Ultimate is the fifth compilation album of Prince's Warner Bros. studio work, released in August 2006 (five years after the previous compilation, The Very Best Of Prince). It comprises only Warner Bros.-era recordings under the name Prince from twelve studio albums, released originally between 1979 and 1993.
Some tracks are included in extended or remixed form (taken from 12" or CD singles), and within each disc, tracks are included in loose chronological order based on their release as singles.
The first disc included single edits or album versions of tracks, while the second included remixes or extended versions previously only available on singles. There was no overlap between the discs' tracks. The first disc contained 17 tracks, 16 of which had been included on The Hits 1 or The Hits 2, and ten of which had been included on The Very Best Of Prince.
The second disc contained eleven tracks, and while none of them had appeared on a previous compilation in remixed / extended form, seven had appeared on The Hits 1 or The Hits 2 in their album version or single edit, one (She's Always In My Hair) had appeared on The B-Sides (included as the third and final disc on The Hits / The B-Sides), and seven had appeared on The Very Best Of Prince in their album version or single edit.
Only My Name Is Prince, Let's Work and Hot Thing had not appeared on a previous compilation album in any form.
An early version of the album was planned in late 2005 - early 2006 with a different tracklisting (see below for details) and was planned by Warner Bros. with a 21 March 2006 release. Prince cooperated with the release, and revised a proposed tracklist.
Once his new album, 3121, was announced with the same release date, Ultimate was postponed (it is unclear if Warner Bros. or Prince wanted this postponement). The packaging for Ultimate was finalized, printed and CD’s were pressed and distributed to wholesalers; with a recall on such short notice over a 1,000 copies ended up in shops and being sold in the US, Australia mid March 2006, and in Greece a month later (on 17 April 2006).
The DVD of the Diamonds And Pearls Video Collection was released on the same day as Ultimate.
Promotion
No singles were released to promote Ultimate, and the album reached only number 61 on The Billboard 200. It reached number 31 on the US Billboard Top R&B/Hip Hop Albums Chart, and number 6 on the UK Albums Chart.
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Personnel
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Musicians
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- Prince - All vocals and instruments, except where noted
- Lisa Coleman - keyboards and voice on I Would Die 4 U, Purple Rain, Pop Life (Fresh Dance Mix), She's Always In My Hair (12" Version), Raspberry Beret (12" Version) and Kiss (Extended Version), backing vocals on Controversy, Delirious, co-lead vocals on 1999 and Little Red Corvette (Dance Remix)
- Wendy Melvoin - guitar and voice on I Would Die 4 U, Purple Rain, Pop Life (Fresh Dance Mix), She's Always In My Hair (12" Version), Raspberry Beret (12" Version) and Kiss (Extended Version)
- Bobby Z. - percussion on I Would Die 4 U, Purple Rain, Pop Life (Fresh Dance Mix), She's Always In My Hair (12" Version), Raspberry Beret (12" Version) and Kiss (Extended Version)
- Brown Mark - bass and voice on I Would Die 4 U, Purple Rain, Pop Life (Fresh Dance Mix), She's Always In My Hair (12" Version), Raspberry Beret (12" Version) and Kiss (Extended Version)
- Matt Fink - keyboards and voice on I Would Die 4 U, Purple Rain, Pop Life (Fresh Dance Mix), She's Always In My Hair (12" Version), Raspberry Beret (12" Version) and Kiss (Extended Version), computer keyboards on Alphabet St.
- Levi Seacer, Jr. - rhythm guitar and backing vocals on Diamonds And Pearls, Gett Off, Money Don't Matter 2 Night, 7, Nothing Compares 2 U, My Name Is Prince, and Cream (N.P.G. Mix), bass and vocals on Alphabet St.
- Tony M. - lead raps and backing vocals on Diamonds And Pearls, Gett Off, Money Don't Matter 2 Night, 7, Nothing Compares 2 U, My Name Is Prince, and Cream (N.P.G. Mix)
- Tommy Barbarella - Purpleaxxe™ sampler, other various keys and sex symbol on Diamonds And Pearls, Gett Off, Money Don't Matter 2 Night, 7, Nothing Compares 2 U, My Name Is Prince, and Cream (N.P.G. Mix)
- Kirk Johnson - backing vocals and percussion on Diamonds And Pearls, Gett Off, Money Don't Matter 2 Night, 7, Nothing Compares 2 U, My Name Is Prince, and Cream (N.P.G. Mix)
- Damon Dickson - backing vocals and percussion on Diamonds And Pearls, Gett Off, Money Don't Matter 2 Night, 7, Nothing Compares 2 U, My Name Is Prince, and Cream (N.P.G. Mix)
- Sonny T. - bass and backing vocals on Diamonds And Pearls, Gett Off, Money Don't Matter 2 Night, 7, Nothing Compares 2 U, My Name Is Prince, and Cream (N.P.G. Mix)
- Michael B. - drums on Diamonds And Pearls, Gett Off, Money Don't Matter 2 Night, 7, Nothing Compares 2 U, My Name Is Prince, and Cream (N.P.G. Mix)
- Rosie Gaines - co-lead and backing vocals, Purpleaxxe™ sampler and organ on Diamonds And Pearls, Gett Off, Money Don't Matter 2 Night, Nothing Compares 2 U, and Cream (N.P.G. Mix)
- Mayte - "and introducing Mayte" on 7 and My Name Is Prince
- Chuck Thomas - drums on 7 (uncredited, sampled loop from Tramp by Lowell Fulson)
- J.J. - co-lead vocals on 1999
- Dez - co-lead vocals on 1999, guitar solos on Little Red Corvette (Dance Remix)
- Novi Novog - violin and viola on Purple Rain, violin on Raspberry Beret (12" Version)
- David Coleman - cello on Purple Rain, Pop Life (Fresh Dance Mix) and [Raspberry Beret]] (12" Version)
- Suzie Katayama - cello on Purple Rain, Pop Life (Fresh Dance Mix) and [Raspberry Beret]] (12" Version)
- Sheila E. - drums, percussion and vocals on Alphabet St., drums on Pop Life (Fresh Dance Mix), drums and percussion on U Got The Look (Long Look)
- Cat - vocals on Alphabet St.
- Eric Leeds - brass and vocals on Alphabet St., flute on Gett Off, saxophone on Hot Thing (Extended Remix)
- Atlanta Bliss - brass and vocals on Alphabet St., trumpet on Hot Thing (Extended Remix)
- Miko Weaver - guitar and vocals on Alphabet St.
- Boni Boyer - vocals and Hammond organ on Alphabet St.
- Morris Day - drums on Let's Work (Dance Remix) (uncredited)
- Mazarati - background vocals on Kiss (Extended Version)
- Camille - vocals on U Got The Look (Long Look)
- Sheena Easton - vocals on U Got The Look (Long Look)
- Jevetta Steele - backing vocals on Thieves In The Temple (Remix) (as part of The Steeles)
- Fred Steele - backing vocals on Thieves In The Temple (Remix) (as part of The Steeles)
- JD Steele - backing vocals on Thieves In The Temple (Remix) (as part of The Steeles)
- Jearlyn Steele - backing vocals on Thieves In The Temple (Remix) (as part of The Steeles)
- Lester Chambers - harmonica on Thieves In The Temple (Remix) (sampled from I Can't Stand It by The Chambers Brothers, uncredited)
- Orchestral Players on Pop Life (Fresh Dance Mix):
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Production
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- Prince - producer and arranger, remixer on I Wanna Be Your Lover and Uptown, string arrangement on Purple Rain; engineer on Uptown (credited as Jamie Starr); remix on Thieves In The Temple (Remix) (credited to Paisley Park)
- The Revolution - credited as co-producers, arrangers and engineers on I Would Die 4 U, Purple Rain, Pop Life (Fresh Dance Mix), She's Always In My Hair (12" Version), Raspberry Beret (12" Version) and Kiss (Extended Version)
- The New Power Generation - credited as co-producers, arrangers and engineers on Diamonds And Pearls, Gett Off, Money Don't Matter 2 Night, 7, Nothing Compares 2 U, My Name Is Prince, and Cream (N.P.G. Mix)
- Gary Brandt - engineer on I Wanna Be Your Lover
- Mark Ettel - assistant engineer on I Wanna Be Your Lover
- Bob Mockler - remixer on I Wanna Be Your Lover and Uptown, engineer on Controversy and Let's Work (Dance Remix)
- Mic Guzauski - remixer on Uptown, engineer on Controversy and Let's Work (Dance Remix)
- Ron Garrett - assistant engineer on Uptown
- Ross Pallone - engineer on Controversy and Let's Work (Dance Remix)
- Peggy McCreary - engineer and mixer on 1999, Delirious and Little Red Corvette (Dance Remix), engineer on When Doves Cry, Pop Life (Fresh Dance Mix), Raspberry Beret (12" Version) and Kiss (Extended Version)
- Don Batts - 2nd engineer on 1999, Delirious and Little Red Corvette (Dance Remix)
- David Leonard - engineer on When Doves Cry, I Would Die 4 U, Purple Rain, Let's Go Crazy (Special Dance Mix), Pop Life (Fresh Dance Mix), Raspberry Beret (12" Version) and Kiss (Extended Version)
- David Rivkin - engineer on I Would Die 4 U and Purple Rain
- Lisa Coleman - string arrangement and strings conductor on Purple Rain, strings conductor on Pop Life (Fresh Dance Mix)
- Wendy Melvoin - strings conductor on Purple Rain and Pop Life (Fresh Dance Mix)
- Susan Rogers - engineer on Sign O' The Times, I Could Never Take The Place Of Your Man, Let's Go Crazy (Special Dance Mix), Pop Life (Fresh Dance Mix), Raspberry Beret (12" Version), Kiss (Extended Version), U Got The Look (Long Look) and Hot Thing (Extended Remix)
- Coke Johnson - engineer on Sign O' The Times, I Could Never Take The Place Of Your Man, Kiss (Extended Version), U Got The Look (Long Look) and Hot Thing (Extended Remix)
- Joe Blaney - engineer on Alphabet St.
- Eddie Miller - engineer on Alphabet St.
- Michael Koppelman - engineer on Diamonds And Pearls, Gett Off, Money Don't Matter 2 Night and Thieves In The Temple (Remix), engineer and mixer on 7 and My Name Is Prince
- Tim Penn - 2nd engineer on Diamonds And Pearls and Money Don't Matter 2 Night
- Steve Noonan - 2nd engineer on Gett Off, engineer on 7 and My Name Is Prince
- Ray Hahnfeldt - 2nd engineer on Gett Off, engineer on 7 and My Name Is Prince
- Matt Larson - engineer on Money Don't Matter 2 Night
- Dave Friedlander - engineer on 7 and My Name Is Prince
- Brian Poer - engineer on 7 and My Name Is Prince
- Keith "KC" Cohen - mixer on 7 and My Name Is Prince
- Tom Garneau - mixer on 7 and My Name Is Prince, engineer on Thieves In The Temple (Remix)
- Bob Rosa - mixer on 7 and My Name Is Prince
- Steve Beltran - mixer on 7 and My Name Is Prince
- "7 contains a sample of Tramp as performed by McCracklin and Fulsom"
- David Tickle - engineer on Pop Life (Fresh Dance Mix), Raspberry Beret (12" Version) and Kiss (Extended Version)
- Sheila E. - remixer on Pop Life (Fresh Dance Mix)
- David Z. - arranger and engineer on Kiss (Extended Version)
- Shep Pettibone - additional production, remix and editing on Hot Thing (Extended Remix)
- Michael Hutchinson - remix engineer on Hot Thing (Extended Remix)
- Junior Vasquez - editing on Hot Thing (Extended Remix)
- Geoffrey Dicker - creative consultant
- Mathieu Bitton - creative consultant, art direction, design, photography
- Jeff Katz - photography
- Allen Beaulieu - photography
- Joe Giannetti - photography
- Larry Williams - photography
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Thanks
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