Prince and The Revolution - Purple Rain [180g, 2015 Paisley Park Remaster, Poster] (LP) Vinyl

Purple Rain is the sixth studio album by Prince and the first credited to Prince and The Revolution. It was released on 25 June 1984 through Warner Bros. Records as the soundtrack to the film of the same name, and it remains his commercial peak, with sales of more than 25 million copies worldwide.

The Album

Prince wrote over 100 songs for the project and selected nine, choosing the ones that worked best in the context of the film. Most of the record was written and recorded between May 1983 and March 1984, with "Baby I'm A Star" dating back to 1981. The Revolution, formally named and expanded in 1983 to include guitarist Wendy Melvoin and keyboardist Lisa Coleman, appear on six of the nine tracks; the other three are essentially solo performances by Prince. The closing trio, "I Would Die 4 U", "Baby I'm A Star" and the title track, was recorded live at First Avenue in Minneapolis on 3 August 1983, with overdubs and edits added that September, making this the first Prince album to include live recordings.

The music is denser than Prince's earlier albums, built on full band performances with layered guitars, keyboards, synthesizers and drum machines. Lead single "When Doves Cry" was written after every other track was finished, with Prince playing all the instruments himself and removing the bass line entirely. The title track began life as a country song intended as a collaboration with Stevie Nicks, and was reshaped by the band across a single six hour rehearsal after Wendy Melvoin started playing the chords on guitar.

The album spent 24 consecutive weeks at number one on the Billboard 200. In the United Kingdom it peaked at number seven, stayed on the chart for 86 weeks and was certified double platinum by the BPI. "When Doves Cry" and "Let's Go Crazy" both reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100.

This Pressing

This is the single LP reissue on Warner Records and NPG Records, first released on 23 June 2017 and pressed on 180 gram vinyl. It carries the 2015 Paisley Park remaster overseen by Prince himself, making it the first Prince album to be remastered and reissued. Lacquers were cut from that remaster by Kevin Gray at Cohearent Audio; the album was originally mastered by Bernie Grundman. The record is pressed by Optimal Media in Germany.

The original 1984 packaging is reproduced, including the printed inner sleeve carrying the lyrics and credits, and the poster of Prince and The Revolution.

Track Listing

Side A
1. Let's Go Crazy
2. Take Me With U
3. The Beautiful Ones
4. Computer Blue
5. Darling Nikki

Side B
1. When Doves Cry
2. I Would Die 4 U
3. Baby I'm A Star
4. Purple Rain