21/04/2026
Prince’s archive has delivered a significant new release with “With This Tear”, a previously unheard studio recording from November 1991, officially issued to coincide with the 10th anniversary of his death on April 21. Released via NPG Records in partnership with Legacy Recordings, the track presents Prince performing every element himself, from composition through to final instrumentation, offering a rare, unfiltered snapshot of his early 90s studio process at Paisley Park.
The timing positions the release as more than a standalone track. It serves as the opening instalment of a broader campaign to unveil material from a previously unreleased Prince album project expected later in 2026. For fans and industry observers, the drop underscores the continued cultural and commercial relevance of Prince’s vault, nearly a decade after his death.
Technically, “With This Tear” has been newly mixed and mastered by long-time collaborator Chris James, whose prior work with Prince spans HITnRUN Phase Two, Art Official Age and Plectrumelectrum. The recording itself dates back to a prolific period in Prince’s catalogue, when he was moving between Diamonds And Pearls and Love Symbol Album, often working in isolation and maintaining full creative control. The track is structured as a restrained piano-led ballad, supported by light synthesiser textures and orchestral arrangements originally overseen by Clare Fischer in Los Angeles.
Shortly after completing the song, Prince passed it to Céline Dion, who recorded and released her version on her 1992 self-titled album. Produced by Walter Afanasieff, Dion’s recording reframed the composition into a more expansive adult contemporary format, becoming one of the most critically regarded performances of her early career. Prince’s original, by contrast, retains a minimal arrangement built around falsetto vocals and sparse instrumentation, highlighting the compositional core without the later production layers.
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