Escape (a.k.a. Escape (Free Yo Mind From This Rat Race)) was released as the b-side of Glam Slam, the second single from Prince's tenth album Lovesexy. In 1993, the song was included as the third track on The B-Sides compilation (included as the third and final disc on The Hits / The B-Sides).

While specific recording dates are not known, basic tracking took place in May 1988 at Paisley Park Studios in Chanhassen, Minnesota. Containing samples from the song Glam Slam, Escape was clearly designed specifically for the Glam Slam single.

Escape's opening lyrics were used as a brief introduction to the opening medley on every date of the Lovesexy Tour in 1988-9.

Yup! Third favorite song of the Lovesexy era after "Anna Stesia" and "I Wish U Heaven". The full, 6-minute long version is great dance music.

LOVE that song. One of my fave B-sides.

YES! the long version is EVERYTHING!

It's a throw-away track imo

It was one of the first times Prince created a separate song from existing elements like that. He would later visit the idea on things like "Gett Off", "Cream", "New Power Generation", "Batdance", and "7", and even "Wet Dream". He still experimented with the idea on things like "7 Minute Mo' Quake", the "Alphabet St" extended, and further back with "Paisley Park". "Escape" saw him honing the idea more.

My Navy buddy got into the song a lot. There's a little sound right after "15 minutes ain't long enough", I think, that sounds like a Warner Bros cartoon sound effect. It always gave it a bit of whimsy to me.

It's also an interesting piece because it pulls from "Rebirth of the Flesh", and even has certainly tonal and sonic elements from "Dance On" and "Eye No". I love the echoey reverby goodness in it.

Musical Crusfiction going down down down...

funnily enough had this on repeat in the car on the journey home tonight...it's bloody great especially the horns.

TrivialPursuit said:

It was one of the first times Prince created a separate song from existing elements like that. He would later visit the idea on things like "Gett Off", "Cream", "New Power Generation", "Batdance", and "7", and even "Wet Dream". He still experimented with the idea on things like "7 Minute Mo' Quake", the "Alphabet St" extended, and further back with "Paisley Park". "Escape" saw him honing the idea more.

My Navy buddy got into the song a lot. There's a little sound right after "15 minutes ain't long enough", I think, that sounds like a Warner Bros cartoon sound effect. It always gave it a bit of whimsy to me.

It's also an interesting piece because it pulls from "Rebirth of the Flesh", and even has certainly tonal and sonic elements from "Dance On" and "Eye No". I love the echoey reverby goodness in it.

Funny you should mention that. I always hated that sound effect, and this morning, on the way to work, I was playing the unreleased version that doesn't have it. But the fact that I know where its supposed to be, I end up sort of whistling it. The damage is done!

SquirrelMeat said:

TrivialPursuit said:

There's a little sound right after "15 minutes ain't long enough", I think, that sounds like a Warner Bros cartoon sound effect. It always gave it a bit of whimsy to me.

Funny you should mention that. I always hated that sound effect, and this morning, on the way to work, I was playing the unreleased version that doesn't have it. But the fact that I know where its supposed to be, I end up sort of whistling it. The damage is done!

TrivialPursuit said:

It was one of the first times Prince created a separate song from existing elements like that. He would later visit the idea on things like "Gett Off", "Cream", "New Power Generation", "Batdance", and "7", and even "Wet Dream". He still experimented with the idea on things like "7 Minute Mo' Quake", the "Alphabet St" extended, and further back with "Paisley Park". "Escape" saw him honing the idea more.

My Navy buddy got into the song a lot. There's a little sound right after "15 minutes ain't long enough", I think, that sounds like a Warner Bros cartoon sound effect. It always gave it a bit of whimsy to me.

It's also an interesting piece because it pulls from "Rebirth of the Flesh", and even has certainly tonal and sonic elements from "Dance On" and "Eye No". I love the echoey reverby goodness in it.

I really liked it when he would do that. After all it's great to explore the elements of a track to see where else it can go.

Over the years Prince seemed to borrow from loads of his tracks very tiny elements that can be herad in other songs.

darkroman said:

I really liked it when he would do that. After all it's great to explore the elements of a track to see where else it can go.

Over the years Prince seemed to borrow from loads of his tracks very tiny elements that can be herad in other songs.

Yeah, and just to be clear I don't mean when he sampled himself, or reused something like the leadline from "Rave" in "The Max". I think more about the NPG single with "Get Off", "The Lubricated Lady", and "Loveleft, Loveright", the extended maxis for "Gett Off" with "Housebangers", "Do Your Dance", etc.

Hell, things like the outtakes from Graffiti Bridge are all an extension of the other. "My Tree", "Oopey Doopey" (or whatever it's called), and all that stuff.

Sorry no. Never liked this one. Before this one, Prince B-sides were fairly complete and unique songs that easily could have fit on an album. They were always a great snack while waiting for the next one. IMHO, this one is one of the first where you can hear why it ended up on the cutting room floor.

But if you like it, thats cool too.

[Edited 4/27/18 10:20am]

"Don't get on the scale if U ain't got the weight! It's mo' hard 2 love than it is 2 hate!"

Love, love, love Escape! The extended version is just all kinds of quirky perfect.

emesem said:

Sorry no. Never liked this one. Before this one, Prince B-sides were fairly complete and unique songs that easily could have fit on an album. They were always a great snack while waiting for the next one. IMHO, this one is one of the first where you can hear why it ended up on the cutting room floor.

But if you like it, thats cool too.

[Edited 4/27/18 10:20am]

it was not on the floor it was put together to go with glam slam.

Fine song . Haven't listened 2 the official long version in a while, cuz I'm lazy, but the boot long version is almost as good, without the adlibs n thangs n a different drum beat of course .

I remember [legendary radio DJ] John Peel playing it in the UK, and saying something like "it's the best thing Prince has done in years" and just being baffled. I mean, it *alright*...

Oh yes! I have always liked it!

TrivialPursuit said:

darkroman said:

I really liked it when he would do that. After all it's great to explore the elements of a track to see where else it can go.

Over the years Prince seemed to borrow from loads of his tracks very tiny elements that can be herad in other songs.

Yeah, and just to be clear I don't mean when he sampled himself, or reused something like the leadline from "Rave" in "The Max". I think more about the NPG single with "Get Off", "The Lubricated Lady", and "Loveleft, Loveright", the extended maxis for "Gett Off" with "Housebangers", "Do Your Dance", etc.

Hell, things like the outtakes from Graffiti Bridge are all an extension of the other. "My Tree", "Oopey Doopey" (or whatever it's called), and all that stuff.

Yep, totally agree, and tracks like Violet The Organ Grinder!

Pure perfection! and even Escape is awesome!

darkroman said:

Yep, totally agree, and tracks like Violet The Organ Grinder!

Pure perfection!

"Violet The Organ Grinder" has some of the most clever lyrics, I think. Not the ultimate, but some are up there. "I can deal with a sucker if he's in your mouth, but I can't deal with insincere".

TrivialPursuit said:

darkroman said:

Yep, totally agree, and tracks like Violet The Organ Grinder!

Pure perfection!

"Violet The Organ Grinder" has some of the most clever lyrics, I think. Not the ultimate, but some are up there. "I can deal with a sucker if he's in your mouth, but I can't deal with insincere".

yup, i've always loved that one. that is a great line

Agree witht the throwaway comment earlier, always saw it as the lesser of the Hits the B side tracks. It has some gorgeous Prince harmonys and as mentioned above the "don't step on the scales if you don't have the weight" still a Prince song, and a good song. Better than the always disappointing Life O the Party (how cool would this track have been to surface rather than that blah track).

I like it very much and I think alot of his B-sides are just as good as the hits and other songs that made it on the albums.

It's a real shame the B-side went the way of the Do Do. Every two or three albums you could put together an 8 or 9 song "album" from the b-sides.

Rebeljuice said:

It's a real shame the B-side went the way of the Do Do. Every two or three albums you could put together an 8 or 9 song "album" from the b-sides.

B-sides are not on regular albums, thats why they are called b-sides. The main single is from an album, but the b-side was never released on the album itself.

nextedition said:

Rebeljuice said:

It's a real shame the B-side went the way of the Do Do. Every two or three albums you could put together an 8 or 9 song "album" from the b-sides.

B-sides are not on regular albums, thats why they are called b-sides. The main single is from an album, but the b-side was never released on the album itself.

Perhaps you should read again what I wrote...

TheFman said:

It's a throw-away track imo

I agree.Nothing special about this track.