QUICK FACTS

- RELEASED: March 31, 1986
- NOTABLE CONTRIBUTORS: Wendy Melvoin (vocals/guitar), Lisa Coleman (vocals/keyboards), Clare Fischer (strings/arrangement), Eric Leeds and Atlanta Bliss (horns), Sheila E. (vocals/percussion), Jonathan Melvoin (drums), David Z. (arrangement), and Mazarati (vocals/songwriting)
- SINGLES: "Kiss," "Mountains," "Anotherloverholenyohead," "Girls & Boys"
- ESTIMATED COPIES SOLD: 4 million

TRACK-BY-TRACK ANALYSIS

1. Christopher Tracy's Parade: We start off with a bang on this Disneyland soundscape of drums, synths, and strings. The song's bridge takes flight (0:55-1:25) with Prince's vocals meshing with Wendy and Lisa's background harmonies wonderfully. Check the lyric change in the final verse (1:30); the demo initially said "Little girl Wendy's guitar" which rhymes with "evil car" in the next line, but Prince replaced it with "Christopher Tracy's piano" to match his film character most likely. Nevertheless, this album opener is catchy, colorful, and bridges AROUND THE WORLD IN A DAY and PARADE projects very well.

2. New Position: Although France is the geographical epicenter of the movie, "New Position" has a soft Caribbean flavor: its midtempo steel drums are accompanied by echoing handclaps and a bouncy bassline. Matching the diverse array of sounds are the tongue-in-cheek lyrics, which seems to contain a wink and a smile. "Honey, we can't last without a shot o' new spunk / Honey, forget your past, you got to try my new funk!" Could he be talking about sex or is he letting his audience know that he plans to go beyond the usual limits of pop music?

3. I Wonder U: With its eerie cackling and orchestral interlude, Wendy takes the lead vocally telling her love interest "I, dream of you, for all time… Though you are far, I wonder you; you're on my mind." Her delivery is lighthearted, but the melody creeps along like a lullaby from a music box, with its tumbling drums and dry handclaps.

4. Under the Cherry Moon: We slide swiftly from "I Wonder U" into the title track where Prince tells his love interest that he wants to "live life to the ultimate high," and that he might "die young like heroes die." It is here that Prince holds a mirror to the reckless lifestyle his character, Christopher Tracy, lives. From the hypnotic vocal delivery (a la "The Question of U") to the jazzy piano flourishes (2:02-2:17), "Under the Cherry Moon" is a disturbing yet fascinating ballad in the Prince canon.

5. Girls & Boys: The momentum of the album picks back up with this synth-funk groove including Eric Leeds on horns, finger cymbals, and a lengthy chicken grease guitar riff behind some saucy French dialogue (3:04-3:36). Lyrically, Prince speaks about his chemistry with his love interest, donning French phrases such as "vous etes tres belle" which means "you are very beautiful." "Girls & Boys" peaked at No. 11 on the UK charts but, oddly, never received airplay on American radio stations.

6. Life Can Be So Nice: This monster groove is a radical experiment that merges '60s-era pop with '80s new wave funk. Sheila E's tapping away on cowbell and gets a sweet drum solo after the song's bridge (1:52); Wendy and Lisa deliver a quick rap while Prince sings background at a slower rhythm similar to "Let's Pretend We're Married" (2:00-2:16). Although it wasn't a single, "Life Can Be So Nice" captures the essence of what PARADE is all about: fun and beautiful with a splash of danger.

7. Venus de Milo: After the feverish funk of "Life Can Be So Nice" comes the vintage-sounding '40s jazz of "Venus de Milo." Originally existing as an untitled interlude before PARADE came to be, Prince gives us a gorgeous piano-saxophone duet with Clare Fischer's orchestration. It may be short by design but "Venus de Milo" proved that Prince, at just 28 years old, was a real artist and not just a run-of-the-mill pop star.

8. Mountains: A marching snare drum slowly builds into a freshly minted wall of sound: echoing handclaps, swelling synths, bright horns (Eric Leeds and Atlanta Bliss), and the barely-there twitches of guitars and maracas. Wendy and Lisa composed the music and brought it to Prince, who took sole ownership of the song once he wrote the lyrics. Lyrically, it focuses on the Christian motif of overcoming adversity; reminding you that your troubles are "only mountains and the sea / Love [God] will conquer if you just believe." "Mountains" reached No. 23 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1986, and is a smooth fusion of soul/pop music.

9. Do U Lie: This light midtempo ballad draws inspiration from cabaret and jazz with its combination of Clare Fischer's strings, Frank Marocco's accordion, and Jonathan Melvoin's drums. Prince twists and contorts his vocals like an acrobat when he sings, "I don't lie to you when I say I'm in love, mama" and "Do you really mean it when you cry?" Wendy and Lisa's background harmonies glide effortlessly over shimmering strings while Prince pleads for needing "another human's touch" (1:49-2:06). The masses often overlook "Do U Lie," but it's just as brilliant as his popular material.

10. Kiss: A wicked funk masterpiece with the lean production of "When Doves Cry" and the swagger of "Dirty Mind." The song was originally an acoustic demo given to protégé band Mazarati and then snatched back by Prince after hearing their new arrangement. Smart move by Prince seeing how it's loaded with great one-liners such as "I know how to undress me," "Women, not girls, rule my world," and "You don't have to watch 'Dynasty' to have an attitude." With an immaculate falsetto and a guitar lick (borrowed from James Brown's "Papa's Got a Brand New Bag") at the end of each chorus, "Kiss" rocketed up the charts to No. 1, faster than any Warner Bros. single in history.

11. Anotherloverholenyohead: Despite it stalling at No. 63 on the Billboard Hot 100, "Anotherloverholenyohead" is a strong contender for the best song on the album. Lyrically, this is an extension of "New Position" but sung with a greater sense of urgency. "We were brothers and sisters united all for love / Now all of a sudden you try to fight it and say you've had enough." Prince understands the feelings that he has for his love interest and will do whatever it takes to convince her that he's serious, even if that means swallowing his pride and begging her "down on [his] knee." Musically, it harks back to Sly and the Family Stone at their apex with the stacked harmonies and popping slap-bass (2:18-2:36). If the album edit leaves you wanting more, the 12" version will indeed fulfill your funk cravings.

12. Sometimes It Snows in April: The album comes to a close with a ballad where, for the first 90 seconds, Prince is humming on top of Lisa's twinkling piano and Wendy's acoustic guitar plucks. The trio (singing from the perspective of Mary Sharon) give a heartfelt goodbye to Christopher Tracy and looks forward to seeing him in Heaven. "All good things they say never last," they sing in unison. "And love, it isn't love until it's past." Wendy remembers this session being one of her favorites: "It was written on the spot and recorded in a couple of hours. A beautiful moment, hanging out for a while, recording at Sunset Sound."

FINAL THOUGHTS

In what would be Prince's final collaboration with the Revolution, PARADE shows the band in complete control of their game; tackling genres from R&B and pop to funk and classical. It isn't without its flaws, though. Some of the album's gorgeous details are barely audible due to reverb; if given a remaster, listeners would have a greater appreciation when those elements rise to the surface. Culturally, PARADE didn't tilt the music world off its axis like PURPLE RAIN, but this is a magnificent soundtrack that proudly colors outside the lines of standard pop music.

GRADE: A-
[Edited 3/31/16 5:36am]

A part of the description on Tidal:

"..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"

Do you agree, should it have been a double album?

skipthecharades said:

A part of the description on Tidal:

"..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"

Do you agree, should it have been a double album?

That's a great question that I don't have an answer for since PARADE, DREAM FACTORY, and CRYSTAL BALL were recorded so close together.

skipthecharades said:

A part of the description on Tidal:

"..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"

Do you agree, should it have been a double album?

Not a Double album, but just a few more songs.
He obviously wanted the album to flow as a movie soundtrack.

Mia Bocca should have been on the album

An edited version of Junk Music

Old Friends 4 Sale or at least an instrumental with the chorus at the end(the lyrics don't really work with the movie) then release the full song as a single

An Honest Man (what we heard at the beginning of the movie)

skipthecharades said:

Do you agree, should it have been a double album?

It could be a very great double album.

"Love Or Money" and "Alexa De Paris" are two obvious lost tracks that deserved a place on the album.

Also "An Honest Man" (even if I still have to accept that the CB version is the original version, I wonder how it would sound if released in 1986 and not 12 years later with the beautiful movie piano version in mind).

Add "Oldfriends 4 Sale" and "All My Dreams", and maybe "High Fashion" and "Desire" and you got a wonderful album.

BoraBora said:

skipthecharades said:

Do you agree, should it have been a double album?

It could be a very great double album.

"Love Or Money" and "Alexa De Paris" are two obvious lost tracks that deserved a place on the album.

Also "An Honest Man" (even if I still have to accept that the CB version is the original version, I wonder how it would sound if released in 1986 and not 12 years later with the beautiful movie piano version in mind).

Add "Oldfriends 4 Sale" and "All My Dreams", and maybe "High Fashion" and "Desire" and you got a wonderful album.

I could easily see the Family performing High Fashion @ Mary Sharons birthday party

I noticed that none of you mention Others here with us as a missing track, even though it was on the first configuration of the album.

But I agree, how much I love that track, I think it's too dark for Parade.