Baby I’m A Star

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Baby I’m A Star

Purplerain.jpg
from the album Purple Rain
Song details
Performer: Prince and the Revolution
First Released: 25 June 1984 - Purple Rain album
Album(s): Purple Rain

Purple Rain Deluxe Expanded Edition
Prince And The Revolution: Live
Diamonds And Pearls Super Deluxe Edition

Writer(s): Prince (credited to Prince and the Revolution)
Producer(s): Prince (credited to Prince and the Revolution)
Live Appearances
First and last live appearance:
Performed regularly on tour:
Performed occasionally in shows:

Baby I’m A Star is the eighth track on Prince’s sixth album Purple Rain, the first album to be credited to Prince and the Revolution, and, seven months after the album’s release, an edited version was also included as the B-side of Take Me With U, the album’s fifth and final single. The track is also featured in the movie Purple Rain.

Prince first recorded a studio version of the song possibly on 7 December 1981 at Sunset Sound in Hollywood, California. And (with I Would Die 4 U) it was (possibly first) rehearsed with the band on 15 June 1983 at The Warehouse in St. Louis Park, Minnesota. And again on 21 June 1983, in a rehearsal session with the band that also included I Would Die 4 U and Possessed.

It was recorded in rehearsal once more on 12 July 1983, before it was cut live on 3 August 1983 at First Avenue in Minneapolis, Minnesota (at the same concert where I Would Die 4 U and Purple Rain were also recorded).

This First Avenue live version was eventually released, albeit with considerable overdubs. It was included as the eighth track on the 7 November 1983 configuration of the album, and the seventh track on the 23 March 1984 configuration, but became the eighth track on the final 14 April 1984 configuration after some track list changes to the album.

In 1989, Tim Burton used Baby I’m A Star in a rough draft of the Batman movie, during a scene where The Joker leads a parade of large balloons, to indicate the kind of music he wanted in that scene. Once Prince was brought in to provide the music, he provided 200 Balloons as a replacement, which was eventually replaced itself by Trust.


Recording Information
Recording Sessions
Date Studio Additional info
Possibly 7 December 1981 Sunset Sound,
Hollywood, CA, USA
Preliminary version
21 June 1983 The Warehouse,
St. Louis Park, MN, USA
rehearsal recording
12 July 1983 The Warehouse,
St. Louis Park, MN, USA
rehearsal recording
3 August 1983 First Avenue
Minneapolis, MN, USA
Live recording
18 August 1983; 1 September 1983-7 September 1983; 9 September 1983- 12 September 1983 Sunset Sound - Studio 3,
Hollywood, CA, USA
Overdubs, mix
Recording Personnel

81/82 solo version

  • Prince - all vocals and instruments


Warehouse rehearsal version



First Avenue live versions



Versions
Released Versions
Title Length Released Version Additional info
Baby I’m A Star 4:20 Purple Rain

Strange Tales From The Rain promo

Live with overdubs 3 August 1983, First Avenue version; (as recorded) from I Would Die 4 U
Baby I’m A Star 4:20 Purple Rain Deluxe Expanded Edition
Remastered 2015
Baby I’m A Star (Edit) 2:55 Take Me With U single Edit a.k.a. 7" B-Side Edit
Baby I’m A Star (7" B-Side Edit) 2:55 Purple Rain Deluxe Expanded Edition - Single Edits & B-Sides
Edit Remastered
Baby I’m A Star 10:57 Prince And The Revolution: Live Live 30 March 1985, Carrier Dome, Syracuse, NY, USA
Baby I’m A Star 11:33 Prince And The Revolution: Live (2022 re-release) Live 30 March 1985, Carrier Dome, Syracuse, NY, USA. Remastered
1999 / Baby I’m A Star / Push (Medley) (Live At Glam Slam 1992) 9:12 Diamonds And Pearls Super Deluxe Edition Live 11 January 1992, Glam Slam, Minneapolis, MN, USA
Video Versions
Title Length Released Version Additional info
Baby I’m A Star T.B.C. Purple Rain 20th Anniversary DVD Live concert promo video 20 November 1984, Landover, MD, USA; See Baby I’m A Star video for more details
Baby I’m A Star 10:00 Prince And The Revolution: Live VHS/laserdisc

Purple Rain Deluxe Expanded Edition – Live at the Carrier Dome (DVD)
Prince And The Revolution: Live (2022 re-release)

Live 30 March 1985, Carrier Dome, Syracuse, NY, USA
Baby I’m A Star 1:39 Rave Un2 the Year 2000 VHS/DVD Live 18 December 1999, Paisley Park, Chanhassen, MN, USA
1999 / Baby I’m A Star / Push (Medley) (Live At Glam Slam 1992) 9:12 Diamonds And Pearls Super Deluxe Edition blu-ray Live 11 January 1992, Glam Slam, Minneapolis, MN, USA
Let’s Go Crazy / Baby I’m A Star / Push (Medley) (Special Olympics 1991 Soundcheck) ?:?? Diamonds And Pearls Super Deluxe Edition blu-ray Live 20 July 1991, Special Olympics, The Metrodome, Minneapolis, MN
Let’s Go Crazy / Baby I’m A Star / Push (Medley) (Special Olympics 1991) ?:?? Diamonds And Pearls Super Deluxe Edition blu-ray Live 20 July 1991, Special Olympics, The Metrodome, Minneapolis, MN
Broadcasts/streaming (only)
Title Length Released Version Additional info
Baby I’m A Star T.B.C. Live performance TV broadcast Live 26 February 1985, Grammy Awards, Shrine Auditorium, Los Angeles, California
Baby I’m A Star T.B.C. Live concert radio broadcast Live 22 July 1990, Estadio Vicente Calderón, Madrid, Spain
Baby I’m A Star T.B.C. Delayed concert TV broadcast Live 29 July 1990, Estadio Santa María del Mar, La Coruña, Spain
Baby I’m A Star T.B.C. Delayed concert TV broadcast Live 31 August 1990, Tokyo Dome (東京ドーム), Tokyo, Japan
Baby I’m A Star T.B.C. Delayed concert TV broadcast Live 19 January 1991 (a.m.), Estádio Jornalista Mário Filho, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Let’s Go Crazy / Baby I’m A Star T.B.C. Live performance TV broadcast Live 20 July 1991, Special Olympics, The Metrodome, Minneapolis, Minnesota
Baby I’m A Star T.B.C. Live radio broadcast Live 07 September 1993 (mat.), Simon Bates Show, BBC Broadcasting House, London, England; part of medley containing 1999 / Baby I’m A Star / America / D.M.S.R. / Pope / It’s Gonna Be A Beautiful Night
1999/Baby I’m A Star T.B.C. Delayed concert TV broadcast Live 17 October 2003, Támar Site, Admiralty, Hong Kong, China; 1999 intro only
1999/Baby I’m A Star T.B.C. Live awards performance TV broadcast Live 8 February 2004, 46th annual Grammy Awards Ceremony, Staples Center, Los Angeles, California; with Beyonce; 1999 intro only
The Superbowl 11:52 Lotusflow3r.com video stream Live medley 4 February 2007, Dolphins Stadium, Miami Gardens, FL, USA; medley of We Will Rock You / Let’s Go Crazy / 1999 intro / Baby I’m A Star / Proud Mary / All Along The Watchtower / The Best Of U / Purple Rain
Sampled, Referred to, Quoted in...
Title Length Released Version Additional info
Purple Medley 11:03 Purple Medley single Studio medley See Purple Medley for more details
Purple Medley (Edit) 3:14 Purple Medley single
Edit See Purple Medley for more details
Unreleased Versions
Title Version Additional Info
Baby I’m A Star Studio '81/'82 studio recording
Baby I’m A Star rehearsal recording The Warehouse band version
Baby I’m A Star Live recording 3 August 1983, First Avenue version; non-overdubbed live recording
 
Additional Information

See also Trivia

  • In the notebook, where Prince wrote his (undated) synopsis for what would become the movie Purple Rain Baby I’m A Star is listed as one of the songs to be included in the film.
  • The main of the song hook to the song bears a remarkable resemblance to (the intro of a 1979 live rendition of) Disco Child by Mind & Matter, Jimmy Jam’s first band.
  • During the posthumous 2022 edition of the Prince Celebration at Paisley Park Studios, lyric sheets for Funky 4 No Reason, Free The Slave (possibly an alternative title for either Slave or Slave 2 The System), and a note titled Spy were displayed. Spy only contained lyrics from Baby I’m A Star and is therefore not considered as a different song (until further information, if any, becomes available).

References
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