Around the World in a Day (album)

Around the World in a Day (album)
Name	Around the World in a Day
Type	studio
Artist	Prince and the Revolution
Released	April 22, 1985
Recorded	1984–1985
Studio	Sunset Sound, Los Angeles; Kiowa Trail Mobile Studio
Genre	Psychedelic pop, funk, R&B
Length	44:08
Label	Paisley Park, Warner Bros.
Producer	Prince
Prev title	Purple Rain
Prev year	1984
Next title	Parade
Next year	1986

Around the World in a Day (album) is the seventh studio album by Prince and the second to credit Prince and the Revolution. Issued in 1985, the record followed the global success of Purple Rain and preceded the soundtrack for Under the Cherry Moon. The album marked a deliberate stylistic departure toward psychedelic and eclectic sounds and was issued on Paisley Park Records through Warner Bros. Records.

Background and recording

Prince worked on the record after the commercial and cinematic triumph of Purple Rain and amid touring with the Purple Rain Tour. Recording sessions took place at Sunset Sound, Sound 80-era studios, and with mobile setups influenced by earlier location-based recordings like Exile on Main St. and sessions associated with George Harrison. Collaborators included members of The Revolution such as Wendy Melvoin, Lisa Coleman, Brownmark and Bobby Z., with additional contributions from engineers influenced by techniques used by Quincy Jones and Phil Spector. Prince, citing admiration for artists such as The Beatles, Jimi Hendrix, The Rolling Stones, Sly and the Family Stone and Miles Davis, pursued loose, improvisational tracking and incorporated ideas developed during interactions with peers like Sheila E. and producers from the Minneapolis sound scene.

Composition and musical style

Musically the album expanded into psychedelic pop, chamber pop and avant-funk, drawing lineage from Psychedelic rock pioneers like The Byrds, Traffic and The 13th Floor Elevators while retaining funk elements tied to James Brown and Sly Stone. Arrangements featured sitar-inspired textures, orchestral flourishes reminiscent of George Martin-era productions, and melodic approaches that echoed Paul McCartney and George Harrison songwriting. Tracks ranged from concise pop singles to extended, studio-layered pieces influenced by the studio experimentation of Brian Wilson, Brian Eno and David Bowie. Lyrical themes touched on travel and spirituality with imagery comparable to Allen Ginsberg-era poetry and Bob Dylan’s surrealism, and vocal production used falsetto and multi-tracking techniques associated with Stevie Wonder.

Release and promotion

Warner Bros. released the album on April 22, 1985, amidst extensive promotion leveraging Prince’s persona established by MTV, Saturday Night Live, and press coverage in Rolling Stone and Billboard. The lead single, "Raspberry Beret", received rotation on MTV and airplay on WBLS-style urban stations and [Top 40 formats]. Promotional appearances included televised performances that echoed prior visibility from Grammy Awards broadcasts and appearances tied to Paisley Park Studios. Prince largely avoided detailed pre-release press briefings, a strategy resembling the mystique cultivated by artists like Michael Jackson and Madonna during the 1980s.

Critical reception

Initial critical response was mixed to polarized, with some reviewers praising the album’s ambition and others criticizing its perceived looseness compared to Purple Rain. Outlets such as The New York Times, NME, The Village Voice and Melody Maker offered divergent takes; commentators referenced touchstones like Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band and the experimental periods of The Beatles and David Bowie. Retrospective appraisals in publications including Rolling Stone and scholarly analyses of popular music trends have reassessed the album as influential for its genre-blurring and studio experimentation, aligning it with later work by Prince on albums like Sign o' the Times and Parade.

Commercial performance

Despite mixed reviews, the album debuted strongly on charts such as the Billboard 200 and reached high positions in markets including the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and various European national charts like the UK Albums Chart and the ARIA Charts. "Raspberry Beret" became a top-ten single on the Billboard Hot 100 and received international success similar to earlier Prince hits like "When Doves Cry". Sales figures propelled the album to multi-platinum certification in the United States by institutions such as the Recording Industry Association of America and comparable certification bodies including the British Phonographic Industry and Music Canada.

Track listing

All tracks written, arranged and produced by Prince except where noted. 1. "Around the World in a Day" – title track 2. "Paisley Park" 3. "Condition of the Heart" 4. "Raspberry Beret" 5. "Temptation" 6. "She’s Always in My Hair" 7. "Louis the First" 8. "Circumstance" 9. "The Ladder" 10. "Hello" 11. "Peach"

Personnel

- Prince – lead vocals, guitar, keyboards, drum machine, production; associated with Paisley Park Records and the Minneapolis sound. - Wendy Melvoin – guitar; member of The Revolution - Lisa Coleman – keyboards; member of The Revolution - Brownmark – bass guitar - Bobby Z. – drums, percussion - Sheila E. – percussion (guest) - Eric Leeds – saxophone - Atlanta Bliss – trumpet - Susannah Melvoin – background vocals - Clare Fischer – string and horn arrangements - Jim Cox – engineering staff influenced by techniques used by Geoff Emerick and Bruce Swedien

Legacy and influence

The album influenced alternative pop and neo-psychedelia movements and is cited by artists across genres including Madonna, Lenny Kravitz, Beck, Radiohead, The Flaming Lips, D'Angelo and Björk for its adventurous production. Music historians link its fusion of funk, pop and psychedelia to later developments in neo-soul, indie pop, and experimental R&B by acts like Erykah Badu, OutKast, Kendrick Lamar and Frank Ocean. The record remains a subject in studies at institutions such as The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and features in curated lists compiled by Rolling Stone and Time discussing essential 1980s albums.

Category:1985 albums Category:Prince albums Category:Albums produced by Prince Category:Paisley Park Records albums