Prince and the Purple Rain Era Studio Sessions: 1983 and 1984 (Prince Studio Sessions)

Every so often over the years, I would come across a book that would help to give me a window into this magical, musical world, most notably, books and material compiled and written by Per Nilsen, all of which are now either difficult to find and/or enormously expensive due to their rarity. But now, I believe that I have read a work that has exceeded all of my expectations for what a volume of Prince "behind-the scenes" could possibly be, so much so that I think it has also transcended its core subject matter to make a grand statement about the nature of art, inspiration and creativity itself. "Prince and the Purple Rain Era Studio Session 1983 and 1984" from Author Duane Tudahl (once an associate of the aforementioned Per Nilsen) is indispensable, for fans of Prince and frankly, of music itself. This meticulous, exhaustively researched tome, complete with prologue, epilogue and an introduction written by like minded and self described "Prince scholar" Ahmir "Questlove' Thompson, Tudahl takes one specific period in Prince's musical history from January 1983 through December 1984 and details it extensively in almost diary format, all the while chronicling the end of the era of "1999 "the beginnings and recordings of the songs that would constitute "Purple Rain" plus The Time's "Ice Cream Castle," "Apollonia 6," Shelia E.'s "The Glamorous Life" and even the bulk of what would become Prince and the Revolution's "Around The World In A Day" and even the one and only release from "The Family." Add to even that, there are the details of the concerts performed and rehearsed, the writing, filming and release of Director Albert Magnoli's "Purple Rain" film plus the preparations and frustrations of the "Purple Rain" tour, the disillusion of The Time and the rise of The Family, Prince's struggles with post "Purple Rain" superstardom after having existed as a cult hero, his constant need to find inspiration to create and his astonishing dedication to his craft throughout. In addition to Tudahl's clean, elegant prose, he includes copious interview segments, both archived and newly granted, from a variety of the principal cast of characters of this specific era. Memories from The Revolution, The Time, The Family, Vanity/Apollonia 6 and more are all here plus those from exceedingly crucial players, most notably Engineer Susan Rogers, who shared an intensely close working relationship with Prince over the duration of the period when his most celebrated material was created. What I loved so terribly much about this book was how Tudahl brilliantly weaved a narrative that succeeded on a variety of levels. First, he cuts past the notions of Prince's place as a celebrity and enigmatic public figure to focus directly upon what tends to be somewhat lost when people write or possibly even think of him, and that is his extraordinary work ethic. At the outset of this posting, I questioned just how did Prince ever accomplish all that he did and even after reading, I still question it because of his excessive determination and inner drive to play, to create, and to release his gifts to the world. With the book's chronological, month-by-month, day-by-day structure, we are witness to how Prince would record for hours on end without sleep and therefore, requiring and daring his associates, from bandmates to engineers, to keeping up with his seemingly impossible pace, as well as some eccentric recording habits, like recording his vocals with little to no one present as he desired privacy in this area as well as having beds delivered to studios as he liked feeling "at home" as he wrote lyrics. Beyond that, I was astounded to regard the man's crystal clear clarity as he was able to focus with laser like efficiency on whatever project he was recording for, especially as he was working on several albums at the same time. He had an uncanny ability to know precisely which song would work best for whichever project, even if it confounded those closest to him. Furthermore, Tudahl also demonstrates that what was new to us as listeners, was already old and in the distant past to him, making Prince an artistic figure that was forever restless with his own creativity. To regard that "Around The World In A Day" was essentially completed and in the can as the "Purple Rain" tour was beginning was astonishing to me, plus the fact that so much material that still remains unreleased was created during this period as well, which Tudahl also details. From this aspect of the book, I think Tudahl has delivered a powerful service, especially in our era of severe instant gratification and entitlement. Nothing worth doing arrives without the work that one puts into it and Tudahl illustrates over and again that Prince was not a genius because he snapped his fingers and magic happened. He was a genius because he took it to the woodshed, so to speak, every single time, demanding nothing but the best of himself plus whomever happened to be working with him at the time, performing what felt to be impossible and discovering newfound abilities and talents along the way. And to that end, Duane Tudahl's book speaks to the nature of art and creativity itself as he presents just exactly how Prince found himself inspired in the first place, and how he feverishly tried to keep tapping into that specific spirit for every new song that emerged in his brain. Certainly not an easy process but one that Prince was demonstrably in service towards. The search never ceased just as the pursuit for excellence, and if anything has been captured to such a towering degree is that very pursuit for the work was never truly finished--and in that regard, that sentiment works just as equally for Duane Tudahl as it did for Prince. I can only imagine just what Tudahl endured creatively to make a work like this one come to life. From the interviews, of course, but just think of the archived studio logs and information that is now over 30 years old and having to sift through all of it in order to make this narrative function to its very best. Knowing that he is planning further installments, therefore making this book the very first of a series, I am already salivating at the opportunity to dive in again to read about what reportedly will cover the years 1985 and 1986, especially and creatively productive and turbulent times for Prince. For now, we have this initial volume, a work that proves without question that it is an essential document of two years in the life of one of the most idiosyncratic artists we have been fortunate enough to experience. Duane Tudahl has created a work that not only demands and deserves its own reverence, it is equal to the artistic nature and commitment of its subject.

For a fan like me who loves Prince's entire career but is especially fascinated with the Purple Rain era with The Revolution, this book is the holy grail of Prince books. Instead of simply giving us a list of studio sessions as a simple reference book, Duane Tudahl presents a compelling narrative (with quotes from Prince and those who worked closely with him) to give us a month-by-month -- often day-by-day -- account of Prince's work schedule, discussing what was going on in Prince's career and life during these sessions. The author draws upon previous interviews but also conducted many new interviews for this book, and the result gives the reader a unique new perspective never before captured in a book about Prince. There is no gossip or dirt here. The focus is on the music, as it should be. You still get glimpses into Prince's personal life through the eyes and ears of those who worked closest with him, but respectfully so, and only in relation to how it affected his music. In interviews and podcasts promoting the book, Tudahl talked about the years of his life that he spent devotedly and meticulously working on this book, and his devotion is evident in this book. It is clearly a labor of love. It was a huge thrill for me to read about what was going on in the studio and thinking about what was happening in my life at that time, a time was Prince's music consumed me completely. For someone like me who discovered Prince in 1983 and has been obsessed with his music from that time, getting an insight into how this music was conceived and created is a gift that I never dreamed would be possible. During the time period covered in the book, Prince was working on his own music as well as music for The Time, Vanity 6, Appolonia 6, Sheila E., and others. The book covers what is arguably Prince's most prolific time period and documents it in extreme detail while never sounding boring or too scholarly. It's written in simple language that allows you to focus on the story and the songs and not get bogged down in an elaborate writing style or editorializing. The focus is on Prince's music, which is why this book is such a joy to read. I sincerely hope that this book sells well because I would love to see additional volumes covering other eras in Prince's career. Thanks Duane for a fascinating book!

I received my book on Thursday and well, I called in sick to work yesterday and I finished it this morning. Now I am reading it again, but this time will take it a bit more slowly and let it sink in. I have been a fan of Prince since the first time I saw him at First Ave. Oct. 5 1981. His leaving us last year was devastating for me, I still can not talk about him on a personal level, it is that painful a year and a half later. However, reading this book was amazing, I was like a fly on the wall of the studio, unnoticed while he recorded some of his most incredible work. And while at moments I felt tears welling up as his associates discussed things like his sense of humour, it brought back so many wonderful memories of those magic years of 1983 and 1984 in Minneapolis. This is the first book about Prince that I have read, perhaps ever, that had completely new information about Prince, while pretty much everything else out there is a just a rehash of the same information with a couple of new quotes here and there. This book provided great insight into how Prince created music and how music created him. Learning how he spent New Years Eve 1983, after the year he had, well that alone was worth the price of admission. While some may say that this book is for really hard core fans, I say fiddle faddle to that (well actually I say something a bit different that starts with the same first letter...). This book is a wonderful read for fans and non fans alike, as it chronicles arguably the greatest musician, performer, composer and recording artist of the 20th century as he goes from a cult hero to the most popular entertainer on earth. The focus is on his work and I doubt that one will find another artist since Mozart that worked so hard and such long hours, and like Mozart, it would seem that it was not work for him. After reading this book it became obvious to me that for Prince not to be recording his music was as impossible for him as it would be for him not to breath. It inspires and leaves me in awe of the man. The book is obviously a work of pure love from the author versus so many other obvious quick cash grabs. It provides oodles of details, but not in some dry fire scorched manner, but instead telling the story with the same passion and depth that Prince put into his music. Scholarly work, no doubt, I can only imagine the decades of research the author put into this book and that would have been enough, but he also proves to be an excellent story teller. A rare combination. My sincere thanks to the author for bringing Prince back for me. Get the book, put on Purple Rain, Ice Cream Castles, The Glamorous Life, and Apollonia 6 and loose yourself in Prince's world. Amazon, where is the pre-order link for the next book??? I can't wait.

I have loved Prince for a long time and have read almost every book worth reading about him...and THEN I read this one. From the first few pages, you quickly realize how incredibly special the book is. It's obvious that the author worked very hard to create a timeline, following Prince for two years during a crucial part of his life and career. This isn't a rehash of the stories we have all heard, this isn't an outsider looking in feeling, there is nothing superficial here. Tudahl is a Prince historian who has, lovingly, given his readers a very detailed look at the day to day of Prince's life, weaving stories in and around the recording sessions of the music that was central to everything. The chapter format, tying specific songs directly to Prince's day to day, makes the stories come alive in such a unique way. The book, obviously, took hard work. Tudahl interviewed so many people who were close to Prince during this 1983-1984 time period, so you get a very fresh take. And the direct quotes from Prince that headline most chapters are ones I had never read before...I started putting sticky notes on the pages with new quotes until it became too time consuming. It's all new information, and I hung on every word. Tudahl is a gifted writer, and that matters. He has organized the material in a a special way by following Prince's life through his studio sessions, but he brings each day to life with a beautiful writing style. You cannot wait to get to the next page because it flows and because you know there is something new ahead. This is the best book I have ever read about Prince. It is written with love and care. It is thoroughly researched with new interviews and quotes never gathered together before. And the stories are anchored by the music that Prince wanted to be remembered for. There is a respect for Prince here that is poignant and very clear. The author has his priorities straight. He wanted to give his readers a deep look at a legendary musician, and we are left with an unforgettable keepsake. (I just ordered the expanded paperback edition that I am told has a wealth of more brand new information). Thank you, Mr. Tudahl. Your contribution to Prince's legacy is profound, and I hope there are more books to come.

Two of my favorite music books are both about The Beatles and are by Mark Lewisohn- “The Beatles: Recording Sessions: The Official Abbey Road Studio Session Notes, 1962-1970” and “Tune In: The Beatles: All These Years”. The former is a day-by-day listing of all the Beatles sessions in Abbey Road, all of the who, what, and why. The latter is an exhaustive biography of the band told in minute detail with a plethora of anecdotes, memories, and stories from those that were with them. What Duane Tudahl has done here with “Prince and the Purple Rain Era Studio Sessions: 1983 and 1984” is no small feat- he’s combined the best of each format and created the new standard for fan-based music journalism. Tudahl has meticulously captured the studio sessions, included stories from those that were there, and fleshed out the back story of the key players to add a historical perspective. This book is not just about the songs- it’s about the players and singers that participated along the journey. I would not have thought this book would interest me as a casual Prince fan, but this book really captures the genius and illustrates the abundant talent- so much talent that Prince created additional bands to allow for his musical output to be released. Purple Rain the album is a classic, but to put it in perspective along with The Time, Shiela E, Apollonia, and The Family among others in mind boggling. And the amount of great music recorded in such a short period is amazing. The book itself is well researched and well written. Mr. Tudahl is a fan, and it shows on every page. It’s impressive that he tracked down so many people and got them to share stories on the record, and that only happens when the writer has a love for the art and the artist. This book is the a legacy to the music and the scene for posterity and is the new benchmark for music books to come. I echo the thoughts of others in hope that this is the start of a series that will lead through the labyrinth of songs in 1985-86 and Sign O’ The Times. The hard back book is beautifully printed. The binding is gorgeous and the typeset is easy to read. I loved the book so much I bought the Kindle version as well so that I could have a portable copy. I plan to revisit this book many times as I listen to music from this era. It truly is an interactive experience.

Good read.

Sorry, not sorry. Long, gushing review ahead. Whether you're a Prince fan, a musician, a recording studio technician, music educator or just curious enough to want to know how the mind of a musical genius works then this book is for you. Duane Tudahl interviewed over 50 Prince collaborators to document a cohesive and definitive overview during one of his most creative periods, 1983 to 1984. The writing, recording and filming of Purple Rain. Not to mention the writing and recording and production of the albums for The Time, The Family, both Vanity 6 and Apollonia 6 as well as Stevie Nicks "Stand Back" (uncredited) and Sheena Easton's "Sugar Walls with the latter being written and produced by Prince alter ego Alexander Nevermind. Not to mention every other waking hour spent on rehearsals and live performance while keeping a very wide lens on every aspect of the world around him. Who needs sleep? Obviously, not Prince. This book is brilliant. And thrilling. And simply an astonishing read especially when Duane breaks it all down to it's most simplest explanation. Here was this 24 year old musical prodigy, on the cusp of mega stardom, who knew exactly what he wanted even when everyone around him were scratching their heads. Like his vision and talent, his confidence was otherworldly. He had no doubt he was going to do what he set out to do. This is a reference guide like no other and with Duane looking at writing for other eras, I for one cannot wait. If this were an actual class, I would sharpen my No. 2 pencils so fast! As someone who writes and records, this is now a textbook. Filled with handwritten notes, highlighted passages and underlined step by step directions on how Prince moved through the studio process. Not quitting a song until it was completely finished. From conception to completion. Pushing everyone as hard as he pushed himself. The faster he worked, the quicker a song would be done because he already had another one scrambling to get out. He would drive himself and his engineers to the brink of exhaustion but the results of this frenetic pace changed the musical landscape forever. There is so much fascinating information spilling out in this monster of a book but one thing I keep coming back to is Prince doing his vocals in the control room. Right at the board. Alone. He'd kick everyone out so he could focus on getting his best performance. Can you imagine being outside that door while he recorded the vocals for The Beautiful Ones? Probably in the hours right before the sun came up and hearing those screaming pleas at the end but not hearing the music yet? "Do you want him or do you want me? Because I want you." Can someone please get that isolated vocal out into the world because oh my God! Seriously, "Prince and the Purple Rain Era Studio Sessions 1983 and 1984" is not only one of the best Prince books I have ever read but just a fantastic book in general. Such important musical history that needs to be chronicled. Thank you Duane for doing the work. How lucky we are.

I read the digital version, but now I need to order the hard copy so I can refer to it easily. I’ve been so engrossed in the Prince afterlife that I started to forget how the artist created the music. Thank you, Mr. Tudahl, for reminding me. It’s important to never lose site of this. As I was reading the book, I was in awe of how much research and attention to detail that the author put into it. The sessions, the dates, the players, and the mysteries seemed impossible to timeline this way, but somehow the author has managed to piece it all together in a fascinating historical page-turner. He’s even included some of the unknown behind-the-scenes stories, the triumphs and tragedies. It’s very well written with great insight into the creative process of the complicated artist we know and love. I feel that I’ve walked away with a greater understanding of the music. As I was reading, I went back and really listened to Prince’s music – I played the tracks that Tudahl highlighted in the book and I felt like I heard something new in the songs. I noticed the layers to the lyrics and creativity in the sounds. It was crazy that I’ve listened to these same songs for years, but now I appreciate them and respect the art even more than I had before now that I know how they were created. I also learned why Prince retreated once super stardom took hold, but the music was his way of communicating – it was always his priority. As a writer myself, I respect the attention to detail and the love behind the concept of this book that was years in the making. The massive amounts of research and interviews is unimaginable! Prince fans will often turn to books as a sense of closure, but not this one – this book defines a legacy, forever leaving a footprint in music history. Thank you, Mr. Tudahl. I can’t wait to read the next book in this series. Mr. Tudahl, can we get that by next week??? Pretty please??? Haha! Well, until it does arrive, we will be waiting….

THE best book if you want to know how Princes amazing songs were created in the first place. A must read for every fan and highly recommended for every music lover

La littérature de qualité sur la musique et l'univers de Prince est suffisamment rare pour ne pas signaler cet ouvrage. Un concentré rempli de détails forts instructifs pour celles et ceux qui souhaitent découvrir, approfondir ou redécouvrir cette période si dense et riche. L'auteur Duane Tudhal, ayant déjà participé à l'équipée du magazine Uptown des années 1990 aux côtés de Per Nielsen, a su creuser et décortiquer le quotidien en studio de Prince parmi deux de ses années les plus prolifiques, grace a ses recherches studio, interviews des protagonistes proches de cette époque. Bonne lecture à vous

The author invested a lot of time, effort and care in this work and it shows. The breadth and depth of research is wonderful, drawing on documented recording studio work orders and then providing context from many hours of interviewing those that worked with Prince during this period, and supplemented with other interviews and information from over succeeding years. The result is a fascinating and eminently credible portrait of a young, hugely ambitious and talented musician and recording artist who was producing music on a daily basis in an unparalleled fashion. Duane captures the excitement, wonder and frustrations of those working with Prince, the man's unrelenting pace of work and desire to write, record, rehearsal and perform, and the highs and lows of his professional and personal life. Although presenting information about Prince's recordings and performances by way of a detailed chronology, Prince's life story during this period is carefully told. Complementing the quality of the content, the book is beautifully bound. For anyone interested in Prince's life and work, this labour of love is most rewarding and highly recommended.

For any Prince fan who has had their fill of the usual biography, regurgitating the same facts and "celebrity gossip" this is the antidote. Duane has chosen to concentrate on just one period of Prince's incredible career, the payoff being more depth of knowledge being brought forth than in ANY other Prince book. Per Nielson has been the benchmark for such scholarly Prince works, but by just looking at 2 years of Prince's career this book builds on his work and quite simply surpasses it in almost every regard. Whilst casual fans may be turned off by the level of minutia here, hard core fans will delight and revel in it. The vast amount of research that went into this book is readily apparent and it gives fans a whole new level of appreciation for Prince's talent and his incredible work ethic. It doesn't just deliver dry facts though, Duane Tudahl has a fluid, enjoyable writing style that makes this an excellent read. There are many revelations in this book, some great stories, and an incredible list of Prince associates imparting their first hand knowledge of Prince's work process. I've been a deep level fan for 30 years and this book was packed with information I had never heard or read before. It's been a great source of new inspiration, inspiring me to dig back into Prince and his associated artists back catalogue to reg-listen to the tracks he is describing. It's quite the experience to listen to an obscure track whilst reading about what exactly was happening during it's creation and who was doing what on the recording. If you're a big enough fan to own a bootleg, this is the Prince book you MUST own. I cannot recommend this book highly enough and can only hope that Duane will continue the work and produce a series of books - the definitive collection on Prince.

[Para la critica en castellano, leed más abajo] I give this book a 5 star rating because I can't give more. Duane Tudahl offers us a extraordinary glimpse at Prince and his creative process (in the studio as well as in rehearsals and jam sessions) and let's us se trough a keyhole the guy behind the music, a extremely talented guy but a guy nonetheless, with flaws and passions as any other human. Tudahl's attention to detail is sick. What I like the most about this book is how is structured: it covers 2 years, every chapter is a month and every month is divided in days indicating wich day a song was recorded/rehearsed/concieved at what time, where and maybe why . The book is told in a confesional manner, Tudahl uses hundreds of hours of interviews with the people that was there when it happened (sound technitians/engineers, band members, friends.) and sews a enlighting story that is very easy to follow and without any distracting footnotes. U can read it without previous knowledge of technical stuff (the books explains the most dificult stuff very well) but I myself been a sound technitian, I find a bonus of information. I highly recomend this book to any Prince fan, casual or hardcore that loves Purple Rain era and the guy behind all. And to everyone else that doesn't hear real music by real musicians I say: U may want to read this, it will show U how it's done. I sincerely hope this is the first volume of a series covering from "For You"(1978) to "Hit'n'Run Phase Two" (2016). Well done Duane!. ---------------------- Le doy a este libro 5 estrellas porque no le puedo dar más. Duane Tudahl nos ofrece un extraordinario vistazo al mundo de Prince y su proceso creativo (en el estudio, así como en ensayos y sesiones improvisadas) y nos permite ver a través de la cerradura al hombre detrás de la música, un chico extremadamente talentoso pero un chico de 25 años al fin y al cabo con sus defectos y virtudes como cualquier otro ser humano. La atención al detalle de Tudahl es enfermiza. Lo que más me gusta de este libro es cómo está estructurado: abarca 2 años, cada capítulo es un mes y cada mes se divide en días, indicando en qué día se grabó / ensayó / concibió una canción en qué momento, dónde y quizás el por qué. El libro es contado de manera confesional, Tudahl usa cientos de horas de entrevistas con la gente que estaba allí cuando sucedió (técnicos/ingenieros de sonido, miembros de la banda, amigos) y teje una historia esclarecedora que es muy fácil de seguir y sin ninguna nota a pie de pagina. Se puede leer sin conocimientos previos de jerga técnica (el libros explica muy bien las cosas más difíciles) pero yo mismo siendo técnico de sonido, encuentro un plus de información. Recomiendo encarecidamente este libro a cualquier fan de Prince, añejo o nuevo que le encante la época de Purple Rain y el hombre detrás de todo. Y a todos aquellos que no escuchan música real por músicos reales les digo: quizás queráis leer esto, así es cómo se hace. Espero sinceramente que este sea el primer volumen de una serie que abarque desde "For You" (1978) hasta "Hit'n'Run Phase Two" (2016). ¡Bien hecho Duane!.