Prince Took a Sonic Risk When He Recorded This 1984 Hit

In 1984, Prince had his very first No. 1 hit with “When Doves Cry”, which was released ahead of his highly celebrated album, Purple Rain. This song is vulnerable and honest, and Prince sings about being in a relationship and comparing it to one’s parents’.

There are many parts of “When Doves Cry” that stand out to the listening ear. The drums, crafted with an LM-1 drum computer, take control of the track from the get-go. Prince’s overlapping vocals are powerful, to say the least. Not to mention, those synth instruments are addictive to listen to.

However, if you have a musical mind, you’ll notice something about this song that sets it apart from other 80s tracks. “When Doves Cry” might have a sick beat and killer vocals, but one thing it doesn’t have is a bass line.

According to the engineer on the song, Peggy McCreary, Prince knew his choice to remove the bass was unconventional. But for him, that’s part of what made the decision appealing.

“[Prince] took the bass out and he said, ‘There’s nobody that’s going to have the guts to do this,’” she explained. “And he was smiling from ear to ear. He felt this was the best, and he knew he had a hit song… so he decided to do something really daring. That’s what Prince was all about.”

Prince Called ‘Purple Rain’ His “Albatross”

When Prince released Purple Rain in 1984, he definitely had a vision. For one, the album was fronted by powerful songs like “When Doves Cry”. Subsequently, its release helped build anticipation for the musical film of the same title, which came out one month later.

Both the movie and the album were a smash hit. The film grossed over $70 million and even won the Best Original Score award at the Academy Awards. However, it would seem that the project’s iconic status had its downsides. Prince actually felt that the success of Purple Rain restricted him in some ways.

“In some ways, Purple Rain scared me. It’s my albatross, and it’ll be hanging around my neck as long as I’m making music,” he once said.

Regardless, though, both the Purple Rain movie and soundtrack are still regarded as some of pop music’s best work.

Photo by: Tim Mosenfelder/Getty Images

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