| His Majesty’s Pop Life (subtitled "The Purple Mix Club") is a compilation album of Prince’s studio work, initially released in 1985 as a promotional record in Japan only, following the commercial release of Around The World In A Day and its associated singles. At that time, it was Prince’s third promotional compilation album (after a 1984 sampler and Strange Tales From the Rain). His Majesty’s Pop Life was re-released worldwide in a limited quantity (14 000 copies) for the Record Store Day on 13 April 2019, becoming Prince’s eight compilation album and the fifth posthumous release. In 2020, the album received a wider retail release in Japan only, including its first release on CD.
The first disc includes versions of the tracks released as singles from Around The World In A Day (only America is included in its album version, while the others are remixes originally included on the various 12" single vinyl releases).
The second disc includes versions of some of the single releases from the previous two albums, 1999 and Purple Rain, with the addition of the extended version of Erotic City, which had been released as the b-side of Let’s Go Crazy.
As such, the double-disc album comprises recordings from three Prince/Prince and the Revolution studio albums (although mostly in different versions) and one single, all released originally between 1982 and 1985. Because of the separation of tracks from different eras over the two discs, the second disc is almost double the length of the first, and, as such, the first is played at 45 rpm (which was standard for singles), and the second at 33 ⅓ rpm (the standard for LPs).
Of note is that both Prince and Sheila E. had created remixes of Pop Life, and the version included on the record is billed as Pop Life (Fresh Dance Mix) (the one created by Sheila E.) while it is the Extended Version created by Prince instead.
Promotion
With a limited number pressed and distributed only to DJ’s in Japan, the 1985 release of His Majesty’s Pop Life became a collectible item. The 2019 reissue was a special release for the Record Store Day, with 14 000 copies available worldwide (on the same day as a cassette replica of The Versace Experience (Prelude 2 Gold)). The cover of the reissue bears the NPG Records inprint as well as The Prince Estate and Warner Bros. Records logos and a “WRECKA STOW DAY EXCLUSIVE” sticker referring to a scene in the Under The Cherry Moon film. The compilation was re-released on CD in Japan in 2020.
The compilation reached number 184 on The Billboard 200 and 19 on the Billboard Top R&B Albums charts.
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2018: Piano & A Microphone 1983 ◄
