was it a billboard hit, I mean? I know it was a radio hit, but was it a chart hit? does anyone remember? Prince geeks, come out. :d

It went to #1 on the Billboard dance/disco charts but never hit the Hot 100 pop charts. I don't know what radio station you heard it on but with the song saying f*ck a million times, I assume it wasn't a commercial statement.

The radio was ALL OVER Erotic City 'round here too...
I think the 'suits' were told that Prince was saying "Funk so pretty".

Funny thing is, the female voice was always blurted out here,
but Prince's line was left untouched, even though it was
clearly apparent what he was saying...

Prince got away with one on this song...

Revolution said:

hell yeah he got away with it, the song was so damn funky, even radio censors couldnt stop it yet another testament to Prince's genius

i heard it on the radio to, but it was edited so bad it sounded like a record skipping. whats the fucking point

i heard it on the radio last year and they kept all the fuck parts in but bleeped out cherry. what the fuck? bleep out cherry?

I once spoke to a local radio Dj and just out of curiosity,I asked them how they were able to play "Erotic City" with the word "fuck" in it.His response?

"Oh,they're really saying "We can FUNK".He said this with a straight face.

DavidEye said:

aaaahahahhaaa. thanks for the laugh. he definitely got over with this song.

does anyone know of a song aside from erotic city that escaped having the word 'fuck' censored?

dealodelandron said:

I can think of two songs,both from the 70s...


***"One Of A Kind (Love Affair)" by the Spinners (1973)---after the instrumental break,they start singing the chorus again.But lead singer Philippe Wynne (accidentally?) blurts out "Makes you wanna love her....you just have to fuck her,yeah".When listeners and radio programmers caught this,Atlantic Records,with much embarassment,quickly edited it out of the single version.But it remains intact on the album version.

***"Got To Give It Up" by Marvin Gaye (1977)---there was always a little controversy about this song,with some people insisting that he's singing...."You can fuck me when you want to,baby".Most people swear he's saying "funk",but you never know...lol...

david you are my hero I hope the youngsters on the site know what they have in you. Your knowledge is incredible.....

didn't bootsy collins have a song that said "get the funk outta my face?"

by the way, does anybody remember the "erotic city rap?"

dealodelandron said:

ah-ha.

if this is the case with an easy exchange of "fuck" with "funk", then both "Batdance" and "My Name Is Prince" are guilty of escaping censorship, also.

Batdance: "get the fuck(funk) up!"

My Name Is Prince: "i did not come/ 2 fuck(funk) around!"

incidently, the video for MNIP was kind of censored with a swooping sound, but the radio would just let it go.

IT IS JUST A WORD.

"...and i've seen more tits at the mall than on tv"

Here in NYC, "Erotic City" got plenty of air play in 1985. The only station that would bleep the word "F***" was a well known Black owned station(WBLS). I guess they never had the version with FUNK on it.
But the song ADORE--"I ain't fucking just for kicks" was never edited.

enjoyniki said:

that's true it wasnt edited on DC stations either...it still isnt, to this day.

I remember "erotic city" on the radio, I didn't really know who it was... but they definitely did not say any "fuck" s in the single that was aired. Not one. When I first heard the 12", someof my friends were actually turned off of the song by the surprise appearance of "fuck"s all over the place.

SquarePeg said:

It was on the radio here in Boston just yesterday! And it wasn't edited.

Man, I still get all aflutter when I hear him on the radio, even when it's a song I've played out to death...

***"Got To Give It Up" by Marvin Gaye (1977)---there was always a little controversy about this song,with some people insisting that he's singing...."You can fuck me when you want to,baby".Most people swear he's saying "funk",but you never know...lol...[/quote]

Knowing how Marvin was...I'm sure he said it!

i heard it on the radio and when i first heard it i thought he was saying thought so pretty you and me. maybe that is what the radio people thought too.

of course once i found out what he was saying, it gave me a good laugh hearing on the radio.

there was this radio station that changed formats from rock to country. on the last day of its rock format, the dj played erotic city. i thought that he must have played it as some kind of protest to changing formats.

FunkMistress said:

same here

when i was a kid "get it up" was all over the radio and it was pretty clear that they/he was saying " get it up...i'll fuck u all nite" i think my parents were hearing "funk u all nite" cause they never turned it of....

thats "off". not "of"

dealodelandron said:

In Blondie's "Rapture" doesn't she sing "fing-er fuck-ing..." in one of the bridges?

rockwilder said:

I still want that damn song!!!!!