Parade

Warner Bros. Records

What better time for a new baptism?

Parade is Prince’s third and final album co-credited to the Revolution. It was seen as a considerable improvement on Prince’s previous album Around The World In A Day, helped greatly by the inclusion of its highly recognisable lead single Kiss.

The accessibility of Parade put to rest the fears that, after Purple Rain its succeeding album Around The World In A Day, suggested Prince had lost his magic touch and herald his downward spiral. Parade restored Prince’s commercial appeal, as despite Around The World In A Day selling well this was largely due to it riding in Purple Rain‘s wake and left the buying public largely disappointed. Being more mainstream, Parade sold 1.8 million units in the US (peaking there at number 4 in Billboard’s charts) and 1.4 million elsewhere. It is certified Platinum by RIAA.

The album forms the soundtrack for Prince’s second movie, Under The Cherry Moon which was released three months after the album. Its songs follow the story of its lead character Christopher Tracy, played by Prince in the film.

An orchestra of 67 perform in the opening track. The lead single Kiss won a Grammy in 1986 for best R&B Vocal Performance, a song Prince originally intended to give to former bandmate Brown Mark for his solo album Mazarati. Despite its success, Prince was never entirely happy with the album version of Kiss, nor much of Parade, which he later admitted it lacked inspiration and considered the whole project had been rushed – NME, however, named it their best album of 1986.

Cover story

Parade ended up with two covers, one printed each side of the LP’s gatefold. When designing the album’s artwork, Laura LiPuma suggested to use an alternative shot from Jeff Katz’s photo session of Prince for the cover picture. The one chosen was Prince holding up his hands, but LiPuma’s preference was one with Prince pulling up his top, and so came up with the idea to flip the images and join the two together – meeting them at Prince’s belly, positioned at the point of the fold. With the cover open, the two photos make one seamless picture.

The Revolution

Vocals/Guitar: Prince
Drums: Bobby Z.
Guitar: Wendy Melvoin; Miko Weaver
Keyboards: Matt "Dr." Fink; Lisa Coleman
Bass Guitar: Brownmark
Vocals: Susannah Melvoin
Percussion: Shelia E.
Saxophone: Eric Leeds

Data

Producer: Prince & the Revolution
Label: Paisley Park Records
Distribution: Warner Bros. Records
Cover Art/Photo: Jeff Katz and Laura LiPuma
Released: 34 years, 4 months ago on 31 March 1986
Running Time: 40:59
US Chart Peak: 3
UK Chart Peak: 4
Prince Album: #8

Tracklist

Christopher Tracy's Parade (2:11)
New Position (2:21)
I Wonder U [sung by Wendy Melvoin] (1:40)
Under The Cherry Moon (2:57) ²
Girls & Boys [feat. Marie France] (5:30) ¹
Life Can Be So Nice [feat. Lisa Coleman and Wendy Melvoin] (3:12)
Venus De Milo (1:54)
Mountains (3:58) ^{1 & 3}
Do U Lie? (2:43)
Kiss (3:38) ¹
Anotherloverholenyohead (3:58) ¹
Sometimes It Snows In April (6:50)

¹ Released as singles.
² Co-written with John L. Nelson.
³ Co-written with Wendy Melvoin and Lisa Coleman.

Singles from Parade

Kiss

Paisley Park Records

Released: 5 February 1986
US Chart Peak: 1
UK Chart Peak: 6

Kiss [Extended Version] (7:16)
♥ or $ (Love Or Money) (6:49)

Mountains

Paisley Park Records

Released: 7 May 1986
US Chart Peak: 23
UK Chart Peak: 45

Mountains (3:58)
Alexa De Paris (3:20)

Girls & Boys

Paisley Park Records

Released: 4 August 1986
US Chart Peak: No Release
UK Chart Peak: 11

Girls & Boys [feat. Marie France] (3:27)
Under The Cherry Moon (2:57)

Anotherloverholenyohead

Paisley Park Records

Released: 20 October 1986
US Chart Peak: 63
UK Chart Peak: 36

Anotherloverholenyohead (3:23)
I Wanna Be Your Lover (3:27)

Supporting tour

Parade Tour

1986

Hit And Run Tour (USA & Canada)
11 shows from 3 March to 3 August, 1986
Parade Tour (Europe & Japan)
19 shows from 12 August to 9 September, 1986

Parade – review

Parade marks Prince’s first foray into artful music. With fame and confidence heightened by the success of Purple Rain and if a little rattled by Around The World In A Day, Prince spreads the Revolution’s wings for what was to be their third and final collaboration together. But here is an admission for you, I don’t actually like Kiss and although it is the most well known track on the album it is, thankfully, not its best. Staying on subject, even Prince conceded he had not enough material to fill Parade – feeling that the project was rushed, under prepared and lacking clout. If there was ever a candidate for re-recording a Prince would love to get his teeth into Parade once more. But don’t think Parade is a lesser album for quality. It was his best production up to that date and kicks off with the sweeping overture Christopher Tracy’s Parade then sliding effortlessly into New Position after which to slow down with the moody I Wonder U and Under The Cherry Moon. Parade is artful storytelling and picks up again to the point of masterful with the often overlooked Girls & Boys and Do U Lie? These lead us into some of the best tracks on the album: Life Can Be So Nice and the sweeping Mountains. But it is the longest title in history, Anotherloverholonyohead, that names the standout track on Parade, its chorus the best, and the best cure to writers block anyone can get.