{"id":614536,"date":"2026-09-04T18:38:15","date_gmt":"2026-09-04T18:38:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/614536\/"},"modified":"2026-09-04T18:38:15","modified_gmt":"2026-09-04T18:38:15","slug":"prince-estate-responds-to-claims-of-polishing-of-timeless-song-calabama","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/614536\/","title":{"rendered":"Prince Estate Responds to Claims of Polishing of ‘Timeless’ Song ‘Calabama’"},"content":{"rendered":"

\n\tSome Prince<\/a> fans have been wondering if one of the songs on the recently released vault collection Timeless<\/a> may have been tweaked with posthumously added parts, a move that some commenters said seems anathema to the legendarily detail-oriented musical polymath\u2019s spirit.<\/p>\n

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\n\tA note credited to the late rock icon\u2019s NPG Records and his management team posted on Instagram<\/a> on Thursday (Sept. 3) addressed those concerns, specifically focusing on the 2003 horn-spiked soul jam \u201cCalabama.\u201d The statement explained that the song\u2019s bridge features Prince calling out twice for \u201chorns,\u201d but the archived multitrack \u201cfeatured a synthesizer filling that space, which horn players later dubbed.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tIt continues, \u201cConsistent with Prince\u2019s songwriting and production approach on numerous previous recordings, a group of horn players who played with Prince were assembled to overdub Prince\u2019s synthesizer track with the intended horn line, and this version was released on Timeless.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tThe note also stressed that all of Prince\u2019s original recorded parts remain \u201cintact,\u201d with the trombone, saxophone and trumpet added by a trio of musicians \u2014\u00a0Greg Boyer, Adrian Crutchfield and Lynn Grissett \u2014\u00a0who are credited in the album\u2019s liner notes and had close ties to the singer, who died of an accidental fentanyl overdose on April 21, 2016 at his Paisley Park estate in Minnesota.<\/p>\n

\n\tIn addition, it stresses that with the exception of \u201cCalabama,\u201d no other posthumous overdubs were done on the album and that \u201cof course,\u201d no AI was used.<\/p>\n

\n\tOn X, fans weighed in after one fan posted what he purported was the original \u201cCalabama\u201d mix with no horns added, with one writing<\/a>, \u201cI think the ask from the fans is the fact that even if Prince called for horns he never added them\u2026he threw that track in the vault the way it was never added. And that\u2019s what the fans want. The original version the way he stored them.\u201d Another offered, \u201cRidiculous<\/a>. There are plenty of Prince songs with synth horns even with him explicitly saying \u2018horns.\u2019 He never added them. They should just release what is on tape!! Absurd.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tTimeless was released as part of a yearlong commemoration of the 10th anniversary of Prince\u2019s death and it is the first-ever Prince release to cover every major era of his career, from the opening track, \u201cI Am You,\u201d recorded in 1977 when he was 19 years old, to a live version of the 1999 B-side \u201cHow Come U Don\u2019t Call Me Anymore?,\u201d recorded in Oakland a month before his passing.<\/p>\n

\n\tGiven the buzz around the overdubs, the estate promised that, going forward, it will provide \u201ceven more details regarding the release of the music,\u201d noting that some of the recordings in the Purple One\u2019s legendarily deep vault were \u201csimply unfinished,\u201d adding, \u201cthis should not prevent them from being released.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cSome may object to the completing of the unfinished portion of \u2018Calabama\u2019 (even using Prince\u2019s hand-picked musicians and aligned with his creative intent,\u201d the note concluded. \u201cWhile others have been very supportive of it and the music overall (which we thank you). We understand that not everyone will agree on every decision made regarding Prince music and business matters yet your passion, knowledge, and thoughtful questions are appreciated.\u201d<\/p>\n


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