"I Wish U Heaven" | ||||
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Single by Prince | ||||
from the album Lovesexy | ||||
B-side | "Scarlet Pussy" | |||
Released | September 20, 1988 | |||
Recorded | January 31, 1988 | |||
Studio | Paisley Park, Chanhassen, Minnesota, US | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 2:43 (album/7" edit) 10:13 (12" parts 1, 2 and 3) (Label "10:09") | |||
Label | Paisley Park, Warner Bros. | |||
Songwriter(s) | Prince | |||
Producer(s) | Prince | |||
Prince singles chronology | ||||
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"I Wish U Heaven" is a song by Prince, and the third single from his 1988 album, Lovesexy . [1] The 12" single is a substantially extended three-part suite which runs over ten minutes. This song was a replacement for "The Line", an upbeat jam featuring Boni Boyer and Sheila E. on backing vocals. "I Wish U Heaven" is a joyful, spiritual song with few lyrics
The B-side, "Scarlet Pussy", is credited to Prince's alter ego, Camille. The song is very sexual, using metaphors of cats and dogs for sexual organs, a theme Prince previously used for the B-side "La, La, La, He, He, Hee". Prince uses his sped-up Camille vocals, as well as a slowed-down vocal, similar to "Bob George" from The Black Album . The song features a saxophone solo from Eric Leeds. The decision to include such a raunchy song with the spiritual A-side was noteworthy. The edit of "Scarlet Pussy" was included on 1993's The Hits/The B-Sides .
Part One of the mix starts with a stripped-down version of the Lovesexy track, remixed with a dance beat. The original drum programming and rhythm guitar riffs are deleted for much of the song.
Part Two is a gospel rendition with new lyrics, continuing the spiritual theme. This part of the song was often sung in concert during the Lovesexy World Tour. The beginning of this section paraphrases lyrics from "Housequake", from the previous album Sign "☮" the Times . Prince also quotes the film Scarface with the lines "Say hello to my little friend..." and then introduces the "Blue Angel", a new blue version of his custom "White Cloud" guitar featured in the film Purple Rain . Sheila E. is also given a call out, and her voice can be heard responding in this section.
Part Three is based on an outtake called "Take This Beat" and deviates quite a bit from the original theme. This segment has Prince using his "Jamie Starr" persona to humorously tout the fact that he's funky, musically talented, and has plenty of beats (songs) that are "so fine". The song ends with a looped repeat of the title. This version of the song became one of the highlights during the supporting tour in which Prince would usually order the house lights to be turned up, and instruct the crowd during a call and response segment.
7" single / Cassette single
12" single / CD single
Credits from Benoît Clerc and Guitarcloud [3] [4]
Chart (1988) | Peak position |
---|---|
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders) [5] | 26 |
Germany (Official German Charts) [6] | 53 |
Netherlands (Single Top 100) [7] | 20 |
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ) [8] | 24 |
UK Singles (OCC) [9] | 24 |
Lovesexy is the tenth studio album by American recording artist Prince. The album was released on May 10, 1988, by Paisley Park Records and Warner Bros. Records. The album was recorded in just seven weeks, from mid-December 1987 to late January 1988, at Prince's new Paisley Park Studios, after the cancellation of the infamous Black Album and most of the album is a solo effort from Prince, with a few exceptions. The lyrical themes of the record include positivity, self-improvement, spirituality, and God.
"The Arms of Orion" is a 1989 song by American musician Prince and Scottish singer and actress Sheena Easton. It was the third single to be taken from Prince's 1989 Batman soundtrack album. It was a #36 pop hit for them on the Billboard Hot 100 charts in 1989.
"I Would Die 4 U" is a song by Prince and the Revolution, the fourth single in the US from their 1984 album, Purple Rain. The up-tempo dance song was a top 10 hit—the final one from the album—in the US, reaching number 8 on the Billboard Hot 100.
"Raspberry Beret" is a song written by American musician Prince and the lead single from Prince & the Revolution's 1985 album Around the World in a Day.
"Alphabet St." is a song from American musician Prince's tenth album, Lovesexy (1988). It was the first single from that album and the album's only top 10 single, reaching the top 10 in both the UK and US. Initially written as an acoustic blues song, the song's final version includes a rap by Cat Glover and is full of samples. "Alphabet St." generally echoes themes from the rest of Lovesexy.
"U Got the Look" is a song by American musician Prince. It opens the second disc of Prince's double album Sign o' the Times (1987), and became the album's runner-up chart single. Musically, the song is a standard 12-bar rock song with emphasis on the contrast between heavy drum beats by a Linn LM-1 drum machine and Sheila E.'s live percussion, and a vastly distorted almost completely saturated guitar sound. Although not credited on the single release, the song also features Scottish recording artist Sheena Easton. Prince sings in his sped-up "Camille" voice, although the song was not intended for the Camille album. The lyrics recite the familiar "boy versus girl in the World Series of love" line.
"Glam Slam" is a song by American musician Prince, and the second single from his tenth album, Lovesexy (1988). The song has sexual overtones with a spiritual undertone and fits the Lovesexy theme of integrating God and sex. The song is complex musically, recalling "Life Can Be So Nice" from Parade. It ends with a chorus of strings. A 12" single remix of the song by Shep Pettibone and Steve Peck mainly includes dance beats and extra instrumentation and samples.
"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.
"Delirious" is a song by American musician Prince, from his fifth studio album album, 1999 (1982). It was the album's third single, and Prince's second Top 10 hit, reaching No. 8 in the US during the fall of 1983. The success of the single was boosted by the runaway success of the previous single, "Little Red Corvette", and also because DJs often played the first three album tracks in sequence, which just happened to be the order of the singles released from the album.
"Pop Life" is a song by Prince and the Revolution. It was the second US single from their 1985 album, Around the World in a Day, reaching number 7 in the US charts, becoming Prince's eighth top-ten hit in a two-year span.
"America" is a song by Prince and The Revolution. It was the final US single from the group's 1985 album, Around the World in a Day.
"Let's Pretend We're Married" is a song by American musician Prince from his 1982 album 1999. It was the final US single from the album and peaked at number 52 in the US.
"Let's Work" is a song by Prince, released as the second single from his 1981 album Controversy. The song originates from a dance called "the Rock" that local kids were doing at the time in Minneapolis. Prince responded quickly with a track called "Let's Rock", and wished to quickly release it as a single. Warner Bros. refused, and a disappointed Prince did not include the song on Controversy, saying the phase had passed. Instead, the song was updated with new lyrics and possibly new music and became "Let's Work"—one of his most popular dance numbers.
"Why You Wanna Treat Me So Bad?" is the US follow-up single to Prince's first big hit, "I Wanna Be Your Lover". It is also Prince's first rock and roll-inspired single release. It did not make the top 40 of the Billboard Hot 100 charts, although it did reach #13 on the R&B Singles charts. The lyrics explore a relationship with a cruel lover. The song prominently features guitar and bass, with the keyboard featured in a less prominent role. A highlight of the song is a soaring guitar solo at the end, played by Prince himself.
"Still Waiting" was the third US single from Prince's second album, Prince. It was Prince's first ballad to be released as a single and was mildly popular on the R&B chart, reaching number 65. The ballad speaks from the perspective of a young man who has not yet found love but yearns for it. The track is mainly piano, acoustic guitar and synth-based and was often played live with extended instrumental solos and audience teasing. The song is a more traditional R&B ballad, before Prince established himself with trademark sexual romps like "Do Me, Baby" and "International Lover".
"Gotta Stop (Messin' About)" is a song by Prince, released in the UK as a follow-up single to support his third album, Dirty Mind. The single was not an album track, though it was written at the same time, and possessed a similar sound. "Gotta Stop Messin' About" marked the first time Prince released non-album tracks, which, especially as B-sides, would become a prominent part of his career.
"Anotherloverholenyohead" is a 1986 song by Prince and The Revolution, from the album Parade, the soundtrack to the film Under the Cherry Moon. The song is essentially a solo performance by Prince, with backing vocals from Susannah Melvoin, and the horn section of Eric Leeds and Atlanta Bliss on the extended version. The song also features a string arrangement by Clare Fischer. The song is set in a minor key, and written around a piano chord sequence, although the arrangement emphasizes an upfront guitar synth and a drum machine. The lyrics are about a man trying to reclaim a lover who is intent on leaving him for another. The song's title is a combination of the main idea of the song, and the line "U need another lover like u need a hole in yo head" from the chorus. The single received a 12" extended release with intricate piano work, a horn overdub and some dance commands from 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.
"Erotic City " is a song by the musician Prince. It was released as the B-side to the 1984 single "Let's Go Crazy" and the 12" version of the 1986 single "Girls & Boys". The dance mix of "Erotic City" was released as a 3" and 5" CD single in Germany in 1989 and on June 29, 1990, respectively. The artwork for the single features the same image of Prince that was used for the cover of "I Would Die 4 U". The extended version of the latter was included as the B-side of "Erotic City". The song was released in two versions—the extended remix was released as the B-side to "Let's Go Crazy", while the edit was included on The Hits/The B-Sides.
Camille is the upcoming second posthumous studio album by American musician Prince. The album was originally recorded in 1986 under the pseudonym Camille, a feminine alter ego portrayed by Prince via pitch-shifting his vocals up to an androgynous register. Prince planned to release the album without any acknowledgement of his identity. The project was initially scrapped several weeks before its planned release, with rare early LP pressings eventually surfacing for auction in 2016; several tracks recorded for Camille were instead included on various other projects, most prominently Prince's 1987 double LP Sign o' the Times.