February 2, 1999: 1999 The New Master

An EP featuring newly recorded versions of Prince's 1982 hit "1999". Released in 1999 to capitalize on the song's titular year, Prince incorporated additional music and contributions from a new lineup that closely resembled the New Power Generation, including artists like Rosie Gaines, Larry Graham, and Doug E. Fresh. The EP was available in the US on CD and as a rare purple vinyl 12-inch.

Even though Prince was still using his unpronounceable symbol as a name, he released the EP under "Prince and the Revolution," with "Revolution" written backward, similar to its appearance on the original 1999 album cover. The original track's Revolution members, Lisa Coleman and Dez Dickerson, did not participate in the re-recording. Instead, "The Inevitable Mix" of the track completely replaced the original members with Graham and Gaines. Three of the tracks were largely unrelated to "1999": "Keep Steppin'" and "Rosie & Doug E. In a Deep House" primarily served as platforms for Fresh's rapping and Gaines's scatting, while "Rosario" features actress Rosario Dawson delivering a political spoken word over the chords of "Little Red Corvette".

Track listing

1999: The New Master track listing

No. Title Length

1. "1999" (The New Master) 7:09

2. "Rosario" (1999) 1:19

3. "1999" (The Inevitable Mix) 5:46

4. "1999" (Keep Steppin') 4:33

5. "1999" (Rosie & Doug E. In a Deep House) 6:23

6. "1999" (The New Master: Single Edit) 4:30

7. "1999" (a cappella) 5:11