Released: 16 May 1984, B-side of ‘When Doves Cry’

If the B-sides from the ‘1999’ era were an aperitif to whet our appetites with the delights he had in store for us, then ‘17 Days’ and the B-side that was on the follow-up single release were surely the entrée. It was a full-course meal that would continue to feed and nourish fans with B-sides until at least 1992.

‘17 Days’ could just be one of Prince’s catchiest songs, it is certainly up there, as it is a pop song through and through. A song pretty much any other act in the history of popular music up to that point in time would have chosen to release as an A-side or double A-side, and it would have been one of their signature songs; it is that good. Perplexing as he was, Prince relegated it to a supporting track. Paired with the A-side of ‘When Doves Cry’, which became Prince’s first No.1 single in the USA and ended up the biggest-selling single of 1984 in the USA according to Billboard, selling over 2 million units. Perhaps there was a strategy at play here, as ‘17 Days’ did end up finding its way into people’s homes more than any other Prince B-side, and at a time in his career when he was at his most commercial and becoming known to many for the first time.

There are many reasons why ‘17 Days’ is cherished by Prince fans, it’s a catchy yet melancholy song, and of course superbly performed and produced but that goes for much of Prince’s recording output. The song covers familiar territory too - a man with a broken heart, going through the pain of a breakup,who was left by his girlfriend 17 days and 17 long nights ago, and has a new partner. ’17 Days’ thus resonates deeply with many because it taps into a universal experience – the sting of a lost love. Whether you're a teenager navigating your first heartbreak or a young adult facing a more serious break-up, the song's emotional core hits home. This relatable theme, alongside the A-side's exploration of human relationships from the perspective of how our approach to life and our relationships are influenced, knowingly or not, by our parents, likely explains why it holds a special place in the hearts of many teenagers and young adults from the 80s, including myself. It was then, and is still, a song that could be played over and over helping you get through the pain of early life breakups with the love of your life at high school or college. The lyrics of ’17 Days’ aligned well with what you were going through and helped you get through a lot of heartache,regardless of whether you were a smoker or not.

The song has a bassline that is elastically popping away throughout, and despite the melancholy lyrics the music makes for hypnotically upbeat and groovy pop music that at forty-plus years and counting still sounds fresh. As an aside, while she sings backing vocals on the track, I dearly hope there is a Jill Jones solo version in the vault somewhere, as I’d love to hear how she would have approached this song with her voice.

The A-side ‘When Doves Cry’ is credited to Prince alone, but ‘17 Days’ as the B-side holds the distinction of being the first commercially released single to be overtly credited to ‘Prince and The Revolution’ and was a group written song by Prince, with Lisa Coleman, Dr. Fink and Wendy Melvoin; and thus began the start of something very special on record and live in concert for the next three years.

And if you were ever wondering what Prince did for fun, there’s also a live rehearsal version of the song on the 2018 album 'Piano & A Microphone 1983' that is entirely beautiful. It’s just Prince and a piano, no band, just a-jamming and a-grooving away to himself; feeling out the song, having fun improvising and ad-libbing as he goes. Less a polished pop gem, more a very special chance to hear a part of the process that went into Prince's musical creations, as well as his personality at play, on what is an embryonic version of ’17 Days.’

But to be honest, this is not a song to read about, especially if you’ve never heard either version, it should be an experience through hearing, not telling; so, my strong recommendation is to check it out and make your mind up on whether it should or could have been an A-side in its own right…

… you’re back, hello again.

Where was I, oh yes, alas ’17 Days’ wasn’t a song that appeared too often in Prince’s touring repertoire, but two great performances of ‘17 Days’ can be enjoyed again and again on YouTube from different eras of his long career. Firstly, as the opening track to the sublime Prince and The Revolution gig on Prince’s birthday, 7th June 1984 at First Avenue, Minneapolis. Secondly, for nearly nine glorious minutes fromthe ‘Welcome 2 America’ (2021) deluxe edition on 28th April 2011 at The Forum in Inglewood, California. Both versions make for blissful pop music, despite being played 27 yearsapart by completely different bands; I have a slight preference for the 2011 version, which is saying something given how great the birthday gig from 1984 is!

Several covers exist, by O'Chi Brown,1985, Living Colour, 1993, Dam-Funk, 2012 and Susan Voelz, 2016. Some sampling too, ‘Paper Thin’ by MC Lyte, 1988, Que. ‘D's Cash Flow (J DILLA REMIX)’ by Que. D, 1996, ‘It's on You’ by Freedom of Soul, 1991 and ‘3 Kings & a Queen!’ by Sadat X and El Da Sensei feat. R.A. The Rugged Man and Sa-Roc, 2018.

But the one cover, sample, mix to rule them all is one by Louis La Roche from 2022, who takes the 1983 live performance version that's on the album 'Piano & A Microphone 1983' and gives this beautiful song a whole newIbiza Sunday chill-out vibe that’s more than worth checking out…