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The A Side:
I Would Die 4 U (Extended Version) 10:15
The B Side:
Another Lonely Christmas 6:47
The Brief:
Christmas is almost here and the year is almost done. I’m going to dedicate this week to Christmas music exclusively and then I’m gonna take a week or so off from posting. Regular posts will resume sometime during the first week of January. This week’s posts get kicked off with Prince and a not so merry Christmas song…
“I Would Die 4 U” is the fourth single released from ‘Purple Rain’. The extended version on this 12” release was taken from a studio jam session featuring Prince, The Revolution, Sheila E., Eddie M and Miko Weaver; it is not an extended version of the original album track. This version is actually edited down to around 10 minutes from the full 30-something minute version that has circulated on bootleg releases. On the flip side is the non-album track, “Another Lonely Christmas”, that tells the tragic tale of a man whose lover died on Christmas Day. The 12” version is extended by almost 2 minutes over the single version and has never been officially released on CD.
The Billboard Charts:
| Chart | Debuted | Debut Pos. | Peak Pos. | Wks on Chart |
| Hot 100 | 12/15/84 | 42 | 8 | 15 |
| Hot Black Singles | 12/22/84 | 11 | 11 | |
| Hot Dance/Disco | 1/19/85 | 50 | 6 |
The Source:
Label: Warner Brothers Records
Catalog#: 0-20291
Format: Vinyl, 12″, 45 RPM
Country: US
Released: 1984
The Equipment:
Technics SL-1200MK2 Turntable
Audio Technica AT440MLa Phono Cartridge
Yamaha RX-Z1 A/V Receiver
Sony PCM-R300 DAT Deck
Turtle Beach Catalina sound card
Mustek Scan Express A3 1200 Scanner
Spin Clean Record Washer MKII
The Software:
Cool Edit Pro
ClickRepair
dBpoweramp
Microsoft Digital Image Suite 2006
Microsoft ICE
The Links:
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password is: funwithvinyl
Be sure to “Like” Fun With Vinyl on Facebook!
Enjoy and get it on!
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Such a catchy Prince jam!
Just wished it had gone higher and stayed longer in the charts.
Unfortunately, most of his songs are hardly slow burners in the Hot 100. I think only When Doves Cry and U Got The Look qualify for that in the 80s.
Anyway, looking forward to your Christmas treats this week. And you sure deserved a break after that, Richie!
And was it last year that a tree fell down and blocking the road where you had your winter holidays?
Why yes it was Ric. As a matter of fact, we’re heading back there again this week! Couldn’t happen two years in a row, right?
Keeping my fingers crossed for you and your family
my memory of this song always raises a smile.
in an early screening of Purple Rain, there was a few ‘trailers’ 2 sit through 1st
And one was for some ‘designer miserableness’ set in a wet n windy ‘Oirland’
unfortunately the line ‘Would you die for me?’ was repeated far 2 many times
and ‘some’ people were howling with laughter, shouting’ ”Hurry up wi’ the main film 4fs!”
while quite a few others looked totally blank
you could tell who were the devotees LOL
Love my copy of this pseudo-picture-disc. Back in the day when record companies would make even singles unique and collectible. *Sigh*
Thanks, many thanks, happy christmas!
You’re quite welcome! Merry Christmas!
Everything about this is perfect. I loved the bigger label, the coloring, the picture on the B-side (the ultimate in Prince emoting & pouting), the 45 speed for a 12″, the live version of the song. It’s all great stuff.
I wish they had put the whole 30 minute version on the 12″. It would’ve been a huge coup for people who thought a 7 or 8 minute remix from an artist was a big ta-do. However, I guess technically both versions (album, and single) are technically considered live versions. I’ve never heard a studio version of the song.
ALC took a while to grow on me. The echo & reverb, the endless drum fills, etc, really annoyed my 16-year old self in 1984. I enjoy it much more now, and frankly it sounds more like something from Around The World In A Day. I forget the date of the recording for ALC, but it lends to the idea that while on tour he was recording stuff for ATWIAD, and ALC had that vibe to it. The song also reminds me of “Alexa De Paris” for some reason. They’re like 2nd cousins.
Yeah, this twelve inch really stood out from all the singles when it came out. Great packaging, stunning photography and artwork/design, Warners really pulled all its best resources to market the single.
But the songs, jeepers, the songs! 12 minute IWD4U?! That sounds very much like how Prince and the Rev was performing it on the Purple Rain tour? I honestly thought it was taken from a live performance without the audience track and as it faded always wondered if it turned into Baby I’m A Star. But it doesn’t.
The actual 30 minute version isn’t that great in terms of drama, Im sort of glad they didn’t use the rest of it as Prince and band seem to get a tad bit messy after the fade.
As for Another Lonely Chritsmas – a fantastic song, truly a masterpiece, its ethereal quality is a heart wrenching song of lost love, loneliness and faithfulness. Each year, he grabs for that pillow… seven years… and if it were a real story, it would be nearly 30 by now. When I first heard it I was totally in love with the song. Its got a cinematic quality, like you can base a whole movie on it!
Of course, Prince will never perform the song again or re-release it as his Jehovahism doesn’t or will not allow it.
But we have your rip and THANK YOU! Plus cover scans! Wonderful!
Are you planning on the rest or all of the Purple Rain singles?
Thanks again!
There will be some more, haven’t got immediate plans for all of them as some are on CD but, I may eventually get them all done.
Merry Christmas!
The covers – carefully cleaned up and enhanced! Thought I’d share the work I did to clean up those scans/pics of the covers that came with this rip. I use HiRez covers for displaying when the song is playing with iTunes 10, you can get a great digital jukebox feel if you do it correctly.
And I know its tough finding a mint copy of the album thats doesn’t have surface wear or the colors have lost their richness.
http://i.imgur.com/i8ADo.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/c0aJ9.jpg
Injoy!
Very nice!
Happy Holidays & a big, belated thanks to you for this and all your other gifts.
Any chance of you posting Mary Jane Girls’ “In My House” 12″?
Thanks!
Thanks and you’re welcome. Don’t currently have that record, but maybe one day…
Hi mr.FWV
Plz !
If you ‘Post’ anything remotely ‘Rick James’
Would you get Bruni Pagan – You Turn Me On
She’s the gal he natters to his version
Which I can’t find a Clean rip of either anywhere
(hint hint X X =like an anvil !)
The instrumental on the other side I can’t get anywhere
I’m CERTAIN you’d love it xx
(i hope)
Thanks Richie. I didn’t have this as it wasn’t released in Oz.
Hi, Hello
congratulations for this awesome blog.
thanks for all good stuff.
I try to Mix a compilation of N°1 Billboad Dance Tracks. I found a lot of tunes on your site…