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Alexa De Paris was released as the b-side of Mountains, the second single from Prince’s eighth album Parade, the third to be credited to Prince and the Revolution. Unusually, the extended version was also included as a b-side on the European CD single of Letitgo eight years later. The track is also heard in Prince’s second film Under The Cherry Moon.
While specific recording dates are not known, basic tracking took place on 8 July 1985 at the Washington Avenue Warehouse in Edina, Minnesota.
Clare Fischer arranged and recorded orchestration for the song in August 1985 at Monterey Sound Studios in Glendale, California.
The song is titled after dancer Alexa Fioroni, who was Steve Fargnoli’s niece. She was trained at the Paris Opera Ballet school and is credited in Under The Cherry Moon as 'The Dancer', appearing as the ballet dancer in the film’s opening sequence, during the instrumental performance of An Honest Man and later in the Girls & Boys performance as well, visible initially at the front of the audience, and later dancing on the piano.
The track was not included on the The B-Sides collection in 1993, one of only two b-sides not included from the 1978-1989 era.
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Recording Information
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Recording Sessions
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| Date
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Studio
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Additional info
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| 8 July 1985
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Washington Avenue Warehouse,
Edina, MN, USA
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Tracking, overdubs, mix
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| 21 August 1985
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Monterey Sound Studios,
Glendale, CA, USA
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Orchestra recording by Clare Fischer
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| 22 August 1985 (estimate)
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The Complex Studios,
Los Angeles, CA, USA
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Mixing (Wendy & Lisa, sans Prince)
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| 5 September 1985
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Sunset Sound - Studio 3,
Hollywood, CA, USA
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Orchestra mix
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| 25 September 1985
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Sunset Sound - Studio 3,
Hollywood, CA, USA
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Mix (Susan Rogers & Coke Johnson, Prince not present)
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| 16 December 1985
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Sunset Sound - Studio 3,
Hollywood, CA, USA
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Mix
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| 14 January 1986
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Sunset Sound - Studio 3,
Hollywood, CA, USA
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Mix
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| 27 January 1986
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Sunset Sound - Studio 3,
Hollywood, CA, USA
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Orchestra only mix for Under The Cherry Moon (Susan Rogers, sans Prince)
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| 6 April 1986
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Sunset Sound - Studio 1,
Hollywood, CA, USA
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Edits for 7"
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| 1 May 1986 (estimate)
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Sunset Sound - Studio 1,
Hollywood, CA, USA
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Mix for 12"
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Recording Personnel
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- Violins - Isabelle Daskoff, Francine Walsh, Mari Botnik, Pam Gates, Janice Gower, Karen Jones, Betty Moor, Irma Neumann, Assa Drori, Bill Hymanson, Oscar Chasow, Ron Clark, Henry Ferber, Erne Granat, Ed Green, Bill Hybel, Reggie Hill, Pat Johnson, Don Palmer, Sheldon Sanov, Joe Schonbrun, Terry Schonbrun and Harold Wolf.
- Violas - Pam Goldsmith, Margot Maclaine, Carol Mukagawa, Myer Bello, Alan Deverich, Norman Forrest, Alan Harshman, Jorge Moraga and David Stock.
- Cellos - Jim Arkatoff, Ray Kelley, Ray Kramer and Fred Seykora.
- Basses - Chuck Dominico and Arni Egilsson.
- Woodwinds - Gene Cipriano, Don Ashworth, John Clarke, Dave Edwards, Gary Foster, Jim Kanter, John Lowe, Dick Mitchell, Jack Nimitz, Joe Soldo and Bob Tricarico.
- Trumpets - Ray Brown, Rich Cooper, Bob Findley, Larry Ford, Bob O’Donnell and Al Vizutti.
- Trombones - Garnett Brown, Charles Loper, Morris Repass and Bill Watrous.
- French Horns - Marni Johnson, David Duke, Joe Myer, Brian O’Connor, Calvin Smith and Jim Thatcher.
- Tuba - Tommy Johnson.
- Tympani and percussion - Brent Fischer.
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Versions
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Released Versions
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| Title
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Length
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Released
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Version
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Additional info
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| Alexa De Paris
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3:20
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Mountains single
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Studio
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| Alexa De Paris (Extended Version)
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4:54
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Mountains single
Letitgo single
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Extended Version
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Video Versions
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