Tag Archives: Bobby Z.

Prince And The Revolution: Purple Rain

Purple rain

On June 25, 1984, “Warner Bros” label released “Purple Rain”, the sixth Prince studio album, and the first with his band The Revolution. It was the soundtrack of the 1984 movie with the same title. The album was  recorded August 1983 – March 1984, at “First Avenue” in Minneapolis, “The Warehouse” in St. Louis Park,”Record Plant’ in Los Angeles, “Sunset Sound” in Hollywood, and was produced by Prince, Wendy Melvoin, Lisa Coleman, Marr Fink, Brown Mark and Bobby Z. “Rolling Stone” magazine ranked “Purple Rain” at number 70 on its list of the “500 Greatest Albums of All Time”; in 1993 “Time” magazine ranked the album at number 15 on its list of “Greatest Albums of All Time”. “Purple Rain” was certified 13 x Platinum in the US by the “RIIA”. In 1985, the album won two “Grammy Awards” for  “Best Album of Original Score Written for a Motion Picture or TV Special” and “Best Rock Vocal Performance by a Duo or Group”.In 1985, ”Purple Rain” won an “Oscar” for “Best Original Song Score”.

Personnel:

  • Prince – lead vocals, various instruments
  • Wendy Melvoin – vocals, guitar
  • Lisa Coleman – vocals, keyboards
  • Matt Fink– keyboards
  • Brown Mark– bass
  • Bobby Z.– drums, percussion
  • Novi Novog– violin, viola
  • David Coleman – cello
  • Suzie Katayama – cello
  • Apollonia– co-lead vocals
  • Jill Jones– backing vocals

Track listing:

All tracks by Prince except where noted.

  1. Let’s Go Crazy
  2. Take Me With U
  3. The Beautiful Ones
  4. Computer Blue – Prince, John L. Nelson, Wendy Melvoin, Lisa Coleman and D. Fink
  5. Darling Nikki
  6. When Doves Cry
  7. I Would Die 4 U
  8. Baby I’m a Star
  9. Purple Rain

Prince: Around the World in a Day

Around. the Worldjpg

On April 22, 1985, “Paisley Park Records” label released “Around the World in a Day”, the seventh Prince studio album. It was recorded January–December 1984, at “Flying Cloud Drive Warehouse” in Eden Prairie, Minnesota, “Sunset Sound” in Hollywood, “Mobile Audio Studio”, “Capitol Studios” in Los Angeles, and was produced by Prince.

Personnel:

  • Prince– vocals and various instruments
  • David Coleman – cello, oud, fingercymbals, darbuka, background vocals, cello
  • Jonathan Melvoin– tambourine and background vocals
  • Wendy Melvoin– background vocals, guitars, vocals
  • Lisa Coleman– background vocals, keyboards
  • Susannah Melvoin– background vocals
  • Novi Novog– violin
  • Bobby Z.– drums and percussion
  • Brown Mark– bass guitar and background vocals
  • Fink– keyboards
  • Brad Marsh – tambourine
  • Sheila E.– drums
  • Eddie M. – saxophone
  • Suzie Katayama – cello
  • Sid Page – violiin
  • Marcy Dicterow-Vaj – violin
  • Denyse Buffum – viola
  • Laury Woods – viola
  • Tim Barr – stand-up bass
  • Annette Atkinson – stand-up bass
  • Taja Sevelle– background vocals

Track listing:

All tracks by Prince except where noted.

  1. Around the World in a Day – Prince, John L. Nelson, David Coleman
  2. Paisley Park
  3. Condition of the Heart
  4. Raspberry Beret
  5. Tamborine
  6. America – Prince and the Revolution
  7. Pop Life
  8. The Ladder – Prince, John L. Nelson
  9. Temptation

Prince: Sign o’ the Times

Prince_sign-o-the-times

On March 31, 1987, “Paisley Park Records” label released “Sign o’ the Times” (Sign “☮” the Times}, the ninth Prince studio album. It was recorded in 1986 – 1987, at “Lake Minnetonka Home Studio” in Minnetonka, “Galpin Boulevard Home Studio” in Chanhassen, “Washington Avenue Warehouse” in Eden Prairie, “Sunset Sound Recorders” and “Ocean Way Recording” in Hollywood, “Monterey Sound Studios” in Glendale, and “Dierks Studio Mobile Trucks” in Paris, and was produced by Prince. In 1989, magazine “Time Out” named it as the greatest album of all time. Magazine “New Musical Express” ranked “Sign o’ the Times” at number 16 in its list of the “All Time Top 100 Albums”. Magazine “The Times”  ranked  “Sign o’ the Times” as the 29th greatest album of all time, and in 2003, magazine “Rolling Stone” ranked the album at number 93 on its list of “The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time”.

Personnel:

  • Prince- all vocals and instruments except as noted below
  • Wendy Melvoin- guitar, tambourine, congas, backing vocals
  • Lisa Coleman- Fairlight sitar, wooden flute, keyboards, backing vocals
  • Fink- keyboards
  • Miko Weaver- guitar
  • Brown Mark- bass
  • Bobby Z.- drums
  • Sheila E.- rap, drums, percussion
  • Eric Leeds- saxophone
  • Atlanta Bliss- trumpet
  • Jill Jones- vocals
  • Susannah Melvoin- backing vocals, vocals
  • Sheena Easton- co-lead vocals

Track listing:

All tracks by Prince, except where noted

  1. Sign o’ the Times
  2. Play in the Sunshine
  3. Housequake
  4. The Ballad of Dorothy Parker
  5. It
  6. Starfish and Coffee – Prince, Susannah Melvoin
  7. Slow Love – Prince, Carole Davis
  8. Hot Thing
  9. Forever in My Life
  10. U Got the Look
  11. If I Was Your Girlfriend
  12. Strange Relationship
  13. I Could Never Take the Place of Your Man
  14. The Cross
  15. It’s Gonna Be a Beautiful Night – Prince, Doctor Fink, Eric Leeds
  16. Adore

Prince And The Revolution: Parade

Parade

On March 31, 1986, “Paisley Park Records” released “Parade”, the eighth Prince studio album. It was recorded 1985 – 1986, and was produced by Prince.

Personnel:

  • Prince – lead vocals, various instruments
  • Lisa Coleman – lead and backing vocals, keyboards
  • Wendy Melvoin- lead and backing vocals, guitar
  • Miko Weaver- rhythm guitar
  • Craig Powell – guitar
  • Tony Christian – keyboards
  • Fink- keyboards
  • Brown Mark- bass
  • Bobby Z.- drums, percussion
  • Jonathan Melvoin– drums
  • Marr Star – drums
  • Aaron Keith – drums
  • Sheila E.- backing vocals, cowbells, drums
  • Eric Leeds- saxophone
  • Atlanta Bliss- trumpet
  • Marie France – vocals
  • Sandra Francisco – vocals
  • Mazarati- backing vocals
  • Susannah Melvoin- backing vocals
  • Kevin Patrick – backing vocals
  • Clare Fischer- orchestra arrangements

Track listing:

All tracks by Prince, except where noted.

  1. Christopher Tracy’s Parade – Prince, John L. Nelson
  2. New Position
  3. I Wonder U
  4. Under the Cherry Moon – Prince, John L. Nelson
  5. Gifts & Boys
  6. Life Can Be So Nice
  7. Venus De Milo
  8. Mountains – Prince, Wendy & Lisa
  9. Do U Lie?
  10. Kiss – Prince
  11. Anotherloverholenyohead
  12. Sometimes It Snows in April – Prince, Wendy & Lisa