March 31, 2021

20,000 vinyl LPs 283: Prince ~ Parade Under the Cherry Moon

 ~        
movie poster
 
 
On this date in 1986, Prince released his vinyl LP album, Parade. It is the score/soundtrack for the film, Under the Cherry Moon which was not released until July 2, 1986.         
 
 
vinyl LP record gatefold album front cover
photography by Jeff Katz
photo of album by Styrous®


The plot for the film (link below) is a bit hokey, it didn't get very good reviews (link below). The film tells a story of a gigolo and his friend swindling women with love having it's day only to be lost at the end. It was filmed primarily in Studios de la Victorine in Nice, France and on location in the French Riviera. However, the music is pretty good.          
 
The cast was excellent (link below) with Jerome Benton who also appeared in the 1984 Prince film, Purple Rain and its sequel, Graffiti Bridge, in 1990.      
 
It was the film debut for Kristin Scott Thomas who would go on to appear in the 1994 film, Four Weddings and a Funeral, and The English Patient in 1996.       

Steven Berkoff provided the "heavy" role; he appeared as  General Orlov in the James Bond film Octopussy, as Adolf Hitler in the TV mini-series War and Remembrance and many other films as the "villain".      
 
Alexandra Stewart portrayed Mrs. Muriel Sharon; Stewart appeared in dozens of French films including the 1959 classic, Les Liaisons dangereuses.         

Francesca Annis had appeared two years earlier in the sci-fi film, Dune, by David Lynch and Krull directed by Peter Yates in 1983.     
 
Victor Spinetti had been a character in 1960's Beatles films, A Hard Day's Night, Help!, and Magical Mystery Tour.      
     

vinyl LP record gatefold album back cover
photography by Jeff Katz
photo of album by Styrous®


The music includes many dance tunes, one of which is my favorite, Kiss, but there are stand-outs such as I Wonder U and Under the  Cherry Moon, both with slow dance/strip beats. Cherry Moon has some nice effects and is very sensual. Venus De Milo is a VERY short but very dreamy instrumental with great piano work.             

Do U Lie? is great and has a slow, almost Broadway musical feeling to it. The Beatles could very well have written it.   

Sometimes It Snows in April closes the album and has a very quiet and dreamy feeling to it with a nice dissonant at times vocal with piano backup.             


vinyl LP record gatefold album interior
photography by Jeff Katz
photo of album by Styrous®



Prince ~ Parade poster
photography by Jeff Katz
photo of poster by Styrous®



 


vinyl LP record, side 1
photo by Styrous®








vinyl LP record, side 2
photo by Styrous®

   
Tracklist:

Side 1:

        Intro   
A1 - Christopher Tracy's Parade, composed by John L. Nelson, Prince - 2:11
A2 - New Position - 2:21
A3 - I Wonder U - 1:40
A4 - Under The Cherry Moon, composed by John L. Nelson, Prince - 2:57
A5 - Girls & Boys
Horn – Eric Leeds
Performer [French Seduction] – Marie France (5)
Trumpet – Atlanta Bliss
Voice [Background Voices By - On The Left] – Lisa*, Sheila E.
Voice [Background Voices By - On The Right] – Susannah, Wendy*
Horn – Eric Leeds
Performer [French Seduction] – Marie France (5)
Trumpet – Atlanta Bliss
Voice [Background Voices By - On The Left] – Lisa*, Sheila E.
Voice [Background Voices By - On The Right] – Susannah, Wendy* - 5:30
A6 - Life Can Be So Nice, Cowbell [Cowbells] – Sheila* - 3:12
A7 - Venus De Milo, Drums – Sheila* - 1:54
        End   

Side 2:

B1 - Mountains
Horn – Eric Leeds
Rhythm Guitar – Mico*
Trumpet – Atlanta Bliss
Horn – Eric Leeds
Rhythm Guitar – Mico*
Trumpet – Atlanta Bliss - 3:58
B2 - Do U Lie?
Drums – Jonathan Melvoin
Performer [Little Gypsy Girl] – Sandra Francisco
Drums – Jonathan Melvoin
Performer [Little Gypsy Girl] – Sandra Francisco - 2:43
B3 - Kiss
Arranged By – David Z.
Voice [Background Voice] – Mazarati
Arranged By – David Z.
Voice [Background Voice] – Mazarati - 3:38
B4 - Anotherloverholenyohead, Voice [All Background Voices] – Prince, Susannah - 3:58
B5 - Sometimes It Snows In April - 6:50

Companies, etc.

    Phonographic Copyright ℗ – Warner Bros. Records Inc.
    Copyright © – Warner Bros. Records Inc.
    Recorded At – Paisley Park Studios
    Recorded At – Sunset Sound
    Recorded At – Monterey Sound Studios
    Pressed By – Specialty Records Corporation

Credits:

    Art Direction – Jeffrey Kent Ayeroff, Laura LiPuma
    Backing Vocals [Additional Background Vocals 4 'Parade'] – Susannah
    Composed By [Orchestra], Arranged By [Orchestra] – Clare Fischer
    Layout [Collage] – Ann Field
    Legal [Representation] – Lee Phillips (2)
    Management [Business] – Fred Moultrie
    Management [Personal] – Cavallo, Ruffalo & Fargnoli
    Mastered By [Originally] – Bernie Grundman
    Orchestra [Orchestral Players], Bass – Arni Egilsson, Chuck Domonico*
    Orchestra [Orchestral Players], Cello – Fred Seykora*, Jim Arkatov*, Ray Kramer*, Ray Kelley
    Orchestra [Orchestral Players], French Horn – Brian O'Conner*, Calvin Smith, David Duke, Jim Thatcher*, Joe Myer*, Marni Johnson
    Orchestra [Orchestral Players], Timpani [Tympani], Percussion – Brent Fischer
    Orchestra [Orchestral Players], Trombone – Bill Watrous, Charles Loper, Garnett Brown, Morris Repass
    Orchestra [Orchestral Players], Trumpet – Al Vizutti*, Bob Findley, Larry Ford, Ray Brown (2), Rich Cooper, Bob O'Donnell*
    Orchestra [Orchestral Players], Tuba – Tommy Johnson*
    Orchestra [Orchestral Players], Viola – Alan Deverich*, Alan Harshman*, Carol Mukagawa*, David Stock, Jorge Moraga, Margot MacLaine, Myer Bello, Norman Forrest, Pam Goldsmith*
    Orchestra [Orchestral Players], Violin – Assa Drori, Betty Moor, Bill Hybel, Don Palmer*, Ed Green (2), Erne Granat*, Francine Walsh, Harold Wolf, Henry Ferber, Irma Neumann, Isabelle Daskoff, Janice Gower, Joe Schonbrun*, Karen Jones (2), Mari Botnick, Oscar Chasow*, Pam Gates, Pat Johnson (2), Reggie Hill*, Ron Clark, Sheldon Sanov, Terry Schonbrun*, Bill Hymanson*
    Orchestra [Orchestral Players], Woodwind – Bob Tricarico, Dave Edwards (3), Dick Mitchell, Don Ashworth, Gary Foster, Gene Cipriano, Jack Nimitz, Jim Kanter, Joe Soldo, John Lowe, John Clarke*
    Performer [Signatures] – Bobby Z*, Brown Marc*, Doctor Fink*, Lisa*, Prince, Wendy*
    Photography By – Jeff Katz (2)
    Producer, Arranged By, Composed By, Performer – Prince And The Revolution
    Recorded By – Coke Johnson, David Leonard, David Tickle, David Z*, Peggy Mac*, Susan Rogers
    Recorded By [Orchestra] – Arne Frager

Notes:

Music from the motion picture 'Under The Cherry Moon'
© ℗ 1986 Warner Bros. Records Inc. for the U.S.

Catalog numbers:
9 25395-1 (sleeve)
1-25395 (labels)

Recorded at Paisley Park & Sunset Sound
Orchestra recorded at Monterey Sound

Made in USA.

Similar editions:
Parade (Columbia Records, Carrollton pressing)
Parade (Allied Record Company pressing)
Parade (Specialty Records Corporation pressing) [this release]
 
Barcode and Other Identifiers

    Pressing Plant ID (Side B, embossed around center hole): E A S T
    Matrix / Runout (Side A, etched [stamped], variant 1): 1-25395-A-SR3 1-1 [SRC logo]
    Matrix / Runout (Side B, etched [stamped], variant 1): 1-25395-B-SR2 1-1 [SRC logo]
    Matrix / Runout (Side A, etched [stamped], variant 2): 1-25395-A-SR2 1-4 [SRC logo]
    Matrix / Runout (Side B, etched [stamped], variant 2): 1-25395-B-SR4 1-2 [SRC logo]
    Matrix / Runout (Side A, etched [stamped], variant 3): 1-25395-A-SR3 1-3 [SRC logo]
    Matrix / Runout (Side B, etched [stamped], variant 3): 1-25395-B-SR4 1-1 [SRC logo]
    Matrix / Runout (Side A, etched [stamped], variant 4): 1-25395-A-SR3 1-2 [SRC logo]
    Matrix / Runout (Side B, etched [stamped], variant 4): 1-25395-B-SR4 1-2 [SRC logo]
    Matrix / Runout (Side A, etched [stamped], variant 5): 1-25395-A-SR3 1-1 [SRC logo]
    Matrix / Runout (Side B, etched [stamped], variant 5): 1-25395-B-SR4 1-3 [SRC logo]
    Matrix / Runout (Side A, etched [stamped], variant 6): 1-25395-A-SR3 1-4 [SRC logo]
    Matrix / Runout (Side B, etched [stamped], variant 6): 1-25395-B-SR2 1-2 [SRC logo]
    Matrix / Runout (Side A, etched [stamped], variant 7): 1-25395-A-SR3 1-4 [SRC logo]
    Matrix / Runout (Side B, etched [stamped], variant 7): 1-25395-B-SR2 1-1 [SRC logo]
    Matrix / Runout (Side A, etched [stamped], variant 8): 1-25395-A-SR2 1-2 [SRC logo]
    Matrix / Runout (Side B, etched [stamped], variant 8): 1-25395-B-SR4 1-1 [SRC logo]
    Matrix / Runout (Side A, etched [stamped], variant 9): 1-25395-A-SR2 [SRC logo] 1- ̷ ̶2̶3
    Matrix / Runout (Side B, etched [stamped], variant 9): 1-25395-B-SR2 [SRC logo] 1-3
    Matrix / Runout (Side A, etched [stamped], variant 10): 1-25395-A-SR3 1-1 [SRC logo]
    Matrix / Runout (Side B, etched [stamped], variant 10): 1-25395-B-SR3 1-1 [SRC logo]
    Matrix / Runout (Side A, etched [stamped], variant 11): 1-25395-A-SR2 [SRC logo] 1-4
    Matrix / Runout (Side B, etched [stamped], variant 11): 1-25395-B-SR4 [SRC logo] 1-1
 
Prince And The Revolution – Parade
Label: Paisley Park – 9 25395-1, Paisley Park – 1-25395
Format: Vinyl, LP, Album, Specialty Records Corporation Pressing, Gatefold
Country: US
Released: Mar 31, 1986
Genre: Funk / Soul, Pop
Style: Minneapolis Sound, Funk
        
        
         
Viewfinder links:        
        
Prince              
        
         
        
Net links:        
         
Roger & Ebert ~ A Defense of Under the Cherry Moon (review)      
Chicago Reader ~ Not even the soundtrack can save Under the Cherry Moon       
Princevault ~ Under The Cherry Moon         
Under the Cherry Moon cast                
        
YouTube links:        
        
Parade (full album)         
Do U Lie?       
I Wonder You         
Kiss     
Under the Cherry Moon         
Venus De Milo         
Under the Cherry Moon (movie trailer)          
        
         
        
        
 
        
         
        
        
        
Styrous® ~ Wednesday, March 31, 2021          
       
















Sheila E. articles/mentions

  ~    

     
     
mentions:     
Prince ~ Parade     
      
     
      
     
     
      
      
     
      
     
      
Sheila E. - 1985 
photographer unknown
     
      
     
      
     
      
     
      
     
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 





Michael Damian articles/mentions

  ~        
Rock On with 12"         
     
     
mentions:     
      
     
      
      
      
       
     
     
      
     
      
date & photographer unknown
     
      
     
      
     
      
     
      
     
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Kurt Cobain articles/mentions

  ~   
     
     
     
David Bowie ~ The Man Who Sold the World  
Paul Whiteman ~ King of Jazz   
     
     
           
     
     
      
date & photographer unknown
     
      
     
      
     
      
     
      
     
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 







Nirvana articles/mentions

  ~   
     
     
     
David Bowie ~ The Man Who Sold the World    
Paul Whiteman ~ King of Jazz     
      
     
     
      
     
      
date & photographer unknown
     
      
     
      
     
      
     
      
     
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 






Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons articles/mentions

 ~   

     
     
Divine ~ Greatest Hits     
Lene Lovich ~ Flex & The Freeze               
      
     
      
     
     
      
     
      
datea & photographer unknown
     
      
     
      
     
      
     
      
     
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 




Soft Cell articles/mentions

   ~   
     
     
      
Lene Lovich ~ Flex & The Freeze               
      
     
      
     
     
      
     
      
photo by Fin Costello/Redferns
     
      
     
      
     
      
     
      
     
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 



March 30, 2021

20,000 vinyl LPs 282: Lene Lovich ~ Flex & The Freeze

 ~      
vinyl LP front cover detail 
design by C-More-Tone (Chris Morton)
cover photo by Brian Griffin 
detail photo of album cover by Styrous®


Today is the birthday of wonderfully weird, New Wave Diva, Lene Lovich, born in 1949 in Detroit, Michigan. She moved to England When she was 13, where she met guitarist and songwriter Les Chappell, who later became her long-time music collaborator, partner and who was producer for the Flex album.      
 
 

vinyl LP front cover 
design by C-More-Tone (Chris Morton)
cover photo by Brian Griffin 
photo of album cover by Styrous®
 
 
She was born as Lili-Marlene Premilovich. She used to record screams for Hammer to dub onto their horror-films and wrote the lyrics to the disco hit Supernature for Cerrone in the late 70’s after which she abbreviated her name. She also recorded vocals for Picnic Boy by The Residents as "Sandy Sandwich". The song is only a minute or so long and the video is pretty weird (link below) but be warned, as with some of the Hammer films, it is a bit gruesome at the end.                
 
I was a fan of hers from her first album, Stateless, which was a wonderful array of sounds and themes that will always be among my favorites. The kooky and syncopated, Lucky Number, grabbed me and never let go. Then she came out with her second work, Flex, and it totally blew me out of the water!     

Flex was a radiant transition from the punk of the 1970's to the wonderfully experimental new wave tsunami of the 1980's; it contains the finest elements of both. It rightfully belongs on my "Desert Island" list (link below).            
 
  
vinyl LP front cover detail 
design by C-More-Tone (Chris Morton)
cover photo by Brian Griffin 
detail photo of album cover by Styrous®
 
 
In the punk category, more or less, are What Will I Do Without You, Angels, Egghead and Monkey Talk. However, they have many influences of new wave in them.         
 
 
 
 
vinyl LP front cover detail 
design by C-More-Tone (Chris Morton)
cover photo by Brian Griffin 
detail photo of album cover by Styrous®


A great song written by Judge Smith, You Can’t Kill Me, is VERY dramatic with heavy drum beats, a VERY slow deliberate march (e. g. walking to the Guillotine) and muses on Reincarnation. When introducing it in concert she says, “If you are thinking of killing yourself. Then don’t. It’s selfish!”    

Smith was drummer and one of the founding members of the English progressive rock band Van der Graaf Generator in 1967 but left the band in 1968.    

The Night is a cover of the song by Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons. Lovich picked up the record in a second hand shop; she had been interested in the band's music and decided to record it for the album. The song was also covered  by Intastella in 1995, by Soft Cell in 2002.     
 
 
 

Bird song with its beautiful and ethereal start was written by Chappell and Lovich. She woke up in the night to the sounds of birds trilling. She recorded them and the recording was her inspiration for the opening for the song which went into a rapid disco with a marvelous organ .             

Wonderful One is just that, Wonderful! With its fast beat punctuated by a brilliantly played xylophone is superb! However, it is not to be confused with the 1923 song with the same title written by Paul Whiteman and Ferde GrofĂ©.         


vinyl LP back cover 
design by C-More-Tone (Chris Morton)
back cover photo by Brian Griffin 
photo of album back cover by Styrous®
 
 
The Freeze is my favorite cut from the album. It was written by Lovich with her partner, Les Chappell; the instrumentation for the song is lushly sparse (?) and surreal; it features an organ synth, a male chorus humming in the background with tympani accents at the perfect time along with miscellaneous electronic effects. It is a slow march that comes across like a dirge as from the Office of the Dead.  
 
 

 Office of the Dead, 15th century
Black Hours, Morgan MS 493
 
 
The Freeze is a brilliant song. The official video for it utilizes a scene from Juliet of the Spirits, by Federico Fellini, with Giulietta Masina (link below).    
 
 
 
    

The Freeze

The icicles are forming in our eyes
As we go, as we go
The lucky ducks are waving us good bye
What a show, as we go

Don't forget your name, or the place from which you came
And the rest who still remain below

The best of us are taken by surprise
Even so, even so
We can't avoid the ultimate device
What a blow, even so

High and higher
How far do we go?
We can't expect to always see the sun shine
Frozen, silent, waiting in the cold
This is the longest night of all

The instruments are beating with a sigh
Yes we know, yes we know
It¹s time to close the door and say good night
Time to go, yes we know

All is cold tonight, but the stars are shining bright
And one day we¹ll see the light, I know

We can't expect to always see the sun shine

This is the longest night of all


The Freeze Lyrics written by Les Chappell & Lene Lovich

(link to all Flex song lyrics below)

 
vinyl LP front cover detail 
design by C-More-Tone (Chris Morton)
detail photo of album cover by Styrous®


In an interview by record producer, Mike Thorne, for the Stereo Society (link below) regarding her composing method, Lovich said:     
"When I was little, I use to write da, dum, da, de, da, dum, dum, those actual words, on a piece of paper.  Then, I looked at them the next day, they didn’t make any sense at all. So it was a great help when cassette players were invented and I’ve really just stuck to that simple method." 

Flex was recorded at the Wisseloord Studios in Hilversum, Netherlands. The album cover design was by the original art director at Stiff Records, Chris Morton of C-More-Tone Studios.        

The record sleeve

vinyl LP record sleeve 
design by C-More-Tone (Chris Morton)
photo of record sleeve by Styrous®





vinyl LP record sleeve detail 
design by C-More-Tone (Chris Morton
detail photo of record sleeve by Styrous®




vinyl LP record sleeve detail 
design by C-More-Tone (Chris Morton
detail photo of record sleeve by Styrous®







vinyl LP record sleeve detail 
design by C-More-Tone (Chris Morton
detail photo of record sleeve by Styrous®





vinyl LP record sleeve detail 
design by C-More-Tone (Chris Morton
detail photo of record sleeve by Styrous®






vinyl LP record sleeve detail 
design by C-More-Tone (Chris Morton
detail photo of record sleeve by Styrous®






vinyl LP record sleeve detail 
design by C-More-Tone (Chris Morton
detail photo of record sleeve by Styrous®




vinyl LP record sleeve detail 
design by C-More-Tone (Chris Morton
detail photo of record sleeve by Styrous®






vinyl LP record sleeve detail 
design by C-More-Tone (Chris Morton
detail photo of record sleeve by Styrous®



vinyl LP record sleeve 
design by C-More-Tone (Chris Morton)
photo of record sleeve by Styrous®





vinyl LP record sleeve detail 
design by C-More-Tone (Chris Morton
detail photo of record sleeve by Styrous®




vinyl LP record sleeve detail 
design by C-More-Tone (Chris Morton
detail photo of record sleeve by Styrous®




vinyl LP record sleeve detail 
design by C-More-Tone (Chris Morton
detail photo of record sleeve by Styrous®









vinyl LP record sleeve detail 
design by C-More-Tone (Chris Morton
detail photo of record sleeve by Styrous®




vinyl LP record sleeve detail 
design by C-More-Tone (Chris Morton
detail photo of record sleeve by Styrous®



vinyl LP record sleeve detail 
design by C-More-Tone (Chris Morton
detail photo of record sleeve by Styrous®




vinyl LP record sleeve detail 
design by C-More-Tone (Chris Morton
detail photo of record sleeve by Styrous®



vinyl LP record sleeve detail 
design by C-More-Tone (Chris Morton
detail photo of record sleeve by Styrous®



vinyl LP record sleeve detail 
design by C-More-Tone (Chris Morton
detail photo of record sleeve by Styrous®





vinyl LP record, side 1
photos by Styrous®


 

 
 
 
vinyl LP record, side 2
photos by Styrous®
 
   
Tracklist:

Side 1:

A1 - Bird Song - 4:27
A2 - What Will I Do Without You - 3:35
A3 - Angels - 3:08
A4 - The Night - 4:31
A5 - You Can't Kill Me - 3:45

Side 2:

B1 - Egghead - 2:26
B2 - Wonderful One - 4:28
B3 - Monkey Talk - 3:20
B4 - Joan - 3:18
B5 - The Freeze - 4:40

Companies, etc.


    Copyright © – CBS Inc.
    Phonographic Copyright ℗ – Stiff Records
    Manufactured By – Epic Records
    Distributed By – Epic Records
    Recorded At – Wisseloord Studios

Credits:

    Bass – Mark Hayward-Chaplin*
    Drums – Justin Hildreth
    Engineer – Peter Bord
    Guitar, Synthesizer, Backing Vocals – Les Chappell
    Keyboards – Dean Klevatt, Nick Plytas
    Photography By – Brian Griffin (3)
    Producer – Alan Winstanley, Lene Lovich, Les Chappell, Roger Bechirian
    Sleeve [Cover Art] – C-More-Tone*
    Vocals, Saxophone – Lene Lovich

Notes:

 PE 36308 on spine, JE 36308 on labels.

Issued with a printed inner sleeve with art and album info.
 
Barcode and Other Identifiers

    Barcode: 0 7464-36308-1
    Matrix / Runout (Side A, Printed): AL 36308
    Matrix / Runout (Side B, Printed): BL 36308
 
Lene Lovich – Flex
Label: Stiff-Epic – JE 36308, Stiff-Epic – PE 36308
Format: Vinyl, LP, Album
Country: US
Released: 1980
Genre: Electronic, Rock, Pop
Style: New Wave, Pop Rock, Synth-pop    

 
 
 
         
Viewfinder links:        
         
Cerrone         
Les Chappell        
Federico Fellini         
Ferde GrofĂ©       
Lene Lovich        
Giulietta Masina        
The Residents        
Van der Graaf Generator         
Paul Whiteman          
        
Net links:        
         
Furious ~ Lene Lovich (interview)        
Genious ~ Flex song lyrics
Louder Than War ~ Lene Lovich: Winchester      
Lene Lovich website       
Post-Punk Monk ~ Lene Lovich: The Pre-Stiff Singles        
The Stereo Society ~ Flex review        
        
YouTube links:         
           
Cerrone - Supernature (Official Video)          
The Four Seasons ~ The Night  
Lene Lovich ~         
           Angels    
           Bird Song         
           Egghead          
           The Freeze           
           Joan              
           Monkey Talk    
           The Night     
           What Will I Do Without You                   
           Wonderful One          
           You Can't Kill Me      
The Residents ~ Picnic Boy       
interviews:          
DJ Andy Anderson (interview)          
Videowave (1990 interview)        
        
        
        
"Perhaps I just never grew up!" 
                  ~ Lene Lovich
        
        
        
Styrous® ~ Tuesday, March 30, 2021