Just re-reading the excellent "DMSR - The First Decade" book by Per Nilsen.

It details the first test pressing of Parade as follows:

Wendy's Parade
New Position
I Wonder U
Under The Cherry Moon
Others Here With Us
Life Can Be So Nice
Sometimes It Snows In April
Old Friends 4 Sale
All My Dreams

I start to drool at this tracklist but then think damn, what about Kiss? Mountains? Anotherlover...?

What version would you have preferred and why? - the one above or the one released?

The released version for me. Kiss seems out of place on it, and always has, but it's still a cohesive record as it stands.

Prefer? Of course the released version!

The 4 great singles:

Kiss,
Mountains,
Girls & Boys
Anotherloverholenyohead

a masterpiece of an album.... Parade

thedance said:

A case of the label not allowing a release of an album without any singles?

iveivan said:

it just shows that the label can also enhance your career, if prince was left to do what he wanted after PR, he would have been one hit wonder!

probably my absolute favourit prince album of them all



the outtakes from this album and this entire era are
also my fav outtakes from prince. he was just onto a
completely otherworldly vibe of greatness here.

especially the songs that were left off parade in the
end like "others here with us", "old friends 4 sale",
"all my dreams" are as good or if not better than any
other song you can pick from his catalogue.

still, i don't think i'd want to trade the current lp
version of parade for the early configuration. that's
simply because i love this album so very very much.

i would however be willing to pay $ 100,- for a newly
remastered Parade with a bonusdisc of the outtakes and
the single b-sides and extended versions.

to me, that would be the ultimate prince release e.v.e.r.

vinx98 said:

That's true. Conversely, it's also said that the label didn't want Kiss on the album as it wasn't commercial enough. Not sure if that's true (a lot of the album isn't commercial) or if they didn't want it as a single because it was too different for them.

IstenSzek said:

We should also credit Wendy and Lisa's input during that era. Doubt it would have been the same without them.

iveivan said:

very true. the way they inspired each other and the
things they brought out in prince are great. they're
as much a part of these songs as prince imo. without
them he would not have even written some of these
songs, i'm sure. they inspired him to go beyond the
things he was doing.

I do love the original version of "old friends 4 sale" - probably his most personal song recorded (with the exception of "Wally" - though I've never heard this).

IamtheDJ said:

i think it was Little Girl Wendy's Parade

madclown said:

I wouldn't give up Mountains for all the money in the world!

Swa

thedance said:

Totally agree with you. Parade is a fantastic album and these four tracks are my favourites.

iveivan said:

Couldn't have said it better.
Parade is the only album I can listen throughout over and over again until say.... forever?
I surely prefer the released version, even if it's a real, REAL shame to have left unreleased jems like Others here with us, Old friends 4 sale and All my dreams.

In an interview, Wendy & Lisa said that in those years, they assembled a lot of studio work, including complete songs along with jam sessions and other goodies.
Most of that work remains and I fear will remain unreleased.

madclown said:

I think you're right - but not according to Per

thedance said:

co-sign

thedance said:

Released in the wrong order. Kiss, Girls & Boys would've been a great 1,2 punch.

released version best.

Ive never dug the revolution much and i don't see the fascination with All my Dreams...creative sure but, hella cheesy.

Lotus is more my "parade"

Old friends for sale though....oh yes.

Actually, if Parade had extended version of Mountains and Kiss on it, it would eat me alive.

The 85-86 era with outtakes etc is a very rich era for Prince. I love it.

Other here with us is interesting but surely would have been interesting filler at most.

Old Friends 4 Sale perhaps was too personal for Parade and would have been better on the next record without connection to the movie (so personal in fact that for some reason he's never released the original version)

And All My Dreams was great and would have fit but perhaps he thought it was so good that he kept it for Dream Factory.

emesem said:

AMD would have been a MUCH better ending song in the movie than Mountains.

I prefer the realeased version. The original would have been cool too but the released version is just sooooo far above music made before it and after it.

Actually, this configuration is better known as Charade..
While Charade has 3 or more bonus tracks, depending on the pressing, the first 9 songs come in exactly that sequence. Didn't know that either tho..

IamtheDJ said:

The correct title was just "Wendy's Parade".
(It was often mistitled "Little Girl Wendy's Parade" on bootlegs though).
[Edited 5/16/09 16:05pm]

FunkyDissCo said:

Charade was what the bootleggers called it.This was the original tracklisting of Parade.

IamtheDJ said:

Co-Sign

WetDream said:

Not official but the 'Revolution' has a longer history than Purple Rain Around the World In A Day & Parade

the noituloveR is also 1999 Wendy wasn't official yet but did appear on the album

but the majority of the noituloveR was also Controversy & Dirty Mind

The Revolution band as a whole produced the most extensive collection of music with Prince than any other band

That tends to happen when you jam for hours with people who are friends

Looking back, I would think that "Kiss," would have been good as the first song on the album...but it didn't make a difference for the loyal fans that are still here today.

IamtheDJ said:

I'm not sure if I get your point. What's the difference?
Let me put it this way: The original configuration mentioned here is circulating as a pressed release for decades and was labelled "Charade".