I recently came upon the song and a UK performance for "The Greatest Romance That's Ever Been Sold." Talk about sexy. Mon dieu!

I don't know how that escaped the radar for me. I absolutely cannot get this off of my mind. The hook is fantastic and has a Middle Eastern feel. It's from December 1999 RUTJF. I understand that Clive Davis was hoping that this would be a huge hit when he was handling Prince's album, but that it wasn't promoted properly. What a shame!

Anyway, does anyone else think this song is off the hook?

theres about 12 versions is that enough already

TheButler said:

I didn't know there were other threads that discussed this. I'll search.

BTW.. it seems that just about every topic has already been talked about at some point. If we had a rule to never re-visit anything, there wouldn't be a lot left to post and the board would be extremely unfriendly to newbies.

IMHO... In any case, I'll search the threads.

I think he means theres a bout 12 versions of the song, not the thread.

Prince was late in delivering the video to Arista, and it was a little too low key a song to really grab radio. Prince didn't tour the record, didn't do anywhere near the same kind of promotion as he did for Musicology...lots of reasons why it didn't work.

altavista said:

Cool song, but if you love it, you'll probably enjoy the video, too. If you have access to the NPGMC website, check it out (it's in the Cyberclips section).

Thanks, guys.

I have the video for the song, LLA.


Mynameisnotsusan: Thanks for the info on what happened. What a shame. Where can I get access to the multiple versions out there that you mentioned?

Wonderful record.

It was A listed in the UK, even though it never got a commercial release, You couldn't escape it. Everytime I turned the radio on they were playing it.

It was disqualified from the official chart because the CD had too many tracks on it, but it was definately his biggest radio hit since TMBGITW,

No one's ever explained to me why he put 'sold' rather than the more obvious 'told'. It puts a cynical spin on the song that just isn't in the rest of the lyrics.

And what is 'the real reason adam never left eve'? I always thought, because she had no choice, there was no one else around to leave him for!

metalorange said:

I will probably be corrected, but I always felt this album had a lot on it pertaining to his marriage falling apart, that there is supposed to be a cynical spin on it.

MattyJam said:

The single actually hit a stunning #65 in the UK charts in Feb 2000 (several months after it was available on import). Very few stores had more than a copy or two of it on their shelves - was filed straight under Prince rather than in the new release section in most cases (and this was not the import version).

You have to ask what Arista were doing - surely it was their job to make sure the new release section was stacked with a single called 'The Greatest Romance...' on Valentine's Day, especially as the remix was getting decent airplay (3 wks at #9 on the pre-release airplay chart). I remember being in an HMV that day and a couple of people asking for the single, and the sales person saying they already sold out of their two copies!

Big fan of the song btw, especially the extended version on Rave In2 (great bass solo) and the Adam&Eve mix (love the dirty guitar).

I can do without it, especially the awful mixes with the really bad raps.

The Jason Nevins mix was about the best version.

paintsprayer said:

Well, of course there's 'I love U but I don't trust U anymore' (speaks for itself) and even 'wherever u go, whatever u do' which is sung in the light of someone leaving, also perhaps 'man'o'war', but if 'sold' is about him and Mayte, it is basically suggesting that the idea of a 'great romance' was 'sold' to us, the viewing public, when in fact it was a sham. A bit harsh?

I've always thought that this cynical edge couldn't have helped the single. Have that played at your wedding, might raise a few eyebrows as to what you're impying! Whereas, say 'The Most Beautiful Girl' was so universal and inclusive no wonder it was a massive hit.

It's ok. Seems Prince loved it though. It wasn't THAT good.

Suffers from a bland chorus.

I don't.....

LLA said:

Where can you see it? I can watch the video's of America, Sheila E. etc, but no Greatest Romance...

metalorange said:

I took it as a real romance, and the selling of it is what destroyed it

I always thought TGRES was about a rebound relationship

"What do you know you and me are finally face to face."

"You offer me your love and in return girl I will surrender."


Just a thought.

S

There's just nothing catchy about the song to me. His worst single since Batdance, in my opinion.

MarieLouise said:

There's a button at the bottom of where the video names are 'next clip set'. It's in that.

I Love TGRES. The music is very catching
[Edited 12/28/04 11:49am]

Its Prince trying to repeat the success of The Most Beautiful Girl In The World from '94. He tried that with Betcha By Golly Wow and The One. All falsetto R&B ballads. It never worked. We wont the funk.