Purple Rain

Purple Rain

Author: BBC Radio 4 May 30, 2022 Duration: 27:55

"I never meant to cause you any sorrow, I never meant to cause you any pain..."

True stories of what Prince's epic ballad means to different people around the world, from the very first jam in 1983 to the global hit that reigns over us today.

Bobby Z, the drummer from Prince and The Revolution, remembers the buzz of the first ever performance of Purple Rain, and how the recording from that night lives on.

Susan Rogers, Prince's recording engineer, tells stories from the Purple Rain tour, when the crew took bets on how long Prince's guitar solos would last.

Comedian Sindhu Vee first heard the song as a teenager growing up in India and was knocked sideways by it.

Weather reporter Judith Ralston describes the beautiful and rare weather phenomenon of purple rain.

Social historian Zaheer Ali sees the song as a cry out for change, bringing audiences from different backgrounds together in cross-genre harmony.

And finally, an intensive care hospital nurse played Purple Rain to Kevin Clarke while he was in a coma, because his sister knew he loved the song and hoped it might pull him through.

Producer: Becky Ripley

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in May 2022.


There’s a certain piece of music that, when you hear it, seems to stop time. It might be a melody from your childhood, a song that played at a pivotal moment, or a composition that simply reaches into your chest and grips your heart. Soul Music, from BBC Radio 4, is built around that very phenomenon. This isn’t a program about genres or charts; it’s an intimate exploration of why specific pieces of music carry such profound emotional weight. Each episode focuses on a single, iconic work-from classical adagios to folk ballads, from film scores to pop anthems. The podcast weaves together the voices of people whose lives have been indelibly marked by that music: listeners share personal, often moving stories of grief, joy, love, and remembrance, while composers and performers might shed light on the piece’s creation. You’ll hear the music itself, of course, but framed in a way that reveals its deeper resonance in human experience. It’s a quiet, thoughtful series that reminds us how soundtracks our inner lives. Tuning into this podcast feels like being part of a conversation about the invisible threads that connect us all through notes and rhythms, exploring how a sequence of sounds can become a vessel for collective memory and feeling.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

Soul Music
Podcast Episodes
Fire and Rain [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 27:48
James Taylor's song of suicide, loneliness and addiction somehow remains hopeful and uplifting, even as people experience their own dark times.Holly Sinclair was driving through a Missouri winter to see her brother, in h…
Pata Pata [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 27:56
Miriam Makeba recorded 'Pata Pata' in 1967 with the help of American producer Jerry Ragovoy. It became a huge hit and Miriam Makeba used newfound fame to speak the injustices of apartheid. Her records were banned and Sou…
Defying Gravity from Wicked [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 27:52
Wicked the musical is 20 years old in 2023. The story of the Wizard of Oz told from the witches' perspective examines themes of difference, power and alienation. The so called Wicked Witch of the West Elphaba born with g…
I Will Always Love You [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 27:28
Written by Dolly Parton... sent stratospheric by Whitney Houston; I Will Always Love You is a song that has a worldwide fanbase reflected by the diverse memories shared here:Nagham Kewifati tells how her mother, Mayada B…
Fast Car [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 27:34
'Fast Car' is one of Tracy Chapman's biggest hits, with listeners from around the world finding striking connections with their own lives in the song's story. It was released in April 1988, and that summer, the American…
I Say a Little Prayer for You [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 27:50
When Burt Bacharach and lyricist Hal David wrote I Say A Little Prayer For You in 1967 the war in Vietnam was raging. The song was intended as message of support for the soldiers there. It was originally recorded by Dion…
Ghost Town [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 27:43
Ghost Town was recorded by British two-tone band The Specials as a comment on urban decay and social unrest. It was released in June 1981 as riots were springing up around the UK and with the help of an iconic video it t…
I Only Have Eyes for You [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 28:02
When I Only Have Eyes For You first emerged in 1934 it was a jaunty cinema ditty written by Harry Dubin and Al Warren for the film "Dames". But it gained huge popularity when the 1950s doo wop group The Flamingos - under…
I Believe In Father Christmas [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 27:47
Some people say it's a protest song about the commercialisation of Christmas, others that it's anti religious. I Believe In Father Christmas is neither, although lyricist Peter Sinfield concedes it does include a touch o…
Nessun Dorma [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 27:51
Singer Jon Christos watched the Italia 90 World Cup with his Dad.He says Pavarotti's live performance of 'Nessun Dorma' at the tournament was the only time he ever saw his Dad cry. Pavarotti's daughter Cristina talks abo…