“Prince and Purple Rain 40 Years” — New Book Celebrates 40 Years of Prince’s Most Iconic Album and Film

Jason Price

2 years ago

Attention Prince fan! A new book,“Prince and Purple Rain 40 Years,” from author Andrea Swensson, will be released this Spring! Authoritatively written and including rare photography and memorabilia, this beautiful slip-cased volume is a stunning and in-depth celebration of Prince’s most iconic album and film, Purple Rain.

“This book is a love letter to Prince and Purple Rain . . . the moment in his career when he went from buzzy to red-hot, and from an acclaimed yet still somewhat underground art-funk-rock star to a blazing supernova who had the world’s attention, and who set the tone for not just music but pop culture for the rest of the 1980s.” —Author Andrea Swensson, from her introduction

In 1984, Prince, along with his band, The Revolution, released what would become his best-selling album and a touchstone of 1980s pop culture. Worldwide, Purple Rain has gone on to sell 25 million copies and counting.

In Prince and Purple Rain, Andrea Swensson, a Minneapolis-based journalist, and host/co-producer of the Official Prince Podcast, takes a deep dive into the legendary musician’s most famous album.

Arriving in time for the 40^th anniversaries of both the Purple Rain album (released June 25, 1984) and film (released June 27, 1984), the book’s chapters cover:

Prince’s youth and early music career in Minneapolis, as well as each of the five studio albums that preceded Purple Rain
Prince’s backing band, The Revolution, and the backgrounds of each of its individual members, with an emphasis on the Purple Rain studio and touring members: drummer Bobby Z, bassist Brown Mark, guitarist Wendy Melvoin, keyboardist Lisa Coleman, and keyboardist Dr. Fink
Track-by-track analyses of each side
A look at the groundbreaking film of the same name and its multiplatinum soundtrack
Awards, accolades, and critical reception
Prince’s legacy post–Purple Rain, up to his untimely death in 2016

Featuring a foreword by Prince superfan Maya Rudolph and illustrated with more than 200 images featuring performance, off-stage photography, and memorabilia from top collectors, Prince and Purple Rain is a decisive and beautifully produced tribute to a legendary album from a legendary performer and artist.

“Prince and Purple Rain 40 Years” will be available on May 21, 2024. This gorgeous hardcover release w/slipcase features 176 pages and 208 images. Motorbooks, an imprint of The Quarto Group, is the book’s publisher.

About the Author

Andrea Swensson is an author, podcast host, and music journalist based in Minneapolis. She hosts the Official Prince Podcast, produced in collaboration with Paisley Park Enterprises, NPG Records, Warner Records, and Sony Music Entertainment, and has contributed music journalism to numerous publications including NPR Music, Pitchfork, The Minneapolis Star Tribune, City Pages, and The Current, where she previously hosted The Local Show.