Prince's Estate drops previously unreleased funky track "I Need A Man"

18 September 2020, 13:09 | Written by Cerys Kenneally

(News)

(Prince)

The Prince Estate has shared previously unreleased track "I Need A Man" that will feature on the deluxe reissue of Prince's Sign O’ The Times album.

Over the past month, Prince's estate and Warner Records have been sharing previously unreleased tracks from Prince's Sign O' The Times sessions. There's 63 unreleased tracks set to appear on the super deluxe edition, and we've already heard "Witness 4 The Prosecution (Version 2)", "Witness 4 The Prosecution (Version 1)", "Cosmic Day", "I Could Never Take The Place Of Your Man (1979 Version)", and "Forever In My Life".

Yesterday (17 September) Prince's "I Need A Man" vault track was made available for the first time. The track was recorded by engineer Susan Rogers at the Washington Avenue Warehouse on 22 January 1987, just months prior to Prince's Paisley Park Studios opening.

According to a press release, Prince reached out to Bonnie Raitt to offer her "I Need A Man" after seeing her perform. It was the first of four tracks he put forward to her.

The track was originally recorded in August 1981 for The Hookers, the Vanity 6 predecessors, and was later completely re-tracked for Raitt, with new live drums, Fairlight and Mirage synths, sax, trumpet, and Prince’s guide vocal.

"I Need A Man" is out now. Prince's super deluxe edition reissue of Sign O' The Times will be released 25 September, and is available to pre-order now.