Sometimes It Snows in April

"Sometimes It Snows in April"
Song by Prince and The Revolution
from the album Parade
Released 1986
Recorded
Length 6:48
Label
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s) Prince

"Sometimes It Snows in April" is a song recorded by American musician Prince. It was included on his eighth studio album Parade (1986), and within the accompanying film Under the Cherry Moon (1986). Prince wrote and produced the song, along with Wendy & Lisa who provided additional lyrics for the composition. The song's narrator recounts memories of Christopher Tracy, Prince's character from Under the Cherry Moon, and how Tracy's passing affected the narrator; it also expresses their desire to hopefully rejoin Tracy in heaven. "Sometimes It Snows in April" received significant attention after Prince's death on April 21, 2016, exactly 31 years after its recording date,[1] allowing it to chart on several record charts worldwide.

Commercial performance

After the initial release of Parade, "Sometimes It Snows in April" was not released as a single, which made it ineligible to chart. However, after Prince's death on April 21, 2016, sales of the song increased heavily, allowing it to peak on several charts. The song was most successful in Europe; in France, it peaked at number 14, lasting a total of three weeks on the chart.[2] It fared well in the Netherlands, Austria, and Switzerland, where it peaked at numbers 63, 69, and 64, respectively.[3][4][5] It charted the lowest in the United Kingdom, where it lasted for one week on the chart, peaking at number 193.[6]

Personnel

Charts

Chart (2016) Peak
position
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[4] 69
France (SNEP)[2] 14
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[3] 63
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[5] 64
UK Singles (Official Charts Company)[6] 193

Cover versions

American singer-songwriter, rapper, and bassist Meshell Ndegeocello recorded a cover version of the song for her album Ventriloquism, released on March 16, 2018.[7]

Barry Hyde, the former drummer of The Futureheads, recorded a cover version of the song for his solo album Malody, released in June 2016.[8]

Australian multi-instrumentalist and singer-songwriter Gotye recorded a vocals-only cover version of the song that was uploaded to his YouTube channel on April 21, 2016.[9]

American singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist D'Angelo performed the song as a tribute to Prince, accompanied by Maya Rudolph and Gretchen Lieberum of the Prince cover band Princess, on April 26, 2016, on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.[10]

British Indian singer Amar recorded a cover version of the song for her album Outside, released on June 12, 2000.

French R&B duo Native recorded a cover version of the song for their self-titled debut album, released in 1995.

References

  1. ↑ PrinceVault: Sometimes It Snows in April
  2. 1 2 "Lescharts.com – Prince & The Revolution – Sometimes It Snows in April" (in French). Les classement single. Retrieved May 17, 2016.
  3. 1 2 "Dutchcharts.nl – Prince & The Revolution – Sometimes It Snows in April" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved May 17, 2016.
  4. 1 2 "Austriancharts.at – Prince & The Revolution – Sometimes It Snows in April" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved May 17, 2016.
  5. 1 2 "Swisscharts.com – Prince & The Revolution – Sometimes It Snows in April". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved May 17, 2016.
  6. 1 2 Chart Log UK: "Update 30.04.2016". UK Singles Chart. Zobbel.de. Retrieved May 17, 2016.
  7. ↑ "Review: Meshell Ndegeocello, 'Ventriloquism'". NPR.org. Retrieved 2018-05-09.
  8. ↑ Gibsone, Harriet (2016-04-05). "'I got my life backwards': Futurehead Barry Hyde on mental illness and his solo album Malody". the Guardian. Retrieved 2018-05-09.
  9. ↑ gotyemusic (April 21, 2016), Sometimes It Snows In April, retrieved July 1, 2016
  10. ↑ ET Online (April 26, 2016), D'Angelo and Maya Rudolph Perform Touching Tribute to Prince on Jimmy Fallon Show, retrieved April 28, 2016
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