PURPLE RAIN

Prince

PRINCE & THE REVOLUTION                                                                   1984                                                                   Warner Brothers Records

The third single from the album . Chart: #2. Time - 4:05 / 8:41. Flip Side: "God". Released in U.S.A. September 26, 1984.

Recorded live at First Avenue nightclub, Minneapolis, Minnisota, August 3, 1983; Overdubbs: Sunset Sound, Los Angeles, California, Mid Aug-Mid Sep, 1983,, USA. Produced by Prince and and the Revolution. Engineered by Dave Hewitt and Kooster McAllister.

Purple Rain is the end of the world. The song was written originally by Prince as a country song, evolving into a rock song. Prince was frustrated that there were no black rock artists since the 1950's with Chuck Berry and Little Rickard. There was an attempted collaboration with Stevie Nicks of Fleetwood Mac, which was turned down by Nicks. He thought it sounded like Journey's 'Faithfully'. Calling Journey's Jonathan Cain, he was assured it was different. It was the last song performed by Prince at his last concert in Atlanta, Georgia on April 14, 2016. After his death, the song returned to Billboard's Hot 100 and reached #4. - Larry -

Personnel

   Prince - lead/backing vocals, lead guitar, other instruments
   Wendy Melvoin - rhythm guitar, backing vocals
   Brown Mark - bass, backing vocals
   Bobby Z. - drums, percussion
   Lisa Coleman – - keyboards, backing vocals
   Matt Fink - keyboards
   Novi Novog - violin, viola
   David Coleman - cello
   Suzie Katayama - cello

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Prince

""When there's blood in the sky – red and blue = purple... purple rain pertains to the end of the world and being with the one you love and letting your faith/god guide you through the purple rain."

Stevie Nicks - 2013:Mojo

"I've still got it (the demo cassette), with the whole instrumental track and a little bit of Prince singing, 'Can't get over that feeling,' or something. I told him, 'Prince, I've listened to this a hundred times but I wouldn't know where to start. It's a movie, it's epic. The olive branch of him giving me that cassette was huge, but I think he would have liked a romance with me, too."

Lisa Coleman - 2019:Loudersound

“We had struggled for a couple of years, trying to write one song for a black music station, and one for a rock station. But Purple Rain the song was played on every kind of radio station, from country to Americana to rock ballad. And it’s just so perfect that it came from Prince, who nobody knew what to make of. Are you serious? Who is this guy? ..... He never wanted to lose his black audience, that was really important to his identity.

It (studio) was on Highway 7, out in the boondocks. He was messing around on guitar, calling out the chords. And then Wendy started playing the chords in her Wendy way, and he loved it! The intro is Wendy, and her voicings on those chords are beautiful and Joni Mitchell-esque. I came up with the string parts. During the course of that day – maybe a day or two? – it just came out of us.”

YOU TUBE STUDIO TRACK OFFICIAL VIDEO YOU TUBE LYRIC VIDEO YOU TUBE LIVE February 4, 2007, at Super Bowl XLI I never meant to cause you any sorrow I never meant to cause you any pain I only wanted to one time to see you laughing I only wanted to see you Laughing in the purple rain Purple rain, purple rain Purple rain, purple rain Purple rain, purple rain I only wanted to see you Bathing in the purple rain I never wanted to be your weekend lover I only wanted to be some kind of friend Baby, I could never steal you from another It's such a shame our friendship had to end Purple rain, purple rain Purple rain, purple rain Purple rain, purple rain I only wanted to see you Underneath the purple rain Honey, I know, I know I know times are changing It's time we all reach out For something new, that means you too You say you want a leader But you can't seem to make up your mind I think you better close it And let me guide you to the purple rain Purple rain, purple rain Purple rain, purple rain If you know what I'm singing about up here C'mon, raise your hand Purple rain, purple rain I only want to see you Only want to see you In the purple rain