It’s Gonna Be A Beautiful Night is the sixth track on the second disc of Prince’s ninth album Sign O’ The Times. The track was placed as the penultimate track on the third disc of the triple-album Crystal Ball, which was eventually pared down and became Sign O’ The Times, where it remained the penultimate track of the album. A live version was also included in the concert movie Sign O’ The Times.
The basis for the track was recorded live on 25 August 1986 at Le Zénith, Paris, France, during a show on the Parade Tour (at the soundcheck earlier in the day, recordings were made Susannah’s Blues, Strange Relationship, a cover version of The Temptations' I Can’t Get Next To You a first run-through of It’s Gonna Be A Beautiful Night). The song has a horn line reminiscent of James Brown’s Hot Pants.
Overdubs and mix were done between 22 and 30 November 1986 at Sunset Sound in Hollywood, California, with Jill Jones recording her lead vocal on the 26th. Sheila E. recorded her ‘Transmississippirap’ on the night of 26/27 November 1986. Sheila E. was not in the studio, but recorded her rap over the phone from a hotel on the bank of Ohio River in Cincinnati, Ohio, where she was on tour with Lionel Richie. The Ohio river coalesces with the Mississippi in Kentucky, but it is the Mississippi river that has to be crossed, when going from Cincinnati to Hollywood, California, where the rap was recorded.
Although recorded with the full Revolution band, the song is credited only to Prince. It was included as the sixth track on the third and final disc of the Crystal Ball album, and was kept for inclusion as the album developed into Sign O’ The Times.
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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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25 August 1986
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Dierks Studio Mobile Trucks @ Le Zénith, Paris, France
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Live soundcheck recording & Show recording
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22 & 23 November 1986
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Sunset Sound - Studio 3, Hollywood, CA, USA
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Overdubs, including piano, mix (22nd); overdubs including horns, rough mix (23rd)
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26 - 30 November 1986
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Sunset Sound - Studio 3, Hollywood, CA, USA
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Overdubs (including Jill Jones), mix (26th) Sheila E.’s ‘Transmississippirap’) (27th, a.m.), overdubs, mix (27th); overdubs, edit, mix (28th); overdubs, mix (29th); overdubs, mix (30th)
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Recording Personnel
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Versions
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Released Versions
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Video Versions
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Broadcasts/streaming (only)
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Sampled, Referred to, Quoted in...
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Unreleased Versions
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Title
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Version
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Additional Info
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It’s Gonna Be A Beautiful Night
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Live recording
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Original 25 August 1986 recording
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