Join me on TalkShopLive, Thursday, March 5, 2026, at 7pm ET for an interview about my debut solo album “Prairie Prince Colours and Passions.”
The ambitious project—ten years in the making and featuring 50 musicians across 14 tracks—pays homage to spoken word legend Ken Nordine’s landmark 1966 album “Colors.”
We’ll talk about the making of the album, the songs and some of my friends that played on it including Todd Rundgren, Journey’s Ross Valory, Dead Kennedys Jello Biafra and Buckethead to name a few.
I’ll be answering questions from you. And as my way of saying thanks for buying, each CD & vinyl purchased will come with an autographed insert from me.
Thursday, March 5 at 7pm ET on TalkShopLive. Colours and Passions – see you there!
“COLOURS AND PASSIONS” – A DECADE IN THE MAKING TRIBUTE TO KEN NORDINE’S “COLORS” — RELEASE DATE MARCH 20, 2026
PRE-ORDER / PRE-SAVE on Vinyl, CD, and digital.
10 years, 50 musicians, 20 drums, 14 tracks, Colours and Passions, the debut solo album by acclaimed drummer Prairie Prince takes up where the original record by spoken word legend Ken Nordine left off.
DENVER, CO / SAN FRANCISCO, CA – February 2, 2026 – After a lifetime behind the drums for some of rock’s most iconic acts, Prairie Prince steps into the spotlight with his debut solo album, “Colours and Passions,” releasing March 20, 2026, on Label 51 Recordings. The ambitious project—ten years in the making and featuring 50 musicians across 14 tracks—pays homage to spoken word legend Ken Nordine’s landmark 1966 album “Colors.”
Recorded at the historic site of Wally Heider’s Studios in San Francisco, where Creedence Clearwater Revival, Santana, and Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young captured their classic sounds, “Colours and Passions” represents an imaginative fusion of percussion artistry and collaborative improvisation. Each track explores a specific color and its emotional resonance, creating what Prince describes as an almost Jungian journey through the collective subconscious.
“I started off with drum tracks and then added different percussion,” Prince explains. “I would have other people put some bass or some guitar and tried to follow whatever melodies they made up on top, trying to make songs you could actually sing. Chords and keys I don’t know much about—I’m a drummer.”
THE JOURNEY FROM WORD JAZZ TO COLOURS AND PASSIONS
Prairie Prince first encountered Ken Nordine’s work as a youth through his older sisters, who introduced him to the Chicago voiceover artist’s beatnik-era spoken word albums “Word Jazz” and “Son of Word Jazz.” Nordine’s original “Colors” featured thirty-four individual tracks, each devoted to a specific color. Prince’s “Colours and Passions” concentrates on fourteen shades that spoke directly to the drummer’s imagination and experience.
The recording process, interrupted by the pandemic, unfolded organically over more than a decade. Much of the album was improvised on the spot, with Prince’s percussion work serving as the foundation for contributions from an extraordinary roster of collaborators including Todd Rundgren, Jello Biafra (Dead Kennedys), Ross Valory (Journey), Chris von Sneidern (The Flamin’ Groovies), members of The Tubes, and gonzo guitarist Buckethead.
The album will be accompanied by drawings of the drums used on each track, created by Prince himself—a visual artist as accomplished as he is a musician.
A LEGENDARY CAREER BEHIND THE KIT
Prairie Prince’s résumé reads like a who’s who of rock history. Beyond his work with The Tubes and the Todd Rundgren band, he was the original drummer in Journey and belonged to Jefferson Starship for several years. As one of Northern California’s most sought-after session drummers, he has recorded with Chris Isaak, Tom Waits, George Harrison, Dick Dale, and countless others.
With his creative partner Michael Cotten of The Tubes, Prince has designed and built stage sets for Bette Midler, Billy Joel, and NSYNC. The duo worked with choreographer Kenny Ortega on the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, Super Bowl XXX halftime show with Diana Ross, Michael Jackson’s “This Is It” show, and numerous Las Vegas spectacles. Their mural of flying record albums hovered over the A&M Records lot in Hollywood for many years.
SINGLES ROLLING OUT TO ALBUM RELEASE
Label 51 Recordings has been rolling out singles from “Colours and Passions” in advance of the March 2026 album release:
The fourth single, “FLESH TERROR,” tackles themes of racial violence and segregation with a tempo that gradually accelerates from largo through presto, climaxing with a musical implosion. The track features Chris von Sneidern on samples, Bobby Strickland on flute, and Buckethead on acoustic and electric guitar, with comedian Neil Hamburger making a surprise appearance.
About Label 51 Recordings Label 51 Recordings is reimagining the music industry through artist-first principles and community-driven ownership models.
Fan Ownership Opportunity Label 51 Recordings is currently conducting a fan-funding campaign on Wefunder, offering fans the opportunity to become actual co-owners of the label. Unlike traditional crowdfunding rewards, investors receive equity stakes in the company, aligning their interests with the label’s success. The campaign represents a new model for independent music, where fans can directly support and benefit from the artists they believe in.
“We’re building something different – a label where artists keep their masters and fans can own a piece of the company,” Zicklin said. “It’s about disrupting the traditional music industry model and creating genuine partnerships with both artists and music lovers.”
For more information about investing in Label 51 Recordings, visit https://wefunder.com/label51recordings.
Contact: Andy Zicklin | Label 51 Recordings | andy@label51recordings.com |www.label51recordings.com
For high-resolution images, additional information, or interview requests, please contact Label 51 Recordings.
PRAIRIE PRINCE CAREER HIGHLIGHTS:
ORANGE JOY, the third single from the long-awaited album PRAIRIE PRINCE COLOURS and PASSIONS, is available on digital audio platforms and video.
Subscribe to Prairie Prince’s YouTube channel.
Video produced by Michael Cotten.
This song is dedicated to the memory of Jesse Gress – long-time partner in music, wonderful guitar player, and ardent lover of Bossa Nova music.
ORANGE JOY credits
Prairie Prince – Vocal, Traps, Quira, Timbales, Bass Drum
Chris von Sneidern – Acoustic Guitar, Electric Guitar
Michael Cotten – Keys, Samples, Synth
David James – Bass Guitar, Keyboard, Vocals
Ross Valory – Bass Guitar, Vocals
Eric Levy – Keys, Synth
Diana Mangano – Vocals
Charlie Prince – Laughs
Neil Hamburger – Joke (Orange)
The True Story of Orange Joy
Since the beginning of my awareness of colour, I’ve always preferred the colour Orange over Yellow. Not that I don’t have respect for Yellow as a colour (see and hear ‘Yellow Excitement’ track 4 on my up-and-coming album, Prairie Prince’s Colours and Passions). In an early colouring book assignment, my teacher requested a box that held Jack to be coloured Yellow; I filled the square Orange and was reprimanded for not following directions. I’ve had a mental block about the incident ever since. Orange gave me a sense of Joy and warmth that has also never left me in my love for Latin music that evokes the sun’s hues and heat of its rhythms. With this track my intention was to imagine being in a place so serene and lovely, relaxing on a shore in a hammock somewhere under a canopy of fronds, making love to a slow steady Bossa groove. Suddenly accelerating in tempo and building in intensity, with inclusion of a new joyful location such as a theme park, turning the mellow rhythmic passion into rubato time, encouraging mucho hip movement in a burst of joy. The third section of the suite segues into a cranking bateria viva allegro timbale finale and ultimate Joy. The track began by recording vocals and background vocals to my traps and percussion. Michael Cotten joined the project with amazing keyboard and sample contributions. Mike has also created and directed the video for Orange Joy. Next collaborations were Ross Valory from the band Journey, on bass guitar, and Eric Levy from Night Ranger, on keyboards and synthesizers. Ross delivered a vocal tribute to Paul Lynde (Wonderful!) David James of The Beth Custer Ensemble, and Diana Mangano from Jefferson Starship, recorded keyboard, bass, and guitar, along with the choral background vocals in Spanish and joyful laughter. My pop, Charlie Prince, can be heard laughing and expounding with pride and joy on this musical roller-coaster ride. Lastly, Chris von Sneidern plays acoustic guitar throughout the track and ends with a final scorching Santana-esque guitar solo and hit it out of the park! This song is dedicated to the memory of Jesse Gress – long-time partner in music, wonderful guitar player, and ardent lover of Bossa Nova music. — Prairie Prince
