Parade cover art

  Studio Album · No. 8

Parade Songwriting Credits by Prince

1986 Paisley Park Records / Warner Bros. Records 12 tracks 41 min

Produced by Prince, David Z  ·  Engineered by Susan Rogers, Peggy McCreary, David Tickle, Coke Johnson

Paisley Park Records / Warner Bros. Records Psychedelic PopFunkR&BSoulBaroque Pop
100%
Authorship
Complete Artist

Holds writing credit on 12 of 12 tracks

Authorship Breakdown 12 / 12 documented

Who wrote the songs?

Scored across the 12 tracks with documented writers, by whether Prince carries a lyricist or composer credit.

100%
12 trackswritten by Prince 0 tracksoutside writers
Prince's roles on this album

Share of the 12 tracks where a band member is credited, by role.

Lyricist100%
Composer100%
Producer92%
Performer100%

By the Numbers

12
Tracks
4
Lyricists
4
Producers
1
No.1 Single
4.5 million
Worldwide Copies Sold
1986
Released
Data Insight

Parade is the most collaborative of the Revolution-era albums, with Wendy Melvoin and Lisa Coleman co-writing and co-producing some of its most ambitious tracks. 'Mountains' and 'Sometimes It Snows in April' carry co-writes credited to Prince, Coleman, and Melvoin, while 'Christopher Tracy's Parade' and 'Under the Cherry Moon' were co-written with John L. Nelson. Prince still produced most of the record and wrote the worldwide number one 'Kiss' alone. The album served as music from his film Under the Cherry Moon.

Released March 31, 1986, on Paisley Park Records and Warner Bros. Records, Parade served as the soundtrack to the film Under the Cherry Moon, which Prince directed and starred in, and was the third and final album by Prince and the Revolution. Prince produced most tracks, with Lisa Coleman and Wendy Melvoin co-producing two tracks and David Z. producing one; collaborative songwriting credits on several songs include John L. Nelson, Coleman, and Melvoin. The album shifted away from the guitar-driven rock of Purple Rain, embracing psychedelic pop, funk, baroque pop, and chanson orchestration reflecting the film's French setting, with Robert Christgau describing it as a fusion of funk foundations and Sgt. Pepper-style filigrees. It peaked at No. 3 on the Billboard 200, produced the No. 1 Hot 100 single 'Kiss,' earned Platinum RIAA certification, and was named NME's Album of the Year for 1986. Critical consensus viewed it as a creative comeback after the mixed reception of Around the World in a Day.

Track Listing & Credits 12 tracks

Written by the artist Written by outside writers
#TitleLyricist(s)Composer(s)Producer(s)Performers
1
Christopher Tracy's Parade
Prince Rogers NelsonJohn L. Nelson Prince Rogers NelsonJohn L. Nelson Prince Rogers Nelson Prince (Lead Vocals)
2
New Position
Prince Rogers Nelson Prince Rogers Nelson Prince Rogers NelsonLisa ColemanWendy Melvoin Prince (Lead Vocals)
3
I Wonder U
Prince Rogers Nelson Prince Rogers Nelson Prince Rogers Nelson Prince (Lead Vocals)
4
Under the Cherry Moon
Prince Rogers NelsonJohn L. Nelson Prince Rogers NelsonJohn L. Nelson Prince Rogers Nelson Prince (Lead Vocals)
5
Girls & Boys
Prince Rogers Nelson Prince Rogers Nelson Prince Rogers Nelson Prince (Lead Vocals)
6
Life Can Be So Nice
Prince Rogers Nelson Prince Rogers Nelson Prince Rogers Nelson Prince (Lead Vocals)
7
Venus de Milo
Prince Rogers Nelson Prince Rogers Nelson Prince Rogers NelsonLisa ColemanWendy Melvoin Prince (Lead Vocals)
8
Mountains #23
Prince Rogers NelsonLisa ColemanWendy Melvoin Prince Rogers NelsonLisa ColemanWendy Melvoin Prince Rogers Nelson Prince (Lead Vocals)
9
Do U Lie?
Prince Rogers Nelson Prince Rogers Nelson Prince Rogers Nelson Prince (Lead Vocals)
10
Kiss #1
Prince Rogers Nelson Prince Rogers Nelson David Z Prince (Lead Vocals)
11
Anotherloverholenyohead #63
Prince Rogers Nelson Prince Rogers Nelson Prince Rogers Nelson Prince (Lead Vocals)
12
Sometimes It Snows in April
Prince Rogers NelsonLisa ColemanWendy Melvoin Prince Rogers NelsonLisa ColemanWendy Melvoin Prince Rogers Nelson Prince (Lead Vocals)

Songwriter & Credit Spotlight 6 contributors

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2001 100%
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2004 100%
Musicology
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2006 100%
3121
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2007 100%
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2009 100%
MPLSoUND
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20Ten
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2014 100%
Art Official Age
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2015 100%
HitnRun Phase One
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2015 100%
HitnRun Phase Two
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Frequently Asked Questions Parade

Is Parade connected to a Prince film?
Yes. Parade is the soundtrack to Prince's 1986 film Under the Cherry Moon. It is credited to Prince and the Revolution.
Did Prince write 'Kiss' by himself?
Yes. Prince wrote 'Kiss' alone, and it became a worldwide number one, topping the Billboard Hot 100. Its stripped-down, near bass-less arrangement became one of his signature songs.
How involved were Wendy and Lisa in writing Parade?
Wendy Melvoin and Lisa Coleman co-wrote and co-produced several tracks, the deepest band involvement of the Revolution era. 'Mountains' and 'Sometimes It Snows in April' credit Prince, Coleman, and Melvoin as writers.
What styles does Parade cover?
Parade ranges across psychedelic pop, funk, soul, and baroque pop, with orchestral arrangements by Clare Fischer on several tracks. It is one of Prince's most stylistically varied albums.
Did 'Mountains' chart for Prince?
Yes. 'Mountains' reached number 23 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1986. It was co-written by Prince, Lisa Coleman, and Wendy Melvoin.
Was Parade the last album by Prince and the Revolution?
Parade was the final studio album released under the Prince and the Revolution name. Prince disbanded the group later in 1986 before recording Sign o' the Times as a solo artist.

Sources