✦ The Versace Experience (Prelude 2 Gold) Album: Sept. 2019

From ultra‑rare 1995 fashion‑show cassette to global 2019 reissue — Prince’s most exclusive sampler reborn

✦ SUMMARY

Released by NPG Records on September 13, 2019, in vinyl, CD, cassette, and digital formats, The Versace Experience (Prelude 2 Gold) began life as one of the rarest Prince releases ever created. Originally distributed as a promotional cassette to attendees of the Versace collection at Paris Fashion Week on July 8, 1995, only 300 copies were produced. In 2019, The Prince Estate reissued the project worldwide, first as a Record Store Day cassette (11,000 copies) on April 13, followed by general CD, vinyl, and digital editions in September. The 2019 editions became Prince’s ninth compilation album and his sixth posthumous release.

✦ HIGHLIGHTS

• Released September 13, 2019 (CD, vinyl, digital)

• Originally issued July 8, 1995, as a 300‑copy promotional cassette

• Record Store Day 2019 cassette reissue (11,000 copies)

• Includes unique mixes, edits, and overdubs not found elsewhere

• Features tracks tied to The Gold Experience, Exodus, 24, and Kamasutra

• Reached No. 2 on Billboard Top R&B/Hip‑Hop Albums and No. 170 on the Billboard 200

• Sixth posthumous Prince release and ninth compilation album

✦ 1995 ORIGINAL RELEASE CONTEXT

The original 1995 cassette was created as a promotional sampler for The Gold Experience, but it also previewed material from several other Prince‑related projects of the era, including The New Power Generation’s Exodus, Madhouse’s unreleased 24, and The NPG Orchestra’s Kamasutra. Many tracks were remixed or altered specifically for this cassette, with overdubbed “Versace” or “The Versace Experience” vocal tags. Several versions included here do not exist in the same form anywhere else. Unusually, the cassette was released in conjunction with Warner Bros., reflecting the joint release plan for The Gold Experience, originally scheduled for September 12, 1995, before being pushed to September 26. Only 300 copies were produced. Artwork for a CD version was created, but no promotional CDs are believed to have been manufactured.

✦ 2019 REISSUE CONTEXT

The Prince Estate revived The Versace Experience for Record Store Day 2019, issuing replica cassettes in the USA, Europe, and Japan. A special purple edition (1,000 copies) was sold exclusively by Electric Fetus on April 25, 2019. The 2019 editions were released by NPG Records and The Prince Estate in partnership with Sony’s Legacy Recordings, whereas the original 1995 cassette was issued by NPG Records and Warner Bros. This was the fifth Prince release through Legacy, following Anthology: 1995–2010 and the 2019 reissues of Musicology, 3121, and Planet Earth. The general release in September 2019 was preceded by two digital singles: Pussy Control (Club Mix Edit) on August 23, 2019, and Rootie Kazootie (Edit) on September 6, 2019. The compilation reached No. 2 on the Billboard Top R&B/Hip‑Hop Albums chart and No. 170 on the Billboard 200.

✦ Tracklist — CD / Digital

• Pussy Control (Club Mix Edit) – 3:04

• Shhh (Excerpt) – 3:55

• Get Wild in the House – 2:15 (The NPG)

• Hate U (Remix) – 3:29

• 319 (Excerpt) – 1:28

• Shy (Excerpt) – 2:23

• Billy Jack Bitch – 2:31

• Sonny T. (Excerpt) – 0:28 (Madhouse)

• Rootie Kazootie (Edit) – 2:38 (Madhouse)

• Chatounette Contrôle – 2:25

• Pussy Control (Control Tempo Edit) – 1:23

• Kamasutra Overture No. 5 – 0:44 (The NPG Orchestra)

• Free the Music – 1:44 (The NPG)

• Segue – 0:50

• Gold (Excerpt) – 3:34

✦ Tracklisting — LP

This LP is a reissue of the original promotional cassette.

Side 1:

• Pussy Control (Club Mix) (Edit) (3:04) -

• Shhh (Excerpt) (3:55) -

• Get Wild In The House (2:15) - The NPG

• Hate U (Remix) (3:29) -

• 319 (Excerpt) (1:28) -

• Shy (Excerpt) (2:23) -

Side 2:

• Billy Jack Bitch (2:31) -

• Sonny T. (Excerpt) (0:28) - Madhouse

• Rootie Kazootie (Edit) (2:38) - Madhouse

• Chatounette Contrôle (2:25) -

• Pussy Control (Control Tempo) (Edit) (1:23) -

• Kamasutra Overture #5 (0:44) - The NPG Orchestra

• Free The Music (1:44) - The NPG

• Segue (0:50) -

• Gold (Excerpt) (3:34) -

✦ TRACKLISTING — CASSETTE (1995 ORIGINAL)

- Side A:

• Pussy Control (Club Mix Edit) – 3:04

• Shhh (Excerpt) – 3:55

• Get Wild In The House – 2:15 (The NPG)

• Hate U (Remix) – 3:29

• 319 (Excerpt) – 1:28

• Shy (Excerpt) – 2:23

- Side B:

• Billy Jack Bitch – 2:31

• Sonny T. (Excerpt) – 0:28 (Madhouse)

• Rootie Kazootie (Edit) – 2:38 (Madhouse)

• Chatounette Controle – 2:25

• Pussy Control (Control Tempo Edit) – 1:23

• Kamasutra Overture #5 – 0:44 (The NPG Orchestra)

• Free The Music – 1:44 (The NPG)

• Segue – 0:50

• Gold (Excerpt) – 3:34

✦ DESIGN NOTES — THE VERSACE EXPERIENCE (PRELUDE 2 GOLD)

The 2019 artwork blends Prince’s Love Symbol with Versace’s iconic Medusa emblem and Greek key border, creating a fusion of luxury fashion and mid‑’90s NPG aesthetics. The gold palette reflects the era of The Gold Experience, while the smoky black outer ring adds depth and drama. The purple hype sticker emphasises the rarity of the original 1995 cassette and the significance of its first‑ever CD release. The Parental Advisory label anchors the project firmly in its 1995 context. The design communicates exclusivity, glamour, and the bold artistic confidence of Prince’s mid‑’90s output.

✦ LEGACY

The Versace Experience (Prelude 2 Gold) remains one of the most unusual and collectible releases in Prince’s catalogue. The 2019 reissue preserved a once‑impossibly‑rare artifact and made it accessible to fans worldwide, offering a vivid snapshot of Prince’s creative world during the Gold era. Its chart success demonstrated the enduring fascination with Prince’s Vault and the continued relevance of his mid‑’90s work.