The Prince Estate To Release “Piano & A Microphone 1983”

The Prince Estate, in partnership with Warner Bros. Records, has announced the release of the Piano & A Microphone 1983 album on September 21. The nine track, 35-minute album features a previously unreleased home studio cassette recording of Prince at his piano, captured in 1983. The album is available to pre-order now in CD, LP, Deluxe CD+LP and digital formats.

“This raw, intimate recording, which took place at the start of Prince’s career right before he achieved international stardom, is similar in format to the Piano & A Microphone Tour that he ended his career with in 2016,” said Prince Estate entertainment adviser, Troy Carter.

“The Estate is excited to be able to give fans a glimpse of his evolution and show how his career ultimately came full circle with just him and his piano.”  

The private rehearsal provides a rare, intimate glimpse into Prince’s creative process as he worked through songs which include 17 Days and Purple Rain (neither of which would be released until 1984), a cover of Joni Mitchell’s A Case Of You, Strange Relationship (not released until 1987 on his critically acclaimed Sign O’ The Times album), and International Lover.

The album also includes a rare recording of the 19^th Century spiritual Mary Don’t You Weep, which will be featured during the end credits of Spike Lee’s upcoming film BlacKkKlansman. For fans of Prince’s spontaneous live medleys, tracks 1-7 of the album are presented in that same format as they were originally recorded.

The Deluxe CD+LP format will include a 12” booklet featuring brand new liner notes written by Prince’s then engineer, Don Batts, as well as candid shots of Prince (including never before seen photos).

Track listing:

1. 17 Days
2. Purple Rain
3. A Case Of You
4. Mary Don’t You Weep
5. Strange Relationship
6. International Lover
7. Wednesday
8. Cold Coffee & Cocaine
9. Why The Butterflies

Recorded in 1983 at Prince’s Kiowa Trail home studio in Chanhassen, MN
Engineered by Don Batts

Reflecting on what would have been Prince’s 60^th birthday on June 7, fans are invited to visit the interactive Prince2Me website to express what Prince means to them. The Prince Estate’s Annotated Discography website also provides a rich platform for fans old and new to immerse themselves in the inimitable creative genius of Prince.

The Prince Estate serves to present Prince’s life and work, and celebrate his ground-breaking cultural impact. Stay tuned for upcoming exclusive announcements from the Estate by visiting princeestate.com and by following the official Prince account on Facebook.