Description

Check the exclusive video showing this LP for sale

Check the exclusive video showing this LP for sale

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Vinyl looks (visual inspection only) pretty new.

Sleeve: check all the photos and judge for yourself.

RiKardo Hammmond / Mr X Records (Cat: RDLP 101)
Pressed in 1988, this Dutch (?) bootleg is easy to spot as the front sleeve presents Prince as seen on U Got The Look 12″” maxi-single over a black background. “”Prince”” is printed in white “”Sign O’ The Times”” font, and underneath is written “”Black Album”” in a different white font.
The labels are white, with black lettering. The catalog number reads RDLP 101

Prince – The Black Album

Sold for $27500.00 Label: Warner Bros. Records
Format: LP, Album
Country: Canada
Released: 1987
Genres: Electronic, Funk / Soul
Styles: Soul, Funk

The Black Album by Prince made record price at Discogs during an action

The Canadian Version of The Black Album by Prince was the top seller at Discogs auction

PORTLAND, OR., -The 1987 original Canadian pressing of Prince’s The Black Album has sold for USD $27,500  This is the most expensive item sold. One of the factors that contributed to the record auction price is its provenance. The other is history and rarity. The Black Album is the only known production copy from Canada, making it one of the rarest pieces of vinyl in the world.

The history of The Black Album is better couched in spirituality and repentance. Originally styled as The Funk Bible in press releases, The Black Album was slated for release in December 1987. One week before the album hit the market, Prince had a change of heart. He decided the album was “evil” and ordered Warner Bros. to shelve and destroy every copy. More than 500,000 copies of The Black Album were destroyed. The Black Album could have disappeared from history but for the fact that some promos were already in circulation and were been passed around. Consequently, those promo copies are how The Black Album became one of the most bootlegged records of all time.

The Canadian version of the album came to Discogs through music historian and record dealer Jeff Gold of Recordmecca. A former Executive VP at Warner Bros Records who worked with Prince, Gold made news in December last year when he found five sealed copies of the U.S. variant of the Prince rarity. A U.S. variant of The Black Album sold via the Discogs Marketplace in April 2016 for $15,000 and more recently in February 2018 for a reported $42,000 through Jeff Gold website.

The news and the success of the U.S. version of the album the market spread across the world like wildfire. A former Canadian record pressing plant employee was one of those who heard about the discovery of the U.S. variation and the record auction prices. He contacted Gold to let him know that he has a Canadian variation of the album. Gold retells the man’s story:

In 1987, he was working at Columbia Records Canadian pressing plant in Canada. When The Black Album was pulled and the copies that had been made marked for destruction, he kept one copy for himself. He never realized its rarity or value until reading about the discovery of the U.S. copies in Rolling Stone and contacted me.”

The authenticity of ultra-rarity—the single Canadian variant of The Black Album known to exist was confirmed after considerable research and inspecting.  Discogs’ Discography Specialist, Brent Greissle believes it to be legitimate as well.

Only eight U.S. original vinyl copies have surfaced in the 30 years since the album was destroyed. This is the first and only Canadian copy to have surfaced.

A foremost Database, Discogs is a Marketplace and Community for music. With a catalog of more than 10 million releases and 5.3 million artists, the user-built Database is the most extensive physical music Database in the world.  Discogs connection to buyers and sellers across the globe, with more than 42 million items available, makes it the Marketplace and leading destination for both new releases and elusive rarities.

The Black Album is just one of the expensive items sold by Discogs

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Prince – Black Album
Label: Not On Label (Prince)  – RDLP 101
Format: Vinyl, LP, Unofficial Release, Album
Country: Netherlands
Released: 1988
Genre: Electronic, Funk / Soul, Rock
Style: Funk
Tracklist
A1 Le Grind 6:42
A2 Cindy C 6:14
A3 Dead On It 4:35
A4 When 2 R In Love 4:12

B1 Bob George 5:36
B2 Superfunkycalifragisexi 5:55
B3 2 Nigs United 4 West Compton 7:00
B4 Hard Rock In A Funny Place 4:30

Cover has a photo of Prince from the Sign Of The Times era in a fur coat, on a black background. Credited on the sleeve to Mr X Records. On the label the record is credited as by Rikardo Hammond.

Labels lists tracks as:
A1 Dance the Grind
A2 Song For Cindy
A3 On It
A4 Together In Love
B1 For George
B2 Funky Sex
B3 United For West
B4 Rock Hard And Funky
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1987: Welcome to the Funk Bible

An album with no name

No album with this name was planned. No name of the artist could be found other than “”Somebody”” on Warner’s release schedule. Just a record with a production code printed in orange lettering on the spine of the black sleeve. Although the original title ‘Funk Bible”” was mentioned, buried in the mix, at the beginning of the first song “”Le Grind””, it was never used as record title and of course it was dubbed “”The Black Album”” because that’s what it is…

The history of this album appears to start at the end of the European leg of the Sign of The Times tour. Prince seemed to be frustrated about the weak sales figures of the Sign of The Times album and the accompanying criticism. Although he received positive reviews on the prolific double album some critics started to say that Prince had become too pop-oriented and had lost his ability to write good music.

October 1987: Prince starts to work on a new album.

This would become the Black Album a.k.a. Funk Bible. He records “When 2 R In Love” and updates some other songs, which date back from September 1986 to March 1987. The use of older songs is actually a funny move when you think about he motivation of this album. It doesn’t prove the point about his capabilities at that point but more of those in the past. But then most people knew little about Prince’s vault with songs. In the middle of November the album is finished and the tape is sent to Warner Brothers for mastering.

December 1987: recall

One week prior to the album’s release Prince reconsidered the project, cancelled it and recalled all copies for destruction. 500.000 copies where already pressed and waiting to be shipped out. By then many promotional copies where out in world (estimates state roughly hundred) which contents soon would serve as a basis for the most bootlegged album ever.

There was much speculation about the reason of cancellation. It was thought that Warner didn’t like the album for it’s tone and content. There was also the consensus that Warner objected to the fact that so much Prince music was made available to the public in so few years. They didn’t have enough time to stretch out the release of an album and cash-in accordingly.

It was all different though. Prince had pulled the plug himself.

Rumours of this recalled secret Prince album hit the streets and fans started to look for it. Very soon different, bad and incomplete copies circulated on tapes among collectors.

6 March 1988: the albums is aired.

A German DJ., Ruth Rockenschaub played the record in her nightly radio show Nachtrock.

This was repeated in the evening three days later in that station’s show Soul Train. The local division of Warner, WEA was not amused and sent out a telex to warn them that they would be fined DM12.500 when playing the record again. Other stations in Europe like Veronica’s Countdown Cafe in the Netherlands followed some weeks later.

Before the official release in 1994 copies could fetch crazy prices from $5.000 up to an alleged DM22.000/$12.000 at a shop in Hamburg, Germany, in the beginning of the 90’s. I also remember mention of the acetates being sold at one point (maybe it was the Hamburg sale or an unconnected US sale).

April 1988:  The fact that Prince had himself cancelled the whole project became evident for the general public when the first single from the forthcoming album Lovesexy came out, and subsequently, the video going with it.

Aware of all bootlegging Prince addressed the fans a request not to buy the album, in a sequence of “”Alphabet St.””, video. Unfortunately it was done through a very hidden message, in a held up walking cane in a split second of the clip, so many missed it. The message being “”Please don’t buy The Black Album. I’m sorry.””.

July 1988: a tourbook story as explanation

Prince chose to cover the whole story his way during the LoveSexy Tour. Dead On It, Bob George & Superfunkycalifragisexy where played live in the  Lust  section of the show.

The LoveSexy tour programme contains a definitive explanation, written in a princely fashion, it told the story of Camille. This part explains a bit the reason behind the album:

Tuesday came. Blue Tuesday. His canvas full, and lying on the table, Camille mustered all the hate that he was able. Hate 4 the ones who ever doubted his game. Hate 4 the ones who ever doubted his name.

Tis nobody funkier — let the Black Album fly. Spooky Electric was talking, Camille started 2 cry. Tricked.

A fool he had been. In the lowest utmostest. He had allowed the dark side of him 2 create something evil.

2 Nigs United 4 West Compton. Camille and his ego. Bob George. Why? Spooky Electric must die.
It is notable that he actually sacrificed the character of Camille to tell this story and not himself as being Prince. Most songs on the Black Album didn’t relate to Camille at all. The songs for the also unreleased Camille album were different songs from the same recording sessions.

The “”real”” story behind the cancellation

This part has been confirmed by several people surrounding Prince but he only hinted at it so parts can be or just are speculative. Some years later stories started to emerge about Tuesday December 1st, 1987 and the preceding evening when Prince went to the club Ruperts. He asked the DJ to play the new album and observed the responses of the people in the club.

The same night he met Ingrid Chavez. She is a poet, singer, songwriter and nowadays wife of singer David Sylvian. The two went to Paisley Park and had an intense conversation. Apparently Prince already had some doubts about releasing the album. Somewhere that night he decided against it’s release. The decision appeared to be made after experiencing some heavy hallucinations when using the drug Ecstasy. In what he has called a vision the letter G O D were hovering over a field. It made him realise that it was his responsibility not to release this dark and negative album to kids. He also didn’t want this album to be his legacy in case he died after the release.

1991: This chair goes round and round

In the next years there where often plans to release The Black Album. In 1991 it was suggested to be released as extra disc together with a greatest hits compilation as a means to compensate for badly selling Graffiti Bridge album. The idea was to sell older songs instead of over saturation of the market. Maybe that was the reason to abandon this altogether and shelve the record again.

1994: Manage rock stars

22 November 1994, The Black Album is officially released

But for a limited time. For many people it’s release came out of the blue. No one knew that a month before, on 25th of October, Warner was negotiating a $4 million deal with Prince about the release of three albums. Which were The Black Album, The Gold Experience and a soundtrack for a yet to be determined Warner Brothers film. The deal fell through but the release of The Black Album was saved by a $1 million check that went into Prince’s direction.

At it’s release Prince stated that he spiritually was against the album. Some fans were pleased that the album was released but also didn’t understand the contradiction between his spiritual remark and the fact of the fat cheque. They felt that Prince could have blocked the release if he really wanted to. It became very clear that Prince’s wanted to get rid of the Warner’s contract that held him back. With this release he fulfilled one album of the four that he still had to release.

The promotion around the release was very low key. At the release date people at Warner’s dimmed the light for 15 minutes and were dressed in black. There also was a tongue-in-cheek promotion going on which stated that the first 1.000 fans who brought in their bootleg copy would receive a real copy in exchange. No singles were released. Only a promotional video was made of When 2 R In Love which was all black and showed only the lyrics of the song.

Sales were much less than expected and the album dwindled fast out charts. It was to late. In 1987 it was raw, provocative and daring but seven years later looked tame and pale against the aggressive tone of the music of that day. It was just overtaken by gangsta-rap, grunge and hardcore punk.

At this moment the album is out of print.

Content

Tracklisting

On all records that go around these 8 songs appear in this order (4 on each side, exception being the 1987 US DJ promo where the songs are divided by 2 over 4 sides.

Side A

1. LE GRIND (6:42)
2. CINDY C. (6:12)
3. DEAD ON IT (4:35)
4. WHEN 2 R IN LOVE (4:12)

Side B

5. BOB GEORGE (5:36)
6. SUPERFUNKYCALIFRAGISEXY (5:55)
7. 2 NIGS UNITED 4 WEST COMPTON (7:00)
8. ROCKHARD IN A FUNKY PLACE (4:30)

5.0 out of 5 stars Legendary and controversial album by Prince
What is there to say about the Black Album that hasn’t already been said. This album was supposed to be the follow-up to the 1987 masterpiece Sign o’ The Times. The album was made but weeks before it’s release Prince refused to put it out there and went to work on another album. The album released instead was Lovesexy, which (if you’ve heard the Black Album) proves to be great in its own way but the exact opposite of the Black Album. For Prince this was a spiritual thing. He said that something told him not to put out the Black Album. But what Prince didn’t know is that while WB destroyed most copies, some of the promotional LPs were sent out. That’s when the bootlegging began. The Black Album was one of the most bootlegged albums in history. The Black Album was still alive when Prince began performing some songs on stage during his Lovesexy Tour.

Years went by and in 1994 Prince had to fulfil his contract with WB and did something he didn’t want to do back in ’88. Release the Black Album to the mass public. For years he’d been warning people not to buy the Black Album and now it was available but with a catch, it was limited. The Black Album’s shocking lyrics and overt sexuality threw many people off. Here was the guy that sang “”Little Red Corvette”” talking in this pimped out voice calling a woman something besides her name. But even with all the controversy it was well praised.

Prince’s The Black Album is an all out funk fest. With jams like “”Le Grind””, “”Cindy C.”” and “”Superfunkycalifragisexy””. The only ballad on the album that was also featured on Lovesexy, “”When 2 R In Love”” is great and among the greatest Prince songs. “”Dead On It”” is a cool parody of rappers with an addictive yet simple beat that’s sure to having you bobbing your head. “”2 Nigs United 4 West Compton”” is mostly an instrumental but has a little intro at beginning that has a conversation between Prince and Cat behind the drums of his song “”Housequake””. But listen closely and you’ll hear a slew of voices chattering spewing curse words and conversations of their own. “”Rockhard In A Funky Place”” is a cool song too, with Prince ripping the guitar while Shiela, Cat and anothers yell “”Rock!””. But the infamous and controversial “”Bob George”” takes the crown for the best cut on the album. It is Prince in rare form. A deep voice and a pimp attitude. He’s even making suggestions to using a gun, something that shocked critics and even made them come to the conclusion that Prince pioneered “”gangsta rap””.
To those that love Purple Rain and the legendary status of the man will find this album and “”Bob George”” in particular somewhat different and very disturbing. But to those that can enjoy Lovesexy and all of his work that the albums that weren’t lighting up the pop charts, this is a masterpiece. Enough said.

5.0 out of 5 stars A CLASSIC THAT WAS OVERHYPED THEN, AND UNDERRATED NOW
This album could have been titled “”Controversy,”” mainly because most Prince fans seem to be unable to agree on whether or not it is a good disc. I side with the camp that sees this as a Prince classic. As the intended follow-up to the vaunted Sign ‘o’ the Times, 1987’s Black Album comes straight out of one Prince’s most inspired periods. Although the brilliant patchwork of Sign ‘o’ the Times ultimately yields the finer album, Black Album is Prince’s ode to funk, and, as such, is more cohesive, much more of a piece with itself. It is also much more focused and enjoyable than Lovesexy, the album Prince released in place of Black Album, in 1988. Whereas on Lovesexy, Prince obscures his funk with swirls of quasi-religious philosophizing, on Black Album he stays true to one vision: getting it on to the groove.
Here, the Purple One conjures an unrelenting world of joyously insane, black-strap, butt-bumping, booty-grinding funk that struts in with “”Le Grind”” and doesn’t let up until “”Rock Hard in a Funky Place”” swaggers off into silence. On every track in between, Prince keeps up the pace, refusing to let listeners catch their breath. (One exception to this is the only ballad on the disc, “”When 2 R in Love,”” the one Black Album track to make it onto Lovesexy, where it makes much more sense thematically. On Black Album, it simply doesn’t fit in, and is the album’s one weakness.) This is not listener-friendly Prince; he is much too hardcore here for casual fans, which could explain why this disc still gets mixed reviews. However, for those who revel in this artist’s unique, inspired forays into the fun and unusual, Black Album is just the ticket.

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Officially, this album was not released until 1994, when Warner Bros. put out a limited edition CD. Prior to that, it had been available only on bootleg LPs and cassettes. To my knowledge, this album is now out of print officially, and all forms of it will take some work to find. If you can track down a copy, either official or bootleg, snap it up. It’s worth it.