Shade Of Umber is an unreleased instrumental played live in 2012. Basic tracking of a studio version, while not confirmed, is assumed to have taken place in Spring 2013, at Paisley Park Studios in Chanhassen, Minnesota.
'Shade Of Umber was included as the fourth track on a CD found at Paisley Park Studios following Prince's death, labeled "Live Band Trax". The other tracks (Ain't Gonna Miss U When U're Gone, Screwdriver, When She Comes, Boyfriend, and The Secret Text) mostly stem from 2012 or early 2013, suggesting that this CD was compiled around that time. It is not known if the version included on the CD was a live in-studio take with the then-nascent 3rdEyeGirl line-up, or the original studio recording for the band members to learn.
It was rumored in 2014 that this song was going to be included on an album to be released under the NPG moniker (along with Screwdriver, Big City, Boyfriend, Xtraloveable, Groovy Potential and 2 Y. 2 D., most of them ending up on Hitnrun Phase Two), but this was never confirmed. Nothing else is known about the track.
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