✦ C‑Note (Live) – Single: Jan. 2003

A rare NPG Music Club digital single spotlighting the live “Empty Room” performance that opened Prince’s C‑Note project

✦ SUMMARY

C‑Note (Live) was released on January 3, 2003, as a digital single through the NPG Music Club, featuring the live version of Empty Room recorded during the One Nite Alone… Tour. Serving as the lead track from the C‑Note EP, the title is an acronym formed from the initials of its five live soundcheck recordings: Copenhagen, Nagoya, Osaka, Tokyo, and Empty Room — collectively referencing the slang term “C‑Note” for a $100 bill.

This release continued Prince’s early‑2000s digital‑first strategy, offering exclusive content directly to subscribers rather than through commercial channels. Empty Room, long regarded as one of Prince’s most emotionally charged compositions, appears here in a raw, intimate live arrangement, capturing the improvisational spirit of the tour’s soundchecks.

As a members‑only digital download, the single was not eligible for chart tracking, but it became a cornerstone of the NPG Music Club’s 2003 output and later reappeared as part of the full C‑Note digital album.

✦ — HIGHLIGHTS

• Released January 3, 2003 via NPG Music Club

• Lead track from the C‑Note EP (Copenhagen, Nagoya, Osaka, Tokyo, Empty Room)

• Live version of Empty Room recorded during the One Nite Alone… Tour

• Exclusive digital download; no commercial release

• Early example of Prince’s direct‑to‑fan digital distribution

• Later included in the C‑Note digital album (2004)

✦ — TRACK DETAILS

Digital Single (NPG Music Club Exclusive, 2003)

Empty Room (Live) — length varies by source

Format: MP3 digital download

Label: NPG Records

Country: Worldwide (NPG Music Club members)

Released: January 3, 2003

Notes: Lead track from the C‑Note EP; recorded live during One Nite Alone… Tour soundchecks.

Personnel: Prince (vocals, guitar), with members of the New Power Generation.

✦ B — CHART PERFORMANCE

United States

• Not eligible for chart entry

International

• No chart activity; members‑only digital release

✦ — SOURCES

Prince Vault

Archived NPG Music Club listings

Fan documentation and tour records

C‑Note digital release notes

✦ DISCOGRAPHY SIDEBAR

C‑Note Era Releases:

Copenhagen — Single: Oct. 2002

Nagoya — Live Track: 2003

Osaka — Live Track: 2003

Tokyo — Live Track: 2003

C‑Note (Live) — Single: Jan. 2003

C‑Note — Digital Album: 2004

✦ PRINCE ERA MINI‑TIMELINE

2001 — NPG Music Club launches

2002 — One Nite Alone… Tour and soundcheck recordings

Oct. 2002 — Copenhagen released

Jan. 3, 2003 — C‑Note (Live) single released

2004 — Full C‑Note digital album issued

2015 — C‑Note reissued via Tidal

✦ GLAM FLASHBACK

C‑Note (Live) captures Prince’s fascination with the unpolished magic of soundchecks — moments where experimentation, vulnerability, and improvisation merged into something uniquely intimate. Empty Room, already a cult favourite among fans, gains new emotional weight in this live setting, its raw edges preserved rather than polished away. As part of Prince’s pioneering digital‑era strategy, the release stands as a testament to his commitment to rewarding his most loyal supporters with exclusive glimpses into his creative world.