Album: N.E.W.S.: Difference between revisions

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<!------ ALBUM TABLE -------->
<!------ ALBUM TABLE -------->
|album name            = N.E.W.S.
|album name            = N.E.W.S.
|album image            = [[File: News album.jpg|N.E.W.S. album artwork]]
|album image            = [[File: News_album.jpg|N.E.W.S. album artwork]]
|date                  = [[Prince_Vault:Selected_anniversaries/June_30|30 June 2003]] (first [[NPG Music Club]] shipments arrive)<br>
|date                  = [[Prince_Vault:Selected_anniversaries/June_30|30 June 2003]] (first [[NPG Music Club]] shipments arrive)<br>
[[Prince_Vault:Selected_anniversaries/July_29|29 July 2003]] (retail)
[[Prince_Vault:Selected_anniversaries/July_29|29 July 2003]] (retail)
Line 38: Line 38:
At 12:01 am on [[Prince_Vault:Selected_anniversaries/June_19|19 June 2003]], a special 'room' opened in the [[NPG Music Club]] which streamed the track [[North]], and a chatroom enabled club members to discuss the track. The album was then available for pre-order in the club’s store. The stream and chatroom continued on consecutive days for [[East]], [[West]] and [[South]].
At 12:01 am on [[Prince_Vault:Selected_anniversaries/June_19|19 June 2003]], a special 'room' opened in the [[NPG Music Club]] which streamed the track [[North]], and a chatroom enabled club members to discuss the track. The album was then available for pre-order in the club’s store. The stream and chatroom continued on consecutive days for [[East]], [[West]] and [[South]].


This album did not enter the charts in the USA, and is currently out of print. It charted in Germany and the Netherlands albums charts, but at quite low positions and for a very limited time.
This album did not enter the charts in the USA, and is currently out of print. It charted in Germany and The Netherlands albums charts, but at quite low positions and for a very limited time.


'''N.E.W.S'''. was nominated for the 2004 Grammy for Best Pop Instrumental Album, but lost to ''Mambo Sinuendo'', by Ry Cooder and Manuel Galban (other nominees were ''Peace'' by Jim Brickman, ''Wishes'' by Kenny G. and ''Night Divides the Day: The Music of the Doors'' by George Winston). [[Prince]] performed at the ceremony, however, effectively launching his return to the spotlight in 2004 (see [[08_February 2004|here]] for details).
'''N.E.W.S'''. was nominated for the 2004 Grammy for Best Pop Instrumental Album, but lost to ''Mambo Sinuendo'', by Ry Cooder and Manuel Galban (other nominees were ''Peace'' by Jim Brickman, ''Wishes'' by Kenny G. and ''Night Divides the Day: The Music of the Doors'' by George Winston). [[Prince]] performed at the ceremony, however, effectively launching his return to the spotlight in 2004 (see [[08_February 2004|here]] for details).

Latest revision as of 21:24, 10 January 2024

2003: Xpectation ◄ All Prince Albums All Related Artists Albums ► 2004: Musicology
N.E.W.S.
N.E.W.S. album artwork

Album details

Released: 30 June 2003 (first NPG Music Club shipments arrive)

29 July 2003 (retail)

Length: 56:00
Label(s): NPG Records
Studio(s): Paisley Park Studios, Chanhassen, MN, USA

Charts, Certifications & Awards

Charts
Europe
Country: Chart Entry Date Peak Position Weeks in Chart
Germany: Album chart 2003
(date needed) 		93 1
The Netherlands: Album Top 100 23 Aug. 2003 83 2
Certifications
This album has not received any certifications in the USA
Awards
This album has not received any awards in the USA

Singles released

  • None.

See also

North
(Music Video) 		  
N.E.W.S. is the 27th full-length studio album by Prince. It was initially available only to NPG Music Club members, with first shipments arriving on 30 June 2003 (almost six months after the previous album Xpectation), but it also received a low-key retail release the following month.

In 2004, a digital download of the album was offered through the NPG Music Club.

N.E.W.S. was the second instrumental album in succession, and contained only four tracks, each exactly 14:00 long. At the time of release, Prince’s succession of releases from 2001-3 indicated that he was entering into a more permanent jazz/funk territory for his music, although his return to vocal pop music the following year with Musicology and later releases confirms that this was a more temporary era.


Sessions and compiling

The album was recorded all in one day, 6 February 2003, as indicated on the packaging, although it is likely that additional work took place later in February 2003.

The term New directions in music featured in the booklet is a direct reference to a series of albums by Miles Davis from the late 60s and early 70s. The inclusion of Eric Leeds providing lead saxophone on the complete instrumental album brought comparisons between this album and the 1987 Madhouse albums 8 and 16, but the structure and feel of the album is very different. It is notable that Prince chose to release this album under his own name rather than under a pseudonym.


Promotion

No singles were released from the album, and Prince did not tour to promote the album. In late May 2003, the newly-relaunched NPG Music Club’s 'lobby area' featured the letters "N", "E", "W" and "S" on the floor on consecutive days. Soon after, N.E.W.S. appeared on the site’s discography page, "The Vault". A short flash video containing a clip of East showed images similar to the album cover, and offering the date 19 June.

At 12:01 am on 19 June 2003, a special 'room' opened in the NPG Music Club which streamed the track North, and a chatroom enabled club members to discuss the track. The album was then available for pre-order in the club’s store. The stream and chatroom continued on consecutive days for East, West and South.

This album did not enter the charts in the USA, and is currently out of print. It charted in Germany and The Netherlands albums charts, but at quite low positions and for a very limited time.

N.E.W.S. was nominated for the 2004 Grammy for Best Pop Instrumental Album, but lost to Mambo Sinuendo, by Ry Cooder and Manuel Galban (other nominees were Peace by Jim Brickman, Wishes by Kenny G. and Night Divides the Day: The Music of the Doors by George Winston). Prince performed at the ceremony, however, effectively launching his return to the spotlight in 2004 (see here for details).



Track listing
CD Digital

The compact disc version is the original issue.

  1. North (14:00)
  2. East (14:00)
  3. West (14:00)
  4. South (14:00)

The digital format is a reissue of the CD version, made available on 29 March 2004 on NPG Music Club "Musicology Download Store".

  1. North (14:00)
  2. East (14:00)
  3. West (14:00)
  4. South (14:00)

All songs written by Prince (credits say only "directed by Prince")



Personnel
Musicians


Production
  • Prince - producer and arranger (credited as "directed by..."), mixer, package design
  • Jess Sutcliffe - Engineer
  • Joseph Lepinski - musical technician
  • Takumi - musical technician
  • Jeremy Gavin - package design


Thanks
  • none



Releases
LP, CD, Cassettes and Other versions
Country Format Cat. Number Comments Front Back Label 1 Label 2
USA CD n/a Initial NPG Music Club run, with incorrect spelling of ’saxaphone'
USA CD n/a Second NPG Music Club run, with correct spelling of ’saxophone'
USA CD 8533770712-8 Standard card case with barcode for retail
USA CD 8533770712-8 Jewel case

Variants, Special Editions and Reissues
Country Format Cat. Number Comments Front Back Label 1 Label 2
USA Digital download n/a .wma protected format
 

 

 
Additional Information
Promotion (at time of release) Trivia
  • The title N.E.W.S. is an acronym of the track titles' names.
  • N.E.W.S. is most widely available in a folding card case, opening on all four sides of the back cover revealing the CD.
  • The album was nominated in the Pop Instrumental Album category at the 2004 Grammy Awards.
  • The cd actually has some multimedia content, in a file visible when played on a computer a file comes up eventually reveals the message "He causes 2 become," a reference to Jehovah.
  • The New directions in music subtitle or a variant also appears on Madhouse’s second and final album 16 in 1987 and Xpectation in 2003.
References
2003
Xpectation 		All Albums All Related Artists Albums 2004
Musicology
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