The Prince Estate Unveils Original Prince Recording Of ‘Nothing Compares 2 U’

Saturday marks the two-year anniversary of the day iconic performer Prince died after an accidental overdose. The Purple One’s artistry can be heard on the newly-released original version of “Nothing Compares 2 U,” a song Prince wrote that Sinead O’Connor scored a worldwide hit with in 1990. The original version was issued today by The Prince Estate in collaboration with Warner Bros. Records.

Prince laid down the original “Nothing Compares 2 U” in July 1984 at Flying Crowd Drive Warehouse in Eden Prairie, Minnesota. The Purple One composed, arranged and performed all portions of the track with the exception of backing vocals provided by Susannah Melvoin and Paul “St. Paul” Peterson as well as Eric Leeds’ saxophone work. A video for the original “Nothing Compares 2 U” features previously-unreleased rehearsal footage of Prince & The Revolution practicing at Flying Crowd Drive in 1984.

The Prince Estate’s official Vault Archivist Michael Howe found the track. “I spotted the 2″ multitrack reel in the Vault some weeks back while doing a 1984-era inventory. After retrieving my jaw from the floor, we took the reel upstairs, analyzed it, put it up on the Studer 24 track machine, and digitized it to 24/192. Even our ‘faders up’ rough mix was compelling enough to indicate that this was something very special indeed,” said Howe in a press release. “No Prince-penned song performed by another artist has enjoyed more chart success (#1 in 20+ countries) and overall cultural impact than Sinead O’Connor’s 1990 recording, so hearing the song in its original context performed in its entirety by the author makes it particularly noteworthy.”

The newly-unveiled track can be downloaded or streamed here. A 7″ vinyl edition is due on May 25.

Watch the official video for “Nothing Compares 2 U”: