Prince's 1984 Original "Nothing Compares 2 U" Gets Official Release (VIDEO)

It's been nearly two years since we lost one of music's most iconic artists. April 21st marks two years since Prince's passing, and to remember the Purple One, the Prince Estate, in collaboration with Warner Bros. Records, is sharing the original version of his hit "Nothing Compares 2 U." 

This unreleased version of "Nothing Compares 2 U" was recorded in 1984, six years before Sinead O'Connor's 1990 rendition, and before Prince even began to perform the song live. And in conjunction with the song's release, a video has also been shared showing previously unseen footage of Prince & The Revolution from the summer of 1984 when the song was recorded. Watch the video above.

A little background on Prince's original "Nothing Compares 2 U": The track was recorded at Flying Cloud Drive "Warehouse" in Eden Prairie, Minnesota by the icon's longtime engineer Susan Rogers. The song was originally composed, arranged and performed in its entirety by Prince, with backing vocals from Susannah Melvoin and Paul "St. Paul" Peterson. In addition, the original version also features Eric Leeds on the saxophone.

Michael Howe, who is a longtime industry A&R executive, Prince expert, and the Prince Estate's official Vault Archivist said of the "Nothing Compares 2 U" original version, "I spotted the 2" multitrack reel in the Vault some weeks back while doing a 1984-era inventory. After retrieving my jaw from the floor, we took the reel upstairs, analyzed it, put it up on the Studer 24 track machine, and digitized it to 24/192. Even our 'faders up' rough mix was compelling enough to indicate that this was something very special indeed." Ha added, "No Prince-penned song performed by another artist has enjoyed more chart success (#1 in 20+ 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."

Prince fans can listen to the original 1984 version of "Nothing Compares 2 U" at the top of every hour on iHeartRadio's iHeartPrince Radio online or via the iHeartRadio app.

iHeartPrince Radio

Prince fans have a lot more to look forward to, to remember the legend's life and legacy. The Prince Estate is also resurfacing the HitNRun online pop-up store where they can exclusively purchase the limited edition, picture disk vinyl, as well as a variety of official Prince merchandise.

In addition, the Prince Estate has also launched a brand new online Prince experience, Prince2Me, which according to a press release, "is an interactive fan experience that explores what Prince means, individually and collectively to his fans." 

And for fans who still can't get enough of the Purple One, an immersive annotated Prince discography website, which features audio previews, photos, videos, quotes, and more has also been launched. Just head over to princeestate.com

Photo: Nancy Bundt


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