The Voice is the eighth solo studio album by Mavis Staples (her second and final on Paisley Park Records), and her second to include input by Prince.
Eight of the album's twelve songs are written by Prince (two of which, Melody Cool and Positivity, had previously been included in different forms on albums released by Prince), and he appears as a musician to varying degrees on some of the tracks also. Ricky Peterson produced the five newly-written Prince tracks, and added production to the vault track A Man Called Jesus.
Recording process
Melody Cool was recorded in Summer, 1987 (and was at one point planned for the Rave Unto The Joy Fantastic album), before lead vocals by Mavis Staples were overdubbed in late 1989 (a remix by Ricky Peterson was made in 1992 for its inclusion on The Voice).
A Man Called Jesus was recorded in late December 1988, with saxophone by Candy Dulfer added in July 1989, and lead vocals by Mavis Staples added in Summer 1992. The Voice was recorded in April 1991, with vocal overdubs by Mavis Staples in late 1992 or early 1993.
House In Order, Blood Is Thicker Than Time, You Will Be Moved and The Undertaker were recorded in Summer 1992, without Prince's direct involvement. Positivity was recorded in 1992 or early 1993, reusing some tracks from the original December 1987, recording by Prince.
Promotion
The album produced two singles, The Voice and Blood Is Thicker Than Time, but the album failed to chart.
In 1995, the album was re-released by NPG Records with a different sequence, including an additional track, Come Home, which was previously included in identical form on Mavis Staples' first Paisley Park Records release Time Waits For No One.
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Personnel
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Musicians
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- Mavis Staples - vocals
- Prince - all instruments, except where noted, on The Voice, Melody Cool, A Man Called Jesus and Positivity
- Levi Seacer, Jr. - guitar and background vocals on The Voice, guitar on House In Order, Blood Is Thicker Than Time, You Will Be Moved and The Undertaker, bass guitar on Positivity
- Rosie Gaines - keyboards and background vocals on The Voice, background vocals on House In Order
- Kirk Johnson - background vocals on The Voice (as "Kirky J."), percussion on You Will Be Moved, keyboards on Positivity
- Tony M. - background vocals on The Voice
- Michael B. - drums on House In Order, Blood Is Thicker Than Time and The Undertaker
- St. Paul Peterson - bass guitar on House In Order, Blood Is Thicker Than Time, You Will Be Moved, The Undertaker and Melody Cool, guitar on A Man Called Jesus
- Tommy Barbarella - additional keyboards on House In Order, keyboards on The Undertaker
- Ricky Peterson - organ on House In Order and The Undertaker, organ and keyboards on You Will Be Moved, bass guitar, drum programming, synthesizer and organ on A Man Called Jesus, keyboards on Positivity
- Eric Leeds - saxophone on House In Order
- Jevetta Steele - background vocals on House In Order, Blood Is Thicker Than Time, You Will Be Moved, The Undertaker, Melody Cool and Positivity
- Fred Steele - background vocals on House In Order, Blood Is Thicker Than Time, You Will Be Moved, The Undertaker, Melody Cool and Positivity
- JD Steele - background vocals on House In Order, Blood Is Thicker Than Time, You Will Be Moved, The Undertaker, Melody Cool and Positivity
- Jearlyn Steele - background vocals on House In Order, Blood Is Thicker Than Time, You Will Be Moved, The Undertaker, Melody Cool and Positivity
- Billy Franze - guitar on Blood Is Thicker Than Time and You Will Be Moved
- David Barry - guitar on Blood Is Thicker Than Time and You Will Be Moved
- Pops Staples - background vocals on You Will Be Moved, guitar and background vocals on The Undertaker
- Sonny T. - bass guitar on The Undertaker
- Brian Gallagher - horns on The Undertaker
- Dave Jensen - horns on The Undertaker
- Kathy Jensen - horns on The Undertaker
- Michael Nelson - horns on The Undertaker
- Steve Strand - horns on The Undertaker
- Candy Dulfer - saxophone on A Man Called Jesus
- Margie Cox - background vocals on A Man Called Jesus
- Sheila E. - background vocals on A Man Called Jesus, drums on Positivity
- Miko Weaver - guitar on Positivity
- Boni Boyer - keyboards on Positivity
- Dr. Fink - keyboards on Positivity
- Janice Steele - background vocals on Positivity
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Production
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Thanks
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