thomas Erlewine from Allmusic gave the maximum number of five stars; in his opinion 4Ever is the best Prince compilation because it contains the majority of his hits from the 1980s and early 1990s. Although is The Most Beautiful Girl in the World (1994) No, but songs like Let's Work , Mountains , Girls & Boys and Batdance that were missing on previous compilations.
Chris Gerard from the PopMatters e-zine was also enthusiastic and distributed almost the maximum number with nine out of ten possible points; 4Ever is a "terrific listening experience". Gerard was a bit surprised that the two songs Head and Gotta Stop (Messin 'About) can be found on the compilation, because both songs were never released as single in the USA. “By and large”, however, “including the lesser-known singles” has its appeal, ”he said. Gerard also bothered that the Prince hits When Doves Cry and Let's Go Crazy can be heard in a shortened edit version. He also philosophized about singles like Let's Pretend We're Married (1982), America (1985), Anotherloverhabenyohead (1986), I Wish U Heaven (1988), Partyman (1989), New Power Generation (1990) and The Morning Papers (1992) should have been placed on the compilation.
Tony Clayton-Lea from the Irish national daily newspaper The Irish Times also gave almost the top rating with four out of five possible stars and said; even if you already know songs like 1999 , When Doves Cry , Let's Go Crazy , Purple Rain , Raspberry Beret , Kiss , Sign "☮" the Times , If I Was Your Girlfriend , Cream and Diamonds and Pearls , these are no less important .
Simon Button of the British magazine Attitude also gave four out of five points and wrote; since Prince was "so productive" during his lifetime, it was a "thankless task to put together a definitive best-of compilation". But Prince “honored” the 40 songs on 4Ever .
Steve Knopper of the US newspaper Newsday was much more reserved with praise and gave only the note C . There was not a single song on 4Ever after 1993 and the compilation was "mainly a restructuring" of The Hits / The B-Sides (1993). In conclusion, Knopper drew: "The music is great, but we've already heard almost everything".
Charts and awards
| Charts | Top ranking | Weeks |
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| Chart placements | ||
 Germany (GfK)
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87 (1 week) | 1 |
 Austria (Ö3)
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64 (1 week) | 1 |
 Switzerland (IFPI)
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21st (3 weeks) | 3 |
 United Kingdom (OCC)
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21st (42 weeks) | 42 |
 United States (Billboard)
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33 (26 weeks) | 26th |
- UK: 1 × gold for 100,000 copies sold on May 5, 2017
literature
- Mobeen Azhar: Prince 1958–2016: His life in pictures and text. Edition Olms, Oetwil am See / Zurich 2016, ISBN 978-3-283-01265-6 .
- Jason Draper: Prince - Life & Times (Revised & Updated Edition). Chartwell Books, New York 2016, ISBN 978-0-7858-3497-7 .
- Per Nilsen: DanceMusicSexRomance - Prince: The First Decade. Firefly Publishing, London 1999, ISBN 0-946719-23-3 .
- Steve Parke: Picturing Prince . Cassell Octopus Publishing Group, London 2017, ISBN 978-1-84403-959-3 .
- Duane Tudahl: Prince and the Purple Rain Era Studio Sessions 1983 and 1984 (Expanded Edition) . Rowman & Littlefield, London 2018, ISBN 978-1-5381-1462-9 .
- Uptown: The Vault - The Definitive Guide to the Musical World of Prince. Nilsen Publishing, Linköping 2004, ISBN 91-631-5482-X .
Web links
- Information about the album Prince 4Ever . Princevault.com
Individual evidence
- ↑ Prince 4Ever will be released on November 25th, remastered deluxe version Purple Rain in early 2017. In: Warnermusic.de. October 25, 2016, accessed January 9, 2019 .
- ↑ Draper (2016), pp. 198-199.
- ↑ Nilsen (1999), p. 262.
- ↑ Tudahl (2018), p. 94.
- ↑ Azhar (2016), p. 50.
- ^ Rave Unto The Joy Fantastic. In: Princevault.com. November 24, 2017, accessed January 9, 2019 .
- ↑ Nilsen (1999), p. 28.
- ^ Uptown (2004), p. 394.
- ↑ Trent Dalton: From teen dreams to privileged post behind Prince's purple curtain. In: Theaustralian.com. April 25, 2016, accessed January 9, 2019 .
- ^ Justine Walpole: Homepage of Justine Walpole. In: justinewalpole.com. 2017, accessed on January 9, 2019 .
- ↑ a b Booklet of the Prince 4Ever CD , Warner Bros. Records / NPG Records, 2016
- ↑ 4-LP box set 4Ever by Prince, Warner Bros. Records / NPG Records, 2017
- ↑ Nilsen (1999), p. 280.
- ↑ a b Nilsen (1999), p. 101.
- ↑ Parke (2017), p. 214.
- ↑ Prince - 4Ever. In: Discogs.com. 2019, accessed on January 9, 2019 .
- ↑ When You Were Mine. In: Princevault.com. March 10, 2018, accessed January 9, 2019 .
- ^ Nothing Compares 2 U. In: Princevault.com. May 14, 2018, accessed January 9, 2019 .
- ↑ Stephen Thomas Erlewine: Prince - 4Ever. In: allmusic.com. 2019, accessed on January 9, 2019 .
- ↑ Chris Gerard: Prince - 4Ever. In: popmatters.com. November 23, 2016, accessed January 9, 2019 .
- ↑ Tony Clayton-Lea: Prince 4Ever album review: 40 of the best from the late, great pop genius. In: irishtimes.com. November 21, 2016, accessed January 9, 2019 .
- ↑ Simon Button: Prince - '4Ever'. In: attitude.co.uk. November 28, 2016, accessed January 9, 2019 .
- ↑ Steve Knopper: 'Prince 4Ever' review: Mostly a reshuffled compilation. In: newsday.com. November 23, 2016, accessed March 20, 2017 .
- ↑ Prince. officialcharts.de, accessed on February 16, 2019 .
- ↑ Prince. austriancharts.at, accessed on February 16, 2019 .
- ↑ Prince. hitparade.ch, accessed on February 16, 2019 .
- ↑ Prince. officialcharts.com, accessed February 16, 2019 .
- ^ Prince - Chart History. billboard.com, accessed February 16, 2019 .
- ↑ BPI - Certified Awards Latest News. In: bpi.co.uk. 2019, accessed on January 9, 2019 .