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 Deluxe Edition and 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, 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). The song has a horn line reminiscent of James Brown’s Hot Pants. Overdubs and mix were done between 22 and 30 November 1986 at Sunset Sound in Hollywood, California, with Jill Jones recording herlead vocal on the 26th. And Sheila E. her ‘Transmississippirap.’ on the night of 26/27 November 1986. Sheila E. was not in the studio, but recorded her rap over the phone from a hotel on the bank of the Mississippi river in Cincinnati, Ohio, where she was on tour with Lionel Richie. 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 Dierks Studio Mobile Trucks @ Le Zénith, Paris, France Live soundcheck recording & Show recording 22 & 23 November 1986 Sunset Sound - Studio 3, Hollywood, CA, USA Overdubs, including piano, mix (22nd); overdubs including horns, rough mix (23rd) 26 - 30 November 1986 Sunset Sound - Studio 3, Hollywood, CA, USA Overdubs (including Jill Jones), mix (26th) Sheila E.’s ‘Transmississippirap’) (27th, a.m.), overdubs, mix (27th); overdubs, edit, mix (28th); overdubs, mix (29th); overdubs, mix (30th) 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 Deluxe Edition and 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 Sign O’ The Times Deluxe Edition and Super Deluxe Edition album Crystal Ball unreleased album The ‘Transmississippirap’ is a reading of Edward Lear’s The Table And The Chair poem, first published in 'Nonsense Songs, Stories, Botany and Alphabets' (1871). References The Vault: The Definitive Guide to the Musical World of Prince (2004) Prince and the Parade/Sign O’ The Times Era Studio Sessions 1985 and 1986, Duane Tudahl (2021)

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