It’s Gonna Be A Beautiful Night

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It’s Gonna Be A Beautiful Night

from the album Sign O’ The Times Song details Performer: Prince First Released: 30 March 1987 - Sign O’ The Times album Album(s): Sign O’ The Times Sign O’ The Times Super Deluxe Edition Writer(s): Prince (lyrics and music), Dr. Fink (music), Eric Leeds (music) Producer(s): Prince Live Appearances First and last live appearance: 25 August 1986, Le Zénith, Paris, France (instrumentation and chants, later used for album version); 8 May 1987, Isstadion, Johanneshov, Stockholm, Sweden (first full performance) 13 June 2000: Northrop Auditorium, Minneapolis, Minnesota Performed regularly on tour: Sign O’ The Times Tour Act II (horn interpolation during 1999 medley) Performed occasionally in shows: 1986, 1987, 1988, 1993 (horn interpolation during 1999 medley), 2000 (horn interpolation during America medley), 2011 (chant during Sexy Dancer instrumental)

It’s Gonna Be A Beautiful Night is the sixth track on the second disc of Prince’s ninth album Sign O’ The Times. The track was placed as the penultimate track on the third disc of the triple-album Crystal Ball, which was eventually pared down and became Sign O’ The Times, where it remained the penultimate track of the album. A live version was also included in the concert movie Sign O’ The Times. The basis for the track was recorded live on 25 August 1986 at Le Zénith, Paris, France, during a show on the Parade Tour (at the soundcheck earlier in the day, recordings were made Susannah’s Blues, Strange Relationship, Last Heart, a cover version of The Temptations' I Can’t Get Next To You a first run-through of It’s Gonna Be A Beautiful Night) and possibly an instrumental workout of The Cocoa Boys. The song borrows a horn line from James Brown’s Hot Pants. Significant overdubs, including Sheila E.’s ‘Transmississippirap’ (a partial reading of Edward Lear’s "The Table And The Chair" poem, labeled the ‘Transmississippirap’ because Prince recorded Sheila E. reading it over the phone from the other side of the Mississippi river), took place on 22 November 1986 at Sunset Sound in Hollywood, California during Susannah Melvoin’s final recording session with Prince (on the same day as Play In The Sunshine), just eight days before completion of the Crystal Ball album. Although recorded with the full Revolution band, the song is credited only to Prince. It was included as the sixth track on the third and final disc of the Crystal Ball album, and was kept for inclusion as the album developed into Sign O’ The Times. Recording Information Recording Sessions Date Studio Additional info 25 August 1986 Le Zénith, Paris, France Live recording 22 November 1986 Sunset Sound, Hollywood, CA, USA Vocal and instrumental overdubs Recording Personnel Prince - all vocals and instruments, except where noted Bobby Z. - drums Brown Mark - bass guitar Miko Weaver - guitar Wendy Melvoin - guitar and backing vocals Lisa Coleman - keyboards and backing vocals Dr. Fink - keyboards Eric Leeds - saxophone Atlanta Bliss - trumpet Sheila E. - transmississippirap Susannah Melvoin - background vocals Jill Jones - vocals Greg Brooks - backing vocals Wally Safford - backing vocals Jerome Benton - backing vocals Versions Released Versions Title Length Released Version Additional info It’s Gonna Be A Beautiful Night 9:01 Sign O’ The Times Studio Live recording with studio overdubs It’s Gonna Be A Beautiful Night 8:59 Sign O’ The Times (Super) Deluxe Edition Studio Remastered in 2020 It’s Gonna Be A Beautiful Night 13:55 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 It’s Gonna Be A Beautiful Night 8:03 Sign O’ The Times VHS/DVD Live See Sign O’ The Times for details It’s Gonna Be A Beautiful Night T.B.C. Sign O’ The Times Super Deluxe Edition DVD Live 31 December 1987: Paisley Park Studios, Chanhassen, MN, USA Broadcasts/streaming (only) Title Length Released Version Additional info It’s Gonna Be A Beautiful Night 3:54 Live radio broadcast Live 07 September 1993 (mat.), Simon Bates Show, BBC Broadcasting House, London, England; part of medley containing 1999 / Baby I’m A Star / America / D.M.S.R. / Pope / It’s Gonna Be A Beautiful Night Sampled, Referred to, Quoted in... Title Length Released Version Additional info Purple Medley 11:03 Purple Medley single Studio medley See Purple Medley for more details Unreleased Versions Title Version Additional Info It’s Gonna Be A Beautiful Night Live recording Original 25 August 1986 recording

Additional Information See also Trivia Sign O’ The Times album Crystal Ball unreleased album References The Vault: The Definitive Guide to the Musical World of Prince (2004)

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