Emancipation is the 19th full-length studio album by Prince (his third using the name  ) and the first album to be released following the end of Prince’s contract with Warner Bros., which ended less than a week prior to this album’s release. It is also Prince’s first released triple album. It was released worldwide in November 1996 (just four months after Chaos And Disorder).
Sessions and compiling
Prince (as ) began recording songs for the album in January 1995, and work continued on the album until October 1996. Somebody’s Somebody, Courtin’ Time, The Plan and New World are the only songs known to have been recorded earlier. An album titled New World was compiled sometimes in 1995 and most of the songs were also at some point, considered for Emancipation. It is not entirely clear whether he viewed these two albums as entirely separate projects or simply saw these as two names for the same project; for clarity’s sake, information pertaining to Emancipation (including its early configurations) is listed here, and information regarding New World is listed on that album’s page.
Three early configurations, from early 1995, July 1995, and an unknown date in 1995, are known, but all were single-disc sets and should be viewed as works-in-progress (see below for details). According to Michael B., the idea of releasing a triple album emerged when Prince saw how double-album sales were counted by SoundScan with Michael Jackson’s album HIStory: Past, Present and Future, Book I released in June 1995 (the sale of one 2-CD set being counted as two copies sold). On 20 September 1995 (a.m.), during a concert at Paisley Park Studios, Chanhassen, MN, Prince announced that Dallas Austin would co-produce his next album: "It’s called Emancipation: 52 songs, 80 dollars. Save your money!". Austin is not known to have worked with Prince in the studio, and the advertised number of songs (52) was probably humorous, but it indicates that the idea of going further than a single-disc set was in development.
The album was largely a solo work, although it also contains tracks showing Prince’s transition from the 1993-5 version of The New Power Generation (with Michael B., Sonny T., Tommy Barbarella and Mr. Hayes) to the new 1996, version of the band (containing Kirk Johnson, Rhonda Smith, Kat Dyson, Mr. Hayes and Eric Leeds).
The album is also Prince’s first to include cover versions of others’ songs (indeed the first commercial single release, Betcha By Golly Wow!, was a cover version). He has occasionally included cover versions on albums since Emancipation. Each of the album’s three CDs contains 12 tracks and lasts exactly 60:00 - Prince mentioned in interviews that this was planned based on his studies of Egypt, "the building of the pyramids and how the pyramids were related to the constellations. They were a message from the Egyptians about how civilization really started."
Promotion
The album produced two commercially-released singles, Betcha By Golly Wow! and The Holy River. Eleven months prior to the album’s release, Slave was given out as a cassette single to concert goers at a Paisley Park Studios show.
Additionally, following the album’s release, Somebody’s Somebody, Face Down and  Can’t Make U Love Me were available as promotional releases. EMI Records went bankrupt during the album’s promotional run, however, stalling all promotion for the album. Prince (as ) also independently released a live single, NYC, containing live versions of Jam Of The Year and Face Down.
Prince (as ) toured extensively to promote the album on the Love 4 One Another Charities Tour and the Jam Of The Year World Tour, although the tours focuses largely on past hits, with only a few songs from Emancipation played regularly. Prince (as ) also made multiple television appearances and media interviews to support the album, and labeled it "the album I was born to make".
The album reached number 11 on The Billboard 200, and number 6 on the Billboard Top R&B Albums Chart. On 7 February 1997, the album was certified 2x platinum by the RIAA in the USA based on the number of discs sold (666,666 3-discs sets).
On 13 September 2019, the album was re-released by The Prince Estate and Sony’s Legacy Recordings on the same day as reissues of Chaos And Disorder and The Versace Experience (Prelude 2 Gold).
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Track listing
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MC
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The compact disc version is the original issue.
- Jam Of The Year (6:09)
- Right Back Here In My Arms (4:33) 1
- Somebody’s Somebody (4:43) 2
- Get Yo Groove On (6:31)
- Courtin’ Time (2:46)
- Betcha By Golly Wow! (3:30) 3
- We Gets Up (4:17)
- White Mansion (4:47)
- Damned If Do (5:20)
- Can’t Make U Love Me (6:37) 4
- Mr. Happy (4:46) 5
- In This Bed Scream (5:40)
- Sex In The Summer (5:56)
- One Kiss At A Time (4:40)
- Soul Sanctuary (4:41) 6
- Emale (3:37)
- Curious Child (2:57)
- Dreamin’ About U (3:52)
- Joint 2 Joint (7:51) 1
- The Holy River (6:55)
- Let’s Have A Baby (4:07)
- Saviour (5:48)
- The Plan (1:46)
- Friend, Lover, Sister, Mother/Wife (7:37)
- Slave (4:51)
- New World (3:42)
- The Human Body (5:41)
- Face Down (3:16) 1
- La, La, La Means Love U (3:58) 7
- Style (6:40) 8
- Sleep Around (7:41) 9
- Da, Da, Da (5:15) 10
- My Computer (4:36)
- One Of Us (5:19) 11
- The Love We Make (4:38)
- Emancipation (4:12)
LP 2019 re-release
- Jam Of The Year (6:09)
- Right Back Here In My Arms (4:33) 1
- Somebody’s Somebody (4:43) 2
- Get Yo Groove On (6:31)
- Courtin’ Time (2:46)
- Betcha By Golly Wow! (3:30) 3
- We Gets Up (4:17)
- White Mansion (4:47)
- Damned If Do (5:20)
- Can’t Make U Love Me (6:37) 4
- Mr. Happy (4:46) 5
- In This Bed Scream (5:40)
- Sex In The Summer (5:56)
- One Kiss At A Time (4:40)
- Soul Sanctuary (4:41) 6
- Emale (3:37)
- Curious Child (2:57)
- Dreamin’ About U (3:52)
- Joint 2 Joint (7:51) 1
- The Holy River (6:55)
- Let’s Have A Baby (4:07)
- Saviour (5:48)
- The Plan (1:46)
- Friend, Lover, Sister, Mother/Wife (7:37)
- Slave (4:51)
- New World (3:42)
- The Human Body (5:41)
- Face Down (3:16) 1
- La, La, La Means Love U (3:58) 7
- Style (6:40) 8
- Sleep Around (7:41) 9
- Da, Da, Da (5:15) 10
- My Computer (4:36)
- One Of Us (5:19) 11
- The Love We Make (4:38)
- Emancipation (4:12)
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The MC was released at same time as the CD.
- Jam Of The Year (6:09)
- Right Back Here In My Arms (4:42) 1
- Somebody’s Somebody (4:43) 2
- Get Yo Groove On (6:31)
- Courtin’ Time (2:46)
- Betcha By Golly Wow! (3:30) 3
- We Gets Up (4:17)
- White Mansion (4:47)
- Damned If Do (5:20)
- Can’t Make U Love Me (6:37) 4
- Mr. Happy (4:46) 5
- In This Bed Scream (5:40)
- Sex In The Summer (5:56)
- One Kiss At A Time (4:40)
- Soul Sanctuary (4:41) 6
- Emale (3:37)
- Curious Child (2:57)
- Dreamin’ About U (3:52)
- Joint 2 Joint (7:51) 1
- The Holy River (6:55)
- Let’s Have A Baby (4:07)
- Saviour (5:48)
- The Plan (1:46)
- Friend, Lover, Sister, Mother/Wife (7:37)
- Slave (4:51)
- New World (3:42)
- The Human Body (5:41)
- Face Down (3:16) 1
- La, La, La Means Love U (3:58) 7
- Style (6:40) 8
- Sleep Around (7:41) 9
- Da, Da, Da (5:15) 10
- My Computer (4:36)
- One Of Us (5:19) 11
- The Love We Make (4:38)
- Emancipation (4:12)
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All songs written by Prince (as ) except where indicated.
1 Lyrics co-written with Ninety-9 (uncredited and sampled from other songs)
2 Written with Brenda Lee Eager and Hilliard Wilson
3 Written by Thomas Randolph Bell and Linda Creed
4 Written by Mike Reid and Allen Shamblin
5 Lyrics co-written with Scrap D. (uncredited); Contains a sample of What Can I Do? by Ice Cube (written by Leon Ware, Arthur Ross, Ice Cube, Mychal-Kaye Simmons and Victor Nathan Taylor)
6 Lyrics co-written with Sandra St. Victor, Johnny Kemp (uncredited) and T. Hammer (uncredited)
7 Written by Thomas Randolph Bell and William Hart
8 Contains a sample of Atomic Dog performed by George Clinton (written by Garry Marshall Shider, David Lee Spradley and George Clinton Jr.)
9 Contains a replay section from "Squib Cakes" (miscredited as "Squibcakes") by Tower Of Power (written by Chester Thompson)
10 Lyrics co-written with Scrap D. (uncredited)
11 Written by Eric M. Bazilian
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Personnel
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| Musicians
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- Prince (as ) - all vocals and instruments except where noted (credited separately as "Azifwekaré" for "jobless pothead" on Style)
- Kirk Johnson - drums (unspecified tracks)
- Rosie Gaines - additional vocals on Jam Of The Year
- Eric Leeds - tenor saxophone and flute on Jam Of The Year, baritone saxophone on Get Yo Groove On, horns on We Gets Up, Sex In The Summer ("part 2") and Style, saxophone on Can’t Make U Love Me, Emale and Dreamin’ About U
- Walter Chancellor Jr. - saxophone on Jam Of The Year and Style
- Ninety-9 - vocal sample on Right Back Here In My Arms and Face Down, spoken word on Joint 2 Joint
- Rhonda Smith - bass on Get Yo Groove On, We Gets Up, Sex In The Summer ("part 2") and Dreamin’ About U, additional vocals on Get Yo Groove On, fretless bass on Can’t Make U Love Me
- Kathleen Dyson - additional vocals on Get Yo Groove On, "dirty guitar" on Sex In The Summer ("part 2"), guitar on Emale, Dreamin’ About U and The Love We Make
- Mr. Hayes - additional vocals on Get Yo Groove On (as "Montalbo Stewart"), keyboards on Betcha By Golly Wow!, Saviour and One Of Us
- Michael B. Nelson - trombone (credited collectively as the NPG Hornz) on Courtin’ Time, Damned If Do, Saviour and Sleep Around
- Steve Strand - trumpet (credited collectively as the NPG Hornz) on Courtin’ Time, Damned If Do, Saviour and Sleep Around
- Dave Jensen - trumpet (credited collectively as the NPG Hornz) on Courtin’ Time, Damned If Do, Saviour and Sleep Around
- Kathy Jensen - baritone saxophone (credited collectively as the NPG Hornz) on Courtin’ Time, Damned If Do, Saviour and Sleep Around
- Brian Gallagher - tenor saxophone (credited collectively as the NPG Hornz) on Courtin’ Time, Damned If Do, Saviour and Sleep Around
- Sonny T. - bass on Betcha By Golly Wow!, Saviour and One Of Us
- Michael B. - drums on Betcha By Golly Wow!, Saviour and One Of Us
- Tommy Barbarella - keyboards on Betcha By Golly Wow!, Saviour and One Of Us
- Brian Lynch - horns on We Gets Up, Emale and Style
- Janice Garcia - "bold girl" on White Mansion (and possibly on We Gets Up)
- Mayte - Spanish on Damned If Do (as “Janelle”) and background vocals on One Of Us
- Mayte’s friend (unnamed) - Spanish on Damned If Do
- Todd Burrell - additional keyboards on Can’t Make U Love Me
- Scrap D. - rap on Mr. Happy and Da, Da, Da, shouts on Style
- Ricky Peterson - piano on Sex In The Summer ("part 2"), additional keyboards on Saviour
- Savion Glover - tap performance on Joint 2 Joint
- Michael Mac - scratches on Joint 2 Joint, shouts on Style
- Hans-Martin Buff - "driver" on Joint 2 Joint
- Kathleen Bradford - additional vocals on Friend, Lover, Sister, Mother/Wife
- Rhonda Johnson - additional vocals on Friend, Lover, Sister, Mother/Wife
- Steve Parke - jeep horn on Face Down
- Chanté Moore - additional vocals on La, La, La Means Love U
- Mike Scott - guitar on La, La, La Means Love U
- Smooth G. - shouts on Style
- Kate Bush - additional vocals on My Computer
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| Production
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| Thanks
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- "Thank U - 2 my Creator, eternally Mayte, our angels, the Mojicas, Nelly, John & Jan, Mia, Hena 2000, Isis, L. Londell McMillan, also K.A.J. Productions. As always the New Power Generation - Mr. Hayes, Kirk A. Johnson, Rhonda S., K. Dyson, Eric Leeds, and on cd one track 6, and cd two track 10 - Sonny T., Michael B., and Tommy Barbarella."
"Also - Franklin Felder, Aaron L. HM Buff, R. Hahnfeldt, Steve D., Remi Watson, Juli Knapp-Winge, Parke, J. Katz, Randee St. Nicholas , George Benson, 99, Savion Glover, Chanté Moore, bMW, AOL, Billy Sparks, Tom Joyner, BET, VH1, and all the musicians, poets and distributors that believed in this xperiment in truth. The only love there is... is the love we make... Peace and B wild! - O(+>"
"Thanks, Shiva" - Emale
"Thanx Kate" - My Computer
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1996: Chaos And Disorder ◄
