Paisley Park Records

{{Label| |label name = Paisley Park Records |previous label = NPG Records |next label = Purple Music Records |label logo = |parent = Warner Bros. Records |start date = February 1985 |stop date = February 1994 |founder = Prince |location = Chanhassen (MN), USA |distributors = Warner Bros. Records (In the U.S.)
WEA International (Outside the U.S.) |subsidiaries = Paisley Park Enterprises |1st prince album release = Around The World In A Day |1st prince single release = Raspberry Beret |1st associate album release = The Family: The Family |1st associate single release = The Family: The Screams Of Passion |introduction = 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.

|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 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. In 1986 Prince made a deal with Warner Bros. Records to create Paisley Park Records as a joint venture, 50/50 owned by Prince’s company and Warner Bros. Records, with the latter responsible for the manufacturing, distribution, and marketing of the records. From 1987 on they began signing artists to the label that were officially, properly signed to Paisley Park Records, not Warner.

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.

|label life = Initially no one was really running the label running the label, but Bob Cavallo, one of Prince's managers, would interact with Warner and try to encourage them to promote the records. But there was nobody full time working on the label’s projects. Once the records were made, they were delivered to Warner Bros. Records.

When [[Prince parted ways with Cavallo, Ruffalo & Fargnoli as his management team in early 1989, and appointed Albert Magnoli as his manager, the label had little active advocates to promote their releases. Newly signed acts Mavis Staples, George Clinton never really gained momentum with their releases.

In late 1992 Alan Leeds, brother of saxophonist Eric Leeds. Leeds had previously served as Prince’s tour manager was named President of Operations for the . When he left Craig Rice was shortly ast the helm before handing over operations to former trade journalist Graham Armstrong.

|label closure = On February 1st 1994, Warner Bros. Records and Paisley Park Enterprises announced that they would be terminating Paisley Park Records.

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.

|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

|prince 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 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 Ingrid Chavez
1993 (25338)	1993 (25049)	1993 (PRO-CD-6595)	1993 (25518)	1993 (45199)
Carmen Electra Carmen Electra	Mavis Staples The Voice	Mavis Staples Gospel Tracks (US promo only)	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. |associated 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	Sheila E. A Love Bizarre	The Family High Fashion	Mazarati Players’ Ball	Sheila E. Love On A Blue Train	Sheila E. Holly Rock	Mazarati 100 MPH	Mazarati Stroke
1987	1987	1987	1987	1987	1987	1987	1988	1988	1988
Madhouse 6	Sheila E. Hold Me	Jill Jones Mia Bocca	Sheila E. Koo Koo	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	1989	1989	1990	1990	1990	1990	1990
George Clinton Tweakin’	Tony Lemans Higher Than High	Mavis Staples Time Waits For No One	Mavis Staples Christmas Vacation	Tony Lemans Forever More (US promo only)	Tony Lemans Cookie Crumbles	The Time Jerk Out	Mavis Staples Melody Cool	Tevin Campbell Round And Round	The Time Chocolate
1991	1991	1991	1991	1991	1991	1991	1991	1992	1993
The Time Shake!	Eric Leeds The Dopamine Rush (US promo only)	Eric Leeds Little Rock (US promo only)	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
1993	1993	1993	1993	1993	1993	1993	1998 (1991)
Carmen Electra Fantasia Erotica	Mavis Staples The Voice	George Clinton Paint The White House Black	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

|see also = NPG Records

|trivia = 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.

• 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

|categories = }}