Tomorrow marks two years since we lost one of the most visionary, brilliant, and influential musicians of all time with the passing of Prince. While there are many, many correct answers to the question “what’s your favorite Prince song,” you probably won’t get “Nothing Compares 2 U” as an answer very often. While the song was written by Prince, you’re more than likely familiar with it as a Sinead O’Connor song. To commemorate the date of his passing, Prince’s estate has released the original studio version of “Nothing Compares 2 U” for the first time, along with unseen rehearsal footage.
Unsurprisingly, Prince poured his soul into this song, and it shows. The emotion that he could convey in a song has always floored me, and the pain that comes through in his delivery of “Nothing Compares 2 U” is heartbreaking. The instrumentation provided by The Revolution is also excellent, with the saxophone solo a notable highlight.
The footage of Prince & The Revolution rehearsing is also fascinating. You should already know this, but the footage just goes to show how hard all of them worked. We see Prince and his band members practicing the same steps over and over until they’re perfect, trying different variations and timings until it fits. It’s amazing to watch how deftly Prince dances (and in heels, no less!), and some of the lighter moments of him interacting with his fellow musicians show what a special person he was.
You can watch the previously unseen footage and hear “Nothing Compares 2 U” above. Prince passed away on April 21, 2016. He would have turned 60 this June.
