Hear Prince’s Unreleased ‘I Need a Man’ From ‘Sign O’ the Times’ Reissue

Prince’s “I Need a Man,” which the late icon wrote and recorded for an unrealized Bonnie Raitt collaboration, has been released for the first time as part of the massive Sign O’ the Times reissue.

Originally recorded by Prince’s pre-Vanity 6 offshoot the Hookers in August 1981, Prince revived the track as one of four songs he offered to Raitt after seeing that singer perform in concert. This version of “I Need a Man,” recorded at the Washington Avenue Warehouse on January 22nd, 1987, features Prince’s live drums, synths and guide vocals.

Raitt opted not to use the track, and Prince’s “I Need a Man” was placed in the Vault until its unveiling for the Sign O’ the Times reissue, which contains over 45 unreleased tracks from the era.

Ahead of the September 25th release of the reissue, the Prince estate has also shared the similarly unreleased “Cosmic Day,” a 1981 version of “I Could Never Take the Place of Your Man” and an “early” take on “Forever in My Life.”