Prince’s ‘The Truth’ Album Set for First-Ever Vinyl Release
Known by many Prince fans as the more subtle, mostly acoustic supplement to 1998's Crystal Ball, The Truth will finally receive its own independent release and vinyl pressing on June 12 for Record Store Day 2021.
Originally recorded during a set of sessions in late 1996 at Paisley Park, The Truth was slated for a solo release in 1997 via EMI Records, but the project was canceled when the label was folded into Virgin Records and Capitol. When it was included alongside Crystal Ball in 1998, it was well received by fans and critics alike.
Typically, the number of Record Store Day limited edition pressings for any one artists will range from a few hundred to many thousands. At 13,000 copies, The Truth release will be plentiful, but given its unique inaugural nature, the album will likely be a hot commodity amongst Prince fans. The physical release will feature a purple vinyl with a foil-embossed cover.
This year, mindful of the pandemic, Record Store Day will be spread out across two dates, June 12 and July 17 in an effort to reduce crowds and allow record stores to plan accordingly.
"The spread of titles over two dates in two months allows some flexibility for the struggling vinyl pressing plants and distribution companies as well as provide stores time to prepare budgets and place the orders that safely get music into the hands of customers on a larger than normal release day," reads a statement on the Record Store Day website.
The complete list of titles due to be released over both days can be found here.