🟣 Exodus – Album: Mar. 1995

🟣 The New Power Generation – Album: Mar‑1995

CD, LP, MC — NPG Records / Edel – 009 0360 2 / 009 0360 1 / 009 0360 4

Released: March 27, 1995 (Europe)

When Exodus arrived in Europe on 27 March 1995, it marked one of the most fascinating pivots in Prince’s career — a moment where he stepped sideways, disguised himself, and let his band take the spotlight while still shaping every corner of the music. Credited to The New Power Generation, the album is officially the group’s second “solo” project, but in reality it stands as one of the most revealing documents of Prince’s creative mindset during the height of his name‑change era.

Released only in Europe, Australia, and Taiwan, Exodus never saw a North American issue, adding to its mystique. Prince appears throughout the album as Tora Tora, his face hidden behind veil during live appearances, and his voice often pitched, filtered, or disguised on record. While Sonny T. takes the lead vocal role, Prince’s fingerprints are everywhere — writing, co‑writing, arranging, producing, and performing the vast majority of the music.

A Band Album With a Prince Engine

Recorded between late May 1994 and January 1995 at Paisley Park, Exodus is one of the most collaborative albums of Prince’s 90s output. The core NPG lineup — Sonny T., Michael B., Tommy Barbarella, and Mr. Hayes — contribute heavily to the sound, giving the record a muscular, live‑band feel that contrasts sharply with the sleek, electronic textures of Prince’s solo work of the time.

The sessions were prolific. Early recordings in May 1994 produced:

Get Wild

New Power Soul

The Exodus Has Begun

Hallucination Rain

Slave 2 The System

Count The Days

It Takes 3

A series of segues — comedic, chaotic, and deeply tied to the album’s concept — were also created during this period. Additional tracks such as Mad and Funky Design followed in November, while late‑1994 sessions yielded Acknowledge Me, Super Hero, Outa‑Space, Love… Thy Will Be Done, Funky, Proud Mary, and Somebody’s Somebody.

By December 1994 and January 1995, the final pieces fell into place:

The Good Life, Big Fun, Return Of The Bump Squad, and Cherry, Cherry — notably recorded without Michael B. on drums.

The result is a sprawling, theatrical, funk‑driven concept album that blends satire, politics, humor, and deep grooves.

Promotion, Singles, and the Tora Tora Persona

Three singles emerged from the album:

Get Wild

The Good Life (the only track released in North America)

Count The Days

Prince — as Tora Tora — promoted the album during The Ultimate Live Experience tour, often appearing veiled and silent, communicating only through gestures. Songs from Exodus appeared in setlists, though none became tour staples.

The album reached #11 on the UK Gallup Album Chart, a strong showing for a release without Prince’s name on the cover.

The Sound of Exodus

Exodus is a wild ride — part P‑Funk opera, part NPG manifesto, part coded commentary on Prince’s battle with Warner Bros. The album’s segues, characters, and running jokes create a loose narrative about artistic freedom, musical revolution, and the “New Power” rising against the old system.

Musically, it’s a feast:

Horn‑driven funk (Get Wild, Return Of The Bump Squad)

Soulful balladry (Count The Days)

Psychedelic jazz‑funk (Hallucination Rain)

Extended jam‑based epics (The Exodus Has Begun)

Playful interludes and comedic skits tying the whole thing together

The NPG Hornz — Michael B. Nelson, Kathy & Dave Jensen, Brian Gallagher, and Steve Strand — bring explosive energy to the record, while Eric Leeds adds saxophone and flute flourishes that deepen the album’s jazz‑funk palette.

Legacy

Though often overshadowed by Prince’s solo catalogue, Exodus has grown in stature among fans and collectors. It captures a moment when Prince was reinventing himself, decentralizing his identity, and empowering his band — all while producing some of the most joyful, unrestrained funk of his career.

It stands as:

A key chapter in the symbol era

A showcase for the NPG as a real band, not just a backing unit

A coded commentary on artistic control

A cult favorite among collectors due to its limited territorial release

Nearly three decades later, Exodus remains one of the most adventurous and underrated projects in the entire Prince/NPG universe.

🟣 Who (or What) Was “Tora Tora”?

Tora Tora was a persona Prince adopted in 1994–1995, primarily during the creation and promotion of Exodus by The New Power Generation. It wasn’t a character with a backstory — it was a mask, a veil, a legal workaround, and a creative shield all at once.