Photos by Herb Ritts/Trunk Archive
Today sees the release of the Prince 4Ever, the first posthumous collection from Prince. Included on the greatest hits compilation is a never-before-released track from the late artist’s massive vault entitled “Moonbeam Levels.” A punchy but downbeat number, the song is an interesting choice for the first “new” piece of music to be shared since the Purple One’s passing, especially with a chorus that goes “Please send all your moonbeam levels to me/ I’m lookin’ for a better place to die.”
Recorded in 1982 during the 1999 sessions, the song was later considered for inclusion on Rave Unto the Joy Fantastic, though that album never actually came together. Superfans may have already come across “Moonbeam Levels”, as it’s made the bootleg rounds for some years.
However, for those who have never laid ears on the track, ABC News premiered it during a listening party at New York City’s Cutting Room Studios. The event was streamed live, and you can replay the whole thing at below, with the song itself coming in fairly quickly at about 00:45 mark.
In addition to the new song, ABC has shared a pair of previously unreleased photos of Prince taken by Herb Ritts. You can see one above and the other below.
