When I first heard this songs upon its release in the '80s, I wasn't sure what to make of it. It was weird and like nothing you'd hear on the radio at that time. Which in theory is a good thing, but I struggled a bit to get into it.

However, over the years I've grown to love it. In fact, when I listen to the Lovesexy album I sometimes replace Glam Slam with Escape (Escape is a cousin of Glam Slam, so it's a fair trade).

There's nothing in the song that I can objectively point to says, "that element is great!" So why do I love it? I think there are two things:

1.) Like a lot of Prince songs, I think it has a subliminal hook. It's not something on the surface you immediately notice, but it subsconsicously gets you and sticks in your head. At least for me, that's its effect.

2.) I think it is a perfectly distillation of the Lovesexy era. It's got that distinctive production quality and guitar sounds. It's got Sheila and Bonnie singing (or talking) in the background. It's got Atlanta and Eric. It's got the quasi-pyschodelic sound. The Lovesexy era was one of my favorites, so it's possible this nostalgia is what draws me to the song.

[Edited 12/4/22 19:17pm]

Back when it came out, I was in the Navy. My office mate, Dave, loved it. He loved the Beatles and I loved Prince, so we'd clue either other into stuff all the time. When he heard "Escape" he thought it was so genius and fun. I think it's a really fun side-take to the Lovesexy materal. And really, a precursor to him using his own songs to rework into another song (like "Gett Off," "New Power Generation," "Cream" etc).

There's also some organic history behind it since "Snare drums pound and the 2 and 4" is from "Rebirth of the Flesh." Just a lot going on in that little track that makes it fun.

Better than Lovesexy itself. Your distillation point is on-point.

I kind of liked it when he sampled/interpolated his own material. Or used similar phrases/outtake phrases. Makes it seem like a shared universe of songs, like the Beetles "Glass Onion".

[Edited 12/4/22 20:56pm]

Well then i am the strange on ein here.

I don't hate it, but i'm not a great fan of this track.

I sounds (to me) like it was a fast assembled fun track.

An unfinished demo having Prince fooing around with a rand new sampler synthesizer, that's what I think.

The uninspired girly ''Free your mind from this ratrace'' chant... I never liked it.

But the horns are nice, and the guitar licks as usual, are stunning.

Just my humble thought.

I always thought it was an ok song, but nothing great. Will revisit it tonight...

The great B-Side of the Lovesexy singles surely is Scarlett Pussy - now that is a classic

And the long version of I Wish U Heaven Parts 1-3 is of course also indispensible

I played this (and still do) more than Glam Slam.

Vannormal said:

Well then i am the strange on ein here.

I don't hate it, but i'm not a great fan of this track.

I sounds (to me) like it was a fast assembled fun track.

An unfinished demo having Prince fooing around with a rand new sampler synthesizer, that's what I think.

The uninspired girly ''Free your mind from this ratrace'' chant... I never liked it.

But the horns are nice, and the guitar licks as usual, are stunning.

Just my humble thought.

I agree that it sounds like Prince just messing around, having fun and experiementing. But to me that's a good thing.

Better than Glam Slam? Balderdash!

I do like it, though. It sounds like something Prince and the band just rattled together on a Sunday afternoon, in the best possible way.

not an amazing song, but a cool one, for sure

SNARE DRUM POUND ON THE TWO AND FOUR is in itself classic.

I heard an alternate version with the badly needed guitar solo still included.

Other than that, it's still the first time where i thought the extended B-side was better than the remixed A-side

nayroo2002 said:

I heard an alternate version with the badly needed guitar solo still included.

Other than that, it's still the first time where i thought the extended B-side was better than the remixed A-side

The extended Escpae was light years better than the remixed Glam Slam (remixed by Shep Petitbone).

Notice how Escape still sounds weird and uniquely Prince even now, 35 years later. It's timeless. Yet remixed Glam Slam sounds cheesy and dated, like a parody of an '80s song.

I didn't enjoy any of Shep's remixes and was not pleased they wasted a spot on SOTT SDE edition by including the unreleased Shep remxed of Strange Relationship. Had that verson been an official releease during Prince's lifetime I would have understood its inclusion for completeness. But why include it when Prince didn't oversee or approve the remix? It's basically a fan version. [End diatribe]

[Edited 12/5/22 11:48am]

I fell in love with it when I first heard it in 1993. 29 years later, I still like it. It's fun.

lurker316 said:

nayroo2002 said:

I heard an alternate version with the badly needed guitar solo still included.

Other than that, it's still the first time where i thought the extended B-side was better than the remixed A-side

The extended Escpae was light years better than the remixed Glam Slam (remixed by Shep Petitbone).

Notice how Escape still sounds weird and uniquely Prince even now, 35 years later. It's timeless. Yet remixed Glam Slam sounds cheesy and dated, like a parody of an '80s song.

I didn't enjoy any of Shep's remixes and was not pleased they wasted a spot on SOTT SDE edition by including the unreleased Shep remxed of Strange Relationship. Had that verson been an official releease during Prince's lifetime I would have understood its inclusion for completeness. But why include it when Prince didn't oversee or approve the remix? It's basically a fan version. [End diatribe]

[Edited 12/5/22 11:48am]

That Glam Slam remix, along with the Hot Thing ones the year before, were the first times I turned my nose up at anything Prince 12". He was so clearly not involved.

LoveGalore said:

DONT GET ON DA SCALE IF U AINT GOT THA WEIGHT ITS MO HARDAH TO LOVE THAN IT IS TO HATE Escape is in the pantheon of epic b side gems and is definitely one of the last ones!

Co-sign.

As a b-side, Escape is great! The "demo" version from Hard 2 Get Volume 7 elevates the song even more. If I remember correctly, it pre-dates horns being added and there are more synths, a heavier drum, more electric guitar, maybe even more psychadelic.

Doozer said:

As a b-side, Escape is great! The "demo" version from Hard 2 Get Volume 7 elevates the song even more. If I remember correctly, it pre-dates horns being added and there are more synths, a heavier drum, more electric guitar, maybe even more psychadelic.

I'd totally forgotten about that bootleg version. Thanks for jogging my memory. I'm jaming to it right now. I agree with your discription and think it's great.

A fairly weak song. Haven't heard it in years. Now, Girl and Eye Love U in me, those great.

2freaky said:

A fairly weak song. Haven't heard it in years. Now, Girl and Eye Love U in me, those great.

We have different tastes. Girl sounded like every other song you'd hear on the radio in the mid-80s, and I Love U In Me had some cringe-inducing lyrics. In contrast, Escape was a uniquely Prince song. No one else was doing anything like it.

[Edited 12/6/22 9:10am]

lurker316 said:

2freaky said:

A fairly weak song. Haven't heard it in years. Now, Girl and Eye Love U in me, those great.

We have different tastes. Girl sounded like every other song you'd hear on the radio in the mid-80s, and I Love U In Me had some cringe-inducing lyrics. In contrast, Escape was a uniquely Prince song. No one else was doing anything like it.

Man, I agree so much. I rarely listen to Girl and never to I Love u In Me. Cue up Escape any day first, especially that unreleased version.

lurker316 said:

2freaky said:

A fairly weak song. Haven't heard it in years. Now, Girl and I Love U in me, those great.

We have different tastes. Girl sounded like every other song you'd hear on the radio in the mid-80s, and I Love U In Me had some cringe-inducing lyrics. In contrast, Escape was a uniquely Prince song. No one else was doing anything like it.

I'd agree with this to some extent. "Girl" (Prince's, not The Time's) is mind-numbing. Listenable of course, and from the golden era. But would I listen to it over "Escape?" Nope. "Escape" is much more unique and fits so succinctly into its era. Not better or worse, just more... itself.

And fuck all y'all for still hating on "I Love U In Me."

TrivialPursuit said:

I'd agree with this to some extent. "Girl" (Prince's, not The Time's) is mind-numbing. Listenable of course, and from the golden era. But would I listen to it over "Escape?" Nope. "Escape" is much more unique and fits so succinctly into its era. Not better or worse, just more... itself.

And fuck all y'all for still hating on "I Love U In Me."

I can forgive "I Love U in Me"'s sappiness, but I just can't get past the line: "Making love is like surgery." God, that's terrible.

One of the reasons I didn't initially love Escape is that I only had the 7" version. That's too short and doesn't really go anywhere. All of the most interesting bits happen after the fade out. Once I heard the extended / full version is when I first began to appreciate its genuis.

[Edited 12/7/22 6:31am]

lurker316 said:

lurker316 said:

One of the reasons I didn't initially love Escape is that I only had the 7" version. That's too short and doesn't really go anywhere. All of the most interesting bits happen after the fade out. Once I heard the extended / full version is when I first began to appreciate its genuis.

[Edited 12/7/22 6:31am]

Along those lines, I was kinda mortified when The Hits/The B-Sides came out and I learned how so many songs I'd loved had been butchered for the 7". I think the worst offender was Another Lonely Christmas... I couldn't believe they released it like that.

[Edited 12/7/22 13:23pm]

lurker316 said:

LoveGalore said:

lurker316 said:

I can forgive "I Love U in Me"'s sappiness, but I just can't get past the line: "Making love is like surgery." God, that's terrible.

I love the song but for years thought it was: "She took off her dress and I... took a pee."

Not totally unrealistic, tho.