Prince’s instrumental jazz side project from 1987 was Madhouse. Created in Minneapolis, the project fused jazz, funk, electronic textures, and studio experimentation, with Prince working closely with saxophonist Eric Leeds.
The idea grew out of an earlier project called The Flesh, a series of instrumental jazz-funk sessions recorded in 1985 and 1986. Prince eventually abandoned that material, reshaped the concept, and recorded new music for Madhouse. The project was presented as a fictional band, allowing Prince to explore instrumental music outside the expectations attached to his own name.
Madhouse released two albums in 1987: 8 and 16. Their tracks were identified by numbers rather than conventional titles, such as “Six,” “Ten,” and “Thirteen.” Prince and Leeds were the principal participants on the recordings, despite the fictional group biography and credited lineup. The Family and The Time were also Prince-associated projects, but they were vocal funk bands rather than his instrumental jazz outlet.