Prince 2007 The Mail on Sunday Newspaper & Supplement & CD
"Planet Earth" is Prince's 32nd full-length studio album. Initially, it was included on a CD with the 15 July 2007 issue of the Mail on Sunday newspaper in the UK and Ireland, featuring simple slipcard packaging. A retail version with a full CD case and a lenticular cover was released globally a week later, sixteen months after his previous album, "3121." During Prince's "21 Nights In London: The Earth Tour" in August and September 2007, the album, in slightly different slipcard packaging than the Mail on Sunday edition, was distributed to every audience member each night.
Oddly, the packaging of each edition of the album lacks a tracklist, suggesting that the final tracklist might have been determined at a very late stage. The album credits list the recording personnel by name without specifying their contributions to individual tracks. The following listing represents a diligent attempt to assemble accurate credits, although it may not be entirely accurate. Amendments will be implemented as more information surfaces.
Details about the album's recording sessions are scarce. The basic tracking for most songs occurred from November 2004 to Spring 2007 at three venues: Paisley Park Studios in Chanhassen, MN, USA; 3121 at The Rio in Las Vegas, NV, USA; and Circle House in Miami, FL, USA. The tracks "Planet Earth" and "Guitar" were laid down in November 2004 during a session lasting three and a half hours at Paisley Park Studios, with Michael B. on drums and Sonny T. on bass. Additionally, songs featured on the 3121 album (including the title track), released in 2006, and on the subsequent studio album Lotusflow3r (tracks "From The Lotus...", "...Back 2 The Lotus", "Colonized Mind", "Love Like Jazz", and "Wall Of Berlin") were recorded in these sessions.
Many songs from Planet Earth were initially part of an early Lotusflow3r configuration, which included 15 tracks around early 2007: Guitar, Chelsea Rodgers, Mr. Goodnight, All The Midnights In The World, Lion Of Judah, Future Baby Mama, and Resolution. Notably, the track Planet Earth was absent from this lineup. It remains unclear if this 2007 project developed into Planet Earth with the later addition of the title track, or if it was a completely separate endeavor. Additionally, a four-song suite dubbed "Man Opera," featuring the tracks I Am, Touch Me, Sunrise Sunset, and No One Else, was considered for the early Planet Earth configuration in May 2007 but ultimately did not make the final cut
The album featured just one commercially-released single, "Guitar," which came out before the album. Additionally, it spawned three promotional singles: "Chelsea Rodgers," available only in the USA; "Future Baby Mama," exclusive to France; and "The One U Wanna C," released solely in Holland.
Prince initiated the "21 Nights In London: The Earth Tour" residency. Instead of the tour serving to promote the album, it was essentially the album that promoted the tour, with each audience member receiving a copy.
The album debuted at number 3 on The Billboard 200 and topped the Billboard Top R&B/Hip Hop Albums Chart, yet it did not receive RIAA certification. On February 8, 2019, The Prince Estate reissued the album through Sony’s Legacy Recordings, alongside the re-release of Musicology and 3121.
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