Album: Rave Un2 The Joy Fantastic

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Thevault...oldfriends4sale album.jpg 1999: The Vault... Old Friends 4 Sale All Prince Albums All Related Artists Albums 2001: Rave In2 The Joy Fantastic Ravein2thejoyfantastic album.jpg
Rave Un2 The Joy Fantastic

Rave Un2 The Joy Fantastic album cover

Album details


Released: 9 November 1999
Length: 69:52
Label(s): NPG Records / Arista Records
Studio(s): Paisley Park Studios, Chanhassen, MN, USA; Electric Lady Studios, New York, NY, USA; O’Henry Sound Studios, Burbank, CA, USA; Olympic Studios, London, England

Charts, Certifications & Awards


Charts
Country: Chart Entry Date Peak Position Weeks in Chart
USA: The Billboard 200 27 Nov. 1999 18 15
USA: Billboard Top R&B Albums 27 Nov. 1999 8 16
USA: Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop Catalog Albums 11 May 2019 (2019 Re-release) 7 1
USA: Billboard Vinyl Albums 11 May 2019 (2019 Re-release) 12 1
USA: Billboard R&B Album Sales 11 May 2019 (as a part of the 2019 Ultimate Rave box-set) 6 7
USA: Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop Album Sales 11 May 2019 (as a part of the 2019 Ultimate Rave box-set) 11 3
USA: Billboard Top Current Albums 11 May 2019 (as a part of the 2019 Ultimate Rave box-set) 60 1
USA: Billboard Top Album Sales 11 May 2019 (as a part of the 2019 Ultimate Rave box-set) 69 1
USA: Billboard Tastemaker Albums 11 May 2019 (as a part of the 2019 Ultimate Rave box-set) 20 1
 
Europe
Country: Chart Entry Date Peak Position Weeks in Chart
France: SNEP Top Album 75 13 Nov. 1999 37 3
The Netherlands: Album Top 100 13 Nov. 1999 17 13
Certifications
Institution, Country Date Certification
RIAA (USA) 10 Dec. 1999 Gold (500,000)
Awards
Institution, Country Date Award
Top Major Label Release 22 Apr. 2000 Minnesota Music Awards
Best R&B Album 22 Apr. 2000 Minnesota Music Awards

Singles released


The Greatest Romance Ever Sold
b/w The Greatest Romance Ever Sold
Thegreatestromance single.jpg
Baby Knows (Holland promo only)
b/w None
Babyknows single.jpg
Man‘O’War (promo only)
b/w Man‘O’War
Manowar single.jpg

See also


Rave In2 the Joy Fantastic
(Album)
Ultimate Rave
(Collection)
Ravein2thejoyfantastic album.jpg
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Rave Un2 The Joy Fantastic is Prince’s 23rd full-length studio album, and the sixth to be released using the name SymbolSmallerBlue.png. It was his first and only album to be released by Arista Records. It was released worldwide in November 1999 (just two and a half months after the vault album The Vault... Old Friends 4 Sale).

The album was overseen by music industry executive Clive Davis, who had used guest stars to revive the career of Santana and others. Rather than the guest stars receiving payment for their appearances, Prince repaid the favor by offering to record with them for their own projects, although only Waiting Room by No Doubt, Providence by Ani DiFranco and versions of The Greatest Romance Ever Sold and Baby Knows by Maceo Parker have been released.

It is not known if recordings took place with Chuck D, Eve or Sheryl Crow (the cover of Everyday Is A Winding Road may have repaid the favor, as Crow would receive writer’s royalties for the track).

The album was later given a companion piece, Rave In2 The Joy Fantastic, containing many of the same tracks, and remixes/extended versions of others. While Rave Un2 The Joy Fantastic was clearly intended to be a commercial hit, Rave In2 The Joy Fantastic seemed to be more closely tied to Prince’s musical interests of the time.


Sessions and compiling

The title track was recorded in July 1988 (initially titled Rave Unto The Joy Fantastic) and served as the title track of an unreleased 1988 album, Rave Unto The Joy Fantastic. The rest of the tracks were recorded between June 1998 and mid-September 1999. The album contains a cover version of Sheryl Crow’s Everyday Is A Winding Road, while the rest of the tracks were written by Prince (as SymbolSmallerBlue.png).

The album was produced by "Prince", marking the first "new" use of the name since changing his name to SymbolSmallerBlue.png in 1993 (before "Prince" was announced as the producer, several articles and interviews had stated that for the first time, Prince (as SymbolSmallerBlue.png) would be using an outside producer for commercial appeal).

While the album is largely recorded solely by Prince (as SymbolSmallerBlue.png), the album features a number of famous guest-stars, in keeping with a trend of the time. Undisputed featured Public Enemy rapper Chuck D. Hot Wit U featured rapper Eve.

So Far, So Pleased featured No Doubt singer Gwen Stefani. Baby Knows featured Sheryl Crow. EyeBlue.png Love U, But EyeBlue.png Don’t Trust U Anymore featured independent singer-songwriter Ani DiFranco.

The hidden track, Prettyman, featured the first appearance on a Prince-related track of saxophonist Maceo Parker, with whom Prince would work a lot in the years to come.


Promotion

The album produced only one commercially-released single, The Greatest Romance Ever Sold (which preceded the album), and also produced two promotional singles, Baby Knows and Man‘O’War. The Hot X-perience, a vinyl 12" single containing remixes of Hot Wit U, was also planned for release in 2000, and advertised on Love4oneanother.com, but was ultimately left unreleased.

Prince (as SymbolSmallerBlue.png) did not launch a full-scale tour to support the album, but during the month of the album’s release he performed on ten different European TV shows, along with a few one-off live shows to promote the album. A pay-per-view special shown on New Year’s Eve 1999, titled Rave Un2 the Year 2000, also served as a promotional tool for the album.

The album reached number 18 on The Billboard 200, and number 8 on the Billboard Top R&B Albums chart.

On 26 April 2019, the album was re-released by The Prince Estate and Sony’s Legacy Recordings on the same day as its companion piece Rave In2 The Joy Fantastic. A box-set named Ultimate Rave containing both albums and the Rave Un2 The Year 2000 DVD was also released on this day.



Track listing
CD MC

The compact disc version is the original issue.

  1. Rave Un2 The Joy Fantastic (4:19) 1 
  2. Undisputed (4:20) 2 
  3. The Greatest Romance Ever Sold (5:30)
  4. Segue (0:04)
  5. Hot Wit U (5:11)
  6. Tangerine (1:31)
  7. So Far, So Pleased (3:24)
  8. The Sun, The Moon And Stars (5:16)
  9. Everyday Is A Winding Road (6:13) 3 
  10. Segue (0:19)
  11. Man‘O’War (5:15)
  12. Baby Knows (3:19)
  13. EyeBlue.png Love U, But EyeBlue.png Don’t Trust U Anymore (3:36)
  14. Silly Game (3:30)
  15. Strange But True (4:13)
  16. Wherever U Go, Whatever U Do (3:16) (track time is 8:51 including silence after track)
  17. Segue (0:44) (not listed on back cover)
  18. Prettyman (4:25) (not listed on back cover)

The MC format was released at same time as the CD.

  • Side 1:
  1. Rave Un2 The Joy Fantastic (4:19) 1 
  2. Undisputed (4:20) 2 
  3. The Greatest Romance Ever Sold (5:30)
  4. Segue (0:04)
  5. Hot Wit U (5:11)
  6. Tangerine (1:31)
  7. So Far, So Pleased (3:24)
  8. The Sun, The Moon And Stars (5:16)
  • Side 2:
  1. Everyday Is A Winding Road (6:13) 3 
  2. Segue (0:19)
  3. Man‘O’War (5:15)
  4. Baby Knows (3:19)
  5. EyeBlue.png Love U, But EyeBlue.png Don’t Trust U Anymore (3:36)
  6. Silly Game (3:30)
  7. Strange But True (4:13)
  8. Wherever U Go, Whatever U Do (3:16) (track time is 8:51 including silence after track)
  9. Segue (0:44) (not listed on back cover)
  10. Prettyman (4:25) (not listed on back cover)


LP

The LP format was released at the same time as the CD.

  • Side 1:
  1. Rave Un2 The Joy Fantastic (4:19) 1 
  2. Undisputed (4:20) 2 
  3. The Greatest Romance Ever Sold (5:30)
  • Side 2:
  1. Segue (0:04)
  2. Hot Wit U (5:11)
  3. Tangerine (1:31)
  4. So Far, So Pleased (3:24)
  5. The Sun, The Moon And Stars (5:16)
  • Side 3:
  1. Everyday Is A Winding Road (6:13) 3 
  2. Segue (0:19)
  3. Man‘O’War (5:15)
  4. Baby Knows (3:19)
  • Side 4:
  1. EyeBlue.png Love U, But EyeBlue.png Don’t Trust U Anymore (3:36)
  2. Silly Game (3:30)
  3. Strange But True (4:13)
  4. Wherever U Go, Whatever U Do (3:16) (track time is 8:51 including silence after track)
  5. Segue (0:44) (not listed on back cover)
  6. Prettyman (4:25) (not listed on back cover)

All songs written by Prince (as SymbolSmallerBlue.png) except where indicated.

1  Written by Prince
2  Written with Chuck D
3  Written by Sheryl Crow, Jeff Trott and Brian McLeod



Personnel
Musicians


Production


Thanks



Releases
LP, CD, Cassettes and Other versions
Country Format Cat. Number Comments Front Back Label 1 Label 2

USA CD 07822-14624-2 reflective image digipak design center center center center

Variants, Special Editions and Reissues
Country Format Cat. Number Comments Front Back Label 1 Label 2

None

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Additional Information

Promotion (at time of release) Trivia

  • The album was heavily marketed, with many large-name guest appearances on the album, in a similar vein to other contemporary albums like Santana’s Supernatural. Both albums were largely spearheaded by Clive Davis, who saw this as a return-to-form for Prince.
  • Prince (as SymbolSmallerBlue.png) gave several media interviews at the time, stating that having Prince as an "outside producer" would make the album tighter in the vein of Prince’s 1980s output.
  • Prince (as SymbolSmallerBlue.png) performed a short promotional tour, including some shows and several TV performances in the UK and throughout Europe, listed here and here.
  • Soon after release, the album was promoted with a pay-per-view special shown on New Year’s Eve 1999, titled Rave Un2 the Year 2000, which comprised live material filmed at Paisley Park Studios. While the show largely comprised hits and older material, it served as a promotional tool for the album, and a few songs from the album were performed.

References
Thevault...oldfriends4sale album.jpg 1999
The Vault... Old Friends 4 Sale
All Albums All Related Artists Albums 2001
Rave In2 The Joy Fantastic
Ravein2thejoyfantastic album.jpg