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Prince’s first record label, Paisley Park Records, a co-venture with Warner Bros. Records, was founded in 1985 and debuted with the release of Around The World In A Day. The label shares its name with Prince’s recording complex Paisley Park Studios and the song Paisley Park.
Paisley Park was the first name used for the label. It was changed to Paisley Park Records in 1987. The first release to bear the full name was Madhouse ‘s 6 single.
Artists who recorded for Paisley Park Records (or Paisley Park) include The Time, Sheila E., The Family, Mavis Staples, George Clinton, Rosie Gaines, Carmen Electra, Jill Jones, The Three O’Clock, Ingrid Chavez, Dale Bozzio, and Taja Sevelle. Paisley Park Records also released albums by Mazarati, Good Question, Madhouse, Eric Leeds, and Tony LeMans.
The label ceased operations in 1994, when Warner ended its distribution deal with Paisley Park Records, effectively closing the label.
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History
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Label Creation
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The idea of the Paisley Park Records label emerged during the summer of 1984. Since 1981, Prince has produced albums for The Time, Vanity 6, Sheila E., and Apollonia 6 under the pseudonym Jamie Starr and offered many songs to various other acts. Paisley Park Records was practically an extension of The Starr Company imprint, used on the records he fully produced. In 1986 Prince made a deal with Warner Bros. Records to create Paisley Park Records as a joint venture, 50/50 owned by Prince’s company and Warner Bros. Records, with the latter responsible for the manufacturing, distribution, and marketing of the records. From 1987 on they began signing artists to the label that were officially, properly signed to Paisley Park Records, not Warner.
In 1992, the deal between Prince and Warner Bros. Records was revised, as Paisley Park Records would decide how much to spend on videos and promotional activities. Warner Bros. Records and Prince would operate as partners, sharing investments and profits.
Prince’s first album to be released on Paisley Park Records, and also the label’s first release, was Around The World In A Day on 22 April 1985. All the subsequent releases, except for the Batman album and related singles, would be on that label until the compilations The Hits / The B-Sides in 1993. The first acts who released an album with the label imprint were The Family, Sheila E. and Mazarati.
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Label Life
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Initially no one was really running the label running the label, but Bob Cavallo, one of Prince's managers, would interact with Warner and try to encourage them to promote the records. But there was nobody full time working on the label’s projects. Once the records were made, they were delivered to Warner Bros. Records.
When Prince parted ways with Cavallo, Ruffalo & Fargnoli as his management team in early 1989, and appointed Albert Magnoli as his manager, the label had little active advocates to promote their releases. Newly signed acts Mavis Staples, George Clinton never really gained momentum with their releases.
In late 1992 Alan Leeds, brother of saxophonist Eric Leeds. Leeds had previously served as Prince’s tour manager was named President of Operations for the . When he left Craig Rice was shortly ast the helm before handing over operations to former trade journalist Graham Armstrong.
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Label Closure
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On February 1st 1994, Warner Bros. Records and Paisley Park Enterprises announced that they would be terminating Paisley Park Records.
Two of the Paisley Park Records acts, Belize and Tyler Collins, were left without contracts when the label folded. Belize had completed an album without Prince’s involvement, but it was never released. Rosie Gaines's Paisley Park album, Concrete Jungle, on which Prince was involved, was due to be released on 22 March 1994. A single for My Tender Heart backed with Pain was also scheduled for release. The album and single were withdrawn when the label was terminated. Gaines later signed a deal with Motown Records, and released an album entitled Closer Than Close in June 1995. Concrete Jungle was eventually digitally released by Rosie Gaines.
Shortly before the closure of Paisley Park Records, Prince had already created a new label called NPG Records, and started distributing his music without the involvement of Warner Bros. Records.
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