The Black Album (Prince album)

The Black Album
Studio album by Prince
Released	November 22, 1994 December 8, 1987 (withdrawn)
Recorded	1986–1987
Studio	Paisley Park, Chanhassen
Genre	Funk
Length	44:43
Label	Warner Bros. 25677 (original pressing) 45793 (second pressing)
Producer	Prince
Prince chronology
Come (1994) The Black Album (1994) The Versace Experience: Prelude 2 Gold (1995)

The untitled sixteenth studio album by American recording artist Prince, referred to as The Black Album, was re-released with re-mastered audio (and a few song title revisions) on November 22, 1994, by Warner Bros. Records after its original release on December 8, 1987. The follow-up to Sign o' the Times,^[1] the album was to appear in an entirely black sleeve with no title or even a credit to Prince; hence it being referred to as The Black Album. Dubbed The Funk Bible by preceding press releases, and in a hidden message within the album itself, the work seemed to be a reaction to criticism that Prince had become too pop-oriented. It was his attempt to regain his black audience.^[2]

The 1987 promo-only release had no printed title, artist name, production credits or photography printed; a simple black sleeve accompanied the disc. On promotional copies, only a song listing and catalog number—25677—were printed on the disc itself. The commercial version was to only have the catalog number—printed in pink—on the spine.^[3] The original compact disc pressing was made by Sony DADC rather than WEA Manufacturing. After Prince became convinced that the album was "evil", he ordered it to be withdrawn a week before its release date. It was replaced with the album Lovesexy, a brighter pop-oriented album with elements of religious affirmation.