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The Family is the sole studio album by the band of the same name, released on August 19, 1985 by Prince's Paisley Park Records.
| The Family | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Studio album by | |
| Released | August 19, 1985 |
| Recorded | 1984–1985 |
| Genre | Pop, R&B, funk, jazz |
| Length | 36:00 |
| Label | Paisley Park/Warner Bros. |
| Producer | |
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [1] |
Background
editThe album consists of eight Minneapolis sound tracks but with a funk-jazz slant. Two of the tracks are instrumentals, and three are ballads; many feature string arrangements by Clare Fischer, marking the beginning of Prince's longstanding association with the Michigan-born composer-arranger.[2][3] A single was released for "The Screams of Passion", a modest hit that was re-released in 1996 on the Girl 6 soundtrack. A promo version of "High Fashion" was distributed. "Nothing Compares 2 U", an emotional ballad, became more widely known five years later when a cover by Sinéad O'Connor was released as a single to worldwide success.
The album was released on vinyl; following the success of O'Connor's version of "Nothing Compares 2 U" a CD version of the album was released in Japan and Germany/Europe.
Alternate recordings of several of the songs from the project featuring Prince on vocals were recorded, but most remain in the vault at Paisley Park Studios. Prince's original 1984 studio recording of "Nothing Compares 2 U" was not officially released until 2018, when it was issued as a single by Warner Bros. Records in conjunction with his estate.[4]
Track listing
editAll tracks are written by Prince (but officially credited to others), except River Run Dry (written by Bobby Z.)[5][6]
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "High Fashion" | Prince, credited to Jerome Benton, Paul "St. Paul" Peterson | 5:06 |
| 2. | "Mutiny" | Prince, credited to Benton | 3:57 |
| 3. | "The Screams of Passion" | Prince, credited to Susannah Kay Melvoin Bramhall, Peterson | 5:26 |
| 4. | "Yes" | Prince and Eric Leeds, credited to Benton, Jellybean Johnson | 4:27 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5. | "River Run Dry" | Bobby Z. | 3:31 |
| 6. | "Nothing Compares 2 U" | Prince | 4:31 |
| 7. | "Susannah's Pajamas" | Prince and Leeds, credited to Leeds | 3:58 |
| 8. | "Desire" | Prince, credited to Peterson | 4:58 |
Personnel
edit- St. Paul Peterson – lead vocals
- Susannah Melvoin – lead and backing vocals (tracks 1, 3, 5, 6, 8)
- Prince – all instruments, except where noted
- Eric Leeds – saxophone (tracks 1–2, 4, 6, 8)
- Clare Fischer – string orchestration
- Wendy Melvoin – rhythm guitar (track 4)
Charts
edit| Chart (1985) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Billboard Top Pop Albums[7] | 62 |
| US Billboard Top Black Albums[7] | 17 |
References
edit- ^ Allmusic review
- ^ McGhee, Jim. "Good funk for all the Family" South China Sunday Morning Post. November 17, 1985. Retrieved February 20, 2019. "Producer David Z (brother of Revolution drummer Bobby Z) welds the tracks magnificently and Clare Fischer's inspired string arrangements give the album a conceptual feel."
- ^ Jones, Liz (1999). Purple Rain: The Artist Formerly Known as Prince. Secaucus, NJ: Carol Publishing Group. p. 82. "The Family album also marked the first time Prince collaborated with Clare Fischer, who would subsequently work with him on almost every album. He would send tapes to Fischer and he (it is a he) would add his orchestral arrangements."
- ^ "Listen to Prince's Original Version of "Nothing Compares 2 U" | Pitchfork". pitchfork.com. Retrieved April 19, 2018.
- ^ Family, The. "Credits". Discogs.com. Retrieved 21 November 2020.
- ^ Vault, Prince. "The Family album". princevault.com. Retrieved 21 November 2020.
- ^ a b "The Family – Awards". AllMusic. Archived from the original on March 14, 2013. Retrieved August 11, 2023.
