Prince's estate surprises fans of the late singer with the original studio version of "Nothing Compares 2 U." The track is made available days before the pop music icon's second death anniversary.
The original studio version of the song was written and performed entirely by Prince, and it inspired the officially released version sang by The Family. The group, which was masterminded by the late singer, featured musicians that he had also worked with throughout his career.
Another version of "Nothing Compares 2 U" was released by Sinead O'Connor in 1990, and it became a massive hit. Three years later, Prince released a live take on the track.
Michael Howe, Prince expert, and a longtime industry A&R executive revealed that he spotted the multitrack reel while doing an inventory a few weeks ago.
"No Prince-penned song performed by another artist has enjoyed more chart success (#1 in over a dozen countries) and overall cultural impact than Sinead O'Connor's 1990 recording. So hearing the song in its original context performed in its entirety by the author makes it particularly noteworthy," said Howe.
The original studio version of "Nothing Compares 2 U" was accompanied by never-before-seen rehearsal footage of Prince with The Revolution. Their practice took place in the summer of 1984.
Prince's Death Investigation
Prince, an American singer-songwriter from Chanhassen, Minnesota, passed away on April 21, 2016. Investigators revealed that the "Purple Rain" singer had died from accidental drug overdose.
On Thursday, it was announced that the investigation into the death of the award-winning musician is officially closed.
"For the past two years, law enforcement... has conducted an extensive, painstaking and thorough investigation into Prince's death. That investigation determined that Prince died from taking a counterfeit Vicodin pill that contained Fentanyl, a dangerously powerful opioid. However, investigators were unable to determine how the singer obtained the counterfeit pills," said Mark Metz, Carver County attorney.
His Final Interview
Prior to his death, Prince sat down for an interview with Kelly Carter, a music journalist. Carter described the "I Wanna Be Your Lover" singer as honest and funny. The journalist was devastated when she found out that Prince had passed away.
"I feel like I've used devastated a couple of times since the news broke of Prince dying. He was one of the only artists to remain relevant for nearly four decades but someone who still grabbed headlines and not a novelty act," said Carter.
