I saw Purple Rain at the press screening in Norwich before anyone other than diehard fans had ever hear of Prince.

I thought his acting was quite dreadful, and the plot is pure cliche, but it was apparent that he had a charisma about him. Plus, of course, all the songs and stage performances were fantastic. Not only Prince, but his proteges (and rivals in the movie) The Time really shine in these sequences.

Years later I saw him in concert at Wembley Arena. I lived nearby and decided at the last minute to hop on the Tube and buy a ticket from a tout. As I got there just before the start time I bagged a cheap deal, but the seat was miles away from the stage, and it was during one of his tours where he avoided playing many of his hits, so perhaps not The Purple One’s finest hour. I would have loved to have seen him again in one the intimate club gigs he performed on tour in the years before his tragic death, but sadly it was not to be.  

I do remember the song “Batdance” being one of the low points of his live show. Yet, strangely enough, the so-so Batman soundtrack is the only Prince vinyl album I have.  I have no idea how it came to be in my possession, as it is hardly his best work. (If you have seen Shaun of the Dead, you will recall it is the one of his records that gets selected to be chucked as a weapon at a zombie!)

Featured here are the the UK press kit and a selection of stills from Purple Rain which I still have from my reviewing days.