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1999 is the first track on Prince’s fifth album 1999, and, one month prior to the album’s release, 1999 was released as the album’s first single. The song has been released around the world many times in Prince’s career.
In 1993, the track was included as the ninth track on Prince’s first compilation album The Hits 1 (also included as the first disc of The Hits / The B-Sides). In late 1998, the 1999 single was reissued, including the full version of the track.
In 1999, a re-recording of the track, as well as several remixes, were released by Prince on the 1999: The New Master single, credited to "Prince and the noiɈυlovǝЯ".
In 2001, the track was included as the second track on the compilation album The Very Best Of Prince. In 2006, the track was included as the fourth track on the first disc of the compilation album Ultimate.
Basic tracking for 1999 took place at Prince’s Kiowa Trail Home Studio in Chanhassen, Minnesota, in mid July 1982 as the final track recorded for the album. While reflecting on the track’s history on Facebook in 2014, Jesse Johnson wrote that Prince "used my 1968 Italian made Vox Wah on "1999"! ." The original idea for the song was to have verses sung in unison by Prince, Lisa, Jill and Dez. Prince was not satisfied after the first tests and decided to split the verses between them (much like Sly & The Family Stone’s I Want To Take You Higher).
H.M. Buff has stated in an interview that Prince re-recorded a humourous version as 1799 in 1996 at Paisley Park Studios in Chanhassen, Minnesota for a planned skit (in which he would have been on disguised as a 18th century musician) for the Muppets Tonight TV show. This version did not make the final cut, however, and remains unreleased.
Prince re-recorded the song in late-1998 for release as 1999: The New Master. Prince claimed at the time that his entire Warner Bros. catalogue had been re-recorded and would be released as "new masters" - it is unknown how close these came to release, however.
In a CNN interview with Larry King that aired on 10 December 1999, Prince said (after confirming he wrote the song in 1982): “we were sitting around watching a special about the 1999, and a lot of people were talking about the year”. And in a 2018 interview Bobby Z. recalled how Prince wrote the song after seeing the HBO documentary The Man Who Saw Tomorrow about Nostradamus, while on the Controversy Tour. The only time this documentary aired on HBO was in the last two weeks of February (when they were indeed touring 'in the south' as Bobby Z. indicates in his quote).
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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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| Mid July 1982 (estimate)
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Kiowa Trail Home Studio,
Chanhassen, MN, USA
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Tracking
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| Spring-Summer 1996 (assumed)
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Paisley Park Studios,
Chanhassen, MN, USA (assumed)
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Re-recording as 1799
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| Late 1998
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Paisley Park Studios,
Chanhassen, MN, USA (assumed)
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Re-recording and remixes
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Recording Personnel
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Original version
1999: The New Master version and remixes
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Versions
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Released Versions
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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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| 1999
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6:22
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1999
1999 single
Little Red Corvette single
When Doves Cry single
Prince Sampler promotional album
His Majesty’s Pop Life
The Story So Far... promotional album
Sounds O’ The Times promotional album
 Love Prince promotional album
Nothing Compares 2 Him promotional album
The Crown Jewels promotional album
1999 single re-issue
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Studio
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a.k.a. 1999 (Album Version)
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| 1999
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6:22
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1999 Deluxe Edition and Super Deluxe Edition
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Studio
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Remastered in 2019
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| 1999 (Edit)
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3:36
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1999 single
Little Red Corvette single
Strange Tales From The Rain promotional album
My Name Was Prince promotional album
The Hits 1
The Hits / The B-Sides
The Very Best Of Prince
Ultimate
4Ever
17 Days (Piano Version) single
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Edit
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Slightly alternate beginning, a.k.a 7" Stereo Edit
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| 1999 (7" Stereo Edit)
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3:36
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1999 Deluxe Edition and Super Deluxe Edition
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Edit
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Slightly alternate beginning. Remastered in 2019
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| 1999 (Edit)
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3:36
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1999 promo
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Edit, mono version
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| 1999 (7" Mono Promo-Only Edit)
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3:36
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1999 Deluxe Edition and Super Deluxe Edition
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Edit, mono version. Remastered in 2019
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| 1999: Acapella
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5:11
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1999: The New Master
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Acapella
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Credited to Prince and the Revolution
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| 1999: Keep Steppin
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4:33
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1999: The New Master
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Remix
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Credited to Prince and the Revolution
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| 1999: Rosie & Doug E. In A Deep House
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6:23
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1999: The New Master
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Remix, re-uses rap from Guess Who? by Doug E. Fresh
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Credited to Prince and the Revolution
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| 1999: The Inevitable Mix
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5:46
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1999: The New Master
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Remix
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Credited to Prince and the Revolution
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| 1999: The New Master
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7:09
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1999: The New Master
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Re-recording
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Credited to Prince and the Revolution
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| 1999: The New Master: Single Edit
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4:30
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1999: The New Master
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Re-recording edit
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Credited to Prince and the Revolution
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| Rosario: 1999
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1:19
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1999: The New Master
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Studio
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Spoken word over music from Little Red Corvette - other than name, no relation to 1999; Credited to Prince and the Revolution
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| 1999
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10:24
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1999 Super Deluxe Edition
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Live
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1 December 1982 (a.m.): Masonic Temple Auditorium, Detroit, MI, USA
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| 1999
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5:51
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Prince And The Revolution: Live
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Live
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30 March 1985, Carrier Dome, Syracuse, NY, USA
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| 1999
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5:51
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Prince And The Revolution: Live (2022 re-release)
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Live
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30 March 1985, Carrier Dome, Syracuse, NY, USA. Remastered
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| 1999
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5:54
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Sign O’ The Times Super Deluxe Edition
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Live
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20 June 1987: Stadion de Galgenwaard, Utrecht, The Netherlands
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| 1999 / Baby I’m A Star / Push (Medley) (Live At Glam Slam 1992)
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9:12
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Diamonds And Pearls Super Deluxe Edition
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Live
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11 January 1992, Glam Slam, Minneapolis, MN, USA
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Video Versions
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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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| 1999 (Edit)
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3:36
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The Hits Collection VHS/DVD
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Promo video
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See 1999 video for more details
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| 1999
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4:15
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Prince And The Revolution: Live VHS/laserdisc
Purple Rain Deluxe Expanded Edition – Live at the Carrier Dome (DVD)
Prince And The Revolution: Live (2022 re-release)
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Live
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30 March 1985, Carrier Dome, Syracuse, NY, USA
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| 1999
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5:14
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Lovesexy Live 1 VHS
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Live
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9 September 1988, Westfalenhallen, Dortmund, West Germany
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| 1999
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8:28
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Rave Un2 The Year 2000 VHS/DVD
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Live
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18 December 1999, Paisley Park, Chanhassen, MN, USA
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| 1999
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8:08
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1999 Super Deluxe Edition DVD
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Live
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29 December 1982: The Summit, Houston, TX
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| 1999
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T.B.C.
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Sign O’ The Times Super Deluxe Edition DVD
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Live
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31 December 1987: Paisley Park Studios, Chanhassen, MN, USA
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| 1999
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?:??
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Welcome 2 America Deluxe edition
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Live
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28 April 2011, The Forum, Inglewood, CA, USA
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| 1999 / Baby I’m A Star / Push (Medley) (Special Olympics 1991 Soundcheck)
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?:??
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Diamonds And Pearls Super Deluxe Edition blu-ray
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Live
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20 July 1991, Special Olympics, The Metrodome, Minneapolis, MN
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| 1999 / Baby I’m A Star / Push (Medley) (Special Olympics 1991)
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?:??
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Diamonds And Pearls Super Deluxe Edition blu-ray
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Live
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20 July 1991, Special Olympics, The Metrodome, Minneapolis, MN
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| 1999 / Baby I’m A Star / Push (Medley) (Live At Glam Slam 1992)
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9:12
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Diamonds And Pearls Super Deluxe Edition blu-ray
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Live
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11 January 1992, Glam Slam, Minneapolis, MN, USA
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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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| 1999
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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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| 1999
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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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| 1999
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T.B.C.
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Delayed concert TV broadcast
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Live
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31 August 1990, Tokyo Dome (東京ドーム), Tokyo, Japan
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| 1999
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2:22
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Delayed live recording radio broadcast
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Live (edited)
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02 August 1993, Sheffield Arena, Sheffield, England
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| 1999
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3:13
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Live radio broadcast
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Live
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07 September 1993 (mat.), Simon Bates Show, BBC Broadcasting House, London, England; part of medley containing 1999 / Baby I’m A Star / America / D.M.S.R. / Pope / It’s Gonna Be A Beautiful Night
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| 1999/We March/Emancipation
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?:??
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Delayed performance TV broadcast
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Live
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24 February 1997, BRIT Awards, Earls Court, London, England; contains 1999 (intro only) and We March interpolations; live singing over pre-recorded performance
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| 1999/Baby I’m A Star
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T.B.C.
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Delayed concert TV broadcast
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Live
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17 October 2003, Tamar Site, Admiralty, Hong Kong; 1999 intro only
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| 1999/Baby I’m A Star
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T.B.C.
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Live awards performance TV broadcast
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Live
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8 February 2004, 46th annual Grammy Awards Ceremony, Staples Center, Los Angeles, CA; with Beyoncé; 1999 intro only
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| The Superbowl
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11:52
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Lotusflow3r.com video stream
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Live medley
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04 February 2007, Dolphins Stadium, Miami Gardens, FL, USA; medley of We Will Rock You / Let’s Go Crazy / 1999 intro / Baby I’m A Star / Proud Mary / All Along The Watchtower / The Best Of U / Purple Rain
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| 1999
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4:07
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Lotusflow3r.com video stream
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Live
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25 April 2008, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Burbank, CA; not broadcast on TV
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| 1999
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T.B.C.
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Live performance TV broadcast
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Live
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14 October 2009, Le Grand Journal, Studios Rive Gauche, Paris, France
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| 1999 / Little Red Corvette / Musicology (intro)
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9:52
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3rdEye TV Show # 7 live video stream
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Live
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30 June 2013 (a.m.) City Winery Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
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| 1999
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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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Sampled, Referred to, Quoted in...
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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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| Partyman (The Purple Party Mix)
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6:02
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Partyman single
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Remix
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Remix by Femi Jiya and Prince; Includes sampled clips of Sexy Dancer, I Wanna Be Your Lover, Head, Partyup, Let’s Work, 1999, Raspberry Beret, Erotic City, Kiss, U Got The Look, Housequake, Alphabet St., The Future and a chant from Batdance
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| Partyman (The Purple Party Mix)
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5:58
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The Scandalous Sex Suite EP
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Remix edit
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As above, missing The Joker’s opening dialogue
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| Purple Medley
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11:03
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Purple Medley single
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Studio medley
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See Purple Medley for more details
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| Purple Medley (Edit)
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3:14
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Purple Medley single
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Edit
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See Purple Medley for more details
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| Million $ Show
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3:10
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Hitnrun Phase One album stream
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Studio
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Contains samples from openings of For You, 1999 and Let’s Go Crazy
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