Other basic tracks done during that time were “I Would Die 4 U” and “Baby I’m a Star.” Prince later performed overdubs while working at Sunset Sound in L.A. You just had to go in prepared to record whatever it was going to be as well as you could.”
“I knew they were working on the movie as, as well. I thought we were recording a concert, but I wasn’t sure if it was going to be a record, too,“ Aaid David Z. It was done using a mobile recording unit. The concert was recorded by David Rivkin (aka David Z, brother of Bobby). Said drummer Bobby Z of the experience, “It certainly was one of the best concerts we ever did.” That performance was guitarist Wendy Melvoin’s live debut with the Revolution. “Purple Rain” was recorded on August 3, 1983, during a benefit concert for the Minnesota Dance Theatre at Prince’s home base venue, the First Avenue nightclub in Minneapolis. Each of the three verses are followed by a chorus and builds, emotionally and emotively. It opens with an electric guitar, which is quickly bolstered by drums and piano, evoking almost spiritual vibes. The song is written in the key of Bb major. Upon its release, the B-side for the single was the track “God,” which is an overtly religious song from the Jehovah’s Witness. And it combines elements of rock, R&B, and gospel music. The power ballad helped cement Prince as the Man in Purple, too. It is the final song on the movie’s soundtrack, culminating in what is, essentially, a greatest hits album for the artist. The song, which was written by Prince and his group, the Revolution, is the title track to the 1984 film of the same name.
You know a song is big when it inspires an entire movie.Īnd that’s just one bit of the story when it comes to the all-time classic “Purple Rain.”