17 Days
{{song|
|song name = 17 Days
|album image = 
single art for When Doves Cry
from the album Piano & A Microphone 1983
|single image = 
included on The Hits / The B-Sides
single art for 17 Days
|performer = Prince and the Revolution
|first released = 16 May 1984 - When Doves Cry single
|album(s) = The Hits / The B-Sides
|writer(s) = Prince, Lisa Coleman, Dr. Fink, Wendy Melvoin (credited to Prince and the Revolution)
|producer(s) = Prince (credited to Prince and the Revolution)
|previous song = 17
|next song = 18 (R U Legal Yet?)
|introduction = 17 Days (full title as copyrighted 17 Days (the rain will come down, then U will have 2 choose. If U believe look 2 the dawn and U shall never lose.)) was released as the b-side of the single When Doves Cry, the first single to be released from Purple Rain, released worldwide. In 1993, it was included as the 15th track on The B-Sides compilation (included as the third and final disc on The Hits / The B-Sides). A 1983 piano rehearsal of the track was also included on the 2018 posthumous release Piano & A Microphone 1983, and released two weeks prior to the album as a pre-release download. The same version was released as the A-side of a 7" vinyl 17 Days (Piano Version) single distributed as cover mount with the October 2018 edition of Rolling Stone magazine in Germany in September 2018.
While specific recording dates for 17 Days are not known, it was initially recorded at The Warehouse in St. Louis Park, Minnesota in August 1983, likely a couple of days after Let’s Go Crazy and Computer Blue, with Brenda Bennett on vocals. By this time Vanity had just left the Prince camp and Apollonia was yet to be cast as her replacement. So it was never really intended for either Vanity 6 or Apollonia 6, but perhaps Prince had a solo project with Brenda Bennett in mind.
The song was later re-recorded on 8 January 1984 at Sunset Sound in Hollywood, California (three days after Oliver’s House) with Wendy Melvoin and Lisa Coleman providing some background vocals and worked on further in March. While the When Doves Cry single was credited only to Prince, 17 Days was credited to Prince and the Revolution, marking it the earliest release of a track containing this credit.
|recording info =
|- align="left"
|style="border-top:1px dotted #ccc;"|August 1983
|style="border-top:1px dotted #ccc;"|The Warehouse,
St. Louis Park, MN, USA
|style="border-top:1px dotted #ccc;"|Tracking of jam version,
|- align="left"
|style="border-top:1px dotted #ccc;"|August 1983
|style="border-top:1px dotted #ccc;"|Kiowa Trail Home Studio,
Chanhassen, MN, USA
|style="border-top:1px dotted #ccc;"|Brenda Bennett vocals
|- align="left"
|style="border-top:1px dotted #ccc;"|Spring - Autumn 1983 (estimate)
|style="border-top:1px dotted #ccc;"|Kiowa Trail Home Studio,
Chanhassen, MN, USA
|style="border-top:1px dotted #ccc;"|Rehearsal recording - (Piano & A Microphone 1983 Version)
|- align="left"
|style="border-top:1px dotted #ccc;"|18 September 1983
|style="border-top:1px dotted #ccc;"|Sunset Sound - Studio 3 ,
Hollywood, CA, USA
|style="border-top:1px dotted #ccc;"|Jam (new recording)
|- align="left"
|style="border-top:1px dotted #ccc;"|8 January 1984
|style="border-top:1px dotted #ccc;"|Sunset Sound - Studio 3 ,
Hollywood, CA, USA
|style="border-top:1px dotted #ccc;"|Tracking, re-recording
|- align="left"
|style="border-top:1px dotted #ccc;"|18 March 1984
|style="border-top:1px dotted #ccc;"|Sunset Sound - Studio 3,
Hollywood, CA, USA
|style="border-top:1px dotted #ccc;"|Overdubs
|- align="left"
|style="border-top:1px dotted #ccc;"|21 March 1984
|style="border-top:1px dotted #ccc;"|Sunset Sound- Studio 3,
Hollywood, CA, USA
|style="border-top:1px dotted #ccc;"|Edits
|recording personnel =
Vanity 6/Apollonia 6 version
- Brenda Bennett - lead vocals
- Prince - all instruments, except where noted
- Bobby Z. - drums and percussion
- Brown Mark - bass guitar
- Wendy Melvoin - guitar
- Lisa Coleman - keyboard
- Dr. Fink - keyboard
Prince and the Revolution version
- Prince - all vocals and instruments, except where noted
- Wendy Melvoin - background vocals
- Lisa Coleman - background vocals
- Jill Jones - background vocals (uncredited)
Piano & A Microphone 1983 version
- Prince - all vocals and piano
|released versions =
| Title | Length | Released | Version | Additional info |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 17 Days | 3:54 | When Doves Cry - single |
Studio | a.k.a. B-Side Edit |
| 17 Days | 3:54 | Purple Rain Deluxe Expanded Edition - Single Edits & B-Sides | Studio | Remastered |
| 17 Days | 6:22 | Piano & A Microphone 1983 |
'Rehearsal' | a.k.a. 17 Days (Piano & A Microphone 1983 Version) |
| 17 Days (Piano Version) | 3:14 | 17 Days (Piano Version) single | 'Rehearsal' | edit of the above |
