✦ Jam Of The Year – Single/EP US: Jan. 1997

A cassette‑only, club‑store exclusive — Prince turns a live jam into a collector’s grail.

✦ Summary

Issued on January 31, 1997, Jam Of The Year was a cassette‑only EP sold exclusively through Prince’s retail outlet 1‑800‑NEW‑FUNK. The release featured two live tracks recorded at the Roseland Ballroom, New York City, on January 11, 1997, during the Jam Of The Year Tour. Prince intentionally marketed the tape as a “4th generation bootleg”, leaning into the underground mystique of his aftershow‑style recordings.

The EP contains two tracks, “Jam of the Year” and “Face Down,” edited to flow seamlessly as if performed in a continuous set. Both tracks repeat on both sides of the cassette, following the standard format of many 1990s promo tapes.

Because it was never issued on CD, vinyl, or digital formats, and was sold only through Prince’s own store, the EP remains one of the most obscure and collectible items from the late‑’90s NPG era.

✦ Highlights

• Cassette‑only release

• Exclusive to 1‑800‑NEW‑FUNK

• Marketed as a “4th generation bootleg”

• Recorded live at Roseland Ballroom, NYC

• Tracks repeat on both sides

• One of the rarest official NPG‑era releases

✦ Track Details

Cassette – NPG Records – US – 1997

(Same program on both sides)

Jam of the Year — 5:21

Face Down — 8:33

Total program length: 13:54

✦ Reissues & Global Variants

(Verified via Prince Vault & Discogs)

1997 Original Release

• Cassette — NPG Records — US — Exclusive to 1‑800‑NEW‑FUNK

• No barcode; no retail distribution

• No CD, vinyl, or promo variants known

Later Availability

• Never reissued

• Not included in 2020 Legacy reissues

• No digital release

Collector Notes

• Extremely limited production

• Often counterfeited — originals have crisp NPG shell printing and correct tape length

✦ Production and Context

• Recorded live at Roseland Ballroom, NYC — January 11, 1997

• Captures the Emancipation Tour’s opening jam and a fierce live “Face Down”

• Edited to simulate a continuous performance

• Released during Prince’s independent NPG Records era

• Sold only through his own retail channel, reinforcing the “for the fans” ethos

✦ Singles Released

No singles were issued from this EP.

✦ Chart Performance

• Not eligible for charts (limited cassette‑only release)

✦ Discography Sidebar

Emancipation — 1996

Jam Of The Year (EP) — 1997

Newpower Soul — 1998

✦ Prince Era Mini‑Timeline

Nov 1996 — Emancipation released

Jan 1997 — Roseland Ballroom performance

Jan 1997 — Jam Of The Year EP issued

1997–98 — Jam Of The Year Tour continues

✦ Glam Flashback

This tiny cassette captures the wild, unfiltered energy of Prince’s late‑’90s live shows — funky, loud, and gloriously imperfect. Sold only through his own store and wrapped in bootleg humor, it’s a snapshot of Prince’s rebellious independence during the NPG Records era.

✦ 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

NPG Records documentation