Album: Camille

1986: Dream Factory ◄

Unreleased Albums (Prince)

Unreleased Albums (Related Artists)

► 1986: Crystal Ball

Camille

Album details Intended Release Date: January 1987 Label(s): Paisley Park Records / Warner Bros. Studio(s): Sunset Sound, Hollywood, CA, USA; Galpin Blvd Home Studio, Chanhassen, MN, USA See also Sign O’ The Times (Album) Crystal Ball (Unreleased album)

Camille is an unreleased album by Prince (although planned for release under the pseudonym Camille), and was compiled on 5 November 1986, from tracks using distorted vocals by Prince recorded in September and October 1986, shortly after The Revolution disbanded (although Feel U Up was originally recorded in 1981 and Strange Relationship in 1983). Camille was issued a catalog number — (9)25543 by Warner Bros. and planned for release in January 1987 (to be preceded by a single of Shockadelica). Prince instead decided to expand on the project by incorporating tracks recorded earlier in 1986, resulting in the three-disc set Crystal Ball. The album features Prince in disguise as Camille on all vocals and instruments, with saxophone by Eric Leeds and trumpet by Atlanta Bliss on some tracks. Wendy Melvoin and Lisa Coleman also appear on Strange Relationship (although their contributions were buried in the mix), and Susannah Melvoin on Rockhard In A Funky Place. When the project was developed into Crystal Ball (first sequenced on 30 November 1986), seven of the eight tracks were kept; only Feel U Up was removed. Only Housequake, Strange Relationship and If I Was Your Girlfriend were kept as the album developed into Prince’s next officially released album, Sign O’ The Times. All of the remaining tracks have since been released elsewhere, Rebirth Of The Flesh was released as a live rehearsal in one of the installments of the NPG Music Club in 2001, and its original studio rendition on the Sign O’ The Times Super Deluxe Edition in 2020, albeit not in the version with the coda segueing into Housequake. Shockadelica was released as the b-side of the 12" of If I Was Your Girlfriend in 1987. Goodlove was available on the Bright Lights, Big City movie soundtrack in 1988 (as Good Love). Feel U Up was released as the b-side of the 12" Partyman in 1989. Rockhard In A Funky Place was planned for release on “The Black Album” in 1987, but finally received an official release with “The Black Album” in 1994. The only song that would have appeared with a minor difference was If I Was Your Girlfriend, which at this point did not have the 'wedding march' and 'Look at the bargains over here, ladies' samples at the beginning, instead starting ‘on the 2’, like the single does. The album cover has been described as having a stick figure with X’s for eyes. However, rather than a fully developed design this is believed to have been only in the stage of Prince drawing on the white unmarked sleeve of a test-pressing, much like the 12" to Gett Off. The labels of the vinyl would have been the first with the new Paisley Park design and featured the song titles in Prince’s own writing, as well as the name Camille with the C as a crescent moon. And an x instead of the dot on the i. The name Prince would not have been on the record. Track listing LP Side 1: Rebirth Of The Flesh (4:54) Housequake (4:34) Strange Relationship (4:04) Feel U Up (6:27) Side 2: Shockadelica (6:12) Goodlove (5:11) If I Was Your Girlfriend (4:47) (omits the ‘street vendor/Wedding March’ intro) Rockhard In A Funky Place (4:30) 1  All tracks written by Prince (to be credited to Camille) except where noted. 1 Music written by Prince and Eric Leeds Personnel Musicians Prince - all vocals and instruments, except where noted (to be credited to Camille) Eric Leeds - saxophone on Rebirth Of The Flesh, Housequake, Feel U Up and Rockhard In A Funky Place Atlanta Bliss - trumpet on Rebirth Of The Flesh, Housequake and Rockhard In A Funky Place Gilbert Davison - party voice on Housequake Coke Johnson - party voice on Housequake Todd Herreman - party voice on Housequake Susan Rogers - party voice on Housequake Mike Soltys - party voice on Housequake Brad Marsh - party voice on Housequake The Penguin (a plush prop, not an actual person) - party voice on Housequake Wendy Melvoin - tamborine, congas on Strange Relationship Lisa Coleman - (Fairlight sample) sitar, wooden flute on Strange Relationship Susannah Melvoin - background vocals on Good Love and Rockhard In A Funky Place Jill Jones - background vocals on Good Love Production Prince - producer (to be credited to Camille) Other production details unknown

Additional Information Trivia When released as the b-side of If I Was Your Girlfriend in 1987, the title Shockadelica as written on the sleeve of that used the same handwriting (Prince’s) that would have been on the label of the Camille album. References The Vault: The Definitive Guide to the Musical World of Prince (2004)

1986 Dream Factory

Unreleased Albums (Prince)

Unreleased Albums (Related Artists)

1986 Crystal Ball