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Diamonds And Pearls

Warner Bros. Records

cddiamondspearls2
Hologram cover

Diamonds And Pearls was the first album Prince jointly credited to The New Power Generation.

Work on the album began during the Nude Tour whose line up, with the exception of Matt Fink and Miko Weaver, would remain with Prince and form the New Power Generation. The band received their first public performance at the China Club in Hollywood on 3 June 1991. For the first time since the Revolution, all band members had creative input to the creation of Diamonds And Pearls. Although the principal theme embraces rap, every song on the album takes a different musical genre (soul, funk, pop, hip-hop), for which critics at the time felt it a disappointment as it had not set new ground in those genres. Such is the expectation of the benchmark in Prince’s music. It tackles some serious themes of the day: such as the Gulf War and poverty.

You know when you buy someone’s record and there’s always an element missing. The voice is wrong or the drums are lame. On mine there’s nothing missing.

The album cover is also notable in that it was released as two separate with different covers: one featuring the first mass-produced hologram (the work of Sharon McCormack) in printing history. The single Thunder was released only in the UK as part of the promotion of the tour. The last minute inclusion of the track Gett Off replaced Horny Pony and some copies of the album contain this in the original track list. The dialogue, which ends in a fight at the end of the song Jughead is reputedly about Prince’s former manager, Steve Fargnoli.

Rapper Tony M. first met Prince when as an extra for the Purple Rain movie. After Rosie Gaines left the band immediately after the Diamonds And Pearls Tour in 1992, Prince vowed never to duet the title track Diamonds And Pearls with any other singer – holding true to his promise ever since. Diamonds And Pearls peaked at number 3 on the Billboard charts and sold over 2 million copies and is certified double Platinum by the RIAA.

The New Power Generation

Vocals/Guitar
Prince
Drums
Michael Bland
Rhythm Guitar
Levi Seacer Jr.
Keyboards
Tommy Barbarella
Bass Guitar
Sonny Thompson
Vox/Purpleaxxe
Rosie Gaines
Raps
Tony Mosley
Vocals
Damon Dickson
Percussion
Kirk Johnson

Data

Producer
Prince & the New Power Generation
Label
Paisley Park Records
Distributor
Warner Bros. Records
Cover Art
Randee St. Nicholas
Released
28 years ago, on 1 October 1991
Running Time
65:48
US Chart Peak
3
UK Chart Peak
2
Prince Album
#13

Tracklist

  1. Thunder (5:45) 1
  2. Daddy Pop [feat. Tony Mosley] (5:16)
  3. Diamonds And Pearls [duet with Rosie Gaines] (4:43) 1
  4. Cream (4:12) 1
  5. Strollin' (3:46)
  6. Willing And Able [feat. Tony Mosley and The Steeles] (4:59) 2
  7. Gett Off [feat. Tony Mosley] (4:31) 1
  8. Walk, Don't Walk [feat. Rosie Gaines] (3:06)
  9. Jughead [feat. Tony Mosley] (4:56) 3
  10. Money Don't Matter 2 Night (4:48) 1
  11. Push [feat. Rosie Gaines and Tony Mosley] (5:56) 4
  12. Insatiable (6:37) 1
  13. Live 4 Love [feat. Tony Mosley] (6:58) 5

1 Released as singles.
2 Co-written with Levi Seacer Jr. and Tony Mosley.
3 Co-written with Kirk Johnson and Tony Mosley.
4 Co-written with Rosie Gaines.
5 Co-written with Tony Mosley.

Singles from Diamonds And Pearls

Gett Off single from Diamonds And Pearls

Gett Off

Paisley Park Records

Released
29 July 1991
US Chart Peak
21
UK Chart Peak
4
  1. Gett Off [feat. Tony Mosley] (4:31)
  2. Horny Pony (4:17)
Gett Off [Maxi Single] single from Diamonds And Pearls

Gett Off [Maxi Single]

Paisley Park Records

Released
12 August 1991
US Chart Peak
-
UK Chart Peak
-
  1. Gett Off [Extended Remix] (8:31)
  2. Gett Off [Houstyle] (8:20)
  3. Violet The Organ Grinder (4:59)
  4. Gett Off [Flutestramental] (7:26)
  5. Gangsta Glam [feat. Tony Mosley] (6:04)
  6. Clockin' The Jizz [Instrumental] (4:51)
Cream single from Diamonds And Pearls

Cream

Paisley Park Records

Released
9 September 1991
US Chart Peak
1
UK Chart Peak
15
  1. Cream (4:12)
  2. Horny Pony (4:17)
Cream [Maxi Single] single from Diamonds And Pearls

Cream [Maxi Single]

Paisley Park Records

Released
4 November 1991
US Chart Peak
-
UK Chart Peak
-
  1. Cream (4:44)
  2. Cream [N.P.G. Mix] (5:47)
  3. Things Have Gotta Change [feat. Tony Molsely] (3:57)
  4. 2 The Wire [Creamy Instrumental] (3:13)
  5. Get Some Solo (1:31)
  6. Do Your Dance [K.C's Remix] (5:58)
  7. Housebangers (4:23)
  8. Q In Doubt (4:00)
  9. Ethereal Mix (4:43)
Insatiable single from Diamonds And Pearls

Insatiable

Paisley Park Records

Released
4 November 1991
US Chart Peak
77
UK Chart Peak
No Release
  1. Insatiable (4:01)
  2. I Love U In Me (4:12)
Diamonds And Pearls single from Diamonds And Pearls

Diamonds And Pearls

Paisley Park Records

Released
25 November 1991
US Chart Peak
3
UK Chart Peak
25
  1. Diamonds And Pearls [duet with Rosie Gaines] (4:45)
  2. Q In Doubt (4:00)
Money Don't Matter 2 Night single from Diamonds And Pearls

Money Don't Matter 2 Night

Paisley Park Records

Released
3 March 1992
US Chart Peak
23
UK Chart Peak
19
  1. Money Don't Matter 2 Night (4:12)
  2. Call The Law [feat. Tony Mosley] (4:19)
Thunder single from Diamonds And Pearls

Thunder

Paisley Park Records

Released
15 June 1992
US Chart Peak
No Release
UK Chart Peak
28
  1. Thunder (5:45)
  2. Violet The Organ Grinder (4:59)
  3. Gett Off [Thrust Dub] (7:26)

Supporting tour

Diamonds And Pearls Tour

Diamonds And Pearls Tour

1992

  • 50 shows from 3 April to 12 July, 1992

Diamonds And Pearls – review

Prince’s last commercially successful album for over a decade. Diamonds And Pearls was the album that got Prince his record breaking $100m (albeit swiftly regretted) recording contract renewal with Warner Brothers. Unlucky for Warner Bros. that they did not get five more albums like this one. Rolling Stone magazine might too harbour regret for rating this album 2.5 out of 5 because and for once Prince had been felt not to have laid new ground with this album but improve upon the existing musical genres of the time. That highlights how it is taken for granted each Prince album must carry the expectation it will reshape, not just his own music but the style for the rest of the industry to follow. Laying the ghosts of The Revolution firmly to rest Diamonds And Pearls was the first album to showcase Prince’s new band since 1986 – the New Power Generation. The drums and the bass of Michael B and Sonny T comprise Prince’s greatest talent discovery to date. Diamonds And Pearls delivers an incredibly diverse cocktail of hip-hop, soul and rock and proves beyond question Prince was still able to storm the charts at his whim. The musicianship is notable, Sonny T’s bass and Michael B’s drum and bass are exquisite, Rosie Gaines’ vocals is a gift from heaven, yet rapper Tony Mosley will cop so much flack his life in the band would be very short-lived. With monsters like Cream, Gett Off, Thunder, Live 4 Love and Money Don’t Matter 2 Night (the latter resonates more than ever post 2008 financial crisis) and especially the title track, album releases don’t come more epic than this. Diamonds And Pearls does not release its grip; written against the backdrop of economic crisis and Gulf War I and producing three top ten hits, it packs one hell of a punch even today and is arguably one of the best albums of the 90s and Prince’s broadest album to date. So despite his post 2004 resurgence Diamonds And Pearls marks Prince at his true hit-making peak and is unjustly demeaned by Rolling Stone’s paultry 2.5 rating.

Diamonds And Pearls

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