Batdance

Last updated

"Batdance"
Prince Batdance.jpg
US 7-inch single
Single by Prince
from the album Batman
B-side "200 Balloons"
ReleasedJune 8, 1989 [1]
Recordedmid-late March 1989 [2]
Studio Paisley Park, Chanhassen
Genre
Length
  • 4:06 (7-inch edit)
  • 6:13 (album and 12-inch version)
Label Warner Bros.
Songwriter(s) Prince
Producer(s) Prince
Prince singles chronology
"Erotic City"
(1988)		"Batdance"
(1989)		"Partyman"
(1989)

"Batdance" is a song by American musician Prince, from the 1989 Batman soundtrack. Helped by the film's popularity, the song reached number one in the US, becoming Prince's fourth American number-one single and served as his first number-one hit since "Kiss" in 1986.

Contents

Song development

"Batdance" was a last-minute replacement for a brooding track titled "Dance with the Devil", which Prince felt was too dark. (Although "Dance with the Devil" remains unreleased, some of the lyrics appear in the album's liner notes.)

"Batdance" is almost two songs in one - a chaotic, mechanical dance beat that changes gears into a slinky, funky groove before changing back for the song's conclusion (except on the single version in which it eliminates the guitar solo before the middle section, then goes straight to the mechanical Joker laughter from the end of the movie and an earlier movie soundbyte of Michael Keaton saying "Stop"). The track is an amalgam of many musical ideas of Prince's at the time. Elements from at least seven songs (some unreleased) were incorporated into "Batdance": "200 Balloons", "We Got the Power", "House in Order", "Rave Unto the Joy Fantastic" (later released on the album Rave Un2 the Joy Fantastic ), "The Future", and "Electric Chair". Some of these were mere snippets, and other segments showed up only in remixes of the track. The song was also loaded with dialog samples from the film, making it one of the earlier songs where Prince dabbled in sampling.

Critical reception

Jerry Smith from Music Week said, "With a mess of samples thrown in, it settles into a delicious funky groove that ends too soon. Sure to be massive and not only in Gotham City, Batfreaks!" [3] Mike Soutar from Smash Hits wrote, "Granted, he sings on a bit of it, but for the most part all you can hear is that jing-jing-ka-jinga-jing guitar noise that Prince has been putting on most of his records since "Kiss". Over and above that there are what presumably are cut-ups of dialogue from the film, mad laughter and some demented screaming. Very odd indeed." [4]

Music video

The song's accompanying music video was filmed on May 27 and 28, 1989 in Culver City, California. [5] It was directed by Albert Magnoli and choreographed by Barry Lather, and featured dancers costumed as multiple Batmen, Jokers and Vicki Vales. [6] Prince appears as a costumed character in face paint known as "Gemini", with one side of his face and costume representing the Joker (evil) and the other, Batman (good). This creation was also likely a nod to one of Batman's classic adversaries, "Two-Face", who also has his face split down the middle (with one side disfigured) and whose alter ego Harvey Dent had originally appeared in the 1989 movie, with the villain himself set to appear in later sequels.

The video starts with Prince receiving a transmission from Gemini where he makes a face. The Batman and Jokers alternate dance sections, while Prince (as both himself and Gemini) sings. The video ends with Gemini hitting a detonator, exploding an electric chair (referenced in the song), and Prince (actually Michael Keaton's voice) saying "Stop" as the video abruptly ends. The video also features one Vicki Vale wearing a black dress with the words "All this and brains too", a reference to The Dark Knight Returns by Frank Miller, in which a female news presenter wears a top with the same slogan.

Gemini is Prince's astrological sign, and is a reference to the duality in his music. "Gemini" would also make an appearance in the "Partyman" video, but this time the costume would be all-Joker. The video earned Prince a 1990 Soul Train Music Award nomination for Best R&B/Soul Music Video, and nomination for Best Video From a Film from the MTV Video Music Awards of the same year.

B-side

The B-side to the "Batdance" is "200 Balloons", which was recorded for the film and serves as the musical blueprint for the main portion of "Batdance". The song was rejected for the film by Tim Burton and replaced with "Trust". The lyrics of "200 Balloons" reference the scene which it was created for to a greater degree than the replacement track, which is only connected to the scene by the Joker asking "Who do you trust?" after the song ends. Prince did little more than replace the lyrics of "200 Balloons" in its transition into "Batdance". Only musical portions survived the transition, but full lyrics showed up in "The Batmix" (turn your head to the east, I be coming from the west). "200 Balloons" also contains samples of "House in Order" and "Rave Unto the Joy Fantastic"; the latter was another song submitted for inclusion in the movie, but rejected (it was replaced by "Partyman").

Remixes

The 7-inch edit of the song is the album version without the guitar solo and the up-tempo part[ which? ] near the end.

The 12-inch vinyl and CD Maxi versions of the single included two remixes of "Batdance" that were done by Mark Moore and William Orbit, "The Batmix" and "Vicki Vale Mix". "The Batmix" focuses on the chaotic "rock" section of "Batdance", and is supplemented with electronic distortion and sampling of voices, instruments, and larger excerpts of Prince's then-unreleased "Rave Un2 the Joy Fantastic". The "Vicki Vale Mix" is an extension of the middle part of "Batdance", which includes dialogue between Bruce Wayne and Vicki Vale. In addition to "200 Balloons", the CD Maxi single (9-21257-2) features both of these remixes.

In November 2013, an unreleased mix leaked online that featured a rap by Big Daddy Kane. The remix was done by John Luongo, who confirmed its existence. According to Luongo, the reason for the remix being unreleased was that Warner Bros. Records didn't like it because it was "too different" and refused its release, while Prince was pleased with the outcome. [7]

A bootleg copy of an "original version" mix exists, which runs 8 minutes 47 seconds long; this iteration features all of the sections present in the album/12" version, but with extended instrumental sections and added vocal samples throughout, notably reincorporating more samples and cues from "200 Balloons"/"House in Order" and "Rave Unto the Joy Fantastic", as well as an added slowed down funk section between the Joker's "And where is the Batman?" sample and the guitar solo section as they appear on the final track; the "Vicki Vale" section is the only part wholly unaltered from its final iteration.

Track listings

  1. "Batdance" (edit) – 4:06
  2. "200 Balloons" – 5:05
  1. "Batdance" – 6:13
  2. "200 Balloons" – 5:05
  1. "Batdance" (The Batmix) – 7:15
  2. "Batdance" (Vicky Vale mix) – 5:55
  3. "200 Balloons" – 5:05
  1. "Batdance" (The Batmix) – 7:15
  2. "Batdance" (The Batmix radio edit) – 4:09
  3. "Batdance" (Vicky Vale mix) – 5:55
  4. "Batdance" (Vicky Vale mix radio edit) – 4:13
  1. "Batdance" (Extended) – 8:51

Personnel

Credits from Benoît Clerc and Guitarcloud [8] [9]

Charts

Certifications

Certifications and sales for "Batdance"
RegionCertification Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA) [35] Gold35,000^
United Kingdom (BPI) [47] Silver200,000^
United States (RIAA) [48] Platinum1,000,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Related Research Articles

<i>Batman</i> (1989 film) Superhero film by Tim Burton

Batman is a 1989 superhero film based on the DC Comics character of the same name, created by Bob Kane and Bill Finger. Directed by Tim Burton, it is the first installment of Warner Bros.' initial Batman film series. The film was produced by Jon Peters and Peter Guber and stars Jack Nicholson, Michael Keaton, Kim Basinger, Robert Wuhl, Pat Hingle, Billy Dee Williams, Michael Gough, and Jack Palance. The film takes place early in the title character's war on crime and depicts his conflict with his archenemy The Joker.

<i>Batman</i> (album) 1989 studio/soundtrack album by Prince

Batman is the eleventh studio album by American recording artist Prince and the soundtrack album to the 1989 film Batman. It was released on June 20, 1989, by Warner Bros. Records. As a Warner Bros. stablemate, Prince's involvement in the soundtrack was designed to leverage the media company's contract-bound talent as well as fulfill the artist's need for a commercial revival. The result was yet another multi-platinum successful cross media enterprise by Warner Bros., in the vein of Purple Rain.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Let's Go Crazy</span> 1984 single by Prince and The Revolution

"Let's Go Crazy" is a 1984 song by Prince and The Revolution, from the album Purple Rain. It is the opening track on both the album and the film Purple Rain. "Let's Go Crazy" was one of Prince's most popular songs, and was a staple for concert performances, often segueing into other hits. When released as a single, the song became Prince's second number-one hit on the Billboard Hot 100, and also topped the two component charts, the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs and Hot Dance Club Play charts, as well as becoming a UK Top 10 hit. The B-side was the lyrically controversial "Erotic City". In the UK, the song was released as a double A-side with "Take Me with U".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gett Off</span> 1991 single by Prince and the New Power Generation

"Gett Off" is a song written and produced by American musician Prince, released in June 1991 by Paisley Park and Warner Bros. as the lead single from his thirteenth album, Diamonds and Pearls (1991). The album was his first with his backing band the New Power Generation. "Gett Off" was a hit on both sides of the Atlantic, reaching number four in the United Kingdom; the maxi-single was too long and pricey to appear on the UK Singles Chart, so this release was classified as an album, peaking at number 33 on the UK Albums Chart in August 1991.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Partyman</span> 1989 single by Prince

"Partyman" is a song by American musician Prince from his 1989 Batman album, and the follow-up to his number one hit, "Batdance". The song is one of the few on the album to be prominently featured in the film, accompanying the scene in which the Joker and his minions deface exhibits in the Gotham City Art Museum before meeting Vicki Vale.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thieves in the Temple</span> 1990 single by Prince

"Thieves in the Temple" is a song by American musician Prince from the 1990 soundtrack album Graffiti Bridge. Added at the last minute, it was the final song recorded for the album. "Thieves in the Temple" topped the US R&B chart and became a number six hit in the US, and a number seven hit in the UK. The single also peaked at number nine on the dance chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Scandalous!</span> 1989 single by Prince

"Scandalous" is the eighth track on Prince's soundtrack album Batman and was released as the album's fourth single, five months after the album was released. The music is attributed to Prince and his father, John L. Nelson. A maxi single was released after the single titled The Scandalous Sex Suite, which contained a three-part 19-minute suite of the song "Scandalous", with the three parts named The Crime, The Passion, and The Rapture. Kim Basinger, who was dating Prince at the time and who also played the character Vicki Vale in Batman, also appeared on the maxi single.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">New Power Generation (song)</span> 1990 single by Prince

"New Power Generation", or "N.P.G.", is a song by American musician Prince from the 1990 album and film Graffiti Bridge. It is an anthem for his backing band, The New Power Generation, who were officially co-credited on his album covers for a time, and continued to back him up until 2013, albeit with a changing lineup. The song saw minimal chart attention, and was not as successful as its predecessor, "Thieves in the Temple".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">7 (Prince song)</span> 1992 single by Prince and the New Power Generation

"7" is a song by American musician Prince and the New Power Generation, from their 1992 Love Symbol Album. It was released in late 1992 as the third single from the album, and became the most successful in the United States. It features a sample of the 1967 Lowell Fulsom song "Tramp" and is composed of heavy drums and bass in an acoustic style. It has a distinct Middle Eastern style of music, and a Hindu reincarnation theme, and an opera-like chorus which features Prince's multi-tracked vocals. The lyrics have religious and apocalyptic themes. The song is ambiguous and can be interpreted in many ways, as the "7" mentioned in the chorus could be the song referring to the Seven Deadly Sins or the seven Archon of Gnosticism or the seven names of God in the Old Testament. The song received positive reviews and peaked within the top forty of many of its major markets.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Future (song)</span> 1990 single by Prince

"The Future" is a song from American musician Prince's 1989 Batman soundtrack, and the final single released from the album. The single was not the album version, but a remixed version by S'Express' Mark Moore and William Orbit. "The Future" was released as a single only in Europe. The standard European 7-inch single was backed with the album version of "Electric Chair", but on the maxi-single, "Electric Chair" was also remixed by Moore and Orbit. Moore and Orbit's remix of "The Future" is house-inspired, whereas Prince's original is minimalistic. Moore and Orbit substituted a muted, pulsating beat in place of the original elements of Prince's song. Moore and Orbit also removed Prince's original bassline, synthline, and snippets of sampled dialogue. This would be the last time Orbit would work with Prince for several years. In most countries, neither "The Future" nor its B-side were a hit on the pop or dance floors. The single peaked at #9 in the Dutch charts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Purple Medley</span> Single by Prince

"Purple Medley" is a medley of songs by American musician Prince from 1995. There is no album accompanying the single. The track is a mix of many hits and well-known songs from Prince's career. Some of the pieces of music are samples, while others are re-recorded for the mix. Some of the additional instrumentation is credited to The New Power Generation. The "Purple Medley" consists of snippets from the songs: "Batdance", "When Doves Cry", "Kiss", "Erotic City", "Darling Nikki", "1999", "Baby I'm a Star", "Diamonds and Pearls", "Purple Rain" and "Let's Go Crazy" and fades for the edit. The full version continues with "Sexy Dancer", "Let's Work", "Irresistible Bitch", "I Wanna Be Your Lover", "Alphabet St.", "Thieves in the Temple", the bassline to The Time's "777-9311", Sheila E.'s "A Love Bizarre", "If I Was Your Girlfriend", "Raspberry Beret", "Little Red Corvette", "Cream" and "Peach".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gold (Prince song)</span> 1995 single by Prince

"Gold" is a song by American musician Prince, his stage name at that time being an unpronounceable symbol, and was released as the third single from his seventeenth studio album, The Gold Experience (1995). Obviously proud of the song, Prince touted it as the next "Purple Rain" to reporters before the album's release.

"Baby I'm a Star" is a song written and recorded by American musician Prince from his album Purple Rain. It is also the B-side on the "Take Me with U" single.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Round and Round (Tevin Campbell song)</span> 1990 single written and produced by Prince

"Round and Round" was the Prince-produced first single from R&B singer Tevin Campbell's debut album T.E.V.I.N. This was Tevin's first solo single, as he was featured in "Tomorrow " alongside music legend Quincy Jones. The song is also featured on the Graffiti Bridge soundtrack. The hit song was a success on both the pop and R&B charts peaking at No. 12 on the Hot 100 and No. 3 on the US R&B chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Go (Moby song)</span> 1991 single by Moby

"Go" is a song by American electronica musician Moby, released in March 1991 by record label Instinct as the first single from his self-titled debut album (1992). It was co-written and produced by Moby, built around a sample from the American TV-series Twin Peaks. The single peaked within the top ten of the charts in the Netherlands and the United Kingdom, as well as peaking at number one on the Music Week Dance Singles chart and number 18 on the US Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart. The accompanying music video was directed by Ondrej Rudavsky. NME ranked "Go" number 41 in their list of "Singles of the Year" in December 1991.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Something Good (Utah Saints song)</span> 1992 single by Utah Saints

"Something Good" is a song by English electronic music duo Utah Saints. It was first included as the opening song on a seven-track EP titled Something Good, then later included on their debut album, Utah Saints (1992). The song contains a vocal sample from Kate Bush's "Cloudbusting", which had been a top-20 UK hit in 1985. Issued as a single on 25 May 1992, it reached number four on the UK Singles Chart as well as number seven on the US Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart. The BBC used the song during its coverage of the Opening Ceremony of the Barcelona Olympic Games of 1992 and was also used for Carlton Television's pre-launch trailer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">More (Usher song)</span> 2010 single by Usher

"More" is a song by American singer Usher, taken from the deluxe edition of his sixth studio album Raymond v. Raymond (2010). It was written by Charles Hinshaw, Usher, and RedOne, with the latter also producing the song.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Incredible (Keith Murray song)</span> 1998 single by Keith Murray featuring LL Cool J

"Incredible" is a song by American rappers Keith Murray and LL Cool J. It was released on September 15, 1998 through Jive Records as the only single from Murray's third studio album It's a Beautiful Thing. Recording sessions took place at Mirror Image Recorders in Dix Hills. Production was handled by Erick Sermon, who used a sample from James Brown's song "Sportin' Life". The single peaked at 70 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs and 27 on the Hot Rap Songs in the United States.

<i>4Ever</i> (album) 2016 greatest hits album by Prince

4Ever, also known as Prince 4Ever, is a greatest hits album by American recording artist Prince, released on November 22, 2016, by NPG Records and Warner Bros. Records. It is the first Prince release following the musician's death on April 21, 2016.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joker (Jack Napier)</span> Fictional character

Jack Napier, also known as the Joker, is a fictional character introduced in the 1989 superhero film Batman, directed by Tim Burton. Primarily portrayed by Jack Nicholson, the character was based on the DC Comics supervillain the Joker. His name is a play on the word Jackanapes, as well as a reference to the names Jack Nicholson and Alan Napier, the latter having portrayed Alfred Pennyworth in the 1960s Batman TV series and having died the previous year. This depiction is notable for being one of the first adaptations of the character to have a distinct first and last name, as well as one of the few instances which show his origins. This iteration of the Joker is a psychopathic gangster who serves as the right-hand man of Gotham City crime boss Carl Grissom until he is disfigured following a confrontation with the vigilante Batman; his disfigurement drives him insane, and he becomes a costumed criminal obsessed with "out-doing" the Dark Knight, who he believes is getting too much press.

References

  1. ↑ Uptown, 2004, p. 106
  2. ↑ "Batdance". Prince Vault.
  3. ↑ Smith, Jerry (June 17, 1989). "Singles" (PDF). Music Week . p. 27. Retrieved March 13, 2023.
  4. ↑ Soutar, Mike (June 14, 1989). "Singles". Smash Hits . p. 61. Retrieved March 9, 2023.
  5. ↑ "Video: Batdance". Prince Vault.
  6. ↑ "Prince - "Batdance"". mvdbase.com. Archived from the original on July 22, 2015. Retrieved January 2, 2011.
  7. ↑ Thomas, Dexter (April 22, 2016). "Prince and Big Daddy Kane made a 'Batdance' remix that Warner Bros. wouldn't let you hear". Los Angeles Times . Retrieved October 30, 2019.
  8. ↑ Clerc, Benoît (October 2022). Prince: All the Songs. Octopus. ISBN   9781784728816.
  9. ↑ "Batman". guitarcloud.org. Retrieved April 29, 2023.
  10. ↑ "Prince – Batdance". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved May 3, 2016.
  11. ↑ "Prince – Batdance" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved May 3, 2016.
  12. ↑ "Prince – Batdance" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved May 3, 2016.
  13. ↑ "Top RPM Singles: Issue 6421." RPM . Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved August 30, 2020.
  14. ↑ "Top RPM Dance/Urban: Issue 6444." RPM . Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved August 30, 2020.
  15. ↑ "Top 3 Singles in Europe" (PDF). Music & Media . Vol. 6, no. 33. August 19, 1989. p. VII. Retrieved August 30, 2020.
  16. ↑ "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 6, no. 32. August 12, 1989. p. IV. Retrieved August 30, 2020.
  17. ↑ Nyman, Jake (2005). Suomi soi 4: Suuri suomalainen listakirja (in Finnish) (1st ed.). Helsinki: Tammi. ISBN   951-31-2503-3.
  18. ↑ "Prince – Batdance" (in French). Les classement single. Retrieved May 3, 2016.
  19. ↑ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Bat Dance". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved August 30, 2020.
  20. ↑ "Hits of the World – Italy" (PDF). Billboard . Vol. 101, no. 29. July 22, 1989. p. 72. Retrieved August 30, 2020.
  21. ↑ "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 28, 1989" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved May 21, 2020.
  22. ↑ "Prince – Batdance" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved May 3, 2016.
  23. ↑ "Prince – Batdance". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved May 3, 2016.
  24. ↑ "Prince – Batdance". VG-lista. Retrieved May 3, 2016.
  25. ↑ "Prince – Batdance". Singles Top 100. Retrieved May 3, 2016.
  26. ↑ "Prince – Batdance". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved May 3, 2016.
  27. ↑ "Prince: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved May 3, 2016.
  28. ↑ "Prince Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved May 3, 2016.
  29. ↑ "Prince Chart History (Alternative Airplay)". Billboard. Retrieved May 3, 2016.
  30. ↑ "Prince Chart History (Dance Club Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved May 3, 2016.
  31. ↑ "Prince Chart History (Dance Singles Sales)". Billboard. Retrieved August 14, 2023.
  32. ↑ "Prince Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved May 3, 2016.
  33. ↑ "Cash Box Top 100 Singles" . Retrieved November 19, 2022.
  34. ↑ "Offiziellecharts.de – Prince – Batdance" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved May 3, 2016.
  35. 1 2 "ARIA End of Year Singles Chart 1989". Australian Recording Industry Association . Retrieved May 21, 2020.
  36. ↑ "Jaaroverzichten 1989" (in Dutch). Ultratop . Retrieved May 21, 2020.
  37. ↑ "Top 100 Singles of '89". RPM . Library and Archives Canada. December 23, 1999. Retrieved August 30, 2020.
  38. ↑ "Eurochart Hot 100 1989" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 6, no. 51. December 23, 1989. p. 6. Retrieved August 30, 2020.
  39. ↑ "Top 100–Jaaroverzicht van 1989". Dutch Top 40 . Retrieved May 21, 2020.
  40. ↑ "Jaaroverzichten – Single 1989" (in Dutch). MegaCharts . Retrieved May 21, 2020.
  41. ↑ "End of Year Charts 1989". Recorded Music NZ . Retrieved August 30, 2020.
  42. ↑ "Schweizer Jahreshitparade 1989". hitparade.ch (in German). Retrieved May 21, 2020.
  43. ↑ "Year End Singles". Record Mirror . January 27, 1990. p. 44.
  44. ↑ "1989 The Year in Music: Top Pop Singles" (PDF). Billboard. Vol. 101, no. 51. December 23, 1989. p. Y-22. Retrieved August 30, 2020.
  45. ↑ "Cash Box Top 100 Singles" . Retrieved November 19, 2022.
  46. ↑ "Top 100 Single–Jahrescharts 1989" (in German). GfK Entertainment . Retrieved May 21, 2020.
  47. ↑ "British single certifications – Prince – Batdance". British Phonographic Industry . Retrieved August 30, 2020.
  48. ↑ "American single certifications – Prince – Batdance". Recording Industry Association of America . Retrieved August 30, 2020.
  49. ↑ "Features — Hot Chip: Which One Is Hot Chip?". ShockHound. Retrieved January 2, 2011.[ dead link ]
  50. ↑ "Episode 95 - Natasha Leggero, Harris Wittels, Matt Besser". earwolf.com. Retrieved March 7, 2011.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.