Prince's 'Purple Rain' Catapults to No. 4 on Billboard Top 200
By: Caryn Robbins Jul. 06, 2017
Released by NPG Records and Warner Bros. Records in new Deluxe and Deluxe - Expanded Edition formats last week, Prince's Academy Award® and GRAMMY Award®-winning RIAA diamond-certified masterpiece Purple Rain now returns to the Top 5 of the Billboard Top 200 and bows at #4. Combining all versions, the album moved 52,000-plus cumulative units.
Additionally, it also captured #1 on the Top Soundtrack Albums Chart, #1 on the Top Vinyl Albums Chart, and #1 on the Top Catalog Albums Chart. As soon as the Deluxe and Deluxe - Expanded Edition versions went live, the record became a mainstay in the Top 10 of iTunes Overall Top Albums Chart. Tastemakers have universally lauded this definitive Purple Rain. Awarding it a highly rare perfect 10.0 score, Pitchfork wrote, "more than three decades on, it still retains all of its power." In a 5-out-of-5-star review, Rolling Stone claimed, "a crisp remaster and discs of bonus material will make you miss the pop auteur even more," andThe New Yorker praised, "louder, brighter, and still undeniable." Entertainment Weekly broke down all 11 unreleased tracks, and Billboard dubbed it "Album of the Week." On television, The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon also celebrated the release with a special homage from The Roots.The Deluxe and Deluxe - Expanded Edition were preceded by the release of three previously unheard anthems-"Electric Intercourse," "Our Destiny / Roadhouse Garden," and "Father's Song." In just a month, "Electric Intercourse" quickly surpassed 1 million Spotify streams. Meanwhile, each respective track would immediately draw critical praise right out of the gate.
The two-CD Purple Rain Deluxe set includes the official 2015 Paisley Park Remaster of the original tapes from the soundtrack, presenting an unheard vision of the album overseen and sanctioned by Prince himself. The From The Vault & Unreleased disc boasts eleven gems unearthed from the heart of Prince's storied vault.
Six tracks that have never been released or distributed in the collector or bootleg community include: "Possessed" - the '83 Prince solo version, never heard before; "Electric Intercourse" - the studio version not known to exist before it was discovered at Paisley Park; "Father's Song" - a full, five plus minute version that prior to this fans could only find a minute and half snippet of in the movie; "We Can f" - a track that has never circulated as the full, 10 minute version with these lyrics; and "Katrina's Paper Dolls" - a finished master of the song, which has previously only circulated as a demo. Additionally, all of the material is taken from the source and mastered by Bernie Grundman, the mastering engineer who worked on the original album.
In addition to the Original Album (2015 Paisley Park Remaster) and From The Vault & Unreleased, the Purple Rain Deluxe - Expanded Edition presents a third disc of Single Edits & B-Sides, as well as the concert DVDof Prince and The Revolution Live! at the Carrier Dome Syracuse, NY March 30, 1985. With audio and video restored from the original production master tape, it offers an exclusive vignette into the passion and power of his legendary live performances during one of the artist's most celebrated eras.
The DNA of Purple Raincan be felt throughout pop culture at large. It is a timeless body of work with an immortal resonance exemplified by smashes such as "Let's Go Crazy," "When Doves Cry," "Darling Nikki," the title track "Purple Rain," and more. 1984's Purple Rain remains a high watermark forPrince, changing the worlds of film and music. In its initial run, the theatrical musical generated over $220 million worldwide at the box office against an estimated $7.2 million budget, while receiving the Academy Award® for "Best Original Song Score." Minted Diamond by the RIAA for sales exceeding 13 million, the record stands out as the sixth best-selling soundtrack album in history, moving more than 22 million copies. Hailed by Vanity Fair as "the best soundtrack of all time," Time Magazine placed it as the 15th greatest album ever. Posthumously, it was honored as "Favorite Soundtrack" at the 2016 American Music Awards. The album won two 1985 GRAMMY Awards® in the categories of "Best Rock Vocal Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal" and "Best Album of Original Score Written for a Motion Picture or Television Special." Posthumously, it was honored as "Favorite Soundtrack" at the 2016 American Music Awards. It was also recently nominated for a 2017 Billboard Music Award in the Top Category of "Top Soundtrack/Cast Album." The ultimate vision of Prince's Purple Rain is here.
Below is the complete tracklist for both editions
PURPLE RAIN DELUXE
Disc One: Original Album (2015 Paisley Park Remaster)
- Let's Go Crazy
- Take Me With U
- The Beautiful Ones
- Computer Blue
- Darling Nikki
- When Doves Cry
- I Would Die 4 U
- Baby I'm A Star
- Purple Rain
Disc Two: From The Vault & Previously Unreleased
PURPLE RAIN DELUXE - EXPANDED EDITION
Includes Disc One and Disc Two as Listed Above
Disc Three: Single Edits & B-Sides
- When Doves Cry (edit)
- 17 Days
- Let's Go Crazy (edit)
- Let's Go Crazy (Special Dance Mix)
- Erotic City
- Erotic City ("Make Love Not War Erotic City Come Alive")
- Purple Rain (edit)
- God
- God (Love Theme From Purple Rain)
- Another Lonely Christmas
- Another Lonely Christmas (extended version)
- I Would Die 4 U (edit)
- I Would Die 4 U (extended version)
- Baby I'm A Star (edit
- Take Me With U (edit)
DVD: Prince And The Revolution, Live at the Carrier Dome, Syracuse, NY, March 30, 1985
- Let's Go Crazy
- Delirious
- 1999
- Little Red Corvette
- Take Me With U
- Do Me, Baby
- Irresistible Bitch
- Possessed
- How Come U Don't Call Me Anymore?
- Let's Pretend We're Married
- International Lover
- God
- Computer Blue
- Darling Nikki
- The Beautiful Ones
- When Doves Cry
- I Would Die 4 U
- Baby I'm A Star
- Purple Rain
ABOUT PRINCE:
Prince endures as one of the most important, influential, and impactful artists in history.Selling 100 million records worldwide, he remains one of the best-selling artists of all time.
A 2004 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Inductee, he garnered a 1985 Academy Award® in the category of "Best Original Song Score" for the film Purple Rain, a total of seven GRAMMY Awards®, a 2006 Golden Globe Award for "Best Original Song" in Happy Feet, and an American Music Award, among countless other accolades. He holds #27 onRolling Stone's list of the 100 Greatest Artists. 1984's Purple Rain remains a high watermark for Prince, changing the worlds of film and music. Minted Diamond by the RIAA for sales exceeding 13 million, the record stands out as the sixth best-selling soundtrack album in history, moving more than 22 million copies.
Known for his marathon shows, he delivered countless historic performances such as theSuper Bowl XLI Halftime Show. Enchanting the modern era, he headlined festivals such as Coachella and Montreux Jazz Festival in addition to selling out arenas and stadiums everywhere. Along the way, he collaborated with everyone from Michael Jackson, James Brown, Beyoncé and Amy Winehouse to Tom Petty, Madonna, and Mary J. Blige. In 2016, Prince passed, but his spirit continued to shine in the hearts and minds of fans worldwide. President Barack Obama lauded his legacy as his music blared from every corner of the globe. Ushering his talent to the forefront of the digital age for a new generation, Warner Bros. Records along with NPG Records re-introduced some of his legendary catalog to streaming platforms in early 2017.
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