Purple Medley

Infobox Single
Name = Purple Medley


Caption = US 12" single
Artist = Prince
from Album =
B-side = "Kirk J's B-Sides Remix"
Released = 14 March, 1995
Format = 7" single
12" single
Cassette single
CD single
Recorded = Paisley Park Studios, 1989–1995
Genre = Pop, Funk, Rock
Length = 7" edit: 3:14
12" full version: 11:00
Label = Warner Bros. Records
Writer = Prince
Producer = Prince
Certification =
Last single = "Space"
(1994)
This single = "Purple Medley"
(1995)
Next single = " Hate U"
(1995)
Misc = Extra chronology
Artist = Prince (UK)
Last single = "Letitgo"
(1994)
This single = "Purple Medley"
(1995)
Next single = " Hate U"
(1995)

"Purple Medley" is a song by Prince from 1995. There is no album accompanying the single. The track is basically a mix of many hits and well-known songs from Prince's career. Some of the bits seem to be samples, while others are totally 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", "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" (with the music of "Sexy M.F."), "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".

The CD single 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 B-side 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 rather a compilation of remixes made by band member Kirk Johnson. The compilation includes bits of "Pop Life", "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" as "Tell Me How You 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 continuing a string of poorly-performing singles (later averted when "Gold" went top 10 at the end of the year).

Charts

External links

* [http://www.dtt-lyrics.com/albums/misc.html#purple "Purple Medley" lyrics]