Piano & A Microphone 1983
A rare studio demo from Prince's vault, recorded in 1983 at his home studio.
Piano and a Microphone 1983 is a posthumously released demo album by American musician Prince, 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.
Quick Facts
- Venue
- Kiowa Trail Home Studio, Chanhassen, Minnesota
- Format
- Studio Demo; Digital Release
Lore & Background
The album was discovered as a single cassette tape in Prince's vault at Paisley Park. The music was recorded in one take in 1983 at Prince's Kiowa Trail home studio in Chanhassen, Minnesota. 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', 'Wednesday', 'Cold Coffee & Cocaine', and 'Why the Butterflies'.
Reader's Guide
The album is a studio demo recording, not a live performance. 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'.
Did You Know?
- The New York Times called the album 'a glimpse of a notoriously private artist doing his mysterious work'.
- Adam Mattera in Echoes cited 'Mary Don't You Weep' as pointing to Prince's political awareness and gospel heritage.
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