NUM050
Album cover

Purple Snow

Forecasting The Minneapolis Sound

10th Anniversary Edition: Re-mastered and Re-cut.

Bubbling up from the snow-blanketed land of 10,000 lakes, the Minneapolis Sound defied expectations, emerging late in the ’70s as a slick, black, technologically advanced fusion, poised to storm the charts. In relative silence, the Twin Cities had been harboring a tight-knit community feverishly at work in radically manipulating American dance music, varnishing futurist funk with guitar rock’s glamorous sheen.

Purple Snow, the Numero Group’s ambitious 50th mainline release, chronicles false starts and follow-throughs toward Minneapolis Sound, on four LPs or two CDs and 32 rare and unreleased recordings from the years just prior to, and just after, one gifted Nelson was crowned Prince. At some 30,000 words, our 144-page hardbound book meticulously directs the listener through two hours of music, and a decade dotted by adept producers, combos, and characters—like 94 East, Flyte Tyme, and Alexander O’Neal, whose less celebrated groundwork put Minneapolis’ purple launchpad on the map. From Jimmy Jam’s extroverted Mind & Matter collective to André Cymone’s polish-free bedroom demos, Purple Snow gathers as the sprawling, nonfiction prequel to Purple Rain’s cultural takeover. In image-rich splendor, funk-informed hordes of unsung Twin Cities talent bask for a spotlit moment, out of that persistent violet shadow, to shine.

Bonus: 20% off when grabbing 3 or more Minneapolis Records - discount applied in cart automatically.

Currently In-Stock Minneapolis Records:

94 East - The Cookhouse 5 LP

Mind & Matter: 1514 Oliver Avenue (Basement) LP

Michael Dixon & J.O.Y. - You're Everything 7"

Lucky Rosenbloom - Keep Your Faith In Good 7"

  • 4xLP + Book

    4 150g LPs
    4 tip-on single LP jackets
    1 108-page 12.5

Track List

  1. 94 East If You See Me
  2. Aura Taste of Love
  3. Herman Jones I Love You
  4. Orville Shannon Oh Lover
  5. Mind & Matter I'm Under Your Spell
  6. Haze Waiting for the Moment
  7. Prophets Of Peace Get It On
  8. Cohesion Expense
  9. Mind & Matter Sunshine Lady
  10. The Lewis Connection Higher
  11. Flyte Tyme It's The Things That You Do
  12. Herman Jones Ladie
  13. Michael Dixon & J.O.Y. You're All I Need
  14. Music, Love & Funk Stone Lover
  15. Cohesion Cohesion
  16. Haze I Do Love My Lady
  17. The Lewis Connection Got to Be Something Here
  18. Walter Lewis & The Blue Stars I Have Love at Home
  19. Flyte Tyme I've Got You On My Mind
  20. Quiet Storm Can You Deal With It
  21. Steven Quick
  22. The Stylle Band If You Love Me
  23. The Girls I've Got My Eyes On You
  24. Sue Ann Carwell Should I Or Should I Not?
  25. Ronnie Robbins Contagious
  26. Alexander O'Neal Borrowed Time
  27. Orville Shannon One Life to Live
  28. André Cymone Somebody Said
  29. Walter Lewis & The Blue Stars Do It Baby Do It
  30. Rockie Robbins Together
  31. Mind & Matter No One Else Can Do It To Me Baby
  32. Alexander O'Neal Do You Dare