International Lover

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"International Lover"
Song by Prince
from the album 1999
LanguageEnglish
PublishedOctober 27, 1982 (1982-10-27)
RecordedJanuary 14, 1982
Studio Sunset Sound Recorders
Length6:37
Songwriter(s) Prince
Producer(s) Prince

"International Lover" is a song by American musician Prince from the album 1999 . It was the song for which he received his first Grammy Award nomination.

Contents

Details

"International Lover" was the final song on the 1999 double album. "International Lover" is associated with Prince as a descriptor of his personage. [1]

"International Lover" is one of the earliest examples of Prince performing a song for a lover who is the subject of the song. [2] The song's lyrics are seductive [3] [4] and considered to be metaphorical with sex being compared to air travel and Prince serving as the captain. [5] Don Kaplan of the Daily News describes the song as "a sexy number where he invites a woman to board a plane dubbed the Seduction 747, which is 'fully-equipped with anything your body desires.'" [6]

It is considered to be one of the songs that vaulted him to stardom and a good example of his vocal range from bass to falsetto. [7] [8] The song is also considered to be one of the best examples of Prince's screaming vocal machinations. [9] Prince received his first Grammy Award nomination (at the 26th Annual Grammy Awards in the Best R&B Vocal Performance, Male category) for "International Lover". [10]

Personnel

Credits sourced from Benoît Clerc, Guitarcloud, and Prince Vault. [11] [12] [13] [nb 1]

Notes

  1. Prince is generally credited for playing drums, but International Lover's final take was recorded the same day as the song's first take and The Walk by The Time, which both feature Morris Day behind the kit. [13]

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"Computer Blue" is a song by Prince and The Revolution. Released on June 25, 1984, it is the fourth track on Prince's sixth album, Purple Rain, which also served as the soundtrack to the film of the same name. In the film, the song represents Prince's character's angst at the budding relationship between the characters played by Morris Day and Apollonia, the latter of whom he desires, and he performs it in front of the two during The Revolution's set at a nightclub with the aim of upsetting them. The song was composed by Prince with credit to his father, John L. Nelson, for the guitar solo based on a piano instrumental written by Nelson and Prince. He titled the instrumental piece "Father's Song" and recorded it on piano for the film, though onscreen it was portrayed as being played by Prince's character's father, played by Clarence Williams III. On the box-set Purple Rain Deluxe (2017), a different and longer recording of "Father's Song" was included.

"The Beautiful Ones" is the third track on Prince and the Revolution's soundtrack album Purple Rain. It was one of three songs produced, arranged, composed, and performed by Prince, the other two being "When Doves Cry" and "Darling Nikki". The song was recorded at Sunset Sound in Los Angeles by Peggy Mac and David Leonard on September 20, 1983. The song replaced "Electric Intercourse" on the Purple Rain album.

References

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  12. "1999". guitarcloud.org. Retrieved May 3, 2023.
  13. 1 2 "International Lover – Prince Vault". princevault.com. Retrieved May 3, 2023.