Happy 25th Anniversary, Purple Rain!
”Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today 2 get through this thing called life …”
Those are the first words of Purple Rain’s opening song Let’s Go Crazy.
Twenty-five years ago, eccentric superstar Prince created what many consider to be the greatest pop film soundtrack of all time. Purple Rain is an album that was as commercially successful as it was artistically innovative. It combined funk, R&B, heavy rock, and pop. It produced five hit singles, and there are only nine songs on the album!
Purple Rain influenced not only music, but fashion and censorship. Purple Rain’s “Darling Nikki” topped the Parental Music Resource Center list as the most offensive song that year. It was Prince who “inspired” the Parental Advisory stickers on albums.
Purple Rain was released on June 25, 1984 and by August, it was Number 1 on the album chart, the singles chart, and in movie theaters. The movie – conceived by, staring, and revolving around Prince, was a multi-tiered effort to make himself a star. And as the closing song in the film proclaims “Baby I’m A Star,” it worked!
Here are the songs, in order, on Purple Rain:
More on Prince and Purple Rain:
Entertainment Weekly, The New Classics: Music
June 5, 2009, WNYC Soundcheck: “Songs Fit For A Prince”
Happy Birthday, Prince!
Today is Prince’s 51st birthday. Prince Rogers Nelson was born on June 7, 1958, in Minneapolis, MN. He has won seven Grammy Awards, a Golden Globe, and an Academy Award. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2004. Rolling Stone ranked Prince #28 on its list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time in 2008.
Prince is one of the most prolific musicians, composing all his music, along with music for other artist. Prince was responsible for helping several lovely ladies enter the music biz. All of Prince’s albums are written and, most often, entirely performed by him. He is also a very talented guitarist. Prince and his music don’t fit in any one genre, however he mixes elements of R&B, soul, funk, rock, blues, new wave, psychedelia, folk, jazz and into his compositions. He has recorded 30 albums, which include the soundtracks Purple Rain, Batman, Graffiti Bridge, and Parade.
Prince is complex and controversial. Most people have an opinion – positive or negative – about Prince: weirdo, perv, musical genius… Ok, so maybe he’s all three. Regardless, the man has been a true entertainer, musical poet, and innovator for 30 years.
“Pop Life” Life ain’t very funky unless it’s got that pop. Dig it!
Here are some other Prince classics:
Let me know your thoughts on Prince by making comments on this site. Be sure to join me in August for the 25th Anniversary of Purple Rain.
Here Comes the Rain, Again!
Here in NYC, it’s been raining, and raining. So, in honor of all the water that keeps falling from the sky, let’s enjoy some “rain” songs.
“Here Comes The Rain Again” – Eurythmics
“Rain King” – Counting Crows
“Rain” The Beatles
“It’s Raining Again” – Supertramp
“The Rain Song” – Led Zeppelin
“Rhythm of the Falling Rain” – The Cascades
“Purple Rain” – Prince
“Blame It On The Rain” – Milli Vanilli
“A Hard Rain’s Gonna Fall” – Bob Dylan
“Have You Ever Seen the Rain?” – Creedence Clearwater Revival
And my favorite rain song: “November Rain” – Guns N’ Roses
On the sunny side, we have Blind Melon singing “No Rain” and George Harrison telling us it’s alright with “Here Comes The Sun.”
Great Albums of 2007
Here are 10 standout albums for the year. These albums are in no particular order, and they standout for different reasons. Some are solid debuts: Amy Winehouse (U.S. debut) and Lily Allen. And while this wasn’t Mandy Moore’s debut, she took on more creative control of her music and did a great job with Wild Hope.
As I Am – Alicia Keys No One
Back to Black – Amy Winehouse Rehab
Italia – Chris Botti Italia
The Reminder – Feist My Moon My Man
Alright, Still – Lily Allen Smile
Wild Hope – Mandy Moore Extraordinary
Not Too Late – Norah Jones Sinkin’ Soon
In Rainbows – Radiohead
Raising Sand – Robert Plant and Alison Krauss Polly Come Home Interview
Icky Thump – The White Stripes Icky Thump
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