Purple Rain Tour


The Purple Rain Tour was a concert tour by American recording artist Prince and the Revolution following up on the success of his sixth studio album Purple Rain and his 1984 film Purple Rain. According to Spin, the tour sold over 1.7 million tickets.

History

The tour marked the live debut of the band now named the Revolution as Wendy Melvoin made her appearance as the new guitarist in Prince's band, taking over for the departed Dez Dickerson, completing the iconic line-up of the band.
In addition to Prince and the Revolution, they were joined on tour by Apollonia 6, and Sheila E. and her band. Despite gaining fame from their appearance in the film and releasing a third album, The Time were not invited to tour, as by 1985 the group had been depleted, with many of its remaining key members quitting to embark on personal careers.

Opening acts

The Purple Rain Tour was the first Prince tour to open with brand new material. In this case, it was with the album opener, "Let's Go Crazy". A triple dose from the 1999 album followed: "Delirious", "1999" and "Little Red Corvette". An instrumental interlude of "Yankee Doodle" usually introduced another 1999 song, "Free". The B-side "God" was often played, followed by a usual sequence of "Computer Blue", "Darling Nikki", "The Beautiful Ones" and "When Doves Cry". As encores, the remaining Purple Rain songs closed the concert, "I Would Die 4 U", "Baby I'm a Star" and "Purple Rain". The three songs were extended, often taking 30 minutes to perform. "Take Me with U" was often worked in, completing all the album tracks. Other songs sometimes included were "Father's Song", "How Come U [Don't Call Me Anymore?]", the new "Temptation", "Let's Pretend We're Married", "Irresistible Bitch" and "Do Me, Baby". On rare occasions, "International Lover", and some tracks from Dirty Mind and Prince would pop up. Later in the tour, an instrumental of "Under the Cherry Moon" was sometimes played. The B-side "Irresistible Bitch" was segued into the unreleased "Possessed" at the show in Syracuse.
Setlist of November 11, 1984, at the Joe Louis Arena, Detroit, Michigan, United States
  1. "Let's Go Crazy"
  2. "Delirious"
  3. "1999"
  4. "Little Red Corvette"
  2. "Free"
  4. "Father's Song"
  6. "God"
  8. "Computer Blue"
  10. "Darling Nikki"
  12. "The Beautiful Ones"
  14. "When Doves Cry"
Encore 1
  2. "I Would Die 4 U"
  4. "Baby I'm a Star"
Encore 2
  2. "Purple Rain"
Setlist of November 22, 1984, at The Spectrum, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
  1. "Let's Go Crazy"
  2. "Delirious"
  3. "1999"
  4. "Little Red Corvette"
  2. "Free"
  4. "Take Me with U"
  6. "How Come U Don't Call Me Anymore?"
  8. "Temptation"
  10. "Let's Pretend We're Married"/"International Lover"
  12. "God"
  14. "Computer Blue"
  16. "Darling Nikki"
  18. "The Beautiful Ones"
  20. "When Doves Cry"
Encore 1
  2. "I Would Die 4 U"
  4. "Baby I'm a Star"
Encore 2
  2. "Purple Rain"
Setlist of December 2, 1984, at the Maple Leaf Gardens, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
  1. "Let's Go Crazy"
  2. "Delirious"
  3. "1999"
  4. "Little Red Corvette"
  2. "Under the Cherry Moon"
  4. "Free"
  6. "Take Me with U"
  8. "Dirty Mind"
  10. "Do Me, Baby"
  12. "I Wanna Be Your Lover"
  14. "How Come U Don't Call Me Anymore?"
  16. "Temptation"
  18. "Let's Pretend We're Married"/"International Lover"
  20. "Father's Song"
  22. "God"
  24. "Computer Blue"
  26. "Darling Nikki"
  28. "The Beautiful Ones"
  30. "When Doves Cry"
Encore 1
  2. "I Would Die 4 U"
  4. "Baby I'm a Star"
Encore 2
  2. "Purple Rain"
Setlist of February 23, 1985, at The Forum, Inglewood, California, United States
  1. "Controversy"
  2. "Let's Go Crazy"
  3. "Delirious"
  4. "1999"
  5. "Little Red Corvette"
  6. "Take Me with U" |Controversy]" and "In a Spanish Villa
  7. "When [You Were Mine |When You Were Mine]"
  8. "4 the Tears in Your Eyes"
  2. "A Case of You"
  4. "Free"
  6. "Raspberry Beret"
  8. "Do Me, Baby"
  10. "Irresistible Bitch"
  12. "Temptation"
  14. "Let's Pretend We're Married" / "International Lover"
  16. "God"
  18. "Computer Blue"
  20. "Darling Nikki"
  22. "The Beautiful Ones"
  24. "When Doves Cry"
Encore 1
  2. "I Would Die 4 U"
  4. "Baby I'm a Star"
  6. "America"
Encore 2
  2. "Purple Rain"
Notes
  • During performances of "I Would Die 4 U"/"Baby I'm a Star", Prince would often invite Apollonia 6 and Sheila E. to jam with him for a 20-to-30-minute rendition of the songs.
  • At the Landover, Maryland concert, the performance of "I Would Die 4 U"/"Baby I'm a Star" were recorded and used as a promo video for the song played on MTV.
  • The Syracuse, New York concert on March 30, 1985 was recorded and released on VHS later in 1985, later receiving a remastered audio and video release in 2022.
  • Singers Bruce Springsteen and Madonna joined Prince on stage during "Baby I'm a Star" at the February 23, 1985 concert at The Forum in Inglewood, California.
  • A little-known fact is that Prince performed his Purple Rain Concert a month before its first scheduled date in Detroit in a concert hall called "Bogarts" on Sept. 23, 1984 in Cincinnati, Ohio. It was hinted on the local Urban Contemporary station, WBLZ, but only a few individuals knew that he would actually show up. He played a full set for a crowd of 2,500 as a trial run, and even Morris Day and Sheila E. were present.

    Tour dates

DateCityCountryVenueAttendanceRevenue
January 1, 1985DallasUnited StatesReunion Arena
January 3, 1985AtlantaUnited StatesThe Omni87,500 / 90,000$1,531,250
January 4, 1985AtlantaUnited StatesThe Omni87,500 / 90,000$1,531,250
January 6, 1985AtlantaUnited StatesThe Omni87,500 / 90,000$1,531,250
January 7, 1985AtlantaUnited StatesThe Omni87,500 / 90,000$1,531,250
January 8, 1985AtlantaUnited StatesThe Omni87,500 / 90,000$1,531,250
January 11, 1985HoustonUnited StatesThe Summit102,564 / 102,564$1,708,690
January 12, 1985HoustonUnited StatesThe Summit102,564 / 102,564$1,708,690
January 13, 1985HoustonUnited StatesThe Summit102,564 / 102,564$1,708,690
January 14, 1985HoustonUnited StatesThe Summit102,564 / 102,564$1,708,690
January 16, 1985HoustonUnited StatesThe Summit102,564 / 102,564$1,708,690
January 17, 1985HoustonUnited StatesThe Summit102,564 / 102,564$1,708,690
January 19, 1985BirminghamUnited StatesBJCC Coliseum35,400 / 35,400 $619,500
January 21, 1985CincinnatiUnited StatesRiverfront Coliseum44,100 / 44,100$771,750
January 22, 1985CincinnatiUnited StatesRiverfront Coliseum44,100 / 44,100$771,750
January 23, 1985CincinnatiUnited StatesRiverfront Coliseum44,100 / 44,100$771,750
January 25, 1985MemphisUnited StatesMid-South Coliseum33,600 / 33,600 $588,000
January 26, 1985MemphisUnited StatesMid-South Coliseum33,600 / 33,600 $588,000
January 29, 1985AustinUnited StatesFrank Erwin Center32,224 / 32,224$531,696
January 30, 1985AustinUnited StatesFrank Erwin Center32,224 / 32,224$531,696
February 1, 1985New OrleansUnited StatesLouisiana Superdome60,000 / 60,000$1,050,000
February 3, 1985BirminghamUnited StatesBJCC Coliseum
February 4, 1985MemphisUnited StatesMid-South Coliseum
February 14, 1985TacomaUnited StatesTacoma Dome48,900 / 48,900$806,850
February 15, 1985TacomaUnited StatesTacoma Dome48,900 / 48,900$806,850
February 18, 1985InglewoodUnited StatesThe Forum96,000 / 96,000$1,680,000
February 19, 1985InglewoodUnited StatesThe Forum96,000 / 96,000$1,680,000
February 20, 1985InglewoodUnited StatesThe Forum96,000 / 96,000$1,680,000
February 22, 1985InglewoodUnited StatesThe Forum96,000 / 96,000$1,680,000
February 23, 1985InglewoodUnited StatesThe Forum96,000 / 96,000$1,680,000
February 24, 1985InglewoodUnited StatesThe Forum96,000 / 96,000$1,680,000
February 27, 1985Daly CityUnited StatesCow Palace78,498 / 78,498$1,373,715
February 28, 1985Daly CityUnited StatesCow Palace78,498 / 78,498$1,373,715
March 1, 1985Daly CityUnited StatesCow Palace78,498 / 78,498$1,373,715
March 3, 1985Daly CityUnited StatesCow Palace78,498 / 78,498$1,373,715
March 4, 1985Daly CityUnited StatesCow Palace78,498 / 78,498$1,373,715
March 5, 1985Daly CityUnited StatesCow Palace78,498 / 78,498$1,373,715
March 7, 1985Las CrucesUnited StatesPan American Center26,100 / 26,100$456,750
March 8, 1985Las CrucesUnited StatesPan American Center26,100 / 26,100$456,750
March 10, 1985Long BeachUnited StatesLong Beach Arena40,722 / 40,722$712,635
March 11, 1985Long BeachUnited StatesLong Beach Arena40,722 / 40,722$712,635
March 12, 1985Long BeachUnited StatesLong Beach Arena40,722 / 40,722$712,635
March 17, 1985UniondaleUnited StatesNassau Coliseum100,200 / 100,200$1,753,500
March 18, 1985UniondaleUnited StatesNassau Coliseum100,200 / 100,200$1,753,500
March 20, 1985UniondaleUnited StatesNassau Coliseum100,200 / 100,200$1,753,500
March 22, 1985UniondaleUnited StatesNassau Coliseum100,200 / 100,200$1,753,500
March 23, 1985UniondaleUnited StatesNassau Coliseum100,200 / 100,200$1,753,500
March 24, 1985UniondaleUnited StatesNassau Coliseum100,200 / 100,200$1,753,500
March 26, 1985HartfordUnited StatesHartford Civic Center
March 27, 1985WorcesterUnited StatesWorcester Centrum24,146 / 24,146$422,555
March 28, 1985WorcesterUnited StatesWorcester Centrum24,146 / 24,146$422,555
March 30, 1985SyracuseUnited StatesCarrier Dome39,875 / 39,875$697,812
April 1, 1985IndianapolisUnited StatesMarket Square Arena16,089 / 16,089$281,558
April 3, 1985TallahasseeUnited StatesTallahassee–Leon County Civic Center12,541 / 12,541$232,009
April 4, 1985LakelandUnited StatesLakeland Civic Center18,752 / 18,752$356,288
April 5, 1985LakelandUnited StatesLakeland Civic Center18,752 / 18,752$356,288
April 7, 1985MiamiUnited StatesPurple Bowl Stadium53,085 / 61,500$982,073

Personnel

During this tour, Prince added saxophonists Eric Leeds and Eddie Minnifield to certain parts of the show and often they would join the Revolution on stage for the extended jams of "I Would Die 4 U" and "Baby I'm a Star". A minor conflict arose within the band, as Prince began giving Leeds lengthy solos during other songs, in particular Wendy was upset that her opening guitar solo on the show closing "Purple Rain" was given to Leeds.
Tour photographer was Nancy Bundt.