The Dawn

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The Dawn

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Song details
Performer: Prince (assumed)
Writer(s): Prince (assumed)
Producer(s): Prince (assumed)
Live Appearances
First and last live appearance:
Performed regularly on tour:
Performed occasionally in shows:

The Dawn is an unreleased instrumental piece in a 3/4 time signature. It was recorded at Sunset Sound on 7 January 1984. The close to 15 minute track has a meandering melody of mostly piano, embellished with synthesizer and a simple drum track, and is reminiscent in sound of both Father’s Song and God (Love Theme From Purple Rain) and was possibly intended as proposed music for Purple Rain.

The song was worked on by Wendy & Lisa at The Complex Studios, Los Angeles, California in June 1985, possibly for use in the Under The Cherry Moon, but no further sessions were dedicated to the track after that.

Prince surprisingly performed a two and a half minute rendition of it at the first show of the Piano & A Microphone Tour in Melbourne Australia, seemingly in connection with the passing of Denise Matthews a.k.a. Vanity the day before. He subsequently started performing it on other Piano & A Microphone Tour shows as well.


Recording Information
Recording Sessions
Date Studio Additional info
7 January 1984 Sunset Sound (Studio 3),
Hollywood, CA, USA
Tracking
15 June 1985 (estimate) The Complex Studios,
Los Angeles, CA, USA
Overdubs, mix (Wendy & Lisa)
Recording Personnel

Versions
Unreleased Versions
Title Version Additional Info
The Dawn Studio


 
Additional Information

See also Trivia

  • Although 'The Dawn' is a common phrase and concept in Prince’s oeuvre, the tracks seems to have no direct relation to the song Welcome 2 The Dawn (that at some point was known as The Dawn), the planned 1986 musical project The Dawn, the planned 1989 movie The Dawn, the unreleased 1993 album The Dawn, or the unreleased 1997 album The Dawn.
  • We Can Fuck was recorded a week before The Dawn. As this title was considered not suitable to put on the work order sheet, engineer Terry Christian initially labeled the song as "The Dawn". When Prince finished work on the song the next day he retitled it "Moral Majority" on the working order, but that was never the actual title of the song. The 1982 Vanity 6 song with the title Moral Majority, the 1983/84 song We Can Fuck and the 1996 song Welcome 2 The Dawn don’t have anything to do with The Dawn.

References
Data Bank   < < < All Songs Unreleased Songs > > >   Days Of Wild