Diamonds and Pearls
Diamonds and Pearls is Prince’s thirteenth album. It was a major commercial success and produced four Top 40 singles. It is his first to feature the New Power Generation and it mixes hip-hop and rap with jazz and adult contemporary.
It is notable for featuring a full band on most of the songs for the first time since Purple Rain. Michael B and Sonny T would work with Prince across the next two decades. The album also saw Prince start to sequence songs using MIDI and Publison and Akai samplers.
Prince toured the album from April to July 1992 with the NPG.
Prince Live
Rig Diagram
Click on the equipment for more information · Download this rig diagram as an image
The NPG Live
Levi Seacer Jr
Sonny T
Tommy Barbarella
Rosie Gaines
Prince In The Studio
Diamonds and Pearls was recorded at Paisley Park, Larrabee Sound Studios, Olympic Studios (London) and Warner Pioneer Studios (Tokyo).
The NPG appear on all songs except "Thunder" and "Insatiable". For details of their equipment, please see the live section above.
Equipment
| Vocals | |
|---|---|
| Guitars |
Guitars were recorded direct into the board or through a Mesa/Boogie Mark III/Bag End D12-M rig with Neumann U87 and AKG C-24 microphones. |
| Effects | |
| Basses | |
| Keyboards |
|
| Drums |
Acoustic drums were recorded through AKG D-112 (Kick), AKG C414, Sennheiser MD 421 and Shure SM57 (Snare), and AKG C-24 (Overheads). |
Production
Recording
- SSL 6000E Console (Studio A - Paisley Park)
- API/DeMedio Console (Studio B - Paisley Park)
- Studer A-800 Mark 3 (All studios - Paisley Park)
- Unknown console and tape machines at Larabee Sound, Olympic and Warner Pioneer.
Outboard
Please see our Paisley Park page for more details.
References
- Mix (2010) Gear Stories With Sylvia Massy—Prince and the Gemini II
- Brown, Jake (2010) Prince 'in the Studio' 1975 - 1995
- Keyboard (1991) Dr Fink and Rosie Gaines Do An Interview Together
- Musician (1992) The New Power Generation Learns That Playing...
