Rave Un2 The Joy Fantastic Album: 1999

A Pop-R&B Guest Star Spectacle

Prince’s Rave Un2 the Joy Fantastic LP was released under the Love Symbol moniker worldwide on November 9, 1999, on NPG Records/Arista (catalogue: 07822 14624 1 UK). Coming hot on the heels of The Vault: Old Friends 4 Sale (1999), Prince’s Rave Un2 The Joy Fantastic double LP arrived in Europe on November 9, 1999, via NPG Records/Arista (catalogue: 07822 14624 1). This pop and R&B departure from his recent soul explorations boasted high-profile guests—Gwen Stefani on So Far, So Pleased, Eve on Hot Wit U, Sheryl Crow on Baby Knows and a reimagined Everyday Is A Winding Road (her 1996 hit).

Recorded across Paisley Park, Electric Lady, and O’Henry Studios, many songs were dusted-off relics from Lovesexy (1988) and Graffiti Bridge (1990), revived with fresh energy in June 1998. Mixed at Paisley Park and Electric Lady, with lush NPG Orchestra strings by Clare Fischer, it hit No. 18 in the US and No. 5 in Canada—Prince’s strongest North American showing in over three years—and earned Gold certification by year’s end. Issued in double vinyl, enhanced CD (Q-Pack with poster), cassette, and 2019 purple vinyl reissue, it’s a glittering bridge to the new millennium.

Note: The track "Prettyman" was only included on the CD in 1999 but was added to the 2019 vinyl reissue.

Many tracks originated from Lovesexy (1988) and Graffiti Bridge (1990). Promoted via European TV and Rave Un2 the Year 2000 pay-per-view (later DVD) with Rosie Gaines, Morris Day, Maceo Parker, Lenny Kravitz. Planned singles So Far, So Pleased and Hot Wit U (with The Hot X-perience EP) were cancelled.

Album Overview

Release Details:

Label: NPG Records/Arista (Europe).

Formats: 2 x Vinyl LP

CD (enhanced Q-Pack), cassette; 2019 2 x Vinyl LP (purple reissue) all included the track Prettyman

℗ & ©: 1999 NPG Records, Inc. Mastered at Masterdisk by Tony Dawsey. Distributed by BMG.

Notes: Published by Emancipated Music (most tracks); Old Crow Music/Trottsky Music/Warner-Tamerlane/Wixen (Everyday Is A Winding Road). Art direction/photography by Steven Parke. Horns by The Hornheads. Hidden tracks: 1-800-NewFunk Ad, Prettyman (not on sleeve).

European Release Formats and Track Listings

Rave Un2 The Joy Fantastic was released in Europe in 1999 in multiple formats, all with the same core sequence:

European Release Formats and Track Listings

Vinyl Album 2 x LP

(Catalogue: 07822 14624 1):

Side 1:

Rave Un2 The Joy Fantastic (4:19) – Instruments/Vocals – Prince

Undisputed (4:20) – Rap – Chuck D – Scratches – Bros. Jules – Soprano – Adele C. – Vocoder – Kip Blackshire – NPG Chants – Kirk Johnson, Morris Hayes

The Greatest Romance Ever Sold (5:29) – Guitar – Mike Scott

Segue (0:04) – Performer – Miles Davis

Side 2:

Hot Wit U (5:08) – Rap – Eve – Scratches – Bros. Jules

Tangerine (1:39) – Acoustic Bass – Rhonda Smith

So Far, So Pleased (3:24) – Co-Lead Vocals – Gwen Stefani – Bass – Rhonda Smith – Drums – Kirk A. Johnson – Background – Marva King

The Sun, The Moon And Stars (5:17) – Strings – The NPG OrchestraB1 Segue

Side 3:

Everyday Is A Winding Road (6:16) – Background – 3rd Day, Larry Graham – Written-By Brian McLeod, Jeff Trott, Sheryl Crow

Segue (0:19) – Strings – The NPG Orchestra

Man'O'War (5:14) – Percussion – Kirk A. Johnson – Strings – The NPG Orchestra

Baby Knows (3:17) – Drums – Michael Bland – Co-Lead/Harmonica – Sheryl Crow

Side 4:

I Love U, But I Don't Trust U Anymore (3:37) – Acoustic Guitar – Ani DiFranco

Silly Game (3:31) – Strings – The NPG Orchestra

Strange But True (4:15) – Instruments/Vocals – Prince

Wherever U Go, Whatever U Do (3:16) – Instruments/Vocals – Prince

CD Album

Enhanced, Q-Pack (Catalogue: 07822-14624-2):

Rave Un2 The Joy Fantastic (4:19)

Undisputed (4:20)

The Greatest Romance Ever Sold (5:29)

Segue (0:04)

Hot Wit U (5:08)

Tangerine (1:39)

So Far, So Pleased (3:24)

The Sun, The Moon And Stars (5:17)

Everyday Is A Winding Road (6:16)

Segue (0:19)

Man'O'War (5:14)

Baby Knows (3:17)

I Love U, But I Don't Trust U Anymore (3:37)

Silly Game (3:31)

Strange But True (4:15)

16.1. Wherever U Go, Whatever U Do (3:16)

16.2. (no audio) (5:35)

1-800-NewFunk Ad (0:43)

Prettyman (4:25) – Saxophone – Maceo Parker – Scratches – Bros. Jules

Packaging: Q-Pack with 6-panel fold-out poster (lyrics/credits). Enhanced with website links (now defunct on modern Macs).

CD-R Album

Label Masterpiece

Released: November 9, 1999

Rave Un2 The Joy Fantastic 4:19

Undisputed 4:20

The Greatest Romance Ever Sold 5:29

Segue 0:04

Hot Wit U 5:09

Tangerine 1:33

So Far, So Pleased 3:24

The Sun, The Moon And Stars 5:15

Everyday Is A Winding Road 6:14

Segue 0:17

Man'O'War 5:14

Baby Knows 3:18

I Love U, But I Don't Trust U Anymore 3:36

Silly Game 3:30

Strange But True 4:12

Wherever U Go, Whatever U Do 3:17

(no audio) 5:35

1-800-Newfunk Ad 0:43

Prettyman 4:24

J-card case with insert

Track 13 is printed as 'Love U, But Don't Trust U Anymore'

Cassette Album

(Catalogue: 07822 14624 4):

Side 1:

Rave Un2 The Joy Fantastic 4:19

Undisputed 4:20

The Greatest Romance Ever Sold 5:29

Segue 0:04

Hot Wit U 5:08

Tangerine 1:39

So Far, So Pleased 3:24

The Sun, The Moon And Stars 5:17

Side 2:

Everyday Is A Winding Road 6:16

Segue 0:19

Man'O'War 5:14

Baby Knows 3:17

Eye Love U, But Eye Don't Trust U Anymore 3:37

Silly Game 3:31

Strange But True 4:15

Wherever U Go, Whatever U Do 3:16

Vinyl 2 x LP

Limited Edition, Purple Reissue (Catalogue: 19075913981)

Released: April 26, 2019):

Hype sticker on shrink:

Limited Edition Purple Vinyl

[The Prince Estate logo]

19075913981S1

Features 12"x12" art insert. Comes with download card

Production and Context

Produced by Prince. Arrangements: Prince (additional), Michael B. Nelson/Prince (horns), Clare Fischer (NPG Orchestra). Engineers: HM Buff (main), Femi Jiya (track 1), Arne Frager (orchestra). Musicians: Prince (most instruments/vocals), Hornheads, NPG Orchestra, guests (Stefani, Eve, Crow, Chuck D, etc.). Recorded at Paisley Park, Olympic, O’Henry. Mixed at Paisley Park/Electric Lady.

Singles Released and Chart Performance

The Greatest Romance Ever Sold was the only single (November 23, 1999):

UK: No. 65, 2 weeks (February 26–March 4, 2000).

Chart performance for Rave Un2 the Joy Fantastic

Chart (1999) Peak position

Australian Albums (ARIA)	82
Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria)	44
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)	30
Canada Top Albums/CDs (RPM	5
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)	17
French Albums (SNEP)	37
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)	39
Norwegian Albums (VG-lista)	37
Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan)	49
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)	19
UK Albums (OCC)	145
US Billboard 200	18
US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)	8

Legacy and Collectibility

Rave Un2 The Joy Fantastic is Prince’s star-studded pop pivot, with Everyday Is A Winding Road and guest cuts enduring.

Streams on Spotify via reissues preserve the analog joy.

This LP is a must-have for Prince fans and ‘90s R&B collectors.

Do you have Rave Un2 The Joy Fantastic in your vinyl stack? Which guest steals the show? Share in the comments!

Sources

Information is drawn from my personal knowledge and supplemented by web sources, including Prince Vault, Discogs, 45cat, AllMusic, Rate Your Music, Wikipedia, BBC Official Charts Company, Billboard Chart History and YouTube