View source for Album: NPG Q (2014)

{{Unreleased-Album|
<!------ ALBUM TABLE -------->
|album name             = NPG Q ''Untitled album''
|album image            = [[File:Unreleased project.png]]
|date                   = 2014
|label                  = [[NPG Records]]
|studios                = [[Paisley Park Studios]], Chanhassen, MN, USA
<!------ ALBUM CHRONOLOGY -------->
|previous year          = 2013
|previous album         = Album: Joshuaworld (2013)
|previous album link    = [[Album: Joshuaworld (2013)|Joshuaworld]]
|next year              = 2014
|next album             = Album: 3rdEyeGirl album (2015)
|next album link        = [[Album: 3rdEyeGirl album (2015)|''Untitled 3rdEyeGirl album'']]
<!-------ALBUM TEXT ------->
|introduction           = This entry details an untitled instrumental album by [[NPG Q]], recorded in August 2014. [[NPG Q]] (short for NPG Quartet) was a band assembled by [[Prince]] in July 2014, that comprised [[John Blackwell]] on drums, [[Andrew Gouché]] on bass, [[Marcus Anderson]] on saxophone and [[Xavier Taplin]] on keyboards. The band played with Kandace Springs at her show at [[venue: Paisley Park Studios|Paisley Park Studios]] on [[Prince_Vault:Selected_anniversaries/July 26|26 July 2014]] broadcast live on [[3rdEye TV]]. 

While reflecting on the album’s history, [[Andrew Gouché]] posted the following story on his [https://www.facebook.com/share/r/15odyS63VB/ social medias] in 2025: "<i>[[Prince]] called me on the phone and said he wanted to put a jazz quartet together, and wanted to know if I knew a Gospel keyboard player that could solo. I told him I know just a guy, and introduced him to [[Xavier Taplin|Dominique Xavier Taplin]]. He was amazed at [[Xavier Taplin|Xavier]]’s ability, and he’s absolute fearlessness when he played so, [[Prince]] brought [[Xavier Taplin|Xavier]], [[Marcus Anderson]], [[John Blackwell]], and myself together at [[Paisley Park Studios|Paisley]]. We met with him briefly and then he said, "I’ll see you guys later" and left the room. Everyone had this spot to look on their face, and I sent to them you know what he’s doing right? He wants to see what we’re going to do. We didn’t hear from him for a week until he called me and I asked how it was going. I told him that we had written 15 songs. He said, oh really? OK, I’m going to come tomorrow and listen. So he came the next day and we started playing songs and he absolutely loved it, so much so that he said "OK we’re going to invite people tomorrow to come and we’re gonna record live". So he tweeted out that the [[NPG Q|NPGQ]] was going to record live the next day in about 300 people showed up at [[venue: Paisley Park Studios|Paisley Park]] the music sounded great, but the drums were not mic’d correctly, so Prince said that we would go into the studio on the following Monday and record everything there. So we recorded 9 songs in Studio A at [[Paisley Park Studios|Paisley]]. </i>."  

The show, billed as the “Supermoon Recording Session”, was held at [[venue: Paisley Park Studios|Paisley Park]] on [[10_August_2014-am|10 August 2014]]. The name of the 4-piece band mentioned on the flyer was [[NPG Q|NPJazz]]. Ten songs were played that night, beginning with [[Chameleon|Hit It And Quit It]], in fact a cover of [[Chameleon]] and most likely not slated for the album. [[Prince]] guested for the first two songs during the show. When asked on Twitter if the show was recorded and if it will be released, [http://twitter.com/3RDEYEGIRL @3RDEYEGIRL] replied: <blockquote>''"BAND IN STUDIO A MIXING IT DOWN NOW"''</blockquote>
Nik West confirmed that the band was working on the tracks by posting a video on [http://nikwestbass.tumblr.com/post/94327102794/hanging-out-with-prince-at-paisleypark-mixing Tumblr] with [[Andrew Gouché]], [[Xavier Taplin]] and [[Kirk Johnson]] listening to [[Mind Of J]] at [[Paisley Park Studios]]. Further sessions were done and [[Prince]] added his guitar to the songs. A month later on [[Prince_Vault:Selected_anniversaries/September 18|18 September 2014]], Dr Funkenberry tweeted: <blockquote>''""NPG Q" NEW RECORD OF 9 SONGS WITH PRINCE, ANDREW GOUCHÉ, JOHN BLACKWELL, XAVIER AND MARCUS ANDERSON"''</blockquote>
[[NPG Q]] played [[EBlues]] and [[Shaft]] during the release-party for the [[Album:_Art_Official_Age|Art Official Age]] and [[Album:_Plectrumelectrum|Plectrumelectrum]] albums at [[Venue: Paisley Park Studios|Paisley Park Studios]] on [[30 September 2014]].
The planned album was shelved when [[John Blackwell]] left to tour with [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/D’Angelo D’Angelo] in October.

[[Andrew Gouché]] has confirmed that [[Mind Of J]] (written by [[John Blackwell]] and previously released with his band, the John Blackwell Project, on their [https://www.allmusic.com/album/4ever-jia-mw0002044020 “4Ever Jia”] album), his own [[Way Back When]] (that he wrote and would release on his first album [https://www.allmusic.com/album/we-dont-need-no-bass-mw0002852203 "We Don’t Need No Bass"] in a re-recorded form in 2015) and [[There’s That]] (written by [[Marcus Anderson]]) were also planned for the '''NPG Q ''' album. Additionally, [[Marcus Anderson]] wrote [[Dandelion]] solely, after [[Prince]] told him a story about his father. The track was later re-recorded with other musicians, and released by [[Marcus Anderson|Anderson]] in 2017 on his [https://www.allmusic.com/album/limited-edition-mw0003035491 “Limited Edition”] album. Nothing is known about [[Trojan Horse]], [[EBlues]], [[6/8 Joint]], [[Shaft]] and [[Dome]] except that they were not written by [[Prince]]. 

It is assumed that [[Prince]] produced the album and played guitar on all the tracks of the '''NPG Q''' album. 

All of the songs recorded for the [[NPG Q]] project remain unreleased.

<!-------TRACK LIST ------->
|format                 = CD
|tracklisting           = 
The specific sequence of tracks is unknown, but tracks believed to have been included, listed here in the sequence they were played in the session, are: 
*<b>[[Trojan Horse]]</b>
*<b>[[Way Back When]]</b> <small><sup>1</sup></small>
*<b>[[Mind Of J]]</b> <small><sup>2</sup></small>
*<b>[[Dandelion]]</b> <small><sup>3</sup></small>
*<b>[[Shaft]]</b>
*<b>[[6/8 Joint]]</b>
*<b>[[There’s That]]</b> <small><sup>3</sup></small>
*<b>[[Dome]]</b>
*<b>[[EBlues]]</b>
|credits                 = All tracks assumed to be written collectively by [[John Blackwell]], [[Marcus Anderson]], [[Andrew Gouché]] and [[Xavier Taplin]], except where noted: 

<small><sup>1</sup></small> : Written by [[Andrew Gouché]]<br>
<small><sup>2</sup></small> : Written by [[John Blackwell]]<br>
<small><sup>3</sup></small> : Written by [[Marcus Anderson]]<br>


|* comment               = 
<!-------PERSONNEL ------->
|musicians              = [[John Blackwell]] - drums
*[[Andrew Gouché]] - bass 
*[[Marcus Anderson]] - saxophone
*[[Xavier Taplin]] - keyboards
*[[Prince]] – guitar
|production             = [[Prince]] - producer (assumed)
*Other production details unknown
|see also               = 
{{SeeAlso|
|item1   = &nbsp;
|image1  = &nbsp;
|item2   = &nbsp;
|image2  = 
}}
|trivia                 = 
|alternative            = 
|references             = <b>Book</b>: ''[https://www.amazon.com/Prince-Mobeen-Azhar/dp/178097891X ''' Prince 1958-2016: Stories from the Purple Underground, Mobeen Azhar (2016)]''
*<b>Press</b>: [http://on-the-one.blogspot.fr/2014/08/first-report-on-supermoon-recording.html '''First report on Supermoon recording session with NPJazz''' (Ontheone blogspot: 10 August 2014)].<br>
*<b>Social Media</b>: [http://nikwestbass.tumblr.com/post/94327102794/hanging-out-with-prince-at-paisleypark-mixing '''Hanging out with @Prince at #PaisleyPark mixing some new music from the live recording!!! ''' by ''nikwestbass'' (tumblr: 10 August 2014)].
*[https://www.facebook.com/share/r/15odyS63VB/ Andrew Gouché post (Facebook: 19 March 2025]

|categories              = [[Category: 2014]][[Category:Albums (Related Artists)]][[Category:Studio Albums (Related Artists)]][[Category:Unreleased Albums]][[Category:Unreleased Albums (Related Artists)]]
}}