IT was April 17, 1985 and times were changing for Prince. The multi-platinum success of the previous year’s Purple Rain had emboldened him – he had already delivered its successor, Around The World In A Day, due for release imminently. Ever restless, Prince settled into Sunset Sound in LA to record yet another LP, beginning with a new song called “Wendy’s Parade”.
Released on April 25 – just five days after these new sessions began – Around The World In A Day was a dramatic left-turn for its creator that, perhaps deliberately, had confounded expectations. While critics scratched their heads at this psychedelic extravaganza, Prince focused firmly on the future – Parade. As studio engineer Coke Johnson now reflects, “This was all about his new sound, his new position in life.”