| Symbolic Beginning is the second collection of studio recordings by 94 East, the band name given to a number of tracks recorded by Pepé Willie and Prince with occasional other musicians (it is misleading to consider it an "album", as the tracks have been rearranged many times for reissues under different titles).
The collection contained Minneapolis Genius - Featuring Prince and eleven previously-unreleased additional tracks. The liner notes of Symbolic Beginning states the following :
"On Minneapolis Genius, the original recordings had been updated with additional instrumental parts and remixed. But now, we’ve added eight further songs – i.e ; the Cookhouse Five plus three additional sides – in their original form, with vocals included and no added overdubs. They were all digitally mastered and remixed to clean up any miscellaneous surface noise. "
The only songs from the Minneapolis Genius album that were included on Symbolic Beginning in their original form without overdubs are two versions of Games and a rehearsal version of Dance To The Music Of The World. The other additionnal tracks are If You See Me (vocal and instrumental versions), I’ll Always Love You, Better Than You Think (vocal and instrumental versions), If We Don’t (recorded on December 1975, sessions at Cookhouse Studios, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA), You Can Be My Teacher and Love, Love, Love (recorded in France Avenue Home Studio, Edina, Minnesota, USA). The original 1978 versions (without overdubs and remix) of Just Another Sucker, If You Feel Like Dancin’, Lovin’ Cup, Dance To The Music Of The World (recorded at Sound 80) and One Man Jam remain unreleased.
Symbolic Beginning have been since re-released multiple times with different sequences and combinations of tracks by various labels through loose license agreements with small (mostly european) independent labels which take advantage of gray areas of copyrights to place these records in stores. Some had artworks with Prince’s name and image featured more prominently than 94 East which led to a discussion between Prince and Pepé Willie. This compilations were released without Willie’s consent who sent cease-and-desist letters to those labels without much success. These reissues are not listed below being semi-official or bootlegs. Only the initial release and re-releases by Charly Records and Snapper Music (one of Charly Records’ distributors) are considered as legit :
The collection was remastered in 2016 after Prince's passing and released in various formats as 94 East Featuring Prince in 2016 and again in 2024 as Dance To The Music Of The World.
The five songs recorded at Cookhouse Studios, Minneapolis, MN, USA included on Symbolic Beginning would be remixed by Matt "Dr." Fink in 2010 and re-released by Pepé Willie on his own label (Pepé Music Inc.) in 2011 as The Cookhouse Five.
The collection was released without much promotion, and did not chart.
Minneapolis Genius and Symbolic Beginning were followed by 94 East, the third collection of songs recorded by 94 East with two previously-unreleased songs with Prince: 10:15 and Fortune Teller. Confusingly, in April 2024, Symbolic Beginning was re-released as a double-LP for the Record Store Day by Hot Pink Records with the Minneapolis Genius title and packaging.
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Track listing
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| CD
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LP (Reissue 2016)
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The compact disc version is the original issue.
- Just Another Sucker (5:21) 1
- If You Feel Like Dancin’ (7:08)
- Lovin’ Cup (4:20) 2
- Games (4:59)
- Dance To The Music Of The World (5:06)
- One Man Jam (6:13) 3
- If You See Me (5:40)
- Games (Original Version) (3:40)
- I’ll Always Love You (3:55)
- Better Than You Think (4:30)
- If We Don’t (4:09)
- You Can Be My Teacher (4:06)
- Love, Love, Love (3:53)
- Dance To The Music Of The World (Practice Session) (6:04)
- If You See Me (Instrumental Version) (5:39)
- Games (Instrumental Version) (3:40)
- Better Than You Think (Instrumental Version) (4:31)
References:
2XCD by Charly Records
UK: CPCD 8104-2
Re-released in 1999 by Charly Records as The Early Years with different artwork
Ger : CDVAL 111-2
CD Reissue (2000)
One Man Jam
Credited to Prince With 94 East.
- Just Another Sucker (5:18) 1
- One Man Jam (6:14) 3
- Dance To The Music Of The World (5:07)
- Games (5:00)
- If You Feel Like Dancin’ (7:09)
- If You See Me (5:42)
- Better Than You Think (4:32)
- Games (Instrumental Version) (3:42)
- Lovin’ Cup (4:22) 2
- Dance To The Music Of The World (Practice Session) (6:05)
- I’ll Always Love You (3:54)
- Better Than You Think (Instrumental Version) (4:31)
- If We Don’t (4:11)
- Games (Original Version) (3:41)
- You Can Be My Teacher (4:08)
- Love, Love, Love (3:54)
- If You See Me (Instrumental Version) (5:39)
References:
2XCD by Snapper Music
UK: SMDCD410
Re-released in 1999 by Charly Records as The Early Years with different artwork
Ger : CDVAL 111-2
CD Reissue (2016)
94 East Featuring Prince
Single CD re-release and remastered with instrumental versions of If You See Me, Games and Better Than You Think missing.
Re-released in 2024 as Dance To the Music Of The World (Expanded CD Edition) with a different artwork.
 
- Just Another Sucker (5:17) 1
- If You Feel Like Dancin’ (7:08)
- Lovin’ Cup (4:20) 2
- Games (Original Version) (3:40)
- Dance To The Music Of The World (5:07)
- One Man Jam (6:09) 3
- If You See Me (5:40)
- I’ll Always Love You (3:53)
- Better Than You Think (4:30)
- If We Don’t (4:09)
- You Can Be My Teacher (4:06)
- Love, Love, Love (3:53)
- Dance To The Music Of The World (Practice Session) (labeled as Rehearsal Session Version in 2024) (6:04)
References:
Single CD by Charly Records
UK: Charly F840
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The compilation was remastered and re-release by Charly Records on vinyl in October 2016 under the title 94 East Featuring Prince. Two editions exist: a single LP which contains only 6 tracks (the first disc of Symbolic Beginning (previously released as Minneapolis Genius by Hot Pink Records in 1986), and a 3LP Box Set with all the tracks from Symbolic Beginning
- If You Feel Like Dancin’ (7:11)
- Lovin’ Cup (4:21) 1
- Games (5:01)
- Just Another Sucker (5:21) 2
- Dance To The Music Of The World (5:09)
- One Man Jam (6:17) 3
References:
LP by Charly Records
UK: Charly L219
3 LP Box Set, Limited edition (Reissue 2016)
- Just Another Sucker (5:21) 1
- If You Feel Like Dancin’ (7:08)
- Lovin’ Cup (4:20) 2
- Games (Original Version) (4:59)
- Dance To The Music Of The World (5:06)
- One Man Jam (6:13) 3
- If You See Me (5:40)
- Games (Instrumental Version) (3:40)
- I’ll Always Love You (3:55)
- Better Than You Think (4:30)
- If We Don’t (4:09)
- You Can Be My Teacher (4:06)
- Love, Love, Love (3:53)
- If You See Me (Instrumental Version) (5:39)
- Games (Alternate Instrumental Version) (3:40)
- Better Than You Think (Instrumental Version) (4:31)
- Dance To The Music Of The World (Practice Session) (6:04)
References:
LP by Charly Records
UK: Charly L221
LP
Remastered version re-released in 2024 as Dance To the Music Of The World
- Just Another Sucker (5:15) 2
- If You Feel Like Dancin’ (7:08)
- Lovin’ Cup (4:19) 1
- Games (Original Version) (3:39)
- Dance To The Music Of The World (5:06)
- One Man Jam (6:12) 3
References:
LP by Charly Records
UK: Charly 219LP
Cassette
- You Can Be My Teacher (4:08)
- Lovin’ Cup (4:22) 2
- If You See Me (5:42)
- Games (5:00)
- Better Than You Think (4:32)
- I’ll Always Love You (3:54)
- Dance To The Music Of The World (5:07)
- Love, Love, Love (3:54)
- One Man Jam (6:14) 3
- If We Don’t (4:11)
- Just Another Sucker (5:18) 1
- Games (Instrumental Version) (3:42)
References:
Cassette by Charly Records
Indonesia: CPCD 8104-2
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All songs written by Pepé Willie, except where noted.
1 Written by Prince and Pepé Willie
2 Written by Ike Paige and Pepé Willie
3 Written by Ike Paige and Tony Silvester
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Personnel
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| Musicians
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- Prince - guitar (all tracks), synthesizer on If You Feel Like Dancin’, Lovin’ Cup, Just Another Sucker, Dance To The Music Of The World, One Man Jam and Love, Love, Love, keyboards and drums on Lovin’ Cup, Just Another Sucker and Dance To The Music Of The World, keyboards and clavinet on One Man Jam, bass guitar and guitar on You Can Be My Teacher and Love, Love, Love
- Pepé Willie - keyboards on If You Feel Like Dancin’, acoustic guitar on Lovin’ Cup, synthesizer on Games and One Man Jam, percussion on Dance To The Music Of The World and One Man Jam, vocals and/or guitar on If You See Me (Vocal and Instrumental Versions), , Better Than You Think (Vocal and Instrumental versions), vocals and guitar on I’ll Always Love You, If We Don’t, guitar on You Can Be My Teacher
- André Cymone - bass guitar on If You Feel Like Dancin’, Lovin’ Cup, Just Another Sucker, Dance To The Music Of The World and One Man Jam
- Kristie Lazenberry - vocals on Lovin’ Cup, Just Another Sucker, If You See Me (Vocal version), I’ll Always Love You, Better Than You Think (Vocal version) and If We Don’t
- Marcy Ingvoldstad - vocals on Lovin’ Cup, Just Another Sucker, If You See Me (Vocal version), I’ll Always Love You, Better Than You Think (Vocal version) and If We Don’t
- Alvin Moody - bass guitar, guitar and keyboards on Games, guitar on Just Another Sucker
- Mark Sullivan - keyboards on If You Feel Like Dancin’, Just Another Sucker, Dance To The Music Of The World and One Man Jam (uncredited)
- Jerome "Bigfoot" Brailey - drums on If You Feel Like Dancin’ and One Man Jam (uncredited)
- Unidentified and uncredited horn player on Lovin’ Cup (presumably Don Myrick)
- Unidentified and uncredited horn players on Games
- Dale Alexander - drums on If We Don’t, Games (Original and Instrumental versions), If You See Me (Vocal and Instrumental versions), I’ll Always Love You and Better Than You Think (Vocal and Instrumental versions)
- Wendell Thomas - bass guitar on If We Don’t, Games (Original and Instrumental versions), If You See Me (Vocal and Instrumental Versions), I’ll Always Love You and Better Than You Think (Vocal and Instrumental versions)
- Pierre Lewis - keyboards on If You See Me (uncredited), If We Don’t, Games (Original and Instrumental versions), I’ll Always Love You and Better Than You Think (Vocal and Instrumental versions)
- Teddy Randazzo - mellotron on Better Than You Think (Vocal and Instrumental versions)
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| Production
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- Pepé Willie - co-producer
- Tony Sylvester - co-producer
- Other production credits needed
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| Thanks
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1994: 1-800 New Funk ◄
