Album: 4Ever

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2016: Hitnrun Phase Two ◄ All Prince Albums All Related Artists Albums ► 2017: Purple Rain Deluxe
4Ever
4ever album artwork

Album details

Released: 22 November 2016 (USA)

25 November 2016 (Europe)

Length: 76:51; 78:14
Label(s): NPG Records and Warner Bros.
Studio(s): Alpha Studios, Burbank, CA, USA; North Arm Drive Home Studio, Orono, MN, USA; Kiowa Trail Home Studio, Chanhassen, MN, USA; Hollywood Sound Recorders, Los Angeles, CA, USA; Sunset Sound, Hollywood, CA, USA; The Warehouse, St. Louis Park, MN, USA; First Avenue (Record Plant Remote - Black Truck from New York, NY in Minneapolis, MN USA); Washington Avenue Warehouse, Edina, MN, USA; Paisley Park Studios, Chanhassen, MN, USA; Warner Pioneer Studios, Tokyo, Japan

Charts, Certifications & Awards

Charts
iTunes
Country: Chart Entry Date Peak Position Weeks in Chart
USA: 22 Nov. 2016 8 12 (days)
Canada: 22 Nov. 2016 85 4 (days)
Australia: 24 Nov. 2016 30 9 (days)
UK: 25 Nov. 2016 18 38 (days)
Germany: 25 Nov. 2016 98 2 (days)
France: 22 Nov. 2016 16 10 (days)
Spain: 22 Nov. 2016 27 9 (days)
Italy: 25 Nov. 2016 51 3 (days)
 
America
Country: Chart Entry Date Peak Position Weeks in Chart
USA: The Billboard 200 10 Dec. 2016 33 26
USA: Billboard Top R&B/Hip Hop Albums 10 Dec. 2016 4 17
USA: Billboard R&B Albums 10 Dec. 2016 3 25
USA: Billboard R&B Album Sales 10 Dec. 2016 3 92
USA: Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop Album Sales 10 Dec. 2016 4 85
USA: Billboard Top Album Sales 10 Dec. 2016 26 23
USA: Billboard Tastemaker Albums 10 Dec. 2016 11 3
USA: Billboard Internet Albums 10 Dec. 2016 10 3
USA: Billboard Vinyl Albums 7 Oct. 2017 20 1
Canada: Billboard Canadian Albums 100 10 Dec. 2016 4 36
 
Europe
Country: Chart Entry Date Peak Position Weeks in Chart
Austria: Alben Top 100 9 Dec. 2016 64 1
Belgium: Ultratop Flanders 3 Dec. 2016 11 13
Belgium: Ultratop Wallonia 3 Dec. 2016 46 13
France: SNEP Top Albums 25 Nov. 2016 46 8
France: SNEP Top Albums Physiques 25 Nov. 2016 39 21
France: SNEP Top Albums Téléchargés 25 Nov. 2016 24 10
Germany: Offizielle Deutsche Top Albums 3 Dec. 2016 87 1
Greece: IFPI Top-75 Albums Sales Week 46 34 3
Ireland: IRMA ChartTrack Top 100 Albums 2 Dec. 2016 22 31 (R)
Italy: FIMI Classifiche Album 100 1 Dec. 2016 64 1
The Netherlands: Album Top 100 3 Dec. 2016 10 9
Portugal: AFP Portugal Albums Top 30 Week 48/2016 29 7
Spain: ProMusicae Top 100 Albumes 4 Dec. 2016 64 4
Switzerland: Schweizer Hitparade 4 Dec. 2016 21 3
U.K.: UK Albums Chart 8 Dec. 2016 21 16 (R)
 
Asia
Country: Chart Entry Date Peak Position Weeks in Chart
Japan: ORICON CD アルバム Albums Week 3, Nov. 2016 22 12
Japan: ORICON 洋楽アルバム World Albums Week 3, Nov. 2016 3 3
 
Pacific
Country: Chart Entry Date Peak Position Weeks in Chart
Australia: ARIA Top 50 Albums 11 Dec. 2016 36 1
Certifications
This album has not received any certifications in the USA
Awards
This album has not received any awards in the USA

Singles released

Prince 4ever is the sixth compilation album of Prince’s Warner Bros. studio work, and the first official posthumous release, announced six months to the day after Prince’s death, and released seven months after, in November 2016 (more than ten years after the previous compilation album, Ultimate).

It comprises only Warner Bros.-era recordings under the name Prince from 14 studio albums, released originally between 1978 and 1993, as well as the standalone single track Gotta Stop (Messin’ About) and two songs which previously debuted on The Hits 1 and The Hits 2 (Nothing Compares 2 U and Peach respectively). The compilation includes one previously-unreleased track, Moonbeam Levels.

In contrast with the tracks on The Hits 1 and The Hits 2, most songs on this compilation are in edit form as they originally appeared on 7" singles. Most notably Little Red Corvette, Let’s Go Crazy and Alphabet St. which were not officially released on commercially available cds in the edit-form they appear in on this release.

Of the 40 tracks on the compilation, Take Me With U, Paisley Park, Batdance, Mountains, Girls & Boys, Glam Slam and the previously-unreleased Moonbeam Levels had not appeared on a previous studio compilation album in any form.

Promotion

A press release for the compilation (also announcing a remastered deluxe version of Purple Rain for early 2017) was put out on 21 October 2016, six months to the day after Prince’s death.



Track listing
CD Digital

The compact disc version is the original issue.

  • Disc 1:
  1. 1999 (Edit) (3:39)
  2. Little Red Corvette (Edit) (3:09)
  3. When Doves Cry (Edit) (3:48)
  4. Let’s Go Crazy (Edit) (3:50) 1
  5. Raspberry Beret (3:35) 1
  6. I Wanna Be Your Lover (Edit) (3:00)
  7. Soft And Wet (Edit) (3:05) 2 †
  8. Why You Wanna Treat Me So Bad? (3:51)
  9. Uptown (Edit) (4:11)
  10. When You Were Mine (3:46)
  11. Head (4:46)
  12. Gotta Stop (Messin’ About) (Edit) (2:57) †
  13. Controversy (Edit) (3:38)
  14. Let’s Work (Edit) (3:02)
  15. Delirious (Edit) (2:41)
  16. I Would Die 4 U (Single Version) (2:59) 1
  17. Take Me With U (Edit) (3:44) 1
  18. Paisley Park (4:44) 1
  19. Pop Life (3:45) 1,8
  20. Purple Rain (8:41) 1
  • Disc 2:
  1. Kiss (Single Version) (3:46) 1
  2. Sign O’ The Times (Edit) (3:44)
  3. Alphabet St. (Edit) (2:25)
  4. Batdance (Edit) (4:07)
  5. Thieves In The Temple (3:21)
  6. Cream (4:13) 3
  7. Mountains (3:58) 4
  8. Girls & Boys (Edit) (3:28) 1
  9. If I Was Your Girlfriend (Edit) (3:46)
  10. U Got The Look (3:48)
  11. I Could Never Take The Place Of Your Man (Edit/fade) (3:41)
  12. Glam Slam (Edit) (3:31)
  13. Moonbeam Levels (4:06)
  14. Diamonds And Pearls (Edit) (4:20) 3
  15. Gett Off (UK Single Remix) (4:00) 3
  16. Sexy M.F. (5:26) 5
  17. My Name Is Prince (Edit) (4:04) 6
  18. 7 (Album Edit) (4:23) 7
  19. Peach (3:48)
  20. Nothing Compares 2 U (4:19)

The digital version was released at same time as the CD.

  1. 1999 (Edit) (3:39)
  2. Little Red Corvette (Edit) (3:09)
  3. When Doves Cry (Edit) (3:48)
  4. Let’s Go Crazy (Edit) (3:50) 1
  5. Raspberry Beret (3:35) 1
  6. I Wanna Be Your Lover (Edit) (3:00)
  7. Soft And Wet (Edit) (3:05) 2 †
  8. Why You Wanna Treat Me So Bad? (3:51)
  9. Uptown (Edit) (4:11)
  10. When You Were Mine (3:46)
  11. Head (4:46)
  12. Gotta Stop (Messin’ About) (Edit) (2:57) †
  13. Controversy (Edit) (3:38)
  14. Let’s Work (Edit) (3:02)
  15. Delirious (Edit) (2:41)
  16. I Would Die 4 U (Single Version) (2:59) 1
  17. Take Me With U (Edit) (3:44) 1
  18. Paisley Park (4:44) 1
  19. Pop Life (3:45) 1,8
  20. Purple Rain (8:41) 1
  21. Kiss (Single Version) (3:46) 1
  22. Sign O’ The Times (Edit) (3:44)
  23. Alphabet St. (Edit) (2:25)
  24. Batdance (Edit) (4:07)
  25. Thieves In The Temple (3:21)
  26. Cream (4:13) 3
  27. Mountains (3:58) 4
  28. Girls & Boys (Edit) (3:28) 1
  29. If I Was Your Girlfriend (Edit) (3:46)
  30. U Got The Look (3:48)
  31. I Could Never Take The Place Of Your Man (Edit/fade) (3:41)
  32. Glam Slam (Edit) (3:31)
  33. Moonbeam Levels (4:06)
  34. Diamonds And Pearls (Edit) (4:20) 3
  35. Gett Off (UK Single Remix) (4:00) 3
  36. Sexy M.F. (5:26) 5
  37. My Name Is Prince (Edit) (4:04) 6
  38. 7 (Album Edit) (4:23) 7
  39. Peach (3:48)
  40. Nothing Compares 2 U (4:19)


4-LP

  • Side 1:
  1. 1999 (Edit) (3:39)
  2. Little Red Corvette (Edit) (3:09)
  3. When Doves Cry (Edit) (3:48)
  4. Let’s Go Crazy (Edit) (3:50) 1
  5. Raspberry Beret (3:35) 1
  6. I Wanna Be Your Lover (Edit) (3:00)
  • Side 2:
  1. Soft And Wet (Edit) (3:05) 2 †
  2. Why You Wanna Treat Me So Bad? (3:51)
  3. Uptown (Edit) (4:11)
  4. When You Were Mine (3:46)
  5. Head (4:46)
  6. Gotta Stop (Messin’ About) (Edit) (2:57) †
  • Side 3:
  1. Controversy (Edit) (3:38)
  2. Let’s Work (Edit) (3:02)
  3. Delirious (Edit) (2:41)
  4. I Would Die 4 U (Single Version) (2:59) 1
  5. Take Me With U (Edit) (3:44) 1
  6. Paisley Park (4:44) 1
  • Side 4:
  1. Pop Life (3:45) 1,8
  2. Purple Rain (8:41) 1
  3. Kiss (Single Version) (3:46) 1
  4. Sign O’ The Times (Edit) (3:44)
  • Side 5:
  1. Alphabet St. (Edit) (2:25)
  2. Batdance (Edit) (4:07)
  3. Thieves In The Temple (3:21)
  4. Cream(4:13) 3
  5. Mountains (3:58) 4
  6. Girls & Boys (Edit) (3:28) 1
  • Side 6:
  1. If I Was Your Girlfriend (Edit) (3:46)
  2. U Got The Look (3:48)
  3. I Could Never Take The Place Of Your Man (Edit/fade) (3:41)
  4. Glam Slam (Edit) (3:31)
  5. Moonbeam Levels (4:06)
  • Side 7:
  1. Diamonds And Pearls (Edit) (4:20) 3
  2. Gett Off (UK Single Remix) (4:00) 3
  3. Sexy M.F. (5:26) 5
  4. My Name Is Prince (Edit) (4:04) 6
  • Side 8:
  1. 7 (Album Edit) (4:23) 7
  2. Peach (3:48)
  3. Nothing Compares 2 U (4:19)


All songs written by Prince, except where noted.
1  Written by Prince (credited to Prince and the Revolution)
2  Music by Prince, lyrics by Prince and Chris Moon
3  Written by Prince (credited to Prince and the New Power Generation)
4  Written by Prince (lyrics), Wendy Melvoin (music) and Lisa Coleman (music) (credited to Prince and the Revolution) 5  Written by Prince, Tony M. and Levi Seacer, Jr.
6  Written by Prince, rap written by Tony M.
7  Written by Prince (credited to Prince and the New Power Generation); co-written by Lowell Fulsom and Jimmy McCracklin
8  String interlude composed by Lisa Coleman and Wendy Melvoin
†  Listed as "edit", but in fact same in length as earlier versions



Personnel
Musicians


Production


  • Art direction & design - Alex Tenta
  • Front cover photo - Justine Walpole
  • Inside panel photo - Madison Dubé
  • All other photos - Herb Ritts/Trunk Archive
  • Liner Notes - President Barack Obama


Thanks
  • Special thanks to the Estate of Prince Rogers Nelson



Releases
LP, CD, Cassettes and Other versions
Country Format Cat. Number Comments Front Back Label 1 Label 2
USA CD 558509-2 digipak
Europe CD 9362-49146-0 digipak
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Europe CD 9362-49140-7 jewelcase
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Canada CD 9362-49146-0 digipak
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Australia CD 9362-49146-0 digipak
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Argentina CD 558509-2 / 9362-49146-0 digipak
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Brazil CD 0093624914075 jewelcase
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Mexico CD 4914600 digipak
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Japan CD WPCR 17568/7 digipak
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Korea CD WX2PD-0377 / 558509-2 digipak
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Taiwan CD 9362-49146-0 digipak
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South Africa CD WBCD2374 digipak
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Variants, Special Editions and Reissues
Country Format Cat. Number Comments Front Back Label 1 Label 2
USA LP 558509-1 4LP released in September 2017
 

 

 
Additional Information
Promotion (at time of release) Trivia
  • While Prince had released a track titled 4ever on his 2009 album Lotusflow3r, it was likely never considered for inclusion on this compilation as the album was not released on Warner Bros. and was released a long time after the period of work that is included here.
References
2016
Hitnrun Phase Two 		All Albums All Related Artists Albums 2017
Purple Rain Deluxe
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