Purple Rain is a rock musical drama film scored by and starring Prince in his acting debut. It was release on July 27, 1984. Developed to showcase his talents, it contains several concert sequences, featuring Prince and his band The Revolution. The film is directed by Albert Magnoli, who later became Prince‘s manager, from a screenplay by Magnoli and William Blinn. The cast also features Apollonia Kotero, Morris Day, Olga Karlatos and Clarence Williams III.
Principal photography took place almost entirely in Minneapolis: the film features many local landmarks, including the Crystal Court of the IDS Center and the First Avenue nightclub, which was paid $100,000 for the club being used during filming; it was closed for 25 days. Also some of the scenes of First Avenue were shot at The Wiltern in Los Angeles.
Purple Rain grossed $70.3 million worldwide, against its $7.2 million budget.The film won an Academy Award for Best Original Song Score. Publications and critics have regarded Purple Rain as one of the greatest musical films.
Purple Rain was supported with its soundtrack album of the same name, which featured two US chart-topping singles, When Doves Cry and Let’s Go Crazy, as well as the number-two hit “Purple Rain“. The soundtrack is certified 13× Platinum by the (RIAA) and has sold over 25 million copies worldwide.
Purple Rain is the sixth studio album by Prince. It was released on June 25, 1984, by Warner Bros. Records, as the soundtrack album to the 1984 film of the same name. Purple Rain was musically denser than Prince’s previous albums, emphasizing full band performances, and multiple layers of guitars, keyboards, electronic synthesizer effects, drum machines, and other instruments.
Much of the album had a grandiose, synthesized, and psychedelic sheen to the production and performances. The music on Purple Rain is generally regarded as the most pop-oriented of Prince‘s career, though a number of elements point towards the more experimental records Prince would release after Purple Rain. The music video for the album’s lead single When Doves Cry sparked controversy among network executives, who thought its sexual nature was too explicit for television. The risqué lyrics of Darling Nikki raised complaints from Tipper Gore and the Parents Music Resource Center and contributed to the implementation of Parental Advisory stickers and imprints on album covers.
Purple Rain became Prince‘s first album to reach number one on the Billboard 200. The album spent 24 consecutive weeks atop on the Billboard 200 and was present on the chart for a total of 122 weeks. “When Doves Cry” and “Let’s Go Crazy” reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100, while “Purple Rain” peaked at number two and “I Would Die 4 U” peaked at number eight. In May 1996, the album was certified 13× Platinum by the (RIAA). It is Prince‘s commercial peak, with total sales standing at 25 million copies worldwide, making it one of the best-selling albums of all time. Prince and the Revolution won Grammy Awards for Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal and Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media, while Prince also won the Academy Award for Best Original Song Score for the film Purple Rain.
Music critics noted the innovative and experimental aspects of the soundtrack’s music, most famously on the spare, bass-less When Doves Cry. Other aspects of the music, especially its synthesis of electronic elements with organic instrumentation and full-band performances along with its consolidation of rock and R&B, were identified by critics as distinguishing, even experimental factors. Purple Rain is regularly ranked among the greatest albums of all time. Rolling Stone ranked the album number eight on its list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. It was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame and added to the Library of Congress‘ National Recording Registry list of sound recordings that are “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant”.
Tracklist:
- Let’s Go Crazy (Prince and the Revolution)
- Take Me with U (Prince and the Revolution)
- The Beautiful Ones (Prince)
- Computer Blue (Prince and the Revolution)
- Darling Nikki (Prince)
- When Doves Cry (Prince)
- I Would Die 4 U (Prince and the Revolution)
- Baby I’m a Star (Prince and the Revolution)
- Purple Rain (Prince and the Revolution)
Musicians
Prince: lead and backing vocals, electric and acoustic guitars, Oberheim OB-8, Oberheim OB-Xa, Oberheim OB-SX, Oberheim OB-X, ARP Omni-2, Yamaha DX7, Yamaha CP-80 electric grand piano, piano, bass guitar, Linn LM-1, LinnDrum, Simmons SDS-V, drums, tambourine, string arrangement
Bobby Z.: Linn LM-1 (1, 4, 7, 9), Simmons SDS-V (1, 4, 8, 9), Pearl SY-1 Syncussion (1, 4, 7–9), cymbals (1, 4, 7–9)
Brown Mark: bass guitar (1, 4, 7–9), backing vocals (1, 4, 9)
Wendy Melvoin: electric rhythm guitar (1, 4, 7–9), backing vocals (1, 4, 7–9), string conductor (2, 8, 9)
Lisa Coleman: synthesizers (4, 7–9), Oberheim OB-SX (1), co-lead (2) and backing vocals (1, 2, 4, 7–9), string arrangement (2, 8, 9), string conductor (2, 8, 9)
Matt Fink: synthesizers (4, 7, 8), Oberheim OB-Xa (1), Memorymoog (7), Yamaha CP-70 electric grand piano (9), Linn LM-1 (7), backing vocals (1, 4, 9)
Apollonia: co-lead and backing vocals (2)
David Coleman: cello (2, 8, 9), finger cymbals (2)
Novi Novog: violin (2, 9), viola (9), electric violin (8)
Suzie Katayama: cello (8, 9)
Jill Jones: co-lead (2) and backing vocals (2, 8)
Production
Prince: producer and arranger, clothing (credited for “rags”), art direction
David Leonard: engineer (The Warehouse, St. Louis Park, Minnesota; Sunset Sound, Hollywood, California; First Avenue, Minneapolis and Record Plant Remote – Mobile Truck (from New York City in Minneapolis)
Susan Rogers: engineer (The Warehouse, St. Louis Park, Minnesota)
Peggy McCreary: engineer (Sunset Sound, Hollywood, California)
David Rivkin: engineer (First Avenue, Minneapolis, Minnesota in Record Plant Remote Mobile Truck (from New York City)
Bernie Grundman: mastering
Laura LiPuma: design
Ed Thrasher and Associates: front cover photograph
Ron Slenzak: front cover photograph
Larry Williams: additional photography
Doug Henders: painting
Earl Jones: hair
Jayson Jeffreys: makeup
Louis & Vaughn: clothing (credited for “rags”)
Marie France: clothing (credited for “rags”)
