The Prince estate has released a new album of previously unreleased home recordings, dubbed Piano & A Microphone 1983. The nine-track LP includes cassette recordings that Prince made at his piano at his Kiowa Trail home studio in Chanhassen, Minnesota.
Much of Piano and a Microphone 1983 features Prince in his most intimate form, working through future classics like “Purple Rain”, “17 Days”, “Strange Relationship” and “International Love”, as well as a cover of Joni Mitchell‘s “A Case of You.”
During the final year of his life, in 2016, Prince embarked on his now-legendary “Piano & A Microphone” tour, in which the Purple One performed as a one-man show. It was during this tour that his health complications started to become public, and that fans started to worry that the mystical musician was in danger. He died on April 21, 2016 from an accidental overdose of fentanyl at the age of 57.
“This raw, intimate recording, which took place at the start of Prince’s career right before he achieved international stardom, is similar in format to the Piano & A Microphone Tour that he ended his career with in 2016,” Prince Estate entertainment adviser Troy Carter said in a previous statement. “The Estate is excited to be able to give fans a glimpse of his evolution and show how his career ultimately came full circle with just him and his piano.”
The album cover features a rare image of Prince backstage during the 1999 tour captured by Allen Beaulieu, who worked closely with Prince from 1979-1984.
The Deluxe version of Piano and a Microphone 1983 includes a 12″ booklet with new liner notes from Prince’s engineer, Don Batts, as well as never-before-seen candid photos of the Purple One.
You can listen to the full album here:
Prince – Piano & A Microphone 1983