Dream Factory (album)

Dream Factory is an unreleased double LP project by Prince and The Revolution, recorded between 1982 and 1986.

History
Prince's band, The Revolution, were invited to the studio to contribute to a majority of the material for the planned album, with the notable exceptions of "The Ballad of Dorothy Parker" and "Starfish & Coffee" (co-written by Susannah Melvoin). Prince had not had this level of collaboration before with the band; he and the Revolution by 1983 began working together increasingly. Some tracks included a few band members, most tracks none, some were full band recordings or included many other extra musicians. By June 1986, Dream Factory had expanded to a 19-track double album that now included solo recordings by Prince, whilst tracks such as "Big Tall Wall", and "Teacher, Teacher" were removed. The Revolution was dissolved in October 1986, after which many of the album's tracks were incorporated into what was now a planned solo three LP project entitled Crystal Ball. However, Prince's record distributor at the time, Warner Bros., balked at a three LP release, so the project was reduced to a two LP set and retitled Sign o' the Times.

In March 2009, Vibe magazine featured the album on its "51 Albums That Never Were," calling it a "coulda-been classic," and even streaming "All My Dreams" for a limited time. Vibe also interviewed former Revolution members Wendy and Lisa on the project.

Even though the album was never officially released, there is a bootleg CD available of the July 1986 track configuration, which comes with a color pencil sketch made by Susannah Melvoin as cover, which was a concept for the prospective sleeve. This album cover is attributed to The Flesh rather than Prince and The Revolution.

Track configurations
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 * width=33% valign=top|

April 1986
Side A Side B
 * 1) "Visions" (piano solo by Lisa Coleman)
 * 2) "Dream Factory"
 * 3) "It's a Wonderful Day"
 * 4) "The Ballad of Dorothy Parker"
 * 5) "Big Tall Wall"
 * 6) "And That Says What?"
 * 1) "Strange Relationship"
 * 2) "Teacher, Teacher"
 * 3) "Starfish and Coffee"
 * 4) "A Place in Heaven"
 * 5) "Sexual Suicide"
 * width=33% valign=top|

June 1986
Side A Side B Side C Side D
 * 1) "Visions"
 * 2) "Dream Factory"
 * 3) "It's a Wonderful Day"
 * 4) "The Ballad of Dorothy Parker"
 * 5) "It"
 * 1) "Strange Relationship"
 * 2) "Teacher, Teacher"
 * 3) "Starfish and Coffee"
 * 4) "Interlude" ("Wendy")
 * 5) "In A Large Room With No Light"
 * 6) "A Place In Heaven"
 * 7) "Sexual Suicide"
 * 1) "Crystal Ball"
 * 2) "Power Fantastic"
 * 1) "Last Heart"
 * 2) "Witness 4 the Prosecution"
 * 3) "Movie Star"
 * 4) "A Place in Heaven"
 * 5) "All My Dreams"
 * width=33% valign=top|

July 1986
Side A Side B Side C Side D
 * 1) "Visions"
 * 2) "Dream Factory"
 * 3) "Train"
 * 4) "The Ballad of Dorothy Parker"
 * 5) "It"
 * 1) "Strange Relationship"
 * 2) "Starfish & Coffee"
 * 3) "Interlude"
 * 4) "Slow Love"
 * 5) "I Could Never Take the Place of Your Man"
 * 1) "Sign 'O' the Times"
 * 2) "Crystal Ball"
 * 3) "A Place In Heaven"
 * 1) "The Cross"
 * 2) "Last Heart"
 * 3) "Witness 4 the Prosecution"
 * 4) "Movie Star"
 * 5) "All My Dreams"
 * }

Release

 * "It," "Starfish and Coffee," "The Ballad of Dorothy Parker," "I Could Never Take the Place of Your Man," "Sign 'O' the Times," "Strange Relationship," "The Cross," and "Slow Love" were released on 1987's Sign o' the Times, with "Strange Relationship" being significantly remixed.
 * "Train" was re-recorded by Mavis Staples on her 1989 album Time Waits for No One, released on Prince's Paisley Park label.
 * "Visions" was released as "Minneapolis #1" on the special edition of Wendy & Lisa's 1990 album Eroica.
 * "Power Fantastic" was released (without its 90-second introduction) on 1993's The Hits/The B-Sides.
 * "Sexual Suicide," "Last Heart," "Movie Star," "Crystal Ball," and "Dream Factory" were released on the 1998 compilation Crystal Ball.
 * "In A Large Room With No Light" was later re-recorded in 2009 and given away for free as promotion of Prince's performing of the Montreux Jazz Festival.