“It’s like this little country tune, played with triads on the piano... I thought, ‘how do I make those chords bloom with this very simple melody?’": How Prince and The Revolution turned the bare bones of Purple Rain into a lighters-in-the-air epic

DETROIT, MI - NOVEMBER 4: American singer, songwriter, musician, record producer, dancer, actor, and filmmaker Prince (1958-2016) and American guitarist, singer-songwriter and member of the Revolution Wendy Melvoin perform onstage during the 1984 Purple Rain Tour on November 4, 1984, at the Joe Louis Arena in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Ross Marino/Getty Images).

Released in 1984 as the closing track on the movie soundtrack album of the same name, Purple Rain is one of Prince’s signature songs. However, although it has the great man’s magic sprinkled all over it - not least in the form of an epic guitar solo - Prince didn’t write and record it in isolation.

Purple Rain has just been given a new lease of chart life thanks to its use in the finale of Netflix series Stranger Things, which was released at the turn of the new year. Without giving anything away, we can tell you that, along with When Doves Cry, another track on the Purple Rain soundtrack, it plays a crucial role in the show’s denouement, and the song has now stirred the emotions of a whole new generation of listeners.