Prince & The New Power Generation’s ‘Diamonds And Pearls’ Reissue Deluxe + Minneapolis Concert
Featuring 47 Previously Unreleased Tracks & Concert Footage.
“Diamonds And Pearls” is the thirteenth studio album by Prince, and was the first with his new backing band, The New Power Generation.
The estate has announced the “Diamonds And Pearls” Reissue Deluxe.
Featuring six massive international singles, including the hits “Gett Off”, “Cream”, and the iconic title track, the album was a worldwide smash reaching multi-platinum status in the USA and the UK, where it remains his best-selling album.
This October 27th, Paisley Park Enterprises, in partnership with Sony Music Entertainment and Warner Records, will reissue “Diamonds And Pearls” via all physical, digital, and streaming partners, with the classic album remastered for the very first time, and featuring 47 previously unreleased tracks, as well as a previously unreleased 2+ hours of video concert performances from Prince’s legendary vault.
The reissue suite will be comprised of the following formats:
• Super Deluxe Edition (7CD+Blu-ray / 12LP+Blu-ray / audio-only download and streaming)
• Deluxe Edition (2CD / 4LP 180g vinyl)
• Remastered album (1CD / 2LP 180g off-white “Pearl” vinyl (USA only) / 2LP 180g clear “Diamond” vinyl (ex. USA) / download and streaming)
The set offers a newly remastered version of the album, plus 15 of the incredible remixes and B-sides from the era. The Super Deluxe Edition also features 33 previously unheard studio gems from Prince’s Illustrious vault, ranging from alternate versions of album tracks, to numbers Prince gave away to other artists, and songs recorded while on the road in 1990.
Prince & The NPG previewed the “Diamonds And Pearls” Tour at Prince’s Glam Slam club, here in UB‘s home of Minneapolis on January 11th, 1992. The sweaty, sold-out, last-minute show captures the sheer joy and sense of endless possibility that came to define this era.
Unlike previous Prince albums, the majority of Diamonds And Pearls was recorded with The New Power Generation, a group he had assembled largely from the Twin Cities area. They shared cultural backgrounds and localised experiences, and helped Prince connect his past influences to the present creating a new uplifting blend of hip-hop, dance, gospel, and pop that would bring him to the top of the charts worldwide.
The New Power Generation was a band that Prince believed in so wholeheartedly that he gave them co-credit on the cover of Diamonds And Pearls, something he’d only done previously with one other band, The Revolution. The group consisted of Sonny Thompson (vocals & bass), Damon Dickson (vocals & percussion), Rosie Gaines (vocals & keyboards), Michael Bland (drums), Kirk Johnson (vocals & percussion), Tony M (vocals), Levi Seacer, Jr. (bass, guitar & vocals), and Tommy Barbarella (keyboards).
Diamonds And Pearls was unveiled to the world on October 1, 1991, and it instantly had a huge commercial and cultural impact, becoming the biggest selling non-soundtrack album of Prince’s career. Over the past three decades, the reasons for its enormous success have been discussed extensively. Not least of these was Prince’s decision to finally engage with major television exposure and an extensive tour of Europe, Japan and his first trip to Australia. The album also offered a diverse collection of sounds that could appeal to a wide variety of listeners. Diamonds And Pearls had something for everyone.
The 120-page hardback book which accompanies the SDE set features unseen photos by Randee St. Nicholas, and essays by: author & broadcaster Andrea Swensson; Archivist and Senior Researcher for the Prince Estate Duane Tudahl; British music critic and Prince expert Jason Draper; De Angela L. Duff, an Industry Professor at NYU Tandon School of Engineering in Brooklyn; Social Media Personality KaNisa Williams; and an introduction from Public Enemy founder, Chuck D.
