The Voice is the first track on Mavis Staples’ second Paisley Park Records album, The Voice (tenth track on the 1994 re-issue), and, around the same time as the album’s release, The Voice was released as the album’s first single (the single was also re-released in 1994). The track was written by Prince, with Rosie Gaines and Francis Jules, and was produced by Prince under the name Paisley Park.
Basic tracking took place on 24 April 1991 at Paisley Park Studios in Chanhassen, Minnesota. With the song originally intended for her proposed album Concrete Jungle, which later developed into Closer Than Close, Rosie Gaines recorded vocals for the track in the same session following Prince’s guide and harmonizing with him. The Line The nightsticks are still singin’ 4-part harmony on brother's back is a direct reference to the beating administered to Rodney King seven weeks earlier (on 3 March 1991) by officers of the Los Angeles Police Department.
The version with Prince’s lead vocal was released in October 2023 as the third track of Vault Tracks part 3, one of the discs with previously unreleased tracks included with the Diamonds And Pearls Super Deluxe Edition.
Mavis Staples’ lead vocal overdubs were recorded in late 1992 or early 1993 at Paisley Park Studios.
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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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24 April 1991
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Paisley Park Studios, Chanhassen, MN, USA
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Tracking
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26 April 1991
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Paisley Park Studios, Chanhassen, MN, USA
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Mix
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Late 1992 - early 1993
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Creative Source Studios, Studio City, CA, USA
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Lead vocal overdubs by Mavis Staples
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1993 (assumed)
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Paisley Park Studios, Chanhassen, MN, USA (assumed)
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Remix by Prince with vocal overdubs by Tony M.
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Recording Personnel
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Mavis Staples version
Prince version
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Versions
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Released Versions
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Video 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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The Voice
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4:18
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Promotional release only
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Promo video
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See The Voice video for more details
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Sampled, Referred to, Quoted in...
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Unreleased Versions
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