Album: Xpectation

2002: One Nite Alone... The Aftershow: It Ain’t Over ◄

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Xpectation

Album details Released: 1 January 2003 (NPG Music Club download) 3 December 2015 (Tidal download reissue) Length: 40:53 Label(s): NPG Records Studio(s): Paisley Park Studios, Chanhassen, MN, USA Charts, Certifications & Awards Charts This record was not released on the commercial market and therefore not eligible for the charts 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 NPG Music Club (Website)    Alternate Album Configuration Unknown date 2002, Xenophobia configuration The album had previously been titled Xenophobia, but the title track was removed (perhaps because a live version of the track was included on One Nite Alone... Live!), and the album was renamed. It is unclear why or when this took place. The tracklisting for Xenophobia was as follows: Xenophobia Xhalation Xcogitate Xemplify Xpectation Xotica Xogenous Xpand Xosphere Xpedition

Xpectation is the 26th full-length studio album by Prince, and the first instrumental album released under Prince’s own name. It was released as a surprise mp3 download on New Year’s Day 2003 to members of the NPG Music Club, with no formal artwork (only two weeks after the commercial release of his previous album, One Nite Alone... Live!). The NPG Music Club download page for the album contained the phrase New directions in music from Prince similar to the term Directions in Music by Miles Davis that appeared on a series of albums by Miles Davis from the late 60s and early 70s. In 2015, the album was re-released on the Tidal music service, initially only to stream before a download store was opened three months later, offering the album in mp3 and flac files. In 2004, it was released to purchase for members and non-members alike as part of the NPG Music Club’s Musicology Download Store. There has been no wider retail release. Sessions and compiling Sessions for the album took place in Autumn 2001, at Paisley Park Studios, Chanhassen, MN, USA, with saxophone overdubs by Candy Dulfer taking place in December 2001, also at Paisley Park Studios. Vanessa Mae’s violon parts were also recorded at Paisley Park and overdubbed to the existing tracks. The album was initially titled Xenophobia until the title track was removed, perhaps because of its inclusion on the album One Nite Alone... Live!. Promotion No singles were released from the album, and the album was not eligible for any charts as it was not available on the commercial markets measured by charts. Track listing CD Digital This album have never been released on CD format. The digital version is the original issue. Xhalation (2:04) Xcogitate (3:34) Xemplify (5:53) Xpectation (4:01) Xotica (3:05) Xogenous (4:12) Xpand (6:11) Xosphere (3:34) Xpedition (8:24) All songs assumed to be written by Prince (no writing credits officially given). Personnel Musicians Prince - keyboards and guitar John Blackwell - drums on Xcogitate, Xemplify, Xpectation, Xotica, Xogenous, Xpand, Xosphere and Xpedition Rhonda Smith - bass guitar on Xcogitate, Xemplify, Xpectation, Xotica, Xogenous, Xpand, Xosphere and Xpedition Candy Dulfer - acoustic and electric saxophone on Xcogitate, Xemplify, Xpectation, Xotica, Xogenous, Xpand, Xosphere and Xpedition Vanessa Mae - violin on Xhalation, Xcogitate, Xemplify, Xpectation, Xogenous, Xosphere and Xpedition "Silence - itself" Production Prince - producer and arranger (no production credits officially given) No other production credits available. Thanks none.

Releases
LP, CD, Cassettes and Other versions
Country Format Cat. Number Comments Front Back Label 1 Label 2 USA mp3 n/a 256kb MP3 USA wma n/a 2004 NPG Music Club proprietary download Variants, Special Editions and Reissues Country Format Cat. Number Comments Front Back Label 1 Label 2 None

Additional Information Promotion (at time of release) Trivia None, although a few of the tracks had been played during aftershows on the One Nite Alone... Tour, which ended shortly before the album’s release. This album was placed online for download just over two weeks after the One Nite Alone... Live! 3CD box-set was released, and within two days of this release, the NPG Music Club offered the tracks that would eventually be collected as C-Note for individual download. Xpectation was rumored for a CD release on the Blue Note Records label, but it is not known how serious this rumor was or how close this came to a wider release. The initial download contained an audible skip in the track Xotica, but this was quickly rectified and a new version uploaded. When he invited Vanessa Mae to come play with him, Prince asked her to listen to some Weather Report albums and Herbie Hancock’s Head Hunters before the sessions. The New directions in music subtitle or a variant also appears on Madhouse’s second and final album 16 in 1987 and N.E.W.S. in 2003. References The Vault: The Definitive Guide to the Musical World of Prince (2004)

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2003 N.E.W.S.