The Prince Estate has issued a clarification regarding the newly released ‘Timeless’ collection, admitting that horn overdubs were added to the track ‘Calabama’ despite prior assertions to the contrary. This development addresses growing confusion among fans and industry observers after credits listed horn players who collaborated with the artist years after the song’s original 2003 recording date.
According to reporting by MusicRadar, estate representative Charles Spicer Jr. initially claimed at a release event that nothing was added or edited to the archival recordings. However, following fan scrutiny and confirmation from trombonist Greg Boyer that parts were recorded recently, Spicer retracted his statement on social media. The estate subsequently released an official explanation stating that while Prince’s vocal call for horns was originally filled by a synthesizer on the multitrack, real musicians were assembled to overdub the intended line consistent with the artist’s production approach.
The statement emphasizes that all of Prince’s original recorded parts remain intact and explicitly denies the use of artificial intelligence on the album. Acknowledging the controversy, the estate promised greater transparency regarding future releases from the vault while affirming its commitment to issuing unfinished works. This incident underscores the complexities manufacturers and distributors face when bringing posthumous musical products to market, particularly concerning consumer expectations for archival integrity.
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