The original version of Prince’s “Nothing Compares 2 U” - recorded six years before it was made famous by fellow pop star Sinéad O'Connor - has been released by the musician's estate.
It comes on the same day as the announcement that no one will be charged in relation to Prince's death.
The song has been dug out of the star's Paisley Park vault, which is said to contain thousands of unreleased songs. A video of Prince and some band members rehearsing has accompanied the announcement, and shows the star practising some of his trademark moves:
A limited edition 7" picture disc single will be available for pre-order from 25 May.
Prince's original version was recorded in 1984, while O'Connor's clasic re-imagining was released in 1990.
The original track was recorded at the Flying Cloud Drive Warehouse in Eden Prairie by Prince's long-time engineer Susan Rogers, and originally composed, arranged and performed in its entirety by Prince, apart from the backing vocals by Susannah Melvoin and Paul Peterson. It features saxophone work by Eric Leeds.
Shortly after his death, former Replacements' frontman and fellow Minneapolis native Paul Westerberg wrote in Rolling Stone that his death was "a reminder of how fragile we all are and how quick life is".
"He'd play Jimi Hendrix-style, between his legs and behind his back. And then he'd do the splits. He could put the guitar down, and Jimi would become James Brown. He could hold the crowd like Mick Jagger, but could Mick Jagger play the piano like that? And then, lyrically, there's something like, 'When Doves Cry' There's obviously more going on there than meets the booty."
Prince on stage in 1985 Photo: AFP
