History of the song "When Doves Cry" (1984)
Содержание
On 21 April 2016, one of America's most influential musicians, better known as Prince, died. His body was discovered in his own mansion in Minnesota. During 38 years of creative activity, the artist released 36 full-length discs, as well as won such prestigious awards as the Grammy, Oscar and Golden Globe! In 2005, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Prince Rogers Nelson has remained a sought-after songwriter for years... Legendary jazz musician Miles Davis once said:
"I dream of working with this guy, as he is the most promising artist of our time... Prince is the new Duke Ellington!"
Prince Rogers Nelson has forever remained in the minds of listeners the ultimate embodiment of the carefree 1980s. When Doves Cry is one of his greatest works, the story behind its creation is here to remember!
How the song was recorded
Prince composed this song especially for the film Purple Rain. Curiously enough, but the song called "When Doves Cry" was written in the very last turn... The work on the film was almost finished, and the soundtrack was almost ready to be released as a studio album. The artist decided to release as the main single this unusual thing without a bass part, and, as time showed, he did not make a mistake!
In many ways, When Doves Cry owes its birth to film director Albert Magnoli. It was at his request that Prince wrote a song about the difficulties of communicating with the parents of two heroes in love... As the author of the hit song later said, the source of inspiration for him was Susan Munsey, a member of Vanity 6 and Prince's lady of the heart at the time.
Originally the bass part was present in the track. Moreover, Prince personally played all the musical instruments that were used in the recording! But... at the very last moment he decided to remove this part, in order to achieve a more spectacular sound... And he succeeded.
When Doves Cry was also worked on by sound engineer Peggy McCreary, who later recalled:
"He took out the bass part, and said: "Nobody would have the guts to do that!" And he was pleased with himself! Prince was smiling through all his thirty-two teeth... He knew he was doing what was best. I think he saw this song as a hit from the beginning... That's why he decided to do the bold, extravagant thing... That's what Prince was all about!"
According to the maestro himself, such a unique decision was given to him with great difficulty ...
"You know, sometimes there comes a moment when your mind splits into two halves... On one side is your ego, on the other side is something completely different... And you know what? You have to go with what you think is the truth..."
However, as far as the recording process is concerned, according to Peggy McCreary, it was much more difficult and, even, exhausting:
"Time after time he would run through the song with just piano and vocals... Sometimes he'd take the drums and then the bass... Just so you understand, in the same studio as Prince, you have to be ready to do whatever comes into his head! It was very spontaneous, very crazy... But when you're working around the clock, it's hard to stay involved... Sometimes Prince would go home on purpose so I could rest and get some sleep... It was touching!".
In the end, the gruelling work paid off! When Doves Cry was released in May 1984, as the first single from the album "17 Days"! The track became an instant hit in dozens of countries around the world, reaching number one on the Billboard Hot 100!
Music video
As for the music video, the MTV Video Music Awards-nominated clip is Prince's own work! The artist took a creative approach to his work, using footage from the film Purple Rain. It was worthy, in the style of the legendary Prince....
