We pay tribute tonight to yet another titan who left us in 2016 with Prince and the Revolution’s Parade (plus an assortment of his other gems). Released in 1986, Prince’s eighth studio album was also the soundtrack to the movie Under the Cherry Moon. The movie was Prince’s debut as a director, and it was a total bomb, winning five Golden Raspberry Awards that year, including Worst Picture. The album, on the other hand, was nothing short of genius, selected by The Village Voice and NME as the album of the year in ’86. According to Pitchfork, Parade is “breathtaking. Raw, spare and unflaggingly eccentric.” Not surprising from a genius who also could be described as unflaggingly eccentric. The single is “Kiss,” which like much of the album does not shy away from using silence and space. In fact, despite the song’s relentless funk groove, Prince sings in a fragile falsetto and mixes the song with no bass. This use of silence is echoed in the haunting closing piano/guitar ballad “Sometimes it Snows in April.” The song references Christopher Tracy, which is the character Prince plays in the movie. It’s also the title of the album’s lead track. Amazingly, this album’s recording began when Prince entered the studio, sat at the drums and played the first four songs in a single take. That is quite a feat and pretty much unheard of in today’s era of over editing. The result is an energy and a groove that doesn’t quit. Raise your glass, if you have one, to Prince, whose influence will never die.

Lineup

• Heratio Valentino
• Carmen Rodgers
• Salakida
• Maleke O’Ney
• Kipper Jones
• Brenda Nicole Moorer