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Parade
Warner Bros. Records
What better time for a new baptism?
Parade was Prince’s third and final album co-credited to The Revolution. It was seen as a considerable improvement to Prince’s previous album, Around The World In A Day, helped greatly by the inclusion of its lead single Kiss.
The accessibility of Parade ended fears that after Purple Rain his previous album had shown Prince had lost his magic touch. Parade restored Prince’s appeal. Around The World In A Day had sold well because it has been the follow up to Purple Rain and had left the buying public disappointed, the more mainstream Parade sold 1.8 million copies in the US (peaking at number 4 in Billboards charts) and 1.4 million elsewhere. It is certified Platinum by the RIAA. The album forms the sound track to Prince’s second movie Under The Cherry Moon, which was released three months after the album. The songs all 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 track Kiss won the Grammy in 1986 for best R&B Vocal Performance, a song which Prince had originally intended to give to former bandmate Brown Mark for his solo album Mazarati. Prince has never been entirely happy with the album version of Kiss nor much of Parade as he later admitted he lacked inspiration and considered the whole project rushed.
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
- Distributor
- Warner Bros. Records
- Cover Art
- Jeff Katz and Laura LiPuma
- Released
- 33 years 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 admitted he had not have enough material to fill Parade, feeling it 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.
Parade is reviewed by Goldies Parade.
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