Type: Soundtrack, Lyrics are included with the album
Genre: Rock
Review
Undaunted by the criticism Around the World in a Day received, Prince continued to pursue his psychedelic inclinations on Parade, which also functioned as the soundtrack to his second film, Under the Cherry Moon. Originally conceived as a double album, Parade has the sprawling feel of a double record, even if it clocks in around 45 minutes. Prince & the Revolution shift musical moods and textures from song to song -- witness how the fluttering psychedelia of "Christopher Tracy's Parade" gives way to the spare, jazzy funk of "New Position," which morphs into the druggy "I Wonder U" -- and they're determined not to play it safe, even on the hard funk of "Girls and Boys" and "Mountains," as well as the stunning "Kiss," which hits hard with just a dry guitar, keyboard, drum machine, and layered vocals. All of the group's musical adventures, even the cabaret-pop of "Venus de Milo" and "Do U Lie?" do nothing to undercut the melodicism of the record, and the amount of ground they cover in 12 songs is truly remarkable. Even with all of its attributes, Parade is a little off-balance, stopping too quickly to give the haunting closer, "Sometimes It Snows in April," the resonance it needs. For some tastes, it may also be a bit too lyrically cryptic, but Prince's weird religious and sexual metaphors develop into a motif that actually gives the album weight. If it had been expanded to a double album, Parade would have equaled the subsequent Sign 'o' the Times, but as it stands, it's an astonishingly rewarding near-miss. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide
Susannah Melvoin (Vocals), Sandra Francisco (Vocals), Janice Gower (Violin), Don Ashworth (Woodwind), Mazarati (Vocals), Don Palmer (Violin), David Stock (Viola), Jim Thatcher (French Horn), Fred Seykoura (Cello), Sheila E. (Vocals (Background)), Bill Hymanson (Violin), Gene Cipriano (Woodwind), Prince (Vocals (Background)), Jorge Moraga (Viola), Clare Fischer (Orchestra), James Kanter (Woodwind), Peggy Mac (Engineer), Pamela Goldsmith (Viola), Norman Forrest (Viola), Ray Brown (Trumpet), Brownmark (Vocals), Dick Mitchell (Woodwind), Isabelle Daskoff (Violin), Clare Fischer (Composer), Jon Clarke (Woodwind), Eddie Green (Violin), Eric Leeds (Saxophone), Harold Wolf (Violin), Jeffrey Kent Ayeroff (Art Direction), Laura LiPuma (Art Direction), Arni Egilsson (Bass), Bob Tricarico (Woodwind), Lisa Coleman (Sitar), Karen Jones (Violin), David Tickle (Engineer), Wendy Melvoin (Percussion), Irma Neumann (Violin), Rich Cooper (Trumpet), Oscar Chasow (Violin), Marni Johnson (French Horn), Ray Kramer (Cello), Bob Findley (Trumpet), Mico Weaver (Guitar), Pat Johnson (Violin), Brownmark (Bass), Eric Leeds (Horn), Sheila E. (Cowbell), Sheila E. (Drums), David Z. (Engineer), Calvin Smith (French Horn), Joe Myer (French Horn), Sheldon Sanov (Violin), Bobby Z (Drums), Larry Ford (Trumpet), Sheila E. (Vocals), David Z. (Arranger), Morris Repass (Trombone), David Leonard (Engineer), Betty Moor (Violin), Margot MacLaine (Viola), Allan Harshman (Viola), Brent Fischer (Tympani [Timpani]), Ann Field (Collage), Mari Botnick (Violin), Clare Fischer (Orchestral Arrangements), Prince (Guitar), Garnett Brown (Trombone), Joe Soldo (Woodwind), Prince (Bass), Prince (Multi Instruments), Ronald Clark (Violin), Assa Drori (Violin), Coke Johnson (Engineer), Brent Fischer (Percussion), Wendy Melvoin (Vocals), Pamela Gates (Violin), Jonathan Melvoin (Drums), Lisa Coleman (Vocals), Jon Malvoin (Percussion), Bill Watrous (Trombone), Brian O'Connor (French Horn), Alan DeVeritch (Viola), Meyer Bello (Viola), Dr. Fink (Keyboards), Carol Mukagawa (Viola), Wendy Melvoin (Guitar), Bernie Grundman (Mastering), Lisa Coleman (Keyboards), Henry Ferber (Violin), Prince (Keyboards), Atlanta Bliss (Trumpet), Francine Walsh (Violin), Ray Kelly (Cello), Bill Hybel (Violin), Charles Loper (Trombone), Prince (Vocals), Prince (Drums), Jack Nimitz (Woodwind), Jeff Katz (Photography)
Parade: Music from the Motion Picture Under the Cherry Moon is a 1986 album by Prince and The Revolution. It was the follow-up to Around the World in a Day and the soundtrack to Prince's second film. The album sees Prince further diversifying musically, adding orchestrations to his music and presenting a very European feel. Prince also displayed a new image with Parade: his trademark ruffled shirts, wild curly hair, and purple outfits which defined his look from 1981's Controversy to 1985's Around the World in a Day gave way to slicked-back hair and dress suits. Even though the single, "Kiss", was a number one hit, the album as a whole was not well-received in the U.S. Europe, however, embraced the album, and for the first time in Prince's career, European album sales eclipsed those in the U.S. This was Prince's final album released with The Revolution.
The first four tracks were recorded in sequence with Prince laying down the drum track to all four in one take. Then he laid down the bass, guitar, and other instruments in the same fashion. They can almost be considered a suite, having a very continuous feel. "Girls & Boys" is the first funk track on the album. It features an unusual duck-like Roland guitar synth sound, saxophone by Eric Leeds, and a French-spoken monologue. "Life Can Be So Nice" features drums by Sheila E., and cuts suddenly to the serene instrumental "Venus de Milo".
Side Two starts with the lush "Mountains", and leads into the unusual "Do U Lie?" which has an airier, lighter sound; that is followed by the minimalist funk track "Kiss", the album's biggest hit. It immediately leads into "Anotherloverholenyohead", a funky rock track. The album finishes with the sad ballad, "Sometimes It Snows in April", which solidifies the lead character's storyline in his death. The cut is raw and done in one take. The sounds of the fingers on the strings, and the squeaky bar stools which Prince and Wendy & Lisa sat on, can be heard in the recording.
The album was, for the most part, a solo effort by Prince, aside for the full band's input on "Mountains". Wendy & Lisa are co-credited with writing the music for "Mountains" and "Sometimes It Snows in April", and background singing on many tracks. John L. Nelson, Prince's father, is credited as co-composer on "Christopher Tracy's Parade" and "Under the Cherry Moon". Several other contributions are also featured throughout the album. Clare Fischer composed and arranged the orchestra heard on many tracks, the album is Prince's first to use a full orchestra. Eric Leeds and Sheila E. provide some instrumentation and/or singing on various tracks. Prince's then-fiancée Susannah Melvoin (twin sister of Wendy) provides backing vocals on several tracks, and their brother, Jonathan Melvoin plays the drums on "Do U Lie?"
"Christopher Tracy's Parade" was originally called "Little Girl Wendy's Parade", the title of which can be heard in the lyrics of "Kiss". "New Position" was a 1982 track pulled from Prince's vault and re-recorded from scratch for Parade.
Several unreleased songs from the Parade sessions, including "Old Friends 4 Sale", "In All My Dreams" and "There's Others Here with Us", have become fan favorites. These tracks entered collector's hands via the very well known bootleg "Charade", which also includes other unreleased and unfinished recordings from the era.
While "Parade" is the last official release with The Revolution, a follow up called Dream Factory was recorded. Its release was canceled when Prince disbanded the group.
Nathan Brackett, Christian Hoard (2004). The New Rolling Stone Album Guide: Completely Revised and Updated 4th Edition. Simon and Schuster. ISBN0-74320-169-8.
