25th Anniversary of Purple Rain

If you have not noticed the proliferation of magazine and internet articles discussing the movie ‘Purple Rain’, then you may not be aware that July 27th, 2009 marked the 25th anniversary of the movie premier! As a result of Purple Rain’s silver anniversary, those involved with the movie (except, of course, for the star) have done interviews recounting the making of the movie and its impact on the record industry as well as its impact on pop culture.

In my opinion, the most thorough interview has come from Spin Magazine (July 2009 issue). Unfortunately, as of the date of this post, the interview has not been reproduced on-line, however, the article interviews pretty much everyone from the Revolution as well as those responsible for the creation of the movie.

Until that article becomes available, however, you can read and listen to several good interviews on Purple Rain discussed by... (drum roll please) Wendy & Lisa!

The Minneapolis Star Tribune conducts an ‘Oral History’ of the Purple One as told by those closest to him (at the time). The interview covers the Purple Rain premier, the Oscar win, Under The Cherry Moon, and the rise and fall of The Family. Contributors to the ‘Oral History’ include Wendy, Lisa, David Z, Eric Leeds, and Paul Peterson. To read all about the Purple Rain premier as well as funny antidotes of the Oscar win, head over to the following article: An Oral History/ Purple Majesty


Chicago Public Radio’s “Sound Opinions” also decided to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Purple Rain by conducting a ‘Purple Rain Album Dissection’. The ‘Dissection’ includes a very nice Wendy & Lisa audio interview in which they discuss how they both ended up joining The Revolution, their inputs on Purple Rain, their influence on ‘The Kid’, as well as the kind of music they listened to during the Purple Rain era. The actual Purple Rain segment of the audio begins around the 5 minute mark. Wendy & Lisa’s interview begins at the 11 minute mark and lasts for about 20 minutes. You can listen to (or download) the entertaining audio interview here: Purple Rain Album Dissection