1995 Sept 25: Gold Experience Era

Slave / New World is one of the most symbolic artefacts of Prince’s mid‑’90s transformation — a handmade bridge between the defiant end of the Warner era and the creative liberation of Emancipation. Handed directly to fans inside Paisley Park, the cassette captures the intimacy, urgency, and rebellion of a moment when Prince was redefining his identity, his sound, and his relationship to the music industry. A true collector’s treasure.

Gold is the soaring, emotional climax of *The Gold Experience* — a symbol‑era epic that Prince often described as the true successor to Purple Rain. Paired with the fiery, hometown‑proud Rock ’N’ Roll Is Alive!, the single captures both his grand romanticism and his fierce musical defiance. Though it charted modestly in the US, its UK Top 10 success and the cult status of its B‑side have cemented Gold as one of the era’s most beloved releases.

A VH-1 Fashion Awards VIP Symbol Drop. RELEASE DETAILS Date: December 3, 1995 Catalogue: None assigned Format: Promo Cassette Single Country: United States Label: Not On Label (Self-released / NPG) Availability: VIP Giveaway at VH-1 Fashion Awards A-Side: P Control (House Mix) THE STORY Released on December 3, 1995 as an ultra-limited promo cassette, “P Control” was handed out exclusively to VIP attendees at the VH-1 Fashion Awards, where Prince O(+> opened the show by lip-sy

The B‑side, “Rock ‘N’ Roll Is Alive! (And It Lives In Minneapolis),” was previously unreleased and generated notable press attention. Prince wrote and recorded it quickly as a direct response to Lenny Kravitz’s hit “Rock and Roll Is Dead,” reclaiming the genre’s vitality and tying it back to his hometown.

Co‑produced and arranged with longtime collaborator Ricky Peterson, the track appeared in multiple versions including the Extended Remix, Album Version, Quiet Night Mix (featuring Eric Leeds on saxophone), and several edits. The single peaked at No. 20 on the UK Gallup Singles Chart, remaining for three weeks, and was issued across vinyl, CD, and cassette formats with regional variations in Australia, Canada, and the US.

Mayte’s debut single — a tender, Prince‑produced reimagining of a song he first wrote in 1979, completing the full lineage of “If I Love U 2 Nite.”

The Gold Experience is Prince’s seventeenth studio album and the first released under his new unpronounceable symbol name (often referred to as ). Released in September 1995, it blends funk, rock, and soul with the signature New Power Generation sound. RELEASE DETAILS Artist: Prince (as ) Label: NPG Records / Warner Bros. Records Format: 2×LP / CD Country: Worldwide Released: September 25, 1995 (UK) / September 26, 1995 (USA) The album features a mix of high-energy funk-rock

A worldwide maxi‑single showcasing the emotional core of The Gold Experience — complete with extended mixes, regional variants, and one of ’s most powerful ballads.

Release Date: July 8, 1995 (promotional cassette) Label: NPG Records / Warner Bros. A rare promotional cassette compilation given to attendees of the Versace collection at Paris Fashion Week over three consecutive days starting July 8, 1995. It served primarily as promotion for Prince’s upcoming album The Gold Experience, while also featuring tracks from other planned projects. 1995 Original Release Only 300 copies were produced. The cassette included remixed and edited track

The second studio album by Rosie Gaines (and her first since leaving The New Power Generation), released on June 13 1995 on Motown Records. The album features significant writing and musical contributions from Prince on several tracks. RELEASE DETAILS Artist: Rosie Gaines Label: Motown Records Release Date: June 13 1995 Country: United States (with International and Japanese variants) Format: CD, Cassette Length: 65:41 (US version) / 72:03 (International) / 73:57 (Japanese) T