I never heard this, but who knows. Although I doubt when Tim Burton was dissapointed with the music, he would approve with it for the movie.

It was his film, why would he use music he was dissapointed in?

I do think they rejected "Dance with the devil", so maybe that's where the story comes from?

[Edited 10/21/12 10:17am]

I recall reading in Rolling Stone that Jack Nicholson had something to do with Prince being called in. He watched scenes from the film and came back with an albums worth of tracks. They declined to use about 3 of them (in this article they mentioned Rave Un2 The Joy Fantastic, the Batman Theme and another track). He wrote some more songs that filled those spots. regarding Warners influence i never heard they pushed for it. The weren't exactly begging Prince for more material at that time.

(I have this article at home and can fact check it more later)

http://books.google.com/b...mp;f=false

This is a link to Burton on Burton and basically he says he felt he didn't do a good job incorporating the music into the film. He loves Prince and the music, but he just felt he didn't do a service to the film or the music. Check it out.

I like the album, but the music doesn't go with the movie at all. The movie was dark and quiet. Prince's music was loud and, for the most part, banging.

I've never thought the music worked well in the movie.

RodeoSchro said:

I like the album, but the music doesn't go with the movie at all. The movie was dark and quiet. Prince's music was loud and, for the most part, banging.

I've never thought the music worked well in the movie.

"Face to Face" from Batman Returns was a much better match with Tim Burton's style.

The story I remember (from years ago).....

WB was struggling with the direction of Prince after the failure of LoveSexy and they were not sure what to go with him. Jack was a big fan and thought he would be perfect to do the music. It was a WB film...WB needed Prince to do something different than "Prince music"...Jack was a fan...the rest was history.

Prince visited the set, walked around with Tim, met Jack, and Kim. He left to go back overseas, he came back a few days later and had seven songs done. Some songs were turned down (I think three out of seven). Prince came back a few days later with something like five more.

I remember I was in MPLS when the video for Batdance premiered and it was HUGE!!! I remember being so disappointed because Mtv never really showed Partyman.

I never heard anything negative......

That "Batdance" song sucked. I'll never know how that POS song went to #1 but Purple Rain only reached #2.

Tim Burton was probably told he had no choice but to include Prince in his music even if the music didn't fit the Joker. I could see why Jack rallied for Prince...

i remember Burton mentioning in an interview about the pressure to include the new Prince music in the spots where he had temped it with tracks from Purple Rain and then some.

I bet it was a case Where Burton was using Prince tracks from Purple Rain as background in certain spots, "Baby I'm a Star" was used for sure, and my guess is it was in the part where the Joker has hos his street parade, and WB and Nicholson were seeing these workprint edits with the temp music and said let's really get Prince to do it. Burton probably agreed, and then Prince made substitutes for the old tracks. "Trust" replaced "Baby I'm a Star".

But in the end, I feel like Burton didn't really warm up to many of the new tracks but had to now weave them in. He mentjoned this in an interview in a very vague but negative way.

Either way, the movie was a hit, even though I remember some folks thinking the Prince tracks did not fit, and especially didn't like "Scandalous" on the end credtis. I heard grumbling in the theater.

In my opinion, with the Batdance and Partyman vidoes, Prince ended up with stuff I like much more than the movie itself in the long run. I actually hated Batman when I saw it in '89. In comparison to '78's awesome Superman in terms of an engrossing story with lots of good sections of plot.

He said that he liked the songs Prince did, but felt that he couldn't make them fit the movie.

He used "Baby, I'm A Star" and "1999" during the filming and personally I think "Partyman" and "Trust" are just fine as substitutes in the final film. He had originally thought that Danny Elfman could perhaps do the songs for those scenes (Elfman had started his career in a sort of a funk-ish band called Oingo Boingo). Burton felt like he didn't want to cram in all the other stuff there too ("The Future", "Vicki Waiting" and "Electric Chair" are used simply as background music). Elfman used "Scandalous" as a basis for one of his own pieces during one of the scenes in the movie and I thought that one fitted it quite well. I think Prince had tried to give that song an Elfman vibe in any case.

Am I the only one who likes the soundtrack?

I thought the 'Partyman' scene was perfect.

mancabdriver said:

Am I the only one who likes the soundtrack?

I thought the 'Partyman' scene was perfect.

^

I agree about "Partyman", fantastic track.

And the scene is great..

"Trust" on the other hand, this awful song worked terrible in the film.. (imo.)

.

[Edited 10/22/12 1:16am]

the best song that Prince offered was dropped...Dance with the Devil...that song is moody and dark and one of his best IMHO... I'm not sure where it would have fit, it's been a while since I watched the movie...but it was a far stronger song than some of the ones they accepted.....

the album, to me, was always a bit of a disappointment at the time....and while not his best, certainly isn't one of his worst either

First. WB Movies and WB music are two different co. One does not tell the other what to do.

That being said. Jack suggested Prince. WB film was only TOO happy to make it happen. Who wouldn't want a big music name attached to a film.

Prince WANTED to do it. First song he learned was the Batman theme song at age 7.

Prince submitted 200 balloons for that scene which fits way better but was replaced with Trust.

The songs fit considering. I don't think many other artists could come close to doing it. Madonna? Bruce? Jackson?

Not his best album but whatever. I like it. It works for what it is. And we got some new music considering he was going to take a year off.

Who cares Tim Burton´s reaction?

Despite the fact that the critics weren´t that good,

over 11 million albums have been sold worldwide,

it was #1 in UK and US and the songs Batman (#1 in the US),

Partyman and Scandalous did very well in the charts.

This album was another milestone in Prince´s career,

whether u like it or not.

[Edited 10/22/12 4:14am]

Specifically, i always felt the music wasn't mixed very well into the film. Partyman (in the museum) just sounds odd to me, always has. Like something is missing or it wasn't the actual final mix.

I love the BATMAN album! In my opinion it does fit and capture the moods and elements of the film. The Prince songs have the quirkiness, darker tones, lighter moments, comediec flavors and rock/funk levels that capture the action as well as the subtle sounds that compliment the romantic tones Burton layed out on the big screen. I see the album as a direct musical companion to the vision we see on the screen of Burton's Batman.

Plus there are many elements that are completely Prince all on thier own. The 12" extended mixes of Partyman, Batdance, The Future, Electric Chair and Scandalous are all incredible! The B-Sides such as 200 Balloons, I Love U In Me and Sex are classics.

BATMAN, the soundtrack, is a fantastic, wicked pop/funk/rock gem!

I understand they didn't want an album full of music from Prince, they initially wanted to use Baby I'm A Star (Partyman scene) and another song

So that kind of bold move can be a bit off putting

It's also clear that a lot of the songs were not written for the movie

even though I don't believe the Future was written for the movie, I think the 'apocolyptic' coolness shadowy feel of the song and lyrics work, Dance With the Devil would have been perfect too

Dance With the Devil was definately made 4 the movie. He should have made this a B side and and did his take on the scene in a video

Dance With The Devil
Intended for Batman, this dark eerie track utilizes a drum machine, piano, synth, and the voice of The Joker. The song is based on the scene where The Joker holds Vicki Vale hostage in Gotham's bell tower. Prince warns to be cautious of the devil's tricks. Some lyrics can be seen in the liner notes of the soundtrack.

I guess this movie isn't the 'Dark Knight' series so more colorful music works but at the same time Batman the movie is about futuristic urban life dual identities shadows and night life and that is Prince

chapter 11 Fantastic p 156 At first, though, it seemed Prince had made a shrewd decision by tapping a Hollywood insider as his manager. Shortly after assuming his new job, Magnoli was contracted by the acclaimed director Tim Burton, who was shooting the movie Batman, with Jack Nicholson in the role of the Joker. While assembling a rough cut, Nicholson and Burton placed two Prince songs -1999 & Baby, I'm A Star- into scenes as background music. Pleased wih the effect, they hatched the idea of asking Prince for new material to add to the film's soundtrack.

Prince flew with Magnoli to the movie's production site in London in January 1989 and was mesmerized by Burton's elaborate and haunting vision of Gotham City, Burton requested just two songs, since the composer Danny Elfman had been hired for the soundtrack. But Prince, suddenly inspired about the project, offered an entire album. Warner Bros. Pictures, emboldened by wild audience response to early trailers for Batman, decided that the film could sustain two soundtrack records-one a traditional score by Elfman and the other a collection of Prince songs. -Possessed


Immediately after wrapping up the Lovesexy tour, Prince returned to Paisley Park adn set to work on Batman. Becoming fascinated with the characters(and especially the Joker), he sampled portions of the dialogue and synced his songs directly to scenes. Prince seemed convinced that his contributions would permeate the entire film. "This is going to be my movie!" he exclaimed to studio engineer Femi Jiya.

Prince created the whole album virtually on his own, a rare exception being a visit from Sheena Easton, who dueted on the ballad "The Arms of Orion." But for the most part, his labors were marked more by haste than by inspiration; on many of the songs, he quickly programmed drumbeats and then layered instruments with little attention to structure or melody. Some previously recorded numbers were revamped to fit the movie, such as "Anna Waiting" (about Anna Garcia), which morphed into Vicki Waiting after the character Vicki Vale. -Possessed

Philly76 said:

Who cares Tim Burton´s reaction?

Despite the fact that the critics weren´t that good,

over 11 million albums have been sold worldwide,

it was #1 in UK and US and the songs Batman (#1 in the US),

Partyman and Scandalous did very well in the charts.

This album was another milestone in Prince´s career,

whether u like it or not.

[Edited 10/22/12 4:14am]

lol well the movie is by Tim Burton

But I think it mostly sold because it was a Prince album

I liked the sounds, like in songs like the Future & Scandelous as far as the movie is concerned

I don't really think Prince did the best job in writing songs for the movie though

But I love this mini Era

Read any current-ish interview with Tim Burton. He admits that he actually doesn't think that the movie Batman is that good.

I think he's wrong, and it makes me discount any opinion he has on Prince's contribution to the project.

Also, on the commentary for the film/DVD, Tim Burton says that the music is great, but that he struggled to find out how to fit it in his movie.

TIM BURTON: THE ROLLING STONE INTERVIEW

By David Breskin

From Rolling Stone, 1992

RS: The other thing in the first one that felt horribly intrusive was the Prince music. We're in this Tim Burton world, and all of a sudden, like him or not, in rides Prince.

Tim:Yeah, it's true. It's the unholy alliance of me and . . .

RS:Warner Bros. marketing, pure and simple?

Tim:This is what happened. You learn something new every day. Now, here is a guy, Prince, who was one of my favorites. I had just gone to see two of his concerts in London, and I felt they were like the best concerts I'd ever seen. Okay. So. They're saying to me, these record guys, it needs this and that, and they give you this whole thing about it's an expensive movie so you need it. And what happens is, you get engaged in this world, and then there's no way out. There's too much money. There's this guy you respect and is good and has got this thing going. It got to a point where there was no turning back. And I don't want to get into that situation again.

RS:It had to be painful for you to put that music into that movie.

Tim: It was . . . it was . . . it completely lost me. And it tainted something that I don't want to taint. Which is how you feel about an artist. And actually, I liked his album. I wish I could listen to it without the feel of what had happened.

Tim is crazy.I think Prince's songs are one of the highlights of the movie.I was actually pissed that he didn't use most of the songs effectively."The Future" can barely be heard!

Diana80 said:

That "Batdance" song sucked.

No,it didn't that song is edgy,adventurous and features a blazing guitar solo.It's one of Prince's best singles of the late 80s.

ufoclub said:

I remember some folks thinking the Prince tracks did not fit, and especially didn't like "Scandalous" on the end credtis. I heard grumbling in the theater.

"Scandalous" and "Lemon Crush" are the only two songs that don't really 'fit' in the movie or on the soundtrack.Prince should have delivered a strong,epic theme song that could be played during the closing credits."Scandalous" is nothing more than a Prince bedroom ballad

Diana80 said:

That "Batdance" song sucked. I'll never know how that POS song went to #1 but Purple Rain only reached #2.

1984 music v 1989 music.

1984 wins.

Tim should've gotten Johnny Depp to do the soundtrack!

SoulAlive said:

ufoclub said:

I remember some folks thinking the Prince tracks did not fit, and especially didn't like "Scandalous" on the end credtis. I heard grumbling in the theater.

"Scandalous" and "Lemon Crush" are the only two songs that don't really 'fit' in the movie or on the soundtrack.Prince should have delivered a strong,epic theme song that could be played during the closing credits."Scandalous" is nothing more than a Prince bedroom ballad

Hmm. "Scandalous" actually made it into Danny Elfman's orchestral score for the film. Bruce and Vicki are in the cave talking all, "Are we gonna try to love each other?" and you can hear it playing in the strings.

Great read, thanks for posting this.