The Voice is the eighth solo studio album by Mavis Staples (her second and final on Paisley Park Records), and her second to include input by Prince.
Eight of the album's twelve songs are written by Prince (two of which, Melody Cool and Positivity, had previously been included in different forms on albums released by Prince), and he appears as a musician to varying degrees on some of the tracks also. Ricky Peterson produced the five newly-written Prince tracks, and added production to the vault track A Man Called Jesus.
Sessions and compiling
Melody Cool was recorded in Summer, 1987 (and was at one point planned for the Rave Unto The Joy Fantastic album), before lead vocals by Mavis Staples were overdubbed in late 1989 (a remix by Ricky Peterson was made in 1992 for its inclusion on The Voice).
A Man Called Jesus was recorded in late December 1988, with saxophone by Candy Dulfer added in July 1989, and lead vocals by Mavis Staples added in Summer 1992. The Voice was recorded in April 1991, with vocal overdubs by Mavis Staples in late 1992 or early 1993.
House In Order, Blood Is Thicker Than Time, You Will Be Moved and The Undertaker were recorded in Summer 1992, without Prince's direct involvement. Positivity was recorded in 1992 or early 1993, reusing some tracks from the original December 1987, recording by Prince.
Promotion
The album produced two singles, The Voice and Blood Is Thicker Than Time, but the album failed to chart.
In 1995, the album was re-released by NPG Records with a different sequence, including an additional track, Come Home, which was previously included in identical form on Mavis Staples' first Paisley Park Records release Time Waits For No One.
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Personnel
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Musicians
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- Mavis Staples - vocals
- Prince - all instruments, except where noted, on The Voice, Melody Cool, A Man Called Jesus and Positivity
- Levi Seacer, Jr. - guitar and background vocals on The Voice, guitar on House In Order, Blood Is Thicker Than Time, You Will Be Moved and The Undertaker, bass guitar on Positivity
- Rosie Gaines - keyboards and background vocals on The Voice, background vocals on House In Order
- Kirk Johnson - background vocals on The Voice (as "Kirky J."), percussion on You Will Be Moved, keyboards on Positivity
- Tony M. - background vocals on The Voice
- Michael B. - drums on House In Order, Blood Is Thicker Than Time and The Undertaker
- St. Paul Peterson - bass guitar on House In Order, Blood Is Thicker Than Time, You Will Be Moved, The Undertaker and Melody Cool, guitar on A Man Called Jesus
- Tommy Barbarella - additional keyboards on House In Order, keyboards on The Undertaker
- Ricky Peterson - organ on House In Order and The Undertaker, organ and keyboards on You Will Be Moved, bass guitar, drum programming, synthesizer and organ on A Man Called Jesus, keyboards on Positivity
- Eric Leeds - saxophone on House In Order
- Jevetta Steele - background vocals on House In Order, Blood Is Thicker Than Time, You Will Be Moved, The Undertaker, Melody Cool and Positivity
- Fred Steele - background vocals on House In Order, Blood Is Thicker Than Time, You Will Be Moved, The Undertaker, Melody Cool and Positivity
- JD Steele - background vocals on House In Order, Blood Is Thicker Than Time, You Will Be Moved, The Undertaker, Melody Cool and Positivity, background vocal arrangement
- Jearlyn Steele - background vocals on House In Order, Blood Is Thicker Than Time, You Will Be Moved, The Undertaker, Melody Cool and Positivity
- Billy Franze - guitar on Blood Is Thicker Than Time and You Will Be Moved
- David Barry - guitar on Blood Is Thicker Than Time and You Will Be Moved
- Pops Staples - background vocals on You Will Be Moved, guitar and background vocals on The Undertaker
- Sonny T. - bass guitar on The Undertaker
- Brian Gallagher - horns on The Undertaker
- Dave Jensen - horns on The Undertaker
- Kathy Jensen - horns on The Undertaker
- Michael Nelson - horns on The Undertaker
- Steve Strand - horns on The Undertaker
- Candy Dulfer - saxophone on A Man Called Jesus
- Margie Cox - background vocals on A Man Called Jesus
- Sheila E. - background vocals on A Man Called Jesus, drums on Positivity
- Miko Weaver - guitar on Positivity
- Boni Boyer - keyboards on Positivity
- Dr. Fink - keyboards on Positivity
- Janice Steele - background vocals on Positivity
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Production
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- Prince - producer on The Voice (as Paisley Park) and Melody Cool
- Ricky Peterson - producer on House In Order, Blood Is Thicker Than Time, You Will Be Moved, The Undertaker, A Man Called Jesus and Positivity, horn arrangement on House In Order, additional production on Melody Cool
- Skeff Anselm - engineer (unspecified album track)
- Joe Blaney - engineer (unspecified album track)
- F. Byron Clark - engineer (unspecified album track)
- Steve Durkee - engineer (unspecified album track)
- Hugo Dwyer - engineer (unspecified album track)
- Bill Essex - engineer (unspecified album track)
- David Friedlander - engineer (unspecified album track)
- Tom Garneau - engineer (unspecified album track)
- Alan Gregorie - engineer (unspecified album track)
- Ray Hahnfeldt - engineer (unspecified album track)
- Femi Jiya - engineer (unspecified album track)
- Kevin Kelly - engineer (unspecified album track)
- Dave Kent - engineer (unspecified album track)
- Michael Koppelman - engineer (unspecified album track)
- Jimmy Lee - engineer (unspecified album track)
- Eddie Miller - engineer (unspecified album track)
- Steve Noonan - engineer (unspecified album track)
- Brian Poer - engineer (unspecified album track)
- John Poppo - engineer (unspecified album track)
- Blair Sherman - engineer (unspecified album track)
- Statik - additional programming on Melody Cool, A Man Called Jesus and Positivity
- Michael Stokes - engineer (unspecified album track), remix on The Voice
- Tom Tucker- remix on The Voice, remix on Melody Cool
- Dana Vleck - engineer (unspecified album track)
- Brian Gardner - mastering (at Bernie Grundman Mastering, Hollywood, California)
- John Ragel - photography
- Gregory Muntana Gilmer - art direction
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Thanks
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- I present my second album to you with an abundance of joy and pleasure. It is very special to me. It contains songs that strengthen us where we're weak, songs of hope, love and 'positivity'. These are trying times. My desire is that through my song some lost soul may be found. If I can help just ONE somebody in my lifetime, my living has not been in vain.
- THANK YOU JESUS
- My family "The Staple Singers" (Pops, Pervis, Cleotha and Yvonne) for your love and support. There's no place like home.
- Prince... "My Earth Angel" - for sharing your magic, heaven must have sent you.
- SPECIAL THANKS TO: Keith Albert, Lauri Albert, Dana Anderson, Virgie Anderson, Graham Armstrong, Roy Ayers Jr., Marylou Baddeaux, Homer (Deacon) Banks, Billy Beck, Bernard (Down Home) Belle, Aja Brown, Ricky (The Lion) Brown, Carol Burnham, Kathy Busby, Bill (Muntana Sr.) Cosby, Aunt Billie (Sunshine) Christian, Merry Clayton, Stu Cohen, Tina Cope, John E. David Esq., Gilbert Davison, John Dukakis, Peter Edge - "Let's Do It Again", Lillian Ellis, Rick Frio - Ego Management, Rosie Gaines,, Dr. Michael E. Goldman, Ray Harris, Julie Hartley, Chris Heim, Chuck Hermes, Lisa Hoey, Yusef D. Jackson, Juli (Walla-Walla) Knapp, Karen Lee, Gwen Gwyn Leeds, Alan Leeds, Lisa Longville, Diana Mae (Baby Girl) Louie, Dr. David M. Maclin, Ooo Danny Boy Madden, Foley (Bae-Bro) McCreary, Benny Medina, Bob Merlis, Duane (Dimples) Nelson, John (Pops) Nelson, The New Power Generation, Cheryl (Booty) Nick, Gary (Pit Bull) O'Neal, Mo Ostin, Paul Peterson, Ricky (Funky Pete) Peterson, June (Baby Sister) Pointer, Sue Roberts, Tom Ruffino, Michael Rumore, Glen Rupp, Jon-Jon Shields, Dr. Roland Sidney, Lester (Maestro) Snells, Hank Spann, Sonic Arts Studios, Billy Sparks, The Steeles - Fred, JD, Jearlyn & Jevetta 'My other Family - I love y'all", Lady Linda Stokes, Michael Stokes, Therese (Miss Teedi) Stoulil, Harold Sulman, Shannon Swedberg, Tonya Thompson, Russ Thyret, Tom Tucker, Henry and Robert (The Bodyguards) Ware, Warner Brothers Records, Lenny Warner, Pailette White, Jill Willis, BeBe and CeCe Winans, Dr. Jeremiah A. Wright Jr., ...and the Paisley Park Family
- In Loving Memory of Mrs Oceola "Mom" Staples and Cynthia Marie Staples.
- It's me and my main man against the world... Love and Peace - Mavis
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