So last week’s post about Wendy and Lisa, who once palled around with Prince as part of The Revolution, got me thinking about Purple Rain and what a brilliant soundtrack it is. The film itself, not so much, though truthfully I’d never viewed it until the 2004 release of the two-disc special edition.

Both Siskel and Ebert included the movie on their year-end top ten lists in 1984, but today I’m not sure what the fuss was all about. As a showcase for Prince’s musicianship (and that of The Revolution and The Time), Purple Rain is electric, but aside from the live performance pieces, the plot is lifeless and the acting often laughable.

But back to that amazing soundtrack. Not only does it remain musically compelling, the album represents a monster achievement, tallying 24 consecutive weeks at #1 and selling over 18 million copies worldwide to date. Last summer, when Entertainment Weekly surveyed the best albums of the past 25 years, Purple Rain reigned on top.

Out of soundtrack’s nine songs, five were released as singles — “When Doves Cry,” “Let’s Go Crazy,” “Purple Rain,” “I Would Die 4 U,” and “Take Me With U.” Featuring Prince protégé Apollonia, “Take Me With U” fared the poorest, reaching only #25. A disappointing reception, as it’s my favorite. The 45’s flip was another Purple Rain track, “Baby I’m A Star,” unjustly robbed of its own turn in the single spotlight.

In 2000, Tina Turner covered “Baby I’m A Star” for All That Glitters, an EP exclusively sold at Target during Christmas that year (TV promo spot here). Long associated with delivering electrifying performances, Ms. Tina is a perfect match for Prince’s ode to stardom. Hear here:

Last year, Tina Turner hit the road after an eight-year absence. I had the pleasure of seeing her 50th Anniversary Tour when it visited Chicago, having thought I’d missed out on the chance to ever see her do the shimmy again. (This Billboard review of a Madison Square Garden stop is a spot-on assessment of what Turner has been treating sold-out audiences to.)

Currently on the European leg of the tour, Tina is in Cologne this weekend, giving it to the Germans nice and rough.

Purchase Tina Turner’s cover of “Baby I’m A Star” on the out-of-print All That Glitters, available via eBay and Amazon Marketplace.