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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.
Paisley Park was the first name used for the label. It was changed to Paisley Park Records in 1987. The first release to bear the full name was Madhouse ‘s 6 single.
Artists who recorded for Paisley Park Records (or Paisley Park) 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 operations in 1994, when Warner ended its distribution deal with Paisley Park Records, effectively closing the label.
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History
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Label Creation
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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 pseudonym Jamie Starr and offered many songs to various other acts. Paisley Park Records was practically an extension of The Starr Company imprint used on the records he fully produced. With the label, Prince would deliver the master and Warner Bros. Records would do the manufacturing, distribution, and marketing of 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.
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.
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Label Life
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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.
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Label Closure
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On February 1st 1994, Warner Bros. Records and Paisley Park Enterprises announced that they would be 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 likely have survived for as long as he saw fit, but with Warner Bros. Records being in control of the spending, 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's Paisley Park album, 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. Concrete Jungle was eventually digitally released by Rosie Gaines.
Shortly before the closure of Paisley Park Records, Prince had already created a new label called NPG Records, and started distributing his music without the involvement of Warner Bros. Records.
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