Prince and the Revolution took the world by storm with the funk rock experiments of this landmark soundtrack. Prince had broken through with the pop sensibilities of his previous album '1999'; but with 'Purple Rain' he recorded with a band for the first time. Included was a live performance from the First Avenue club in Minneapolis, Minnesota from a benefit concert for the Minnesota Dance Theater which introduced guitarist Wendy Melvoin to the band. Other sessions were done at The Warehouse in St. Louis Park, Minnesota; the Record Plant in Los Angeles, California; and Sunset Sound in Hollywood, California and featured Wendy Melvoin on guitar and vocals (1, 2, 4, 7, 8, 9); Lisa Coleman on keyboards and vocals (1, 2, 4, 7, 8, 9); Matt Fink on keyboards (1, 2, 7, 8, 9); Brown Mark on bass (1, 2, 7, 8, 9); Bobby Z. on drums and percussion (1, 2, 7, 8, 9); Novi Novog on violin and viola (2, 8, 9); Suzie Katayama and David Coleman on cello (2, 8, 9); and Apollonia on co-lead vocals (2). All other vocals and instruments were handled by Prince.
He would reveal: "My first album I did completely alone...The reason I don't use musicians a lot of the time had to do with the hours that I worked. I swear to God it's not out of boldness when I say this, but there's not a person around who can stay awake as long as I can. Music is what keeps me awake. There will be times when I've been working in the studio for twenty hours and I'll be falling asleep in the chair, but I'll still be able to tell the engineer what cut I want to make. I use engineers in shifts a lot of the time because when I start something, I like to go all the way through. There are very few musicians who will stay awake that long...[the rush I get from music] increases more and more. One of my friends worries that I'll short-circuit. We always say I'll make the final fade on a song one time and [Laughs, dropping his head in a dead slump]. It just gets more and more interesting every day. More than anything else, I try not to repeat myself. It's the hardest thing in the world to do -- there's only so many notes one human being can muster. I write a lot more than people think I do, and I try not to copy that...I think that's the problem with the music industry today. When a person does get a hit, they try to do it again the same way. I don't think I've ever done that. I write all the time and cut all the time. I want to show you the archives, where all my old stuff is. There's tons of music I've recorded there. I have the follow-up album to 1999. I could put it all together and play it for you, and you would go "Yeah!" And I could put it out, and it would probably sell what 1999 did. But I always try to do something different and conquer new ground...In people's minds, it all boils down to "Is Prince getting too big for his breeches?" I wish people would understand that I always thought I was bad. I wouldn't have got into the business if I didn't think I was bad ... I was horrible. To be perfectly honest, I was surrounded by my friends, but nevertheless, we had a difference of opinion in a lot of situations -- musically speaking, that is. A lot had to do with me not being quite sure exactly which direction I wanted to go in. Later on toward the Controversy period, I got a better grip on that. That's when we started to see more and more people participating in recording activities. Boom.
Bobby Z was the first one to join. He's my best friend. Though he's not such a spectacular drummer, he watches me like no other drummer would. Sometimes, a real great drummer, like Morris, will be more concerned with the lick he is doing as opposed to how I am going to break it down...Mark Brown's just the best bass player I know, period. I wouldn't have anybody else. If he didn't play with me, I,d eliminate bass from my music. Same goes for Matt [Fink, the keyboard player]. He's more or less a technician. He can read and write like a whiz, and is one of the fastest in the world. And Wendy makes me seem all right in the eyes of people Watching...She keeps a smile on her face. When I sneer, she smiles. It's not premeditated, she just does it. It's a good contrast. Lisa is like my sister. She'll play what the average person won't. She'll press two notes with one finger so the chord is a lot larger, things like that. She's more abstract.
I didn't write Purple Rain. Someone else did. And it was a story, a fictional story, and should be perceived that way. Violence is something that happens in everyday life, and we were only telling a story. I wish it was looked at that way, because I don't think anything we did was unnecessary. Sometimes, for the sake of humor, we may've gone overboard. And if that was the case, then I'm sorry, but it was not the intention...I was brought up in a black-and-white world and, yes, black and white, night and day, rich and poor. I listened to all kinds of music when I was young, and when I was younger, I always said that one day I would play all kinds of music and not be judged for the color of my skin but the quality of my work, and hopefully I will continue. There are a lot of people out there that understand this, 'cause they support me and my habits, and I support them and theirs...James Brown played a big influence in my style. When I was about 10 years old, my stepdad put me on stage with him, and I danced a little bit until the bodyguard took me off. The reason I liked James Brown so much is that, on my way out, I saw some of the finest dancing girls I ever seen in my life. And I think, in that respect, he influenced me by his control over his group. Another big influence was Joni Mitchell. She taught me a lot about color and sound, and to her, I'm very grateful.
Well, you know, it's like...I worked a long time under a lot of different people, and most of the time I was doing it their way. I mean, that was cool, but ya know, I figured if I worked hard enough and kept my head straight, one day I'd get to do this on my own...and that's what happened. So I feel like...if I don't try to hurt nobody...and like I say...keep my head on straight...my way usually is the best way...There is no difference [between making a hot movie and making a hot album]. There have been people who have tried to tell me contrary to that, but like you said before and like I said before, I strive for perfection, and sometimes I'm a little bull-headed in my ways. Hopefully, people understand that there's just a lot on my mind and I try to stay focused on one particular thing. And I try not to hurt nobody in the process. A movie is a little bit more complex, but to me it's just a larger version of an album. There are scenes and there are songs, and they all go together to make this painting, and...I'm the painter. Y'all is the paintees. (Mojo laughs.) Hopefully it's something that you can get into."
The album and the film were both huge successes. The film and album were both number one at the same time. The album went to number eight in Austria; seven in Switzerland and the UK; five in Germany; four in Norway; three in Sweden; two in New Zealand; and number one in Australia, Canada, and the US. 'Purple Rain' has sold over twenty million copies worldwide and is the sixth biggest movie soundtrack of all time. In the US, it spent twenty-four consecutive weeks at number one. Prince won three Grammy Awards in 1985 for Best Rock Vocal Performance by a Duo or Group, Best Album of Original Score Written for a Motion Picture or TV Special, and for Best R&B Song for Chaka Khan's cover of "I Feel for You". It was nominated for Album of the Year. 'Purple Rain' also won an Oscar for Best Original Song Score that year.
http://3rdeyegirl.com/
http://prince.org/
http://www.princevault.com/
https://myspace.com/prince/music/album/purple-rain-974
"Let's Go Crazy"
Prince - Let's Go Crazy (Purple Rain) (1984) by retrospective1
"Take Me with U" (with Apollonia Kotero)
"The Beautiful Ones"
"Computer Blue"
"Darling Nikki"
"When Doves Cry"
"I Would Die 4 U" / "Baby I'm a Star"
Prince and The Revolution - I Would Die 4 U... by thekids716
"Purple Rain"
Prince - Purple Rain (1984) by retrospective1
movie trailer
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cDPzuUXY3Gs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SKVDdm-bpKY
http://streaming.mooviezhd.com/play.php?movie=0087957
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