''Piano and a Microphone 1983'' is a posthumously released

demo album Demo, usually short for demonstration, may refer to: Music and film *Demo (music), a song typically recorded for reference rather than release * ''Demo'' (Behind Crimson Eyes), a 2004 recording by the band Behind Crimson Eyes * ''Demo'' (Deafhea ...

Prince A prince is a male ruler (ranked below a king, grand prince, and grand duke) or a male member of a monarch's or former monarch's family. ''Prince'' is also a title of nobility (often highest), often hereditary, in some European states. Th ...

, released on CD, vinyl, and digital formats on September 21, 2018. It is the first album released by the Prince estate consisting solely of material from his archive, the Vault.

Background

The album was discovered as a single

cassette Cassette may refer to: Technology * Cassette tape (or ''musicassette'', ''audio cassette'', ''cassette tape'', or ''tape''), a worldwide standard for analog audio recording and playback ** Cassette single (or "Cassingle"), a music single in th ...

tape in Prince's vault at

Paisley Park Paisley Park Records was an American record label founded by musician Prince in 1985, which was distributed by and funded in part by Warner Bros. Records. It was started in 1985, following the success of the film and album '' Purple Rain''. ...

. The music was recorded in one take in 1983 at Prince's Kiowa Trail home studio in

Chanhassen, Minnesota Chanhassen is a city about southwest of Minneapolis in Carver County and partially in Hennepin County, Minnesota, United States. The southwest edge of the Minneapolis–Saint Paul suburbs, there is a mix of residential neighborhoods and rura ...

. The session is nearly 35 minutes of Prince's vocals while he played piano and segued between songs. The session includes alternative versions of previously released and yet-to-be released songs, cover versions, and sketches of songs. Four of the album's nine tracks were previously unreleased - "

Mary Don't You Weep "Mary Don't You Weep" (alternately titled "O Mary Don't You Weep", "Oh Mary, Don't You Weep, Don't You Mourn", or variations thereof) is a Spiritual that originates from before the American Civil War – thus it is what scholars call a "slave son ...

", "Wednesday" (originally recorded by

Jill Jones Jill Jones (born July 11, 1962) is an American singer, songwriter, and actress, who performed as a backing vocalist for Teena Marie and Prince in the 1980s. Overview Jones was born in Lebanon, Ohio on July 11, 1962. Her mother, a fashion model ...

for a deleted scene in '' Purple Rain''), "Cold Coffee & Cocaine", and "Why The Butterflies".

Critical reception

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

'' called the album "a glimpse of a notoriously private artist doing his mysterious work" while

Adam Mattera Adam Mattera was the editor of ''Attitude'' magazine, a leading UK monthly publication aimed at the gay market, from 1999 to 2008. During the period, he secured numerous celebrity cover exclusives including David Beckham, Madonna, Tony Blair and ...

in '' Echoes'' cited "Mary Don't You Weep" as "a telling choice that points both to his political awareness and gospel heritage - not something people would have expected from a 25 year-old more famous at the time for his flasher mac, high heels and songs about incestuous siblings and used condoms".

Track listing

All songs composed by Prince, except where indicated. Notes *Track listing adapted from ''

Entertainment Weekly ''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, and popular cul ...

''. *Tracks 1 through 7 (which constitute Side A of the vinyl edition) are presented as a continuous medley, as they were originally recorded. *"International Lover" contains an uncredited medley performance of "

Do Me, Baby "Do Me, Baby" is a 1981 ballad performed by Prince, from his fourth album, ''Controversy''. Although it was credited as being written by him, it is alleged to have been written by his former bassist and childhood friend André Cymone. It was rel ...

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

References

{{Authority control 2018 albums Demo albums Albums produced by Prince (musician) Albums published posthumously Albums recorded in a home studio NPG Records albums Prince (musician) albums Warner Records albums