Dream Factory (album)
Dream Factory is an unreleased double LP project by Prince and the Revolution.
| Dream Factory | |
|---|---|
| Studio album by Prince and the Revolution | |
| Released | Unreleased |
| Recorded | May 1979–July 1986 |
| Label | Warner Bros. |
| Producer | Prince and the Revolution |
History
Prince's band, the Revolution, were invited to the studio in 1982 to contribute to a majority of the material for the planned album, with the notable exceptions of "The Ballad of Dorothy Parker" and "Starfish & Coffee" (co-written by Susannah Melvoin). Some tracks included a few band members, most tracks none, some were full band recordings or included other musicians such as Sheila E. But in September 1986 at the end of the Parade Tour, Prince was too frustrated with the Revolution.[1] The band was dissolved in October 1986, after which many of the album's tracks were incorporated into what was now a planned solo three LP project entitled Crystal Ball. However, Prince's record distributor at the time, Warner Bros., balked at a three-LP release, so the project was reduced to a two-LP set and retitled Sign o' the Times.
In March 2009, Vibe magazine featured the album on its "51 Albums That Never Were," calling it a "coulda-been classic," and even streaming "All My Dreams" for a limited time.[2] Vibe also interviewed former Revolution members Wendy and Lisa on the project.[3]
Even though the album was never officially released, there is a bootleg CD available of the July 1986 track configuration, which comes with a color pencil sketch made by Susannah Melvoin as cover, which was a concept for the prospective sleeve. This album cover is attributed to The Flesh rather than Prince and the Revolution.
A Super Deluxe Edition of Sign o' the Times was announced for release on September 25 2020, containing all the recorded music for the Dream Factory/Crsytal Ball/Camille sessions as bonus tracks.
Track configurations
| No. | Title | Release(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Visions" | Eroica (Special Edition) (Renamed "Minneapolis #1") | |
| 2. | "Dream Factory" | Crystal Ball | |
| 3. | "It's a Wonderful Day" | Officially unreleased | |
| 4. | "The Ballad of Dorothy Parker" | Sign o' the Times | |
| 5. | "Big Tall Wall" | Officially unreleased | |
| 6. | "And That Says What?" | Officially unreleased | |
| 7. | "Strange Relationship" | Sign o' the Times | |
| 8. | "Teacher, Teacher" | 1999 - Super Deluxe Expanded Edition | |
| 9. | "Starfish and Coffee" | Sign o' the Times | |
| 10. | "A Place in Heaven" | Officially unreleased | |
| 11. | "Sexual Suicide" | Crystal Ball |
| No. | Title | Release(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Visions" | Eroica | |
| 2. | "Dream Factory" | Crystal Ball | |
| 3. | "It's a Wonderful Day" | Officially unreleased | |
| 4. | "The Ballad of Dorothy Parker" | Sign o' the Times | |
| 5. | "It" | Sign o' the Times | |
| 6. | "Strange Relationship" | Sign o' the Times (heavily remixed) | |
| 7. | "Teacher, Teacher" | 1999 - Super Deluxe Expanded Edition | |
| 8. | "Starfish and Coffee" | Sign o' the Times | |
| 9. | "Interlude ("Wendy")" | Officially unreleased | |
| 10. | "In A Large Room With No Light" | Re-recorded in 2009 for the Montreux Jazz Festival[4][5], 1986 version remains unreleased | |
| 11. | "A Place in Heaven" | Officially unreleased | |
| 12. | "Sexual Suicide" | Crystal Ball | |
| 13. | "Crystal Ball" | Crystal Ball | |
| 14. | "Power Fantastic" | The Hits/The B-Sides (without introduction) | |
| 15. | "Last Heart" | Crystal Ball | |
| 16. | "Witness 4 the Prosecution" | Officially unreleased | |
| 17. | "Movie Star" | Crystal Ball | |
| 18. | "A Place in Heaven" | Officially unreleased | |
| 19. | "All My Dreams" | Officially unreleased |
| No. | Title | Release(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Visions" | Eroica | |
| 2. | "Dream Factory" | Crystal Ball | |
| 3. | "Train" | Covered by Mavis Staples in 1989, Prince's version remains unreleased | |
| 4. | "The Ballad of Dorothy Parker" | Sign o' the Times | |
| 5. | "It" | Sign o' the Times | |
| 6. | "Strange Relationship" | Sign o' the Times (heavily remixed) | |
| 7. | "Starfish & Coffee" | Sign o' the Times | |
| 8. | "Interlude" | Officially unreleased | |
| 9. | "Slow Love" | Sign o' the Times | |
| 10. | "I Could Never Take the Place of Your Man" | Sign o' the Times | |
| 11. | "Sign 'O' the Times (Single version)" | Sign o' the Times | |
| 12. | "Crystal Ball" | Crystal Ball | |
| 13. | "A Place in Heaven" | Officially unreleased | |
| 14. | "The Cross" | Sign o' the Times | |
| 15. | "Last Heart" | Crystal Ball | |
| 16. | "Witness 4 the Prosecution" | Officially unreleased | |
| 17. | "Movie Star" | Crystal Ball | |
| 18. | "All My Dreams" | Officially unreleased |
References
- Jason Draper (2008). "Prince: Life & Times". Jawbone Press.
- "51 Best Albums That Never Were, Part 4". Web.archive.org. 2009-03-15. Archived from the original on March 15, 2009. Retrieved 2011-09-28.
- "What Had Happened Was: Lisa Coleman and Wendy Melvoin". Web.archive.org. 2009-03-15. Archived from the original on March 15, 2009. Retrieved 2011-09-28.
- "Montreux Jazz Festival | 03-18 July 2009 | News > News > Prince offers an exclusive song to the Montreux Jazz". Montreuxjazz.com. Retrieved 2011-09-28.
- Michaelangelo Matos (2004). "Thirty Three 1/3 Series: Sign 'O' The Times". Continuum.