Prince and the Purple Rain Era Studio Sessions: 1983 and 1984 Book

I have seen much about this book, but I was able to preview an early copy. It's an absolutely fascinating read! Discusses not only Prince's songs but also his side projects like The Time and The Family. Incredibly well-written and researched, on par with The Complete Beatles Recording Sessions.

 

I just finished it last night and I agree, it's fantastic. Gave great insight into his music from this period and made me miss him all the more. I hope Duane fleshes out the rest of the years in future books.

 

This is an indispensable tome. Good god. It's the next level of Mark Lewinsohn "Complete Beatles Recording Sessions".

Aside from the detailed day to day calendar, a number of subplots unfold - his work on The Time, Sheila E, Apollonia 6, The Family side projects.

This book provided such a time line, that I'm able to put all of my b***leg tracks in order of creation, as a "soundtrack" to the book, as the majority of the 150+ tracks and alternates discussed here are circulating.

Fascinating book, and I look forward to further volumes - which *is* happening. During the 20 years it took to put this book together, Duane accumulated data on the years 1981-1988, and hopes to do a number of follow-up volumes covering this era. The next book in the series covers 1985-1986 - the Dream Factory/Crystal Ball/Camille/Sign O The Times/Black Album era. Quite an undertaking. Note that Around The World In a Day is not skipped, as that album was entirely recorded in 1984, and is covered completely in this "Purple Rain" volume.

I can't recommend this book enough. It's allowed me to look at a period in Prince's career that I've thought to be played out for years. All this cat DID was record, or play live. He put together the equivalent of six albums in that 24 month period. It's all in this book, and in the grooves of those albums, and the wonderful boots that are out there. Note a number of things talked about in this book leaked to the web following the book's release, so if you've been collecting these sessions up to this point, don't sleep - some real holy grails have appeared recently.

Who else got this book?

 

I don't have this yet but based on these posts I'm reading I'm going to order it. Really miss Prince.

 

Yeah, it's great. i love it.

 

I was skimming through this in Barnes & Nobles last week...looks really good. If I get some extra moolah in my stocking this year I might indulge

 

@SweetTea do you have this?

 

My copy is on the way. It looks incredible. You can preview a chapter in the author’s website.

 

Who is the author?

 

PRINCE and the Purple Rain Era Studio Sessions: 1983 and 1984 <--- The Author's website.

I've been working on putting together a soundtrack to the book, something you can read the book to and be able to listen to the sessions and tracks as they appear chronologically in the book. I've changed and updated the tracklist and order a dozen times since the book came out. Most of the ~200 tracks detailed in the book are circulating and available, so this hasn't been an easy task. This is the latest revision. Anyone with similar thoughts, please reply.

Asterisk'd titles are from the official albums. Anything else is from the best circulating collector's copies. Tracks marked [Vocal] are Prince's original vocal versions of songs he gave to proteges. And, my apologies, Gorts, because I posted an earlier version of this project in another thread, but I think here's the place for this.


-------------- PRELUDES / JANUARY / FEBRUARY 83 -----------------

17 Days [Piano Demo '82] (6:38)
I Would Die 4 U [Rehearsal '82] (8:51)
Little Red Corvette [Dance Remix] (8:27)*
Vanity 6 - Drive Me Wild [Extended Mix] (7:08)*
Wonderful Ass [#1] (6:17)
Stevie Nicks - Stand Back (4:57)*


-------------- MARCH 83 -----------------
Katrina's Paper Dolls (3:30)*
Jesse Johnson - Jungle Love [Instr. Demo] (4:22)
The Time - Jungle Love (5:31)*
Cloreen Bacon Skin (15:37)*
The Time - My Summertime Thang [Short Version] (5:25)


-------------- APRIL 83 -----------------

The Time - The Bird [Studio] (6:29)
The Time - Chili Sauce (5:47)*
The Time - If The Kid Can't Make You Come [Unedited] (9:12)
Chocolate [Vocal] (5:52)
Velvet Kitty Cat (2:44)*
My Love Belongs To You [Instr.] (7:03)
Vanity 6 - Sex Shooter (6:53)


-------------- MAY - JULY 83 -----------------

Dez Dickerson - Modernaire (4:02)
Possessed [Version 1, Discarded] (8:46)
G-Spot [Vocal] (5:14)
Electric Intercourse [Studio] (4:57)*
Vanity 6 - Vibrator [Spoken Parts] (1:06)
Vanity 6 - Vibrator (7:13)
Learning Purple Rain (3:30)
Darling Nikki [Unedited] (4:15)


-------------- LIVE AT FIRST AVENUE AUG 3 83 -----------------

Let's Go Crazy (5:29)
When You Were Mine (2:28)
A Case Of U (2:38)
Computer Blue (6:42)
Delirious (4:32)
Electric Intercourse (5:27)
Automatic (6:51)
I Would Die 4 U (2:12)
Baby I'm A Star (4:51)
Little Red Corvette (4:02)
Interlude (1:17)
Purple Rain (14:04)
DMSR (7:57)


-------------- AUGUST 83 -----------------

Let's Go Crazy [Special Dance Mix] (7:36)*
Computer Blue [#1] (14:02)
Purple Rain [String Overdub Session] (11:39)
Computer Blue [#2] (13:58)


-------------- SEPTEMBER 83 -----------------

Computer Blue [#3 “Hallway Speech” Version] (12:18)*
Baby I'm A Star [Rough Mix] (4:53)
Purple Rain [Unedited Studio Mix] (10:37)
I Would Die 4 U [Rough Mix] (3:21)
I Would Die 4 U / Baby I'm A Star (7:12)*
I Am Fine (0:51)
Irresistable Bitch (4:12)*
The Beautiful Ones [Unedited] (6:03)


-------------- THE TIME LIVE AT FIRST AVENUE OCT 4 83 -----------------

Introduction Jam (6:23)
777-9311 (5:43)
Girl (3:00)
Jungle Love (4:18)
Collection Time (3:01)
Wild And Loose (4:08)
Gigolos Get Lonely Too (8:57)
Cool (7:37)
The Walk (6:27)
The Bird (8:00)


-------------- OCTOBER - DECEMBER 83 -----------------

You're In My System [Instr.] (8:31)
Jill Jones - Wednesday (1:39)
Father's Song (5:30)*
Apollonia 6 - Sex Shooter [Remix] (6:56)*
Jill Jones - Mia Bocca (6:35)*
The Glamorous Life [Vocal] (8:08)
She's Always In My Hair [Alternate Mix] (6:28)


-------------- JANUARY 84 -----------------

We Can **** (10:17)*
The Time - The Bird [LP Version] (7:44)*
Sheila E. - Oliver's House (6:20)
17 Days [Extended] (7:23)
The Time - My Drawers (4:08)*
The Time - Tricky (3:16)*
White Girls Jam (27:10)
Ice Cream Castles [Instr.] (7:02)
The Time - Ice Cream Castles (7:31)*
Sheena Easton - Sugar Walls [Dance Mix] (7:01)*
Sheena Easton - Sugar Walls [Red Mix] (5:29)*
Take Me With U [Unedited] (4:56)


-------------- FEBRUARY 84 -----------------

Apollonia 6 - Some Kind Of Lover (4:46)*
A Million Miles [Vocal] (3:11)
Apollonia 6 - A Million Miles (5:56)*
Apollonia 6 - In A Spanish Villa (2:19)*
Apollonia 6 - Manic Monday (2:50)
Apollonia 6 - Ooo She She Wa Wa (4:11)*
God [Instrumental] [1984] (7:55)*
Father's Song [Film] (1:23)
Sheila E - The Glamorous Life Part II (3:12)*
Sheila E - Belle Of St Mark [LP Version] (5:07)*
Sheila E. - Shortberry Strawcake (4:47)*
Sheila E. - Noon Rendezvous (3:55)*
Another Lonely Christmas [Rehearsal] (13:36)
Another Lonely Christmas [Extended Version] (6:50)*
Pop Life [U.K. Extended Version] (9:04)*
Traffic Jam (4:25)
Love And Sex (5:00)*


-------------- MARCH 84 -----------------

When Doves Cry (5:52)*
Paisley Park Aka Joy [Instr.] (4:12)
Possessed [#2, Vocal] (7:56)*
Computer Blue [#4] (7:29)
Darling Nikki [Segued] (4:49)
Erotic City (7:26)*


-------------- APRIL - MAY 84 -----------------

Sheila E - Next Time Wipe The Lipstick Off Your Collar [Alternate Mix] (3:46)
Pop Life [Fresh Dance Mix] (6:19)*
Apollonia 6 - Blue Limousine (6:23)*
Possessed [Instr.] (7:47)
Our Destiny / Roadhouse Garden (6:25)*


-------------- LIVE AT FIRST AVENUE JUNE 7 84 -----------------

17 Days (5:24)
Our Destiny (3:23)
Roadhouse Garden (4:45)
Interlude (1:20)
All Day, All Night (5:42)
Free (4:40)
Noon Rendezvous (9:02)
Erotic City (8:31)
Something In The Water (10:10)
When Doves Cry (11:37)
Happy Birthday Interlude (2:27)
Irresistible Bitch (6:07)
Possessed (5:48)


-------------- JUNE 84 -----------------

All Day, All Night [Vocal] (5:53)
Erotic City / Feline Jam (34:22)
The Screams Of Passion [Rehearsal] (8:50)
Bodyheat (1:36)
100 Mph [Vocal] (3:20)
Mazarati - 100 Mph (7:20)*


-------------- JULY 84 -----------------

Desire [Vocal] (5:17)
High Fashion [Vocal] (5:00)
Mutiny [Vocal] (3:58)
Susannah's Pajamas [Rough Mix] (4:00)
Nothing Compares 2 U [Vocal] (4:33)
Feline [Vocal] (3:54)
America (21:40)*


-------------- AUGUST 84 -----------------

Apollonia 6 - Happy Birthday, Mr Christian (7:09)*
The Family - River Run Dry (3:29)*
The Family - Yes [Early Mix/Edit] (4:25)
Too Rough (5:41)
The Family - Miss Understood (5:21)


-------------- LIVE AT FIRST AVENUE AUG 14 1984 -----------------

Let's Go Crazy (5:29)
Delirious (2:53)
1999 (5:11)
Little Red Corvette (3:13)
Computer Blue (6:24)
Darling Nikki (3:58)
The Beautiful Ones (5:51)
When Doves Cry (6:21)
Baby, I'm A Star (14:18)
Purple Rain (10:47)


-------------- AUGUST - SEPTEMBER 84 -----------------

Around The World In A Day [#1] (5:58)
The Dance Electric [#1] (11:29)*
The Screams Of Passion [Vocal] (5:31)
The Dance Electric [#2] (10:24)
God [Vocal] (4:02)*
The Dance Electric [#3] (11:37)
Sheila E - Too Sexy (5:09)*
Sheila E - The Belle Of St. Mark [Dance Mix] (7:42)*
Raspberry Beret (3:33)*
Paisley Park (4:42)*
Around The World In A Day [#2] (5:08)
Tamborine (2:47)*
Wonderful Ass [#2] (6:24)*


-------------- OCTOBER 84 -----------------

Condition Of The Heart (6:48)*
Raspberry Beret [12'' Version] (6:36)*
Paisley Park [Remix] (6:58)*
I Would Die 4 U [Jam Session For 12 Inch Single] (30:41)
The Ladder (5:29)*


-------------- NOVEMBER - DECEMBER 84 -----------------

I Would Die 4 U [U.S. Extended Version] (10:22)*
Baby I'm A Star [Live Promo, December '84] (14:56)
Temptation (8:18)*

----------------------------------------------------------

 

Can anyone recommend some good Prince biographies?