Maps of Music

Around the World in a Day (1985)

Where the lyrics of Around the World in a Day take you, and where it was really made.

Prince released his seventh album with almost no publicity and held back its singles for nearly a month, yet it still went on to top the Billboard 200.

Key places

Hollywood studio used for recording (1985)

Recording site Sunset Sound — Sunset Sound in Hollywood, California is listed as a recording location for this album. Several studio entries share this building, so they appear as one point. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Los Angeles studio used for recording (1985)

Recording site Capitol Studios — Capitol Studios in Los Angeles is listed as a recording location for this album, with the studio entries grouped under this one building. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Minneapolis recording location (1985)

Recording site Paisley Park Studios — Paisley Park in Minneapolis is listed as a recording location for this album, the studio tied to the label name shared with the album's release. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Saint Paul recording location near the civic center (1985)

Recording site St. Paul Civic Center — The St. Paul Civic Center is listed as a recording location for this album. The point is set at the city-level area of the civic center rather than a confirmed building position. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Mobile studio outside the St. Paul arena (1985)

Recording site Mobile Audio Studio — Mobile Audio Studio is listed as a recording location outside the St. Paul Civic Center Arena in Saint Paul, Minnesota. The point uses the city center because the exact spot is not confirmed. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Warehouse recording location in Eden Prairie (1985)

Recording site Flying Cloud Drive Warehouse — The Flying Cloud Drive Warehouse in Eden Prairie, Minnesota is listed as a recording location for this album. The point is set at the city center rather than the building. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Album story

Overview

• Around the World in a Day: seventh studio album by American recording artist Prince
• Third release credited to his backing band the Revolution
• Released 22 April 1985 by Paisley Park Records and Warner Bros. Records
• Departed from the commercial sound of the previous release, Purple Rain (1984), and explored psychedelic styles and more opulent textures
• Released with minimal publicity; accompanying singles were withheld until almost a month after the album came out

Background

• Recording began in sessions dating back before those for Purple Rain
• Came after six months of touring behind Purple Rain, the bestselling album
• The initial inspiration for the sound was a demo recorded by David Coleman, brother of Revolution member Lisa Coleman; the demo became the title track
• Dense psychedelic style with unconventional instruments and cryptic lyrics
• The sound and cover drew many comparisons to the Beatles' Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band; Prince denied the Beatles were an influence

Recording

• Prince credited as producer
• Susan Rogers, David Leonard, Peggy McCreary, Robert 'Cubby' Colby and David Tickle listed as recording engineers on different tracks
• Lisa Coleman and Wendy Melvoin credited with the strings arrangement on some tracks
• Bernie Grundman handled mastering

Cover

• Cover painting by Doug Henders
• Design and assembly credited to Laura LiPuma

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Tracklist

Sources: musicbrainz.org

Artist

Formation

• Prince Rogers Nelson, born June 7, 1958 in Minneapolis, Minnesota; died April 21, 2016 at Paisley Park in Chanhassen, Minnesota.
• Signed with Warner Bros. Records in 1977 at age 18; first album For You released April 7, 1978.
• Career spanned funk, rock, R&B and pop, with estimated sales over 100 million records.

Career

• Breakthrough with Dirty Mind (1980), Controversy (1981) and 1999 (1982).
• Purple Rain (1984) made him the first singer to hold the number-one film, album and single in the US at the same time.
• Sign o' the Times (1987) is widely considered his greatest work.
• Changed his name to an unpronounceable symbol in 1993, becoming known as the Artist Formerly Known as Prince; reverted to Prince in 2000.
• Won seven Grammy Awards and an Academy Award for Best Original Song Score.
• Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2004.

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Reception

At release

• Released to mixed reception among crossover audiences after the success of Purple Rain
• Spin: Greg Tate wrote that Prince followed the best album of his career with what may have been the most bewildering, if not the worst
• Despite muted promotion and a less commercial sound, the album still had two American top 10 hits and sold relatively well

Reappraisal

• Retrospective reviews are positive
• Pitchfork: Alan Light described it as a brave and deeply personal project, exploring sounds and ideas that were almost shocking coming from a pop icon at his peak
• The Guardian: Simon Price wrote that the album always sounds better than you think it will when you revisit it
• According to Prince, George Clinton was a fan of the album

Records

• Became Prince and the Revolution's second number-one album on the Billboard 200
• Two of its four singles reached the top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100: 'Raspberry Beret' and 'Pop Life'
• Following Prince's death, 'Raspberry Beret' re-charted on the Billboard Hot 100 as a top 40 hit, reaching number 33
• Certified double platinum by the RIAA on 2 July 1985

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Trivia

• The title track started as a demo by David Coleman, brother of Revolution member Lisa Coleman
• Prince said the cover art came about because he thought people were tired of seeing him, so he wanted something more than another picture
• According to Prince, George Clinton was a fan of the album
• Prince wished the project to be taken in its entirety before anything was singled out, so the singles came out almost a month after the album
• Despite the comparisons to Sgt. Pepper's, Prince denied any Beatles influence

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

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