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Prince Studio Sessions #1
Prince and the Purple Rain Era Studio Sessions
Prince and the Purple Rain Era Studio Sessions pulls back the paisley curtain to reveal the untold story of Prince’s rise from cult favorite to the biggest rock star on the planet. His journey is meticulously documented through detailed accounts of his time secluded behind the doors of the recording studio as well as his days on tour.
With unprecedented access to the musicians, singers, and studio engineers who knew Prince best, including members of The Revolution and The Time, Duane Tudahl weaves an intimate saga of an eccentric genius and the people and events who helped shape the groundbreaking music he created. From Sunset Sound Studios' daily recording logs and Warner Brothers' vault of information, Tudahl uncovers hidden truths about the origins of songs such as “Purple Rain,” “When Doves Cry,” and “Raspberry Beret” and also reveals never-before-published details about Prince's unreleased outtakes.
This definitive chronicle of Prince's creative brilliance during 1983 and 1984 reveals a new experience of the Purple Rain album as an integral part of Prince's life and the lives of those closest to him.
With unprecedented access to the musicians, singers, and studio engineers who knew Prince best, including members of The Revolution and The Time, Duane Tudahl weaves an intimate saga of an eccentric genius and the people and events who helped shape the groundbreaking music he created. From Sunset Sound Studios' daily recording logs and Warner Brothers' vault of information, Tudahl uncovers hidden truths about the origins of songs such as “Purple Rain,” “When Doves Cry,” and “Raspberry Beret” and also reveals never-before-published details about Prince's unreleased outtakes.
This definitive chronicle of Prince's creative brilliance during 1983 and 1984 reveals a new experience of the Purple Rain album as an integral part of Prince's life and the lives of those closest to him.
553 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 1, 2017
83 people are currently reading
855 people want to read
About the author
Duane Tudahl
6 books33 followersAs a Baltimore native, Duane Tudahl got his start as a medical photographer for Johns Hopkins Hospital. Since moving to California in 1987, he has worked in entertainment, producing and/or directing documentary programming for The History Channel, CBS, GTV, Fox, Discovery, Pax, The Gospel Music Channel, the Food Channel, Tru-TV and HGTV. He was an Executive Producer for a documentary about the Special Olympics which was hosted by Vanessa Williams and featured Stevie Wonder, Bono, Jordin Sparks, Run DMC, and Jimmy Iovine.
Tudahl is a former stand up comic and has spoken at conventions around the country about the documentaries he produced for The History Channel. He has also been an editor on multiple Emmy nominated programs including INTERVENTION, UNSOLVED MYSTERIES and COPS as well as music videos for Coolio, Krayzie Bone and various others.
He has been writing about Prince and the Minneapolis music scene for over 25 years and has researched and contributed to several books about the subject. His first book, “Prince and The Purple Rain Era Studio Sessions: 1983-1984” is being published in November 2017 by Rowman & Littlefield. It is the introductory volume of his series about Prince’s studio sessions.
Tudahl lives in Los Angeles with his wife, daughter and a very brave dog named Hero.
Tudahl is a former stand up comic and has spoken at conventions around the country about the documentaries he produced for The History Channel. He has also been an editor on multiple Emmy nominated programs including INTERVENTION, UNSOLVED MYSTERIES and COPS as well as music videos for Coolio, Krayzie Bone and various others.
He has been writing about Prince and the Minneapolis music scene for over 25 years and has researched and contributed to several books about the subject. His first book, “Prince and The Purple Rain Era Studio Sessions: 1983-1984” is being published in November 2017 by Rowman & Littlefield. It is the introductory volume of his series about Prince’s studio sessions.
Tudahl lives in Los Angeles with his wife, daughter and a very brave dog named Hero.
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October 31, 2017
3.5/5 This book is about Prince during a specific period of time (1983-1984) when he was at his most creative. It was a time when he was touring and recording and got off the road to make a movie that started out being titled "Dream" but ended up becoming "Purple Rain". It talks about all 3 bands that he was writing for and running on tour, which was crazy, he had The Time, Destiny 6, and his own band, but he practiced with all three bands. It goes into every studio session between those years, the where (studio), what (songs, instruments) and who (producer, artist, engineer) of them. It also talks to the people who were there, accessing their memories for details of the times, now decades old, by getting hours of interviews. Many of the friends going back to elementary friends school. Prince was known as a workaholic, often working in the recording studio all night until dawn, going thru 3 recording engineers before he finally tired out. This is for Prince fans really. Thanks for reading. An ARC was provided by NetGalley for an unbiased review.
March 12, 2018
Every so often over the years, I would come across a book that would help to give me a window into the magical, musical world of Prince, 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 which ever 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--an din 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, therefor making this book the vert 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.
"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 which ever 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--an din 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, therefor making this book the vert 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.
September 27, 2017
On April 21, 2016, the world lost one of the most prolific, hard-working musicians that ever lived. Prince Rogers Nelson was a bona-fide legend, his talent only eclipsed by the aura of mystery that surrounded him. In the wake of his death, many writers (both professional and amateur) have written books that attempt to unravel Prince’s mystery while also honoring the legacy he left behind. However, few of these books have been met with the kind of anticipation and hype that Duane Tudahl’s Prince and the Purple Rain Era Studio Sessions: 1983 and 1984 has. A labor of love over 20 years in the making, Tudahl’s meticulous day-to-day chronicle of Prince’s creative output during his most commercially popular era is one of the most comprehensive works ever crafted about the Purple One.
While there has been a lot written on the Purple Rain era because of its popularity, the genius of this book lies in its attention to detail. Simply put, the work Tudahl has done on this book is astounding. It is truly a mix of a recording log and a memoir. Copious quotes from band members, engineers, and other insiders from the era really drive the book’s momentum forward and help the reader feel as if he/she really is a fly on the wall in Prince’s world. Info from daily studio work orders — including song titles, engineers present, and time booked — is all included, surrounded by a narrative relying on collaborators’ own words. Anecdotes from Susan Rogers about Prince recording “God” in a dark studio by candlelight, and David Z. recalling a quip from Prince saying a take wasn’t working because David’s “shirt [was] too loud” make reading easy, intimate, and fun. Although the author never interviewed Prince, there are many quotes of his from other sources that are often revealing and, almost always, profound. Prince’s quotes are all bolded within the text to give them special importance, which is a nice stylistic touch.
“Sex is always the most interesting thing to write about. It’s the one subject people can’t talk about without losing their cool. Have you ever noticed people can talk about Iran, they can talk about JFK being shot, but as soon as you bring up their sex life, they start stuttering? My family, my father and my mother, life and death, are far more personal to me than sex.” –Prince (p. 398)
In a sense, Tudahl has taken the aesthetics of documentary filmmaking — a medium with which he is very familiar — and applied them to the written word. The way the book is constructed gives a very visual dimension to the text, like a documentary playing in one’s mind as one reads. If (as the author suggests in the Preface) you play the songs in the background as they appear in the text, the reading experience becomes even more immersive and intimate. [It’s important to note here that the primary audience for this book is hardcore Prince fans who, more than likely, would have access to unreleased recordings, although in no way does the book condone or endorse bootlegs.]
This book ranks right up there with the likes of Per Nilsen’s DanceMusicSexRomance and Uptown Magazine’s The Vault as indispensable pieces of the literary Prince canon. The fact that the one and only Questlove, a self-professed Prince scholar, contributed the Foreword tells you how important and vital this book (the first volume in a potential Studio Sessions series) is. Books like these help keep Prince’s legacy alive and remind us what a special artist he was. Tudahl should be applauded for his exhaustive effort.
Prince and the Purple Rain Era Studio Sessions: 1983 and 1984 is out November 15 from Rowman & Littlefield Publishers (Hardcover, 514 pages).
While there has been a lot written on the Purple Rain era because of its popularity, the genius of this book lies in its attention to detail. Simply put, the work Tudahl has done on this book is astounding. It is truly a mix of a recording log and a memoir. Copious quotes from band members, engineers, and other insiders from the era really drive the book’s momentum forward and help the reader feel as if he/she really is a fly on the wall in Prince’s world. Info from daily studio work orders — including song titles, engineers present, and time booked — is all included, surrounded by a narrative relying on collaborators’ own words. Anecdotes from Susan Rogers about Prince recording “God” in a dark studio by candlelight, and David Z. recalling a quip from Prince saying a take wasn’t working because David’s “shirt [was] too loud” make reading easy, intimate, and fun. Although the author never interviewed Prince, there are many quotes of his from other sources that are often revealing and, almost always, profound. Prince’s quotes are all bolded within the text to give them special importance, which is a nice stylistic touch.
“Sex is always the most interesting thing to write about. It’s the one subject people can’t talk about without losing their cool. Have you ever noticed people can talk about Iran, they can talk about JFK being shot, but as soon as you bring up their sex life, they start stuttering? My family, my father and my mother, life and death, are far more personal to me than sex.” –Prince (p. 398)
In a sense, Tudahl has taken the aesthetics of documentary filmmaking — a medium with which he is very familiar — and applied them to the written word. The way the book is constructed gives a very visual dimension to the text, like a documentary playing in one’s mind as one reads. If (as the author suggests in the Preface) you play the songs in the background as they appear in the text, the reading experience becomes even more immersive and intimate. [It’s important to note here that the primary audience for this book is hardcore Prince fans who, more than likely, would have access to unreleased recordings, although in no way does the book condone or endorse bootlegs.]
This book ranks right up there with the likes of Per Nilsen’s DanceMusicSexRomance and Uptown Magazine’s The Vault as indispensable pieces of the literary Prince canon. The fact that the one and only Questlove, a self-professed Prince scholar, contributed the Foreword tells you how important and vital this book (the first volume in a potential Studio Sessions series) is. Books like these help keep Prince’s legacy alive and remind us what a special artist he was. Tudahl should be applauded for his exhaustive effort.
Prince and the Purple Rain Era Studio Sessions: 1983 and 1984 is out November 15 from Rowman & Littlefield Publishers (Hardcover, 514 pages).
November 16, 2017
Prince is music.
Prince is a prolific writer.
Prince is a workaholic.
Prince can be tough at times.
Prince has a way of pushing you beyond your self-assumed boundaries and will have you doing things you never thought possible…
We hear these notions that describe Prince so often, it’s almost easy to gloss over exactly what they mean. Only when we hear specific stories or accounts about working with him do these phrases truly begin to resonate past lore and into real life experience.
Prince and the Purple Rain Era Studio Sessions: 1983 and 1984 describes a young man who is almost solely fixated on his craft. He “hears” something and becomes singularly focused on translating what he hears for us to enjoy. When he says his songs are his “children”, he truly means this. He grows them, nurtures them, feeds them, spends quality time with them, he does all he can to help develop them into beautiful works of art we all deeply connect to.
This book explores the meticulous ways in which our hero brings his children to life. What you’ll read here is a study guide really for students of the music industry, sound engineering, production, musicianship, songwriting, musical collaboration…it is a book that shows the dedication and tenacity that goes into being such a prolific artist and all that it takes to support that artist in their work. This book shows that success does not happen overnight…or even that your biggest songs aren’t always a direct download straight to tape. Sometimes you will tinker for weeks to get it juuusssst right. Bias aside (smile) Prince is of course the greatest to have ever done it, and it’s important to know that there’s A LOT of work and A LOT of sacrifice that happens behind the curtain…a message that clearly comes through in this book.
For fams, this book will give you a deeper appreciation for these songs that mean so much to us. The amount of work and care that Prince put into them is INCREDIBLE. For those who wonder what a certain song was about, you’ll get a bit of insight into that here. You’ll also get some insight into what a good day working with P is like…and what a bad day working with P is like. You’ll also get some information about where he found his inspiration…or his muses if you will, and that inspiration does not always come from those you would expect…
Prince and the Purple Rain Era Studio Sessions: 1983 and 1984 is an AMAZING labor of love that gives a great history in this bountiful time of Prince’s musical history. Take your time traveling this journey with him and imagine what it must have been like… 4am at Sunset Sound knee deep in tinkering on Computer Blue after several weeks of work on this same song to make it perfect for us, his family.
Thank you, Prince.
And thank you Duane for chronicling this incredible journey for us.
Prince is a prolific writer.
Prince is a workaholic.
Prince can be tough at times.
Prince has a way of pushing you beyond your self-assumed boundaries and will have you doing things you never thought possible…
We hear these notions that describe Prince so often, it’s almost easy to gloss over exactly what they mean. Only when we hear specific stories or accounts about working with him do these phrases truly begin to resonate past lore and into real life experience.
Prince and the Purple Rain Era Studio Sessions: 1983 and 1984 describes a young man who is almost solely fixated on his craft. He “hears” something and becomes singularly focused on translating what he hears for us to enjoy. When he says his songs are his “children”, he truly means this. He grows them, nurtures them, feeds them, spends quality time with them, he does all he can to help develop them into beautiful works of art we all deeply connect to.
This book explores the meticulous ways in which our hero brings his children to life. What you’ll read here is a study guide really for students of the music industry, sound engineering, production, musicianship, songwriting, musical collaboration…it is a book that shows the dedication and tenacity that goes into being such a prolific artist and all that it takes to support that artist in their work. This book shows that success does not happen overnight…or even that your biggest songs aren’t always a direct download straight to tape. Sometimes you will tinker for weeks to get it juuusssst right. Bias aside (smile) Prince is of course the greatest to have ever done it, and it’s important to know that there’s A LOT of work and A LOT of sacrifice that happens behind the curtain…a message that clearly comes through in this book.
For fams, this book will give you a deeper appreciation for these songs that mean so much to us. The amount of work and care that Prince put into them is INCREDIBLE. For those who wonder what a certain song was about, you’ll get a bit of insight into that here. You’ll also get some insight into what a good day working with P is like…and what a bad day working with P is like. You’ll also get some information about where he found his inspiration…or his muses if you will, and that inspiration does not always come from those you would expect…
Prince and the Purple Rain Era Studio Sessions: 1983 and 1984 is an AMAZING labor of love that gives a great history in this bountiful time of Prince’s musical history. Take your time traveling this journey with him and imagine what it must have been like… 4am at Sunset Sound knee deep in tinkering on Computer Blue after several weeks of work on this same song to make it perfect for us, his family.
Thank you, Prince.
And thank you Duane for chronicling this incredible journey for us.
August 31, 2020
This is THE Prince book as far as I'm concerned. The track by track breakdown presented in a linear fashion appeals to my details nerd side and all the interpersonal info and drama appeals to my music gossip side. A must read!
March 22, 2025
If you think you'd be interested in reading a daily account of Prince in the studio, from the end of the 1999 tour to the height of Purple Rain fame, then this is exactly the book it says it is, and thus great, but probably with limited appeal...
October 5, 2017
Prince’s unexpected passing on April 21, 2016 shocked the world. During his life he released 39 albums, four movies, and recorded thousands of songs, most of which remain locked in his vault. Without a doubt there will never be another music artist as skilled, productive, and revered as he was. He was always a rather private person, rarely giving interviews, and keeping his musical process a secret, except to those involved in it.
This book is the first installment of a planned series of books focusing on Prince’s musical career. The author, Duane Tudahl, has spent hundreds of hours interviewing numerous people who knew Prince throughout his life, from musicians he worked with to those few he had a personal relationship with. He has also had access to records from both Sunset Sound Studios and Warner Bros. This particular book focuses on the Purple Rain era (1983-1984), arguably his most well-known work.
The layout of the book is reminiscent of “The Complete Beatles Recording Sessions” by Mark Lewisohn, focusing day-by-day on the events of those two years. Starting with the end of the 1999 album tour, Tudahl details Prince’s recording sessions as well as concert dates, rehearsals, and important dates in his life, such as the premiere of the Purple Rain film. The session information is wonderfully detailed, from where they took place to the engineer on duty and the different instrument models used in recording. Tudahl also incorporates interviews from those involved such as bandmates, producers, and engineers, recalling not only recording details but also who Prince was as a person behind the scenes. Prince’s own words are quite rare, but the few quotes of his used in this book are in bold, as to rightfully draw attention to them.
Not only are Prince’s songs detailed, but so are those of his protégés, such as The Time, The Family, Apollonia 6, and Sheila E. Prince was extremely involved in their music, from writing and producing all of their songs to recording guide vocals for them to follow and imitate. This book also details events such as the fall of The Time, and the rise of The Family, again through thorough interviews with those involved.
This book is an incredible resource for both Prince fans and those researching his life. Even the most diehard of fans will be bound to find some fascinating tidbits that wouldn’t be found anywhere else. I was enthralled reading it and couldn’t put it down. I highly recommend it!
This book is the first installment of a planned series of books focusing on Prince’s musical career. The author, Duane Tudahl, has spent hundreds of hours interviewing numerous people who knew Prince throughout his life, from musicians he worked with to those few he had a personal relationship with. He has also had access to records from both Sunset Sound Studios and Warner Bros. This particular book focuses on the Purple Rain era (1983-1984), arguably his most well-known work.
The layout of the book is reminiscent of “The Complete Beatles Recording Sessions” by Mark Lewisohn, focusing day-by-day on the events of those two years. Starting with the end of the 1999 album tour, Tudahl details Prince’s recording sessions as well as concert dates, rehearsals, and important dates in his life, such as the premiere of the Purple Rain film. The session information is wonderfully detailed, from where they took place to the engineer on duty and the different instrument models used in recording. Tudahl also incorporates interviews from those involved such as bandmates, producers, and engineers, recalling not only recording details but also who Prince was as a person behind the scenes. Prince’s own words are quite rare, but the few quotes of his used in this book are in bold, as to rightfully draw attention to them.
Not only are Prince’s songs detailed, but so are those of his protégés, such as The Time, The Family, Apollonia 6, and Sheila E. Prince was extremely involved in their music, from writing and producing all of their songs to recording guide vocals for them to follow and imitate. This book also details events such as the fall of The Time, and the rise of The Family, again through thorough interviews with those involved.
This book is an incredible resource for both Prince fans and those researching his life. Even the most diehard of fans will be bound to find some fascinating tidbits that wouldn’t be found anywhere else. I was enthralled reading it and couldn’t put it down. I highly recommend it!
March 24, 2018
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!
June 22, 2018
As far as Prince books go, this should become one of the essentials- if it isn't considered that already. I'd been following him since 2007, so I was fairly new to his music and I learned the most about it from other fans. Reading this felt like reading or listening to other hardcore fans just go all out about Prince and why he's such an exceptional artist... except this guy was willing to do The Work (little inside joke there...). He not only got work orders from Sunset Sound, but he interviewed dozens of band members and associates to give each song or day/week/month a back story. And occasionally he will have quotes from Prince that give us even more of a peek behind the curtain of him as an artist.
If anything, this book goes into the creative process and how long Prince labored over certain songs to make sure they were perfect for the movie and its accompanying soundtrack. And there are a few he had finished within a day, which is amazing in of itself.
If anything, this book goes into the creative process and how long Prince labored over certain songs to make sure they were perfect for the movie and its accompanying soundtrack. And there are a few he had finished within a day, which is amazing in of itself.
May 2, 2024
Fantastic book. Expansive, thorough, technical, yet still shared a thoughtful story about one of the most important and influential artists of our time. Super interesting to show the lead up to Prince’s breakout with Purple Rain. The before and after being drastically different for him and everyone involved with his music. The sheer talent, ambition, insane work ethic/standard confidence he exuded, while also being a complex, thoughtful, and funny human being. I think throwing the word “genius” around is silly and overused, but as far as pop musicians and artists go, Prince may be as close as it gets for me. Not to mention he was between 24 and 26 years old when he was writing and recording the hundreds of songs in these couple of years, both for himself and other artists. Insane.
I also thought it was important that the author shone light on his often unknown philanthropic nature and practice, as well as his consistent uplifting of women artists, producers, and studio engineers in a time when the industry norm was almost completely a white men’s club.
Probably most enjoyed by musicians and prince fans, but it’s accessible enough for anyone to enjoy, in my opinion.
I also thought it was important that the author shone light on his often unknown philanthropic nature and practice, as well as his consistent uplifting of women artists, producers, and studio engineers in a time when the industry norm was almost completely a white men’s club.
Probably most enjoyed by musicians and prince fans, but it’s accessible enough for anyone to enjoy, in my opinion.
July 20, 2022
Interesting for those who really want to dig into the fine print of Prince's day to day recording of all of the stuff surrounding Purple Rain. In that sense, it's rather the best biography I've seen of Prince, but only for this very limited era. It goes into very rich detail, letting the studio sessions be the benchmarks to let you know how things came together, but also richly elaborated upon through an oral narrative from the members of Prince's bands and those who recorded with him. Very dense, but very enjoyable for a Prince fan.
September 2, 2025
Probably far too dense for a casual biography/Prince reader, but fascinating if you are into the life of Prince. Has so much detail of the era that we get the call sheets for each studio session and how many people attended each of the concerts.
As for the biography itself, it's a biography of Prince so it's invariably a biography of Prince screwing his friends over and driving them away, and this comes from someone who fully believes he was a once in a lifetime musical genius. He was brilliant but undeniably problematic.
As for the biography itself, it's a biography of Prince so it's invariably a biography of Prince screwing his friends over and driving them away, and this comes from someone who fully believes he was a once in a lifetime musical genius. He was brilliant but undeniably problematic.
July 3, 2021
Wow! The book I've always been waiting for on the creation of Prince's music! This book covers the creation of my favorite Prince & The Revolution album, Around The World In A Day. I'm looking forward to the next volume on Parade and Sign 'O' The Times. Thank you Duane Tudahl for compiling all of the information on Prince's music.
September 21, 2017
** I received a copy via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.**
This was an okay read for me. What did blow me away was the dedication and passion that this writer had to give us a glimpse into the life and person known as Prince. Sometimes we put legendary people and legends on a pedestal and think they are untouchable but this book makes you realize that a person with Prince's status and fame is still just a person. We as people might not have the same struggle but in life we all struggle at some point with something. There were great and hard times, mistakes were made and lessons were learned, he gave up things but earned more in return, he rose and he fell, but through it all it was his journey who made him who he was; a true legend.
This was an okay read for me. What did blow me away was the dedication and passion that this writer had to give us a glimpse into the life and person known as Prince. Sometimes we put legendary people and legends on a pedestal and think they are untouchable but this book makes you realize that a person with Prince's status and fame is still just a person. We as people might not have the same struggle but in life we all struggle at some point with something. There were great and hard times, mistakes were made and lessons were learned, he gave up things but earned more in return, he rose and he fell, but through it all it was his journey who made him who he was; a true legend.
May 2, 2023
i am a huge fan of Prince and I was very excited to read this book and am excited that this book is the first of many Prince books to come. Prince's talent was amazing, multiple instruments, writing, and collaborations come together to become the music from Prince. The Purple Rain time is the focus of this book and that was instrumental in my late high school years.
This book is an incredible resource for both Prince fans. It will help the non-Prince fan learn about his talent. His hardcore fans will LOVE learning more about Prince. I loved this book and it truly is a huge tribute to a great artist who is missed!
Thanks to Netgalley for the preview!
This book is an incredible resource for both Prince fans. It will help the non-Prince fan learn about his talent. His hardcore fans will LOVE learning more about Prince. I loved this book and it truly is a huge tribute to a great artist who is missed!
Thanks to Netgalley for the preview!
November 4, 2017
I have been a Prince fan since his first recording. I have followed his career through all ups and downs. I have read many books on Prince and I have to say this book still gave tidbits that I had never read before. This is an outstanding book on The Purple One. It breaks down his songs and give you background on the studio sessions, who participated and other fascinating information. This book is a definite for any fan of Prince. I really enjoyed this book. Thanks to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for the ARC of this outstanding book in return for my honest review.
October 10, 2018
An immense amount of research has created a very detailed and sometimes almost too dense book. It certainly cements Prince’s genius in my opinion but at points it felt almost like a slog to get through.
July 24, 2019
Factually thorough but limited on deep insight into how Prince's lyrical content applies to his life. I would recommend this book to audiophiles, music producers, and Prince scholars. If you're Christian with the Holy Spirit, then prayerfully reading this book will shine a light on the truth that many people can be exposed to the same message, yet hear very different things!
Matthew 13:1-30 NLT
Later that same day Jesus left the house and sat beside the lake. A large crowd soon gathered around him, so he got into a boat. Then he sat there and taught as the people stood on the shore. He told many stories in the form of parables, such as this one:
“Listen! A farmer went out to plant some seeds. As he scattered them across his field, some seeds fell on a footpath, and the birds came and ate them. Other seeds fell on shallow soil with underlying rock. The seeds sprouted quickly because the soil was shallow. But the plants soon wilted under the hot sun, and since they didn’t have deep roots, they died. Other seeds fell among thorns that grew up and choked out the tender plants. Still other seeds fell on fertile soil, and they produced a crop that was thirty, sixty, and even a hundred times as much as had been planted! Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand.”
His disciples came and asked him, “Why do you use parables when you talk to the people?”
He replied, “You are permitted to understand the secrets of the Kingdom of Heaven, but others are not. To those who listen to my teaching, more understanding will be given, and they will have an abundance of knowledge. But for those who are not listening, even what little understanding they have will be taken away from them.
That is why I use these parables, 'For they look, but they don’t really see. They hear, but they don’t really listen or understand. This fulfills the prophecy of Isaiah that says, ‘When you hear what I say, you will not understand. When you see what I do, you will not comprehend. For the hearts of these people are hardened, and their ears cannot hear, and they have closed their eyes— so their eyes cannot see, and their ears cannot hear, and their hearts cannot understand, and they cannot turn to me and let me heal them.’
“But blessed are your eyes, because they see; and your ears, because they hear. I tell you the truth, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see, but they didn’t see it. And they longed to hear what you hear, but they didn’t hear it.
“Now listen to the explanation of the parable about the farmer planting seeds: The seed that fell on the footpath represents those who hear the message about the Kingdom and don’t understand it. Then the evil one comes and snatches away the seed that was planted in their hearts. The seed on the rocky soil represents those who hear the message and immediately receive it with joy. But since they don’t have deep roots, they don’t last long. They fall away as soon as they have problems or are persecuted for believing God’s word. The seed that fell among the thorns represents those who hear God’s word, but all too quickly the message is crowded out by the worries of this life and the lure of wealth, so no fruit is produced. The seed that fell on good soil represents those who truly hear and understand God’s word and produce a harvest of thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times as much as had been planted!”
Here is another story Jesus told: “The Kingdom of Heaven is like a farmer who planted good seed in his field. But that night as the workers slept, his enemy came and planted weeds among the wheat, then slipped away. When the crop began to grow and produce grain, the weeds also grew.
“The farmer’s workers went to him and said, ‘Sir, the field where you planted that good seed is full of weeds! Where did they come from?’
“‘An enemy has done this!’ the farmer exclaimed.
“‘Should we pull out the weeds?’ they asked.
“‘No,’ he replied, ‘you’ll uproot the wheat if you do. Let both grow together until the harvest. Then I will tell the harvesters to sort out the weeds, tie them into bundles, and burn them, and to put the wheat in the barn.’”
Matthew 13:1-30 NLT
Later that same day Jesus left the house and sat beside the lake. A large crowd soon gathered around him, so he got into a boat. Then he sat there and taught as the people stood on the shore. He told many stories in the form of parables, such as this one:
“Listen! A farmer went out to plant some seeds. As he scattered them across his field, some seeds fell on a footpath, and the birds came and ate them. Other seeds fell on shallow soil with underlying rock. The seeds sprouted quickly because the soil was shallow. But the plants soon wilted under the hot sun, and since they didn’t have deep roots, they died. Other seeds fell among thorns that grew up and choked out the tender plants. Still other seeds fell on fertile soil, and they produced a crop that was thirty, sixty, and even a hundred times as much as had been planted! Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand.”
His disciples came and asked him, “Why do you use parables when you talk to the people?”
He replied, “You are permitted to understand the secrets of the Kingdom of Heaven, but others are not. To those who listen to my teaching, more understanding will be given, and they will have an abundance of knowledge. But for those who are not listening, even what little understanding they have will be taken away from them.
That is why I use these parables, 'For they look, but they don’t really see. They hear, but they don’t really listen or understand. This fulfills the prophecy of Isaiah that says, ‘When you hear what I say, you will not understand. When you see what I do, you will not comprehend. For the hearts of these people are hardened, and their ears cannot hear, and they have closed their eyes— so their eyes cannot see, and their ears cannot hear, and their hearts cannot understand, and they cannot turn to me and let me heal them.’
“But blessed are your eyes, because they see; and your ears, because they hear. I tell you the truth, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see, but they didn’t see it. And they longed to hear what you hear, but they didn’t hear it.
“Now listen to the explanation of the parable about the farmer planting seeds: The seed that fell on the footpath represents those who hear the message about the Kingdom and don’t understand it. Then the evil one comes and snatches away the seed that was planted in their hearts. The seed on the rocky soil represents those who hear the message and immediately receive it with joy. But since they don’t have deep roots, they don’t last long. They fall away as soon as they have problems or are persecuted for believing God’s word. The seed that fell among the thorns represents those who hear God’s word, but all too quickly the message is crowded out by the worries of this life and the lure of wealth, so no fruit is produced. The seed that fell on good soil represents those who truly hear and understand God’s word and produce a harvest of thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times as much as had been planted!”
Here is another story Jesus told: “The Kingdom of Heaven is like a farmer who planted good seed in his field. But that night as the workers slept, his enemy came and planted weeds among the wheat, then slipped away. When the crop began to grow and produce grain, the weeds also grew.
“The farmer’s workers went to him and said, ‘Sir, the field where you planted that good seed is full of weeds! Where did they come from?’
“‘An enemy has done this!’ the farmer exclaimed.
“‘Should we pull out the weeds?’ they asked.
“‘No,’ he replied, ‘you’ll uproot the wheat if you do. Let both grow together until the harvest. Then I will tell the harvesters to sort out the weeds, tie them into bundles, and burn them, and to put the wheat in the barn.’”
January 7, 2018
(This review is currently a work-in-progress. I'm still trying to sort all of my opinions into a better flowing form, so bear with me.)
There is so much to admire here. It is clear that Duane Tudahl invested a lot of time and effort in this book, and that it must have taken an awful lot of work to compile all of his sources into a working narrative that isn't scared to admit when it presumes some events take place (because documentation is lacking or witness accounts are contradicting each other).
The book also exposes how feeble Alan Light's book about the Purple Rain era was: here are hundreds of pages focused on the recording sessions of the music that ended up in the movie and on its related albums and singles, yet Light's book barely features more than a page about the movie's music.
You might think that focusing the book on two specific years is setting an almost arbitrary limit, but it ends up making a lot of sense: you start out towards the end of the 1999 Tour and drift into the genesis of Purple Rain. Along the way The Time falls apart, Vanity leaves the Prince camp, Wendy Melvoin replaces Dez Dickerson, Apollonia enters the picture, Prince meets Sheila E. (and almost immediately starts pushing her into a solo career and records a whole album for/with her),... It's too long a list to repeat here; suffice to say that a lot happens.
By the end of the book both the movie and the album are a massive hit, and Prince has embarked on an extensive US tour; he has undoubtedly join the ranks of the biggest pop stars in the West. But the success has alienated him from the people closest to him, and what is supposed to be a triumphant celebration of his rise to the top ends up frustrating him due to limitations he has placed upon himself. At the end of 1984 Prince is sick of Purple Rain and is planning on taking an extended amount of time off once he's done with the (barely started) tour; he's already finished its follow-up, putting the finishing touches on it over Christmas.
I wholeheartedly state that this book is a must-read for any Prince fan. It offers a uniquely detailed insight into two crucial years in Prince's career that you'll likely won't see repeated anywhere else.
So why then don't I give it five stars? When you hover over the ratings, five stars is supposed to indicate "it was amazing", and despite the great levels of admiration I have for this book, its author and the undeniable work he put into it, I didn't find it "amazing".
To be honest, much of what is presented here was already known. For decades. Per Nilsen's A Documentary was the first book to use the "diary" format used here by Tudahl (although I wouldn't be surprised this format was first used by a Beatles book) and that was a truly mind-blowing read. He was part of Swedish Prince fan magazine Uptown, and they continued his work, releasing several densely packed books which are now coveted collector's items.
Then in 2001, Nilsen published Dance Music Sex Romance: Prince: The First Decade, arguably the best Prince bio. It was a more conventional book, and it is absolutely the first book I'd recommend to any Prince fan. It is a great shame that it isn't currently in print or that it hasn't seen updated editions over the years (especially now), and thus is fairly hard to obtain. Dance Music Sex Romance contained a number of fresh revelations (including the truth as to why Prince abandoned The Black Album), but more importantly it offered a cohesive story of the first (and most important) decade of prince's professional career.
I don't think there is much "news" to be found in Tudahl's book and quite frankly I didn't expect so. This era of Prince's career has been scrutinized extensively over the years, and Tudahl's sources are to a large degree the same ones Uptown had all those years ago. Instead he offers a previously unseen level of detail, showing how in some cases Prince continued to work on the same tracks over and over again, day after day. He combines this with relevant quotes from those who were in attendance (engineers, musicians, band members,...) and adds context by including other relevant events: concerts, rehearsals, or even anecdotes from the personal lives of those involved.
Along the way he dips into an obviously extensive well of quotations he collected over the years. Many from lengthy interviews with people close to Prince, plenty of them conducted by Tudahl himself, but also fragments from published articles and other books. And this is one of my points of criticism: sometimes it is a bit too much. Inevitably, people repeat themselves or say things that are very similar to what others have said. Prince's studio habits get brought up again and again, causing almost identical stories to pop up all over the place. This tends to get repetitive and you wish an editor had been a little more brutal.
Prince himself has rarely offered much insight into his studio habits, so whenever Tudahl quotes him the words are fairly generic. But the same is also true for plenty of what for instance Prince's engineers say. And while it is understandable that such quotes appear early on in the book, it gets on your nerves when they continue to appear later on. Consider this from page 375:
By then you've heard a version of this so many times it almost sounds like a refrain, and it makes you wonder why Tudahl shoehorns it in at such a late place in the book. It doesn't improve that entry in any way and only annoyed me.
Tudahl's book puts plenty of meat on a story that has often been told in skeletal form in the past. Hardcore Prince fans know about his studio habits from earlier books, but reading about them here in often astonishing detail, down to the hours as stated on the records as kept by the studio, is a treat. Still, after a while it ends up getting repetitive, in part due to the similarity of the tales being told, and you end up wishing that some of the fluff would have been cut. Ironically, the publisher had asked Tudahl to take out the geekiest parts (e.g details about equipment -- though some have remained), yet I'd rather have had those than some of the more superficial quotes.
This is in many ways a fantastic book, and any serious Prince fan should definitely own a copy. Just don't choose this as your first book about Prince -- right now I'd recommend The Rise of Prince 1958-1988 by Alex Hahn and Laura Tiebert. I can only hope that Duane Tudahl published more volumes in this series; a book about 1985-1986 would likely be even more astonishing since that period is considered Prince's creative apex, but the pre-1983 period is also plenty interesting (1987-1988 as well).
There is so much to admire here. It is clear that Duane Tudahl invested a lot of time and effort in this book, and that it must have taken an awful lot of work to compile all of his sources into a working narrative that isn't scared to admit when it presumes some events take place (because documentation is lacking or witness accounts are contradicting each other).
The book also exposes how feeble Alan Light's book about the Purple Rain era was: here are hundreds of pages focused on the recording sessions of the music that ended up in the movie and on its related albums and singles, yet Light's book barely features more than a page about the movie's music.
You might think that focusing the book on two specific years is setting an almost arbitrary limit, but it ends up making a lot of sense: you start out towards the end of the 1999 Tour and drift into the genesis of Purple Rain. Along the way The Time falls apart, Vanity leaves the Prince camp, Wendy Melvoin replaces Dez Dickerson, Apollonia enters the picture, Prince meets Sheila E. (and almost immediately starts pushing her into a solo career and records a whole album for/with her),... It's too long a list to repeat here; suffice to say that a lot happens.
By the end of the book both the movie and the album are a massive hit, and Prince has embarked on an extensive US tour; he has undoubtedly join the ranks of the biggest pop stars in the West. But the success has alienated him from the people closest to him, and what is supposed to be a triumphant celebration of his rise to the top ends up frustrating him due to limitations he has placed upon himself. At the end of 1984 Prince is sick of Purple Rain and is planning on taking an extended amount of time off once he's done with the (barely started) tour; he's already finished its follow-up, putting the finishing touches on it over Christmas.
I wholeheartedly state that this book is a must-read for any Prince fan. It offers a uniquely detailed insight into two crucial years in Prince's career that you'll likely won't see repeated anywhere else.
So why then don't I give it five stars? When you hover over the ratings, five stars is supposed to indicate "it was amazing", and despite the great levels of admiration I have for this book, its author and the undeniable work he put into it, I didn't find it "amazing".
To be honest, much of what is presented here was already known. For decades. Per Nilsen's A Documentary was the first book to use the "diary" format used here by Tudahl (although I wouldn't be surprised this format was first used by a Beatles book) and that was a truly mind-blowing read. He was part of Swedish Prince fan magazine Uptown, and they continued his work, releasing several densely packed books which are now coveted collector's items.
Then in 2001, Nilsen published Dance Music Sex Romance: Prince: The First Decade, arguably the best Prince bio. It was a more conventional book, and it is absolutely the first book I'd recommend to any Prince fan. It is a great shame that it isn't currently in print or that it hasn't seen updated editions over the years (especially now), and thus is fairly hard to obtain. Dance Music Sex Romance contained a number of fresh revelations (including the truth as to why Prince abandoned The Black Album), but more importantly it offered a cohesive story of the first (and most important) decade of prince's professional career.
I don't think there is much "news" to be found in Tudahl's book and quite frankly I didn't expect so. This era of Prince's career has been scrutinized extensively over the years, and Tudahl's sources are to a large degree the same ones Uptown had all those years ago. Instead he offers a previously unseen level of detail, showing how in some cases Prince continued to work on the same tracks over and over again, day after day. He combines this with relevant quotes from those who were in attendance (engineers, musicians, band members,...) and adds context by including other relevant events: concerts, rehearsals, or even anecdotes from the personal lives of those involved.
Along the way he dips into an obviously extensive well of quotations he collected over the years. Many from lengthy interviews with people close to Prince, plenty of them conducted by Tudahl himself, but also fragments from published articles and other books. And this is one of my points of criticism: sometimes it is a bit too much. Inevitably, people repeat themselves or say things that are very similar to what others have said. Prince's studio habits get brought up again and again, causing almost identical stories to pop up all over the place. This tends to get repetitive and you wish an editor had been a little more brutal.
Prince himself has rarely offered much insight into his studio habits, so whenever Tudahl quotes him the words are fairly generic. But the same is also true for plenty of what for instance Prince's engineers say. And while it is understandable that such quotes appear early on in the book, it gets on your nerves when they continue to appear later on. Consider this from page 375:
When Prince recorded alone in the studio his routine was fairly simple, and often it started by contacting Susan Rogers: “He would call me in the morning of the day we were going to record and say what he needed set up, whether it was live drums or drum machine, whether he wanted all his stuff in the control room or out in the studio, and sometimes he would just call and say, ‘Can we record?’”
By then you've heard a version of this so many times it almost sounds like a refrain, and it makes you wonder why Tudahl shoehorns it in at such a late place in the book. It doesn't improve that entry in any way and only annoyed me.
Tudahl's book puts plenty of meat on a story that has often been told in skeletal form in the past. Hardcore Prince fans know about his studio habits from earlier books, but reading about them here in often astonishing detail, down to the hours as stated on the records as kept by the studio, is a treat. Still, after a while it ends up getting repetitive, in part due to the similarity of the tales being told, and you end up wishing that some of the fluff would have been cut. Ironically, the publisher had asked Tudahl to take out the geekiest parts (e.g details about equipment -- though some have remained), yet I'd rather have had those than some of the more superficial quotes.
This is in many ways a fantastic book, and any serious Prince fan should definitely own a copy. Just don't choose this as your first book about Prince -- right now I'd recommend The Rise of Prince 1958-1988 by Alex Hahn and Laura Tiebert. I can only hope that Duane Tudahl published more volumes in this series; a book about 1985-1986 would likely be even more astonishing since that period is considered Prince's creative apex, but the pre-1983 period is also plenty interesting (1987-1988 as well).
December 22, 2018
admittedly, I am one of those annoying Prince fans who was onboard prior to 1984 and, accordingly, I tend to look down on those who jumped on the Purple Rain bandwagon. I was bummed that so many people knew about Prince, that he was on the cover of People magazine, that everything was colored purple and that my seats to the show were now in the back of the stadium instead of down on the floor. This fastidiously detailed chronology affirms many of the feelings that I have about this era, namely that this version of Prince was a bit watered down and too radio friendly. Or as Duane puts it, "what had started as a revolution was now routine."
But I did learn some new things from this book:
1. Prince was kind of an asshole but people put up with his crap because he also was kind of a genius whose work ethic was unmatched.
2. The Time fell apart earlier than I thought, i.e., during the 1999 Triple Threat tour. Morris' ego was bruised and Jesse Johnson was holding things together. Also, Morris acted like a dick toward the new band members. (To be fair, Prince was acting like a dick toward Morris. Seriously, these people needed Jesus)
3. Vanity/Denise Matthews was more assertive than I ever thought. Apparently, she bounced and didn't look back twice.
4. On the other hand, Jill Jones is the tragic heroine in this tale. Faithful, dedicated, always available. Poor thing kept getting shoved aside for more inferior singers (Sheena Easton??) but was right there contributing her hand claps, finger snaps and background--sometimes lead--vocals on projects spanning from 1999 to Around The World and a Day. I want to give her a hug.
Overall, a great read for casual or long-time fan alike. Because of the chronology format, the narrative does get repetitive at times, but I salute the author for his effort.
But I did learn some new things from this book:
1. Prince was kind of an asshole but people put up with his crap because he also was kind of a genius whose work ethic was unmatched.
2. The Time fell apart earlier than I thought, i.e., during the 1999 Triple Threat tour. Morris' ego was bruised and Jesse Johnson was holding things together. Also, Morris acted like a dick toward the new band members. (To be fair, Prince was acting like a dick toward Morris. Seriously, these people needed Jesus)
3. Vanity/Denise Matthews was more assertive than I ever thought. Apparently, she bounced and didn't look back twice.
4. On the other hand, Jill Jones is the tragic heroine in this tale. Faithful, dedicated, always available. Poor thing kept getting shoved aside for more inferior singers (Sheena Easton??) but was right there contributing her hand claps, finger snaps and background--sometimes lead--vocals on projects spanning from 1999 to Around The World and a Day. I want to give her a hug.
Overall, a great read for casual or long-time fan alike. Because of the chronology format, the narrative does get repetitive at times, but I salute the author for his effort.
October 22, 2019
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!.
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!.
April 25, 2022
This is the best book written on an artist's process that I've ever read, & I've read many fantastic books on Jim Morrison, Led Zeppelin, Jimi Hendrix, & more, all around the same epic length as this book.
Thank you Mr. Tudahl for your wonderful work, you have blessed us with a work that has enlightened me not only on Prince & the Revolution's work process & history, but also on the psychological growth & experiences of the individuals involved.
As a songwriter myself, this book felt like a Doctorate-level study on how such fantastic music was created, & I'm truly, eternally grateful that it's available. I highly recommend this book for any songwriter who wants to learn about one of the best songwriters & musicians that humanity's ever seen & his fantastic band that helped him to achieve such heights.
I also highly recommend this book for any major Prince fans because you'll love the backstory of how so many of your favorite songs came to be.
On to the next book! Time to learn about Parade & Sign o' the Times!
Thank you Mr. Tudahl for your wonderful work, you have blessed us with a work that has enlightened me not only on Prince & the Revolution's work process & history, but also on the psychological growth & experiences of the individuals involved.
As a songwriter myself, this book felt like a Doctorate-level study on how such fantastic music was created, & I'm truly, eternally grateful that it's available. I highly recommend this book for any songwriter who wants to learn about one of the best songwriters & musicians that humanity's ever seen & his fantastic band that helped him to achieve such heights.
I also highly recommend this book for any major Prince fans because you'll love the backstory of how so many of your favorite songs came to be.
On to the next book! Time to learn about Parade & Sign o' the Times!
November 15, 2025
Okay But Not Great
This is a tough one for me to review. I’ve read so many books about Prince that it’s hard for me to be wowed by any new information or insight into the man’s music. That said, there were a handful of moments in this book that taught me some things or reminded me of something I’d forgotten. But unfortunately they were too few and far between. In the meantime, author Duane Tudhal seemed to get bogged down in minutiae and repetition. He explained why Morris Day left the Time so many times I figured there was some minimum word count he was trying to reach. And for all his research there was too many times that he speculated on the date or even location of a certain recording.
Anyway, I thought this book was ok but far from great. And I wouldn’t recommend it to anyone but the most ardent Prince fan who, like myself, probably knows most of these stories already.
This is a tough one for me to review. I’ve read so many books about Prince that it’s hard for me to be wowed by any new information or insight into the man’s music. That said, there were a handful of moments in this book that taught me some things or reminded me of something I’d forgotten. But unfortunately they were too few and far between. In the meantime, author Duane Tudhal seemed to get bogged down in minutiae and repetition. He explained why Morris Day left the Time so many times I figured there was some minimum word count he was trying to reach. And for all his research there was too many times that he speculated on the date or even location of a certain recording.
Anyway, I thought this book was ok but far from great. And I wouldn’t recommend it to anyone but the most ardent Prince fan who, like myself, probably knows most of these stories already.
February 23, 2025
Prince
I love Prince's music, and it was a pleasure getting to see what was happening during this particular time in his life when he made the album & movie that has a lot of my favorite songs by him.
I already knew that he was a musical genius and this highlighted that spectacularly, but he was also a hard worker, and a bit of a slave driver. He expected the greatness and work ethic from everyone around him that he exhibited. He was pushy, but that pushiness led to great things for him and other people's careers.
There are people in this world that can either say they don't like him, or they love him, but I honestly feel that if he wasn't in their life they may not have been where they are today.
He was all about the music and he had a lot of people around him, but for some reason after reading this I think he was lonely.
I love Prince's music, and it was a pleasure getting to see what was happening during this particular time in his life when he made the album & movie that has a lot of my favorite songs by him.
I already knew that he was a musical genius and this highlighted that spectacularly, but he was also a hard worker, and a bit of a slave driver. He expected the greatness and work ethic from everyone around him that he exhibited. He was pushy, but that pushiness led to great things for him and other people's careers.
There are people in this world that can either say they don't like him, or they love him, but I honestly feel that if he wasn't in their life they may not have been where they are today.
He was all about the music and he had a lot of people around him, but for some reason after reading this I think he was lonely.
May 26, 2020
This is the perfect biography for Prince. His fans (fams) want to know how their favorite tracks and albums were created. At the height of his success, Prince wasn't jet setting around the world and partying with the beautiful people. He was hard at work in the studio every day, working on the next great song or new direction. Unless, of course, he was filming his movie or rehearsing for a grueling tour. The man never stopped working to achieve his goals. How can one not be inspired? The only disappointing part of this book is having to wait for the sequel to read about the next phase of his incredible journey.
May 8, 2022
An exhaustive day-by-day account of Prince's recording and concert activities during one of the most creative periods in his career. Probably most valuable to future historians as a compilation of facts, but Tudahl gets in his share of analysis along the way.
Prince does not always come off well, especially in his treatment of The Time, with whom he was both incredibly controlling and jealous of their ability to put on a live show that was sometimes better than his. In the end, though, you really have to make allowances for his genius, which is on full display throughout.
Best read while listening to the albums he was working on at the time.
Prince does not always come off well, especially in his treatment of The Time, with whom he was both incredibly controlling and jealous of their ability to put on a live show that was sometimes better than his. In the end, though, you really have to make allowances for his genius, which is on full display throughout.
Best read while listening to the albums he was working on at the time.
October 7, 2023
Prince's Purple Rain Era was my coming of age era. Reading this impeccably researched history of Prince during this period brought back so many memories--buying the record, sneaking in the movie (I was underage), and attending the Purple Rain tour in Greensboro, NC in November 1984.
What is cool about this book is that it was also a coming of age era for Prince. What a great portrait of a young man at his artistic peak, his world changing daily, dealing with crazy success and demands from all of those around him.
It was fun to read the behind the scenes stories about the making of some of these classic songs and going back to listen to them in a new light.
What is cool about this book is that it was also a coming of age era for Prince. What a great portrait of a young man at his artistic peak, his world changing daily, dealing with crazy success and demands from all of those around him.
It was fun to read the behind the scenes stories about the making of some of these classic songs and going back to listen to them in a new light.
July 28, 2024
Heard about this book on a Questlove Supreme episode. I love nerding out on details of how people create music. So much detail in this book. May be better in print (I’m rounding up to 4, but would say 3.5 for the audiobook I listened too). The audio narration was really stilted in identifying all the ‘meta’ information for recording, rehearsal and live gigs, and while I got used to it, it still remained an annoying little part of the listen. Amazing amount of info covering all of 1983 and 1984. Excellent editing in of interview data from those around him discussing particular days and timeframes. Sometimes felt like it could have been a diary.
March 13, 2025
I really enjoyed this book. It captures Prince - the artists’ artist, the virtuosos’ virtuoso, the enneagram 4’s enneagram 4 at the zenith of his fame. It follows his movement day by day, from 1983 to 1984 and gives you a full glimpse behind the curtain at his creative process.
Going in, I knew many things about him. But I still had no idea how prolific he was and how insane this guys work ethic was. He was writing, recording and producing four albums with four different groups WHILE MAKING A MOVIE simultaneously. This guy was just different.
So glad I got to see him in concert. I love all I learned in this book. It’s a really cool deep dive.
Going in, I knew many things about him. But I still had no idea how prolific he was and how insane this guys work ethic was. He was writing, recording and producing four albums with four different groups WHILE MAKING A MOVIE simultaneously. This guy was just different.
So glad I got to see him in concert. I love all I learned in this book. It’s a really cool deep dive.
June 30, 2019
This is an absolute must read for all Prince fans and/or everyone that really likes the Purple Rain album and film. The book follows a diary format where we get a chronological account of years 1983 and 1984 and all the music that Prince recorded in this period. After you read the book, I would suggest listening to the expanded edition of Purple Rain that was released in 2017 (For the brave, I would also recommend listening to the rest of the albums that Prince recorded that period, namley the albums for The Time, Sheila E, The Family and Apollonia 6)
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