''Dream Factory'' is an unreleased double LP project by

Prince A prince is a male ruler (ranked below a king, grand prince, and grand duke) or a male member of a monarch's or former monarch's family. ''Prince'' is also a title of nobility (often highest), often hereditary, in some European states. Th ...

and the Revolution.

History

Prince's band, the Revolution, were invited to the studio in 1986 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). Some tracks included a few band members, most tracks none, some were full band recordings or included other musicians such as

Sheila E. Sheila Cecilia Escovedo (born December 12, 1957) better known under the stage name Sheila E., is an American percussionist and singer. She began her career in the mid-1970s as a percussionist and singer for The George Duke Band. After leaving t ...

But in September 1986 at the end of the

Parade Tour The Parade Tour (also called the Under the Cherry Moon Tour) was a concert tour by American recording artist Prince in support of Prince and The Revolution's eighth studio album '' Parade'' and his 1986 film ''Under the Cherry Moon''. The Hit n ...

, Prince was too frustrated with the Revolution. The band 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 A crystal ball, also known as an orbuculum or crystal sphere, is a crystal or glass ball and common fortune-telling object. It is generally associated with the performance of clairvoyance and scrying in particular. In more recent times, the cry ...

''. However, Prince's record distributor at the time,

Warner Bros. Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (commonly known as Warner Bros. or abbreviated as WB) is an American film and entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, California, and a subsidiary of Warner Bros. D ...

, balked at a three-LP release, so the project was reduced to a two-LP set and retitled ''

Sign o' the Times ''Sign o' the Times'' (often stylized as ''Sign "☮︎" the Times'') is the ninth studio album by American singer, songwriter, producer, and multi-instrumentalist Prince. It was first released on March 30, 1987 as a double album by Paisley Park ...

''.

Mavis Staples Mavis Staples (born July 10, 1939) is an American rhythm and blues and gospel singer, actress, and civil rights activist. She rose to fame as a member of her family's band The Staple Singers (she is the last surviving member of that band). Durin ...

would later cover "Train" for her 1989 album ''

Time Waits for No One Time Waits for No One may refer to: * "Time Waits for No One" (Neil Sedaka song), 1970, popularized by the Friends of Distinction * "Time Waits for No One" (Rolling Stones song), 1974 ** '' Time Waits for No One: Anthology 1971–1977'', a compi ...

''; Prince's version would not be released until 2020. 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 Bootleg or bootlegging most often refers to: * Bootleg recording, an audio or video recording released unofficially * Rum-running, the illegal business of transporting and trading in alcoholic beverages, hence: ** Moonshine, or illicitly made ...

CD available of the July 1986 track configuration, which comes with a color pencil sketch made by

Susannah Melvoin Susannah Melvoin (born January 26, 1964) is an American vocalist and songwriter. Melvoin is best known for her association with Prince in the mid-1980s. Melvoin comes from a musical family and is the twin sister of musician Wendy Melvoin, sister ...

as cover, which was a concept for the prospective sleeve. This album cover is attributed to ''The Flesh'' rather than Prince and the Revolution. A Super Deluxe Edition of ''Sign o' the Times'' was released on September 25, 2020, which included outtakes from the ''Dream Factory''/''Camille''/''Crystal Ball'' sessions as bonus tracks.

Track configurations

References

{{Authority control Prince (musician) albums Albums produced by Prince (musician) Warner Records albums Unreleased albums