Album: Musicology

From Prince Vault
Jump to: navigation, search
News album.jpg 2003: N.E.W.S. All Prince Albums All Related Artists Albums 2004: The Chocolate Invasion Chocolateinvasion album.png
Musicology

Musicology album artwork

Album details


Released: 27 March 2004 (first concert giveaway)
29 March 2004 (download)
19 April 2004 (UK retail)
20 April 2004 (USA retail)
Length: 47:26
Label(s): NPG Records / Columbia Records
Studio(s): Paisley Park Studios, Chanhassen, MN, USA; Metalworks Studios, Mississauga, ON, Canada; The Hit Factory, New York, NY, USA

Charts, Certifications & Awards


Charts
America
Country: Chart Entry Date Peak Position Weeks in Chart
USA: The Billboard 200 5 Aug. 2004 3 26
USA: Billboard Top R&B/Hip Hop Albums 5 Aug. 2004 3 38
USA: The Billboard 200 23 Feb. 2019 170 1
USA: Billboard Top R&B/Hip Hop Albums 5 Aug. 2004 3 38
USA: Billboard Vinyl Albums 23 Feb. 2019 ( 2019 re-release) 3 1
USA: Billboard Tastemaker Albums 23 Feb. 2019 ( 2019 re-release) 14 1
 
Europe
Country: Chart Entry Date Peak Position Weeks in Chart
Austria: Alben TOP 75 2 May 2004 4 12
Belgium: Ultratop Flanders 24 Apr. 2004 6 23
Belgium: Ultratop Wallonia 24 Apr. 2004 18 19
Denmark: Top Album 30 Apr. 2004 2 12
Finland: Album Chart Week 17/2004 22 5
France: SNEP Top 200 Album 18 Apr. 2004 7 22
Italy: FIMI Album Chart 22 Apr. 2004 10 4
The Netherlands: Album Top 100 24 Apr. 2004 3 37
Norway: Album Chart Week 18/2004 2 9
Poland: OLIS Album 100 4 May 2004 14 5
Sweden: Top Album 30 Apr. 2004 6 10
Switzerland: Alben TOP 100 2 May 2004 2 17
U.K.: UK Albums Chart 1 May 2004 3 6
France: SNEP Album Of The Year Year 2004 148 -
 
Pacific
Country: Chart Entry Date Peak Position Weeks in Chart
Australia: ARIA Top 50 Album 16 May 2004 19 5
New Zealand: RIANZ Top Album 10 May 2004 25 4
Certifications
Institution, Country Date Certification
CRIA (Canada) 18 Aug. 2004 Gold (100,000)
RIAA (USA) 20 May 2004 Gold (500,000)
RIAA (USA) 25 Jun. 2004 Platinum (1 million)
RIAA (USA) 31 Jan. 2005 Platinum x2 (2 millions)
BPI (UK) 19 Apr. 2004 Silver (60,000)
BPI (UK) 14 May 2004 Gold (100,000)
Awards
This album has not received any awards in the USA

Singles released


Musicology
b/w On The Couch
Musicology single.jpg
Cinnamon Girl
b/w Dear Mr. Man (Live at Webster Hall) / United States Of Division
Cinnamongirl single.jpg
Call My Name (promo only)
b/w None on physical release
Callmyname single.jpg

See also


Musicology
(Sheet Music)
Musicology Live 2004ever
border 2004 Muiscology working pass pink.jpeg
Musicology is the 28th full-length studio album by Prince, and his first release on a major label since 1999’s Rave Un2 The Joy Fantastic. The album was released initially on CD in a basic slipcase, and was given to every audience member of every show on the Musicology Live 2004ever tour (and at each movie theater which simulcast the tour’s second show).

It was also released as a download at the opening of the NPG Music Club’s Musicology Download Store.

Three weeks later, the album was released in retail stores, with complete packaging. This retail CD also included a CD-ROM component which showed the Musicology video.

The album, and the corresponding tour, were timed to coincide with Prince’s induction into the Rock ‘N’ Roll Hall Of Fame, and marked Prince’s return to the mass media spotlight after five years of low-key and online-only releases.


Sessions and compiling

Recording details for many of the album’s tracks are not known. Given the specific jazz or piano themes of albums released between 2001 and 2003, it is likely that many of the tracks included on Musicology may have been recorded during that time and saved for this release.

Engineer H.M. Buff has stated that A Million Days was recorded in Winter 1996-1997 at Paisley Park Studios, Chanhassen, MN, USA, and that If Eye Was The Man In Ur Life was also recorded during his time working for Prince in 1998 or 1999. Recording engineer L. Stu Young said that Prince recorded The Marrying Kind, If Eye Was The Man In Ur Life and On The Couch back-to-back at Metalworks Studios, Mississauga, Ontario, Canada (sometime in 2003). It is not known, however, if these songs were fully recorded (or re-recorded) there or if they were additional recordings.

It is assumed that the rest of the album was recorded in 2003 or early 2004, but this may be inaccurate. Despite having a cohesive band for live shows, many of the tracks on the album are largely solo recordings by Prince, with only four of the tracks featuring drums by John Blackwell.


Promotion

The album produced three singles, Musicology, Cinnamon Girl and Call My Name (available as a promotional release only).

Ten months prior to the album release, however, Reflection was offered as an mp3 download on a revamped NPG Music Club website. What Do U Want Me 2 Do? was also streamed on the NPG Music Club five months before the album’s release.

Prince toured North America extensively with the Musicology Live 2004ever tour, beginning shortly before the album’s commercial release, but as the tour ticket included a CD copy of the album (given to attendees as they entered the venue), the tour should not be considered promotion for the album.

The album was very successful, reaching number 3 on The Billboard 200, and number 3 on the Billboard Top R&B/Hip Hop Albums, although the inclusion of the album in ticket sales greatly increased its chart presence (resulting in a policy change by Billboard to prevent such inclusions in future charts).

The album was also successful in other countries, however, perhaps boosted by Prince’s induction into the Rock ‘N’ Roll Hall Of Fame.

On 8 February 2019, The Prince Estate re-released the album with Sony’s Legacy Recordings (3121 and Planet Earth were also re-released on the same day).



Track listing
CD Cassette

The compact disc version is the original issue.

  1. Musicology (4:24)
  2. Illusion, Coma, Pimp & Circumstance (4:46)
  3. A Million Days (3:50)
  4. Life ‘O’ The Party (4:30)
  5. Call My Name (5:16)
  6. Cinnamon Girl (3:57)
  7. What Do U Want Me 2 Do? (4:15)
  8. The Marrying Kind (2:49)
  9. If Eye Was The Man In Ur Life (3:09)
  10. On The Couch (3:34)
  11. Dear Mr. Man (4:15)
  12. Reflection (3:05)
  13. Musicology (Video) (4:57) (not given a track number as such)


CD Promo

The CD was given away at concerts of the Musicology Live 2004ever tour.

  1. Musicology (4:24)
  2. Illusion, Coma, Pimp & Circumstance (4:46)
  3. A Million Days (3:50)
  4. Life ‘O’ The Party (4:30)
  5. Call My Name (5:16)
  6. Cinnamon Girl (3:57)
  7. What Do U Want Me 2 Do? (4:15)
  8. The Marrying Kind (2:49)
  9. If Eye Was The Man In Ur Life (3:09)
  10. On The Couch (3:34)
  11. Dear Mr. Man (4:15)
  12. Reflection (3:05)

The MC format was released at same time as the CD.

  • Side 1:
  1. Musicology (4:24)
  2. Illusion, Coma, Pimp & Circumstance (4:46)
  3. A Million Days (3:50)
  4. Life ‘O’ The Party (4:30)
  5. Call My Name (5:16)
  6. Cinnamon Girl (3:57)
  • Side 2:
  1. What Do U Want Me 2 Do? (4:15)
  2. The Marrying Kind (2:49)
  3. If Eye Was The Man In Ur Life (3:09)
  4. On The Couch (3:34)
  5. Dear Mr. Man (4:15)
  6. Reflection (3:05)


Digital

The digital version is a reissue from the concert giveaway CD.

  1. Musicology (4:24)
  2. Illusion, Coma, Pimp & Circumstance (4:46)
  3. A Million Days (3:50)
  4. Life ‘O’ The Party (4:30)
  5. Call My Name (5:16)
  6. Cinnamon Girl (3:57)
  7. What Do U Want Me 2 Do? (4:15)
  8. The Marrying Kind (2:49)
  9. If Eye Was The Man In Ur Life (3:09)
  10. On The Couch (3:34)
  11. Dear Mr. Man (4:15)
  12. Reflection (3:05)



LP 2019 re-release

  • Side 1:
  1. Musicology (4:24)
  2. Illusion, Coma, Pimp & Circumstance (4:46)
  3. A Million Days (3:50)
  • Side 2:
  1. Life ‘O’ The Party (4:30)
  2. Call My Name (5:16)
  3. Cinnamon Girl (3:57)
  • Side 3:
  1. What Do U Want Me 2 Do? (4:15)
  2. The Marrying Kind (2:49)
  3. If Eye Was The Man In Ur Life (3:09)
  • Side 4:
  1. On The Couch (3:34)
  2. Dear Mr. Man (4:15)
  3. Reflection (3:05)

All songs written by Prince.



Personnel
Musicians


Production


Thanks
  • none.



Releases
LP, CD, Cassettes and Other versions
Country Format Cat. Number Comments Front Back Label 1 Label 2

USA CD CK 92560 Retail release in digipak (with loose booklet) center center center center
USA CD 5128IA172LH8848B4 Slipcard Concert giveaway center center center center
Argentina CD 2-517165 center center center center
Australia CD 61716520000 center center center center
Brazil CD 8 517165 center center center center
China CD 517165.7 center center center center
France CD COL 517165 2 center center center center
France CD SAMPCD 14038 Promo center center center center
Indonesia CD 517165.2 center center center center
Japan CD SICP 590 center center center center
Thailand CD 517165.2 center center center center
Taiwan CD COL 517165 2 center center center center
South Africa CD CDCOL 6828 center center center center

Variants, Special Editions and Reissues
Country Format Cat. Number Comments Front Back Label 1 Label 2

USA/EUR 2LP 1907591052-1 Purple/Black Translucent, February 2019 center center center center

 

 

 
Additional Information

Promotion (at time of release) Trivia

  • Several major TV appearances took place in the two months prior to the release of the album (details to be added).
  • A major US arena tour, the Musicology Live 2004ever tour coincided with the release of the album. The album was given to each ticket-holder, and was counted as an actual sale, growing the numbers of copies sold in retail, which was unprecedented.
  • Musicology entered the french TOP 200 Albums chart at position 7 (its peak position) on April 17 2004. It remained 22 weeks in it, and exited it on September 11 2004.

References
News album.jpg 2003
N.E.W.S.
All Albums All Related Artists Albums 2004
The Chocolate Invasion
Chocolateinvasion album.png