{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2025}} {{Infobox album | name = The Vault: Old Friends 4 Sale | type = studio | artist = Prince | cover = Prince Vault.jpg | alt = | released = August 24, 1999 | recorded = 1985–1996 | studio = | genre = *Jazz-funk *smooth jazz<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/the-vault-old-friends-4-sale-mw0000669013|title=The Vault: Old Friends 4 Sale: Songs, Reviews, Credits|publisher=AllMusic|last=Erlewine|first=Stephen Thomas|date=August 24, 1999|access-date=April 23, 2016}}</ref> | length = 39:17 | label = Warner Bros. | producer = Prince | prev_title = 1999: The New Master | prev_year = 1999 | next_title = Rave Un2 the Joy Fantastic | next_year = 1999 | misc = }}
'''''The Vault: Old Friends 4 Sale''''' is the twenty-second studio album by American recording artist Prince. It was released on August 24, 1999,<ref>{{cite magazine |last1=Newman |first1=Melinda |title=Doobie Get Their Due With 4-CD Boxed Set... |magazine=Billboard |date=1999-08-07 |volume=111 |issue=32 |page=12 |url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Billboard/90s/1999/BB-1999-08-07.pdf |access-date=11 July 2023 |publisher=BPI Communications |location=New York, NY, US |language=English |issn=0006-2510 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210122002328/https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Billboard/90s/1999/BB-1999-08-07.pdf |archive-date=22 January 2021 |quote=Warner Bros. will release "The Vault...Old Friends 4 Sale," a collection of 10 original Prince songs, Aug. 24.}}</ref> by Warner Bros. Records. The album was submitted to Warner Bros. Records in 1996, complete with artwork at the same time as ''Chaos and Disorder'', but released three years later, shortly before Prince's Arista album release ''Rave Un2 the Joy Fantastic''. The album was recorded from 1985 through 1996. It was the last album to be released by Warner Bros. to fulfill his 1992 contract obligations.
Fans often complain that the songs have been overworked and watered down from the original versions that can be heard on various bootlegs, particularly "Old Friends 4 Sale".{{citation needed|date=February 2015}} Little promotion was done in the United States or United Kingdom to support the album. "Extraordinary" was occasionally performed during his 2002 One Nite Alone... Tour.
== Background and release == ''The Vault: Old Friends 4 Sale'' was Prince's first release with Warner Bros. Records since his eighteenth studio album, ''Chaos and Disorder'' (1996).<ref name="liner">{{cite AV media notes|others=Prince (musician) |title=Girl 6 |type=liner notes |publisher=NPG Records|year=1996}}</ref> His previous three albums, ''Emancipation'' (1996), ''Crystal Ball'' (1998), and ''The Truth'' (1998), were all released independently by NPG Records.<ref name="AllMusic discography">{{cite web|title=Prince Discography|url=https://www.allmusic.com/artist/prince-mn0000361393/discography|publisher=AllMusic|access-date=May 24, 2016}}</ref>
== Promotion == Unlike his previous studio albums, Prince did not embark on a concert series or tour and did very little to promote the album. The lack of a proper tour would continue until the release of his twenty-fifth studio album, ''One Nite Alone...'' (2002).<ref name="Goldies Parade">{{cite web|title=One Nite Alone... Tour Dates|url=http://www.goldiesparade.co.uk/prince-tour/tour-timeline/one-nite-alone-tour/one-nite-alone-tour-dates/|website=Goldies Parade|access-date=May 24, 2016|date=2002}}</ref> Prince's next tour would not be until late 2000, when he began the Hit n Run Tour.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.dawnation.com/menu2/oldertours.html |title=Ontour |publisher=Dawnation |access-date=May 24, 2016}}</ref>
=== Singles === "Extraordinary" was released as the album's first promotional single on August 10, 1999, two weeks before the album's scheduled release.<ref name="Discogs CD release1">{{cite web|title=Prince – Extraordinary|url=https://www.discogs.com/Prince-Extraordinary/release/4223956|website=Discogs|date=1999 |access-date=May 24, 2016}}</ref><ref name="Discogs CD release2">{{cite web|title=Prince – Extraordinary|url=https://www.discogs.com/Prince-Extraordinary/release/8190027|website=Discogs|date=1999 |access-date=May 24, 2016}}</ref>
Three further promotional singles were released from ''The Vault: Old Friends 4 Sale''. The second, "The Rest of My Life", was released in Japan in 1999, and included "Extraordinary" as the CD's second track.<ref name="The Rest of My Life CD release">{{cite web|title=Prince – The Rest Of My Life|url=https://www.discogs.com/Prince-The-Rest-Of-My-Life/release/3141891|website=Discogs|date=1999 |access-date=May 24, 2016}}</ref> "5 Women" was the third promo single, released exclusively in Germany.<ref name="5 Women CD release">{{cite web|title=Prince – 5 Women|url=https://www.discogs.com/Prince-5-Women/release/4439326|website=Discogs|date=1999 |access-date=May 24, 2016}}</ref> The fourth and final promotional single, "It's About That Walk", was also released in Germany.<ref name="It's About That Walk CD release">{{cite web|title=Prince – It's About That Walk|url=https://www.discogs.com/Prince-Its-About-That-Walk/release/4629588|website=Discogs|date=1999 |access-date=May 24, 2016}}</ref>
== Critical reception == {{Music ratings | rev1 = AllMusic | rev1score = {{Rating|3|5}}<ref name="AllMusic review" /> | rev2 = ''Entertainment Weekly'' | rev2score = B+<ref name="Entertainment Weekly review" /> | rev3 = ''The Guardian'' | rev3score = {{Rating|3|5}}<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2016/apr/22/prince-every-album-rated-and-ranked|title=Prince: every album rated – and ranked|website=The Guardian|last=Price|first=Simon|date=22 April 2016|access-date=31 March 2025}}</ref> | rev4 = ''NME'' | rev4score = 4/10<ref name="NME review" /> | rev5 = ''Now'' | rev5score = {{Rating|1|5}}<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nowtoronto.com/issues/18/51/Ent/discnow.html|title=Prince rubbish found in vault!|website=Now|last=Perlich|first=Tim|date=19 August 1999|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060616204024/http://www.nowtoronto.com/issues/18/51/Ent/discnow.html |access-date=31 March 2025|archive-date=June 16, 2006 }}</ref> | rev6 = ''PopMatters'' | rev6score = 6/10<ref name="PopMatters review" /> | rev7 = ''Rolling Stone'' | rev7score = {{Rating|2|5}}<ref name="Rolling Stone review">{{cite magazine|title=Prince Album Guide|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/artists/prince/albumguide|access-date=May 24, 2016|magazine=Rolling Stone|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110320034112/http://www.rollingstone.com/music/artists/prince/albumguide|archive-date=March 20, 2011|url-status=dead}}</ref> }}
After its release, ''The Vault: Old Friends 4 Sale'' received generally mixed reviews from music critics. In a fairly positive review, Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic called it "an unassuming, jazzy little record that's damn near irresistible."<ref name="AllMusic review">{{cite web|author1=Stephen Thomas Erlewine|author-link=Stephen Thomas Erlewine|title=Prince – The Vault: Old Friends 4 Sale|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/the-vault-old-friends-4-sale-mw0000669013|publisher=AllMusic|access-date=May 24, 2016}}</ref> Erlewine suggested that the tracks were comparable to the material found on ''Graffiti Bridge'' (1990). ''Entertainment Weekly'''s Marc Weingarten appreciated the album, stating that it "sounds more committed than a lot of his indie releases"; however, Weingarten noted that Prince fans would enjoy the album more.<ref name="Entertainment Weekly review">{{cite magazine|last=Weingarten|first=Marc|title=The Vault... Old Friends 4 Sale|url=https://www.ew.com/article/1999/09/10/vault-old-friends-4-sale|access-date=May 24, 2016|magazine=Entertainment Weekly|date=September 10, 1999}}</ref>
In a mixed review, Mark Zeltner of ''PopMatters'' enjoyed songs "Extraordinary" and "It's About That Walk", but criticized the record's "lack of a cohesive musical theme", also calling the track listing "a series of songs that were forgotten or discarded long ago by their creator."<ref name="PopMatters review">{{cite web|last=Zeltner|first=Mark|title=Prince, The Vault Old Friends 4 Sale|url=https://www.popmatters.com/review/prince-vault/|website=PopMatters|access-date=May 24, 2016}}</ref> A reviewer from ''Mojo'' was more mixed with the album, calling it "pleasing though predictable".<ref name="CD Universe reviews">{{cite web|title=Prince – Vault: Old Friends 4 Sale CD|url=http://www.cduniverse.com/productinfo.asp?pid=1102327&style=music|website=CD Universe|access-date=May 24, 2016}}</ref> Keith Phipps, writing for ''The A.V. Club'', was disappointed by the album, blaming Warner Bros. for the "none-too-generous selection of material".<ref name="The A.V. Club review">{{cite news|last=Phipps|first=Keith|title=Prince: The Vault... Old Friends 4 Sale|url=https://www.avclub.com/review/prince-emthe-vault-old-friends-4-saleem-21273|access-date=May 24, 2016|website=The A.V. Club|date=August 24, 1999}}</ref> Similarly, a critic from ''NME'' found the songs to be "mediocre", also noting that Warner Bros. takes "revenge on their erstwhile slave".<ref name="NME review">{{cite news|title=The Vault... Old Friends 4 Sale|url=https://www.nme.com/reviews/1307|access-date=May 24, 2016|work=NME|date=September 12, 2005}}</ref>
== Commercial performance == ''The Vault: Old Friends 4 Sale'' was moderately unsuccessful after its release, peaking at the lower positions of most record charts. In the United States, the album debuted and peaked at position eighty-five on the ''Billboard'' 200.<ref name="us" /> In the United Kingdom, it peaked at number forty-seven, becoming his highest charting album since ''Emancipation'' (1996).<ref name="uk" /> The album was somewhat successful in the Netherlands, where it peaked at number sixteen.<ref name="dutch" /> Elsewhere, the album was unsuccessful. In France and Germany, it peaked at positions sixty-four and forty-four, respectively.<ref name="france" /><ref name="germany" />
== Track listing == All songs written and produced by Prince. {{Track listing | headline = ''The Vault: Old Friends 4 Sale'' track listing
| title1 = The Rest of My Life | length1 = 1:40 | title2 = It's About That Walk | length2 = 4:26 | title3 = She Spoke 2 Me | length3 = 8:20 | title4 = 5 Women | length4 = 5:13 | title5 = When the Lights Go Down | length5 = 7:11 | title6 = My Little Pill | length6 = 1:09 | title7 = There Is Lonely | length7 = 2:29 | title8 = Old Friends 4 Sale | length8 = 3:27 | title9 = Sarah | length9 = 2:53 | title10 = Extraordinary | length10 = 2:28 | total_length = 39:17 }}
==Charts== {| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center" |+Chart performance for ''The Vault: Old Friends 4 Sale'' ! scope="col"| Chart (1999–2024) ! scope="col"| Peak<br /> position |- {{album chart|Austria|40|artist=Prince|album=The Vault... Old Friends 4 Sale|rowheader=true|access-date=May 1, 2016}} |- {{album chart|Flanders|31|artist=Prince|album=The Vault... Old Friends 4 Sale|rowheader=true|access-date=May 1, 2016}} |- {{album chart|Netherlands|15|artist=Prince|album=The Vault... Old Friends 4 Sale|rowheader=true|access-date=May 1, 2016|refname=dutch}} |- {{album chart|France|64|artist=Prince|album=The Vault... Old Friends 4 Sale|rowheader=true|access-date=May 1, 2016|refname=france}} |- {{album chart|Germany|44|id=3038|artist=Prince|album=The Vault... Old Friends 4 Sale|rowheader=true|access-date=May 1, 2016|refname=germany}} |- ! scope="row"| Hungarian Physical Albums (MAHASZ)<ref>{{cite web |title=Album Top 40 slágerlista (fizikai hanghordozók) – 2024. 9. hét |url=https://slagerlistak.hu/album-top-40-slagerlista-fizikai-hanghordozok/2024/9 |publisher=MAHASZ |access-date=7 March 2024}}</ref> | 23 |- {{album chart|Scotland|95|date=19990829|rowheader=true|access-date=November 13, 2025}} |- {{album chart|Switzerland|21|artist=Prince|album=The Vault... Old Friends 4 Sale|rowheader=true|access-date=May 1, 2016}} |- {{album chart|UK2|47|date=19990829|artist=Prince|rowheader=true|access-date=May 1, 2016|refname=uk}} |- {{album chart|UKR&B|7|date=20240301|rowheader=true|access-date=November 13, 2025}} |- {{album chart|Billboard200|85|artist=Prince|rowheader=true|access-date=May 1, 2016|refname=us}} |- {{album chart|BillboardRandBHipHop|27|artist=Prince|rowheader=true|access-date=November 13, 2025}} |}
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== * ''[http://www.discogs.com/Prince-The-Vault--Old-Friends-4-Sale/release/457795 The Vault ... Old Friends 4 Sale]'' at Discogs * [https://musicbrainz.org/release-group/4516ac04-fcb2-3f01-9e6c-07595dcadfc1 ''The Vault: Old Friends 4 Sale''], at ''MusicBrainz'', MetaBrainz Foundation
{{Prince albums}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Vault: Old Friends 4 Sale, The}} Category:1999 albums Category:Prince (musician) albums Category:Albums produced by Prince (musician) Category:Warner Records albums