The Rainbow Children Prince album

Redline Entertainment

You have to do the work. That’s what independence is.

Previewed as a single-file MP3 download available to fan club members of npgmusicclub.com on 16 October 2001, The Rainbow Children received worldwide physical distribution via the independent label Redline Entertainment on 20 November.

The Rainbow Children was thusly Prince’s first album published under an independent label different to his own NPG Records. The internet as the primary medium of distribution of an album by a major artist was pioneering at the time, when rights management was still in its infancy. Prince’s motivation to do so was born from his frustration over Arista Record’s “lacklustre” promotion of his previous record Rave Un2 The Joy Fantastic. That album’s attempt to adapt Prince’s output to answer current musical trend had met only moderate success. So in 2001, Prince set about creating something entirely different.

The recording sessions took place at Paisley Park Studios throughout the autumn of 2000 and into early 2001, during what was a particularly profound moment in Prince’s life. The Rainbow Children would be Prince’s first album since divorcing Mayte Garcia in 2000, and having converted to the Jehovah Witness faith in 2001 – as well as starting a romance with Paisley Park employee and religious confidant Manuela Testolini who he married on 31 December that year. His separation from Mayte is told in the title track in what is a tale of the banishment of The Resistor (Mayte) from the Digital Garden in favour of The Muse (Testolini). The narrative espouses Prince’s (who is The Wise One) newly acquired spiritual theology is threaded throughout the album. The Work is the term used by Jehovah Witness to spread the word of God. Unsurprisingly The Rainbow Children represents Prince’s most polarising work – and is duly acknowledged on the accompanying hype sticker: “The controversial new album from Prince”. Indeed The Rainbow Children is significant as being Prince’s first album credited to his birth name since reverting to it on 16 May 2000 having previously named himself, since his birthday of 7 June 1993, the unpronounceable Prince Love Symbol (The Artist Formally Known As Prince) in protest with his then record label Warner Bros Records.

The Rainbow Children explores several complex themes such as spiritualism and racism, and although it was critically acclaimed for its musicality, The Rainbow Children retailed a mere 158,000 units. The music is fusion jazz-funk, however its spiritual narrative made it a commercially inaccessible edition within Prince’s canon. Having failed to achieve his commercial comeback with Rave Un2 The Joy Fantastic and that his recent output intended for the consequently abandoned album High demanded an entirely new direction, its replacement The Rainbow Children showcases Prince at the apex of his creative and musical peak.

The Rainbow Children was recorded with a live band. The lineup comprised newly recruited introductions from Prince’s close associates: keyboard virtuoso Renato Neto from Sheila E‘s band E-Train, he plays the Fender Rhodes throughout The Rainbow Children; John Blackwell formerly of Patti LaBelle‘s touring band is on drums, and; Chaka Khan saxophonist Jerome “Najee” Rasheed on flute. After having quite literally doorstepped Prince at Paisley Park for an audition the White sisters as gospel quartet Milenia provide backing vocals. With its musicality and live band ensemble feel the album’s sound is vibrant, alive and absorbing, gelling superbly with the narrative in accompaniment.

Prince premiered The Rainbow Children at listening parties organised at Paisley Park during its annual week long open house for Prince: A Celebration, marking his birthday in June 2001. The commercial release followed on 20 November that year, six months behind its lead and only single The Work Part 1 via the file sharing service Napster. The choice of Napster as distributor was greatly at odds with Prince’s world view at the time, that the platform had led to the demise of analogue music as well as unleash internet piracy to an industrial scale. But the move was brave and pioneering nonetheless and the single became one of the most downloaded tracks in Napster’s history. In acknowledgement of this The Work Part 1 won the Yahoo! Best Internet Only Single award for 2001. A CD format of the single was available via NPG Music Club.

The Rainbow Children was supported by the One Nite Alone… Tour, an intimate show in a stripped back setting staged in theatres. Viewed at the time as his likely farewell concert tour, its format allowed Prince to play songs not usually heard in his touring repertoire – it is regarded among Prince’s best tours. Rather than a farewell turn, the tour’s unexpected success reinvigorated him. Having not enjoyed the promotion and marketing machine of a major label, The Rainbow Children peaked at 109 on the Billboard 200 album chart, yet charted at number 4 in the independent albums list.

Cover story

The far left edge of album’s cover shows Prince stood holding a painting by Cbabi Bayoc, titled The Reine Keis Quintet. The artist’s name is the acronym for Creative Black Artist Battling Ignorance and Blessed African Youth of Creativity, who at the time of creating this painting was working as a caricature artist at Six Flags Over St. Louis. His birth name is Clifford Miskell and came to Prince’s attention in 1997 when exhibiting at an event in St. Louis organised by Prince’s Love 4 One Another charity. Prince started collecting his work and in 2000 bought this painting, which remains on display at Paisley Park to this day.

2020 reissue

Following a lengthy period out of print The Rainbow Children was reissued by Sony Legacy on 29 May 2020 on the same day as the label’s boxset reissue Up All Nite With Prince: The One Nite Alone Collection. Repackaging the original booklet, the vinyl version of the reissue comprised two clear vinyl LPs and a slip mat. Being one of Prince’s lesser known albums, the 2020 reissue failed to chart and was again was denied the commercial recognition The Rainbow Children deserves.

Performers

Vocals / all Instr

Prince

Drums

John Blackwell

Bass Guitar

Larry Graham ^{The Work Part 1 and Last December}

Flute / Soprano sax

Najee ^Mellow

Trombone

Michael B. Nelson ^{The Work Part 1, Everywhere, Mellow and The Everlasting Now}

Baritone sax

Kathy Jensen ^{The Work Part 1, Everywhere, Mellow and The Everlasting Now}

Trumpet

Dave Jensen ^{The Work Part 1, Everywhere, Mellow and The Everlasting Now}

Steve Strand ^{The Work Part 1, Everywhere, Mellow and The Everlasting Now}

Tenor sax

Brian Gallagher ^{The Work Part 1, Everywhere, Mellow and The Everlasting Now}

Backing vocals

Mikki White (as Milenia)

Malikah White (as Milenia)

Niyoki White (as Milenia)

Tia White (as Milenia)

Kip Blackshire ^{Digital Garden, The Work Part 1, 1+1+1 Is 3, Deconstructuion and Wedding Feast}

Data

Producer

Prince

Label

NPG Records

Distribution

Redline Entertainment

Cover/Design

Cbabi Bayoc and Jeremy Gavin

Released

24 years ago on 16 October 2001

Reissued

29 May 2020

Running Time

68:49

US Chart Peak

109

US R&B Peak

33

UK Chart Peak

Did not chart

Prince Album

#24

Orig. Formats

Singles from The Rainbow Children

The Work Part 1

NPG Records

Released

6 April 2001

Distribution

Napster

US Chart Peak

Ineligible

UK Chart Peak

Ineligible

Cover/Art

Cbabi Bayoc

Formats

1. The Work Part 1 [feat. Milenia] (3:39)
2. U Make My Sun Shine [duet with Angie Stone] (5:52)

Supporting tour

One Nite Alone… Tour

2002

• One Nite Alone… Tour
  65 shows from 1 March to 15 December, 2002
• Xenophobia Celebration (Paisley Park Studios)
  7 shows from 21 to 28 June 2002