Album: Ultimate

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2006: 3121 ◄ All Prince Albums All Related Artists Albums ► 2007: Planet Earth
Ultimate
Ultimate album artwork

Album details

Released: 17 April 2006 (released and withdrawn in Greece and elsewhere)
21 August 2006 (UK)
22 August 2006 (USA)
Length: 77:14; 79:06
Label(s): Warner Bros.
Studio(s): Alpha Studios, Burbank, CA, USA; Kiowa Trail Home Studio, Chanhassen, MN, USA; Hollywood Sound Recorders, Los Angeles, CA, USA; Sunset Sound, Hollywood, CA, USA; First Avenue (in Record Plant Remote - Black Truck (from New York, NY in Minneapolis, MN USA); Paisley Park Studios, Chanhassen, MN, USA; Warner Pioneer Studios, Tokyo, Japan; The Warehouse, St. Louis Park, MN, USA

Charts, Certifications & Awards

Charts
America
Country: Chart Entry Date Peak Position Weeks in Chart
USA: The Billboard 200 9 Sep. 2006 61 5
USA: Billboard Top R&B/Hip Hop Albums 9 Sep. 2006 31 7
USA: The Billboard 200 4 Aug. 2012 55R 6
USA: The Billboard 200 7 May 2016 6R 10
R indicates re-entry of an album that had already charted.
Europe
Country: Chart Entry Date Peak Position Weeks in Chart
Austria: Alben Top 75 20 Oct. 2006 46 3
Belgium: Ultratop Album (Vl) 16 Sep. 2006 46 11
Belgium: Ultratop Album (Wa) 16 Sep. 2006 52 4
Denmark: Danmarks Hitlist 25 Jun. 2006 6 9
France: SNEP Top 40 Compilations 26 Aug. 2006 12 6
The Netherlands: Album Top 100 9 Sep. 2006 39 7
Portugal: AFP Portugal Albums Top 30 Week 43/2006 14 4 R
Switzerland: Schweizer Hitparade 10 Sep. 2006 58 2
U.K.: UK Albums Chart 2 Sep. 2006 6 12
Pacific
Country: Chart Entry Date Peak Position Weeks in Chart
New Zealand: Album Charts 25 Sep. 2006 3(1) 10
Certifications
BPI (UK) 21 Sep. 2007 Gold (100,000 sold)
BPI (UK) 24 Jan. 2014 Platinum (300,000 sold)
Awards
This album has not received any awards in the USA

Singles released

See also

Ultimate
(Sheet Music) 		 

Alternate Album Configuration

  • Late 2005 configuration
An earlier tracklist for Ultimate included Purple Medley as an opening track, as well as some other variations. Notably, the extended versions and remixes were included throughout the compilation, rather than placed on the second disc. Prince asked that Erotic City and Sexy Mutha be removed due to their explicit lyrics. The full track list is as follows:


Disc 1
  1. Purple Medley
  2. I Wanna Be Your Lover
  3. Uptown
  4. Controversy
  5. 1999
  6. Little Red Corvette (Dance Mix)
  7. Let’s Go Crazy (Special Dance Mix)
  8. Erotic City (12" Version)
  9. Purple Rain
  10. When Doves Cry
  11. I Would Die 4 U
  12. Pop Life (Fresh Dance Mix)
  13. She’s Always In My Hair (12" Version)
  14. Raspberry Beret (12" Version)


Disc 2
  1. Kiss (Extended Version)
  2. Sign O’ The Times
  3. U Got The Look (Long Look)
  4. I Could Never Take The Place Of Your Man
  5. Hot Thing (Extended Remix)
  6. Alphabet St.
  7. Thieves In The Temple (Remix)
  8. Diamonds And Pearls
  9. Gett Off
  10. Money Don’t Matter 2 Night
  11. Cream (N.P.G. Mix)
  12. 7 (Acoustic Version)
  13. Sexy Mutha
  14. Nothing Compares 2 U
  15. My Name Is Prince
Ultimate is the fifth compilation album of Prince’s Warner Bros. studio work, released in August 2006 (five years after the previous compilation, The Very Best Of Prince). It comprises only Warner Bros.-era recordings under the name Prince from twelve studio albums, released originally between 1979 and 1993.

Some tracks are included in extended or remixed form (taken from 12" or CD singles), and within each disc, tracks are included in loose chronological order based on their release as singles.

The first disc included single edits or album versions of tracks, while the second included remixes or extended versions previously only available on singles. There was no overlap between the discs' tracks. The first disc contained 17 tracks, 16 of which had been included on The Hits 1 or The Hits 2, and ten of which had been included on The Very Best Of Prince.

The second disc contained eleven tracks, and while none of them had appeared on a previous compilation in remixed / extended form, seven had appeared on The Hits 1 or The Hits 2 in their album version or single edit, one (She’s Always In My Hair) had appeared on The B-Sides (included as the third and final disc on The Hits / The B-Sides), and seven had appeared on The Very Best Of Prince in their album version or single edit.

Only My Name Is Prince, Let’s Work and Hot Thing had not appeared on a previous compilation album in any form.

An early version of the album was planned in late 2005 - early 2006 with a different tracklisting (see below for details) and was planned by Warner Bros. with a 21 March 2006 release. Prince cooperated with the release, and revised a proposed tracklist.

Once his new album, 3121, was announced with the same release date, Ultimate was postponed (it is unclear if Warner Bros. or Prince wanted this postponement). The packaging for Ultimate was finalized, printed and CD’s were pressed and distributed to wholesalers; with a recall on such short notice over a 1,000 copies ended up in shops and being sold in the US, Australia mid March 2006, and in Greece a month later (on 17 April 2006).

The DVD of the Diamonds And Pearls Video Collection was released on the same day as Ultimate.


Promotion

No singles were released to promote Ultimate, and the album reached only number 61 on The Billboard 200. It reached number 31 on the US Billboard Top R&B/Hip Hop Albums Chart, and number 6 on the UK Albums Chart.



Track listing
CD Digital

The compact disc version is the original issue.

  • Disc 1:
  1. I Wanna Be Your Lover (2:57)
  2. Uptown (4:09)
  3. Controversy (7:15)
  4. 1999 (3:37)
  5. Delirious (2:38)
  6. When Doves Cry (3:47)
  7. I Would Die 4 U (2:56) 1
  8. Purple Rain (8:40) 1
  9. Sign O’ The Times (3:42)
  10. I Could Never Take The Place Of Your Man (3:39)
  11. Alphabet St. (5:38)
  12. Diamonds And Pearls (4:19) 2
  13. Gett Off (4:31) 2
  14. Money Don’t Matter 2 Night (4:47)2
  15. 7 (5:08) 3
  16. Nothing Compares 2 U (4:57) 2
  17. My Name Is Prince (4:03) 4
  • Disc 2:
  1. Let’s Go Crazy (Special Dance Mix) (7:36) 1
  2. Little Red Corvette (Dance Remix) (8:22)
  3. Let’s Work (Dance Remix) (8:02)
  4. Pop Life (Fresh Dance Mix) (6:18) 1,5
  5. She’s Always In My Hair (12" Version) (6:31) 1
  6. Raspberry Beret (12" Version) (6:34) 1
  7. Kiss (Extended Version) (7:16) 1
  8. U Got The Look (Long Look) (6:40)
  9. Hot Thing (Extended Remix) (8:30)
  10. Thieves In The Temple (Remix) (8:08)
  11. Cream (N.P.G. Mix) (4:50) 2

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

  1. I Wanna Be Your Lover (2:57)
  2. Uptown (4:09)
  3. Controversy (7:15)
  4. 1999 (3:37)
  5. Delirious (2:38)
  6. When Doves Cry (3:47)
  7. I Would Die 4 U (2:56) 1
  8. Purple Rain (8:40) 1
  9. Sign O’ The Times (3:42)
  10. I Could Never Take The Place Of Your Man (3:39)
  11. Alphabet St. (5:38)
  12. Diamonds And Pearls (4:19) 2
  13. Gett Off (4:31) 2
  14. Money Don’t Matter 2 Night (4:47)2
  15. 7 (5:08) 3
  16. Nothing Compares 2 U (4:57) 2
  17. My Name Is Prince (4:03) 4
  18. Let’s Go Crazy (Special Dance Mix) (7:36) 1
  19. Little Red Corvette (Dance Remix) (8:22)
  20. Let’s Work (Dance Remix) (8:02)
  21. Pop Life (Fresh Dance Mix) (6:18) 1,5
  22. She’s Always In My Hair (12" Version) (6:31) 1
  23. Raspberry Beret (12" Version) (6:34) 1
  24. Kiss (Extended Version) (7:16) 1
  25. U Got The Look (Long Look) (6:40)
  26. Hot Thing (Extended Remix) (8:30)
  27. Thieves In The Temple (Remix) (8:08)
  28. Cream (N.P.G. Mix) (4:50) 2

All songs written by Prince, except where noted.
1 Written by Prince (credited to Prince and the Revolution)
2 Written by Prince (credited to Prince and the New Power Generation)
3 Written by Prince (credited to Prince and the New Power Generation); co-written by Lowell Fulsom and Jimmy McCracklin
4 Written by Prince, rap written by Tony M.
5 String interlude composed by Lisa Coleman and Wendy Melvoin



Personnel
Musicians


Production


Thanks
  • none.



Releases
LP, CD, Cassettes and Other versions
Country Format Cat. Number Comments Front Back Label 1 Label 2
USA CD R2 73381 Slipcover
Argentina CD 8122-73381-2
Australia CD 8122733812
EU CD 8122 73381 2
Japan CD WPCR-12287/8
Japan CD WPCR-16037/8
Korea CD 8122 73381 2
Russia CD 4,67E+12
Russia CD R2 73381
Taiwan CD 8122 73381 2
South Africa CD CDESP 234

Variants, Special Editions and Reissues
Country Format Cat. Number Comments Front Back Label 1 Label 2
USA Digital n/a iTunes
 

 

 
Additional Information
Promotion (at time of release) Trivia
  • Ultimate entered the French Top 40 Compilation Albums chart at position 13 on 19 August 2006 and peaked at number 12 the week after. It remained in the chart for 6 weeks, and exited it on 30 September 2006.
References
2006
3121 		All Albums All Related Artists Albums 2007
Planet Earth
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