Throwback Thursday! Prince – When Doves Cry

On November 4th, 1984 Prince played the first of seven nights at the Joe Louis Arena in Detroit, Michigan at the start of his legendary 87 date North American Purple Rain Tour. The outing also marked the debut of his new band, The Revolution. So our Throwback Thursday song is arguably one of the biggest from Purple Rain, “When Doves Cry.”

According to Songfacts.com…

Besides writing and composing the track, Prince played all the instruments on the song.

There is no bass on this song. Prince took out the bass track at the last minute to get a different sound, though he hated to see it go.

In addition to his talents on guitar, keyboards and a number of other instruments, Prince is acknowledged as one of the greatest drum machine programmers of his era.

Prince’s Paisley Park complex where he lived in Minneapolis was shrouded in secrecy, but visitors reported that he kept doves, and that they could get quite loud. Entertainment Weekly reporter Leah Greenblatt wrote: “Yes, he keeps doves. Yes, they cry.”