✦ The Vault… Old Friends 4 Sale – Album US: Aug. 1999

A long‑shelved collection of gems, heartbreakers, and cinematic leftovers — Prince’s final vault drop for Warner Bros.

✦ Summary

Released in the US on August 24, 1999 (catalogue 9 47500‑2), The Vault… Old Friends 4 Sale was the last album of unreleased material issued by Warner Bros. under Prince’s 1992 contract. Although submitted in April 1996 — complete with artwork sourced from his 1994 Neo Manifesto photography — the label delayed its release for over three years, finally issuing it just before Prince’s new album on a competing label.

The album compiles tracks recorded between 1985 and 1996, though the liner notes misleadingly claim the material spans only 1985–1994. Many songs were originally intended for other projects: Parade, I’ll Do Anything, Rosie Gaines’ Concrete Jungle, and the Girl 6 soundtrack. Despite being released under the name “Prince,” two tracks (“It’s About That Walk” and “Sarah”) were recorded after his name change to the Love Symbol.

The Vault is a reflective, intimate, and often melancholic collection — a quiet contrast to the high‑profile Rave Un2 the Joy Fantastic that followed later in 1999.

✦ Highlights

• Final unreleased‑material album delivered under Prince’s Warner Bros. contract

• Submitted in 1996 but delayed until 1999

• Tracks span 1985–1996 despite liner note claims

• Includes songs originally intended for Parade, I’ll Do Anything, and Rosie Gaines’ Concrete Jungle

• “She Spoke 2 Me” appears in extended form

• Released just before Prince’s return to major‑label distribution with Rave Un2 the Joy Fantastic

✦ Track Details

CD – Warner Bros. – US – 1999 (9 47500‑2)

The Rest of My Life — 1:38

It’s About That Walk — 4:26

She Spoke 2 Me (Extended Remix) — 8:19

5 Women — 5:12

When the Lights Go Down — 7:10

My Little Pill — 1:08

There Is Lonely — 2:29

Old Friends 4 Sale — 3:27

Sarah — 2:52

Extraordinary — 2:27

Total length: 39:08

✦ Reissues & Global Variants

(Verified via Prince Vault, Discogs, and Warner Bros. catalog data)

1999 Original Releases

• CD — Warner Bros. 9 47500‑2 — US

• CD — Warner Bros. 9362‑47500‑2 — Europe

• CD — Warner Bros. WPCR‑10500 — Japan

• Cassette — Warner Bros. 4‑47500 — US

• Cassette — Warner Bros. 9362‑47500‑4 — Europe

Later Reissues

• Digital reissue — Warner Bros. / NPG — Worldwide (2014–2015 catalogue restoration)

• No vinyl release until the 2020s; original album was CD/cassette only

Notable Notes

• Japanese CD includes lyric booklet with Japanese liner notes

• No expanded or deluxe edition has been issued to date

✦ Production and Context

• Produced, arranged, and performed by Prince

• Recorded 1985–1996 at Paisley Park and various studios

• “Old Friends 4 Sale” originally part of a 1985 Parade configuration

• “5 Women” later given to Joe Cocker (1992)

• “My Little Pill” and “There Is Lonely” recorded for I’ll Do Anything

• “Extraordinary” originally intended for Rosie Gaines’ Concrete Jungle

• “She Spoke 2 Me” previously appeared in shorter form on Girl 6

✦ Singles Released

No commercial singles were issued from the album.

✦ Chart Performance

• US Billboard 200 — #85

• US Top R&B/Hip‑Hop Albums — #22

• Europe — modest charting in several territories (no major peaks)

✦ Discography

Chaos and Disorder — 1996

Crystal Ball — 1998

The Vault… Old Friends 4 Sale — 1999

Rave Un2 the Joy Fantastic — 1999

✦ Prince Era Mini‑Timeline

Apr 1996 — Album submitted to Warner Bros.

1998 — Crystal Ball released independently

Aug 1999 — The Vault… Old Friends 4 Sale released

Nov 1999 — Rave Un2 the Joy Fantastic released on Arista

✦ Glam Flashback

The Vault… Old Friends 4 Sale feels like a quiet exhale — a final handshake between Prince and the label that shaped his early career. It’s wistful, intimate, and full of songs that slipped between eras, offering a rare glimpse into the emotional corners of his most prolific decade.

✦ 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

Warner Bros. Records documentation

Billboard archives