Ice Cream Castle

Infobox Album | Name = Ice Cream Castle
Type = Album
Artist = The Time


Released = July 2, 1984
Recorded = 26 March 1983–January 1984
Genre = Funk, R&B, Pop
Length = 38:19
Label = Warner Bros.
Producer = The Starr ★ Company
Reviews =
Allmusic Rating|3.5|5 [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:xn5uak2k5m3z~T1 link]
Last album = "What Time Is It?"
(1982)
This album = "Ice Cream Castle"
(1984)
Next album = "Pandemonium"
(1990)

"Ice Cream Castle" is a 1984 album by The Time. Much like the two previous albums, the album consists of six tracks in the funk-pop or ballad genre and it was produced and arranged by Prince as "The Starr ★ Company". All tracks were written by Prince as Jamie Starr except for "Ice Cream Castles", co-written with Morris Day, and "Jungle Love" and "The Bird", both co-written with Day and Jesse Johnson. Prince again performed all instruments and background vocals with Day providing lead vocals and Johnson on guitar with the following exceptions: "The Bird" is a live recording by the band from a First Avenue performance; background vocals on "Chili Sauce" and "If The Kid Can't Make You Come" were by Sharon Hughes; and Novi Novog played the violin on "Chili Sauce".

The album's two biggest hits, "Jungle Love" and "The Bird" were featured in the film "Purple Rain" and this, along with Day's performance in the movie, catapulted the album up the charts and to a crossover audience. Unfortunately, the band didn't have time to enjoy the success, as they had disbanded by the time the movie was released.

"Jungle Love" and "The Bird" are the songs the band is most remembered by; they are danceable pop-funk and both features comical animalistic catch phrases as well as distinctive dances. "Ice Cream Castles" is a toned-down funk offering pleading for racial equality. "My Drawers" is a hard rock number with swaggering machismo. "Chili Sauce" is a humorous conversation with similar dialogue from the "Purple Rain" film; Prince himself plays the waiter.

In addition to the album tracks, several other tracks were cut during the recording sessions. "Tricky" was included as a B-side for both "Ice Cream Castles" and "Jungle Love". A jam with Day on drums, "Cloreen Bacon Skin" later was released on Prince's "Crystal Ball" in 1998. "Chocolate" and "My Summertime Thang" were later updated and used on The Time's next album, "Pandemonium", six years later. Two other tracks, about which little is known, are "My Love Belongs to You" and "Velvet Kitty Kat".

"Ice Cream Castle" produced three singles: "Ice Cream Castles", "Jungle Love", and "The Bird".

Track listing

#"Ice Cream Castles" – 7:31
#"My Drawers" – 4:08
#"Chili Sauce" – 5:47
#"Jungle Love" – 5:33
#"If The Kid Can't Make You Come" – 7:33
#"The Bird" – 7:44

ingles and chart placings

*"Ice Cream Castles" (#11 R&B, #106 Pop)
#"Ice Cream Castles"
#"Tricky" (non-album track)
#"Get It Up" – "12" single"

*"Jungle Love" (#6 R&B, #20 Pop)
#"Jungle Love"
#"Oh, Baby" – "7" single"
#"Tricky" (non-album track) – "NL 7" single, German 12" single"
#"The Bird" – "7" back-to-back single"

*"The Bird" (#33 R&B, #36 Pop)
#"The Bird"
#"My Drawers"

Miscellanea

* The Time received another boost in fame in 2001 in Kevin Smith's film "Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back"; the band is mentioned several times by Jay as "The Motherfucking Time", and the band performs "Jungle Love" during the closing credits.
* The Hold Steady, a band who share Prince's Minneapolis roots, reference Ice Cream Castles in the song "Arms And Hearts". The song describes a couple kissing on a dance floor "while the band played Ice Cream Castles".