Prince and the Parade and Sign O' the Times Era Studio Sessions

May 1, 2021

Tudahl (Prince and the "Purple Rain" Studio Sessions: 1983 and 1984) continues his Prince saga in this laudatory book, which is a meticulously researched day-by-day account of Prince's songwriting, recording, and live performances during 1985 and 1986. It chronicles the making of the film Under the Cherry Moon and the albums Around the World in a Day, Parade, and Sign o' the Times. Using interviews with Prince's fellow musicians and studio engineers, Tudahl painstakingly describes the importance of each stage rehearsal, concert, and song mix, and creates an intimate portrait of the singer, songwriter, and actor. Prince emerges as a controlling, sometimes generous, many times denigrating, wildly creative workaholic who became increasingly imperious after his Purple Rain stardom. VERDICT Though it gives too much detail for general readers, the second installment in Tudahl's Prince chronology is a treasure trove for fans.--David P. Szatmary, formerly with Univ. of Washington, Seattle

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Starred review from April 15, 2021
In this second Prince Studio Sessions series (after Prince and the Purple Rain Era Studio Sessions, 2017), Tudahl continues to explore the annals of Prince's voracious creative drive, even while touring the Purple Rain album at a pinnacle of his stardom. Working day-by-day and session-by-session, Tudahl meticulously recreates Prince's daily timeline in 1985 and 1986 while layering in a heap of technical information about the production process, equipment, and mixes that were created (many vaulted, still unheard). Brief snippets of information provide context for Prince's surroundings, the people he worked with, and concurrent events, but the focus remains on the music and how it poured out of Prince wherever he was, whether on the road or back at the studio. While these years weren't all glory--Prince sustained blows like the failure of his directorial debut Under the Cherry Moon, his decision not to participate in the "We Are the World" recording, and wavering public opinion after strutting around with his bodyguards at awards shows--it seems to have had little effect on his creativity and productivity. Compulsively readable and hugely useful to researchers, this dense chronology will command the rapt attention of casual fans and scholars alike.

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