A personal trip through Prince’s stranger, funkier and more overlooked corners, from rough-edged demos to B-sides that deserve their own mythology.

Prince is a gift that keeps on giving. From his intensely prolific run while he was still with us, to the perpetual rumours that the estate could release something like an album a day for the next five years thanks to the material in his much-discussed vault, the volume of music available is, as the recently maligned new album from the estate is titled, Endless.

And yet, that sheer volume can be off-putting for the casual journeyer. I know it was for me, but then, thankfully, there was a plague a few years ago that meant I couldn’t go outside for a while, so I took it upon myself to listen to every single Prince track I could possibly find, as best as I could, in chronological order.

Thirty-nine studio albums, four soundtracks, six books and more bootlegs than you can shake a boot at later, the discovery I made was that, yes, Prince is a gift that keeps on giving. And in all honesty, after counting myself among the top 0.01% of Prince listeners globally in 2020, compared to some people I’ve barely scraped the surface. There are archived forums from the late 90s replete with heated debate about extremely obscure studio outtakes from ’77, zipped files possibly riddled with viruses that contain fan-made constructions of the many rumoured and unreleased records, cobbled together from muddy-sounding cheap vinyl pressings from the 00s, and entire illicit record labels dedicated to gathering whatever scraps they can find. And then there’s the Detroit legend Moodymann, and his house that is literally crammed with Prince ephemera.

So I will confess to absolutely not knowing everything the Purple One released, or recorded, but as the portrait of him on my living room wall and the symbol tattooed on my body dictate, I am a fan. And if this little rundown of some of the slightly deeper, perhaps overlooked tracks that are available to the casual listener can also influence you, dear reader, of the brilliance of this artist, then that’s a win. So let’s jump right in.

‘It’s Gonna Be Lonely’

Closing out his self-titled 1979 album, where he purportedly played every instrument and sang all the harmonies, is this absolutely devastating track. In fact, opening with ‘I Wanna Be Your Lover’ and closing with this is actually egregious. This track is gorgeous: lush, gently funky, full of yearning, and all of this from a Prince barely into his twenties. Climaxing with one of the most epic harmonies of his discography, this is unmissable, and often overlooked on what is already an extremely strong album.

‘My Computer’

By 1996, Prince was fighting his way out of the name Prince. At least, the name ‘Prince’ had died, and he was now using the Love Symbol after legal wranglings with Warner. Emancipation, which this track is taken from, is a sprawling mess with a few highlights that will undoubtedly make this list, but we’ll kick things off with this one. Picture it now: 1996, and Prince is sad because no one is on the internet. So he writes a song about it. And gets Kate Bush to sing backing vocals on it. This track has a strong sampled beat and minimalist keyboard runs, making it an oddly emotional piece of work. In an alternate universe, I like to think of the two other people on the early internet message boards in 1996 as David Bowie and Jerry Garcia, all three mourning the fact there was no one out there to talk to. If only they knew.

‘Beautiful Strange’

Taken from Rave In2 the Joy Fantastic, which itself was a remixed version of his coolly received 1999 album Rave Un2 the Joy Fantastic (the music was coolly received, but the looks were up there with some of his strongest), this isn’t a remix but a bonus track. Phew. That’s a mouthful. Oddly psychedelic in nature, with a splash of fuzz, it’s a real outlier in his oeuvre of the time, and often regarded as one of his weirdest songs, which is rich coming from an artist who released a nearly 10-minute track called ‘Cloreen Bacon Skin’. Still, as a deep cut, it’s indicative of the range and musical intrigue of Prince, coming from an era that isn’t necessarily lauded. It’s proof that there are cathedrals everywhere for those with eyes, or ears, to see, or hear.

‘Possessed (1982 Version)’

Having completed all the studio albums back in 2020, and delving gently into the murky bootleg world (reader beware, approach with caution), I thought I could rest on my laurels. Oh no you don’t, said the Prince estate. Rereleasing some of his classic records in ultra deluxe mega monstrous editions, featuring clean and crisp versions of the many, many unreleased tracks, caused me almost to have a nervous breakdown. Take the 10LP Super Deluxe edition of 1999, which this absolute whipper of a track is taken from. That’s daunting even for a mid-Prince fan like myself. Still, faint heart ne’er won fair maid. I crawled so you could walk. This track is pure funky Prince, heavy on the synths, bombastic on the Linn drum, an absolute gem that ranks up there with some of his most danceable tracks. There are a few versions of this one, but this one has bombast and brilliance in equal measure.

‘What Do U Want Me 2 Do?’

The 00s were a strange time for Prince. In fact, they were a pretty odd time for most artists worth their salt. Look at David Bowie, for one. The 00s saw Prince getting into jazz in a big way. A BIG way. Not that he wasn’t before, of course. Unearth some of his jam sessions with Miles Davis if you want proof. In the space of a few years, he released several jazz or jazz-infused albums, some of which hit the mark, and some of which didn’t. Then, in 2004, he released Musicology, which features this stunner of a track. Alas, this is an album that is all too often overlooked, partly owing to his lukewarm experiments in jazz, but it’s arguably one of his most cohesive outings since the 80s. Smooth and funky, it’s groovy, sultry, and all the other keywords that you usually link with Prince. Almost a companion track to the next pick in our list…

‘The Ballad of Dorothy Parker’

This may well not be considered a ‘deep’ cut, but in my own humble opinion, it deserves highlighting because, well, it’s a really good song. Like, really good. Arguably one of the best songs Prince ever made. Extraordinarily narrative-led, this is Prince as a storyteller at his finest. And that iconic muddy, sort of warped synth line was apparently basically a mistake owing to a poorly connected mixing desk. The programming on the drum machine here is also absolutely phenomenal, with our man pushing the capabilities of his beloved LinnDrum to the very limit. I actually don’t know what else to write about this track, which is almost an outlier in his work, owing to the lack of a pop sensibility that pervades a lot of his songs. Just marvellous.

‘Chelsea Rodgers’

Here’s a collab that not many saw coming: Prince and the Mail on Sunday. Back in those hazy, heady days of 2007, this collab was a thing though, with Prince releasing his 32nd album, Planet Earth, free with said paper. A weird move for sure, but Prince was pulling weird moves left, right and centre. The album is fairly solid, but again, massively overlooked owing to the fact it was released free with the Mail on Sunday. In amongst the mire, though, is ‘Chelsea Rodgers’, one of Prince’s finest funk workouts, featuring a full band from his latter years. Possibly the finest funk workout of his latter years, to be honest. Bouncy bass, sharp horns and almost gospel-esque vocals all even out what is a bit of an uneven album. Hot to trot, primed for the floor.

‘The Most Beautiful Girl in the World’

The latter part of Prince’s career was infamously rocky. While I have truly tried my utmost to keep a balance of tracks from all across his lengthy and exhausting career, there are just a few albums that didn’t quite land with me and, it seems, with other fans too. I am yet to meet someone who truly loves this particular Prince era, though that being said, they are out there. This particular cut, from The Gold Experience, is a true standout however. Lush, uplifting and full of Philly soul heart, it is romantic and, as with a fair few Prince tracks, a real celebration of women and womanhood. Glossy and propulsive, this also marked Prince’s first and only UK number one. A nice cut from a murky era.

‘Do It All Night’

Our man Prince had some pretty special looks throughout his life. Take the Rave Un2/In2 era for a prime example, or even his latter-day afro with 3RDEYEGIRL. I’d say the era that this track is taken from, the Dirty Mind era, is also a bit of a ripper. Often clad simply in Y-fronts and suspenders, thinking back to the time he was doing it makes you realise what an insanely bold move it was. Dirty Mind is a real ripper of a record, and while I am loath to gloss over the other tracks, I thought I would bring this one to the fore. Punky and new wave-ish, it’s a departure from the lush multi-instrumental orchestration of his previous album. Crisp drums, rolling bass, and Prince being about as raw and sexy as you get, this is a quick burst of a track that keeps you on your toes.

‘How Come U Don’t Call Me Anymore?’

It’s not all sex and funk with Prince. I mean, a lot of it is, of course, naturally. But, as with ‘It’s Gonna Be Lonely’ above, he could also pen an absolutely crushing ballad. Take this track, for instance, originally released as the B-side to ‘1999’. Anyone, and I mean anyone, who has ever had a broken heart can relate to this track. I sure as hell can, and have, and do, and will continue to do so as and when my heart gets broken again. This is absolutely devastating as a track: just Prince, a piano, and some multi-tracked vocals. Ranked in my top Prince tracks ever, once again, the Purple One shows us just what he can do.

‘Come’

A song from an album that is almost not even seen as part of his monumental output, owing to the fact that it was released during his bitter dispute with Warner and after he had changed his name to the Love Symbol (I think all laptops should include it on their keyboards), this is Prince at his most sexually aggressive and moody. Released in 1994, the album opens with this title track, a nearly 10-minute barrage of proto-rap/funk with heavy bass, processed horns and lots of trippy vocal experiments. Dark, jazzy, sexy and funky, this is Prince as you’ve never heard him.

‘Erotic City’

1984 was a vintage year for our man Prince. I mean, Purple Rain. That was the year Purple Rain came out. We all know Purple Rain. But on the B-side of ‘Let’s Go Crazy’ was this little number. And boy oh boy, what a number. One of the funkiest B-sides ever made, this is an absolute finger-snapping, toe-tapping, belt-and-braces romp of a track. Prince on all instruments and Sheila E on co-vocals, this is Prince flexing his love for P-Funk, and it soon became a hot choice for electro and hip-hop heads just as both genres were flexing their muscles. Almost aggressively sexual, it is literally called ‘Erotic City’ after all, this is a track that will iron out each and every crease in any dancefloor. Apparently recorded after a big night out with Sheila E where the DJ played Laid Back’s ‘White Horse’, and you can see the parallel.

‘Face Down’

Back to the Emancipation album we go! As previously mentioned, this 1996 record is quite hard work. It is a triple album after all, and to be honest, there aren’t many records out there that really, truly warrant three whole discs of material. Still, in amongst the murk there are some gems, such as this bombastic rap-inspired outing from the Purple One. Heavy on the funky hip-hop grooves, and even heavier on the bassline, it’s defiant and a rare example of a Prince diss track. Plus, it features a relatively rare outing for swear words in a Prince track.

‘Adore’

This is my favourite Prince song of all time. The first time I heard this was at a SoulSkate session up in Tottenham (for those that don’t know, SoulSkate is Moodymann’s long-standing roller disco). I was intensely hungover, and sort of semi-expecting Moodymann to spin, but he instead spent most of the night rollerskating beautifully. And then, when the DJ played this track, he simply started spinning in the middle of the rink. Whether it was the hangover, the track, or a whole combination of sights, sounds, smells and senses, I almost burst into tears at the enormity of the moment. The grand gospel closer to Sign o’ the Times, it’s a stunning collision of lust and spirituality, a late-night slow jam, lights-going-on, end-of-the-party stunner. And some of the most beautiful lyrics he’s ever penned: ‘If God one day struck me blind, your beauty I’d still see / Love’s too weak to define just what you mean to me.’ Yes, I have texted that to a (now ex) partner. And yes, it didn’t work the way I thought it would. I’m not Prince after all.

‘Wouldn’t You Love to Love Me (Demo)’

Our last cut is one that you can find on YouTube, whereas the others are all available on your streamer of choice. This is again in my top three Prince tracks, and make sure you find the demo version over the version featured on the actually rather good Originals album. As Prince demos go, this is rough as heck, and often maligned and growled about in certain corners of the internet, but I think this adds so much intimacy and warmth to what is already an intimate and warm track. There’s a heavy MJ/Parliament vibe on this (MJ was even offered it as an option for Bad, but passed), though I also sense a touch of Sly and the Family Stone’s ‘Family Affair’ going on with the closeness of the instrument tracking. Groovy, warm, funky, and the answer is yes, I would love to love you, Prince.

15 Prince Deep Cuts You Need To Hear