1987 May 8: Sign O The Times Era

Released digitally in the US on August 29, 2025, by Legacy Recordings, “Sign O’ The Times (Live In Rotterdam 1987)” presents a previously unreleased performance from Prince’s iconic 1987 Sign o’ the Times Tour. Captured at the Rotterdam Ahoy, this 5:26 live version showcases Prince and his touring band delivering the title track with fierce intensity, expanded arrangements, and the unmistakable electricity of the era.

Cosmic Day was made available on streaming and download platforms as a preview of the Sign O’ The Times Super Deluxe Edition. The official announcement stated that The Prince Estate and Warner Records were pleased to release the song and handwritten lyrics for Cosmic Day from Prince’s legendary vault. Cosmic Day was recorded on November 15, 1986 at Sunset Sound, and is one of the most revered recordings from the expanded reissue of Sign O’ The Times. Sign O’ The Times (Super)

I Could Never Take The Place Of Your Man is the fourth track on the second disc of Prince’s ninth album Sign O’ The Times, and seven months after the album’s release, it became the album’s fourth single. A live version was also included in the concert movie Sign O’ The Times. In 1993, the single edit was included as the tenth track on Prince’s first compilation album The Hits 1 (also included as the first disc of The Hits / The B‑Sides). On July 16, 2020, the 1979 Version was

I Could Never Take The Place Of Your Man” was released on December 19, 1987 as the fourth and final commercial single from Sign O’ The Times (with “Hot Thing” also issued as a promo‑only single). Arriving seven months after the album, the single received a worldwide release and became one of the era’s most recognisable tracks.

The infamous withdrawn 1987 album The Black Album — Prince’s darkest, most explicit project — pressed in extremely limited quantities before being pulled at the last minute, making original copies among the rarest Prince records in existence. RELEASE / PUBLICATION DETAILS Artist: Prince Title: The Black Album Date: 1987 (Withdrawn Original Pressing) Label: Warner Bros. Records Format / Type: Vinyl, LP, Album Country: Germany / Europe Catalogue: 925 677-1 / WX 147 TRACK LIST S

I Could Never Take The Place Of Your Man is one of Prince’s sharpest pop‑rock statements — a story‑driven track with a blistering guitar break and a hook that still hits decades later. The UK single’s tight 3:39 fade made it radio‑ready, while Hot Thing added a dancefloor punch. With multiple label variants and a strong chart run, it remains a favourite among collectors and a testament to the creative fire of the Sign O’ The Times era.

Extremely rare 1987 promotional cassette of Prince’s legendary withdrawn album The Black Album, featuring the original Paisley Park / Tape Gallery pressing dated November 18, 1987. RELEASE / PUBLICATION DETAILS Artist: Prince Title: The Black Album Date: November 18, 1987 (Promo Cassette) Label: Paisley Park / Warner Bros. Records Format / Type: Cassette, Album, Promo Country: United Kingdom Catalogue: None TRACK LIST Side One Le Grind Cindy C. Dead On It When 2 R In Love Sid

An elegant promotional brochure for Paisley Park Studios, featuring minimalist design on the cover and a stunning architectural photograph of the newly completed facility that would become Prince’s creative sanctuary. The front cover has a clean, off-white background with “Paisley Park Studios” elegantly printed vertically on the right side, accompanied by a small colorful spiral logo. The interior spread showcases a full-bleed color photograph of the bright white, modern stu

Feisty girl drummers turned singers. Raucous funk merchants. Camisoled nymphettes. Regency lackeys with electric guitars. They have all enjoyed the benevolent patronage of Prince.

“U Got The Look” was issued as the third single from Prince’s ninth album Sign O’ The Times. Released three and a half months after the album, it received a worldwide release. The B-side, “Housequake,” was also taken from the same album. The 12-inch single featured an extended version of the title track and a remix of “Housequake.” COUNTRY VARIANTS Artist: Prince Title: U Got The Look Label: Warner Bros. / Paisley Park Country: United Kingdom Catalogue: W8289 / W8289T / W828

HEADLINE PARAGRAPH This Post‑Bulletin article from July 1987 reports that Prince is working on a new full‑length concert film at his recording studio in Chanhassen, Minnesota. The project includes footage from his recent European tour, capturing performances in Rotterdam and Antwerp. Publication: Post‑Bulletin Date: July 23 1987 Country: United States THE STORY The short news item reveals that Prince has secluded himself in his newly built recording studio to produce a

U Got The Look is the third single to be released from Prince’s ninth album Sign O’ The Times. It was released three and a half months after the album and received a worldwide release. The B‑side, Housequake, was also taken from Sign O’ The Times. The 12" single contained an extended version of the title track and a remix of Housequake. The single reached number 2 on the US Billboard Pop Chart and remained on the chart for 25 weeks. It reached number 11 on the Billboard Black

Released on 14 July 1987, this high‑energy 7" single captures Prince at the peak of his Sign ☮ The Times era. Mixing rock, funk, and pop, the single showcases Prince’s Camille‑style vocals, Sheena Easton’s guest performance, and Sheila E.’s percussion, forming one of the most iconic sonic pairings of his late‑1980s catalogue. BACKGROUND Issued as the third single from Sign ☮ The Times, arriving three and a half months after the album’s release. Both U Got The Look and Housequ

The June 23, 1987 edition of Blues & Soul features Prince on the cover celebrating “10 Years of the Purple Reign”. Publication: Blues & Soul Date: June 23, 1987 Country: United Kingdom Location: UK Section: Front Cover THE STORY The cover highlights Prince’s 10-year anniversary in the music industry with a striking portrait and teasers for inside features including Madhouse, Tawatha, First Choice, and more. CONTEXT AND NOTES This special issue marked a decade since Prince’s

The June 21, 1987 edition of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports on Prince’s performance at the Galgenwaard Football Stadium in Utrecht, the Netherlands. Publication: St. Louis Post-Dispatch Date: June 21, 1987 Country: United States Location: St. Louis, Missouri Section: News / Entertainment THE STORY The short article notes that Prince performed on Friday night in Utrecht as the first of three concerts in the Netherlands during his European tour. CONTEXT AND NOTES This wire

The June 21, 1987 edition of the Sunday Mirror features a colourful tabloid profile on Prince, focusing on his outrageous stage costumes, sexuality, and philosophy. Publication: Sunday Mirror Date: June 21, 1987 Country: United Kingdom Location: London Section: Entertainment / Feature THE STORY The article quotes Prince on fame, wealth, clothes, and his approach to music and performance. It highlights his extravagant stage shows, costume changes, and provocative image while

A striking and colourful mid-80s magazine cover fold and four page feature showcasing Prince at the height of his global fame, with bold pink typography proclaiming “Reach for peach Prince.” SOURCE DETAILS Publication: Sky Magazine Date: June 1987 Country: United Kingdom Section / Pages: Front Cover THE STORY This vibrant Sky Magazine cover and feature is a dramatic close-up portrait of Prince, capturing his intense gaze and signature style. The bold pink headline “Reach for

Article highlighting how singer Deborah Allen and her husband Raf Van Hoy created their own low-budget “home” video for the Prince-penned song “Telepathy” after being dissatisfied with the official $35,000 RCA version. SOURCE DETAILS Publication: Star Tribune Date: June 3, 1987 Country: United States Section / Pages: Page 36 (syndicated from Los Angeles Times) THE STORY Deborah Allen and Raf Van Hoy shot their own version of the music video for “Telepathy” (written by Prince)

Striking June 1987 cover feature on Prince in the German music magazine Musik Express Sounds, showcasing him during the peak of the Sign o’ the Times era. PUBLICATION: Date: June 1987 (Nr. 6) Country: Germany Section / Pages: Cover + Interior Feature Title: PRINCE – So funktioniert sein Imperium THE STORY Musik Express Sounds dedicates its cover to Prince with a powerful full-color portrait of him in a bright yellow coat and black top hat. The accompanying article explores Pr

The atmospheric second single was released in a multitude of variants in the UK including a 12" Picture Disc, taken from Prince’s masterpiece double album Sign O’ The Times, released in the UK on June 1, 1987, showcasing Prince’s vulnerable falsetto and introspective songwriting 7" Commercial Single (W8334)-Front RELEASE DETAILS Artist: Prince Label: Warner Bros. / Paisley Park Records Format: 7" Vinyl Single Country: UK (also US, Europe, Japan, Australia) Released: June 1, 1

Sheena Easton released “Eternity” as the lead single from her album No Sound But A Heart on June 10, 1987 in the USA. The track was written, produced, and largely performed by Prince (credited under the pseudonyms Rocker Happyfeller on keyboards and Freddie "The Phantom" on guitar). Commercial Single (B-43011) - Front RELEASE DETAILS Artist: Sheena Easton Label: EMI Records Format: 7" Vinyl Single Country: USA Released: May 30, 1987 Genre: Pop, Funk, R&B A-Side: “Eternity” W

Format: 7" Vinyl • 45 RPM Label: Paisley Park Country: Japan Catalogue: P‑2238 Release Date: 25 May 1987 Genre: Funk / Soul Style: Funk Manufactured & Distributed By: Warner‑Pioneer Corporation, Japan Overview This Japanese‑exclusive 7" edition of Koo Koo was released on 25 May 1987, predating the US single by four years and representing one of the earliest international configurations of the track. Issued by Warner‑Pioneer Corporation, the single features a unique Japane

The release is historically notable as the first Prince‑related single ever issued on CD, via a US promotional disc — a milestone that pre‑dates the first commercial CD single (“Alphabet St.”) by a year.

TOUR DATES • May 8, 1987 — Stockholm, Sweden — Isstadion • May 9, 1987 — Stockholm, Sweden — Isstadion • May 10, 1987 — Stockholm, Sweden — Isstadion • May 12, 1987 — Gothenburg, Sweden — Scandinavium • May 14, 1987 — Berlin, West Germany — Deutschlandhalle • May 15, 1987 — Berlin, West Germany — Deutschlandhalle • May 18, 1987 — Zürich, Switzerland — Hallenstadion • May 19, 1987 — Zürich, Switzerland — Hallenstadion • May 20, 1987 — Zürich, Switzerland — Hallenstadion • May