Prince & The Revolution – Mountains (US 7" Single) May 7 1986
- GlamSlamEscape
- May 7, 1986
- 2 min read
Format: 7" Single
Label: Paisley Park / Warner Bros. Country: USA
Release Date: 7 May 1986
Genre: Pop • Funk • Rock Style: Parade‑Era Minimalism • Orchestral Funk
Overview
Released on 7 May 1986, Mountains became the second single from Parade, Prince’s eighth studio album and the third credited to Prince and the Revolution. Arriving five weeks after the album, the single was backed with “Alexa De Paris,” a non‑album instrumental notable for its guitar‑driven arrangement and its appearance in Under the Cherry Moon.
The track was written by Wendy Melvoin & Lisa Coleman with Prince, and stands as one of the most collaborative Revolution‑era compositions.
The single version runs 3:58, while the 12" extended version (released separately) stretches to nearly ten minutes.
Mountains reached No. 23 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and No. 15 on the Billboard Black Singles Chart. The music video, directed by Prince, was released in April 1986 and features colour footage, contrasting with the black‑and‑white aesthetic of the film.
US 7" Single — 7‑28711
A. Mountains — 3:58 B. Alexa De Paris — 3:20
US 7" Promo — 7‑28711
A. Mountains — 3:58 B. Mountains — 3:58
Context & Significance
Second single from Parade
Released 7 May 1986 (US 7")
B‑side “Alexa De Paris” is non‑album, later appearing only on the 1994 European Letitgo CD single (extended version)
Both tracks appear in Under the Cherry Moon
Video directed by Prince
One of the most collaborative Revolution‑era compositions (Wendy & Lisa + Prince)
Frequently performed live throughout the mid‑1980s
Personnel (Core Contributors)
(Condensed from Tudahl, Clerc & Guitarcloud)
Chart Performance (USA)
Billboard Hot 100: No. 23 Billboard Black Singles: No. 15
Prince — lead & backing vocals, electric guitar
Wendy Melvoin — electric guitar, backing vocals
Lisa Coleman — synthesizers, backing vocals
Dr. Fink — synthesizers
Brown Mark — bass guitar, backing vocals
Bobby Z. — Simmons SDSV, Linn LM‑1
Eric Leeds — saxophone
Atlanta Bliss — trumpet
Miko Weaver — electric guitar
Clare Fischer — orchestral arrangements
🧾 Sources
Prince Vault (release chronology, track details, chart data)
Billboard Magazine archives
Paisley Park / Warner Bros. Records documentation
Tudahl, Clerc & Guitarcloud sessionography references
© Copyright Notice
All single artwork, label designs, photographs, and original text excerpts remain the property of their respective copyright holders. This Chronicle 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.
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