It cannot be considered an official album, it’s more a series of instrumental compositions made by Prince in 1977, when he was 19 years old. Never released in physical format, it precedes his first official album, For You, that will be released one year later. But you can stream it below, uploaded by a channel dedicated to the American artist dead in 2016. The authenticity of the songs has already been verified by several official magazines and forums.
It is called Loring Park Sessions ’77, a series of free recording sessions in the studio of Loring Park (Minneapolis) owned by Owen Husney, Prince’s first manager. Eight tracks, all instrumental and untitled, realized with the participation of bassist Andre’ Cymone and drummer Bobby Z, who will soon become members of Prince’s first band. The sound is the popular style that was trending at that time, funk & jazz mixed with fantasy and tenacity.
It’s an enlightening listening that will remind you why we are all in love with Prince. The approach is soft and elegant, perfect as a background listening, something that helps us understand the technical talent of an artist that soon will become a popstar for his presence and his ability to win the listener with funk inventions and popular hooks. Here is where everything started.
