| The Black Album | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | November 22, 1994 December 8, 1987 (withdrawn) | |||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 | ||||
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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 After Prince became convinced that the album was "evil", he ordered it to be withdrawn a week before its release date.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.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
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Harriswas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ "1987 - Welcome to the Funk Bible". The Black Album. theblackalbum.info. August 13, 2006. Retrieved September 16, 2011.