http://www.twincities.com/mld/twinc...s_entertainment
Posted on Thu, Aug. 31, 2006email thisprint this
Secrets shroud Prince more than purple ever did
BY ROSS RAIHALA
Pioneer Press
Last week, Rhino Records quietly slipped the double-CD
compilation "Ultimate Prince" into stores, five months after its
original street date.
Fans of the Purple One might remember back in March, when "Ultimate
Prince," which features one disc with his biggest hits and a second
with hard-to-find remixes, was scheduled for release a week before
his latest studio album, "3121."
But at the last minute, Prince coerced Rhino (which is owned by his
old nemesis, Warner Bros.) into delaying the compilation, lest it
compete with "3121." And it truly was an eleventh-hour decision,
as "Ultimate Prince" appeared in that Sunday's circulars for the big-
box stores, and promotional copies of the set had already shipped to
the media. (At the time, those rare promos were selling for up to
$180 on eBay.)
The idea was that Rhino would release "Ultimate Prince" later in the
summer, at which time Prince would likely be on tour. Except he's
not. Instead, he's getting a divorce, and he has shut down his
official Web site.
And then there's the matter of his latest protege, Tamar, for whom
he seemed to have grand plans in 2006. He introduced her to the
public via a series of guerrilla gigs, including one in February at
the Orpheum. During that dynamite show, Tamar came across as a ready-
for-the-spotlight diva with a great voice, sharp stage moves and
some terrific new songs.
Tamar's debut album was originally set for release on the same day
as "3121" but was delayed several times. The last promised date was
this week, but all traces of Tamar have disappeared from Universal's
Web site. The label's industry-only site, too, has been scrubbed
free of Tamar, including a "sell sheet" proposal that outlined a
massive Prince/Tamar media campaign that would see the pair on "60
Minutes," "The Tonight Show With Jay Leno" and the "Oprah Winfrey
Show," as well as on a world tour that was "being booked starting in
May."
Prince did make a handful of appearances this year, from "Saturday
Night Live" to the "BET Awards," with Tamar by his side. But even a
high-profile surprise performance on the "American Idol" finale
failed to send "3121" his finest effort in years back up the
charts after its impressive first week of sales.
So now what? As with everything Prince-related, he's not talking. He
did play a post-Emmys show over the weekend with a set full of his
old hits and decidedly light on "3121" material. Could it be a trial
run for a tour? Or is it back to seclusion for Minnesota's most
mercurial mastermind? Watch this space.
posted by vc61 on the quake.
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