Under The Cherry Moon is the fourth track on Prince’s eighth album Parade, the third to be credited to Prince and the Revolution. Four months after the album’s release, the track was also included as a b-side on the album’s third single in the UK and Europe, Girls & Boys (not released in North America). In 1989, the track was included as the third and final track on a CD re-release of Kiss, the album’s first single. The track also serves as the title track of Prince’s second feature film, Under The Cherry Moon, although Prince chose to give the soundtrack album the title Parade, with the subtitle "Music from the motion picture Under The Cherry Moon".
Although Under The Cherry Moon was played live as an instrumental on occasional dates during the Purple Rain Tour, basic tracking in the studio only took place after the tour ended, on 17 April 1985 at Sunset Sound in Hollywood, California, with Prince recording the drum track in sequence of Wendy’s Parade, New Position, I Wonder U and Under The Cherry Moon, all in one take. He then layered other instruments over all four tracks. Clare Fischer arranged and recorded orchestration for the song in June 1985 at Monterey Sound Studios, Glendale, CA, but Prince preferred the track without orchestration, and chose to use the track without orchestration for the final release. Prince’s father, John L. Nelson, receives co-writing credit, although his input is uncertain.
Prince re-used some of the song’s melody in The Question Of U, recorded three months later.
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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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17 April 1985
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Sunset Sound, Hollywood, CA, USA
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Basic tracking
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June 1985
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Monterey Sound Studios, Glendale, CA, USA
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Orchestra recording by Clare Fischer
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Recording Personnel
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- Prince - all vocals and instruments, except where noted
- Orchestral Players:
- 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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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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Under The Cherry Moon
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Studio
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Full 1985 recording with unused orchestral overdubs
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Under The Cherry Moon
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Studio
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Recorded for a scene that did not make the final cut of Under The Cherry Moon
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