✦ His Majesty’s Pop Life – Album JP: Nov. 1985

A once‑mythic Japanese promo becomes a global fan treasure — Prince’s club‑ready revolution.

✦ Summary

Released November 1, 1985 by Warner‑Pioneer Japan (catalogue 28XD‑451), His Majesty’s Pop Life: The Purple Mix Club was a promotional‑only double‑LP compiling extended mixes, remixes, and album versions from Prince and the Revolution’s 1982–1985 output. Distributed exclusively to Japanese DJs, it became one of the most sought‑after Prince vinyl releases of the 1980s.

The compilation arrived between the singles of Around the World in a Day and served as Prince’s third major promo sampler, following Strange Tales From the Rain and the 1984 Japan‑only sampler. Its two discs were cut at different speeds — Disc 1 at 45 rpm and Disc 2 at 33⅓ rpm — due to the dramatic difference in running times.

The album was reissued globally for Record Store Day 2019 in a limited run of 14,000 copies, marking its first official worldwide release. In 2020, Japan issued the first‑ever CD edition. The compilation reached #184 on the Billboard 200 and #19 on the Top R&B Albums chart following the 2019 reissue.

✦ Highlights

• Originally a Japan‑only 1985 DJ promo

• Features extended mixes from Around the World in a Day, Purple Rain, and 1999

• Disc 1 cut at 45 rpm; Disc 2 at 33⅓ rpm

• “Pop Life (Fresh Dance Mix)” is mislabeled — it’s actually Prince’s Extended Version

• Reissued globally for RSD 2019 (14,000 copies)

• First CD release issued in Japan in 2020

✦ Track Details

2×LP – Warner‑Pioneer – Japan – 1985

Side A (45 rpm)

Pop Life (Extended Version) — 9:07

America (Album Version) — 3:40

Side B (45 rpm)

Raspberry Beret (New Mix) — 6:33

Paisley Park (Remix) — 6:56

Side C (33⅓ rpm)

Let’s Go Crazy (Special Dance Mix) — 7:35

Little Red Corvette (Dance Remix) — 8:22

1999 (Album Version) — 6:22

Side D (33⅓ rpm)

I Would Die 4 U (Extended Version) — 10:15

Erotic City (Make Love Not War Erotic City Come Alive) — 7:24

When Doves Cry (Album Version) — 5:52

All songs written by Prince (credited to Prince and the Revolution where applicable).

Note: “Pop Life (Fresh Dance Mix)” is actually the Extended Version.

✦ Reissues & Global Variants

Original 1985 Release

• 2×LP — Warner‑Pioneer 28XD‑451 — Japan — Promo‑only

Record Store Day 2019 (Global)

• 2×LP — NPG Records / Warner Records — Worldwide — Limited to 14,000 copies

Includes “WRECKA STOW DAY EXCLUSIVE” sticker

Features NPG Records, Prince Estate, and Warner logos

2020 Japan Retail Release

• CD — Warner Music Japan WPCR‑18320 — Japan — First CD edition

• 2×LP — Warner Music Japan reissue — Japan — Standard retail

(Verified via Prince Vault, Discogs master release listings, and RSD official catalogue.)

✦ Production and Context

• Compiled from studio recordings 1982–1985

• Includes remixes by Prince and Sheila E. (though “Fresh Dance Mix” is mislabeled)

• Tracks sourced from 1999, Purple Rain, and Around the World in a Day eras

• Created to promote Prince’s growing club presence in Japan

• 2019 reissue tied to renewed archival efforts by The Prince Estate

✦ Singles Released

No commercial singles — this was a promotional compilation.

✦ Chart Performance

(2019 reissue impact)

• Billboard 200 — #184

• Top R&B Albums — #19

✦ Discography

Around the World in a Day — 1985

His Majesty’s Pop Life — 1985

Parade — 1986

✦ Prince Era Mini‑Timeline

Apr 1985 — “Around the World in a Day” released

Nov 1985 — His Majesty’s Pop Life issued in Japan

1986 — Parade era begins

✦ Glam Flashback

His Majesty’s Pop Life captures Prince at his most playful and club‑driven, reshaping his mid‑’80s hits into extended, dance‑floor‑ready forms. Once a whispered‑about Japanese rarity, it now stands as a vivid snapshot of Prince’s global reach and the Revolution’s unstoppable momentum.

✦ Image & Artwork Copyright Notice

All images, photographs, and artwork referenced or displayed in this post remain the property of their respective copyright holders. They are included strictly for historical, educational, and archival purposes under fair‑use principles.

✦ Sources

Prince Vault

Discogs

Record Store Day Official Catalogue

Warner‑Pioneer / Warner Records documentation