💻 Black Sweat (Live Piano Version) – Digital Single: Apr. 2016

A stark, intimate live recording from Prince’s final full concert — performed solo at the piano during the Piano & A Microphone Tour. Released exclusively through Tidal as the Purple Pick of the Week, this version of Black Sweat became the final official release issued during Prince’s lifetime.

Artwork: Tidal digital artwork featuring Edward G. Robinson (referenced in the performance)

Released digitally on 18 April 2016 by NPG Records, the single presents a stripped‑back, emotionally charged live performance recorded at the Fox Theatre, Atlanta on 14 April 2016. Distributed by Tidal in streaming and download formats, the release highlights Prince’s late‑period vocal nuance, dynamic phrasing, and the raw vulnerability of the piano‑only arrangement. As with many digital‑era exclusives, no catalogue number was assigned.

🟣 Format: Digital Single

Label: NPG Records

Catalogue Number: None

Released: 18 April 2016

Territory: Worldwide (Tidal exclusive)

Chart Position: N/A

Track List — Digital

Black Sweat (Live Piano Version) — 4:04

Writing Credits

• Prince — all tracks

Production Credits

• Produced by: Prince

• Phonographic Copyright: ℗ NPG Records

• Distributed by: Tidal

🟣 Key Highlights

• Released 18 April 2016

• Exclusive Tidal Purple Pick of the Week

• Final official release issued during Prince’s lifetime

• Recorded live at Fox Theatre, Atlanta — 14 April 2016

• Solo piano performance from the Piano & A Microphone Tour

• Distributed by Tidal

🟣 The Story

Black Sweat originally appeared as the fourth track on Prince’s 2006 album 3121, and was released digitally as the album’s second single a month before the album’s debut. A European CD single followed shortly after.

The song’s origins trace back to mid‑late June 2004, when Prince added an early acoustic version to the Musicology Live 2004ever tour. He performed it regularly, and it is believed the initial recording was made at Paisley Park during this period. The final studio version evolved into a minimalist, percussive dance track, though the exact recording timeline remains unverified.

The live piano version released in 2016 comes from Prince’s final full concert, performed at the Fox Theatre in Atlanta on 14 April 2016. Two days later, on 18 April, Tidal issued the track as the Purple Pick of the Week, making it the last piece of music officially released before Prince’s passing on 21 April 2016.

This release holds deep emotional and historical significance: it captures Prince alone at the piano, revisiting a song from his mid‑2000s catalogue with renewed vulnerability and expressive power.

🟣 Personnel

• Prince — vocals, piano, production

• Engineering — [Not specified]

• Mixing — [Not specified]

• Mastering — [Not specified]

• Distribution — Tidal

🟣 Chart Performance

N/A — No chart entries for the 2016 live version.

🟣 Context & Notes

• Single era: Piano & A Microphone Tour

• Production: Prince

• Artwork: Tidal digital artwork featuring Edward G. Robinson (referenced in the performance)

• Historical placement: Final official release issued during Prince’s lifetime

• Reissues / remasters: None

🟣 Related Material

• Previous single: Rock and Roll Love Affair — 2012

• Next single: Baltimore — 2015

• Associated album: 3121 (studio version)

• Associated tour: Piano & A Microphone (2016)

🟣 Mini‑Timeline

• 2004 — Early acoustic version performed

• 2006 — Studio version released on 3121

• 14 April 2016 — Live piano version recorded (Fox Theatre, Atlanta)

• 18 April 2016 — Digital single released on Tidal

• 21 April 2016 — Prince passes away

🟣 Glam Flashback

A final, unguarded moment at the piano — Prince closing his last full show with pure, unfiltered soul.

#ReleaseChronicle #Prince #BlackSweat #2016 #NPGRecords

🟣 Sources

Primary reference sources: NPG Records, Prince Vault, Tidal, Discogs, archival documentation.

🟣 Copyright Notice

All magazine scans, photographs, and original text excerpts referenced in this entry remain the property of their respective copyright holders. This Chronicle entry is a transformative, non‑commercial archival summary created for historical documentation and educational reference. No ownership of the original material is claimed or implied.