"Originally intended 4 private use only, this compilation serves as the last original material recorded by 4 Warner Brothers Records."

Dinner With Delores is the third track on Prince's 18th album Chaos And Disorder (his second to be released under the name ), and, one month prior to the album's release, Dinner With Delores was released as the album's first and only single in the UK, Germany and Japan (in the USA the track was only available on a promo single).

Initial tracking took place in early April, 1996, at South Beach Studios, Miami Beach, FL, USA, in what is believed to be the final session with Michael B. and Sonny T. as regular bandmembers (during the same set of sessions which produced new versions of Chaos And Disorder and Right The Wrong, and where also mixed and completed the Chaos And Disorder album).

-PrinceVault

0{+> sings the delicate "Dinner With Delores" in a high register, his lead vocals backed by a breezy, softly cooed chorus. Yet the result is still a less attractive twin of Sign o' the Times' "The Ballad of Dorothy Parker." The title track has a searing organ, Rosie Gaines' fiery backing vocals and wild drumming that suits 0{+>'s manic blasts of lead guitar. It's wildly energetic --- but also completely generic.

Whether he's just distracted by his record-company battles or has truly shot his wad, it's been a while since 0{+> has really had anything important to say in his music. It doesn't matter what the Artist Formerly Known as Prince calls himself. Chaos and Disorder is the sound of the man repeating himself badly.

--ERNEST HARDY (RS741)

Dinner with Delores
Must be some kind of sin
Like a Brontosaurus
She was packin' it in
The first night we dined
And by the next time
This girl was eatin' all but the tip

And by the stroke of midnight
She wanted some more (more)
Showin' dirty movies
Like some kind of whore
But she was wastin' her time
'Cause there wasn't a line
That would make me come 'round her door

Dinner with Delores
Must be some kind of sin
Her bell's just a-broken (bell's just broken)
Since 1984
(Dancin') Dancin' like a white girl (white girl)
On disco dirty floors
Damn, Delores, pick another subject please
Introduce the carpet 2 something other than your knees

Like a real confession
No one could be more made up than u
Nothin's left 4 guessin'
What a shame
(Boo hoo) Boo hoo

(Delores)
(Delores)

I'd call u a friend
But it must be a sin
And I've run out of cheeks 2 turn

Dinner with Delores
No more

BILLBOARD MAGAZINE

Initial single "Dinner With Delores" could find a home at mainstream rock, top 40, and R&B radio, and other tracks could follow suit. A welcome return to basics.

ORLANDO SENTINEL

4 Stars (out of 5) C & D

"Dinner With Delores" is a sultry mid-tempo number.

THE NEWS-LEADER (Springfield, MO)

ARTIST REVEALS DEEP TALENT ON 'CHAOS AND DISORDER'
Prince "Chaos and Disorder" 3 stars (out of 4)

He mellows out a bit on the easy rocking "Dinner with Delores"--the first single--

A really mean spirited song. I wonder who it was about. The video manages to be both misoginistic and homophobic. Not one Prince's high points.

I just love this song, one of the highlights of the C&D album. And one of his best songs of the nineties for me.

emesem said:

A really mean spirited song. I wonder who it was about. The video manages to be both misoginistic and homophobic. Not one Prince's high points.

5.20.1996 Videoshoot in Los Angeles CA

7.9.1996 the Today Show @ the Rockefeller Center Plaza NYC

1.) Dinner With Delores

2.) Zannalee

A big surprise to me back then this song, didn't sound like at all and had that sophisticated rock brit-pop vibe that was so hip at the time. I'm quite sure with heavy promo it could have reached parts of the audience that was into Suede or Pulp and didn't give a damn about or funk. I totally loved it from the first time I saw the vid on TV, which was my first exposire to it.

[Edited 10/28/14 10:18am]

databank said:

A big surprise to me back then this song, didn't sound like at all and had that sophisticated rock brit-pop vibe that was so hip at the time. I'm quite sure with heavy promo it could have reached parts of the audience that was into Suede or Pulp and didn't give a damn about or funk. I totally loved it from the first time I saw the vid on TV, which was my first exposire to it.

[Edited 10/28/14 10:18am]

Completly agree about the sound. Still sounds fresh today.

It´s not a bad song but it didn´t do much for me back then, probably because the lyrics didn´t really grab my attention. Nice music though.

Any idea why the promo single had that silhouette of Prince with the symbol guitar with the zodia signs of Libra and Cancer? To this day I still don´t know why he used those two star signs for that promo´s cover.

Great song from a great album. I think C&D is highly underated and if it were not for the WB fiasco, and all parties concentrated on promoting it, it would have done a lot better.

I remember walking past HMV at Heathrow having just landed, tired and in need of a shower, when I saw the symbol on the front of a bright orange CD cover. I stopped, walked in, grabbed it and was about to go and pay when I saw the C&D cover too. Having been in Zambia for the past few years, I had no idea there was a new album out, let alone 2.

I got home, started listening to Emancipation and found myself skipping a lot of songs. Halfway through the 2nd disc I thought I would give C&D a spin. It blew me away. Emancipation paled in comparison and still does to this day.

emesem said:

A really mean spirited song. I wonder who it was about. The video manages to be both misoginistic and homophobic. Not one Prince's high points.

I read somewhere that the song was about Warner Brothers (which, as we all know, Prince was having issues with at that time). Not sure if that is fact or fiction, but that is what I heard.

I like to sing this song, "Dinner with a Symbol", instead of "Dinner With Delores", since Prince was using the symbol back then. Also, because I like to be a smart-ass and rewrite the lyrics to some of Prince's songs.

KoolEaze said:

It´s not a bad song but it didn´t do much for me back then, probably because the lyrics didn´t really grab my attention. Nice music though.

Any idea why the promo single had that silhouette of Prince with the symbol guitar with the zodia signs of Libra and Cancer? To this day I still don´t know why he used those two star signs for that promo´s cover.

Actually I loved the playfullness of the lyrics, yet with a very rude tone to them

That image is from his The Same December video

I don't know why he used it for Dinner With Delores

Credits

Notes

OldFriends4Sale said:

KoolEaze said:

It´s not a bad song but it didn´t do much for me back then, probably because the lyrics didn´t really grab my attention. Nice music though.

Any idea why the promo single had that silhouette of Prince with the symbol guitar with the zodia signs of Libra and Cancer? To this day I still don´t know why he used those two star signs for that promo´s cover.

Actually I loved the playfullness of the lyrics, yet with a very rude tone to them

That image is from his The Same December video

I don't know why he used it for Dinner With Delores

November 8,1994 The Some December VideoShoot

7.8.1996

NBC Studio NYC

Late Show With David Letterman

1.) Dinner With Delores

iZsaZsa said:

OldFriends4Sale said:

Actually I loved the playfullness of the lyrics, yet with a very rude tone to them

That image is from his The Same December video

I don't know why he used it for Dinner With Delores

November 8,1994 The Some December VideoShoot

Leo and Virgo are missing. They fit in right after Cancer and before Libra. Maybe someone goofed? Lol. And that's just where he happens to be standing.

I looked thru the lyrics to The Same December and I saw nothing that connected to those signs
I'm going to scan thru lyrics from the Chaos & Disorder music next

OldFriends4Sale said:

LA TIMES 7/7/96

4/4 Stars (Excellent)

"Dinner With Delores," is a narrations that like "The Ballad Of Dorothy Parker," wins you over with it's subtlety.

---Cheo Hodari Coker

Wow, had no idea any videos were made from C&D. They're really not that bad, considering. Mostly, I'm just once again reminded of how underrated the album is and how good it sounds now, especially Same December, which I'm pretty sure I wrote off when it came out. Whoops!

One of his best songs. It's not an happy song, but Prince wrote so much music and he comes close to having a musical record of his every emotions. You may not like the sentiments he's displaying, but he made them a work of art.

I was in the crowd on Rockefeller Plaza watching him play this on the Today Show (pics above) that was super fun. A couple days later his band (Sonny T, Eric Leeds...) were on my plane back to Minneapolis. I bumped into them at baggage claim and had them sign my Chaos & Disorder CD I had with me. It must have just come out because Sonny had never seen the cover art yet and he was laughing and laughing about it!

That was the last time I was in NYC and it just so happens I will be there this weekend! Of course hoping for a Prince show or something however I am running the marathon Sunday morning so can't be out late Saturday!

Q

FLUCTUATING
0{+> gives Warner Bros. the kiss-off.
3 Stars (out of 5)

Prettily sung, Dinner With Delores is as delicious as a strawberry, exactly the kind of melody we white heathens keep imploring him to do more of.

-David Cavanagh