Mountains is the eighth track on Prince's eighth album Parade, the third to be credited to Prince and the Revolution, and, six weeks after the album's release, Mountains was released as the album's second single.
In 2009, a live version performed as a medley with The Jacksons' 1978 song Shake Your Body (Down To The Ground), which was recorded for a short radio performance in Paris, France, was released as an mp3 download on lotusflow3r.com, known as Mountains-Shake Your Body.
Initial tracking taking place on 30 November 1985 (on the same day as An Honest Man), almost seven months after a first sequence of the Parade album was compiled. Wendy Melvoin and Lisa Coleman composed the music, and brought it to Prince. He composed the lyrics, but claimed sole credit for the song upon its release.
Clare Fischer arranged and recorded orchestration for the song at some point in mid-late 1985 at Monterey Sound Studios, Glendale, CA, USA, but Prince preferred the track without orchestration, and chose to use the track without orchestration for the final release.
Mountains is the only song on the album to showcase the extended Revolution band (featuring Miko Weaver and Atlanta Bliss) which would tour with Prince in 1986. It is also the earliest recorded Prince-related track to feature Atlanta Bliss.
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Recording Information
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Recording Sessions
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Date
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Studio
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Additional info
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30 November 1985
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Washington Avenue Warehouse, Eden Prairie, MN, USA
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Initial tracking
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December 1985 (assumed)
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Monterey Sound Studios, Glendale, CA, USA
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Orchestra recording by Clare Fischer
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Recording Personnel
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Released version
Unreleased version
- Orchestral Players:
- Violins - Isabelle Daskoff, Francine Walsh, Mari Botnik, Pam Gates, Janice Gower, Karen Jones, Betty Moor, Irma Neumann, Assa Drori, Bill Hymanson, Oscar Chasow, Ron Clark, Henry Ferber, Erne Granat, Ed Green, Bill Hybel, Reggie Hill, Pat Johnson, Don Palmer, Sheldon Sanov, Joe Schonbrun, Terry Schonbrun and Harold Wolf
- Violas - Pam Goldsmith, Margot Maclaine, Carol Mukagawa, Myer Bello, Alan Deverich, Norman Forrest, Alan Harshman, Jorge Moraga and David Stock
- Cellos - Jim Arkatoff, Ray Kelley, Ray Kramer and Fred Seykora
- Basses - Chuck Dominico and Arni Egilsson.
- Woodwinds - Gene Cipriano, Don Ashworth, John Clarke, Dave Edwards, Gary Foster, Jim Kanter, John Lowe, Dick Mitchell, Jack Nimitz, Joe Soldo and Bob Tricarico
- Trumpets - Ray Brown, Rich Cooper, Bob Findley, Larry Ford, Bob O'Donnell and Al Vizutti
- Trombones - Garnett Brown, Charles Loper, Morris Repass and Bill Watrous
- French Horns - Marni Johnson, David Duke, Joe Myer, Brian O'Connor, Calvin Smith and Jim Thatcher
- Tuba - Tommy Johnson
- Tympani and percussion - Brent Fischer
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Versions
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Released Versions
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Video Versions
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Broadcasts/streaming (only)
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Unreleased Versions
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Title
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Version
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Additional Info
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Mountains
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Studio
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1985 recording with unused orchestral overdubs
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