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 as well as 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 influenced 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 it, and his devotion is evident. It is clearly a labor of love. It was a huge thrill for me to read about what was going on in the studio during the Purple Rain era and thinking about what was happening in my life at that time, a time when I was a young teen and Prince’s music consumed me completely. For someone like me who discovered Prince in 1983 and has been obsessed with his music ever since, 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!

Awesome book! A must-have for any fan of Prince! Even if you think you know a lot about Prince and his music, this book will definitely fill-in a lot of information you never knew before.

This book should be considered essential for any Prince fan. Reading this felt like a warm hug from other Prince fans and has incredible detail from a wide number of sources.

I wasn't a big fan of prince, but enjoyed his music way back in the day! This book was certainly insightful. Lots of detailed info from many sources. Duane Tudahl certainly did his homework. I was thinking this was going to be a book only diehard fans would enjoy, but it makes an interesting read by a general fan (like myself), too.

I am a die hard Prince fan starting from before 1999 was published. To me, Prince has always been a legend, a master musician, prolific writer and so many other things. When he died, a flame went out that can never be replaced. This book is about the time period when Prince wrote the masterpiece Purple Rain - the movie and the soundtrack. One of the greatest musicals of all time, probably the best of my generation. This book is the first in a series of books about Prince and his musical career. The author did fabulous research, talking to so many people who knew him and worked with him. There are even a few quotes from Prince himself in this. The book is very good and if you are a fan, then this is for you!

I can feel the love and admiration this author has for Prince. If you are a true Prince fan, you will love this book. I can't wait for the next installment.

Prince and the Purple Rain Era Studio Sessions is an interesting read and I learned more about this music legend I did not know previously.

It is no exaggeration to say that without Duane Tudahl, Prince fandom and Prince scholarship would both look very different. In the 1990s and early 2000s, Tudahl was one of the amateur historians behind Uptown, the venerated fanzine that remains the chief source of what we know about Prince’s work beyond the official studio recordings. If you have a dogeared copy of Per Nilsen’s Dance Music Sex Romance: Prince: The First Decade or Alex Hahn’s Possessed: The Rise and Fall of Prince on your shelf, if you’ve ever consulted Prince Vault for information on a rare outtake, Tudahl is among the people you have to thank.

But Uptown’s research, for all its significance, is getting a little long in the tooth. The magazine has been defunct for well over a decade, during which time new information on Prince’s recording sessions have continued to emerge unabated; so it was with great excitement that many of us learned Tudahl was preparing an update. Prince and the Purple Rain Era Studio Sessions: 1983-1984 is the first of, hopefully, many such updates–and I don’t think I need to tell this particular readership that it is absolutely essential.

As the title suggests, Tudahl takes a long view of the “Purple Rain era,” beginning in the middle of the 1999 tour in January 1983 and ending with the completion of Around the World in a Day in December 1984. Obviously, setting firm chronological boundaries on the work of an artist in perpetual motion will always be arbitrary; Tudahl, however, makes a good case for his selection. The 24 months he chose include Prince’s slow ascension to superstardom, and his first post-crossover left turn; the “official” formation of his most iconic band, the Revolution, and the beginning of their expansion with vital auxiliary musicians such as Eric Leeds; the club show that provided the nucleus for much of the Purple Rain film and album, and the stadium performances with which he promoted them. This is, in other words, an era that provides a fascinating microcosm for the various trends, tensions, and themes that would persist throughout Prince’s career.

1983 and 1984 are also where Prince recorded some of his most popular and accomplished music: not only Purple Rain and Around the World in a Day, but also the Time’s Ice Cream Castle, Sheila E’s The Glamorous Life, the eponymous albums by Apollonia 6 and the Family, and many of his most renowned B-sides: “Irresistible Bitch,” “Erotic City,” “She’s Always in My Hair.” Even the songs written for other artists in this period are household names: “Manic Monday,” “Nothing Compares 2 U,” “Sugar Walls” (well, maybe not “Sugar Walls”). Regardless of one’s personal feelings on the “Purple Rain era,” it’s undeniable that this was one of the artist’s richest and most prolific periods, making it the perfect place to start with what could easily have been a dry, pedantic “for fans only” exercise.

That being said, it still takes a special kind of music geek to read a 550-page book about the recording sessions for (give or take) a single album. This is, by its very nature, not a book for casual fans; but it’s to Tudahl’s credit that it is immensely readable, as much of a page-turner as a chronological studio record can possibly be. The author brings to life the heart of his research–work orders obtained from Sunset Sound, Prince’s base of operations in Los Angeles at the time–with judiciously-selected quotes from former engineers, band members, and other collaborators, as well as some (through archival means) from Prince himself. For writers and researchers, Prince and the Purple Rain Era Studio Sessions will be invaluable as a resource for information about this period (I just hope they are considerate about citing their sources). But for readers who just want to learn more about an artist working at the peak of his powers, the insight it provides is just as worthy.

My husband and I are huge fans 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!

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.

Like Beetlejuice’s The Handbook for the Living and the Dead, “this thing reads like stereo instructions”. But if the stereo instructions show Prince behind the scenes, it is worth spending a bit of time reading inconsequential details. Prince and the Purple Rain Era Sessions: 1983 and 1984 describes what Prince was doing, and especially recording, literally day-by-day through 1983 and 1984. It also includes some new and captivating tidbits. Prince was the producer and Svengali of Vanity 6, The Time, Apollonia 6 and Sheila E along with several groups that were not as successful. There were real tensions and competition between Prince and The Time before Purple Rain was even imagined. Prince foretold the rise of a Madonna-like star. Unfortunately and perhaps truthfully, Prince felt that the Purple Rain movie and album would “be hanging around my neck as long as I’m making music”.

I am a huge Prince fan. Jellybean Johnson, the drummer on the Purple Rain album, says “When ‘Little Red Corvette’ became a big pop smash, we started seeing a lot more white people” and that is also when I (and everyone I knew in 1983) started listening to Prince. Prince and the Purple Rain Era Sessions: 1983 and 1984 gives many details about Prince’s recording method and highlights his huge work ethic. It includes information about unreleased tracks that may be released later by his estate. It concludes with the author’s research methodology, which was meticulous and exhaustive. I’m sure that this book will be used by future scholars or biographersfor their own books about Prince and the artistic process. The author teases at a sequel sometime in the future. Perhaps Prince: 1985 and 1986? I can’t wait. 4 stars!

Thanks to the publisher, Rowman & Littlefield, and Netgalley for an advanced review copy.

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.

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!

I enjoyed the book about Prince. If you are a fan of Prince and a fan of music you should definitely read it. The book describes the life of Prince during the years 1982-1983 the two years of his life during the Purple rain studio sessions an in depth look into how the music was made. It was a very interesting read to learn how dedicated Prince was to his craft as an artist.

Holiday Gift Alert 2017, I am currently reading a review copy of "Prince and the Purple Rain Era Studio Sessions: 1983 and 1984" by Duane Tudahl. I can't stop read this book. I feel like it was written for me. This book "meticulously" details an important slice of Prince history 1983-1984. I am impressed by how well it was researched and intimately put together. by the author. It's an honest labor or love.
Please, don't let title fool you this is more than about the studio sessions. It's about the music, the life and the time, cooperated by people who were there...
While you reading this your going to want to dust off your Prince music and listen again as the stories of the tracks unfold for the first time in a new light.
I can't wait for the hardcover to come out in November. Pre-Order your copy today! http://amzn.to/2y5qo5g

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.