The groundbreaking 1985 album from Prince and the Revolution, Around the World in a Day, receives its first-ever remaster to mark its 40th anniversary, arriving in November across multiple formats including a newly mixed Dolby Atmos version.
Originally released on 22 April 1985, just 15 days after Prince’s Purple Rain Tour concluded, the album represented a bold artistic gamble that paid off spectacularly. While Warner Bros. wanted to capitalise on Purple Rain’s massive success with a European tour extension, Prince instead delivered a psychedelic, inward-facing collection that defied all industry expectations.
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Breaking every promotional rule of the mid-’80s hit factory, Prince insisted the album be experienced as one uninterrupted story. This meant there was no lead single, no staged rollout and no hype machine. “Raspberry Beret” wasn’t serviced to US radio until a month after release, yet the album still flew off shelves, selling over two million copies and spawning multiple Billboard Top Ten hits.
Grammy-nominated engineer Chris James has meticulously remixed the album in Dolby Atmos using the original multi-track masters, while Bernie Grundman handled the new stereo remastering. The standard reissue arrives on streaming, download, CD, limited-edition blue marble vinyl, and exclusive picture disc LP through the Official Prince Store.
A deluxe edition expands the experience across 2CD or 3LP formats, featuring extended versions of A and B-sides. Highlights include the digital debut of the “Paisley Park (Remix)” and the nearly 22-minute 12″ version of “America” making its CD debut.
The album’s artwork, painted by Doug Henders between the Purple Rain Tour perfectly captured Prince’s artistic evolution from the stark imagery of his previous release. Characteristically, Prince was already moving forward by release day, returning to Sunset Sound on 21 April 1985 to record “Sometimes It Snows In April” for his next project, Parade.
Around the World in a Day 40th anniversary editions are available for pre-order here.
