Jump to content

Around the World in a Day

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by Warpozio (talk | contribs) at 09:00, 24 August 2015 (→‎External links). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

Untitled
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic[4]
Blender[5]
Robert ChristgauB–[6]
Entertainment WeeklyC[7]
The New York Timesfavorable[2]
Q[8]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide[3]
Spin(4/10)[9]
Stylus Magazinefavorable[1]
Yahoo! Musicunfavorable[10]

Around the World in a Day is the seventh studio album by American recording artist Prince and The Revolution. It was released on April 22, 1985 by Paisley Park Records and Warner Bros. Records. In compliance with Prince's wishes, the record company released the album with minimal publicity, not even releasing an accompanying single until almost a full month after the album's release. Prince made the request because he preferred the public to first experience the record in its entirety rather than through any particular song.[11]

Background

The album overall was an important step in Prince's musical evolution, incorporating new instruments and musical styles. This, taken together with the psychedelic vibe that pervades much of the record, drew numerous comparisons to The Beatles' Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band album.[2][11] In an interview, Prince once spoke on the album's cover art, psychedelic vibe, and the Sgt. Pepper comparison:

"The influence wasn't the Beatles. They were great for what they did, but I don't know how that would hang today. The cover art came about because I thought people were tired of looking at me. Who wants another picture of him? I would only want so many pictures of my woman, then I would want the real thing. What would be a little more happening than just another picture would be if there was some way I could materialize in people's cribs when they play the record. I don't mind the [album being called psychedelic], because that was the only period in recent history that delivered songs and colors. Led Zeppelin, for example, would make you feel differently on each song."[12]

Track listing

All tracks are written by Prince except where indicated

Side one
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Around the World in a Day"Prince, John L. Nelson, David Coleman3:28
2."Paisley Park" 4:42
3."Condition of the Heart" 6:48
4."Raspberry Beret" 3:33
5."Tamborine" 2:47
Side two
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
6."America"Prince and The Revolution3:42
7."Pop Life" 3:43
8."The Ladder"Prince, John L. Nelson5:29
9."Temptation" 8:18

Personnel

[13]

  • Prince - all vocals and instruments, except where noted
  • David Coleman - cello, oud, fingercymbals, darbuka and background vocals on Around The World In A Day, cello on Raspberry Beret and The Ladder (interlude)
  • Jonathan Melvoin - tambourine and background vocals on Around The World In A Day, Pop Life
  • Wendy Melvoin - background vocals on Around The World In A Day, Paisley Park, Raspberry Beret, guitars and background vocals on America, Pop Life, The Ladder
  • Lisa Coleman - background vocals on Around The World In A Day, Paisley Park, Raspberry Beret, keyboards and background vocals on America, Pop Life, The Ladder
  • Susannah Melvoin - background vocals on Around The World In A Day, Raspberry Beret and The Ladder
  • Novi Novog - violin on Paisley Park and Raspberry Beret
  • Bobby Z. - drums and percussion on America, Pop Life, The Ladder
  • Brown Mark - bass guitar and background vocals on America, Pop Life, The Ladder
  • Dr. Fink - keyboards on America, Pop Life, The Ladder
  • Brad Marsh - tambourine on America
  • Sheila E. - drums on Pop Life
  • Eddie M. - saxophone on The Ladder and Temptation
  • Suzie Katayama - cello on Raspberry Beret and The Ladder (interlude)
  • Sid Page - violin on The Ladder (interlude)
  • Marcy Dicterow-Vaj - violin on The Ladder (interlude) (as "Vaj")
  • Denyse Buffum - viola on The Ladder (interlude)
  • Laury Woods - viola on The Ladder (interlude)
  • Tim Barr - stand-up bass on The Ladder (interlude)
  • Annette Atkinson - stand-up bass on The Ladder (interlude)
  • Taja Sevelle - background vocals on The Ladder (as "Taj")

Album Reception

Despite the low-key promotion and the material on the album being overall not as radio-friendly as Purple Rain, it still had two American top 10 hits, and went double platinum.

"I talked to George Clinton, a man who knows and has done so much for funk," Prince told Rolling Stone. "George told me how much he liked Around the World in a Day. You know how much more his words mean than those from some mamma-jamma wearing glasses and an alligator shirt behind a typewriter? . . . I've heard some people say I'm not talking about anything on this record. And what a lot of other people get wrong about the record is that I'm not trying to be this great visionary wizard. Paisley Park is in everybody's heart. It's not just something that I have the keys to. I was trying to say something about looking inside oneself to find perfection. Perfection is in everyone. Nobody's perfect, but they can be. We may never reach that, but it's better to strive than not."[14]

Charts

Chart (1985) Peak
position
US Billboard 200 1
US Billboard R&B Albums 4
UK Albums Chart 5

Singles and Hot 100 chart placings

  1. "Paisley Park"
  2. "She's Always in My Hair"
  1. "Raspberry Beret"
  2. "She's Always in My Hair" (US)
  3. "Hello" (UK)
  1. "Pop Life"
  2. "Hello" (US)
  3. "Girl" (UK)
  • "America" (#46 US, #35 US R&B) No UK release
  1. "America"
  2. "Girl"
Preceded by Billboard 200 number-one album
June 1–21, 1985 		Succeeded by

References

  1. ^ a b Drimmer, Josh (30 November 2004). "Prince - Around The World In A Day". Stylus6. Retrieved 14 September 2011.
  2. ^ a b c Palmer, Robert (22 April 1985). "Records: Prince's 'Around the World'". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. OCLC 1645522. Retrieved 14 September 2011.
  3. ^ a b "Prince: Album Guide". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 1 August 2012. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  4. ^ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Prince & the Revolution: Around the World in a Day > Review" at AllMusic. Retrieved 14 September 2011.
  5. ^ Blender review[dead link]
  6. ^ Christgau, Robert (July 30, 1985). "Christgau's Consumer Guide". The Village Voice. New York. Retrieved 2012-10-28.
  7. ^ Browne, David (21 September 1990). "Purple Products". Entertainment Weekly (#32). ISSN 1049-0434. Retrieved 14 September 2011.
  8. ^ "Prince/Prince & The Revolution - Around the World in a Day CD Album". cduniverse.com. Retrieved 14 September 2011.
  9. ^ Weisbard, Eric (10 October 1995). Spin Alternative Record Guide (1st ed.). Vintage. ISBN 978-0-679-75574-6. Retrieved 14 September 2011.
  10. ^ Clay, Jennifer (1 January 1985). "Around The World In A Day". Archived from the original on 22 July 2010. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  11. ^ a b Freeman, Kim (May 4, 1985). "Radio Is Mixed On Prince Album". 97 (18). New York: Billboard Publications, Inc.: 1, 72. {{cite journal}}: Cite has empty unknown parameters: |laydate=, |coauthors=, |trans_title=, |laysource=, and |laysummary= (help); Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  12. ^ http://princetext.tripod.com/i_stone85.html
  13. ^ http://www.princevault.com/index.php/Album:_Around_The_World_In_A_Day
  14. ^ rollingstone.com/music/news/prince-talks-the-silence-is-broken-19850912
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Around_the_World_in_a_Day&oldid=677594664"