I just discovered it few days ago...I knew 11 songs out of it,but the 8 remaining...are amazing!
What an album...it`s so refreshing after the poor releases of the last few years...

Do you have remastered Sabotage version?

zaza said:

YEAH!

govinda said:

The only thing I don't like is that some of those SOTT tracks are a little bit louder than the rest of that album.

zaza said:

I love that version of Strange relationship...

govinda said:

Much better than the SOTT version

All my dreams is a delight!

...and Train, Last heart and Witness 4 the prosecution are very inspiring!

govinda said:

And would have been better left on the Parade album. For me, it would have been a better closer to the movie than "Mountains". Also, it originally segued from "Old Friends 4 Sale". On some of the versions out there, you can hear the last seconds of the strings from OF4S as "All My Dreams" begins.

"All My Dreams" is absolutely one of my favorite outtakes from 1978-1996. Top 5 for me.

Who plays on 'Interlude'? Is it Prince or Wendy? I'm probably the only one who likes that short track

zaza said:

I just read on Wikipedia that it was Wendy...

govinda said:

Thanks for the info. I'm going to check that wiki page about DF out.

A bit of history:
Unlike the three previous Prince and The Revolution albums, the entire band was invited to the studio to contribute to a majority of the album's material, with the notable exceptions of "The Ballad of Dorothy Parker" and "Starfish & Coffee". By the end of June 1986, Dream Factory had expanded to a 19-track double album that now included solo recordings by Prince, while previously recorded tracks such as "Sexual Suicide", "Big Tall Wall", and "Teacher, Teacher" were removed. After The Revolution was dissolved in October 1986, many of the album's tracks were incorporated into Prince's solo three LP project entitled Crystal Ball. However, Prince's record distributor at the time, Warner Bros., balked at a three LP release after the poor sales of his two previous releases Around the World in a Day and Parade, so the project was reduced to a two LP set and retitled Sign o' the Times.

That interlude that Wendy plays on DreamFactory is incredible...24yrs later it still stands the test of time...

govinda said:

I made my own Dream Factory with tracks from this era. Took out most of the SOTT tracks and added Sexual Suicide, Splash, Data Bank, Teacher Teacher, Power Fantastic, Joy In Repition, and Its a Wonderful Day. I made this prob about 5 years ago or so....gave its own artwork/CD case and made it part of my Prince catalog. I listen to this more than any other Prince album....new or old. The tracks are so diverse, unique, cool, and funky....but they all go together well. Its a natural next step from Parade imo. Still dig SOTTs, but think Dream Factory would also have been well recieved by fans and critics if it was released. Either way, he made some slammin stuff back then.

I hate to admit this, but I never heard "Its a wonderful day", could I get a short review please? And some history info as well...thanks! :>)

Aaron6 said:

Recorded 30 January 1986 at Sunset Sound. During the 3 day stint at Sunset Sound (Jan 28-31), he also mixed and edited several songs for Jill Jones' album. by Feb 1, he was back in Minneapolis, and by the 3rd, he was doing rehearsals w/ the expanded Revolution line up.



Oh, sometimes I can't make up my mind
I don't know which yellow brick road 2 take
Everybody makes suggestions but the words don't rhyme
Decisions they don't have 2 live by are easy ones 2 make
Why can't they love me 4 what I am
Instead of what they want me 2 be?

CHORUS:
Oh, it's a wonderful day, baby
2night'll be a wonderful night

It's nobody's fault but your own
If U don't do what U want
I ain't claiming no group solution
That'll work 4 everyone
Just a simple little pop psychology that says

CHORUS

If [God] gets in the way (Sha sha, ooh)
Gets a kiss on the cheek, that'll, uh (Sha sha, ooh, wonderful)
That'll make it all right (Wonderful)
Make it make it make it all right, yeah, yeah

CHORUS (Oh)

Darlin', I know what U're like [What?]
And baby, I know what U're worth
Insecurities never make no money
Animosity kills boys and girls, oh (Wonderful day, wonderful)
It's a wonderful day, baby (Wonderful day)
Why can't U see, why can't U see?
Oh, it's a wonderful day, baby (Wonderful day)
T-t-t-t-t-t-2night, 2night'll be a wonderful night (Uh uh)
(Wonderful day, uh uh)
(Wonderful night)
Everybody get up on the one (Uh uh)
I wanna have fun, get down (Wonderful day, uh uh)
(Wonderful night, U know it's gonna be all right)

Wonderful day
Nevertheless, it's a wonderful day, baby, Lord
2night'll be a wonderful night, sing it
Hey, it's a wonderful day, baby
2night, 2night, I promise it'll be all right

Everybody get up on the one
Papa wanna have some fun
Everybody get down on the 3
Party, baby, U and me
Everybody get up on the one
2night we're gonna have some fun
Everybody get down on the 3
Party, mama, U and me, uh
It's a wonderful day, baby
Party, mama, U and me
Everybody {fade out}

This thread makes me wanna give it another listen

absolutely agree. Love this album - killer! Travesty, IMO, that it never got released in its entirety. But hey, it's out there and the sabotage version enjoys a prominent space on my ipod!

Yes it is!!!

Thanks, Mr.Sewell for the info...

All of PRINCES best stuff is still in the Valut!What is HE waiting 4?

Dream Factory is dope. Me thinks Roadhouse Garden would have been a beast, as well.
[Edited 3/13/10 22:45pm]

Aaron6 said:

I don`t that track!

Dream Factory was a double LP project recorded with The Revolution from 1986. Many of the tracks would later be incorporated into Crystal Ball or be released through other outlets over the years.

1 Visions 2:11
2 Nevaeh Ni Ecalp A 0:52
3 Dream Factory 2:38
4 Train 4:18
5 The Ballad of Dorothy Parker 4:02
6 It 5:10
7 Strange Relationship 3:40
8 Slow Love 4:22
9 Starfish & Coffee 1:07
10 Interlude 0:59
11 I Could Never Take the Place of Your Man 6:29
12 Sign o' the Times 4:56
13 Crystal Ball 10:28
14 A Place in Heaven 2:49
15 Last Heart 3:01
16 Witness 4 the Prosecution 4:51
17 Movie Star 4:25
18 The Cross 4:45
19 All My Dreams 7:10


3 Dream Factory
Recorded in late 1985 during an extremely prolific time, "Dream Factory" became the title track for Prince's next major project. The song was later released on 1998's Crystal Ball 3-CD set, but this alternate version is missing a few lyrics and has a new intro. The intro is representative of Prince's experimental nature and contains samples of other Dream Factory songs "Witness" and "A Place In Heaven" (played backwards). There is also an argument between Wendy and Lisa and a club owner about their age.

reportedly written about Paul Peterson when he decided to leave The Family project

4 Train
Prince spent three days in his home studio, July 7th to 9th taping "Train" for the Dream Factory project. It was later revamped for use by Mavis Staples. The version released on Time Waits For No One retains the basic tracks of Prince's original recording for Dream Factory. The song uses an unusual drum machine sound to mimic a train engine, as well as a traditional R&B horn performance by Eric Leeds and Atlanta Bliss.

7 This Sign 'O' The Times track was originally recorded in 1982, but updated in 1985 by Wendy and Lisa. They added backing vocals, a sitar-like sound and other ideas to the mix. The track was going to be used on the canceled Dream Factory project. Prince later updated the track with a new vocal and other changes for the Camille LP, and that recording survived through the editing of the Crystal Ball 3 LP into Sign 'O' The Times.

13 Crystal Ball
Performed by Prince, this alternate take was recorded during the Dream Factory sessions. It differs from the released track in that several vocals by Wendy and Lisa were removed when Prince updated it for his Crystal Ball 3 LP set later in 1986. Also missing is the added instrumentation and sound effects throughout the song, as well as Clare Fischer's orchestra. The updated track was released in 1998 on the Crystal Ball 3 CD set.

14 A Place In Heaven
Intended for the Dream Factory project, this song is a lovely, melodic pop tune somewhat in the style of "Starfish And Coffee." Prince sings in his falsetto voice over a sparse piano backing and a light drum machine beat. The second version has Lisa singing lead. The song concerns the importance of maintaining a positive outlook and making the most of the life we have (recalling the theme of "Pop Life").

16 Witness 4 The Prosecution
This raw, hard, bluesy rock number featuring Prince's guitar was recorded during the Dream Factory sessions. It was embellished with horns and background vocals by Wendy, Lisa, Susannah and Eric Leads. Prince uses a court analogy in describing his love/hate relationship with his woman.

19 All My Dreams
This long, suite-like track segues from "Old Friends 4 Sale" on the original Parade album. Playful and adventurous, this impressive outtake contains two melodic themes. One features Wendy & Lisa on vocals while Prince's voice sounds if he singing through a phone. Without interrupting the flow, the song enters a dreamlike segment of two lovers where Prince's voice is slowed down half-speed and then ends climatically with a message to never give up on your dreams. The spoken intro to the slow speech appears on "Acknowledge Me."


Dream Factory is an unreleased studio album by Prince and The Revolution from 1986. The album was planned to consist of 2 LPs and cover a broad range of musical styles.

Dream Factory began life in late 1985 after the Parade album was completed. Much like preceding albums Around the World in a Day and Parade, Dream Factory was written by Prince in collaboration with Wendy and Lisa but to an even greater degree. The album started as a single set of nine songs, but evolved quickly to a double album with a large body of tracks being considered or rejected. A final configuration of the album was finished and mastered, but just before the album was to be released The Revolution dissolved amidst personal and professional tensions (Wendy and Lisa claim they had grown tired of"non-musicians" often being incorporated into The Revolution line-up amongst other things); Prince then shelved the highly-collaborative album in his infamous "vault" in a desire to return to his "one-man-band" ways of recording.

In 1989, Mavis Staples released her version of "Train" on her album Time Waits for No One.

A sequence of four tracks were considered for an early version of Dream Factory: "Girl O' My Dreams", "Can't Stop This Feeling I Got", "We Can Funk" and "Data Bank". In 1990, three of these saw the light of day. The Graffiti Bridge album contained reworkings of "Can't Stop This Feeling I Got" and "We Can Funk". The Time's Pandemonium album featured their version of "Data Bank", which was more of a complete song than Prince's jam-like track. A year later, Graffiti Bridge contributor T.C. Ellis, a Minneapolis rapper, released his True Confessions album which had his reworking of "Girl O' My Dreams".

In 1993, a track considered for one of the Dream Factory configurations, "Power Fantastic", was released on The Hits/The B-Sides, although without the jazzy instrumental intro.




Big Tall Wall
Written during the Dream Factory sessions, this track was replaced when other songs were recorded for the album. It was also considered for an early version of the Graffiti Bridge album. Sung in a variety of vocals by Prince, the lyrics concern protecting his lover form others by putting her behind a big tall wall. The lyrics also contain the phrase "I've got more holes than a golf course", later used as the segue preceding both "Alphabet St." and "Joy In Repetition". The music is almost demo-like, containing little more than a drum machine and an occasional guitar.

It's A Wonderful Day
Intended for Dream Factory, "It's A Wonderful Day" is a fairly nondescript uptempo number, and may have been intended to be replaced at a later time, according to Susan Rogers. Recorded in January, 1986, the song is a positive and upbeat number and features prominent vocals from Lisa and Wendy. Although discarded, some of the song may have been inspiration for Camille track, "Good Love".

Teacher, Teacher
Originally recorded in 1982, "Teacher, Teacher" was revamped in 1986 with additional input by Lisa and Wendy and included on various configurations of Dream Factory. The song recalls "Neon Telephone" in it's whimsical nature, featuring harpsichord and a organ riff reminiscent of 50's rock-and-roll. The lyrics concern a female student fighting off the advances of a horny teacher. "Teacher, Teacher" was offered to the group Three O'Clock when they signed with Paisley Park Records, but it was turned down in favor of "Neon Telephone".

In A Large Room With No Light.mp3
"a dense & busy jazz fusion piece, featured live playing by most of the Revolution & drumming by Sheila E." - Susan Rogers

In A Large Room With No Light
Eric Leeds' sax starts off this busy,
animated rock number with jazz overtones.
The song has a lively spontaneous feel,
recorded with the expanded Revolution.
The music contradicts the serious lyrics,
which concern the harshness of life and feelings of being lost.
Prince compares life to "looking for a penny in a large room with no light".
Originally considered for the 19 track,
2-LP Dream Factory, the song was later dropped.



Power Fantastic was recorded mid March 1985
a song based on a composition by Lisa Coleman called "Carousel"
according to engineer Susan Rogers
Prince sang in a corner of the room
It was some of the most intimate experience of her career:
She felt at the very center of artistic creation
Eric Leed, who played a lilting flute solo
walked out of the studio feeling goose bumps
"That's one of the greatest things we ever did," he remembered

Susan Rogers noted this song was "Nailed in one take"

Power Fantastic was supposed to be one
of the cornerstones of Prince & the Revolutions
next project the Dream Factory


Late at night, when the world is sleeping
U r frightened, 'cause the Power's creeping
In your room is something u're afraid of
Life or doom is what this feelings made of
Power Fantastic
Is in your life at last
U're a little apprehensive
'Cause what it is is what u want and need

one of the things that get's me is that the Dream Factor & the Black Album I can't do a ERA thread on these 2 album that I think would have been some exciting times

OldFriends4Sale said:

Thank you for that more complete history..

zaza said:

Really!!!??? Orgnote me, please?

CuddlyBear said:

I like both, the SOTT release of course is edited

the original has a strong taste of that middle east sound, I love both but I do jam the Dream Factory cut more