by Janet Jackson

Sorry to disappoint you, but the answer is 'no'.
Janet herself, James Harris III and Terry Lewis have written it.

He sung it during The Nude Tour (in Tokyo).

"Did I wrote that?"

People have speculated on whether Prince wrote the song simply because of his comment during the Tokyo performance.

Nevertheless, credit has always been attributed to Jam and Lewis, and Prince has never disputed authorship.

As often happens, it seems the doubt has crept in because people have twisted a comment and based their speculation more on what they have wanted to hear than the available evidence.
.

I'm seeing it in the setlist.

lilgish said:

He did make cracks about "who wrote that?" during his performances of that song, though.

I was told the sond was a gift for Jimmy. But don't take my word for it.

u2prnce said:

I think he made that comment because it "sounds" like a Prince penned song. It has that Mpls sound.

housequake said:

But, who told you, Aaron?
.

He made fun of it, because he probably thought that it was a good cop of his sound.

oops
[Edited 5/14/06 22:14pm]

I believe he did write it! Okay, it's attributed to Jam/Lewis/Jackson and they've recorded and prospered financially from it for many years, and are all capable songwriters who could easily have written such a song on their own without Prince's assistance.

But, why would Prince then perform it one time and make a flippant remark to a whole bunch of folk who possibly didn't understand what he said anyway?

It's obviously a Prince track! He plays 26 instruments you know!

langebleu said:

I am sorry, but I don't recall, and know exactly what source that might have been, just ignore my post. But somehow it smells like a Prince song, but then again, also a typical Jimmy/Terry production.
[Edited 5/14/06 16:19pm]

NouveauDance said:

wonder505 said:

well damn...can we attribute all the knock-off songs prince has done to the original artist to then? que up joni mitchell, james brown and sly.....

.....all i know is that Sharon Jones did not write it, but her cover of it is one of the funkiest trax ever laid in wax.

Actually, Prince has been doing this since the Parade rehearsal at First Avenue? When he goes into Controversy or Life can be so nice, he makes a stab at jam and Lewis for What have you done for me lately. He didnt write it, he was making fun at them for sounding so much like his sound. Check out the 86 rehearsal

I think he did. I've an old 86 bootleg from Japan where the Revolution do the chorus of WHYD4ML? and Prince chants "Who wrote that?" It only lasts 30 seconds or so as part of a wider jam. I'll have to get my dusty old tapes out.

andymacfunky said:

I also heard he wrote "Like A Prayer" by Madonna. I don't know about these two songs, but there probably are songs floating around out there that Prince wrote and didn't get credit for. I mean, he was at Warner Bros. records for how many years? Considering the amount of music he has written, the WB surely swiped a few of his songs for other artists. No doubt.

In the 1986 Parade Tour warm up at 1st Avenue, Prince sang this song and commented on who wrote that. Have to find out when the song actually came out because I think Prince wrote the song myself and gave it over anonymisly.

no.

At least not the version Sondra Prill performed (look it up on youtube)

I know that janet's other track Diamonds sound like a Princelike song and for some reason the sound does reminded me of "17 days".

I am not sure if Prince actually wrote What Have You Done For Me Lately? but his influence is all over it.

C'mon people, Prince hasn't written EVERY song that's out there! Hard to believe, but ya know, "life's a bitch".

shygirl said:

Please don't attribute any of Madonna's wack ass music to Prince.

Graycap23 said:

Anyways, Madonna already admitted that Prince played guitar on the opening of Like a Prayer and for Act of Contrition.

jayaredee said:

I dig. The ONLY tracks I like of hers.

Graycap23 said:

must be Prince's magic