One of my favorite Prince jams of all time is "Let's Work". I remember having the "Controversy" album back in the day and hearing the long version of "Let's Work" on the radio. This song is introduced me to 12 Inch Singles in the first place. I had never seen a 12 Inch and didn't know what they were. I wondered if I had a defective album with the 45 version of the song on it. I knew some 45s were edited songs. Once I discovered 12 Inch Singles, I ended up with more of them in my stack than albums.

Anyway, I love the 12 Inch of "Let's Work", especially once it breaks down and starts having certain phrases mixed in like "till you're crucified" and "Controversy". My favorite part is the scream at the end.

Anyone else love this 12 Inch also?

Oh Yes! I Love This Song and when Prince Performs it this Tour ya Die..It's SOOoo GOOD!!!

Let's Work 12" is a fav of mine too. I like the part when he says "I'll work you baby, anywhere. Even in a cemetary, I don't care."

Yeah..He screams...That Imagination.... So Damn Cool!He Screams ...WORK IT! WORK IT!!! LAUGHING
[This message was edited Wed Aug 4 20:17:56 2004 by Zelaira]

I was watching The Sexy Mf video toady and God,I was saying How Damn Gorgeous and Hot he was Working it Alright...I Loved that dancing and YOU,YOU YOU InTHE CAR!!!LOL...

Yes!!!

I used to own that 12" and out of all my records, it's the only one that is "missing."

Ebay here I come. . .

I have the original 12" with "Gotta Stop Messin About" as the b-side. The cover shot of prince with the revolution is the S**T!

"I'll work U, till U're soft and wet!" Hot Di*k and bubblegum is all U get!" LET'S WORK!

Let's Work is DA BOMB. And I don't use that expression very often.

However, I think it's the recent live version of Let's Work is the worst NPG live arrangement ever.

That is one of my favorite pictures. I love the way he is pointing his finger with his legs spread apart.....PURE ATTITUDE! The Prince I know and love.

I wondered if he was saying "hot dick and bubblegum is all you get".

The 12" of "Let's Work" is one of my favorites.I heard it alot on the radio back in early 1982.But does Prince really say "Hot dick and bubblegum is all you get" ?

DavidEye said:

Is that really what he says?! I love that 12" too it rocks

DavidEye said:

thought it was "hard dick and bubblegum..."

anyway, i have a copy of this 12"...it's sexxxxxy.

Handclapsfingasnapz said:

So do I. That bass
It makes me wanna...errr...damn there ain't no dancing smiley thing good enough for me.

Rise and shiney on my hiney.... almost the crack of dawn.

I heard "Let's Work" 12" good enough 2 be breakfast!

I LOVE LOVE LOVE the 12 inch version!!! Now when I listen to the album version, it sounds kinda cut off.
But I can JAM to the 12 inch, like WHAT!

I think (next 2 the crappy Junior Vasquez 'mixes' ::cough cough:: of the early nineties) this is possibly his worst 12" mix.

The reason being is it;s all going swimmingly, then he throws that fucking over-used guitar part in there which sounds about as out of place as a vicar at a gay gang-bang, and that 'til your crucified' sample just THROWN in there - let alone that HORRIBLE 'controversy' snippet just butchers the whole thing. It's such a shame, I think it ruins the whole thing - it's like he's going: 'ooh look at me everyone! Im being all clever and contemporary!'

Starts well - collapses in a heap in the middle and stumbles 2 a finish.
[This message was edited Thu Aug 5 17:11:04 2004 by bananacologne]

bananacologne said:

*imagines that in a homer simpson voice*

Spookymuffin said:

*does the little Homer finger movements, and dances from side 2 side - voice getting higher...*


[This message was edited Thu Aug 5 17:18:27 2004 by bananacologne]

bananacologne said:

Exactly what I was thinking! I'm dying!

I think this may be the greatest 12" ever!!The cover picture is awesome and the song is so damned hot!!It's just pure funk/punk attitude with mega balls and cockiness(kinda' redundant,huh?)And I love how Prince sang/screamed the "hard dick" part and the radio didn't pick that up.Reminds me of The Times,"Cool" when Morris says"suck my dick" and they still don't edit it..Funky as hell.I think this and the 'shake your body down to the ground" 12' mixes are the 2 best ever.

I was so excited when I got the promo copy of the Let's Work 12" with the extended version on one side and the single version on the other. . .I wonder how much it's worth. . .

I love Let's Work, it's one of my favorites

Handclapsfingasnapz said:

Yeah,he probably said "hard".But I still can't figure out why there's a reference to bubble gum
[This message was edited Fri Aug 6 2:39:16 2004 by DavidEye]

Soft balls would look like chewed up wads of bubble gum.

vainandy said:

Let's Work IS the funkiest song Prince ever did.

the 12" version took the song to another level. LIKE Vainandy, this was the definitely the 1st Prince 12" I bought & probably the 1st ever 12" I bought. I like the picture of the group on the record sleeve.. then you hear the song. I LOVE the bassline at the beginning, then that "steam"-like synth filler.. then that sassy, sexy vocal interpretation by Prince..
then I love the "jumping" synth line you hear during the chorus..

then that funky, filthy, NASTY bass playing during the "work - alright, we're gonna work all night" breakdown. if THIS bass playing doesn't make you move, there is definitely something wrong with you.

then the "extended" part of the song, that continues where the LP version ends..
those loud, frantic "work it.. work it.. WORK IT!" shouts
the "raucous" guitar solo
followed by more spastic, desperate screams of "work it..!"
followed by the "Annie Christian-Controversy mix"
then that last verse of lyrics, with the classic line

"I'll work u baby, anywhere..
even in a cemetery, I don't care!"

definitely Prince's funkiest
& 1 of the funkiest jams of all time..

(sigh.. the "good old days"..)

DavidEye said:

The bubble gum reference relates to an interview he gave way, way back in the day when he said his favorite food was bubble gum.

By the way- When he used to do the long version of "Let's Work" live (also way, way back in the day) he changed the words to, "my dick and bubble gum".

mltijchr said:

vainandy said:

Yep! "till you're crucified" was the first line that came to mind when I saw this.