Most music fans have heard about Prince's vault - some 30 albums' worth of unreleased material. When he died in April of 2016 talk turned almost immediately to unearthing some of the previous jewels from the vault. But Prince recorded and released more music in his one lifetime than any other major-label mega-star. He also wrote, produced and recorded material for other people - built a stable of acts, nurtured proteges and created his own competition including fierce rivalries.
Some of Prince's finest material was seemingly given away. Next month, as part of the posthumous clearing of the vault Warner Music will release "Originals" - some of the demos of famous Prince songs recorded by other artists. We're going to look at some of the famous versions of the songs we'll soon get to hear in their embryonic state. We'll also hear some songs that Prince seemingly handed off - usually appearing under one of his many pseudonyms, including Jamie Starr, Joey Coco and..."Christopher".
Music critic Simon Sweetman takes a deep dive into the side projects of Prince.
Prince on stage in 1985 Photo: AFP
