Nothing Compares 2 U is the sixth track on The Family's first and only album The Family. Prince wrote seven of the eight songs on the album, but Nothing Compares 2 U is the only track for which Prince takes official credit.
After becoming a worldwide number one single when covered by Irish singer Sinead O'Connor, Prince began playing the song live, and in 1993, he released a live version (sharing lead vocals with Rosie Gaines) as the eleventh track (one of two new tracks) on The Hits 1.
He has played it live consistently since 1990, and in 2002, released another live version as the twelfth track on the second disc of his first live album, One Nite Alone... Live! (along with Xenophobia, Extraordinary, Avalanche, Family Name, Raspberry Beret, The Everlasting Now, Wanna B Ur Lover, Diamonds & Pearls, The Beautiful Ones and How Come U Don't Call Me Anymore from the same show).
Prince's own studio version remains unreleased, however.
Initial tracking for Prince's original version took place on 18 July 1984 at the Flying Cloud Drive Warehouse, Eden Prairie (the same day Let's Go Crazy was released as a single). St. Paul Peterson and Susannah Melvoin overdubbed vocals onto the track in late 1984 - early 1985, and Clare Fischer added orchestral overdubs during the same period.
Miles Davis had requested an instrumental of Nothing Compares 2 U to record his trumpet on. But Prince wasn't keen on that and thought it was kinda corny just to do a trumpet on top of a song that already existed. So around 1991 Prince re-cut it and gave it a different flavor.
Prince was inspired to write the song about Sandy Scipioni, his personal assistant in 1980, who had to leave suddenly after her father's death (Prince and Scipioni were not in a romantic relationship, however).
Prince's live version from The Hits 1 went on to be simulcast on US radio stations at 5:07 p.m. CT (6:07 ET/3:07 PT) on May 4 2016, marking exactly "7 hours and 13 days" since Prince was pronounced dead.
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Recording Information
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Recording Sessions
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Date
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Studio
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Additional info
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18 July 1984
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Flying Cloud Drive Warehouse, Eden Prairie, MN, USA
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Initial tracking
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Late 1984 - early 1985
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Flying Cloud Drive Warehouse, Eden Prairie, MN, USA
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Vocal overdubs by St. Paul Peterson
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Late 1984 - early 1985
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Unverified studio, CA, USA
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Orchestral overdubs
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1991 (assumed)
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Paisley Park Studios, Chanhassen, MN, USA
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Re-recording
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Recording Personnel
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The Family version
Prince and the New Power Generation version
Unreleased version
Unreleased 1991 version
- Prince - all instruments (assumed)
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Versions
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Released Versions
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Video Versions
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Broadcasts/streaming (only)
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Title
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Length
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Released
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Version
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Additional info
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Nothing Compares 2 U
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T.B.C.
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Live concert radio broadcast
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Live
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22 July 1990, Estadio Vicente Calderón, Madrid, Spain
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Nothing Compares 2 U
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T.B.C.
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Delayed concert TV broadcast
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Live
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29 July 1990, Estadio Santa María del Mar, La Coruña, Spain
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Nothing Compares 2 U
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T.B.C.
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Delayed performance TV broadcast
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Live
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2 March 2004, The Ellen Degeneres Show, NBC Studios, Burbank, CA, USA
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Nothing Compares 2 U
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T.B.C.
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iHeartRadio Music Festival video stream
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Live
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22 September 2012, MGM Grand Garden Arena, Las Vegas, NV, USA; guesting with Mary J. Blige
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Nothing Compares 2 U
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T.B.C.
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iHeartRadio Music Festival TV broadcast
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Live
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22 September 2012, MGM Grand Garden Arena, Las Vegas, NV, USA; guesting with Mary J. Blige; same performance as above with different camera angles and editing
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Nothing Compares 2 U
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T.B.C.
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Live concert online stream
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Live
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10 May 2015, Baltimore, MN, USA, Royal Farms Arena
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Unreleased Versions
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Title
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Version
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Additional Info
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Nothing Compares 2 U
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Studio
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Prince's original studio version
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Nothing Compares 2 U
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Alternate mix
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Alternate mix of The Family's version, with stronger synth element
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Nothing Compares 2 U
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Studio
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Instrumental re-recording for Miles Davis
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