How did Mica Paris end up covering "If I Luv U 2 Nite" on her Contribution release (1991)? Later, we know Mayte would get her crack at it, but was it originally for Mica Paris? How on earth did she ever fall into the Prince camp? (And why hasn't it ever happened again?)

FormerlyKnownAs said:

How did Mica Paris end up covering "If I Luv U 2 Nite" on her Contribution release (1991)? Later, we know Mayte would get her crack at it, but was it originally for Mica Paris? How on earth did she ever fall into the Prince camp? (And why hasn't it ever happened again?)

That songs dates back to The Rebels so it wasn't originally intended for either Mica or Mayte.

IIRC she was invited on stage during a Lovesexy aftershow, that's probably how it started.

bigd74 said:

I love The Rebels version. I love the whole project

Ditto; the original is so melancholy, which all subsequent versions lose or gloss over, unfortunately.

I imagine he offered it her or they requested a song from Prince and he sent this, or maybe more likely a choice of "girlsongs" on a tape or something. Having peeped her from touring here (like databank says).

The song was updated in 1987, so I imagine he sent that version to her and she re-recorded it. This was during the time when he was sending out a lot of songs here and there, and not just working on whole projects with his satellite acts.

databank said:

IIRC she was invited on stage during a Lovesexy aftershow, that's probably how it started.

Aye, it was in London at The Canden Palace. She was in the audience and Prince handed her down the mic during Just My Imagination. There is actually footage of that moment in the BBC Omnibus documentary.

FormerlyKnownAs said:

How did Mica Paris end up covering "If I Luv U 2 Nite" on her Contribution release (1991)? Later, we know Mayte would get her crack at it, but was it originally for Mica Paris? How on earth did she ever fall into the Prince camp? (And why hasn't it ever happened again?)

Great that it happened.