Prince's "Father's Song" Gets Released Just in Time for Father's Day

Just in time for Fathers Day, the late songwriter, singer and producer Prince's ethereal instrumental "Father's Song" has been released. The song was an unreleased track from the upcoming Purple Rain reissue. A portion of "Father's Song" appeared in the film Purple Rain, with the track representing an unfinished work the singer's father had composed. 

The reissue of Purple Rain arrives on June 23rd. Other previously unreleased songs include "Our Destiny/Roadhouse Garden" and a studio take on "Electric Intercourse." The reissue also features songs unearthed from the Prince vaults like "Katrina's Paper Dolls," "Velvet Kitty Kat" and more. The reissue also boasts the album's single edits, B-sides, seven-inch mixes and a Blu-ray featuring a March 1985 concert from the Purple Rain Tour. 

As far as faith goes, Prince was a Jehovah's Witness. "I'm a Jehovah's Witness. I'm trying to learn the Bible. It's a history book, a science book, a guidebook. It's all the same."

Prince's understanding of religion requires him to avoid political stands, including those that concern morality. "I have friends that are gay, and we study the Bible together," he said. He did not vote for Proposition 8, the referendum to make gay marriage illegal. "I don't vote," he said. "I didn't vote for Barack [Obama], either; I've never voted. Jehovah's Witnesses haven't voted for their whole inception."

Prince, who became a Jehovah's Witness in 2001 under the guidance of veteran bassist and songwriter Larry Graham. He views everything through the lens of his religion. No topic -- sexuality, civil rights, his disdain for corporate pop -- comes up in which it doesn't play a role. Recounting a recent meeting with Earth, Wind and Fire singer Philip Bailey, for example, he commented that that group's penchant for Afrocentric garb revealed a lost history similar to the one uncovered in the Jehovah's Witnesses' version of the Bible.

Last year, Prince surprised fans when Prince and 3rdEyeGirl released an electric guitar-heavy cover of Christian singer-songwriter Nichole Nordeman's "What If," a song that embraces the closely-knit relationship between doubt and faith. 

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