The Black Album (Prince)
Encyclopedia
The Black Album is the sixteenth studio album
by Prince
that was originally planned for release on December 7, 1987, as the follow-up to Sign o' the Times. Instead, it was released on November 22, 1994. Referred to as The Funk Bible by preceding press releases, and in a hidden message within the album itself, the work seemed to be a reaction to criticism that Prince had become too pop
-oriented.
The 1987 promo-only release had no printed title, artist name, production credits or photography printed; a simple black sleeve accompanied the disc. On promotional copies, only a song listing and catalog number—25677—were printed on the disc itself. The commercial version was to only have the catalog number printed in the color pink on the spine. The original compact disc pressing was made by Sony DADC rather than WEA Manufacturing. The album was withdrawn a week before its release date, and was replaced with the album Lovesexy
, a brighter pop-oriented album with elements of religious affirmation.
, rushed effort by Prince, although it is treasured by aficionados of the artist's funkier side, being as close to a straight funk
album as anything he had recorded.
The opening track also mentioned the title of the album as being The Funk Bible, which was a consideration during work on this project. The title refers both to the album's all-black cover design and to Prince's attempt to earn back his credibility among the black pop audience.
The album features one of the most shockingly unusual Prince songs: "Bob George", in which he assumes the identity of a profane, gun-wielding alter ego who murders a woman and dismisses the figure of Prince as "that skinny motherfucker with the high voice" (later used as the title of an album of lo-fi Prince covers by Dump
). The name for the track was a combination of Bob Cavallo (former manager), and Nelson George
who was felt to have become very critical of Prince. "Bob George" features a growling monologue that is slowed down to the point of being almost unrecognizable as Prince. Some interpret the track as a commentary on the glorification of violence and misogyny inherent in the gangsta rap
musical genre, which was in its infancy at the time. The voice at the end of the song that says "bizarre" is actually a stock sound from the Fairlight CMI
IIx library, pitched up.
The Black Album features songs such as the hip-hop
parody "Dead on It", which directly makes the accusation that all emcees are tone-deaf and unable to sing, and the playful "Cindy C.", which refers to supermodel Cindy Crawford
. The rhyme at the end of the song was originally written by Steve "Silk" Hurley and was included on a song titled "Music is the Key", which was previously released by Chicago
house-music
group JM Silk, of which Hurley was the founder. Hurley would later go on to remix two of the songs from the "Gett Off
" maxi-single, the Housestyle and Flutestramental versions.
The album contains several instances of characters by way of either a sped-up or slowed-down vocal track by Prince (as on "If I Was Your Girlfriend
", "U Got the Look
", "Strange Relationship
", and "Housequake", all from the Sign o' the Times album).
The instrumental jazz-funk jam "2 Nigs United 4 West Compton" was revisited as a live song on the One Nite Alone... Live!
album, but it was hardly the same track.
"Rockhard in a Funky Place" was originally considered for inclusion on the planned Crystal Ball
album and then the Camille project. After the album's fade out, dissonant feedback fades in, followed by Prince saying "What kind of fuck ending was that?" before fading out again. "When 2 R in Love" is the only ballad on the album, and reappeared on Lovesexy
, which was released the same year.
Prince performed "Bob George", parts of "When 2 R in Love", and "Superfunkycalifragisexy" on his Lovesexy tour. "When 2 R in Love" was usually part of the piano medley in Act II, whereas the other two songs were part of the Act I segment, where Prince's evil side showed through (coinciding with the idea that The Black Album was evil, hence its being pulled from release by Prince). Act II was his born-again segment, with more upbeat spiritual songs, highlighting most of the Lovesexy songs, and top 40 hits.
Samples of "Bob George" would later show up on a official promo mix of Madonna's 1989 "Like A Prayer" but have since been removed.
Further evidence that Prince felt The Black Album was a mistake: In his first music video of his next album, "Alphabet St.
", the video can be paused after it shows him holding an umbrella and the words "Don't buy The Black Album. I'm sorry" can be read running vertically.
Immediately after the decision to pull The Black Album from stores, the album emerged on the streets in bootleg
form, arguably becoming popular music's most legendary bootleg since The Beach Boys
aborted 1967 album Smile. Several celebrities, including U2
's frontmen the Edge
and Bono
, cited it as one of their favorite albums of 1988 (Rolling Stone
magazine celebrity poll).
), and only legal copy appearing on the spine. It was released in a strictly limited edition and deleted by Warner Bros. the following January. It is believed that this release was legitimized so that Prince could get out of his new seven-album contract with the label that he had signed the previous year because he wanted ownership of his master recordings. However, it was later revealed that the release of The Black Album did not count toward the number of albums he owed to Warner Bros. Soon before its release, however, Prince started to appear with the word "slave" written on his face and changed his stage name to an unpronounceable symbol.
.
Side 1
Side 2
† Also appears on Lovesexy
.
Studio album
A studio album is an album made up of tracks recorded in the controlled environment of a recording studio. A studio album contains newly written and recorded or previously unreleased or remixed material, distinguishing itself from a compilation or reissue album of previously recorded material, or...
by Prince
Prince (musician)
Prince Rogers Nelson , often known simply as Prince, is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and actor. Prince has produced ten platinum albums and thirty Top 40 singles during his career. Prince founded his own recording studio and label; writing, self-producing and playing most, or all, of...
that was originally planned for release on December 7, 1987, as the follow-up to Sign o' the Times. Instead, it was released on November 22, 1994. Referred to as The Funk Bible by preceding press releases, and in a hidden message within the album itself, the work seemed to be a reaction to criticism that Prince had become too pop
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
-oriented.
The 1987 promo-only release had no printed title, artist name, production credits or photography printed; a simple black sleeve accompanied the disc. On promotional copies, only a song listing and catalog number—25677—were printed on the disc itself. The commercial version was to only have the catalog number printed in the color pink on the spine. The original compact disc pressing was made by Sony DADC rather than WEA Manufacturing. The album was withdrawn a week before its release date, and was replaced with the album Lovesexy
Lovesexy
Lovesexy is the tenth studio album by Prince, released on May 10, 1988. Lovesexy was issued as a substitute record after the release of the infamous The Black Album had been suddenly cancelled. The Black Album and Lovesexy almost act as companion pieces, sharing the song "When 2 R in Love", but...
, a brighter pop-oriented album with elements of religious affirmation.
Music
Despite the mystique surrounding it, The Black Album has typically been viewed by fans and critics as a somewhat pro formaPro forma
The term pro forma is a term applied to practices or documents that are done as a pure formality, perfunctory, or seek to satisfy the minimum requirements or to conform to a convention or doctrine...
, rushed effort by Prince, although it is treasured by aficionados of the artist's funkier side, being as close to a straight funk
Funk
Funk is a music genre that originated in the mid-late 1960s when African American musicians blended soul music, jazz and R&B into a rhythmic, danceable new form of music. Funk de-emphasizes melody and harmony and brings a strong rhythmic groove of electric bass and drums to the foreground...
album as anything he had recorded.
The opening track also mentioned the title of the album as being The Funk Bible, which was a consideration during work on this project. The title refers both to the album's all-black cover design and to Prince's attempt to earn back his credibility among the black pop audience.
The album features one of the most shockingly unusual Prince songs: "Bob George", in which he assumes the identity of a profane, gun-wielding alter ego who murders a woman and dismisses the figure of Prince as "that skinny motherfucker with the high voice" (later used as the title of an album of lo-fi Prince covers by Dump
Dump (band)
Dump is a vehicle for releasing the four-track home recordings of Yo La Tengo bassist James McNew. His recordings occasionally feature guest performers such as Sue Garner and Fontaine Toups...
). The name for the track was a combination of Bob Cavallo (former manager), and Nelson George
Nelson George
Nelson George is an African American author, columnist, music and culture critic, journalist, and filmmaker. He has been nominated twice for the National Book Critics Circle Award....
who was felt to have become very critical of Prince. "Bob George" features a growling monologue that is slowed down to the point of being almost unrecognizable as Prince. Some interpret the track as a commentary on the glorification of violence and misogyny inherent in the gangsta rap
Gangsta rap
Gangsta Rap is a subgenre of hip hop music that evolved from hardcore hip hop and purports to reflect urban crime and the violent lifestyles of inner-city youths. Lyrics in gangsta rap have varied from accurate reflections to fictionalized accounts. Gangsta is a non-rhotic pronunciation of the word...
musical genre, which was in its infancy at the time. The voice at the end of the song that says "bizarre" is actually a stock sound from the Fairlight CMI
Fairlight CMI
The Fairlight CMI is a digital sampling synthesizer. It was designed in 1979 by the founders of Fairlight, Peter Vogel and Kim Ryrie, and based on a dual-6800 microprocessor computer designed by Tony Furse in Sydney, Australia...
IIx library, pitched up.
The Black Album features songs such as the hip-hop
Hip hop music
Hip hop music, also called hip-hop, rap music or hip-hop music, is a musical genre consisting of a stylized rhythmic music that commonly accompanies rapping, a rhythmic and rhyming speech that is chanted...
parody "Dead on It", which directly makes the accusation that all emcees are tone-deaf and unable to sing, and the playful "Cindy C.", which refers to supermodel Cindy Crawford
Cindy Crawford
Cynthia Ann "Cindy" Crawford is an American model. Known for her trademark mole just above her lip, Crawford has adorned hundreds of magazine covers throughout her career. She was named #3 on VH1's 40 Hottest Hotties of the 90s...
. The rhyme at the end of the song was originally written by Steve "Silk" Hurley and was included on a song titled "Music is the Key", which was previously released by Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
house-music
House music
House music is a genre of electronic dance music that originated in Chicago, Illinois, United States in the early 1980s. It was initially popularized in mid-1980s discothèques catering to the African-American, Latino American, and gay communities; first in Chicago circa 1984, then in other...
group JM Silk, of which Hurley was the founder. Hurley would later go on to remix two of the songs from the "Gett Off
Gett Off
"Gett Off" is the lead single by Prince and The New Power Generation from the 1991 album Diamonds and Pearls. The song was a last-minute addition to the album, replacing "Horny Pony", which became the song's B-side The cover uses a face drawn in...
" maxi-single, the Housestyle and Flutestramental versions.
The album contains several instances of characters by way of either a sped-up or slowed-down vocal track by Prince (as on "If I Was Your Girlfriend
If I Was Your Girlfriend
"If I Was Your Girlfriend" was the second single off Prince's widely-acclaimed 1987 double album Sign “☮” the Times. While it is today considered one of his most notable songs, at the time of its release the song did not chart well in the U.S....
", "U Got the Look
U Got the Look
"U Got the Look" is a song by Prince. It opens the second disc of Prince's 1987 double album Sign “☮” the Times, and became the album's highest charting single. Musically, the song is standard 12-bar blues number with emphasis on live drumming by Sheila E., and a crunchy guitar sound...
", "Strange Relationship
Strange Relationship (Prince song)
"Strange Relationship" is a song from Prince's 1987 double album, Sign “☮” the Times. A live performance of the song was released as a digital single, made available on Prince's website on March 26, 2005."Strange Relationship" has a long history...
", and "Housequake", all from the Sign o' the Times album).
The instrumental jazz-funk jam "2 Nigs United 4 West Compton" was revisited as a live song on the One Nite Alone... Live!
One Nite Alone... Live!
One Nite Alone... Live! is a live album box set by Prince and The New Power Generation, containing live recordings from the intimate One Nite Alone... Tour performances...
album, but it was hardly the same track.
"Rockhard in a Funky Place" was originally considered for inclusion on the planned Crystal Ball
Crystal Ball (unreleased album)
Crystal Ball is an unreleased studio album by Prince recorded throughout 1986. The album was planned to consist of 3 LPs and cover a broad range of musical styles.-Evolution of the album:...
album and then the Camille project. After the album's fade out, dissonant feedback fades in, followed by Prince saying "What kind of fuck ending was that?" before fading out again. "When 2 R in Love" is the only ballad on the album, and reappeared on Lovesexy
Lovesexy
Lovesexy is the tenth studio album by Prince, released on May 10, 1988. Lovesexy was issued as a substitute record after the release of the infamous The Black Album had been suddenly cancelled. The Black Album and Lovesexy almost act as companion pieces, sharing the song "When 2 R in Love", but...
, which was released the same year.
Prince performed "Bob George", parts of "When 2 R in Love", and "Superfunkycalifragisexy" on his Lovesexy tour. "When 2 R in Love" was usually part of the piano medley in Act II, whereas the other two songs were part of the Act I segment, where Prince's evil side showed through (coinciding with the idea that The Black Album was evil, hence its being pulled from release by Prince). Act II was his born-again segment, with more upbeat spiritual songs, highlighting most of the Lovesexy songs, and top 40 hits.
Samples of "Bob George" would later show up on a official promo mix of Madonna's 1989 "Like A Prayer" but have since been removed.
Withdrawal and subsequent shelving
Just before The Black Album was released to the market, Prince recalled all copies and abandoned the entire project, leaving roughly 100 European promotional copies in circulation, and several US copies that would be widely bootlegged in the coming years. Several reasons, including speculative ones, have been given as to why the release was derailed:- Prince became convinced that the album was evil or represented an ominous portent.
- Prince experienced a crisis of conscience and marketing identity over the eroticism and violence of its lyrics. Warner Bros. RecordsWarner Bros. RecordsWarner Bros. Records Inc. is an American record label. It was the foundation label of the present-day Warner Music Group, and now operates as a wholly owned subsidiary of that corporation. It maintains a close relationship with its former parent, Warner Bros. Pictures, although the two companies...
, his record label, reached the same conclusion.
Further evidence that Prince felt The Black Album was a mistake: In his first music video of his next album, "Alphabet St.
Alphabet St.
"Alphabet St." was the first single from Prince's 1988 album, Lovesexy, and the album's only top 10 single, reaching the top-10 in both the UK and U.S.. The song includes a rap by Cat Glover and is full of samples, and generally repeats themes from Lovesexy...
", the video can be paused after it shows him holding an umbrella and the words "Don't buy The Black Album. I'm sorry" can be read running vertically.
- Prince decided to scrap the album after an experiment with the drug ecstasy that resulted in a bad tripBad tripBad trip is a disturbing experience sometimes associated with use of a psychedelic drug such as LSD, Salvinorin A, DXM, mescaline, psilocybin, DMT and sometimes even other drugs including cannabis, alcohol and MDMA....
. Former Prince associates have confirmed the Ecstasy story.
Immediately after the decision to pull The Black Album from stores, the album emerged on the streets in bootleg
Bootleg recording
A bootleg recording is an audio or video recording of a performance that was not officially released by the artist or under other legal authority. The process of making and distributing such recordings is known as bootlegging...
form, arguably becoming popular music's most legendary bootleg since The Beach Boys
The Beach Boys
The Beach Boys are an American rock band, formed in 1961 in Hawthorne, California. The group was initially composed of brothers Brian, Dennis and Carl Wilson, their cousin Mike Love, and friend Al Jardine. Managed by the Wilsons' father Murry, The Beach Boys signed to Capitol Records in 1962...
aborted 1967 album Smile. Several celebrities, including U2
U2
U2 are an Irish rock band from Dublin. Formed in 1976, the group consists of Bono , The Edge , Adam Clayton , and Larry Mullen, Jr. . U2's early sound was rooted in post-punk but eventually grew to incorporate influences from many genres of popular music...
's frontmen the Edge
The Edge
David Howell Evans , more widely known by his stage name The Edge , is a musician best known as the guitarist, backing vocalist, and keyboardist of the Irish rock band U2. A member of the group since its inception, he has recorded 12 studio albums with the band and has released one solo record...
and Bono
Bono
Paul David Hewson , most commonly known by his stage name Bono , is an Irish singer, musician, and humanitarian best known for being the main vocalist of the Dublin-based rock band U2. Bono was born and raised in Dublin, Ireland, and attended Mount Temple Comprehensive School where he met his...
, cited it as one of their favorite albums of 1988 (Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
magazine celebrity poll).
Legal release
The Black Album was legitimately released by Warner Bros. Records in November 1994—again, containing only a track listing and a new catalog number (45793) printed onto the disc itself, the copyright date of 1994 (with the exception of "When 2 R in Love," which was released in 1988 on LovesexyLovesexy
Lovesexy is the tenth studio album by Prince, released on May 10, 1988. Lovesexy was issued as a substitute record after the release of the infamous The Black Album had been suddenly cancelled. The Black Album and Lovesexy almost act as companion pieces, sharing the song "When 2 R in Love", but...
), and only legal copy appearing on the spine. It was released in a strictly limited edition and deleted by Warner Bros. the following January. It is believed that this release was legitimized so that Prince could get out of his new seven-album contract with the label that he had signed the previous year because he wanted ownership of his master recordings. However, it was later revealed that the release of The Black Album did not count toward the number of albums he owed to Warner Bros. Soon before its release, however, Prince started to appear with the word "slave" written on his face and changed his stage name to an unpronounceable symbol.
Track listing
All tracks written, produced, and performed by PrincePrince (musician)
Prince Rogers Nelson , often known simply as Prince, is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and actor. Prince has produced ten platinum albums and thirty Top 40 singles during his career. Prince founded his own recording studio and label; writing, self-producing and playing most, or all, of...
.
Side 1
- "Le Grind" – 6:44
- "Cindy C." – 6:15
- "Dead on It" – 4:37
- "When 2 R in Love" – 3:59 †
Side 2
- "Bob George" – 5:36
- "Superfunkycalifragisexy" – 5:55
- "2 Nigs United 4 West Compton" – 7:01
- "Rockhard in a Funky Place" – 4:31
† Also appears on Lovesexy
Lovesexy
Lovesexy is the tenth studio album by Prince, released on May 10, 1988. Lovesexy was issued as a substitute record after the release of the infamous The Black Album had been suddenly cancelled. The Black Album and Lovesexy almost act as companion pieces, sharing the song "When 2 R in Love", but...
.
Personnel
- Sheila E — drums and vocals
- Levi Seacer, Jr.Levi Seacer, Jr.Levi Seacer, Jr. is an American musician. He was an early associate of Sheila E. when he was tapped by Prince to form a new touring band after the demise of The Revolution in 1986. Seacer became the band's bassist, as well as a backing vocalist. Later, he began collaborating with Prince as a...
— bass - Miko WeaverMiko WeaverMiko Weaver is an American guitarist best known for his work with Prince.Weaver came to Prince's attention when he was a member of Sheila E.'s band. He and some other members of the band joined The Revolution in the studio to record a jam of "I Would Die 4 U" that would later become the song's...
— guitar - Boni Boyer — keyboards
- Matt Fink — keyboards
- Eric LeedsEric LeedsEric Leeds is an American jazz and funk musician who plays the saxophone and other woodwind and brass instruments. He is best known for his work with Prince.- Biography :Leeds was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, the son of a retailer...
— saxophone - Atlanta BlissAtlanta BlissAtlanta Bliss is the stage name of Matthew Blistan, an American jazz musician who specializes in the trumpet. He is most well known for his work with Prince from 1986–1989. He came to Prince's attention through his association with Eric Leeds. The duo had been in a jazz group prior to working...
— trumpet - Cat GloverCat GloverCatherine Vernice Glover born in Chicago, IL is a professional choreographer, dancer and singer.She originally hit the mainstream in television alongside her dance partner Patrick Allen in the duo known simply as "Pat & Cat" on the hit major talent show Star Search hosted by Ed McMahon...
— vocals - Joe Blaney — mixing
Chart performance
- Number 47 on the Billboard Top 200 Albums U.S. (11 weeks)
- Number 18 on the Billboard Top R&B Albums Chart (13 weeks)
External links
- The Black Album (Unreleased versions) at DiscogsDiscogsDiscogs, short for discographies, is a website and database of information about audio recordings, including commercial releases, promotional releases, and bootleg or off-label releases. The Discogs servers, currently hosted under the domain name discogs.com, are owned by Zink Media, Inc., and are...
- The Black Album (Released versions) at Discogs
- Public Notice: Bootleg Copies of "Black" Album — By BillboardBillboard (magazine)Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
- What I'm Listening to Now: The Black Album — By Questlove