✦ Slave / New World – Cassette Single: Dec. 1995

A one‑night‑only Emancipation preview handed directly to 500 fans at Paisley Park

✦ Summary

Slave / New World was issued exclusively as a cassette single on December 9, 1995 at Prince’s Paisley Park performance in Chanhassen, Minnesota. Distributed only to the 500 attendees, the tape functioned as the inaugural promotional single for Emancipation, the third album credited to the Love Symbol. Arriving just nine days after the release of Gold — the final single from The Gold Experience — the cassette marked the beginning of Prince’s transition into the Emancipation era. Both tracks would later appear on Disc III of the triple‑album, with New World sequenced immediately after Slave. Because the cassette was never commercially released and was only available at a single event, it did not qualify for any chart listings.

✦ Highlights

• Released December 9, 1995 as an event‑exclusive cassette

• Distributed only to 500 attendees at a Paisley Park performance

• First promotional single for Emancipation

• Arrived nine days after Gold, bridging two eras

• Includes Slave and New World, both later featured on Emancipation Disc III

• Not commercially issued; no chart eligibility

• One of the rarest 1990s Prince singles

✦ Event Details

• Date: December 9, 1995

• Venue: Paisley Park Studios, Chanhassen, Minnesota

• Duration: 105 minutes

• Attendance: 500

• Band: Michael B. (drums), Sonny T. (bass), Tommy Barbarella & Morris Hayes (keyboards), Mayte (dance)

• Setlist included: Endorphinmachine, Shhh, Days Of Wild, Now, The Most Beautiful Girl In The World, P. Control, Letitgo, Starfish And Coffee, The Cross, We March, Love… Thy Will Be Done, Do Me, Baby, Sexy M.F., If I Was Your Girlfriend, Vicki Waiting, Hate U, 7, Funky Stuff, Glam Slam Boogie

✦ Track Details

Cassette Single – Event Exclusive

A: Slave — 4:51

B: New World — 3:42

Label: NPG Records / Paisley Park

Produced, arranged, composed, and performed by Prince (credited to the Love Symbol)

Both tracks later appeared on Emancipation (1996)

✦ Chart Performance

Not eligible for chart entry due to exclusive distribution

✦ Discography Sidebar

Emancipation‑Era Lead‑Ins:

Gold — Single: Nov. 1995

Slave / New World — Cassette Single: Dec. 1995

Chaos and Disorder — Album: 1996

Emancipation — Album: 1996

✦ Prince Era Mini‑Timeline

Nov. 30, 1995 — Gold released

Dec. 9, 1995 — Slave / New World cassette distributed at Paisley Park

1996 — Girl 6 and Chaos and Disorder released

Nov. 1996 — Emancipation marks Prince’s artistic rebirth

✦ Glam Flashback

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.

✦ Sources

Prince Vault, Discogs, 45cat, AllMusic, Rate Your Music, Wikipedia, Billboard Chart History, YouTube