Welcome 2 The Dawn (Acoustic Version) is the twelfth and final track on Prince’s 21st album The Truth (his fifth using the name ), but, eight months prior to the album’s release, the same version had been included as the b-side of the Borders Books & Music exclusive release of The Holy River cassette single, available free with any purchase.
Specific recording dates are not known, but a full "electric" version of the song was recorded at some point in 1996 at Paisley Park Studios in Chanhassen, Minnesota and a portion of the track was played as on-hold music on the 1-800 New Funk phone service. The acoustic version of the track is believed to have been recorded in Autumn 1996 at Paisley Park Studios (along with the rest of the album). The Holy River cassette single states that Welcome 2 The Dawn (Acoustic Version) is from the "4thcoming album The Dawn" - the time of the single’s release coincides with the originally planned release of The Truth, however, so it is likely that The Truth was, at one point, titled The Dawn (a name Prince has used at various points), or, more likely, the packaging’s information meant that the non-acoustic version of Welcome 2 The Dawn was from The Dawn, an album which remains unreleased. This is supported by the fact that, despite The Truth being billed as an "acoustic album", Welcome 2 The Dawn is the only track to receive the tagline “(Acoustic Version)”.
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