Thoughts on Dream Factory sessions?

Per Nilson's 1994 book doesn't mention that a Dream Factory album ever made it as far as the mastering stage. However, track listings for a mastered Dream Factory album can be found on the net. So what do you believe? "A Place in Heaven (both versions)", "All My Dreams","Data Bank", "Heaven", "Big Tall Wall", "Dream Factory", "Last Heart", "Witness (both versions), "Girl O My Dreams", "Wonderful Ass", and others I've heard on various bootlegs over the years. But it wasn't until I recently found the track "Train" that I started to get interested in seeking out the alledged Dream Factory album in it's entirety. I love Parade and this is the closest thing to a Parade 2 that I'm going to get so anyone out there with info or opinions would be appreciated.

Also, if anyone wants to check out my music, which friends all say sound very Prince inspired please feel free: www.myspace.com/piscesmusicproductions

yea i heard train and i think he should of kept it for himself dream factory seemed 2 have been a very whimsical period 4 prince and it works very well 4 me any style of music prince does works well 4 me

bigben07 said:

Ok, I have since found a chapter in
Nilson's Dance, Music, Sex, Romance book that very nicely describes the entire history of the Dream Factory recordings. I had only referenced his book Prince: A Documentary which only glances over that period rather quickly. So being that it was mastered and had a set track list I still want to hear from those that adore this most intense creative period for P. Also, wasn't Wonderful Ass part of the album? I could listen to that track all day.

i think this was a sublime period of prince's creative life. i know a lot of people feel like this phase is criminally OVER-rated (as in, "prince is nothing without wendy and lisa", blah blah blah) but i think simply due to the brilliance of the music, some things can be wildly celebrated for good reason.

"train" is one of my most favorite unreleased prince recordings ever. yeah, i know about the mavis version, but the magic of the song is in this unreleased prince version. it just sounds like a shoulda-been top 10 hit to me.

i love the color and fun and variety of prince's work from ATWIAD through dream factory, both the released and unreleased tracks. even though i know artists have to change, grow, move on, etc. - i really wish prince could get to a place where he'd let his mind wander and come up with unexpected surprises like he did during this era. i'm sure the results would be wildly different, but that's the whole point...

Anxiety said:

I simply think this is the best Prince album period, as least the Sabatoge Version of it.

Also what makes the great songs from this period are the background vocals.

The mix of Prince, Wendy, Lisa, and Susanhana are terrific.

i'm in the minority that likes mavis' version of train better

bigben07 said:

I enjoy the song "Train" as well. It was recorded on Monday, July 7, 1986 as I recall. Prince laid down the tracks in his home studio.

To say that the album didn't go to mastering is a little tricky. It was assembled and edited down on several days and at several times during 1986. Any assembly that is posted online is based on when the album was assembled for listening purposes.

I don't remember if it went to mastering, but that doesn't mean it wasn't considered as a complete project.

From what I heard (and I'm not saying this is gospel), Dream Factory was never
fully finished and didn't get to the mastering stage. I remember Prince himself
mentioning that 'Last Heart' was just a demo, and he'd intended to re-record it
for the finished album.

I'd also heard that the circulating version's tracklist was actually from a stage
where Prince was moving away from the original concept and was introducing
more solo material (Dream Factory was originally supposed to be very much a
'band' project).

Prince wanted this to be 3 album set, but as usual Warners balked and made him pair it down to sign o the times