A few music magazines in late 83 and early 84 wrote about Prince's "aborted" album which was supposed to have been released in 1983. The follow up to 1999. Prince himself mentions this in the Rolling Stone interview titled "Prince Talks" from 1985. Before Prince began seriously considering doing a movie, he had already began recording this album which was before he went out on the 1999 tour in late 1982. It's always been reported that P began writing down ideas for the movie "Dreams" later retitled "Purple Rain" while on the tour bus during the 1999 tour. But he already had quite a few songs in the can for his follow up. Only after he saw that he would get the green light by Warner Bros to finance the movie did he decide not to release an album in 1983. This being the first time that P didn't release an album every year since 1978. Some of the songs recorded in late 82 were held over for the Purple Rain album. Others were never released at all. This 1983 album was to be titled "The Dance Electric". Some of these songs recorded for this album was unedited versions of "The Beautiful Ones" and "Darling Nikki". These versions have been bootlegged to death. The versions that ended up on Purple Rain were shaved down to keep it a single album. The song "The Dance Electric" is exactly the same version as Andre Cymone's version from 1985. Only Andre's voice is where P's originally was. P's voice can still be easily heard. The instrumental and vocal version of "GOD" was also intended for this album. Listen to the end of the vocal version of "GOD" and you'll hear P mention "Dance the dance electric" The studio version of "Electric Intercourse", "Extra Loveable" and "100mph" which ended up exactly the same minus P's voice on Mazarati's album a good three years later. I wish this album had been released, but if it had, then there would have been no Purple Rain.

blackguitaristz said:

Where did you get this info? Likely though some of it seems, if this was true, I have a feeling we would have heard about it before from Uptown. Maybe the new book The Vault might have some insight?

blackguitaristz said:

Interesting!

Hmmm... Does anybody remember this item from Popbitch in April 2003:



Somebody archived this text, here: http://www.submitresponse..._truth.php

blackguitaristz said:

Would this have included 'Moonbeam Levels' too?

booyah said:

The magazines I mentioned in the front part of my thread that spoke on this "info" was "Sounds" and "Right On" magazines. Now Booyah, I don't know how hip you are to "Sounds" and "Right On" magazines. Like I said, P mentions this "in between" album himself in Rolling Stone from 85. I've read Uptown mags for years. Maybe you should ask them if they're hip to this. I'm just relating to something I read back in the day. Perhaps though, you should read BinaryJustin's response to this thread.

BinaryJustin said:

It didn't mention the song by name, but yeah, I would think so. Same period, solo recording. It also mentioned "Computer Blue" unedited version, without the Lisa And Wendy vocal intro, which was put on much later.

That's interesting. I thought 'The Dance Electric' was written more around 1984-5ish and not as early as 1983.

What about All Day, All Night? Or was that a year or so later?

That album would have rocked me thinks.

bkw said:

God, yeah! Just imagine...

The Dance Electric
God (Instrumental)
The Beautiful Ones
Darling Nikki
Extra Loveable
Electric Intercourse
100mph
Computer Blue
Moonbeam Levels
Purple Music
Baby, You're A Trip
God (Vocal)

Lust U Always may have been a B-Side to a single.

I'm speculating with the addition of Purple Music and Baby, You're A Trip - but wow... Something like this would have been great!

Here's the quote from the 1985 Rolling Stone interview:



I copied this from a site called Prince In Print - http://princetext.tripod....one85.html

i remember this story/info also. I always wished he'd just put out this album, as I think it would be great for fams. I'm working an a new cd myself and I've decided to write/record it in the vein of that 1983 unreleased era. That's actually the inspiration for this song I've done, "Can U Write Me A Song" and the reason I posted it here.

"Can U Write Me A Song"
http://home.comcast.net/~...writer.mp3

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[This message was edited Tue Apr 27 17:15:15 2004 by MarcelJ]

BinaryJustin said:

it was my understanding that Moonbeam Levels is an earlier song. It supposedly was on an initial lineup of 1999 and was replaced by Free.

Damn, I've never heard "Moonbeam Levels". I gots to go hunt down all these boots.

"Can U Write Me A Song"
http://home.comcast.net/~...writer.mp3

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[This message was edited Tue Apr 27 20:11:03 2004 by MarcelJ]

BinaryJustin said:

btw anybody know who does this website Prince In Print? whoever it is does a great job with it

"The Beautiful Ones" was supposed to be on this album? I've heard him say before that "Electric Intercourse" was supposed to be on Purple Rain, but "after 'The Beautiful Ones' was written it was always the ballad of choice." So why would they both have been planned for the same album?

Wrong. Dance Electric was recorded in Minneapolis in mid August 1984 (actually around the 17th to be precise). It was mixed on May 15th and 17th of the following year in Los Angeles. There is no way that this was considered for an album in 1983.

Also, God wasn't recorded until Feb. 7th of 1984 so that would disqualify that one too.

It's fun to compile your own sequences, but this was never official.

Hope that helps.
[This message was edited Tue Apr 27 23:40:51 2004 by madhouseman]

yeah from what i read (long ago, so dont ask me where), the Dance Electric was created in late 84. and if anything, was not included on ATWIAD. but anyways, that song list for the supposed album in 83 woulda been hot!

I hope Boris jumps in here soon.

I believe this is completely FALSE.

- Moonbeam Levels & Extra Loveable were 1999 out-takes
- Moonbeam Levels recorded 6th July 1982 (Lady Cab Driver recorded the following day)
- Extra Loveable recorded 3rd April (Let's Pretend We're Married recorded a few days previous)
- Electric Intercourse recorded 3rd August 1983
- Darling Nikki recorded August 1983
- The Beautiful Ones recorded 20th September 1983
- Electric Intercourse was intended for Purple Rain, replaced by The Beautiful Ones.
- All Day, All Night recorded 7th June 1984
- 100MPH recorded in the Summer of 1984
- The Dance Electric recorded 17th August 1984
- God recorded 20th August 1984, a few days after TDE, explaining the line phrase being used in the vocal version.

Recording information comes from Per Nilsen's DMSR.

Since The Dance Electric wasn't recorded until AFTER the release of Purple Rain (25th June 1984), it appears this was a very poorly thought out rumour.

We know Prince was scribbling notes for 'Dreams' in a notebook on the 1999 tour bus, so it appears there was NEVER any album idea between 1999 and Purple Rain.

The missing year's release in 1983 is accountable by:

- Previous years double album release, and Prince's break-through album in the USA
- The 1999 Triple Threat Tour, Prince's longest tour to date.
- The rehersals, filming and such of Purple Rain.

This is interesting.Considering how prolific Prince was back then,it seems possible that he could have had tentative plans to release a new album in 1983.Filming for 'Purple Rain' didn't begin until November 1983,and we all know how restless he gets...lol...he certainly had enough great songs for an album.Didn't he mention in an interview that he recorded a follow-up to '1999' but never released it? I could have sworn I read that somewhere.

blackquitaristz: I think you're telling tales. A lot of misinformation here.

Prince did mention (in Rolling Stone 1985?) that he could've released an album after 1999 which sounded like 1999, but he asked himself, why do that? Purple Rain may have been the reason why he held back from giving these other songs to Warners, but many of the songs you mentioned for the 1983 album weren't written until 1984, some just before the movie was completed, and others afterward.

edit: don't forget that many of Prince's early albums were released at the end of the year, meaning that if For You was 1979, Prince 1980, Dirty Mind 1981, Controversy 1982, and 1999 in 1983, then Purple Rain in 1984 -- he came pretty close to releasing an album every year, despite an actual 1983 release date. Many of the first singles from these albums didn't chart until after the new year.
[This message was edited Wed Apr 28 4:39:37 2004 by Jasziah]

NouveauDance said:

Here's a good reason why Prince didn't release an album in 1983, not to mention that 1999 wasn't released until October 1982 with most of its singles riding the charts from November 1982 thru January 1984.

October 1982
Prince launches a six-month tour to promote his next album, 1999, supported by Time and Prince's all-girl group Vanity 6, comprised of Brenda Bennett, Canadian Denise Matthews (aka Dee Dee Winters, Vanity) and Susan Moonsie.

December 1982
"1999" peaks at US#44.

April 1983
The 1999 Tour finished, Prince begins work on a feature film with Hollywood scriptwriter William Blinn. Dickerson leaves The Revolution and is replaced by Wendy Melvoin (like Lisa Coleman, the daughter of a session musician). Prince cancels sellout dates at London's Dominion Theatre.

May 1983
"Little Red Corvette" peaks at US#6 while 1999 makes it to US#9; the album will remain charted for two years.

July 1983
"1999" returns to the chart and this time ends up at US#12.

October 1983
"Delirious" makes it to US#8.

November 1983
Filming begins on Purple Rain; it will take seven weeks and cost $7 million. Performance scenes are shot at Minneapolis' Fifth [sic] Avenue Club. Wendy and Lisa contribute to the project as a songwriting team [sic].

January 1984
"Let's Pretend We're Married"/"Irresistible Bitch" peaks at US#52.

(taken from http://eightiesclub.tripo...id240.htm)

madhouseman said:

Hmmm... Just because 'The Dance Electric' and 'God' weren't recorded in a studio until 1984, who's to say that earlier home recordings of these songs don't exist? I mean, how many times were 'Wouldn't You Love To Love Me' or 'Feel U Up' dusted off, before a definitive version emerged?

Anything is possible. I wish that blackguitaristz could transcribe what he's read in those old magazines.

NouveauDance said:

I have Per Nilsen's DMSR's book as well. Indeed, it does list recording dates. Glad you took the time to check out each song date.

Jasziah said:

No reason to be telling tales. One, the Rolling Stone interview was a Prince cover story and it was 1985. This info was printed in magazines I mentioned in my thread, and thought it interesting.

...Ah, speculation and what if's?
Makes the org go round.

BorisFishpaw said:

Now that's the spirit!

I wish that Prince would gather up many of the songs recorded during this period ("Extra Lovable","Moonbeam Levels","Possessed",demo version of "Something In The Water",etc) and release them,in some form or another.Those songs are incredible!!! In fact,my favorite Prince bootlegs are the ones recorded around this period (1982/83/84).

DavidEye said:

It sure would be nice.....