Music Icon Prince Returns to Columbia Records with His New Album, 'Planet Earth,' In-Stores July 24, 2007

NEW YORK, NY. (Top40 Charts/ Columbia Records) - Columbia Records is proud to work once again with Prince in the release of "Planet Earth" - the latest full-length studio collection from the multi-platinum Grammy-winning artist - available in North America on Tuesday, July 24, the culmination of a worldwide launch beginning July 16.

"Guitar," the first single from "Planet Earth," will be serviced to all radio formats on June 11. Prince's long-term musical proteges, Wendy & Lisa, are among the musicians appearing on "Planet Earth."

Prince has recently announced the first dates of his upcoming World Tour, beginning August 1 at the O2 Arena in London, where the first of 15 concert dates sold-out in record time. Six additional dates have been added and will go on-sale next week.

"'Planet Earth' is a fantastic album and promises to be a musical milestone for Prince," said Rob Stringer. "The Columbia label is thrilled to be working with an iconic artist like Prince in this exciting stage of his amazing career."

"Guitar," the first single from Prince's upcoming new album, "Planet Earth," will be available free, for a promotional period, exclusively from Verizon Wireless.

John Stratton, executive vice president and chief marketing officer of Verizon, noted, "When Prince, who has consistently been on the cutting edge of music, harnesses innovative technology to deliver his fresh new music, that's a tremendous opportunity for music lovers across the country. At Verizon, we're committed to delivering hot multimedia services to the public in a way that's powerful, direct and relevant."