Darling Nikki
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| "Darling Nikki" | ||
|---|---|---|
| Song by Prince | ||
| from the album Purple Rain | ||
| Released | 25 June 1984 | |
| Recorded | Sunset Sound, 1983 | |
| Genre | Rock | |
| Length | 4:13 | |
| Label | Warner Bros. Records | |
| Writer(s) | Prince | |
| Composer(s) | Prince | |
| Producer(s) | Prince | |
| Purple Rain track listing | ||
| "Computer Blue" (4) |
"Darling Nikki" (5) |
"When Doves Cry" (6) |
"Darling Nikki" is a song produced, arranged, composed and performed by Prince and originally released on his Grammy Award-winning album Purple Rain (1984). Though the song was not originally released as a single, it gained wide notoriety for its sexual lyrics. Partly due to the lyrical content of "Darling Nikki", Tipper Gore founded the Parents Music Resource Center, which eventually led to the use of "Parental Advisory" stickers and imprints on album covers.
The song is a guitar-driven rocker, telling the story of a "sex-fiend" named Nikki who seduces Prince. The song was directed toward Apollonia Kotero in the Purple Rain film when she decided to work with Prince's rival, Morris Day. The song has the appearance of being recorded live in a single take, due to the gritty nature of the guitar and to the live drum kit, though Purple Rain's liner notes state the entire song was performed by Prince.
The ending of the song contains a short segment recorded backwards over a rain sound effect, to contain a hidden message. The segment, when played in reverse, is a sharp contrast to the profane song, with a chorus singing, "Hello, how are you? I'm fine, 'cause I know that the Lord is coming soon. Coming, coming soon." During the Purple Rain tour performances of "Darling Nikki", the recording at the end was played, but not in reverse.
[edit] Outtake
A circulating outtake of "Darling Nikki" contains an instrumental subdued section in the middle of keyboard onslaught at the end of the song. Also, it does not have the backmasking segment tacked on to the end, instead Prince performs an extended hard guitar solo devoid of any other instruments.
[edit] Cover versions
In 2003, alternative rock band, the Foo Fighters recorded a cover of the song, which they included as a B-side on their 2004 single "Have It All" , Coincidentally , Prince covered their song "Best of You" at Super Bowl XLI , Though their version of "Darling Nikki" was never officially a single, it found success at American Modern Rock radio, peaking at #15 there. The Chicago punk-band Apocalypse Hoboken also recorded a cover of the song, which appeared on their 2000 album Microstars. A jazz instrumental version appears on the first album (MTO vol.1) by Steve Bernstein's Millennial Territory Orchestra.
