Retail artwork is shown above.
Mail order version contained no artwork.

• None.
  Days Of Wild was later released as a limited edition single, but using a different live recording.

It is the first full collection of outtakes and songs from Prince’s legendary 'vault', and contains tracks recorded under the name Prince as well as under the then-current moniker . The full album was credited to , however. The album package (titled only as Crystal Ball) also included the album The Truth (the direct-order edition also included the album Kamasutra by The NPG Orchestra).

Each of the album’s three CDs contains 10 tracks and lasts almost exactly 50:00 (mirroring Emancipation’s 12-song, 60:00 disc lengths). This means the material could have fit on only two CDs.

Pre-orders

The album was initially mentioned on Thedawn.com a few days before the release of Emancipation, and was mentioned in the booklet of Emancipation upon its release in November 1996. It was initially only available through phone pre-order (using 1-800 New Funk). Love4oneanother.com gave updates on the album over the next several months, saying that the album would only be produced when 100,000 orders had been placed, and stating the album had been completed on Independence Day, 4 July 1997.

A few short samples of tracks (including Days Of Wild) were posted on the website during the summer of 1997, and the packaging was hyped as an innovative design. Customers who had placed orders several months before release showed frustration online with the delays, and Love4OneAnother.com announced that The Truth and Kamasutra would be included to reward customers' patience.

In addition, several customers reported receiving a t-shirt with their order (exact t-shirt varied by customer), and a copy of the Emancipation lyric book. Several customers received a follow-up in August 1998, of a cassette copy of The War, credited to the New Power Generation. Some customers did not receive this, however, and some people who did receive it did not order Crystal Ball, so it is unclear how the mailing list was created.

Sessions and compiling

The album is largely made up of tracks recorded in two periods: 1985-6 and 1993-6. The only exception is Cloreen Bacon Skin, recorded in March 1983.

No tracks were recorded especially for this album (although 2morrow was recorded after his last album, Emancipation, was completed, so Crystal Ball was the first album for which it could be considered). Additionally, the album contains seven remixes or alternate versions of previously-released tracks, Love Sign (Shock G’s Silky Remix), So Dark (a remix of Dark), Tell Me How U Wanna B Done (a remix of The Continental), Interactive, Good Love, Get Loose (a remix of Loose!), and P. Control (Remix).

As such, this album marks the first time material has been re-used from one album to another, although this album should perhaps not be viewed as a cohesive, canonical piece in the way others could.

avoided using tracks which strongly featured the Revolution, as he intended to release a companion album, Roadhouse Garden, in 1999, containing previously-unreleased Prince and the Revolution material (this album remains unreleased, however).

Copyright information on the album is given as 1997.

Promotion

No singles were released from the album, although Love Sign and P. Control had both previously been available as promo-only singles connected to their original albums, 1-800 New Funk and The Gold Experience respectively. Although videos for Acknowledge Me, Interactive and 18 & Over were made a few years before this release (and not connected to any albums), they were not used as promotional tools for Crystal Ball. Days Of Wild was released as a limited-release single in 2002, using a different live version than included here. did not tour or make any TV appearances to support the album.

The album reached number 62 on The Billboard 200, and number 59 on the Billboard Top R&B Albums chart.

The compact disc version is the original issue.

• Disc 1:

1. Crystal Ball (10:28)
2. Dream Factory (3:07)
3. Acknowledge Me (5:27)
4. Ripopgodazippa (4:39)
5. Love Sign (Shock G’s Silky Remix) (3:53)
6. Hide The Bone (5:04) ¹
7. 2morrow (4:14)
8. So Dark (5:14)
9. Movie Star (4:26)
10. Tell Me How U Wanna B Done (3:16)

• Disc 2:

1. Interactive (3:04)
2. Da Bang (3:20)
3. Calhoun Square (4:47)
4. What’s My Name (3:04)
5. Crucial (5:06)
6. An Honest Man (1:13)
7. Sexual Suicide (3:40)
8. Cloreen Bacon Skin (15:37)
9. Good Love (4:55)
10. Strays Of The World (5:07)

• Disc 3:

1. Days Of Wild (9:19)
2. Last Heart (3:02)
3. Poom Poom (4:32)
4. She Gave Her Angels (3:53)
5. 18 & Over (5:40)
6. The Ride (5:14)
7. Get Loose (3:31)
8. P. Control (Remix) (6:00)
9. Make Your Mama Happy (4:01)
10. Goodbye (4:35)

The digital format is a reissue of the CD version, made available on 26 March 2005 on NPG Music Club 'Musicology Download Store'.

1. Crystal Ball (10:28)
2. Dream Factory (3:07)
3. Acknowledge Me (5:27)
4. Ripopgodazippa (4:39)
5. Love Sign (Shock G’s Silky Remix) (3:53)
6. Hide The Bone (5:04) ¹
7. 2morrow (4:14)
8. So Dark (5:14)
9. Movie Star (4:26)
10. Tell Me How U Wanna B Done (3:16)
11. Interactive (3:04)
12. Da Bang (3:20)
13. Calhoun Square (4:47)
14. What’s My Name (3:04)
15. Crucial (5:06)
16. An Honest Man (1:13)
17. Sexual Suicide (3:40)
18. Cloreen Bacon Skin (15:37)
19. Good Love (4:55)
20. Strays Of The World (5:07)
21. Days Of Wild (9:19)
22. Last Heart (3:02)
23. Poom Poom (4:32)
24. She Gave Her Angels (3:53)
25. 18 & Over (5:40)
26. The Ride (5:14)
27. Get Loose (3:31)
28. P. Control (Remix) (6:00)
29. Make Your Mama Happy (4:01)
30. Goodbye (4:35)

All songs written by except where indicated.
¹ Original lyrics by Brenda Lee Eager and Hilliard Wilson

• - all vocals and instruments except where noted (as 'yo mama' on Hide The Bone and 'yo grandma' on Calhoun Square)
  
• Susannah Melvoin - background vocals on Crystal Ball, Dream Factory, and Make Your Mama Happy, and 'either Wendy or Susannah are on background vocals' on Sexual Suicide
• Wendy Melvoin - background vocals on Movie Star (uncredited)
• Boni Boyer - vocal intro on Acknowledge Me (sampled from The Line) (incorrectly credited as Bonni Boyer)
• Kathy Jensen - clarinet on Ripopgodazippa (credited as NPG Hornz)
• Steve Strand - trumpet on Ripopgodazippa (credited as NPG Hornz)
• Dave Jensen - trumpet on Ripopgodazippa (credited as NPG Hornz)
• Michael B. Nelson - trombone on Ripopgodazippa (credited as NPG Hornz)
• Brian Gallagher - saxophone on Ripopgodazippa (credited as NPG Hornz)
• Kathy Jensen - clarinet on Ripopgodazippa
• Michael B. - drums on Ripopgodazippa, Hide The Bone, Interactive (uncredited), Calhoun Square, What’s My Name, Strays Of The World, Days Of Wild and The Ride
• Sonny T. - bass on Ripopgodazippa, Hide The Bone, Interactive (uncredited), Calhoun Square, What’s My Name, Strays Of The World, Days Of Wild and The Ride
• Tommy Barbarella - keyboards on Hide The Bone, Interactive (uncredited), Calhoun Square, Strays Of The World, Days Of Wild and The Ride
• Carmen Electra - vocals on Tell Me How U Wanna B Done
• Mayte - background vocals on Interactive
• Mr. Hayes - keyboards on Interactive (uncredited), Calhoun Square, What’s My Name, Strays Of The World, Days Of Wild and The Ride
• Rain Ivana - NPG Operator (uncredited) on Interactive and Days Of Wild
• Wendy Melvoin - 'either Wendy or Susannah are on background vocals' on Sexual Suicide
• Eric Leeds - all horns on Sexual Suicide, saxophone on Last Heart and Make Your Mama Happy
• Morris Day - drums on Cloreen Bacon Skin
• Kirk Johnson - drum loop on 18 & Over
• Mike Scott - guitar on 18 & Over

• - Producer and Arranger
• Hans-Martin Buff - project engineer, mastering (Grundmann Mastering, Hollywood, CA)
• Brian Gardner - mastering (Grundmann Mastering, Hollywood, CA)
• Joe Blaney - additional engineer
• Steve Durkee - additional engineer
• Dave Friedlander - additional engineer
• Tom Garneau - additional engineer
• Ray Hahnfeldt - additional engineer
• Heidi Hanschu - additional engineer
• Fred Harrington - additional engineer
• Tim Hoogenakker - additional engineer
• Kimm James - additional engineer
• Femy Jiya - additional engineer
• Shane T. Keller - additional engineer
• Michael Koppelman - additional engineer
• David Leonard - additional engineer
• Peggy Mac - additional engineer
• Steve Noonan - additional engineer
• Brian Poer - additional engineer
• Susan Rogers - additional engineer
• David Tickle - additional engineer
• Tom Tucker - additional engineer
• David Z. - additional engineer
• Chuck Zwicky - additional engineer
• KAJ - programming, additional production, remix on Tell Me How U Wanna B Done (as 'Kirky J.)
• Eric Anest - programming
• Keith 'K.C.' Cohen - programming
• Ricky Peterson - additional production
• Clare Fischer - orchestra arranger and conductor on Crystal Ball, Strays Of The World and Goodbye
• Shock G. - remix on Love Sign (Shock G’s Silky Remix)
• Steve Parke - package concept and design

• 'Morris Day, Eric Leeds, Atlanta Bliss, Miko Weaver, Levi Seacer, Jr., Matt Fink, Bonni Boyer, Sheila E., Rosie Gaines, Mr. Hayes, Michael B., Sonny T., Tommy Barbarella, Kirk Johnson, NPG Hornz: Steve Strand, Kathy Jensen, Dave Jensen, Michael B. Nelson, Brian Gallagher, Susannah Melvoin, Carmen Electra, Sunny, Steve, Hans.'

• The album was written about in newspapers a lot at the time of production (from late 1996 to early 1998) as an example of a new model of selling music.
• Press adverts for this release:
  

• The initial 5CD set of Crystal Ball came in a round plastic case, designed to emulate a crystal ball. An inner case contained slots for the five CDs, but no booklet, artwork or credits, which were instead available online at www.crystalballcd.com. A booklet was included in the 4CD jewel-case set which was available in retail outlets, however.
• Crystal Ball was only available to purchase as part of the Crystal Ball package, along with The Truth. No separate 3CD set was available. The initial 1-800 New Funk orders also included a fifth CD, The NPG Orchestra’s Kamasutra inserted in the round plastic case (see picture), designed to emulate a crystal ball.
• Several customers reported problems with their orders, including multiple credit card charges (on occasion up to five times the order price of $50), a requirement to pay taxes on international orders when the package was received and lost orders. The length of time that the project took between taking pre-orders and customers receiving their copy, as well as the customer service issues associated with the project, are often referred to online as 'the Crystal Ball fiasco'. This is often referenced online if a contemporary project faces delays or setbacks.
• When Crystal Ball Volume II, a follow-up to Crystal Ball was planned in 2000, the two 'new' CDs were going to be mailed out with jewel cases for The Truth and Kamasutra. The two 'new' CDs would then take the place of these discs in the Crystal Ball 5CD case.
• A video collection companion was announced, but this was not released, and it is unknown how close this came to completion.

• The Vault: The Definitive Guide to the Musical World of Princeby Per Nilsen & jooZt Mattheij, with the UPTOWN Staff (Uptown: 2004)