This is one period if I could go back to just to witness, I would pay some money to witness this whole event

There are so many varying sides of this event, as in who was there.

For example I read that Lisa Coleman and Prince walked in and sat with flowers

I read that Susannah Melvoin was actually there in the limo with Prince

I read that it was Wendy and Prince that walked in together with flowers

Who was all in attendance, the band? other protege members, etc

.

I have 2 stories to share, do you have any info?

This event and the 6.5.1985 Masquerade Ball/Birthday show are 2 events I have yet to see any images/photos from

Very secretive events

Around the World in a Day 4.22.1985 © 1985 Paisley Park

chapter 6 Hangover p74 Possessed

...he now opened himself more to genuine exchange of ideas

.

Prince previewed the album for Warner bros.
during a ceremonious listening party
for about 20 company officials
in early February 1985 in Los Angeles.
Joni Mitchell and Prince's father John L. Nelson
were among the special guests present.
Attendees were seated on the floor of a large conference room,
and as the high pitched flute that begins "Around the World in A Day"
lilted from the speakers,
Prince & Lisa walked in holding flowers;
the whole scene was according to one attendee very Haight Ashbury

-Possessed: the Rise & Fall of Prince p 77

It was spring 1985 when Prince released Purple Rain’s eagerly anticipated follow-up, Around The World In A Day. With no particular marketing ceremony, the album was trailed as a Personal Statement, a treat for the converted, rather than more manna for the masses — and eventually its sales bore that out. In fact, the distance this new music put between Prince and the expectations of his new global audience could hardly have been greater. Lunacy? Brilliance? Caprice? Probably a bit of all three.

.

Prince presented the completed music to Warner Brothers in New York with a ceremonial panache in keeping with the album’s muse. The event was reported in Tiger Beat: ‘Employees scurried to ready the fourth floor conference room and decorate it with purple, lavender and white helium-filled balloons. Then, they covered the floor with flowers . . . Finally a limo appeared and first Prince’s attendants emerged . . . Suddenly, the rear passenger door of the car popped open and Wendy, Prince’s guitarist, garbed in gold silk pajamas and a black robe stepped out on to the kerb. She was followed by John L. Nelson, Prince’s father, who was dressed in grey pajamas and a silk paisley robe. . . Finally, Prince made his grand entrance. Dressed in white pajamas, a purple silk robe and white high-heeled boots. . . Without uttering a word, Prince and Wendy sat on the carpet. Somebody turned on the reel-to-reel and the songs on Prince’s new record began to play.’

'Around the World in a Day' should be out in April

BY MICHAEL GOLDBERG

PRINCE'S SEVENTH ALBUM, Around the World in a Day, should be in record stores before the end of April. The LP, which was recorded both at Price's home studio in Minneapolis and at Hollywood studios, contains nine tracks that, according to the LP's credits, were "produced, arranged, composed and performed by Prince and the Revolution."

Prince unveiled the record on Thursday, February 21st. Warner Bros. Records executives received a phone call late in the afternoon that day informing them that the label's biggest star would be arriving at their Burbank headquarters in forty-five minutes. Interoffice phones buzzed with the news, and a huge crowd of Warners staffers hurriedly assembled in the front lobby.

At about five p.m., a shiny purple limousine pulled up outside the record company's building. Prince stepped out of the car, along with his father, John L. Nelson; his bodyguards; his managers; and Revolution guitarist Wendy Melvoin. Dressed in a long, purple antique kimono and striped, pajama-type pants, Prince clutched a single pink rose as he entered the building. Obviously pleased and looking quite confident, Prince smiled as the crowd greeted him with tumultuous applause. "I've seen Fleetwood Mac and David Lee Roth and Shaun Cassidy and everyone walk into this building," said one Warner Bros. employee, "but nothing like this."

Prince's entourage trooped past more fans crowded along the stairways and corridors, up to a fourth-floor conference room that had been hastily decorated with hundreds of purple helium balloons and white streamers. About 150 Warners staffers and executives -- including president Lenny Waronker and board chairman Mo Ostin -- were crammed into the room. Except for a few words with Ostin, Prince was silent. He sat on the floor with Wendy and his father, stared at the ground and held on to the rose as tapes of the album played at full volume.

Side one of the album includes the LP's title track, which was written by Prince, his father and David Coleman, who is the brother of Revolution keyboardist Lisa Coleman. The songs uses such unusual as an oud, finger cymbals and a darbuka to create a Middle Eastern feel. "Paisley Park," named after Prince's home studio, is a buoyant rocker reminiscent of the Beatles' "Strawberry Fields Forever." The ballad "Condition of the Heart" is a solo performance by Prince that features a Keith Jarrett-style piano intro and a falsetto vocal, while "Raspberry Beret" is another track that recalls the Beatles' psychedelic period ("She wore a Raspberry beret/The kind u find in a secondhand store/And if it was warm, she wouldn't wear much more"). The final cut on side one is "Tambourine," a heavily rhythmic track with a Bo Diddley beat. It's sung and played by Prince alone.

Side two contains "America," which plays off "America the Beautiful" and has an American Indian feel ("America, America, God shed his grace on thee/America, America, keep the children free"). "Pop Life," another Beatles-influenced number, includes drumming by Sheila E. and a string interlude "composed and conducted by Lisa and Wendy" ("What u putting in your nose/Is that where all your money goes?") "The Ladder" is a gospel-flavored song written by Prince and his father. It features a female chorus that includes Lisa, Wendy and Wendy's sister Susannah Melvoin. The album's epic is "Temptation," an eight-minute-and-twenty-one-second song that Prince has been performing in concert. It begins with Hendrix-style guitar and ends with a weird rap that sounds like a dialogue between Prince and God. Prince says, "I'm talkin' about the kind of temptation that'll make you do things. I'm talkin' about sexual temptation." An electronically altered low voice says, "You have to want it for the right reasons." And Prince responds, "I'm sorry. I'll be good. This time I promise. Love is more important than sex. I understand. I have to go now."

The album's first single, "Paisley Park" (back with a nonalbum song called "She's Always in My Hair"), was to have been released on February 27th, the day after Prince won three Grammys. A few days before the awards ceremony, however, Prince abruptly changed his mind, deciding not to release the single. One source at Warner Bros. said Prince didn't want the song to compete with "We Are the World," the USA for Africa record, which he declined to participate in.

Until late last month, details about the album were closely guarded secrets. At Warner Bros., only a handful of top executives knew about it. Still, rumors began circulating in music-business circles, and at least one advance tape got into the hands of a rival record-company executive.

In the Warner Bros. conference room, every song was greeted with applause, and before the last cut ended, Prince vanished. Said a Warners source, "Everyone sort of stood up and applauded after the record was over, and then he wasn't there anymore."

ROLLING STONE, APRIL 11, 1985

In the Warner Bros. conference room, every song was greeted with applause, and before the last cut ended, Prince vanished. Said a Warners source, "Everyone sort of stood up and applauded after the record was over, and then he wasn't there anymore."

ROLLING STONE, APRIL 11, 1985

I guess it would have been awkward to sit there with the execs while listening to the ending of "Tempatation"?

I loved that preview in Rolling Stone and hung on every word anticipating Prince's new album! Thanks for the great memories.

In Attendance so far:
Prince (holding flowers- white pajamas, a purple silk robe and white high-heeled boots)

Prince (holding 1 pink rose- Dressed in a long, purple antique kimono and striped, pajama-type pants)

20 Company Officials

Joni Mitchell

John L. Nelson (grey pajamas and a silk paisley robe)

Lisa Coleman (holding flowers)

Wendy Melvoin (garbed in gold silk pajamas and a black robe)

Prince's bodyguards

Prince's managers

About 150 Warners staffers and executives

WB president Lenny Waronker

WBboard chairman Mo Ostin

OldFriends4Sale said:

(...)

Prince presented the completed music to Warner Brothers in New York with a ceremonial panache in keeping with the album’s muse. The event was reported in Tiger Beat: ‘Employees scurried to ready the fourth floor conference room and decorate it with purple, lavender and white helium-filled balloons. Then, they covered the floor with flowers . . . Finally a limo appeared and first Prince’s attendants emerged . . . Suddenly, the rear passenger door of the car popped open and Wendy, Prince’s guitarist, garbed in gold silk pajamas and a black robe stepped out on to the kerb. She was followed by John L. Nelson, Prince’s father, who was dressed in grey pajamas and a silk paisley robe. . . Finally, Prince made his grand entrance. Dressed in white pajamas, a purple silk robe and white high-heeled boots. . . Without uttering a word, Prince and Wendy sat on the carpet. Somebody turned on the reel-to-reel and the songs on Prince’s new record began to play.’

I wish it was videotaped.

jn2 said:

OldFriends4Sale said:

(...)

Prince presented the completed music to Warner Brothers in New York with a ceremonial panache in keeping with the album’s muse. The event was reported in Tiger Beat: ‘Employees scurried to ready the fourth floor conference room and decorate it with purple, lavender and white helium-filled balloons. Then, they covered the floor with flowers . . . Finally a limo appeared and first Prince’s attendants emerged . . . Suddenly, the rear passenger door of the car popped open and Wendy, Prince’s guitarist, garbed in gold silk pajamas and a black robe stepped out on to the kerb. She was followed by John L. Nelson, Prince’s father, who was dressed in grey pajamas and a silk paisley robe. . . Finally, Prince made his grand entrance. Dressed in white pajamas, a purple silk robe and white high-heeled boots. . . Without uttering a word, Prince and Wendy sat on the carpet. Somebody turned on the reel-to-reel and the songs on Prince’s new record began to play.’

I wish it was videotaped.

I have to believe he or someone had it videotaped, I could just go for some photographs

ahhh...the mysterious Prince of 85

(He still thinks it's ok to act like the Prince of 1985 when it comes to certain things)

I remember this article. RS was my main source of Prince album information back then.

The writer was missed the mark with the Strawberry comparison...I always thought PP sounded like Revolution.

Looking back, this was a quick turnaround from PR to AWTIAD

I know he was done and wanted to wipe away the crazy success of PR but damn...

Even with AWTIAD done in Feb, he was already albums ahead.

I miss those days sometimes...

[Edited 4/7/15 11:35am]

I have an invitation from Warner Bros for a listening party at First Avenue, april 19, 1985, will post it on my facebook page anytime soon

https://www.facebook.com/...erttickets

Thank you for this post. It made me revisit ATWIAD, which is currently blaring in my headphones. Definitely an album for the real fans. A test of sorts. Prince had the ballz to avoid following PR with another "commercial" album. (Can you imagine the suits at WB listening to this for the first time? haha) I clearly remember the day I bought this CD. After the first listen I thought, "I get you, Prince, and I'm along for the ride."

Excellent.... so psycadelic and still very pop-funky....

I love this amazing album and their singles & B-sides...

Love me some vinyl from this era

dadeepop said:

Thank you for this post. It made me revisit ATWIAD, which is currently blaring in my headphones. Definitely an album for the real fans. A test of sorts. Prince had the ballz to avoid following PR with another "commercial" album. (Can you imagine the suits at WB listening to this for the first time? haha) I clearly remember the day I bought this CD. After the first listen I thought, "I get you, Prince, and I'm along for the ride."

I can black ATWIAD music all the time

I too remember when I bought it

1985 night time from Record Theater at the Mall

and my brothers and I spreading it open 1st to see if he included a poster

and 2nd amazed at the paintings

3 always loved the fonts, the credits, the lyrics

I'm still in love with this one

xenophobia2002 said:

I have an invitation from Warner Bros for a listening party at First Avenue, april 19, 1985, will post it on my facebook page anytime soon

https://www.facebook.com/...erttickets

Thanks 4 sharing your site

I just saw Madonna's Bedtime Stories NYC night time party: brass bed where she reads a story to the crowd, everyone dressed up, mostly in Bedtime attire, dj booth, dance mixes, etc oh and the MTV VJ's

.

And I automatically thought about the ATWIAD preview and Prince's Masquade Ball show, why couldn't we have gotten a show like Madonna for these 2 Prince experiences