Album details
| Artist | Prince |
| EP | Calabama |
| Year of release | 2026 |
Rating
Introduction
On August 28, 2026, the Prince Estate released the Prince album Timeless. The release was soon overshadowed by reports of AI-generated additions and/or alterations and edits to the music made after Prince’s death. Initially, these claims were denied, but the Estate soon had to admit that changes had been made. The Prince Estate was left with egg on its face, seriously so
Prince – Calabama EP
Calabama EP
So imagine the surprise when an EP was released today featuring not only the first official release of Calabama (the version with the added material), but also the original Prince version, titled Calabama (Vault Raw). And that wasn’t all. The track Prince And The Band was also released in two versions.
Following the blunder that was Timeless, this feels like an attempt to make amends. And, it has to be said, it works. The original recording of Calabama perfectly demonstrates why adding material to Prince’s music is simply not done.
Prince And The Band was already a familiar phrase to many fans, having been performed in snippets and/or mentioned during live shows between 2002 and 2012. Part of the rap in Calabama also stems from Prince And The Band. The music was used as the basis for The Song Of The Heart, which appeared on the Happy Feet soundtrack.
Prince And The Band (Vault Raw 2) is an absolute blast. Gloriously funky, with Prince delivering an infectious rap. A wonderful addition to the Prince catalog!
Prince – Calabama EP – Statement
Songs
All songs written by Prince.
- Calabama
- Calabama (Vault Raw)
- Prince And The Band (Vault Raw 1)
- Prince And The Band (Vault Raw 2)
Musicians
- Prince – vocals and instruments
With help from
- John Blackwell – drums on Calabama, Calabama (Vault Raw)
- Greg Boyer, Adrian Crutchfield, Lynn Grissett – horns on Calabama
- Maceo Parker – saxophone on Prince And The Band (Vault Raw 2)
In closing
What’s your take on Calabama EP? Let me know!
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