Kiss (song)
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| "Kiss" | ||
|---|---|---|
 |
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| U.S. 7" single | ||
| Single by Prince | ||
| from the album Parade | ||
| B-side(s) | "♥ or $" | |
| Released | 5 February 1986 | |
| Format | 7" single 12" single |
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| Recorded | Washington Avenue Warehouse (Mpls.) and Sunset Sound; 1985 | |
| Genre | Pop, Funk, Minimalist | |
| Length | Album: 3:38 7" single: 3:46 12" single: 7:16 |
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| Label | Paisley Park Records | |
| Writer(s) | Prince | |
| Producer(s) | Prince | |
| Certification | Gold - (5 May, 1986) | |
| Chart positions | ||
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| Prince singles chronology | ||
| "America" (1985) |
"Kiss" (1986) |
"Mountains" (1986) |
| Prince (UK) singles chronology | ||
| "Pop Life" (1985) |
"Kiss" (1986) |
"Mountains" (1986) |
"Kiss" is a 1986 song by Prince and the Revolution, from the album Parade. "Kiss" started as a short acoustic demo, about a minute in length, with one verse and the chorus. Prince gave the song to the funk band Mazarati for their debut album. Mazarati and producer David Z. drastically reworked the song, giving it its unique raw funk and oddly effective stripped-down minimalist sound. When Mazarati delivered the song to Prince, he was amazed at their work and decided to take back the song for himself. He replaced their lead vocal, added the guitar break in the chorus and edited the song to its present form.
Mazarati were credited for their backing vocals, which Prince left intact. He added the song at the last minute to Parade. Despite Warner Bros. not wanting to release it as a single, "Kiss" became Prince's third number-one U.S. hit following 1984's highly successful "When Doves Cry" and "Let's Go Crazy". The song won Prince another Grammy Award for Best R&B Vocal Performance by a Duo or Group, and was nominated for Best R&B Song. [1] The song has become a staple at Prince's concerts and is usually sung partially by the audience.
The 12" single of the song is an extension of the album track. The extended section is based on the funky guitar line and contains much fuller instrumentation than the main track, including bass, keys and horns. New lyrics are present from Prince with Wendy and Lisa that ends with a humorous dialogue between a wife and her husband watching Prince on television. The B-side of "Kiss" was the funky "♥ or $" ("Love or Money"), sung in a processed, higher-pitched vocal, which Prince would later use for his Camille material. The song relates to the theme in Under the Cherry Moon and a bit of the song was heard in the film, as was a bit of the extended version of "Kiss". The extended "Kiss" was included on 2006's Ultimate but "♥ or $" has oddly never been re-released.
[edit] Trivia
- Tom Jones had a hit single when covering this song with The Art of Noise in 1988.
- Prince has stated that he has never been happy with the arrangement on this song and it is arranged differently for each tour.
- The music video of this song features Prince dancing sexually with a veiled girl performing exotic dances. The only Revolution member in the video is Wendy Melvoin, sitting on a barstool playing her guitar.
- Rolling Stone ranked the song #461 on their list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.
- Prince changed the lyrics , " You don't have to watch Dynasty/To have an attitude" to "You don't have to watch Sex In the City/To have an attitude" as seen in his performance at the Rock N' Roll Hall of Fame.
| Preceded by "Rock Me Amadeus" by Falco |
Billboard Hot 100 number one single April 19, 1986 |
Succeeded by "Addicted to Love" by Robert Palmer |
| Preceded by "What Have You Done For Me Lately" by Janet Jackson |
Billboard's Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks number-one single March 22, 1986 |
Succeeded by "I Have Learned to Respect the Power of Love" by Stephanie Mills |
