Paisley Park Records

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Paisley Park Records

Label details Parent Company: Warner Bros. Records Founded: February 1985 Ceased operation: February 1994 Founder: Prince Location: Chanhassen (MN), USA Distributor(s): Warner Bros. Records (In the U.S.) WEA International (Outside the U.S.) Subsidiaries: Paisley Park Enterprises Discography First Prince Album Release: Around The World In A Day First Prince Single Release: Raspberry Beret First Associate Album Release: The Family: The Family First Associate Single Release: The Family: The Screams Of Passion

Prince’s first record label, Paisley Park Records, a co-venture with Warner Bros. Records was founded in 1985 and debuted with the release of Around The World In A Day. The label shares its name with Prince’s recording complex Paisley Park Studios and the song Paisley Park. Artists who recorded for Paisley Park Records include The Time, Sheila E., The Family, Mavis Staples, George Clinton, Rosie Gaines, Carmen Electra, Jill Jones, The Three O’Clock, Ingrid Chavez, Dale Bozzio, and Taja Sevelle. Paisley Park Records also released albums by Mazarati, Good Question, Madhouse, Eric Leeds, and Tony LeMans. The label ceased business in 1994, when Warner ended its distribution deal with Paisley Park Records, effectively closing the label. History Label Creation The idea of the Paisley Park Records label emerged during the summer of 1984. Since 1981, Prince has produced albums for The Time, Vanity 6, Sheila E. and Apollonia 6 under the Jamie Starr pseudonym and offered many songs to various other acts. Paisley Park Records was basically an extension of The Starr Company imprint used on the records he fully produced. With the label, Prince Prince would deliver the master and Warner Bros. Records would do the manufacture, distribute, and market the records (In 1992, the deal between Prince and Warner Bros. Records was revised as Paisley Park Records would decide how much to spend on videos and promotional activities. Warner Bros. Records and Prince would operate as partners, sharing investments and profits). The label shares its name with Prince’s recording complex Paisley Park Studios and the song Paisley Park. Prince ’s first album to be released on Paisley Park Records, and also the label’s first release, was Around The World In A Day on 22 April 1985. All the subsequent releases, except for the Batman album and related singles, would be on that label until the compilations The Hits / The B-Sides in 1993. The first acts who released an album with the label imprint were The Family, Sheila E. and Mazarati. Label Life Personnel The President of Operations for the label was Alan Leeds, brother of saxophonist Eric Leeds. Leeds had previously served as Prince’s tour manager. He was replaced by former trade journalist Gaham Armstrong. Craig Rice also served as President shortly after Alan Leeds left. Mismanagement Prince’s management firm at the time, Cavallo, Ruffalo & Fargnoli, began signing artists to the label, at times even without Prince’s knowledge or permission. That precipitated the beginning of the end to a successful partnership. Shortly after firing the management team, lawsuits ensued and it was discovered that the label was mismanaged from the outset, with Warner Bros. Records taking heavy losses due to exorbitant advances paid to Prince and his management team for the label. Warner Bros. Records also helped to pay for Paisley Park Studios, and executives insisted on a return on their investment, which resulted in several major artists recording their albums at Paisley Park Studios, at times even against Prince’s wishes. Paisley Park Records folded with Prince retaining the masters of all artists, artists advances that were kept by the company, and no support from the label. Label Closure On February 1st 1994, Warner Bros. Records and Paisley Park Enterprises announce that they are terminating Paisley Park Records. The label became a joint venture between Prince and Warner Bros. Records upon the signing of Prince’s last recording contract in 1992. While under Prince’s sole aegis, the label could probably have survived for as long as he saw fit, but with Warner Bros. Records holding the purse strings, the financial burden proved too great as few of the label’s releases had been big sellers. Two of the Paisley Park Records acts, Belize and Tyler Collins, were left without contracts when the label folded. Belize had completed an album (without Prince’s involvement) but it was never released. Rosie Gaines had a Paisley Park album titled Concrete Jungle on which Prince was involved, was due to be released on 22 March 1994. A single for My Tender Heart backed with Pain was also scheduled for release. The album and single were withdrawn when the label was terminated. Gaines later signed a deal with Motown Records and released an album entitled Closer Than Close in June 1995. The Concrete Jungle album was eventually released digitally in 2010 independently by Rosie Gaines. Shortly before the closure of Paisley Park Records, Prince had already created a new label called NPG Records and started to try new ways of distributing his music without Warner Bros. Records.

Releases
Catalog numbers are indicated regardless of format, under the year of release, into brackets.
Prince
Albums
1985 (25286) 1986 (25395) 1987 (25577) 1988 (25720) 1990 (27493) 1991 (25379) 1992 (45027) 1993 (45431) 1993 (45435) 1993 (45440) Around The World In A Day Parade Sign O’ The Times Lovesexy Graffiti Bridge Diamonds and Pearls The Hits 1 The Hits 2 The Hits / The B-Sides
Singles
1985 (28972) 1985 (29052) 1985 (28998) 1985 (28999) 1986 (28751) 1986 (28711) 1986 (28586) 1986 (28620) 1987 (28399) 1987 (28334) Raspberry Beret Paisley Park (Europe only) Pop Life America Kiss Mountains Girls & Boys (Europe only) Anotherlover -holenyohead Sign O’ The Times If I Was Your Girlfriend 1987 (28289) 1987 (28288) 1987 (28288) 1988 (21858) 1988 (27806) 1988 (27745) 1990 (19525) 1990 (19525) 1991 (19225) 1991 (19175) U Got The Look I Could Never Take The Place Of Your Man Hot Thing Alphabet St. Glam Slam I Wish U Heaven Thieves In The Temple New Power Generation Gett Off Cream 1991 (19090) 1991 (19059) 1992 (19020) 1992 (5301) 1992 (40480) 1992 (18817) 1992 (18704) 1992 (18599) 1992 (18700) 1993 (18583) Insatiable Diamonds And Pearls Money Don’t Matter 2 Night Willing And Able (US promo only) Thunder (UK only) Sexy M.F. My Name Is Prince 7 Damn U The Morning Papers 1993 (18371) 1993 (18372) 1993 (5994) 1993 (18280) 1994 (1278) Pink Cashmere Peach Nothing Compares 2 U Controversy '93 (UK only) Pope (UK promo only)
Associated Artists
Albums
1985 (25322) 1985 (25317) 1986 (25368) 1987 (25545) 1987 (25498) 1987 (25575) 1987 (25546) 1987 (25658) 1988 (25599) 1988 (25717) The Family The Family Sheila E. Romance 1600 Mazarati Mazarati Madhouse 8 Sheila E. Sheila E. Jill Jones Jill Jones Taja Sevelle Taja Sevelle1 Madhouse 16 Dale Bozzio Riot In English Three O’Clock Vermillion1 1988 (25743) 1989 (25995) 1989 (25994) 1989 (25798) 1989 (29K2-1002) 1990 (27490) 1990 (TDCK-2003) 1991 (27499) 1991 (27497) 1991 (25879) Good Question Good Question Tony LeMans Tony LeMans1 George Clinton The Cinderella Theory Mavis Staples Time Waits For No One Kahoru Kohiruimaki Time The Motion2 (Japan only) The Time Pandemonium1 Kahoru Kohiruimaki Time The Motion Live2 (Japan only) Eric Leeds Times Squared T.C. Ellis True Confessions Ingrid Chavez May 19, 1992 1993 (25338) 1993 (25049) 1993 (25518) 1993 (45199) Carmen Electra Carmen Electra Mavis Staples The Voice George Clinton Hey Man... Smell My Finger Eric Leeds Things Left Unsaid 1 Distributed by Reprise Records instead of Warner Bros. Records. 2 Distributed by Warner-Pioneer instead of Warner Bros. Records.
Singles
1985 1985 1985 1985 1985 1986 1986 1986 1986 1986 The Family The Screams Of Passion Sheila E. Sister Fate Sheila E. Bedtime Story The Family High Fashion Sheila E. A Love Bizarre Mazarati Players’ Ball Mazarati 100 MPH Sheila E. Holly Rock Mazarati Stroke Sheila E. Love On A Blue Train 1987 1987 1987 1987 1987 1987 1987 1988 1988 1988 Madhouse 6 Sheila E. Hold Me Sheila E. Koo Koo Jill Jones Mia Bocca Jill Jones G-Spot Madhouse 10 Taja Sevelle Love is Contagious Jill Jones For Love Taja Sevelle Wouldn’t You Love To Love Me? Madhouse 13 1988 1988 1988 1988 1988 1988 1988 1988 1989 1989 Taja Sevelle Popular Dale Bozzio Simon Simon Taja Sevelle Take Me For A Ride Three O’Clock Love Explosion Good Question Listen To Your Heart Three O’Clock Neon telephone Dale Bozzio Riot In English Good Question Got A New Love Mavis Staples 20Th Century Express Mavis Staples Jaguar 1989 1989 1989 1990 1990 1990 1990 1991 1991 1991 George Clinton Tweakin’ Mavis Staples Time Waits For No One Mavis Staples Christmas Vacation The Time Jerk Out Tevin Campbell Round And Round The Time Chocolate Mavis Staples Melody Cool The Time Shake! Eric Leeds The Dopamine Rush (US promo only) Eric Leeds Little Rock (US promo only) 1991 1991 1991 1991 1991 1992 1993 1993 1993 1993 T.C. Ellis Miss Thang Ingrid Chavez Elephant Box T.C. Ellis Pussycat Ingrid Chavez Hippy Blood Ingrid Chavez Heaven Must Be Near (UK promo only) Carmen Electra Go Go Dancer Carmen Electra Everybody Get On Up Carmen Electra Fantasia Erotica Mavis Staples The Voice George Clinton Paint The White House Black 1993 1993 1993 1993 1998 (1991) George Clinton Martial Law Mavis Staples Blood Is Thicker Than Time George Clinton The Big Pump (US promo only) Eric Leeds Woman In Chains (US promo only) Carmen Electra Fun

Additional Information See also Trivia NPG Records Although the label has been closed for years, Paisley Park® is still a registred trademark (Registration Nr: 3065684) owned by Paisley Park Enterprises, Inc. (Chanhassen, MN 55317). It is covering: Recording studios; music, motion picture film and videotape production services; film and video editing services.</bockquote> Of note the Paisley Park® trademark is labelled as having being first used on 22 April 1985. References Entrepeneur bug bites artists... And results vary by Deborah Russel (Billboard Vol.? No.? - 30 May 1992) Wikipedia: Paisley Park Records Wikipedia: Warner Bros. Records Catalog: Discog: Paisley Park, 45Cat: Paisley park Trademark: Trademarkia: Paisley Park Trademark

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