Cream

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Cream

Diamondsandpearls.jpg
from the album Diamonds And Pearls

left
from the album
Diamonds And Pearls (Super) Deluxe Edition
Cream single.jpg
single art for Cream
Song details
Performer: Prince and the New Power Generation
First Released: 9 September 1991 - Cream single
Album(s): Diamonds And Pearls

The Hits 2
The Hits / The B-Sides
The Very Best Of Prince
Ultimate
4Ever
Diamonds And Pearls Deluxe Edition and Super Deluxe Edition

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

Cream is the fourth track on Prince’s 13th album Diamonds And Pearls (the first album to be credited to Prince and the New Power Generation), and, three weeks before the album’s release, Cream was released as the album’s second single, released worldwide, with a maxi-single following at a later date. In 1993, it was included as the 16th track on The Hits 2 (which was also included as the second disc of The Hits / The B-Sides). In 2001, it was included as the 15th track on The Very Best Of Prince. In 2006, the Cream (N.P.G. Mix) was included as the 11th and final track on the second disc of the compilation Ultimate in 2006.

A tape photographed in Prince’s vault at Paisley Park Studios lists two takes of the song ("Takes 1 & 2") and a third version (the final) as 3 December 1990. An early mix of the track was intended initially as the first track on a Gett Off EP also containing Gett Off, Horny Pony and Money Don’t Matter 2 Night, but this EP was aborted. The track was not included on the December 1990, configuration of Diamonds And Pearls, indicating that it had not yet been recorded, but was included as the fourth track on the 1 March 1991 and 8 May 1991 configurations, where it remained for release.

The second studio take of the song, effectively Prince a full-band run-trough, was released in October 2023 as the tenth track of Vault Tracks part 1, one of the discs with previously unreleased tracks included with the Diamonds And Pearls Super Deluxe Edition (as Cream (Take 2)). This version was streamed on Prince’s Youtube channel and other streaming platforms on 7 September 2023 (almost 32 years date-to-date after the first release of the song) as a preview of this posthumous release. This take was mixed by Chris James in 2022 for use on that collection.

Remixes were made of the track for a single release, which gradually moved further away from the original track and were considered independent enough to warrant their own track names. These could be considered remixes of Cream, but here are given their own entries: see Things Have Gotta Change (Tony M. Rap), 2 The Wire (Creamy Instrumental), Get Some Solo and Do Your Dance (KC’s Remix) (which itself was remixed multiple times) for details of each track.


Recording Information
Recording Sessions
Date Studio Additional info
3 December 1990 Paisley Park Studios,
Chanhassen, MN, USA
Tracking
August 1991 Unknown studio, USA Remixes by Junior Vasquez
September-October 1991 Paisley Park Studios,
Chanhassen, MN, USA
Remixes, overdubs, additional production
2022 Unknown studio Mix of Cream (Take 2) by Chris James
Recording Personnel

Album version

  • Prince - all vocals and instruments, except where noted (listed in liner notes as ‘Insatiable’)
  • Michael B. - drums
  • Sonny T. - bass guitar (credited for "bass and backing vox")
  • Tommy Barbarella - keyboards (liner notes state "Purpleaxxe™ sampler, other various keys and sex symbol")
  • Levi Seacer, Jr. - rhythm guitar (credited for "rhythm guitar and backing vox")
  • Rosie Gaines - vocals, keyboards (liner notes state "co-lead backing vox, Purpleaxxe™ sampler and organ")
  • Kirk Johnson - percussion (credited for "backing vox and percussion")
  • Bonnie Raitt - sampled slide guitar (uncredited - see trivia)

Cream (Take 2)


Versions
Released Versions
Title Length Released Version Additional info
Cream 4:12 Diamonds And Pearls

Cream single
The Hits 2
The Hits / The B-Sides
The Very Best Of Prince
4Ever

Studio
Cream 4:12 Diamonds And Pearls - The Singles (collection)

Diamonds And Pearls (Super) Deluxe Edition

Studio Remastered 2023
Cream 4:44 Cream single Remix Studio version as above with telephone segue # 1 added to end
Cream (N.P.G. Mix) 5:44 Cream single Remix Includes sound effects also used on My Name Is Prince and samples from ♥ Or $ and High Fashion. Contains telephone segue # 2
Cream (N.P.G. Mix) 4:46 Diamonds And Pearls (Super) Deluxe Edition Remix Remastered 2023
Cream (N.P.G. Mix) 4:50 Ultimate
Remix As above without telephone segue # 2
Cream (N.P.G. Mix) 6:16 Diamonds And Pearls single Remix As above telephone segue # 1, 2, 3 added to end
Cream (Take 2) 4:51 Diamonds And Pearls Super Deluxe Studio
Cream / Well Done / I Want U / In The Socket (Medley) (Live At Glam Slam 1992) 13:58 Diamonds And Pearls Super Deluxe Edition Live 11 January 1992, Glam Slam, Minneapolis, MN, USA
Video Versions
Title Length Released Version Additional info
Cream 6:04 The Hits Collection (1993)

Prince streaming video platforms (2017)
Released for sale as separate track on iTunes (2017)

Studio See Cream video for details
Cream 9:21 Diamonds And Pearls Video Collection VHS/DVD
Diamonds And Pearls Super Deluxe Edition blu-ray

Prince streaming video platforms (2017)
Released for sale as separate track on iTunes (2017)

Studio See Cream video for details
Cream / Well Done / I Want U / In The Socket (Medley) (Live At Glam Slam 1992) 13:58 Diamonds And Pearls Super Deluxe Edition blu-ray Live 11 January 1992, Glam Slam, Minneapolis, MN, USA
Broadcasts/streaming (only)
Title Length Released Version Additional info
Cream ?:?? Live performance TV broadcast Live 4 September 1991, Arsenio Hall Show, Paramount Studios, Hollywood, CA, USA (first aired on 9 September 1991)
Cream ?:?? The Art Of Musicology performance broadcast Live 20 April 2004, Webster Hall, New York, NY, USA
Sampled, Referred to, Quoted in...
Title Length Released Version Additional info
Things Have Gotta Change (Tony M. Rap) 3:57 Cream single Studio See Things Have Gotta Change (Tony M. Rap) for more details
2 The Wire (Creamy Instrumental) 3:13 Cream single Studio See 2 The Wire (Creamy Instrumental) for more details
Do Your Dance (KC’s Remix) 5:58 Cream single Studio Contains lyrics from Cream; see Do Your Dance for more details
Housebangers 4:23 Cream single Studio Remix of Do Your Dance with lyrics from Cream; see Do Your Dance for more details
Q In Doubt 4:00 Cream single Studio Mostly instrumental remix of Do Your Dance with lyrics from Cream; see Do Your Dance for more details
Purple Medley 11:03 Purple Medley single Studio medley See Purple Medley for more details
Unreleased Versions
Title Version Additional Info
Cream Studio rehearsal "Take 1"
Cream Studio Slightly longer intro than released version, with less reverb on production throughout the song
Cream (Straight Pass 12") Remix Unreleased remix by Junior Vasquez with lead vocals by Prince (taken from the album version), Lori Elle (Werner) ('Diamond') and Robia LaMorte ('Pearl'). Also includes sound effects used on both Cream (N.P.G. Mix) and My Name Is Prince and samples from ♥ Or $, High Fashion and Things Have Gotta Change (Tony M. Rap).
Cream (TV Track 12") Remix Same as Cream (Straight Pass 12") without Prince on co-lead vocals.
Cream (Instr. 12") Remix Instrumental version of the remixes above. Includes samples from ♥ Or $, High Fashion and Things Have Gotta Change (Tony M. Rap) (without the sound effects used on both Cream (N.P.G. Mix) and My Name Is Prince).
Cream (Louder Vocal S.P 12") Remix Unreleased remix by Junior Vasquez.
Cream (Creamstrumental) Remix Mainly instrumental remix by Junior Vasquez different from the Cream (Instr. 12"). Includes some vocals by Lori Elle (Werner) ('Diamond') and Robia LaMorte ('Pearl') (from Cream (Straight Pass 12")), sound effects also used on both Cream (N.P.G. Mix) and My Name Is Prince and samples from ♥ Or $, High Fashion and Things Have Gotta Change (Tony M. Rap).
Cream (Creaminch Vocal) Remix Unreleased remix by Junior Vasquez with Prince, Lori Elle (Werner) ('Diamond') and Robia LaMorte ('Pearl') on vocals. Sparser than the Cream (Straight Pass 12"). Includes sound effects used on both Cream (N.P.G. Mix) and My Name Is Prince and samples from ♥ Or $, High Fashion and Things Have Gotta Change (Tony M. Rap).
Cream (Creamhouse) Remix Unreleased mostly instrumental remix by Junior Vasquez. Sparser than the Cream (Instr. 12") with some vocals by Lori Elle (Werner) ('Diamond') and Robia LaMorte ('Pearl') taken from Cream (Straight Pass 12"), sound effects used on both Cream (N.P.G. Mix) and My Name Is Prince and samples from Things Have Gotta Change (Tony M. Rap) (no sample from ♥ Or $ and High Fashion).
 
Additional Information

See also Trivia

  • At the 11th annual Minnesota Music Awards ceremony, held at Glam Slam, Minneapolis, Minnesota, on 10 May 1992, Cream was named Best Song (and Diamonds And Pearls was named Best Album).
  • In an interview in 2022 Bonnie Raitt claims Prince possibly sampled her slide guitar playing in Cream, saying [in 1987 when they attempted to collaborate] “... he wanted me to play slide on some stuff, and he wanted me to teach him how to do it.” (...) “He sampled some of my slide on Cream, I just showed him how I do it. So I got the feeling he said, ‘I don’t necessarily have to learn how to do this because I can just sample you.’”

References
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