✦ The Rainbow Children – Album US: Nov. 2001

A spiritually charged jazz‑funk odyssey — Prince reborn, reinvented, and defiantly uncompromising.

✦ Summary

Released worldwide beginning November 20, 2001, The Rainbow Children marked Prince’s return to his birth name and his first major project outside the NPG Music Club. Initially issued as a US‑exclusive vinyl (with CD and cassette internationally), the album embraced a deep jazz‑funk palette, live band interplay, and a spoken narrative exploring faith, identity, and the “Banished Ones.” The record reflected Prince’s emerging Jehovah’s Witness beliefs, while also weaving in metaphors from Egyptian monotheism and New Age concepts like the Akashic records.

Recorded and mixed at Paisley Park Studios, the album featured the Hornheadz, Najee, Larry Graham, and drummer John Blackwell, creating a warm, organic sound distinct from Prince’s late‑’90s digital experiments. The original vinyl included a hidden reprise of “Last December” after a minute of silence. Though polarising upon release, the album has since been praised for its musicianship and conceptual depth. Its first global vinyl reissue arrived in 2020 on crystal‑clear 2×LP.

✦ Highlights

• First album after Prince resumed his birth name

• Conceptual narrative about spiritual awakening and the “Banished Ones”

• Strong jazz‑funk direction with live band and Hornheadz horns

• US vinyl‑only release at launch; CD/cassette issued internationally

• Hidden reprise of “Last December” on vinyl and CD

• First worldwide vinyl reissue in 2020

✦ Track Details

2×LP – NPG/Redline – US – 2001

Side A

Rainbow Children — 10:03

Muse 2 The Pharaoh — 4:21

Digital Garden — 4:07

Side B

The Work Pt. 1 — 4:28

Everywhere — 2:54

The Sensual Everafter — 2:58

Mellow — 4:24

Side C

1+1+1 Is 3 — 5:17

Deconstruction — 1:59

Wedding Feast — 0:54

She Loves Me 4 Me — 2:49

Family Name — 8:17

Side D

The Everlasting Now — 8:18

Last December — 7:57

(no audio) — 1:00

Last December (Reprise) — 0:38 (unlisted)

CD – NPG/Redline – 2001

Full 14‑track program including hidden tracks and reprise.

Cassette – Indonesia – 2001

Side A: Tracks 1–7

Side B: Tracks 8–14

✦ Reissues & Global Variants

Vinyl (2001)

• 2×LP — NPG/Redline 70004 — US

CD (2001–2002)

• US, France, Australia, Hong Kong, Japan, Taiwan, South Korea

• Multiple digipak editions and promos

Cassette (2001)

• Indonesia — PT. Aquarius Musikindo

Vinyl Reissues (2020)

• 2×LP Crystal Clear + slipmat — Europe

• 2×LP Crystal Clear — US

• 2×LP Crystal Clear — Japan

✦ Production and Context

• Produced, arranged, performed (majority), and mixed by Prince

• Recorded at Paisley Park Studios

• Drums: John Blackwell

• Bass: Larry Graham (B1, D2)

• Horns: Hornheadz

• Sax/flute: Najee

• Backing vocals: Kip Blackshire, Milenia, Mr. Hayes, Femi Jiya

• First album reflecting Prince’s Jehovah’s Witness faith

• Narrative explores spiritual transformation, community, and metaphoric exile

• Artwork by C’Babi; 16‑page booklet included with US vinyl

✦ Singles Released

The Work Pt. 1 — promo only (2001)

She Loves Me 4 Me — promo only

Last December — Japan promo only

✦ Chart Performance

United States

• Billboard 200 — #109

• Top R&B/Hip‑Hop Albums — #33

• Independent Albums — #4

Europe

• France — #78

Asia

• Japan (World Albums) — #17

✦ ALT TEXT (SEO)

✦ Discography Sidebar

Rave Un2 the Joy Fantastic — 1999

The Rainbow Children — 2001

One Nite Alone… — 2002

✦ Prince Era Mini‑Timeline

2000 — Prince resumes his birth name

Early 2001 — Album available via Prince’s website

Nov 2001 — The Rainbow Children released

2002 — One Nite Alone… tour expands the album’s live legacy

✦ Glam Flashback

The Rainbow Children is Prince at his most fearless — a spiritual jazz sermon wrapped in funk, philosophy, and virtuoso musicianship. It challenged fans, defied expectations, and signaled a new chapter built on faith, community, and live performance. Two decades later, its warmth and ambition feel more vital than ever.

✦ 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

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WmIw9z2DCug