The Max is the fifth track on Prince’s 14th album , the second album to be credited to Prince and the New Power Generation.
While specific recording dates are not known, basic tracking took place in late 1991, at Paisley Park Studios in Chanhassen, Minnesota. The studio version of the song was premiered at a New’s Year’s Eve party at Glam Slam in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on 31 December 1991, but further work was done on the track, and a rap added by Tony M., in early 1992. It was included as the seventh track (fifth song) on March 1992, and late-Summer, 1992, configurations of the album, until many of the album’s segues were removed for release.
Interestingly, the track uses a lead line from the 1988 track Rave Unto The Joy Fantastic, which was unreleased at the time, but later released in 1999. While it may appear that Rave Un2 The Joy Fantastic (as it was named upon release) borrowed the lead line from The Max, therefore, it was in fact the other way around.
The Max is lyrically and musically entirely different from the unreleased 1988 track The Max, sharing only a name (see The Max for details of that track).
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Versions
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Released Versions
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Video Versions
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Title
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Length
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Released
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Version
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Additional info
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The Max
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T.B.C.
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3 Chains O’ Gold VHS/laserdisc
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Promo video
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See The Max for details
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Broadcasts/streaming (only)
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Title
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Length
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Released
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Version
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Additional info
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The Max
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T.B.C.
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Delayed performance TV broadcast
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Live
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23 February 1993, Arsenio Hall Show, Paramount Studios, Hollywood, CA, USA
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The Max
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3:48
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3rdEye TV Show # 6 performance audio stream
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Rehearsal
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28 June 2013 (a.m.), Paisley Park Studios in Chanhassen, Minnesota (assumed); instrumental rehearsal
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The Max
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1:15
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3rdEyeGirl’s YouTube account
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Live
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17 August 2013, Coliseu dos Recreios - Sala Principal, Lisbon, Portugal
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Sampled, Referred to, Quoted in...
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Unreleased Versions
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Title
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Version
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Additional Info
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The Max
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Studio
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Original 1991 version before rap overdub by Tony M.
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The Max
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Remix
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Remix by Levi Seacer, Jr. with additional horns no formal title known
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The Max
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Remix
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Instrumental version of the remix no formal title known
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The Max
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Remix
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Keith "K.C." Cohen no formal title known, possibly the same as above
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