When Doves Cry: the best song of all time turns 40

Introduction

40 Years ago today When Doves Cry was released. The best single of all time was the start of a long musical journey.

‘t Stamcafe Heerhugowaard

‘t Stamcafe

When I was young I went out 3 nights a week. Sometimes I went to youth center De Koog (in Noord-Scharwoude, near Alkmaar, in the Netherlands), where I visited a lot of concerts. But mostly, I went to ‘t Stamcafe in Heerhugowaard (The Netherlands). All my friends were there, the music was great and after 1 AM entrance to the big discotheque next to ‘t Stamcafe was free. It was there that we danced until closing time (2 AM) to somewhat alternative dance music, like New Order’s Blue Monday and later The Cult. After closing time we returned to ‘t Stamcafe. For years on end that was the weekly routine and I cherished every second of it.

My musical preference had evolved from punk and ska to new-wave. Early The Clash (Lose This Skin was used as a last call for ordering drinks, if memory serves me well), The Cure, Bauhaus, Joy Division and latter day Japan were among my favorites. I didn’t buy or listen to dance music (and/or disco) anymore (with the exception of Divine). At the time youths (in my school and immediate surroundings, maybe things were different elsewehre, but I doubt it) were divided into groups, oftentimes based on musical taste, including the accompanying lifestyle. Punks, disco’s, wavers, goths, skinheads, rasta’s and hardrockers: mostly everyone stayed within the parameters of their ‘own’ group and had the musical taste that went along with the confinements of that particular group. I could get along with many of the different groups and listened to as much musical styles as I could. Disco or dance music were no part of that. Compartmentalization to the extreme. In 1984 this was still the status quo.

Prince And The Revolution – When Doves Cry (single and maxi-single)

When Doves Cry

In June 1984 I was at ‘t Stamcafe when I heard a weird guitar intro, followed by a voice that went from left to right (or the other way round) followed by a mechanical beat. The synthesizer motif was a top-hook. No bass, great lyrics followed by screaming, more guitar. 5 Minutes later the song was done. I was perplexed. I remember storming at the DJ and asking who, what, how, where: that song! He showed me the cover of When Doves Cry by Prince. Prince? Really? Didn’t he make dance music? What did it matter? All those labels were stifling anyway. Without a doubt, this was the best, most original and exciting music I had ever heard!

The maxi single was a USA import. Soon, it became available in The Netherlands as well. As soon as it was, I bought it and a lifelong admiration (and addiction) was underway. To this day I still feel just as amazed about the song and the audacity to make it sound like it sounds, as I did in 1984. Knowing he wrote, played, sang (including background vocal), mixed and edited it all by himself over a three day period, is still unfathomable to me.

Prince – When Doves Cry – Handwritten lyrics

Musician

The song is produced, arranged and composed by Prince. Prince was the song’s sole performer as well: vocals, background vocals, guitar, Yamaha DX7, Oberheim OB-Xa and the Linn LM-1, every single noise on the song is performed by Prince.

Prince And The Revolution – When Doves Cry – Video stills

Video

Of course a video for When Doves Cry was made. Prince directed the video himself, which went into high rotation on MTV almost overnight. The video opens with some doves flying through an open door, zooming in on Prince in a bathtub. The video is interspersed with clips from the upcoming Purple Rain movie, inclusing some bits that didn’t make the cut to the actual movie, and images of The Revolution (the first time showing Wendy Melvoin as a member) dancing in a white room that also contained a stairwell. The last part of the video utilizes a mirror-effect. Both the edited and the complete version of the song were provided with a video.

As was usual with Prince at the time, especially in the US, the clip was controversial due to its sexual nature and the ‘nudity’ shown. Many television networks were reluctant to show the clip, but quickly went along as the song turned out to be a phenomenal success.

17 Days (B-side When Doves Cry maxi-single), 1984

17 Days

The song with the 85 character long official title, 17 Days (the rain will come down, then U will have 2 choose. If U believe, look 2 the dawn and U shall never lose), was the B-side to When Doves Cry. Later on (for me at the the time) it turned out to be the introduction to the wonderful world and way of working of Prince: the B-side phenomenon. Songs that weren’t part of the regular albums, but were only available on (maxi) singles. On maxi-singles the B-side was oftentimes released as a remix or extended version. The artistic level of the B-sides was extremely high as well, of which 17 Days is a primary example. The song was originally intended for the planned second Vanity 6 album, but was re-recorded in 1984 with Wendy Melvoin and Lisa Coleman providing background vocals. The song deals with a man who was left by his girlfriend 17 days and 17 night ago, and has a new lover:

You’ve been gone 17 days
17 long nights
The main drag is knowing that
You’re holding someone else tight

So here I sit in my lonely room
Lookin’ for my sunshine
But all I’ve got is two cigarettes
And this broken heart of mine

So let the rain come down
The rain come down
Let the rain come down, down.

© 1984 Prince

Prince – When Doves Cry – Platinum award

The future

When Doves Cry was the first single off the new album Purple Rain, which was the soundtrack to the movie with the same name. The Purple Rain album was accredited to Prince and the Revolution, even though much, very much, of it was done Prince by himself. The single was released approximately 5 weeks prior to the album. It was Prince’s first number 1 single in the USA. It was the fastest selling single in the history of record label Warner Bros. until then, and was named ‘#1 single of 1984’ by Billboard.

Somewhere in 1984 Prince held the number one position for the single, album and movie simultaneously. When Doves Cry was awarded platinum status by the Recording Industry Association of America.

For me personally, it marked the definite end to petty-mindedness, the start of a (long) journey with everything Prince and an introduction to musical styles I never really had (allowed myself?) access to, black music (soul, funk, gospel, jazz). A new world opened up. My life, musically speaking, would never be the same again.

Ad for When Doves Cry, 1984

Conclusion

After Prince’s passing I wrote a tribute to Prince and decided to follow that up by my favorite 50 songs (see songs 50 to 26, 25 to 11 and 10 to 1).

Both When Doves Cry and 17 Days are placed in my top 10. Thus, When Doves Cry is the best Prince single to have ever been released. This automatically leads to the conclusion it is the best single of all time (and yes, I know about The Beatles’ Penny Lane/Strawberry Fields Forever).

In closing

Want to know how the song came about? Read The birth of the best song of all time: When Doves Cry. What do you think of When Doves Cry? Let me know!

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(this article updates The release of the best single of all time: When Doves Cry, which was published on May 16. 2019)