Purple Rain Deluxe is an elaborated remastered re-issue of Prince's best known, sixth full-length studio album Purple Rain (the motion picture soundtrack to the movie Purple Rain).
In its most condensed form it is augmented with a From The Vault & Previously Unreleased disc with eleven previously unreleased songs or versions, recorded between April 1983 and August 1984.
The more elaborate edition has another disc Single Edits & B-Sides with b-sides, extended versions and edits from the Purple Rain era as well as a DVD release of the concert Prince and the Revolution gave on 30 March 1985 in the Carrier Dome, Syracuse, NY, USA, which was previously released on video Prince And The Revolution: Live VHS/laserdisc.
Recording Process
See Purple Rain for details on recording of the original tracks.
The original album was remastered at Paisley Park Studios in 2015, overseen by Prince. Originally a remastered was already expected and at some point planned to be released in 2014, when in April of that year Warner Bros. announced they signed a deal with Prince for a new album or album(s) by Prince to be released through them and at the same time said a 30-year anniversary of Purple Rain was in the making.
After the end of 2014, with the momentum gone, the impression was that this re-issue would not come to fruition after all. But with its release in 2017 it became clear the original album was in fact remastered at Paisley Park Studios in 2015 (which would have been too late for a timely 30-year anniversary release).
The second disc From The Vault & Previously Unreleased, contains material purportedly from the sessions of the original Purple Rain album, although in fact some songs were never considered for the Purple Rain album, or are even from sessions that took place after the original album's release.
- Love And Sex is from February 1984 and the title was in fact found on a handwritten sequence for the album, although it was crossed out on there and was likely never seriously considered to be featured on the album.
- Computer Blue from August 1984 is the full take of the song on Purple Rain which was then edited down to accommodate the inclusion of Take Me With U on the original album. This version was sometimes dubbed “Hallway Speech” version by fans, to indicate it includes a segment where Prince relates a story of a man living in a mansion, escorting a woman to his bedroom, naming the hallways after emotions including lust, fear, insecurity, hate and pain as they pass them. Oddly, the unofficial 'Hallway Speech' name is attributed to the track on this release. There is an even longer, over 14-minute version of the track, but the extra length in it comes from the 'crashing guitar-feedback sounds at the end (on the released original version segueing into Darling Nikki, running for two more minutes.
- Possessed is presented here as the '1983 version', but it is in fact the version recorded in March 1984. The 1983 version, part of which can be heard as an instrumental in the movie Purple Rain was recorded with the full band at the The Warehouse in St. Louis Park, Minnesota in mid 1983, while the version here was a solo-effort by Prince done at Sunset Sound in Hollywood, California. It is unclear why the version here is attributed to be the 1983 version.
- Wonderful Ass dates from early 1983 and was recorded at Prince's Kiowa Trail Home Studio in Chanhassen. The song is about Vanity and while it may have been considered for the movie at some point, it never made it to any configuration, possibly in part due to the fact Vanity left the Prince camp and would no longer be in the movie.
- The last track Father's Song is an instrumental, the motive of which can be heard as a melody in Computer Blue. The recording here is a solo recording by Prince from late October 1983 at Kiowa Trail Home Studio in Chanhassen. Part of the song can also be heard in the movie Purple Rain, when "The Kid" plays the song on piano after discovering his father's sheet music, although that is a different recording.
Promotion
Although not a true single, Electric Intercourse was released as a 'digital single' ahead of the album on 28 April 2017.
Charts
Charting for this Deluxe edition will be noted as if it were a new release and not linked to the charting of Purple Rain.
Certifications
Certification for this Deluxe edition will be noted as if it were a new release and not linked to the certification of Purple Rain.
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Personnel
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Musicians
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- Prince - all vocals and instruments, except where noted
- Bobby Z. - drums and percussion on Let's Go Crazy, Take Me With U, Computer Blue, I Would Die 4 U and Purple Rain
- Brown Mark bass guitar and vocals on Let's Go Crazy, Take Me With U, Computer Blue, I Would Die 4 U and Purple Rain
- Wendy Melvoin - guitars and vocals on Let's Go Crazy, Take Me With U, Computer Blue, I Would Die 4 U and Purple Rain
- Lisa Coleman - keyboards and vocals on Let's Go Crazy, Take Me With U, Computer Blue, I Would Die 4 U and Purple Rain
- Matt Fink - keyboards and vocals on Let's Go Crazy, Take Me With U, Computer Blue, I Would Die 4 U and Purple Rain
- David Coleman - cello on Take Me With U, Baby I'm A Star and Purple Rain
- Novi Novog - violin and viola on Take Me With U, Baby I'm A Star and Purple Rain
- Suzie Katayama - cello on Take Me With U, Baby I'm A Star and Purple Rain
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Production
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- Prince - producer and arranger, clothing (credited for "rags"), art direction
- David Leonard - engineer (The Warehouse, St. Louis Park, MN, USA; Sunset Sound, Hollywood, CA, USA; First Avenue, Minneapolis, MN, USA and Record Plant Remote - Mobile Truck (from New York, NY in Minneapolis, MN USA)
- Susan Rogers - engineer (The Warehouse, St. Louis Park, MN, USA)
- Peggy McCreary - engineer (Sunset Sound, Hollywood, CA, USA)
- David Rivkin - engineer (First Avenue, Minneapolis, MN, USA in Record Plant Remote - Mobile Truck (from New York, NY, USA)
- Bernie Grundman - mastering
- Laura LiPuma - design
- Ed Thrasher and Associates - front cover photograph
- Ron Slenzak - front cover photograph
- Larry Williams - additional photography
- Doug Henders - painting
- Earl Jones - hair
- Jayson Jeffreys - makeup
- Louis and Vaughn - clothing (credited for "rags")
- Marie France - clothing (credited for "rags")
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Thanks
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- "All thanks 2 God-the light, Lisa & Wendy, Bobby, Mark & Matt-the Revolution, Big Chick-the protector, Steve, Bob & Joe Ruffalo-the producers, Albert Magnoli-the director, Peggy Mac-the patience, Fred Moultrie-the money, Lee Phillips-the brains, Warner Bros. Records & Film-belief, God 4 the "rain", Sandy-the care, The Time-"chicken grease", Apollonia 6: Susan, Brenda & Apollonia-patience, wisdom & beauty, Jill-love, Roy Bennett-loyalty, David Leonard-the blade, Susan Rogers-energy, Carol McGouney-devotion, God-4 the rainbow, William Blinn-the story, Alan Leeds-the expert."
- "Thanks 2 Don Thorin and all the cast & crew of Purple Rain: Clarence Williams, Olga Karlatos, Kim-hi, Morris & Jerome, Katy, Billy Sparks-what up 'tho? Richard Arrington-God-4 the sun, Wally Gator, Dez Dickerson & the Modernaires-Steve & everybody at 1st Avenue-all the extras & anybody else we foolhardly forgot 2 mention."
- "Thank u all-may u live 2 see the Dawn."
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