If I Was Your Girlfriend
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| "If I Was Your Girlfriend" | ||
|---|---|---|
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| U.S. 7" single | ||
| Single by Prince | ||
| from the album Sign “☮” the Times | ||
| B-side(s) | "Shockadelica" | |
| Released | 6 May 1987 | |
| Format | 7" single 12" single |
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| Recorded | Home studio, Minneapolis and Sunset Sound; March – December 1986 | |
| Genre | Pop, funk, Experimental | |
| Length | 7" edit: 3:46 Album/12": 4:54 |
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| Label | Paisley Park Records | |
| Writer(s) | Prince | |
| Producer(s) | Prince | |
| Chart positions | ||
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| Prince singles chronology | ||
| "Sign “☮” the Times" (1987) |
"If I Was Your Girlfriend" (1987) |
"U Got the Look" (1987) |
"If I Was Your Girlfriend" was the second single off Prince's widely acclaimed 1987 double album Sign “☮” the Times. While it is today considered one of his most notable songs, at the time of its release the song did not chart well in the U.S., perhaps due to the record's androgynous vocal and gender-bending lyrics. The track was originally from the Camille project of 1986, which was to be released under the guise of a female named Camille, rather than by Prince. Regardless, the song is actually sung from a male perspective to a woman, wherein Prince explores the possibilities of a more intimate relationship if he were his lover's (platonic) girlfriend. Musically, the song is based on a bass and drum machine pattern, punctuated by a keyboard line that evokes sadness. Prince's speeded vocals are intensely emotional and heartfelt.
The B-side to the track was another Camille track, "Shockadelica". The track was actually written in response to an album of the same name by former Time member, Jesse Johnson. Prince heard Johnson's album before its release and commented that a great album should have a great title track. Johnson disagreed so Prince went out and recorded the track and had it played on a Minneapolis radio station before the release of Johnson's album. The public perception would be that Johnson was copying Prince's idea and this caused some bad blood between Johnson and Prince.
"Shockadelica" was originally to be on the Camille album, and even references Camille in the lyrics. When Camille was scrapped in favor of Crystal Ball, "Shockadelica" again made the cut, but was deleted from the tracklist when the set was trimmed to Sign “☮” the Times. Thankfully the track was released as a B-side and later on The Hits/The B-Sides.
"Shockadelica" is a pop-funk number using a drum machine pattern similar to "Housequake". A funky guitar riff is present throughout the song, as well as a few rock guitar solos. The song is much more upbeat than "If I Was Your Girlfriend" and Prince's speeded vocal even sounds humorous at times. The theme of the song is a woman with a hypnotic attraction. The 12" single is the full version of the song, while the version on The Hits/The B-Sides is an edit.
The track If I Was Your Girlfriend was covered on the highly popular TLC album Crazy Sexy Cool, released in 1994. Though the group did not release the track as a single, it stands out on the album, as their signature sound perfectly mirrors Prince's vocals and funk atmosphere.
In 2003, the Jay-Z single Bonnie & Clyde '03, featuring Beyonce on vocals, from the double album Blueprint 2: The Gift & The Curse, used several lines of the song, fitting it in perfectly with the use of Tupac's Me & My Girlfriend track as the chorus and Jay-Z's original rap.
