Purple Rain

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Purple Rain

from the album Purple Rain single art for Purple Rain Song details Performer: Prince and the Revolution First Released: 25 June 1984 - Purple Rain album Album(s): Purple Rain The Hits 2 The Hits / The B-Sides The Very Best Of Prince Ultimate 4Ever Purple Rain Deluxe Edition and Deluxe Expanded Edition Piano & A Microphone 1983 Prince And The Revolution: Live Sign O’ The Times Super Deluxe Edition Writer(s): Prince (credited to Prince and the Revolution) Producer(s): Prince (credited to Prince and the Revolution) Live Appearances First and last live appearance: 3 August 1983: First Avenue, Minneapolis, MN USA 14 April 2016 (Show 2): Fox Theatre, Atlanta, GA, USA Performed regularly on tour: Purple Rain Tour Parade Tour Sign O’ The Times Tour Lovesexy Tour Nude Tour Diamonds And Pearls Tour Act I Act II Japan '96 Love 4 One Another Charities Tour Jam Of The Year World Tour New Power Soul Tour New Power Soul Festival Tour Hit N Run Tour A Celebration One Nite Alone... Tour (Europe and Japan legs only) World Tour 2003 Musicology Live 2004ever Per4ming Live 3121 21 Nights In London : The Earth Tour Prince 20TEN Tour Prince Live 2010 Welcome 2 America Tour Welcome 2 America Euro 2011 Tour Welcome 2 Canada Tour Welcome 2 Australia Tour Live Out Loud Tour Hit And Run Part II Performed occasionally in shows: 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1990, 1991, 1999, 2000, 2002, 2004, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016 (solo piano)

Purple Rain is the ninth and final track on Prince’s sixth album Purple Rain, the first album to be credited to Prince and the Revolution. Three months after the album’s release, Purple Rain was released as the album’s third single, available worldwide. The track is also featured in the movie Purple Rain. In 1993, the track was included as the 18th and final track on the compilation album The Hits 2 (also included as the second disc of The Hits / The B-Sides). In 2001, the track was included as the sixth track on the compilation album The Very Best Of Prince. In 2006, the track was included as the eighth track on the first disc of the compilation album Ultimate. A brief solo piano rehearsal of the track was released on the 2018 posthumous album Piano & A Microphone 1983. Although it is unclear when a first incarnation of the song was ready, it was first rehearsed and worked on with the band in the summer of 1983 at the The Warehouse in St. Louis Park, Minnesota. Prince and the Revolution then recorded the song live on 3 August 1983 at First Avenue in Minneapolis, Minnesota (at the same concert where I Would Die 4 U and Baby I’m A Star, among others were also recorded). This live version was worked on further between mid-August and into September 1983, at Sunset Sound in Hollywood, California, where the track was edited to omit a verse and a solo, and a new string section was overdubbed over the finale of the track. It was included as the sixth track on the 7 November 1983 configuration of Purple Rain, before becoming the eighth and final track on the 23 March 1984 configuration. It became the ninth and final track on the final 14 April 1984 configuration after some tracklist changes to the album. Recording Information Recording Sessions Date Studio Additional info Summer 1983 The Warehouse, St. Louis Park, MN, USA writing/rehearsal recording 3 August 1983 First Avenue, Minneapolis, MN, USA Live recording Late Summer - Autumn 1983 Kiowa Trail Home Studio, Chanhassen, MN, USA Rehearsal recording - (Piano & A Microphone 1983 Version) 15 August 1983; 18 August 1983; 13 September 1983 - 15 September 1983 Sunset Sound Studio 3 , Hollywood, CA, USA Editing and string overdubs, mix 27 November 1983 Kiowa Trail Home Studio, Chanhassen, MN, USA Tracking Lisa and Wendy’s version used in Movie 7 February 1984 Sunset Sound Studio 2, Hollywood, CA, USA Overdubs on Tracking Lisa and Wendy’s version used in Movie Recording Personnel Prince and the Revolution version Prince - all vocals and instruments, except where noted Bobby Z. - drums and percussion Brown Mark - bass and vocals Wendy Melvoin - guitars and vocals Lisa Coleman - keyboards and vocals Matt Fink - keyboards and vocals David Coleman - cello Novi Novog - violin and viola Suzie Katayama - cello David Z. - engineer (First Avenue) David Leonard - engineer (First Avenue) Piano & A Microphone 1983 version Prince - all vocals and piano Versions Released Versions Title Length Released Version Additional info Purple Rain 8:41 Purple Rain Album Purple Rain Single Prince Sampler promotional album Sounds O’ The Times promotional album Love Prince promotional album Nothing Compares 2 Him promotional album The Hits 2 The Hits / The B-Sides My Name Was Prince promotional album The Very Best Of Prince Ultimate 4Ever Live with overdubs 3 August 1983, First Avenue, Minneapolis, MN, USA Purple Rain 8:41 Purple Rain Deluxe Edition and Deluxe Expanded Edition Live with overdubs Remastered 2015 Purple Rain (Edit) 4:02 Purple Rain Single Strange Tales From The Rain promotional album The Story So Far... promotional album The Crown Jewels promotional album Edit a.k.a. 7" Single Edit Purple Rain (7" Single Edit) 4:08 Purple Rain Deluxe Expanded Edition - Single Edits & B-Sides Edit Remastered 2017 Purple Rain (Long Version) 7:05 Purple Rain Single Edit Purple Rain (Radio Edit) 4:19 Purple Rain promo Edit Purple Rain (7" Edit) 4:30 Purple Rain promo Edit Purple Rain (Long Radio Edit) 5:37 Purple Rain promo Edit Purple Rain 1:26 Piano & A Microphone 1983 'Rehearsal' a.k.a. Purple Rain (Piano & A Microphone 1983 Version) Purple Rain 19:26 Prince And The Revolution: Live Live 30 March 1985, Carrier Dome, Syracuse, NY, USA Purple Rain 19:25 Prince And The Revolution: Live (2022 re-release) Live 30 March 1985, Carrier Dome, Syracuse, NY, USA. Remastered Purple Rain 5:40 Sign O’ The Times Super Deluxe Edition Live 20 June 1987: Stadion de Galgenwaard, Utrecht, The Netherlands Video Versions Title Length Released Version Additional info Purple Rain 'Lisa and Wendy’s Movie Mix' ?:?? Purple Rain film Studio and Performance Released on VHS and DVD Purple Rain ?:?? Purple Rain film Live with overdubs Released on VHS and DVD Purple Rain 7:05 Purple Rain 20th Anniversary DVD Promo video See Purple Rain video for more details Purple Rain 18:24 Prince And The Revolution: Live VHS/laserdisc Purple Rain Deluxe Expanded Edition – Live at the Carrier Dome (DVD) Prince And The Revolution: Live (2022 re-release) Live 30 March 1985, Carrier Dome, Syracuse, NY, USA Purple Rain 4:08 Lovesexy Live 1 VHS Live 9 September 1988, Westfalenhallen, Dortmund, West Germany Purple Rain 10:37 Rave Un2 the Year 2000 VHS/DVD Live 18 December 1999, Paisley Park, Chanhassen, MN, USA BRIT Awards 12:20 NPG Music Club WMA download Live 15 February 2006 2006 BRIT Awards, Earls Court, London, England; part of medley containing Te Amo Corazón / Fury / Purple Rain / Let’s Go Crazy Purple Rain T.B.C. Sign O’ The Times Super Deluxe Edition DVD Live 31 December 1987: Paisley Park Studios, Chanhassen, MN, USA Purple Rain ?:?? Welcome 2 America Deluxe edition Live 28 April 2011, The Forum, Inglewood, CA, USA Broadcasts/streaming (only) Title Length Released Version Additional info Purple Rain T.B.C. Live performance TV broadcast Live 28 January 1985, American Music Awards, Shrine Auditorium, Los Angeles, California Purple Rain T.B.C. Live concert radio broadcast Live 22 July 1990, Estadio Vicente Calderón, Madrid, Spain Purple Rain T.B.C. Delayed concert TV broadcast Live 29 July 1990, Estadio Santa María del Mar, La Coruña, Spain Purple Rain T.B.C. Delayed concert TV broadcast Live 31 August 1990, Tokyo Dome (東京ドーム), Tokyo, Japan Purple Rain ?:?? Delayed concert TV broadcast Live 19 January 1991 (a.m.), Estádio Jornalista Mário Filho, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Purple Rain T.B.C. Live performance TV broadcast Live 4 September 1991, Arsenio Hall Show, Paramount Studios, Hollywood, CA, USA (first aired on 9 September 1991) Purple Rain 9:04 Delayed live recording radio broadcast Live 02 August 1993, Sheffield Arena, Sheffield, England Purple Rain T.B.C. Live performance TV broadcast Live 12 November 1996, Emancipation Freedom Concert, Paisley Park, Chanhassen, MN, USA Purple Rain (Live From Las Vegas 1999) 7:00 Love4oneanother.com RealAudio stream Live 2 January 1999, Studio 54 @ MGM Grand Hotel, Las Vegas, NV, USA Purple Rain T.B.C. Live awards performance TV broadcast Live 8 February 2004, 46th annual Grammy Awards Ceremony, Staples Center, Los Angeles, California; with Beyonce The Superbowl 11:52 Lotusflow3r.com video stream Live medley 4 February 2007, Dolphins Stadium, Miami Gardens, FL, USA; medley of We Will Rock You / Let’s Go Crazy / 1999 intro / Baby I’m A Star / Proud Mary / All Along The Watchtower / Best Of You / Purple Rain Sampled, Referred to, Quoted in... Title Length Released Version Additional info Can’t Stop This Feeling I Got 4 :24 Graffiti Bridge album Can’t Stop This Feeling I Got single Studio Instrumental interpolation heard during a break Purple Medley 11:03 Purple Medley single Studio medley See Purple Medley for more details Purple Medley (Edit) 3:14 Purple Medley single Edit See Purple Medley for more details Unreleased Versions Title Version Additional Info Purple Rain Live recording before overdubs 3 August 1983, First Avenue, Minneapolis, MN, USA Purple Rain Live with overdubs 3 August 1983, First Avenue, Minneapolis, MN, USA; contains extra verse and string overdubs

Additional Information See also Trivia Purple Rain album Purple Rain Deluxe Edition and Deluxe Expanded Edition Purple Rain single Purple Rain video Purple Rain movie Purple Rain was ranked second in "Top 10 Most 'Googled' Songs of 2016", published December 2016. References The Vault: The Definitive Guide to the Musical World of Prince (2004) Prince and the Purple Rain Era Studio Sessions 1983 and 1984 (Expanded Edition, paperback), Duane Tudahl (2018)

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