"Purple Medley" is a song by Prince

Prince (musician)

Prince Rogers Nelson , often known simply as Prince, is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and actor. Prince has produced ten platinum albums and thirty Top 40 singles during his career. Prince founded his own recording studio and label; writing, self-producing and playing most, or all, of...

 from 1995. There is no album accompanying the single

Single (music)

In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...

. 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 the snippets from the songs: "Batdance

Batdance

"Batdance" is a song by Prince, from the 1989 Batman soundtrack. Helped by the film's popularity, the song reached number one in the U.S., becoming Prince's fourth number-one single, and first since 1986's "Kiss".-Song development:...

", "When Doves Cry

When Doves Cry

A hit cover version by R&B singer Ginuwine was produced by Timbaland in 1996 for Ginuwine's The Bachelor album, Ginuwine's cover uses actual dove sound effects as texture for its jungle music-inspired instrumental track.-Charts:-Other cover versions:...

", "Kiss

Kiss (song)

In 1988 Art of Noise released a cover of the song, featuring Tom Jones on vocals. The song became the band's biggest hit to that point, reaching number eighteen on the U.S. dance charts and number five on the UK Singles Chart, higher than the original in that country...

", "Erotic City

Erotic City

"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 1990 respectively...

", "Darling Nikki

Darling Nikki

"Darling Nikki" is a song produced, arranged, composed and performed by Prince and originally released on his Grammy Award-winning 1984 album, Purple Rain. Though the song was not released as a single, it gained wide notoriety for its sexual lyrics...

", "1999

1999 (song)

"1999" is a song by Prince, the title track from his 1982 album of the same name. The song is one of Prince's best-known, and a defining moment in his rise to superstar status....

", "Baby I'm a Star

Baby I'm a Star

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

", "Diamonds and Pearls

Diamonds and Pearls (song)

"Diamonds and Pearls" is the title track to Prince and The New Power Generation's 1991 hit album. The song is an upbeat ballad, given a rock edge with guitar and heavy drumming. The song also features the powerful vocals of NPG member Rosie Gaines. The ballad is an expression of love and not lust,...

", "Purple Rain

Purple Rain (song)

"Purple Rain" is a power ballad by Prince and The Revolution. It is the title track from the 1984 album of the same name, which in turn is the soundtrack album for the 1984 film of the same name, and was released as the third single from that album. The song is a combination of rock, pop, gospel,...

" and "Let's Go Crazy

Let's Go Crazy

"Let's Go Crazy" is a 1984 song by Prince and The Revolution, from the album, Purple Rain. It was the opening track on both the album, and the film Purple Rain. "Let's Go Crazy" is one of Prince's most popular songs, and is almost always a staple for concert performances, often segueing into other...

" and fades for the edit. The full version continues with "Sexy Dancer

Sexy Dancer

"Sexy Dancer" was the follow-up single to Prince's self-titled second album in the UK. It was the first Prince single released outside of the United States that was not released as a single stateside...

", "Let's Work

Let's Work

"Let's Work" was the second single from the 1981 album, Controversy, by Prince. 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...

", "Irresistible Bitch" (with the music of "Sexy MF"), "I Wanna Be Your Lover

I Wanna Be Your Lover

"I Wanna Be Your Lover" is a song by Prince from his second album Prince, released in 1979. It was his first successful single, gaining radio airplay and chart success: the song scored two weeks at number one on the R&B singles chart during December 1979, and peaked at number eleven on the...

", "Alphabet St.

Alphabet St.

"Alphabet St." was the first single from Prince's 1988 album, Lovesexy, and the album's only top 10 single, reaching the top-10 in both the UK and U.S.. The song includes a rap by Cat Glover and is full of samples, and generally repeats themes from Lovesexy...

", "Thieves in the Temple

Thieves in the Temple

"Thieves in the Temple" is a song by 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 U.S. R&B chart and became a number six hit in the U.S., and a number seven hit in the UK...

", the bassline to The Time

The Time (band)

The Time is a funk and dance-pop ensemble formed in 1981. They are close Prince associates and arguably the most successful artists who have worked with him.-Prince, Formation and Success:...

's "777-9311

777-9311

"777-9311" is the second track and lead single off The Time's second album, What Time Is It?, from the The Time album What Time Is It?. Recorded for the album at Prince's home studio in May-June 1982, the song was produced, arranged, composed and performed by Prince with Morris Day later adding his...

", Sheila E.

Sheila E.

Sheila Escovedo , known by her stage name Sheila E., is an American drummer and percussionist, perhaps best known for her work with Prince, George Duke and Ringo Starr.-Early life and Prince period:...

's "A Love Bizarre

A Love Bizarre

"A Love Bizarre" is a song written by Prince and Sheila E.. The song is a duet between both singers and it appears on Sheila E.'s 1985 album Romance 1600. It clocks in at 12:16, but the single version is 3:46 in duration....

", "If I Was Your Girlfriend

If I Was Your Girlfriend

"If I Was Your Girlfriend" was the second single off Prince's widely-acclaimed 1987 double album Sign “☮” the Times. While it is today considered one of his most notable songs, at the time of its release the song did not chart well in the U.S....

", "Raspberry Beret

Raspberry Beret

"Raspberry Beret" is a song by Prince and The Revolution. It was the first U.S. single from their 1985 album, Around the World in a Day. The sound was different from any previous Prince track, incorporating Middle Eastern finger cymbals, stringed instruments, and even a harmonica on the extended...

", "Little Red Corvette

Little Red Corvette

"Little Red Corvette" is a song by the American musician Prince. Released as a single from the album 1999 in 1983, the song was his biggest hit at the time, and his first to reach top-10 status in the U.S., peaking at number six on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart...

", "Cream

Cream (song)

"Cream" is a song by Prince and The New Power Generation, from the 1991 album Diamonds and Pearls. Prince states that he wrote the song while standing in front of a mirror....

" and "Peach

Peach (song)

"Peach" is a song by Prince from his 1993 compilations, The Hits 2 and The Hits/The B-Sides.The female moan heard on the track is that of Kim Basinger. The B-side was the live version of "Nothing Compares 2 U" in the U.S., while the UK backed the song with an edit of "My Name Is Prince"...

".

The CD single

CD single

A CD single is a music single in the form of a standard size Compact Disc, not to be confused with the 3-inch CD single, which uses a smaller form factor. The format was introduced in the mid-1980s, but did not gain its place in the market until the early 1990s...

 release includes both the full version of the medley (which clocks in at 11 minutes) and the edited version, which is 3:14 in length, and omits about half of the tracks present in the full version. Despite, in essence, being a megamix of Prince's biggest hits (barring "The Most Beautiful Girl in the World

The Most Beautiful Girl in the World (Prince song)

"The Most Beautiful Girl in the World" is a song by Prince from his 1995 album The Gold Experience It was his first release since changing his stage name to an unpronounceable symbol. With the consent of Prince's usual record distributor Warner Bros...

"),
the B-side

A-side and B-side

A-side and B-side originally referred to the two sides of gramophone records on which singles were released beginning in the 1950s. The terms have come to refer to the types of song conventionally placed on each side of the record, with the A-side being the featured song , while the B-side, or...

 of the single is "Kirk J's B-Sides Remix" which consists of additional Prince hits remixed (oddly, only one was an actual B-side). This track appears to have little additional input from Prince, but is rather a compilation of remixes made by band member Kirk Johnson. The compilation includes bits of "Pop Life

Pop Life

"Pop Life" is a song by Prince and The Revolution. It was the second U.S. single from their 1985 album, Around the World in a Day, reaching #7 in the U.S. charts. The song starts with a faded-in synth line and quickly starts the main tune. The easy groove is achieved with a smooth bass guitar and...

", "When Doves Cry", "Shockadelica", "Head" and "The Continental". The remix of "The Continental" was released in a longer version on the 1998 compilation Crystal Ball

Crystal Ball (album set)

Crystal Ball is the twentieth studio album by Prince . Crystal Ball is a four-disc set containing a three CD set of the same name featuring a much anticipated collection of "previously bootlegged" material, with The Truth, the twenty-first studio album by Prince which is a bonus disc of 12 new...

as "Tell Me How U Wanna B Done".

Chart performance

The song performed rather poorly in the charts worldwide, it received very little night airplay in the U.S. on mixshows on radio stations but it did not receive enough airplay to chart on any airplay charts. It peaked at #84 on the Billboard Hot 100 & #74 on the R&B/Hip-Hop charts. In the UK, the medley reached number 33.

Music video

On January 26, 1996, VH1

VH1

VH1 or Vh1 is an American cable television network based in New York City. Launched on January 1, 1985 in the old space of Turner Broadcasting's short-lived Cable Music Channel, the original purpose of the channel was to build on the success of MTV by playing music videos, but targeting a slightly...

 aired Love 4 One Another, a one-hour Artist special. The "Purple Medley" video takes place as one of Prince's biggest fans sneaks backstage and watches said video in a floppy disk. The video uses old Prince footage, with new footage of the NPG and Mayte during songs which don't have clips, such as "Sexy Dancer", "Let's Work", "Irresistible Bitch" and "If I Was Your Girlfriend". It also features live footage from the Tokyo Dome

Tokyo Dome

Tokyo Dome is a 55,000-seat baseball stadium located in Bunkyo Ward of Tokyo, Japan.The stadium opened for business on March 17, 1988. It was built on the site of the Velodrome which was next door to the site of the predecessor ballpark, Kōrakuen Stadium...

. It cuts short during "If I Was Your Girlfriend", then repeats the spoken introduction from "Let's Go Crazy" and displays the burial of Prince's chain cap that he wears in the "My Name Is Prince

My Name is Prince

"My Name Is Prince" is a song by Prince and The New Power Generation, from the 1992 Love Symbol album. The song is about Prince himself, and his musical prowess...

" clip, which was footage from 3 Chains o' Gold. A screen then displays "Prince: 1958–1993. May He Rest In Peace." A full version was done, however, and circulates on bootlegs.

Charts

Chart (1995)	Peak position
U.S. Billboard Hot 100 Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...	84
U.S. Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States.The chart, initiated in 1942, is used to track the success of popular music songs in urban, or primarily African American, venues. Dominated over the years at various times by jazz, rhythm and blues, doo-wop, soul,...	74
UK Singles Chart UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...	33

External links

• "Purple Medley" video on MySpace