Parade (1985)
I Wonder U is barely even a song. The pint-sized Parade piece lasts for 100 seconds, and 15 of those sound like New Position hasn’t finished yet. But the atmosphere in its brief timeframe is electrifying. It’s astounding how much work has gone into something so diminutive. At an early stage, the track included a full orchestra before Prince decided to keep only the flutes. He also removed his vocals to leave only Wendy’s, making it the first song on a Prince studio album sung solely by somebody else (or the only one if you discount the Graffiti Bridge soundtrack and the 3rdeyegirl collaboration). Its short duration makes the track almost subliminal, leaving you no time to dwell on the moods it stirs within – eddies of virgin snow and forgotten dreams swirl but we’re onto the next track before they settle – however like eyebrows or a pinch of salt, it’s absence would leave an oversized void.
