Prince was famously both prolific and extremely generous as an artist, cheerfully giving away any number of future hits to other musicians, either under his own name, or a wide variety of pseudonyms. Of course, in order to hand off songs like “Manic Monday” or “Nothing Compares 2 U” to groups like The Bangles and The Family, Prince first had to record his version of said tracks, songs that typically ended up in his fabled vaults. (Which is only fair: Who’d want to release their version of a song after Prince’s take was already floating out in the ether?)
Now, though, those tracks are finally ready to come out into the light of the day, with Variety reporting that the artist’s estate is gearing up to unleash Originals, a 15-track collection that includes Prince’s original version of “Jungle Love,” “Nothing Compares 2 U,” “You’re My Love,” and 12 more songs. Artists “represented” on the album include regular Prince compatriots like The Time, Apollonia, Vanity 6, Sheila E., and more, plus more-established artists like The Bangles and Kenny Rogers.
Originals is due out on Prince’s birthday, June 7, at which point it’ll stream exclusively for two weeks on Tidal. (Hey, kids: Remember Tidal?) Meanwhile, if you want a taste of what the tracks in question might sound like, the estate released Prince’s original recording of “Nothing Compares 2 U” (as distinct from the version he recorded live with Rosie Gaines in 1992) on YouTube last year: