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Forums > Prince: Music and More > America - Prince & the Revolution 10.2.1985
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Reply #30 posted 07/02/14 10:28am

OldFriends4Sal
e

A m e r i c a (extended)

The Warehouse, St. Louis Park; 1984 12" single: 21:46 2 October 1985

"America" was the final U.S. single off Prince and The Revolution's 1985 album, Around the World in a Day. The song is appreciative of the mid-1980s United States, condemning Communism, and worrying about nuclear war. The song begins as if it is a record being spun by a DJ. This leads into a guitar solo and a rising keyboard line. The main tune is standard rock and roll and fades out at 3:40. The 12-inch single extended version is notable for being over 20 minutes and including various instrumental solos. The song even fades in this version; in the original extended version the listener can actually hear the audio tape run out, being that Prince and the Revolution had jammed the song out until there was no more room on the tape.

Teacher, why won't Jimmy pledge allegiance?

That's enough {5:35 mark}

CHORUS

Drums!

Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!
And the bomb go
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! ([...])
And the bomb go
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!
(And the bomb go... Boom!) {x2}

CHORUS {x2}

Freedom - Love
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah!

Purple mountain majesty

Aristocrats on a mountain climb
Makin' money, losin' time
Communism is just a word
But if the government turn over
It'll be the only word that's heard

U gonna stand in my way? Hey!
[Come on, they said, can I sing ...]
Yeah

Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!
And the bomb go

Clocking in at nearly 22:00 long, this "original version" of "America" was the version Prince and bandmates wanted to include on "Around The World In A Day," but agreed to instead use a less lengthy, edited version for the LP at Warner Brothers' request. Warner Brothers desire to truncate the song on the LP stemmed from concern that putting a 20+ minute jam session version of one song would be great for die-hard fans, but as "Around..." was the follow-up to the "Purple Rain" soundtrack, WB wanted to keep as many people coming back to buy "Around..." as possible. Original version or not, WB didn't want to risk a 21:46 song possibly putting off critics and consumers alike.

So Prince and crew released it as the 3rd single from "Around The World In A Day" - all 22 minutes of it and nowhere on it or in WB's catalogue was it listed as an "Extended Version"... instead the 7" version was promoted as the "Edit."

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Reply #31 posted 07/02/14 7:55pm

williamb610

Nothing made Jimmy proud.

(Yells) NOW JIMMY LIVE ON A MUSHROOM CLOUD!

A ME RICA A ME RICA

Kicks ass...

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Reply #32 posted 07/03/14 2:58am

thedance

avatar

I have to buy the America: 7" single,

In NM or Exc condition....


The one with a pic sleeve.. is it french...?

Is it rare..... I mean really rare...?

And is it really expenssive too.......................?

Prince 4Ever. heart
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Reply #33 posted 07/03/14 3:03am

thedance

avatar

Beautifulstarr123 said:

OldFriends4Sale said:

Anyone know why A m e r i c a was not on the Hits Compilation?

Very funky song. Surprised that it never became a hit.

America is really funky, indeed, I agree the single should have been in the top 10, yes...... nod music

But this single was overlooked.. sad

Prince 4Ever. heart
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Reply #34 posted 07/08/14 9:35am

OldFriends4Sal
e

reprinted in ROCK & SOUL * APRIL 1986

THE PRINCE INTERVIEW
Mr. Purple Discusses His Movies, His Music, His Musicians
And More, More, More.

By Michael Shore

Speaking of singles and videos, your latest is "America." This is one of the most political songs you've ever done. Could you tell us what the song is supposed to say to people? For example, is it straightforwardly patriotic or more complicated than that?

Straightforwardly patriotic.

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Reply #35 posted 07/08/14 2:43pm

morningsong

I love it, still play it. I often wonder how he feels about it now though.

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Reply #36 posted 07/09/14 4:59am

databank

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I had no idea that WB prevented prince to release the long version on the album. Given that it would have taken a whole side, I wonder what the album's tracklist was intended to be at this point eek eek eek

A COMPREHENSIVE PRINCE DISCOGRAPHY (work in progress ^^): https://sites.google.com/...scography/
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Reply #37 posted 07/09/14 8:31am

themaster68

motherfunka said:

OldFriends4Sale said:

I just saw the video again in HD and blew me away, the sound the energy the fun, they tore this one up. That was an exciting time.

.

I saw the video back then but I was told there was an interview with Prince and he wouldn't speak but had band members talk... anyone know anything about this?

MTV had a special. It was the interview and the extended version of the video. Assuming this is the interview you were told about. Prince is sitting around with extras from the video and is being interviewed by Steve Fargnoli. MTV submitted the questions and Prince picked out the ones he wanted to answer. Love this interview, he still left a lot to the imagination. Unlike the interviews in the 90s when I realized how nutty he was.

nutty

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Reply #38 posted 07/09/14 9:39am

Anotherwontdar
e

avatar

Don't care for the lyric much, but still dig the song.

Every now and then
There comes a time you must defend
Your right to die and live again --
And again, and again...
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Reply #39 posted 07/10/14 12:29am

databank

avatar

I've always had the impression that those lyrics were denouncing Amercia's issues more than praising it.

A COMPREHENSIVE PRINCE DISCOGRAPHY (work in progress ^^): https://sites.google.com/...scography/
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Reply #40 posted 07/13/14 1:38pm

Chas

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When I got this 12" in 1985, I listened to the 12" version one time, and one time only.

It was kinda boring to me. So, to fix that, I put the audio of the MTV interview over the long instrumental part.

The edited version of the MTV interview is about 15 minutes and fit perfectly.

It was less boring with those awkward Nina Blackwood questions and his odd answers.

Here's a 12-year-old me's high-tech way of doing it in 1985: I had a double-cassette deck that let you record a mic with the source cassette. So I put a mic on a boom box playing the 12" with the interview. It may have sounded like shit, but it sounded good enough for 1985! smile

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Reply #41 posted 07/13/14 10:17pm

Scarfo

funkycat00 said:

OldFriends4Sale said:

Where's the GIF of him jiggling his butt lol

I would had LOVE to see this entire concert! I know it had to be Off Tha Chain!

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