The Vault: Old Friends 4 Sale is a collection of previously unreleased songs from Prince’s legendary vault that was released by Warner Bros. Records in 1999, shortly before the release of his new studio album on Arista Records, Rave Un2 the Joy Fantastic.

It was the first Prince album to be released on Warner Bros. Records since 1996’s Chaos and Disorder. Prince submitted the collection of songs to the label at the same time as that release, complete with artwork and a brief liner note: “The enclosed material was written during the period beginning 1/23/1985 and ending 6/18/1994 and was originally intended 4 private use only.”

The title track, “Old Friends 4 Sale,” is the earliest song on the album, with the original recording taking place in 1985 while Prince was working on the Under the Cherry Moon soundtrack album Parade. The version that appears on The Vault: Old Friends 4 Sale was reworked by Prince in 1991, around the same time that many other songs on the album were recorded.

Prince did not tour in support of the album or promote it; by the time it was released in the fall of 1999, he had turned his attention toward the new music he was about to release on Rave Un2 the Joy Fantastic. Regardless, the album achieved minor commercial success in several countries, climbing as high as number 16 in the Netherlands and number 47 on the U.K. album charts.

Credits:
Prince – all vocals and instruments, Michael B. – drums, Sonny T. – bass guitar, Tommy Barbarella – keyboards, Rosie Gaines – keyboards, The Hornheads (Michael Nelson, Brian Gallagher, Kathy Jensen, Dave Jensen, and Steve Strand) – horns, Mr. Hayes – keyboards, Sheila E. – percussion, Clare Fischer – orchestration