| The Vault... Old Friends 4 Sale is the 22nd full-length studio album by Prince, and the first to be released under the name Prince since the 1996 Girl 6 soundtrack.
It was the last album of previously-unreleased material to be released by Warner Bros. from his 1992 contract (although they would later release the compilation albums The Very Best Of Prince and Ultimate).
It was released worldwide in August 1999 (eighteen months after Crystal Ball and three and a half years after the previous Warner Bros. release, the Girl 6 movie soundtrack).
The album was submitted to Warner Bros. in April 1996 (complete with artwork, containing photography from Prince’s 1994 book Neo Manifesto) at the same time as Chaos And Disorder, but released three years later, shortly before Prince’s new major label release on a competing label, Rave Un2 The Joy Fantastic (as  ).
The album was released under the name Prince due to the time period in which the tracks were recorded (although both It’s About That Walk and Sarah were recorded after his name change to ).
The album is a compilation of unreleased tracks from 1985-1996, however, the dates mentioned in the album credits (see below) do not appear to be accurate: "The enclosed material was written during the period beginning 1/23/1985 and ending 6/18/1994 and was originally intended 4 private use only."
Sessions and compiling
Old Friends 4 Sale is the oldest track on the album, dating from April 1985 (although the version included on the album is a significantly altered version, including revised lyrics, from 1991).
5 Women was recorded in late August or early September 1990, before horn overdubs in late 1990 or early 1991. She Spoke 2 Me was recorded in October 1991.
My Little Pill was recorded in mid-to-late March 1992. The Rest Of My Life and There Is Lonely were recorded in mid-April 1992.
Extraordinary was recorded in September 1992. It’s About That Walk was recorded in September 1993. Sarah was recorded in February 1996.
Recording dates are not known for When The Lights Go Down, but it is assumed to have been recorded in 1991 or 1992.
Early Projects
Many of the tracks were considered (or used) for other projects prior to their release on this album.
Promotion
The album produced four promo-only singles, Extraordinary (which preceded the album, in the USA), The Rest Of My Life (in Japan), 5 Women (in Germany), and It’s About That Walk (also in Germany).
Prince did not tour to support the album, and talked about the album (even on the album’s packaging) as a contractual obligation to fulfill his recording contract after his relationship with Warner Bros. had soured. Notably, the album was on the Warner Bros. label alone, rather than being shared with NPG Records.
Prince (as ) released the Beautiful Strange home video on the same day as this album, seemingly to compete with it.
The album reached number 85 on The Billboard 200, and number 33 on the Billboard Top R&B Albums chart. It was eclipsed by publicity for ’s album Rave Un2 The Joy Fantastic, released three months later.
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Personnel
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| Musicians
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- Prince - all vocals and instruments except where noted
- Michael B. - drums on The Rest Of My Life, It’s About That Walk, She Spoke 2 Me (Extended Remix), 5 Women, When The Lights Go Down (assumed), There Is Lonely, Sarah and Extraordinary
- Sonny T. - bass guitar on The Rest Of My Life, It’s About That Walk, She Spoke 2 Me (Extended Remix), When The Lights Go Down (assumed), There Is Lonely, Sarah and Extraordinary
- Levi Seacer, Jr. - guitar on The Rest Of My Life, It’s About That Walk, She Spoke 2 Me (Extended Remix), 5 Women, When The Lights Go Down (assumed), There Is Lonely and Extraordinary (uncertain involvement)
- Tommy Barbarella - keyboards (uncertain involvement) on The Rest Of My Life, It’s About That Walk, She Spoke 2 Me (Extended Remix), There Is Lonely, Sarah and Extraordinary (uncertain involvement)
- Rosie Gaines - keyboards (uncertain involvement) on The Rest Of My Life, She Spoke 2 Me (Extended Remix) and There Is Lonely
- Michael Nelson - trombone on The Rest Of My Life, It’s About That Walk, She Spoke 2 Me (Extended Remix), 5 Women and Sarah
- Brian Gallagher - tenor saxophone on The Rest Of My Life, It’s About That Walk, She Spoke 2 Me (Extended Remix), 5 Women and Sarah
- Kathy J. - baritone saxophone on The Rest Of My Life, It’s About That Walk, She Spoke 2 Me (Extended Remix), 5 Women and Sarah
- Dave Jensen - trumpet on The Rest Of My Life, It’s About That Walk, She Spoke 2 Me (Extended Remix), 5 Women and Sarah
- Steve Strand - trumpet on The Rest Of My Life, It’s About That Walk, She Spoke 2 Me (Extended Remix), 5 Women and Sarah
- Mr. Hayes - keyboards on It’s About That Walk, Sarah and Extraordinary (uncertain involvement)
- Sheila E. - hand drums on When The Lights Go Down (assumed)
- Clare Fischer - orchestration on Old Friends 4 Sale
- Kirk Johnson - credited for unknown performance
- Orchestral Players on Old Friends 4 Sale:
- Violins - Isabelle Daskoff, Francine Walsh, Mari Botnik, Pam Gates, Janice Gower, Karen Jones, Betty Moor, Irma Neumann, Assa Drori, Bill Hymanson, Oscar Chasow, Ron Clark, Henry Ferber, Erne Granat, Ed Green, Bill Hybel, Reggie Hill, Pat Johnson, Don Palmer, Sheldon Sanov, Joe Schonbrun, Terry Schonbrun and Harold Wolf.
- Violas - Pam Goldsmith, Margot Maclaine, Carol Mukagawa, Myer Bello, Alan Deverich, Norman Forrest, Alan Harshman, Jorge Moraga and David Stock.
- Cellos - Jim Arkatoff, Ray Kelley, Ray Kramer and Fred Seykora.
- Basses - Chuck Dominico and Arni Egilsson.
- Woodwinds - Gene Cipriano, Don Ashworth, John Clarke, Dave Edwards, Gary Foster, Jim Kanter, John Lowe, Dick Mitchell, Jack Nimitz, Joe Soldo and Bob Tricarico.
- Trumpets - Ray Brown, Rich Cooper, Bob Findley, Larry Ford, Bob O’Donnell and Al Vizutti.
- Trombones - Garnett Brown, Charles Loper, Morris Repass and Bill Watrous.
- French Horns - Marni Johnson, David Duke, Joe Myer, Brian O’Connor, Calvin Smith and Jim Thatcher.
- Tuba - Tommy Johnscon.
- Tympani and percussion - Brent Fischer.
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| Production
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| Thanks
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1998: The Truth ◄
