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Prince recording sessions 1973-1984


Pre "FOR YOU" LP era:


1973 late - With "Grand Central" (at Smith Residence, Minneapolis, MN, USA)
Prince: vocals and guitar (assumed), Andre Anderson: vocals and bass guitar (assumed), Charles "Chazz" Smith: drums (assumed).

1973 late - With "Grand Central" (at Russell Ave N (Terry) Jackson House, Minneapolis, MN, USA)

Prince: vocals and guitar (assumed), Andre Anderson: vocals and bass guitar (assumed), Charles "Chazz" Smith: drums (assumed).

1974 - With "Grand Central" (at Cookhouse Studios, Minneapolis, MN, USA)

"Grand Central consisted of Prince, Andre Anderson, Charles Smith, Linda Anderson and William Doughty, with Pepe Willie overseeing. The reel-to-reel recording-session was a result of winning a North Commons Park battle-of-the-band contest, where the prize was $75 and 8 hours recording time at the Cookhouse Studios."

1975-12-04 - Prince plays guitar on five tracks by Pepe Willie (at Cookhouse Studios, Minneapolis, MN, USA)

1976 Early - Grand Central records a 6-track demo tape (at ASI Studio [Audiotek Systems, Inc.] on Broadway Ave, Minneapolis, Minnesota)
1976 Early to mid - Prince solo Home demos recordings (at Russell Ave, Anderson house, Minneapolis, Minnesota)
1976 Spring - Instrumentals for group "Shampayne" [formerly known as "Grand Central"] (at Moon Sound, Minneapolis, Minnesota)
1976 Summer - Recordings with Chris Moon (at Moon Sound, Minneapolis, Minnesota)
Prince: all vocals and instruments (assumed).

1976 late - For the group "The Lewis Connection" (at Sound 80 Studios, Minneapolis)

1976 late - For the group "MLF (Music, Love and Funk)" (at Sound 80 Studios, Minneapolis)
1976-12-29 to 1977 early - Prince solo recordings (at Sound 80 Studios, Minneapolis)
1976 late - 1977 early - For the group "94 East" (at Sound 80 Studios, Minneapolis)
1977 early - Prince instrumental solo recordings (at Loring Park Studios, Minneapolis, Minnesota)
1977 - Prince solo recording (at Sound 80 Studios, Minneapolis)
1977 - Recordings with Valerie Carter


"FOR YOU" LP era:


1977-04-08 - Prince solo recording (recording for CBS in Los Angeles)
"Prince recorded it in front of CBS Records executives in Los Angeles to show that he could play all the instruments and produce himself."

1977-06 late - Prince solo recording (at Sound 80 Studios, Minneapolis)

"Recorded in celebration of signing with the label." [25 June 1977]

1977-10-01 - 1977-12-22 "FOR YOU" sessions (at the Record Plant in Sausalito, California)


Post "FOR YOU" LP era:


1978 Summer - For the group "94 East" (at Sound 80 Studios, Minneapolis)
1978 summer to 1979 - Home demos recording (at Prince's France Avenue Home Studio in Edina, Minnesota)
1979 Jan 5 & 06 - Prince's first live concerts (at Capri Theatre, Minneapolis) (6 Jan: played unreleased song "I Am You")

1979-02-17 - Recordings with 94 East (at Music Farm Studios, New York, NY, USA)

"A day of sessions led by Pepe Willie intended for Tony Silvester, leader of the group The Main Ingredient to use as demos for Little Anthony and the Imperials, who he wanted to produce". According to PrinceVault.com these sessions took place in "Feb 1978" however. Who knows?


"PRINCE" LP era:


1979 late April to May - "PRINCE" LP sessions (at Alpha Studios, Burbank, CA, USA // Overdubs and mixing at Hollywood Sound Recorders, Los Angeles, CA)
1979 July 10-21 - "THE REBELS" sessions (at Mountain Ears Sound Studio, Boulder, Colorado)
1979 August - Video for "I Wanna Be Your Lover" (Solo Version)

1979 November - Video for "I Wanna Be Your Lover" (Band Version)


"DIRTY MIND" LP era:


1980 May-June - "DIRTY MIND" sessions (recorded in Prince's North Arm Drive Home Studio in Orono, Minnesota, and completed in June 1980 at Hollywood Sound Recorders in Los Angeles, California)
1980-10-24 - Videos for "Dirty Mind" & "Uptown"


"CONTROVERSY" LP era:


1981 early - Various recordings (in Prince's Kiowa Trail Home Studio, Chanhassen, MN)
1981 April - "THE TIME" sessions (in Prince's Kiowa Trail Home Studio, Chanhassen, MN)
1981 June-July - "CONTROVERSY" sessions [some sources state: early June to 16 Aug 1981] (in Prince's Kiowa Trail Home Studio, Chanhassen, MN)
1981 June-July - "CONTROVERSY" sessions [some sources state: early June to 16 Aug 1981] (at Hollywood Sound Recorders in Los Angeles, California)
1981-08-16 - "Private Joy" (at Sunset Sound, Hollywood, CA)
1981 summer to autumn - "THE HOOKERS" sessions (in Prince's Kiowa Trail Home Studio, Chanhassen, MN)
1981 October - Video for "Controversy" + "Sexuality" (Unknown soundstage, Minneapolis, MN)

1981 - Various recordings (in Prince's Kiowa Trail Home Studio, Chanhassen, MN)


"1999" LP era:


1981 November ca - Various recordings (in Prince's Kiowa Trail Home Studio, Chanhassen, MN)
1981 December ca - Various recordings
1982 January - Sessions at Sunset Sound, Hollywood, CA
1982 Spring - Various recordings (at Kiowa Trail Home Studio, Chanhassen, MN)
1982 late March - "VANITY 6" sessions (at Kiowa Trail Home Studio, Chanhassen, MN) 1982, 30 March - 6 April - Sessions at Sunset Sound, Hollywood, CA
1982 mid-April ca - Recording (at Kiowa Trail Home Studio, Chanhassen, MN)
1982, 20 April - 9 May - Sessions at Sunset Sound, Hollywood, CA
1982 May-June - Various recordings (at Kiowa Trail Home Studio, Chanhassen, MN)
1982 May-June - "THE TIME: WHAT TIME IS IT" sessions (at Kiowa Trail Home Studio, Chanhassen, MN)
1982 Spring/Summer - Various recordings (at Kiowa Trail Home Studio, Chanhassen, MN)
1982, 6-8 July - Sessions at Sunset Sound, Hollywood, CA
1982 Summer - Various recordings (at Kiowa Trail Home Studio, Chanhassen, MN)
1982 - Various recordings (at Kiowa Trail Home Studio, Chanhassen, MN)


Post "1999" / Pre "Purple Rain" LP era:


1982 early November - Videos for "1999" / "Automatic" / "Let's Pretend We're Married"

1982 late - Recording for Vanity 6's planned second album (at Kiowa Trail Home Studio, Chanhassen, MN)

1983 early-mid Jan (at Kiowa Trail Home Studio, Chanhassen, MN, USA)
1983, 7-14 Jan - Sessions at Sunset Sound, Hollywood, CA)
1983-01-19 - Recording of tour demo (at Lakeland Civic Center, Lakeland FL)
1983 late Jan - Video for "Little Red Corvette" (at Civic Center, Lakeland, FL, USA)

1983-02-08 - Prince added guitar to Steve Nicks' song "Stand Back" (at Studio 55, Los Angeles, CA, USA)

1983-03-01 - Katrina's Paper Dolls (at Universal Recording Corporation (Studio B), Chicago, during the 1999 tour)

1983-03-14 (estimated) - Strange Relationship (at Kiowa Trail Home Studio, Chanhassen, MN, USA) [unused, but overdubbed and remixed in 1986 and included on Sign O The Times]

1983 26-27 March - "THE TIME: ICE CREAM CASTLE" sessions (at Sunset Sound, Hollywood, CA)


"Purple Rain" LP era:


1983-04-12 (estimate) The Bird (Studio recording) [unreleased] (at Kiowa Trail Home Studio, Chanhassen, MN, USA)

1983 14-22 April - "THE TIME" & "VANITY 6" sessions (at Sunset Sound, Hollywood, CA)

1983 30 April-May - Recordings for Vanity 6's planned second album (at Kiowa Trail Home Studio, Chanhassen, MN, USA)

1983 May - Various Purple Rain related recordings (at Kiowa Trail Home Studio, Chanhassen, MN, USA)

1983 July - Various recordings (at Kiowa Trail Home Studio, Chanhassen, MN, USA)

3 Aug 1983 - Live at St. Louis Park Warehouse, St. Louis Park, MN USA

The basic tracks (more or less shortened) from these live recordings were used for the Purple Rain LP.

7 Aug 1983 - Let's Go Crazy (at St. Louis Park Warehouse, St. Louis Park, MN USA)

8 Aug 1983 - Computer Blue (at St. Louis Park Warehouse, St. Louis Park, MN USA)

Sep 1983 - Studio sessions (at Sunset Sound, Studio 3, Hollywood, CA, USA)

4 Oct 1983 - "The Time" Live at First Anenue, MN, USA

23-24 Oct 1983 - Studio sessions (at Kiowa Trail Home Studio, Chanhassen, MN, USA)

Nov 1983 - Recordings for Purple Rain

27-31 Dec 1983 - Various recordings (at Sunset Sound - Studio 3, Hollywood, CA, USA)

Jan 1984 - Various recordings (at Sunset Sound - Studio 3, Hollywood, CA, USA)

Jan-Feb 1984 - Recordings for Apollonia 6 (at Sunset Sound - Studio 3, Hollywood, CA, USA)

Feb 1984 - Recordings for Purple Rain movie (at Sunset Sound - Studio 3, Hollywood, CA, USA)

Feb 1984 - Various recordings (at Sunset Sound - Studio 2, Hollywood, CA, USA)

March-April 1984 - Various recordings (at Sunset Sound - Studio 3, Hollywood, CA, USA)

Early May ca 1984 - Various recordings (at Flying Cloud Drive Warehouse, Eden Praire, Minnesota)

Live 7 June 1984 at First Avenue, Minneapolis Late June 1984 - Recordings for The Family/Mazarati (at Flying Cloud Drive Warehouse, Eden Praire, Minnesota)

July 1984 - Various recordings (at Flying Cloud Drive Warehouse, Eden Praire, Minnesota)

Early Aug 1984 - Various recordings (at Flying Cloud Drive Warehouse, Eden Praire, Minnesota)

5 Aug 1984 - 12 Inch Mixes (Prince himself was not involved) (at Sunset Sound - Studio 3, Hollywood, CA, USA)

Aug 1984 - Various recordings (at Flying Cloud Drive Warehouse, Eden Praire, Minnesota)

3 Sep 1984 - Remix session (at Sunset Sound - Studio 3, Hollywood, CA, USA)

Sep 1984 - Recordings for "Around the World in a Day" (at Flying Cloud Drive Warehouse, Eden Praire, Minnesota)

Oct-Dec 1984 - Various sessions


Copyright (c) 2020-05-21 Jonas Wårstad.

Last update 2021-1221.

This list is largely based on information found on www.princevault.com and, for 1983-1984, the book "Prince and the Purple Rain Era Studio Sessions".


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