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The Truth

NPG Records

I thought I had emptied the gun with Emancipation and I wouldn’t have to record for a while, but some new things came up that are all acoustic.

Prince fans had long been hopeful he would release an acoustic album. In response to that wish, The Truth was recorded between December 1996 and March 1997 at Paisley Park Studios and was intended for release through EMI-Capitol later in 1997 as a stand-alone album.

Due to EMI folding that year, it was immediately decided for The Truth to receive a limited commercial release, but as those plans too were abandoned and was instead packaged as a companion CD to the Crystal Ball triple disk set, released in 1998 and distributed under Prince’s own label NPG Records. The Truth is considered the highlight of the set and like Crystal Ball is credited to and released as Prince under the name of The Artist Formally Known As Prince ( Prince love symbol).

Prince began recording the album on 1 December by laying down the title track, his first studio work since the death of his son Amiir Nelson that October. The Truth is a highly introspective album in result. The title track became also its only single, issued as a CD, its B-side Don’t Play Me was captured live in the same 1 December session. The single was released on Valentine’s day 1997 and obtainable only by mail order from 1800newfunk.com.

Comeback followed as the third song laid down for The Truth, also December 1996. It is one of the most personal tracks written by Prince and grieves the passing of his son. This same track would also be played at Prince’s own funeral on 23 April 2016.

Prince performed Don’t Play Me at the Webby Awards in 2006, received in recognition for technical achievement of his NPG Music Club pushing the envelope of digital music distribution. Being a Prince album, this acoustic LP features also musical embellishment, and neither is The Truth a solo effort. Bassist Rhonda Smith shares writing contribution for 3rd Eye (words that resurfaced in 2013 as the name of Prince’s backing band 3rdEyeGirl). Smith also co-wrote and plays bass on Man In A Uniform and Animal Kingdom.

Hip hop singer Dionne Farris, former lead singer of Arrested Development, is the subject of the track Dionne, having met Prince in 1995 in Los Angeles after a concert she gave at The Roxy. Prince made an instant connection with her and explained that her music had helped him though this dark moment of his life. He later sent Farris a copy of Dionne and even alludes to doing so in the lyrics of One Of Your Tears: “Did U get the tape Eye sent U, Eye thought it be better in a song.”

Cover story

Although when released The Truth had no accompanying artwork, the image intended for the EMI release shows Prince wearing a pinstripe suit in a candid shot taken by his personal photographer and designer Steve Parke. When sitting for this photo, Prince also treated Parke to a private 15 minute acoustic set.

Prince | The Truth
Photography by Bob Berg

2021 and 2023 reissues

The Truth was reissued by Sony Legacy on 12 June 2021 as a special Record Store Day vinyl LP release in a limited run of 13,000 copies. It became the most sold record on the music marketplace Discogs of the year 2021. Prompting complaints due to its limit circulation, Sony Legacy reissued the RSD vinyl as a full commercial release on 9 June 2023.

Performers

Vocals / all Instr
Prince love symbol
Bass Guitar
Rhonda Smith 3rd Eye, Animal Kingdom, Fascination and One Of Your Tears
Guitar
Mike Scott Fascination
Programming
Kirky Johnson Fascination and Circle Of Amour
Percussion
Kathy Dyson Fascination

Data

Production
Prince love symbol
Label
NPG Records
Distribution
NPG Records
Cover/Design
Steve Parke
Released
26 years ago on 29 January 1998
Reissued
12 June 2021
Running Time
43:25
US Chart Peak
64 (with Crystal Ball)
UK Chart Peak
Did not chart
Prince Album
#21
Orig. Format

Tracklist

  1. The Truth (3:34)
  2. Don't Play Me (2:47)
  3. Circle Of Amour (4:43)
  4. 3rd Eye (4:53) 1
  5. Dionne (3:13)
  6. Man In A Uniform (3:07) 1
  7. Animal Kingdom (4:00) 1
  8. The Other Side Of The Pillow (3:20)
  9. Fascination (4:55)
  10. One Of Your Tears (3:26)
  11. Comeback (1:59)
  12. Welcome 2 The Dawn (3:17)

Released as a single

1 Cowritten with Rhonda Smith.

Singles from The Truth

The Truth, single from The Truth, NPG Records (1997)

The Truth

NPG Records

Released
14 February 1997
US Chart Peak
Ineligible
UK Chart Peak
Ineligible
Cover/Art
Steve Parke
Format
  1. The Truth (3:32)
  2. Don't Play Me (2:50)

The Truth – review

Countless fans had been longing for Prince to make an acoustic album and off the back of the Emancipation recording sessions, in 1996 those wishes were answered. Prince obliged with The Truth, a 12 track acoustic album tacked on to the back of the Crystal Ball set, maybe due to concerns it was unable to stand on its own feet in the commercial market. Even I admit it took 9 years for me to warm to The Truth, then all of a sudden struck like man’s discovery of fire, this Prince epiphany is now one of my personal favourite albums. Don’t Play Me is laced with real, heart-felt lyrics and enjoyed plenty of airing during the One Nite Alone Tour in 2002. There is pure ballad on The Truth and despite it being a stripped down it is not exclusively acoustic and enjoys Prince’s trademark production flare. There are stand-out tracks aplenty; The Truth, 3rd Eye, Animal Kingdom, One Of Your Tears, Come Back and the great Welcome 2 The Dawn. The highlight is the busy Fascination. The Truth is a showcase of delightfully honest simplicity and an absolute gem of a release. Ain’t that The Truth!

The Truth

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