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Paisley Park Records

When Warner Bros Records and Prince stepped up their arrangement in 1985, they granted him his own label, an imprint within the Warner Brothers publishing machine. The terms of this arrangement permitted Prince to set up a standalone label for his own purposes with (based on his previous success with three LPs for The Time and producing top-40 hits for his other spin off acts Shelia E and Vanity 6) full autonomy to sign other artists to it. Record companies allowing artists to establish their own sub-labels was not a new concept for the music industry – the Beatles had done so with Apple Music in 1967 while signed to Parlophone, and The Rolling Stones did similarly in 1970. Paisley Park Records was founded on 1 February 1985 as a joint venture between Warner, looking after the promotion and distribution aspects (as WEA Records outside the US), and Paisley Park Records, handling the studio output. The arrangement required Prince to handover the master tapes to Warner to slot into their vast distribution and marketing network, a routine that in later years grew into a bone of contention for Prince. Being a subsidiary, Paisley Park Records would remain under the yoke of Warner, yet Prince could credit his output to the new label which he was allowed to run as it were an independent outfit. His publishing rights remained managed by Controversy Music, the company Prince founded in 1981 to register his music between then and 1996.

The inaugural release under Paisley Park Records was Prince and The Revolution’s Around The World In A Day, on 22 April 1985, which in true Prince fashion contained a specially written song Paisley Park bearing the name of the new label. The name was to be shared by both the new record label and studio complex, which Prince’s architect was drawing up its blueprints at this time. The label took up offices at the then unfinished Paisley Park Studios on 1 May 1987 – using the postal address 1999 Avenue of the Stars.

Paisley Park Records was run as a conventional label in its own right, in that it did not exist to serve exclusively the interests of Prince and his side-projects but other artists also. Inspired by the 1980 movie The Idolmaker, which was based on the life of fictional music promoter Bob Marcucci, Prince longed to establish his own label to sign the acts he discovered. He even created an alter-ego named Jamie Starr with which to give production credit to the releases of his early side projects. Paisley Park Record’s second and third releases followed in quick succession, issuing the debut album for Prince’s side-projects The Family on 12 August 1985, and second album for Sheila E Romance 1600 just a few days later on the 26th. Over its eight years in existence, Paisley Park Records would sign a total of twenty-two artists. These key signings were: The Family (1985), Sheila E (1985), Madhouse, Jill Jones and Taja Seville (1986), Mavis Staples (1987), a reunion record for The Time (1989), and protegees Ingrid Chavez (1987), and Carmen Electra (signed 1991).

The label’s other signings received less and sometimes no involvement Prince, and were: Mazarati, released on 4 March 1986 as debut the record for The Revolution‘s departing bassist Mark Brown, was given one Prince penned track, 100 MPH. Singing protegee Taja Sevelle’s self titled debut LP was released on 19 September 1987 with two Prince tracks, Wouldn’t You Love To Love Me? and If I Could Get Your Attention; the record’s hit single was Love Is Contagious written by Taja. Dale Bozzio, formerly of New Wave combo Missing Persons signed to Paisley Park Records to produce her solo debut Riot In English, released 4 March 1988; the LP received one Prince produced track, So Strong. Boy band duo Good Question produced one hit song Got A New Love from their 1988 self titled LP, although the album had no Prince involvement. New Wave combo The Three O’Clock was given the Prince track Neon Telephone for their 1988 LP Vermillion, released on Paisley Park Records on 24 May 1988. Up and coming vocalist Tony LeMans was signed to the label after meeting with Prince in Minneapolis brokered by Warner VP Benny Medina. LeMans who at the time was studying music with Lenny Kravitz, released his debut album in 1989, albeit with no Prince’s input. Tragically, LeMans was killed in a tragic motorbike accident the day before his wedding on 24 June 1992. Kahoru Kohiruimaki was a vocalist who’s manager had aided the promotion of the Japanese leg of the Lovesexy Tour and brokered her signing to Paisley Park Records in 1989. Her record Time In Motion received two Prince penned tracks Mind Bells and Bliss; a live version of the LP followed in 1990, likewise issued under the label. Rapper T.C. Ellis who made his debut in the New Power Generation EP in 1990, released his solo LP titled True Confessions on 28 May 1991, in which he covers Prince’s outtakes Girl O’ My Dreams (written 1982) and Miss Thang (originally intended for The Time in 1989). Having signed his idol George Clinton to Paisley Park Records in 1989 to revive his stalled career, Clinton issued two albums under the label; although the first The Cinderella Theory received no Prince input, his second LP, Hey Man… Smell My Finger features one track The Big Pump co-produced with Prince, who as well performs all the instruments and backing vocals on Get Satisfied. Further solo projects for Cat Glover (signed in 1988 and given four Prince tracks) and Rosie Gaines (signed 1992, including three Prince tracks) were planned but never materialised due to the label’s abrupt closure in 1994.

Operating his own label afforded Prince the opportunity to work with his musical influences and help revitalise their ailing careers – releasing albums under Paisley Park Records for Mavis Staples and George Clinton – the latter releasing two albums and two Prince-penned tracks. But of course, no act achieved nowhere near the success of the label’s star artist – Prince himself. Paisley Over the coming years, Park Records put out a slew of his iconic albums throughout the late 1980s and into the early 90s – Parade, Sign O’ The Times, Lovesexy, Graffiti Bridge, Diamonds And Pearls and Love Symbol Album. Although Prince would have the final say which artists were taken on, many were under the qualification of being his girlfriend. It was the signing of some acts to Paisley Park Records by his management firm Cavallo, Ruffalo & Fargnoli without Prince’s knowledge or consent, became a major factor to Prince firing the firm in January 1989.

With no one dedicated to running the label, Prince too busy on his own projects or on the road, Eric Leed’s brother Alan Leeds, Prince’s then tour manager, was appointed Paisley Park Records’ first President of Operations in 1989 and held the post until 1993. The reins passed Graham Armstrong, editor of HITS.

I didn’t think I’d have to be marketing the records, or taking them to the [radio] station.
Prince, 1995

Over the years, Warner had been subsidising Paisley Park Studios, paid in cash advances to cover Prince’s mounting production costs. The acts signed to Paisley Park Records did not emulate the success enjoyed by The Time and the label never became the hit-making factory Warner envisaged. Only three singles issued by acts other than Prince reached the Billboard 100 top 20: A Love Bizarre by Sheila E and The Time’s Jerk Out both charted at 11 in the Hot 100. Round And Round by Tevin Campbell peaked at number 13.

In their attempt to recoup their investment, when Warner renewed their contract with Prince on 31 August 1992, although giving Paisley Park Records an operating capital of $20 million, its terms granted Warner equal say in its running and set funding levels on Prince’s promotional activities. This included limits being set on the number of albums Prince was able to release per year and the shows he was allowed to perform. This set a rot which put Prince and Warner’s relationship at loggerheads and an ultimately damaging and deeply embittered open feud ensued, which Prince demanded back the ownership of his music. Outraged over the level of control the contract transferred to Warner, Prince founded a new label NPG Records in retaliation in 1993, an entirely independent outfit which that summer even issued its inaugural release. The resulting breakdown in trust in the relationship grew irreparable, and on 1 February 1994 Warner Brothers announced it had terminated their distribution deal with Paisley Park Records, a move which in effect cut off its funding and shut the label down. Its current signings and the residue of live projects were transferred to NPG Records and Prince’s dispute with Warner deepened in the years that followed.