Prince is returning to the label where he made some of his best known music, Warner Bros. Records, in a landmark deal that will allow the legendary guitarist to take control of his back catalog. He has also promised to release a new album on the label.
The first project under the new deal will be a 30th anniversary edition of his iconic album Purple Rain, which features “When Doves Cry” and other hits. According to Billboard, it will also include a copy of the film of the same name and will be followed by further re-issues.
Some of Prince’s other albums on Warner Bros. include 1999, Controversy, Dirty Mind and his Batman album.
“Warner Bros. Records and Eye are quite pleased with the results of the negotiations and look forward to a fruitful relationship,” Prince said in a statement, using his personal version of the “I” pronoun, notes Variety.
“Everyone at Warner Bros Records is delighted to be working with Prince once again: he is one of the world's biggest stars and a truly unique talent,” Warner Bros. Records chairman and CEO Cameron Strang added. “We are also very excited about the release of new and re-mastered music from one of his greatest masterpieces.”
Prince famously left Warner Bros. in 1996 when he changed his stage name to a symbol and criticized the music industry. Financial terms of the new deal were not released.
The two sides didn’t give any further details on the new album, only saying that it is “on the way.”