In the shimmering pantheon of Prince’s ever-evolving discography, there stands Parade – an album that doesn’t scream for your attention but rather glides in with a sly wink and a swirl of French cologne. Released in March 1986, Parade came wrapped in monochrome artwork, Parisian flair, and the subtle clink of champagne glasses in the background. And if that all sounds a little theatrical… it was. This was Prince’s soundtrack to Under the Cherry Moon, his second film project – and one that would divide critics and fans alike.
But the album? Oh, the album. Parade was a masterstroke. A chic, curious, genre-blurring delight that still glitters with innovation and charm nearly four decades later.
Welcome to the Parade: A New Kind of Opener
The opening track, ‘Christopher Tracy’s Parade’, isn’t just a curtain-raiser – it’s an announcement. Here was Prince stepping into a new era, one foot in cabaret and the other still dancing in funk. It was an introduction to his cinematic alter ego, Christopher Tracy, a character dripping with glamour and tragedy. The track sets the stage like a Broadway number but filtered through Minneapolis funk.
Straight away, we know this isn’t Purple Rain redux. This is art-pop. It’s experimental but elegant, like Prince had raided a French opera house and invited Sly Stone to remix it.
The Sound of a Chameleon Shedding Skin
The brilliance of Parade lies in its refusal to sit still. It shapeshifts from track to track, a sonic catwalk of moods and styles:
- ‘New Position’ throws you into a tropical rhythm, pulsing with marimbas and lust.
- ‘I Wonder U’ floats by like a foggy memory – just over a minute long and drenched in mystery.
- ‘Under the Cherry Moon’, the title track, is a dreamy cocktail lounge number that sounds like it’s being performed under moonlight and mischief.
Parade Album Track List
- Christopher Tracy’s Parade
- New Position
- I Wonder U
- Under the Cherry Moon
- Girls & Boys
- Life Can Be So Nice
- Venus de Milo
- Mountains
- Do U Lie?
- Kiss
- Anotherloverholenyohead
- Sometimes It Snows in April
And then there’s ‘Kiss’. Let’s take a moment here. Originally meant for the band Mazarati, Prince reclaimed it, stripped it down to its bare essentials, and turned it into one of his most iconic hits. With just a guitar, a drum machine, and that falsetto, ‘Kiss’ proved that less is more when you’re a genius. It topped charts, filled dance floors, and never left the cultural conversation.
The Revolution’s Farewell Tour
Parade is bittersweet in more ways than one. It was the final album to feature The Revolution in full force. After years of pushing Prince’s vision to stratospheric levels, the band would part ways after this release. You can feel both the cohesion and the cracks – a band still brilliantly tight, but perhaps outgrowing their roles.
Tracks like ‘Mountains’ and ‘Anotherloverholenyohead’ showcase The Revolution’s depth. Layers of sound, playful harmonies, and tight grooves – these songs don’t just sound good, they feel rich. There’s a fullness that only comes from collaboration, and Parade captures that spirit for the last time.
A Cinematic Curveball
It’s impossible to talk about Parade without touching on Under the Cherry Moon, the film it was made to accompany. Shot in black and white, set on the French Riviera, and starring Prince as a charming gigolo, the movie was… a lot. Critics panned it, audiences were perplexed, and even fans didn’t quite know what to make of it.
But here’s the thing – Prince didn’t care. He was chasing a vision, not validation. And Parade, as a soundtrack, stands triumphantly on its own. It’s a reminder that for Prince, music wasn’t just about hits. It was about world-building.
A Quiet Classic With a Loud Legacy
Among the glittering gems of Prince’s 1980s output, Parade is often the quietest. It doesn’t roar like 1999 or shimmer like Purple Rain. It seduces. It whispers. It purrs.
And yet, its influence runs deep:
- Artists from André 3000 to Beck have cited its daring arrangements and stylistic bravery.
- ‘Sometimes It Snows in April’ has become a posthumous anthem, its aching vulnerability only magnified after Prince’s passing.
- The album’s blend of orchestration and funk still feels ahead of its time.
In Retrospect: Prince, the Genre Alchemist
With Parade, Prince didn’t just make an album – he made a statement. A velvet-coated, genre-defying, visually lush masterwork that redefined what pop could be. It marked the end of one chapter (The Revolution) and quietly pointed toward another (Sign o’ the Times, anyone?).
It’s an album best enjoyed in full, start to finish, perhaps with a glass of red wine and a candle flickering nearby. Because Parade isn’t just music. It’s atmosphere. It’s attitude. It’s art.
