Madhouse (January 21, 1987) 8 - Album

Escape
Jan 21, 1987
2 min read

Prince’s first instrumental album released under any name — a dark, hypnotic jazz-funk masterpiece recorded in just four days.

RELEASE DETAILS

Artist: Madhouse

Label: Paisley Park / Warner Bros. Records

Date: January 21, 1987

Catalogue: PAIS 1 (US), 925 545-1 (Europe)

Format: LP / Cassette / CD Country: United States / Europe

THE STORY

8 is the debut album by Madhouse, a fictional side project led by Eric Leeds. Entirely instrumental, the album features all eight tracks written or co-written by Prince, who played the majority of the instruments. Eric Leeds contributed saxophone and flute. The album was recorded in just four days at Prince’s Galpin Blvd Home Studio in Chanhassen, Minnesota, though the credits claim it was made at “Madhouse Studios” in Pittsburgh to maintain the illusion of a separate band.

CONTEXT & NOTES

This release marked Prince’s first official instrumental album. The tracks are simply titled “One” through “Eight.” It spawned one single, “Six.” Although it had modest commercial success, 8 has become a cult favourite among Prince fans for its raw, experimental jazz-funk sound.

TRACK LIST

Side One

One — 7:18
Two — 5:29
Three — 3:16
Four — 2:24
Five — 1:18

Side Two

Six — 4:28
Seven — 4:09
Eight — 10:06

All Variants United States

LP: PAIS 1 / 9 25368-1 (wait, correct is 9 25545-1)
Cassette: 4-25545

Europe

LP: 925 545-1
Cassette: 925 545-4
CD: 925 545-2

All Variants (Complete List)

US LP, Cassette
European LP, Cassette, CD

CHART PERFORMANCE US Billboard Top Pop Albums: Peak No. 107 US Billboard Top Black Albums: Peak No. 25 UK Albums Chart: Did not chart

PERSONNEL

Prince – writer, producer, majority of instruments
Eric Leeds – saxophone, flute

PACKAGING HIGHLIGHTS

Striking cover with blue face and glowing eyes
Minimalist inner sleeve with numeric track titles

WHAT THE SLEEVE SHOWS Front cover features a dramatic blue-lit face with glowing orange eyes and wild hair against a black background. Bold red “Madhouse” logo.

RELATED MATERIAL

Eric Leeds – Times Squared (1991)
Prince – Various instrumental experiments from 1986

SOURCES Prince Vault, Discogs, Wikipedia

COPYRIGHT NOTICE All album artwork, photographs, logos, and original text excerpts remain the property of their respective copyright holders. This entry is a transformative, non-commercial archival summary created for historical documentation and educational reference. No ownership of the original material is claimed or implied.