It’s been 40 years since Prince’s seminal album Purple Rain — a.k.a. the greatest album of all time — was released. To honor the occasion, NPG Records and Paisley Park Enterprises, in partnership with Warner Records, have announced a new Dolby Atmos remix of the record.
Available to stream today on participating DSPs, the newly remastered Purple Rain was mixed from the original multitrack master tapes by former Prince engineer, Chris James. It arrives as Paisley Park is rolling out a plethora of festivities to celebrate the 40th anniversary. On Thursday, the Celebration 2024 festival kicked off, and will run through Monday, June 24th, with performances by The Revolution, Morris Day, the New Power Generation, and other special guests, as well as a preview of upcoming Purple Rain musical.
On June 25th, Warner Bros. Discovery will reissue a 4k restoration of the Purple Rain movie, which will even have a limited run in select theaters beginning July 3rd. Later this year, an “audiophile Blu-ray” of the remastered album will be released as well.
“As we begin what will be a year-long celebration of the 40th anniversary of Purple Rain, we are thrilled to present Prince’s masterpiece in Atmos, providing an immersive, surround auditory experience of Prince’s legendary album,” a statement from Paisley Park Enterprises read. “This highly crafted release will present Prince’s iconic work with a greater sense of space and depth while preserving the beautiful songs that have shaped pop culture and touched the lives of countless fans around the world.”
In other Prince news, earlier this year it was revealed that Ryan Coogler is set to produce an upcoming jukebox musical movie featuring his songs.