"1999" by PRINCE - October 1982 Studio Double-Album on Warner Brothers Records featuring Members of The Revolution - 'Dez' Desmond Dickerson on Guitar, Brown Mark on Bass with 'J.J.' (Jill Jones), 'Lisa' (Lisa Coleman) and 'Vanity' (Denise Matthews) on Lead and Backing Vocals (November 2019 UK Warner Brothers/NPG '2CD Deluxe Edition' Reissue with Rarities and Bernie Grundman Remasters) - A Review by Mark Barry...

 

 

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"...A Pocket Full Of Horses..."

"1999" was probably the true beginning of Prince's legend and for fans - the start of serious collecting mania. 

 

Composed, Arranged, Produced and Played entirely by Prince Rogers Nelson - few artists put out double-albums like this and then followed them with absolute corkers - "Purple Rain" in 1986 and "Sign O' The Times" in 1987 (another double). 

 

His fifth outing "1999" was also The Purple One's first album to break the Top 10 in his native USA. So it's year and a half long success produced five singles across various territories - each with a myriad amount of edits and those tasty 7" and 12" Promo-Only Mixes in tandem (CD2 crams 18 of them onto one disc with a fantastic 78-minute playing time).  

 

And (at last) after decades waiting for decent Remasters of his highly desirable Warner Brothers catalogue - along comes Audio Engineer El-Supremo Bernie Grundman to answer all our delirious needs (he was the Engineer on the original 2LP set in 1982 anyway). A Pocket Full Of Horses indeed. Let's get millennial...

UK released 29 November 2019 - "1999" by PRINCE on Warner Records/NPG R2 604568 - 603497850037 (Barcode 603497850037) is a '2CD Deluxe Edition' Reissue and Remaster of the October 1982 2LP set originally on Warner Brothers Records that plays out as follows:

CD1 "1999 Remastered" (70:23 minutes):

1. 1999 (6:14 minutes) [Side 1]

2. Little Red Corvette (5:04 minutes)

3. Delirious (4:05 minutes)

4. Let's Pretend We're Married (7:20 minutes) [Side 2]

5. D.M.S.R. (Dance, Music, Sex, Romance) (8:18 minutes)

6. Automatic (9:26 minutes) [Side 3]

7. Something In The Water (Does Not Compute) (4:02 minutes)

8. Free (5:07 minutes)

9. Lady Cab Driver (8:17 minutes) [Side 4]

10. All The Critics Love U In New York (5:58 minutes)

11. International Lover (6:38 minutes)

Tracks 1 to 11 are the double-album "1999" - released 27 October 1982 in the USA on Warner Brothers Records 9 23720-1 and in the UK on Warner Brothers 923 720-1. 

 

CD2 "1999 Promo Mixes & B-Sides Remastered" (77:59 minutes):

1. 1999 (7" Stereo Edit - 3:37 minutes)

2. 1999 (7" Mono Promo-Only Edit - 3:35 minutes)

3. Free (Promo-Only Edit - 4:36 minutes)

4. How Come U Don't Call Me anymore? (Non-LP B-side of "1999" single - 3:55 minutes)

5. Little Red Corvette (7" Edit - 3:08 minutes)

6. All The Critics Love U In New York (7" Edit - 3:16 minutes)

7. Lady Cab Driver (7" Edit - 5:06 minutes)

8. Little Red Corvette (Dance Remix Promo-Only Edit - 4:34 minutes)

9. Little Red Corvette (Special Dance Mix - 8:31 minutes)

10. Delirious (7" Edit - 2:39 minutes)

11. Horny Toad (Non-LP B-side to "Delirious" - 2:13 minutes)

12. Automatic (7" Edit - 3:40 minutes) 

13. Automatic (Video Version - 8:21 minutes)

14. Let's Pretend We're Married (7" Edit - 3:45 minutes)

15. Let's Pretend We're Married (7" Mono Promo-Only Edit - 3:44 minutes) 

16. Irresistible Bitch (Non-LP B-side to "Let's Pretend We're Married" - 4:13 mins)

17. Let's Pretend We're Married (Video Version - 4:03 minutes)

18. D.M.S.R. (Edit - 5:06 minutes)

The double opens with three stormers in a row that had most people disbelieving their good luck (man could he pen a hit) - "1999", "Little Red Corvette" and "Delirious" filling dancefloors and FM Radio airwaves the world over. But the gorgeous remaster will allow fans to hear deep album cuts like the lovely "Free" - a track that could easily have made single number six in edited form (the right to be free - free to change my mind). Check out those companion vocals by J.J., Lisa, Wendy and Vanity - subtle but 'so' there - and his guitar that is Rawk but in that very Prince kind of way. The Sly & The Family Stone naughtiness of "Lady Cab Driver" is the same - funky as anything - all those slap Bass notes, subtle doubled vocals, brass stabs, flicked guitars, stunning axe solos later on - what a genius arrangement too even if the orgasmic vocals by the gals is a tad over someone's top. 

 

Prince gets all Velvet Underground and old school sarcastic for "All The Critics Love U In New York" - a sinister little belter that has an incessant beat set against wild guitar soloing and lyrics that barely contain his contempt for falsehood. I'm loving the fuller sound on "International Lover" - possibly single number seven? The wall of voices and the clear piano and beats really giving it such muscle - seduction 747 with Pilot Prince at the controls. And remember as the great man advised - in case of over-excitement - use the cushions provided as a flotation device - oh behave!

I always thought the nine and half minutes of "Automatic" on Side 3 was indulgent, but the 45-single edit at 3:40 minutes finally allows to digest the groove - and I've never heard the 'Video Version' which gives full reign to the song at over eight minutes. Don't know if the 'Mono' mixes add anything other than being rare, but fans have waited so long for easy access to those Non-LP flipsides - "Irresistible..." being my fave. I'm still dipping into CD2 - so that's cool by me.

 

"...I'm going to listen to my body tonight...party like it's 1999..." 

 

I still remember the thrill of this album and the realization that a huge talent had finally caught our eyes and ears. It kills me that musical giants like David Bowie, Prince and Tom Petty are no longer with us. But there is at least this - his fantastic and varied legacy finally done proper by an Audio Engineer of serious respect. And for that, I am genuinely delirious. 

 

Onto the Super Deluxe edition bigger box and threatening letters from the bank manager...