Remember Whensday – Purple Rain Hits the Road

remember whensday

Prince and the Revolution began their six-month Purple Rain Tour on November 4, 1984 in Detroit, Michigan. They played at the Joe Louis Arena in Detroit for seven consecutive nights. Selling out seven nights in a row proved Detroit was a huge success for Prince and the Revolution.

The band routinely started their set with the song “Let’s Go Crazy.” The song is also the first track on the album Purple Rain, as well as the first track played in the movie Purple Rain. The song begins with a suspenseful organ solo that got the glam rock, new wave scene going. The band made sure to play every single song off the Purple Rain album for their adoring fans.

Flower petals would rain down while Prince seduced the crowd with gestures, dance moves, words and melodies. Prior to Prince and the Revolution’s 2 ½ hour performances, Sheila E., popular for her song “The Glamourous Life,” would start the show as the opening act. Sheila E. sang and played drums; sometimes Sheila E. would join Prince on stage for 20 to 30 minutes.

Prince and the Revolution also made a five-night appearance in Rosemont, Illinois. The Rosemont Horizon, now known as the Allstate Arena, held five nights of Purple Rain from December 9, 1984 to December 14, 1984.

Doves flew throughout arenas near the end of the 2 ½ hour set to the melody of “When Doves Cry.” Prince and the Revolution would appropriately end the concert with “Purple Rain” as the finale. The tour ended on April 7, 1985 at The Orange Bowl in Miami, Florida. Overall, the Purple Rain Tour sold more than 1.7 million tickets throughout 32 cities in the USA.

Prince has removed himself and his music almost entirely from the internet without public explanation. His videos and music cannot be found on YouTube, Apple Music, Rdio, Pandora, or Spotify. iTunes and TIDAL are basically the only applications Prince allows his music to be played through modern technology, and both require purchasing his music, but here is a link to a rare showing of Prince and The Revolution’s music video for Let’s Go Crazy:
Prince Let’s Go Crazy

About Allison Henreid

Aye I’m an Advertising major with a minor in Informatics. I love dogs, specifically my chihuahuas, and I like researching music in my free time. I enjoy browsing around thrift stores and macrame-ing. I like traveling to unfamiliar places and eating unfamiliar foods.

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