When the album Around The World In a Day came out. No single was released until May. So I went to the local record shop in the center of town and bought this album. It was a Saturday, a bright sunny, warm Saturday with white puffy clouds in the sky. I put this album on in my bedroom. The window was open, with a cool breese and the smell of the fruit orchard that was outside my bedroom window was in bloom. As I sat on the bed, the moment I heard the first note of this album a chill went up my spine and didn't end until the album was over. It became my all time favorite album, and still is to this day. I still listen to it and I still gets chills.

Are there any outtakes or other songs from this era besides (heh) the b-sides like "Hello" and "She's Always In My Hair"? I actually like those songs quite a bit more than 1/3 of the actual album tracks.

Something I would have loved to have seen during this time, is him take a break after the PR tour, release the album, and come back, with a completley different setlist to incorporate some of the ATWIAD songs on what would have been the next leg of the PR tour. That whole venetian feel of the PR tour mixed with the ATWIAD music I feel would've been a perfect mix

mbdtyler said:

Are there any outtakes or other songs from this era besides (heh) the b-sides like "Hello" and "She's Always In My Hair"? I actually like those songs quite a bit more than 1/3 of the actual album tracks.

.

Certainly anything recorded between early Summer 1984 through early 1985 might qualify on one or more grounds for entry:

.

* 100 MPH

* 4 The Tears In Your Eyes

* A Love Bizarre

* All Day, All Night

* Desire

* Drawers Burnin' (Unknown if a studio take exists)

* God (Vocal)

* Heaven (Recorded two days after 'Hello', approximately a month after the release of the ATWIAD)

* High Fashion

* Mutiny

* Miss Understood

* Nothing Compares 2 U

* Our Destiny

* River Run Dry

* Roadhouse Garden

* Screams of Passion

* The Dance Electric

.

[Edited 1/10/17 1:36am]

mbdtyler said:

Are there any outtakes or other songs from this era besides (heh) the b-sides like "Hello" and "She's Always In My Hair"? I actually like those songs quite a bit more than 1/3 of the actual album tracks.

This is what I want to know, always want to know. Might have to send a message to Susan Rogers or a few Revolution members. Ask if they know of any different album configurations and other songs prepared for this album.

I would LOOOOVVEEE to have some outtakes to add to a playlist.

...oh remember the leak from earlier last year? JOY?

how about Palamino Pleasure Ride

APRIL 21st 1985

Around The World In A Day

Open your heart, open your mind
A train is leaving all day
A wonderful trip through our time
And laughter is all U pay

Around the world in a day, oh!
Around the world in a day

Now dig...
Loneliness already knows U
There ain't no reason 2 stay
Come here, take my hand, I'll show U
I think I know a better way, y'all

Around the world in a day, ow!
(Listen 2 me now)
Around the world in a day
All the babies sing it now

Ooh la, la
Ooh la, la, la, la
No, sha, sha
No, no shouting every day (No shouting every day)
No shouting (No shouting)
No, no shouting
Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha

The little one will escort U
2 places within your mind
(The former is red, white, and blue)
Former is red, white, and blue!
(The latter is a purple climb)
The latter is a purple - come on and climb!

Around the world in a day, sugar (Oh, baby)
Around the world in a day
Come on, say it!
Around the world in a day
Say papa, I think I wanna dance!

(In summer she's sweeter)

Around the world in a day {repeat to fade}
Oh yeah!
All the little babies sing around the world
A government of love and music boundless in its unifying power {fade out}
A nation of art 2 production
Sharing ideas, a shower of flowers

© 1985 Controversy Music - ASCAP

David Coleman (Lisa Colemans brother)
Around the World in a Day was composed by David during 2 days of studio time given 2 him by Prince 4 David's birthday @ Sunset Sound

Basic tracks for Prince's version were recorded on 16 September 1984 at Flying Cloud Drive Warehouse,

Around the World in a Day 2:46 demo 5min 46 sec original demo
the original demo of the song it was recorded in the 1984 sessions.
[There is a version with a bass line too]
another demo circulated as:Around the World in a Day (eavesdropped in intimate moments)

the version with the bass line

David Coleman

In contrast to the logical sequencing and narrative flow of Purple Rain, the new album was, as its title suggests, all over the place. The opening title track was originally composed and recorded by David Coleman and is notable for its non-Western instrumentation. Oud, darbuka and finger cymbals are layered atop a booming Linn M-1 machine rhythm while Prince promises “a wonderful trip through all time.” Coleman was well-versed in Middle Eastern musics

Around The World In A Day

Open your heart, open your mind
A train is leaving all day
A wonderful trip through our time
And laughter is all U pay

Around the world in a day, oh!
Around the world in a day

Now dig...
Loneliness already knows U
There ain't no reason 2 stay
Come here, take my hand, I'll show U
I think I know a better way, y'all

Around the world in a day, ow!
(Listen 2 me now)
Around the world in a day
All the babies sing it now

No, sha, sha
No, no shouting every day
No shouting
No, no shouting
Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha

The little one will escort U
2 places within your mind
(The former is red, white, and blue)
Former is red, white, and blue!
(The latter is a purple climb)
The latter is a purple - come on and climb!

Around the world in a day, sugar (Oh, baby)
Around the world in a day
Come on, say it!
Around the world in a day
Say papa, I think I wanna dance!

(In summer she’s sweeter)

Around the world in a day {repeat}
Oh yeah!
All the little babies sing around the world
A government of love and music boundless in its unifying power
A nation of art 2 production
Sharing ideas, a shower of flowers
All the little babies sing around the world
Sing it 4 your man, sing it 4 your girl
All the little babies sing around the world

[vocal ad libs]

Baby, baby, darling, why, why?
Where?
Lisa, Lisa?

OldFriends4Sale said:

APRIL 21st 1985

I haven't seen a lot of promotional material for ATWIAD in the way of posters, etc. Cool.

OldFriends4Sale said:

Funny, that my brother and I did this very thing when I bought the album back then.
But later I realized how much Darling Nikki feels more like Tamborine to me now... something about the wild furious drumming and fiery playing and popping of the instruments

And when I hear Condition of the Heart, I think more of God(the Dance Electric now)

Yeah, both are legit comparisons. I mean, both songs refer to or are about masturbation at some point. I thought of "God" at one point, but since it wasn't on the actual album, I skipped the comparison. "Pop Life" and "17 Days" are cousins in some ways, too.

from the Purple Rain tourbook

OldFriends4Sale said:

pt 1 Around the World in a Day listening party 2.21.1985

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

Never read the book but I remember hearing about this when it happened from someone in the know. The one detail that I remember (but had forgotten until reading this) is that Prince made everyone wear pajamas and received a round of applause after every song.

CoolMF said:

OldFriends4Sale said:

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

Never read the book but I remember hearing about this when it happened from someone in the know. The one detail that I remember (but had forgotten until reading this) is that Prince made everyone wear pajamas and received a round of applause after every song.

I think Hill's book refers to the listening party but is not as specific.

1. Is "Taj" Taja Sevelle?

2. Someomen mentioned processing of synths on America. There are synths on it? Isn't it just drums, bass and guitars?

OldFriends4Sale said:

namepeace said:

Legit parallels. I especially agree with the ones highlighted.

"Tambourine," to me, sounds like a throwback to the DM/Controversy era.

Listen to Tick Tick Bang(81) Darling Nikki Tamborine and a little Junk Music back to back

Good suggestion.

GaryMF said:

1. Is "Taj" Taja Sevelle?

2. Someomen mentioned processing of synths on America. There are synths on it? Isn't it just drums, bass and guitars?

.

1.) Yes

.

2.) There are synth parts on the track (mostly DX7), on both the album edit, and even more so in the extended improvisation found in the 12" version. With respect to the term 'processing', cf. the unedited 1984 PR Tour rehearsal of 'I Would Die 4 U' with the 12" extended single release drawn from the same recording, or the P&TRL'85 broadcast/LaserDisc/VHS with audience recordings of the same 03/30/1985 Syracuse, NY performance.

.

[Edited 1/10/17 14:53pm]

GaryMF said:

1. Is "Taj" Taja Sevelle?

2. Someomen mentioned processing of synths on America. There are synths on it? Isn't it just drums, bass and guitars?

1. Yes Taja Sevelle

2. There is Piano and Synth on America (and an extremely wild synth solo on the extended version)

CoolMF said:

OldFriends4Sale said:

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

Never read the book but I remember hearing about this when it happened from someone in the know. The one detail that I remember (but had forgotten until reading this) is that Prince made everyone wear pajamas and received a round of applause after every song.

I have a few pieces on this listening party, which by the way I would love to see photos of

But there was supposed to be Prince Lisa Wendy Susannah come out of the limo 1-4 of them carrying bundles of flowers
A purple or paisley carpet (like in the Mountains video) on the floor where Prince sat crosslegged

Joni Mitchell John Nelson the rest of the Revolution and others along with executives etc in the building

pt 2 Around the World in a Day listening party 2.21.1985

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.’

pt 3 Around the World in a Day listening party 2.21.1985

'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

LEATHRSAIL said:

When the album Around The World In a Day came out. No single was released until May. So I went to the local record shop in the center of town and bought this album. It was a Saturday, a bright sunny, warm Saturday with white puffy clouds in the sky. I put this album on in my bedroom. The window was open, with a cool breese and the smell of the fruit orchard that was outside my bedroom window was in bloom. As I sat on the bed, the moment I heard the first note of this album a chill went up my spine and didn't end until the album was over. It became my all time favorite album, and still is to this day. I still listen to it and I still gets chills.

Excellent post. I too remember my visit to the record store to buy Around the World in a Day on release back in the spring of '85, and having just read about your memories of the time, it sort of makes me wish we'd had the internet back then and I'd known you. You see, I had two friends in my street who like me had bought Purple Rain and thought Prince was the best thing since sliced bread at the time.... but both hated ATWIAD and quickly jumped ship and I'm not sure either ever returned to Prince.

I was a few weeks shy of my 16th birthday when the album came out, and back in the day it mattered to me that I had not a single friend who liked Prince by the time I turned 16. Everyone I knew thought he was weird, made strange music and was something of a joke. I think that younger fans who weren't born in the 80's might look at his sales stats and think that everyone must have loved Prince in the 80's, but here in the north of England I struggled to find a single person who thought he was remotely cool. I never struggled to find Madonna fans, MJ fans, U2 fans, Springsteen etc... but few Prince.

It would have been awesome to have been able to sit in my room and talk to someone... anyone... about how great Prince's music was. And here we are now, over 30 years later..... doing just that

[Edited 1/10/17 16:08pm]

I am in love with the Around The World In A Day album and this period in Prince time.

An absolutely amazing and trippy album. It is delicious. I am on an ATWIAD trip right now.

I have this one on repeat in my car wherever I go at the moment. Thanx OF4S for this thread.

I remember when I bought ATWIAD too and how I felt when I heard that middle eastern vibe on the opening track...And then Tamborine and that wild guitar solo and final dialogue on Temptation...I was amazed and with that album Prince caught me for life.

Yewdale said:

LEATHRSAIL said:

When the album Around The World In a Day came out. No single was released until May. So I went to the local record shop in the center of town and bought this album. It was a Saturday, a bright sunny, warm Saturday with white puffy clouds in the sky. I put this album on in my bedroom. The window was open, with a cool breese and the smell of the fruit orchard that was outside my bedroom window was in bloom. As I sat on the bed, the moment I heard the first note of this album a chill went up my spine and didn't end until the album was over. It became my all time favorite album, and still is to this day. I still listen to it and I still gets chills.

Excellent post. I too remember my visit to the record store to buy Around the World in a Day on release back in the spring of '85, and having just read about your memories of the time, it sort of makes me wish we'd had the internet back then and I'd known you. You see, I had two friends in my street who like me had bought Purple Rain and thought Prince was the best thing since sliced bread at the time.... but both hated ATWIAD and quickly jumped ship and I'm not sure either ever returned to Prince.

I was a few weeks shy of my 16th birthday when the album came out, and back in the day it mattered to me that I had not a single friend who liked Prince by the time I turned 16. Everyone I knew thought he was weird, made strange music and was something of a joke. I think that younger fans who weren't born in the 80's might look at his sales stats and think that everyone must have loved Prince in the 80's, but here in the north of England I struggled to find a single person who thought he was remotely cool. I never struggled to find Madonna fans, MJ fans, U2 fans, Springsteen etc... but few Prince.

It would have been awesome to have been able to sit in my room and talk to someone... anyone... about how great Prince's music was. And here we are now, over 30 years later..... doing just that

[Edited 1/10/17 16:08pm]

So you are about a year younger than me. I grew up on a peninsula in the middle of Boston Harbor. So the place was like a small town. Yet very close to a major US city. So I too didn't have any friends into Prince until I got out of school. She was a friend of a friend I went to high school with. We were friends for about 3 or 4 years until she met a new love and ditched all her friends. But she was the one that got me a copy of the Black Album. We went to the Lovesexy tour together. At the same time I met her, I discovered a record shop near where I lived. It had albums for sale with strange labels on them... Turned out to be bootleg albums. She and I would haunt this place on a regular basis. The sound quality was so poor. We would listen to what we had found and try and make out what the lyrics were. We both loved the song "We Can Funk" and "Joy in Repetition". We were so excited when we found out both of those songs were going to be on the Graffiti Bridge soundtrack. But when we got the album we were pissed! We hated what Prince did to both of those songs. George Clinton singing about peeing in a cup... What is this crap! Where is the song that we loved? We also hated the recycled "party intro" from "Eye No" on Joy in Repetition. We wanted the slow drum intro. But it was good to have a friend for those years that had the same level of interest in his music they way I did. I did have few friends after her that liked him. But not the way she and I did. So I am now a lone Prince fan again. I try not to bug my husband with too much Prince music.

I don't post on this site very often. I only visit to see what new things get released. Most of the posting on this site is about debates. Was this better than that. Or fact finding in those Kitty Kelly type books that have been published about Prince. I have read those books. But I take them with a grain of salt. I don't put much stock in them as truth. On top of that you have people on this site who are self appointed Prince Police. I don't need to be involved in that. But if someone (like yourself) wants to have a nice conversation on his music and what you felt or experienced... I'm all for that.

[Edited 1/10/17 17:23pm]

Questlove says he did the album to kill his career.

2freaky4church1 said:

Questlove says he did the album to kill his career.

Yes well.

2freaky4church1 said:

Questlove says he did the album to kill his career.

I doubt it was to kill his career. But it was probably influenced by the fear of the grandiose-ness of Purple Rain.

In the long run of his career, it is a major cornerstone of his musical foundation. That 80s run of albums is untouchable.

OldFriends4Sale said:

Does it bother you when people say you're going back in time with 'Around the World in a Day'?

No. What they say is that the Beatles are the influence. The influence wasn't the Beatles. They were great for what they did, but I don't know how that would hang today. The cover art came about because I thought people were tired of looking at me. Who wants another picture of him? I would only want so many pictures of my woman, then I would want the real thing. What would be a little more happening than just another picture [laughs] would be if there was some way I could materialize in people's cribs when they play the record.
How do you feel about people calling the record "psychedelic"?

I don't mind that, because that was the only period in recent history that delivered songs and colors. Led Zeppelin, for example, would make you feel differently on each song.

I still have one of the balloon logos, it's a sticker that I put on the front of my scrap book back in the day. Was just looking at it the other day and WOW! it's been how many years?