Prince's Estate Shares 'Piano & A Microphone' Album Release Date

The Prince estate has announced that a previously unheard home studio cassette recording — which sees Prince performing at his piano in 1983 — will be released as Piano & A Microphone on September 21. The nine-track, 35-minute LP will be released via Warner Bros. Records on Prince’s 60th birthday. It is available now to pre-order on CD, LP, deluxe CD + LP, and digital and can be pre-saved for streaming, too.

“This raw, intimate recording, which took place at the start of Prince’s career right before he achieved international stardom, is similar in format to the Piano & A Microphone Tour that he ended his career with in 2016,” Prince Estate entertainment adviser Troy Carter said in a statement. “The Estate is excited to be able to give fans a glimpse of his evolution and show how his career ultimately came full circle with just him and his piano.”

The album cover features Prince backstage during the 1999 tour, which was taken by Allen Beaulieu. The deluxe version will include a 12” booklet with new liner notes from Prince’s engineer, Don Batts, plus never-before-seen photos. Peep the tracklist below.

The singer’s estate previously announced a new partnership with Roots drummer Questlove that will see the Purple One’s catalog transformed into a full-fledged orchestral tour.

Piano & A Microphone tracklist:

1. 17 Days
2. Purple Rain
3. A Case Of You
4. Mary Don’t You Weep
5. Strange Relationship
6. International Lover
7. Wednesday
8. Cold Coffee & Cocaine
9. Why The Butterflies