FLW Special - Purple Rain at 40

In this very special episode, we celebrate the 40th anniversary of the release of the film “Purple Rain”. The overwhelming success of the movie made Prince the first artist in history to have the same project simultaneously #1 on the singles, albums, and movie charts in the United States.

We speak to one of the foremost Prince experts; author and podcaster Alan Light. Alan talks about the creation of Purple Rain the song, the album and the movie. He also reveals…

• How the version of the title track that we’re all familiar with was recorded in one take at a fundraiser. It was also the first time that 19-year-old Wendy Melvoin had played with the band.
• Movie executives didn’t want to cast Prince in the lead role, and suggested much more famous star (who would have been badly miscast!)
• How Prince tried to recruit Stevie Nicks to help with the lyrics for “Purple Rain” - and why she said no.
• How the movie has held up well (for its live performances) and been held up to ridicule (for its acting performances and misogyny).
• Prince’s tenuous relationship with Morris Day & The Time – and his greatest musical regret.

Alan Light is the prolific author of many music biographies, including his books about Tupac Shakur, Nina Simone and The Beastie Boys. He also collaborated on “My Cross To Bear”, the Gregg Allman autobiography and Peter Frampton's “Do You Feel Like I Do”. Other books include “The Holy Or The Broken” – a great history of the Leonard Cohen masterpiece “Hallelujah”; and of course, “Let’s Go Crazy: Prince and the making of Purple Rain”. Alan is also the co-host of the “Sound Up” podcast with his good friend Marc Goodman.