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Prince<\/a> needed Diamonds and Pearls<\/a><\/em>,\u00a0his 13th studio album, to be a hit. His 1990 film, Graffiti Bridge<\/a><\/em>, was a colossal flop that ended his movie career. Its soundtrack album of the same name did spawn some modest hits, but Prince was used to superstardom, and he would settle for nothing less.<\/p>\n Diamonds and Pearls<\/em> can be seen as a career reboot. For the first time since the demise of the Revolution, Prince gave his backing band co-credit, billing the album to Prince and the New Power Generation. The group\u2019s lineup would change between 1991 and 2013, but the original members were Rosie Gaines on vocals and keyboards, Tommy Barbarella on keyboards, Levi Seacer Jr. on guitar, Sonny T. on bass, Michael B. on drums, Kirk Johnson on percussion and vocals and Tony M. on raps. Johnson and Tony M. were joined by Damon Dickson as dancers on stage.<\/p>\n The group\u2019s hard work paid off.\u00a0Diamonds and Pearls<\/em> gave Prince some of the biggest hit singles of his career, and sold over 2 million copies, becoming his first non-movie album since 1985 to go multi-platinum.<\/p>\n Read on for a track-by-track album guide, and links to detailed stories about each song.<\/p>\n \u201cThunder\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n Diamonds and Pearls<\/em> was the album that introduced the New Power Generation to the world, but according to PrinceVault<\/a>, the entirety of this opening track was performed by Prince alone. \u201cThunder\u201d starts with an ornate vocal arrangement leading into a heavy drumbeat, which is eventually joined by a harsh keyboard and sitar combination. It never became a staple of Prince\u2019s live shows, but he did create an extended version for the Joffrey Ballet\u2019s production Billboards<\/em>,\u00a0a ballet based entirely on Prince\u2019s music.<\/p>\n Read more: Prince Claps New Life Into \u2018Thunder\u2019 for Joffrey Ballet<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cDaddy Pop\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n After the one-man-band effort \u201cThunder,\u201d Prince finally gave the NPG a proper\u00a0showcase on \u201cDaddy Pop.\u201d Rosie Gaines joins Prince on backing vocals, and rapper Tony M. delivers his first (of many) verses. Lyrically, the song is a rebuttal to critics who had given some of Prince\u2019s recent work a hard time. With a new band in tow, \u201cDaddy\u201d is ready to show them what he\u2019s made of.<\/p>\n Read more: Prince (Sort Of) Introduces the New Power Generation With \u2018Daddy Pop’<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cDiamonds and Pearls\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n One of his standout ballads, both artistically and commercially, \u201cDiamonds and Pearls\u201d reached\u00a0No. 3 on the Billboard<\/em> Hot 100, and it got there without pandering to current trends. The song\u2019s simple lyrics betray the mesmerizing underlying production, with tiny details that earn the track its place amongst Prince\u2019s signature hits.<\/p>\n Read more: The Devil\u2019s in the Details in Prince\u2019s \u2018Diamonds and Pearls\u2019<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cCream\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n Based on its title and some of its lyrical content, you\u2019d be forgiven for thinking \u201cCream\u201d was a song about sex. In reality, though, \u201cCream\u201d is Prince delivering himself a pep talk. After a few years of being knocked down, he\u2019s telling himself he can rise to the top and become the cream of the crop. It worked. \u201cCream\u201d was one of Prince\u2019s biggest ever chart successes, and his fifth (and final) Billboard<\/em>\u00a0No. 1.<\/p>\n Read more: Repeat After Me: \u2018Cream\u2019 is Not a Sex Song<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cStrollin\u2019\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n Early in his career, Prince\u2019s guitar virtuosity inspired comparisons to Jimi Hendrix<\/a>. But really, his playing\u00a0often had more in common with another guitar hero: jazz great George Benson. The breezy, carefree track \u201cStrollin\u2019\u201d can be heard as a musical tribute to Benson, who became Prince\u2019s close friend, and eventually an important guide on his religious journey.<\/p>\n Read more: Prince\u2019s \u2018Strollin\u2019\u2019 Gives George Benson a Warm Musical Hug<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cWilling and Able\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n Another laid-back number, \u201cWilling and Able\u201d showcases the entire New Power Generation and features backing vocals from gospel group the Steeles. The song is said to have originated from a 1990 jam session, and its organic origins are reflected in its warm sound. It really couldn\u2019t have been further from the drum-machine dominated musical landscape of the time.<\/p>\n Read more: Prince Proves He\u2019s \u2018Willing and Able\u2019 to Make Big Changes<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cGett Off\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n For Prince\u2019s first album to feature a full-time rapper, Diamonds and Pearls<\/em> didn\u2019t have a lot of hip-hop-styled production. \u201cGett Off\u201d is the exception. The full band affair features a drumbeat that sounds like a sampled loop, and a funky flute riff from former Revolution and Madhouse member Eric Leeds. \u201cGett Off\u201d is actually composed of a number of different parts from little-known previous songs, and it allowed Prince to pay tribute to another of his inspirations, James Brown<\/a>, by referencing his 1969 hit “Mother Popcorn.”<\/p>\n Read more: Prince Channels James Brown, Gets Funky and Raw on \u2018Gett Off\u2019<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cWalk Don\u2019t Walk\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n It\u2019s well-known that the Revolution\u2019s multi-racial, mixed gender lineup, was modeled on Sly and the Family Stone<\/a>. Sly and co. didn\u2019t cease to be an influence when the Revolution disbanded; \u201cWalk Don\u2019t Walk\u201d has a strong dose of idiosyncrasy, with car horns and a bright riff from the Purpleaxxe, a sampler Prince invented and patented for this album, but the vocal partnership between Prince, Rosie Gaines and additional singer Elisa Fiorillo is pure Family Stone.<\/p>\n Read more: Prince\u2019s Sly Stone Obsession Shines on \u2018Walk Don\u2019t Walk\u2019<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cJughead\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n Many fans consider \u201cJughead\u201d the worst track on Diamonds and Pearls<\/em>. Some even deride it as the worst of Prince\u2019s entire career. To give it some credit, though, \u201cJughead\u201d is a celebration of the New Power Generation as a unit, with Tony M. and Rosie Gaines taking the lead, and Prince making what amounts to a cameo appearance, at least when it comes to vocals.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cMoney Don\u2019t Matter 2 Night\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n By far the most political song on the album, \u201cMoney Don\u2019t Matter 2 Night\u201d is an anthem against greed. Prince uses one of his most infectious melodies and enchanting productions to decry the unfairness of capitalism, and question the validity of fighting the Gulf War in order to control oil which will eventually destroy the planet anyway. All of this, and it never really comes across as too preachy.<\/p>\n Read more: Prince Shames the Greedy on \u2018Money Don\u2019t Matter 2 Night\u2019<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cPush\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n The funky workout \u201cPush\u201d is notable for featuring string arrangements from Clare Fisher, Prince\u2019s frequent collaborator from the mid-’80s. In a rapped segment towards the end, Prince lists a number of tracks that appear on the album, including \u201cHorny Pony,\u201d which was actually removed at the last minute<\/a> in favor of “Gett Off.”<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cInsatiable\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n The sultry \u201cInsatiable\u201d is one of Prince\u2019s most seductive ballads. With twinkling keyboards and a slow-paced 3\/4 rhythm, the song sees Prince take his sensual falsetto and lyrical come-ons to new heights. Though never a big mainstream hit, \u201cInsatiable\u201d was huge on urban radio, and reached\u00a0No. 3 on the R&B chart. Appropriately, based on the song\u2019s lyrics, the song\u2019s video is something to behold\u2026<\/p>\n Read more: Prince Gets Naughty on Video With \u2018Insatiable\u2019<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cLive 4 Love\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n Rounding off the album, \u201cLive 4 Love\u201d showcases the capabilities of the Purpleaxxe, Sonny T. and Michael B., but Prince\u2019s guitar histrionics keep the attention on the group\u2019s leader. By no means one of the album\u2019s best tracks, and perhaps not a particularly strong closer, \u201cLive 4 Love\u201d is thought to be the first song to include a rap from Tony M. It\u2019s fitting, then, for Diamonds and Pearls<\/em> to end with a peek into how it all started.<\/p>\n The prolific, genre-blending musician’s fashion sense evolved just as often as his music during his four decades in the public eye.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Gallery Credit: Matthew Wilkening<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\nPrince Year by Year: 1977-2016 Photographs<\/h2>\n