This song is a rarity because it is one of his few number 1 singles and it is not on a single compilation, not on his Very Best of Prince nor his The Hits/B-Sides. Y?

I am sorry but
I LOVE THIS SONG! GET UR FUNK UP!

I love it too, but I haven't heard it in like forever

Probably due to legal entanglements with DC and the Batman franchise (even though DC is owned by WB, which of course could seemingly do whatever they wanted to do with Batman and/or Batdance).

Batman is an underrated song....i like the transition to a slow funk halfway through.....tight. People often clown on this album.....Don't know why, I think it is pretty good. For some damn reason THE FUTURE pops in my head at odd times, and I haven't listened to the album in years....strange

It's "Get the Funk Out", by the way.

Batdance.....my bad.

Batdance is a "collage" of several songs from the album...

Anx is right - due 2 various legalities with the copyright of the song etc, WB were unable 2 release it on The Hits or Best of albums...

It's kinda corny, but I STILL love it - 4 it's time it was really clever (hey, even Trent Reznor wasn't using audio cut-ups then).

The original version is even better IMO - I like 2 refer 2 it as His 'Bo Rhap'. Loadsa shit goin on.

thesysko said:

It's not, man, he uses samples of other songs or parts of the movie, but it's really a different song.
I loooooveeeeeit

I may be mad but "Musicology" reminds me very much of the mid-section of "Batdance" (the part following the "stop the press - who is that?" sample.)

Just happened to be listening to Batdance the other day for the first time in ages - it's fantastic - can't think of another hit song like it before or since - very unique.

But the best bit is that fierce guitar solo in the middle - one of Prince's best I reckon - the way it ends and the beat changes into the Vicki Vale bit is class.

And the video was just brilliant - no clips from the movie, just dozens of Batmans, Jokers and Vicki Vale's and Prince like a cartoon character in the middle - psychodelic or what?!

Nasalhair said:

It's that guitar riff that makes you think that. Just like the guitar riff in "Alphabet Street" also sounds like "Musicology" -- play it over the bassline and see what happens.

Batdance is a classic...

my fav part is when the song changes into the vicky vale part with the guitar playing....oh my gosh...that part is so tight!!!

oohh yeah, oohh yeah, i wanna bust dat body, ooh yeah, ooh yeah, i wanna bust dat body right

the whole album is good, especially partyman and lemon crush, oh and can't forget scandalous...

CLASSIC, nuff said.

"Batdance' is like an old style overture from a movie soundtack, a summary of all the various musical themes of the film combined into one piece. Except it's so funky.

It's a testament to his creativity that Prince could launch an oddity like this to the top of the charts.

I agree that the tempo transition in the middle of "Batdance" is mad genius. I love the song too.

I think someone said it best...that the reason this thing doesn't reappear on releases might have something to do with copyright hangups with regards to the film clips sampled in the track. BUT...if you look at it from the other angle, both of Prince's greatest hits compilations and the "Batman" film are all owned by Warner Brothers, so that clouds the issue a bit.

I remember reading somewhere that the song was a bit of an afterthought, assembled by Prince at the end of his Batman Soundtrack sessions to be used as a promotional tool to call attention to the film. In a way, its success as a #1 single is something of a happy freak incident. The damage it did, perhaps, is that...in sampling bits of the other album tracks...the other individual songs on the disc weren't given nearly the amount of attention that this "best of the soundtrack" track got.

It's cool to hear that other people on the org appreciate this track. I have to be in the mood for it but I love it. Prince hadn't done anything like it before and hasn't done anything like it since. Come to think of it...who has?

Keith/Kacey

Just like most of Prince's songs he is way ahead of his time. Batdance was great (Vicki Vale remix was good 2)!

JavierAlcalde said:

NOPE

IT COLLAGE OF ALBUM ON TOP OF 200 BALLOON!

PLUS IT FUNKY

STOP PRESS WHO DAT?

metalorange said:

What about 'Flash' from Flash Gordon by Queen?

Both films are about a comic-book hero;

The musicians behind each film, had "royal" names;

Both songs had samples from the movie all over them...
Eg: "Flash! Flash! I love you, but we've only got 14 hours to save the world!" / "Vicki Vale. Vicki Vale";

Both Prince and Freddie Mercury are moustache fans. Well, Freddie was.

Love the song. Loved the album. Actually it's in the car as we speak!

On of my all time favorites is on the album - Electric Chair

Too Funky!

I thought I read in a Rolling Stone article at that time (with a picture of P in red) that "200 Balloons" and "Rave" were both rejected by WB for the Batman album and P quickly came up with a couple more songs ("Trust", maybe?). The liner notes to the Hits says that "Batdance" started as a "200 Balloons" remix, right?

Anotherwontdare said:

THAT SOUND ABOUT RIGHT!

BUT POOK OUT THERE RIGHT NOW

what a beautiful video....

BinaryJustin said:

That's a great comparison. Hadn't thought of that!

"Gordon's ALIVE!"
"DIVE, HAWKMEN, DIVE!"
"Dispense rocket ship Ajax"
"Flash, I love you! But we only have 4 hours to save the Earth!"

Batdance is like a precursor to rave music
He breaks down the song structure, and includes samples in a very creative way.
Like a mini version of the movie.
Way ahead of it's time
Unlike any other song I've heard.
Probably why many people I know didn't like it.

andyman91 said:

Eh? How did u work that out? Rave was MASSIVE here in 1987!

Spanky said:

Don't be sorry; it's a cool track.

BinaryJustin said:

And they both recorded the same tune with different lyrics - Bohemian Rhapsody / 3 Chains O Gold