Graffiti Bridge is the twelfth studio album by American recording artist Prince and is the soundtrack album to the 1990 film Graffiti Bridge. It was released on August 20, 1990 by Paisley Park Records and Warner Bros. Records.
The album was much better received in sales than the film, reaching #6 in the United States and #1 in the United Kingdom. Nearly every song on the record was written by Prince despite the handful of artists performing, including Tevin Campbell, Mavis Staples and The Time. The album produced the hit singles "Thieves in the Temple" and "New Power Generation", an anthem in two parts celebrating Prince's newly created backing band, The New Power Generation. The band would get its first official outing on Prince's next album, Diamonds and Pearls. Though its 17 tracks constituted adouble album, the significance of this was obscured by the rising popularity of the CD format.
Contents[]
[hide] *1 Evolution of the album
Evolution of the album[edit][]
The concept for the album and film began as early as 1987, or possibly earlier, but kept getting delayed for various reasons. The title track was originally recorded during this period, hence the liner notes listing Sheila E. and Boni Boyer as performers on the track. In fact, nearly the entire album is composed of previously recorded tunes that were updated for this release.
"Tick, Tick, Bang" was originally from 1981 during the Controversy sessions, and considered for Vanity 6. Written by Prince under the pseudonym Joey Coco, it was originally a more punk rock number with a bass synthesizer, the update of the song includes an uncredited drum sample from Jimi Hendrix's "Little Miss Lover". "Can't Stop This Feeling I Got" was from 1982, but later updated in 1986 for his unreleased project Dream Factory, along with a 1983 track, "We Can Funk". A melody similar to that of "Purple Rain" can be heard during the bridge of "Can't Stop This Feeling I Got". The two tracks were drastically updated for Graffiti Bridge.
"The Question of U" was from 1985 during the Parade sessions, surviving with little updating to the original version. "Joy In Repetition" was a Crystal Ball outtake from 1986 that survived unchanged. Prince even kept the original segue of party noise at the beginning of the song, which is also found at the end of "Eye No", leading into "Alphabet St." from Lovesexy. As mentioned, the title track was updated from the 1987 recording, as well as "Elephants & Flowers" (from the then-unreleased Rave Unto the Joy Fantastic album) and "The Latest Fashion" (later given to The Time). "Melody Cool" and "Still Would Stand All Time" were considered for Rave Unto the Joy Fantastic, later performed in some Lovesexyaftershows. "Still Would Stand All Time" was also considered for Batman, but was replaced by "Scandalous". The four tracks featuring The Time were originally going to be on their unreleased Corporate World album, recorded in 1989, though "The Latest Fashion" shares elements with "My Summertime Thang" from their album Pandemonium.
The only truly "new" material recorded for the album was "Round and Round", "New Power Generation", and "Thieves in the Temple", recorded in January and February 1990, and included at the last minute. Many outtakes for the album are also in circulation, several of which exist as samples in "New Power Generation (Pt. II)".
| No. | Title | Length | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Can't Stop This Feeling I Got" | 4:24 | |
| 2. | "New Power Generation" | 3:39 | |
| 3. | "Release It" (performed by The Time) | 3:54 | |
| 4. | "The Question of U" | 3:59 | |
| 5. | "Elephants and Flowers" | 3:54 | |
| 6. | "Round and Round" (performed by Tevin Campbell) | 3:55 | |
| 7. | "We Can Funk" (featuring George Clinton) | 5:28 | |
| 8. | "Joy in Repetition" | 4:53 | |
| 9. | "Love Machine" (performed by The Time) | 3:34 | |
| 10. | "Tick, Tick, Bang" | 3:31 | |
| 11. | "Shake!" (performed by The Time) | 4:01 | |
| 12. | "Thieves in the Temple" | 3:19 | |
| 13. | "The Latest Fashion" (featuring The Time) | 4:02 | |
| 14. | "Melody Cool" (performed by Mavis Staples) | 3:39 | |
| 15. | "Still Would Stand All Time" | 5:23 | |
| 16. | "Graffiti Bridge" | 3:51 | |
| 17. | "New Power Generation (Pt. II)" | 2:57 |
All songs written by Prince, except track 3, co-written by Levi Seacer, Jr., and track 9, co-written with Levi Seacer, Jr. and Morris Day.[8]
Personnel[edit][]
- Prince - all other vocals and instruments
- Morris Day - drums (2, 17), lead vocals (3, 11), co-lead vocals (9, 13)
- Joseph "Amp" Fiddler - additional keyboards and backing vocals (7)
- Boni Boyer - organ and background vocals (16)
- Levi Seacer, Jr. - bass and backing vocals (16)
- Sheila E. - drums and background vocals (16)
- Candy Dulfer - saxophone (3, 9, 13)
- Eric Leeds - saxophone (7)
- Atlanta Bliss - trumpet (7)
- Tevin Campbell - lead vocals (6), backing vocals (16, 17)
- George Clinton - co-lead vocals (7)
- Elisa Fiorillo - co-lead vocals (9)
- Mavis Staples - lead vocals (14), backing vocals (16, 17)
- Rosie Gaines - backing vocals (2)
- T.C. Ellis - rap (17)
- Harmonica on 12 played by Lester Chambers, sampled from "I Can't Stand It" (1967) by the Chambers Brothers.
- Steven Parke - Album Artwork Design
- Drums on 3 played by David Garibaldi, sampled from "Squib Cakes" (1974) by Tower of Power.
[9]
Charts[edit][]
| Chart (1990) | Peak
position |
|---|---|
| US Billboard 200[10] | 6 |
| US Billboard R&B Albums[10] | 6 |
| UK Albums Chart[11] | 1 |
Singles and Hot 100 chart placings[edit][]
- "Thieves in the Temple" maxi-single (#6 US, #1 US R&B, #7 UK)
- "Thieves in the Temple" (extended)
- "Thieves in the House"
- "Temple House dub"
- "New Power Generation" maxi-single (#64 US, #27 US R&B, #26 UK)
- "New Power Generation" (funky weapon remix)
- "T.C.'s Rap"
- "Brother with a Purpose"
- "Get Off"
- "The Lubricated Lady"
- "Loveleft/Loveright"
- "Round and Round" maxi-single (#12 US, #3 US R&B)
- "Round and Round" (Solu Mix Edit)
- "Round and Round" (The House Mix)
- "Goodbye" (Tevin's Dub - Part 1 & 2)
- "Goodbye" (Soiddub & Listen)
- "Melody Cool" maxi-single (#36 US R&B)
- "Melody Cool" (Extended LP Mix)
- "Melody Cool" (Extended Remix)
- "Melody Cool" (Deep House Vocal)
- "Melody Cool" (Mellow Dub Mix)
- "Time Waits for No-one" (Edit)
- "Shake!" maxi-single
- "Shake!" (Extended Mix) – 5:03
- "Shake!" (Battle Mix) – 4:06
- "Shake!" (Funky House Mix) – 8:20
- "The Latest Fashion" (Remix) – 6:20
- "Shake!" (Boom Mix) – 5:01
- "Shake!" – 4:00
| Preceded by | UK number one album
September 1, 1990 – September 7, 1990 |
Succeeded by |