Prince Estate Clarifies Overdubs on New Album Timeless

Prince's estate has confirmed that the only posthumous overdubs on the new album Timeless were the horn parts added to the track 'Calabama.' The clarification comes after an initial claim that nothing had been edited or added to the song was retracted by a company executive.

Last week, the Prince estate released the album Timeless, advertised as a collection of original recordings from 1977 to 2016. Trombonist Greg Boyer later stated on Facebook that he contributed his horn part to the song 'Calabama' this year. Prince originally recorded the song in 2003.

Label Issues Apology and Clarification

On Tuesday, Charles Spicer Jr., coprincipal of Prince Legacy LLC, issued an apology. 'I want to correct something I stated earlier,' he wrote. 'I stated that nothing had been edited or added to ‘Calabama.’ I’ve since confirmed that the released version includes additional horns, so that statement was not accurate, and I will take responsibility for what I stated.'

The label has now released a longer statement addressing the controversy. It confirms that at the bridge of 'Calabama,' Prince's vocal calls out for 'horns,' but the archived multitrack featured only a synthesizer filler. A group of horn players who performed with Prince were assembled to overdub that synth track with the intended horn line.

Details of the Overdub Process

The statement asserts that all of Prince's original recorded parts on the track remain intact. The added horns are credited to three musicians with close ties to the artist.

The label confirmed these musicians were credited on the album packaging. It also stated that, except for 'Calabama,' no overdubs were used on any other recording for Timeless. The statement explicitly noted that no AI was used on any Prince music.

Addressing the Prince Vault Archive

The label's statement framed the decision within the context of Prince's vast archive, known as the Vault. It described the archive as being of 'massive size and historical depth,' containing recordings in a variety of forms, many of which are unfinished. The label argued that this unfinished state should not prevent the music from being released.

It acknowledged divided opinions on the completion of 'Calabama,' even using Prince's hand-picked musicians aligned with his creative intent. The statement thanked those who have been supportive of the decision and the music overall.

The communication emphasized a desire for healthy dialogue within the Prince community, asking that probing questions be posed with kindness and respect, aligned with Prince's values. The label promised to provide more details regarding future music releases soon.