Difference between revisions of "Crucial"

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|1= '''Crucial'''
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|2= 5:08
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|3= [[Album: Anthology: 1995-2010|Anthology: 1995-2010]]
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|4= Studio / edit
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Revision as of 18:38, 26 June 2022

{{song| |song name = Crucial |album image = Crystalball album.png
from the album Crystal Ball |single image = Sign O’ The Times Super Deluxe Edition
from the album
Sign O’ The Times Super Deluxe Edition |performer = Prince |first released = 29 January 1998 - Crystal Ball album |album(s) = Crystal Ball Sign O’ The Times Super Deluxe Edition |writer(s) = Prince |producer(s) = Prince |previous song = Cross The Line |next song = Crystal Ball |introduction = Crucial is the fifth track on the second disc of Prince’s 20th album Crystal Ball (his fourth using the name SymbolSmallerBlue.png). The album is not clearly divided between Prince tracks and SymbolSmallerBlue.png tracks, but the liner notes' discussion of this track state “All instruments and vocals by Prince”. The original lyrics version (with the later Clare Fischer arrangement) was released as the tenth track of Vault Tracks part 2, one of the discs with previously unreleased tracks included with the Sign O’ The Times Super Deluxe Edition in September 2020.

Basic tracking took place on 13 September 1986 at Prince’s Galpin Blvd Home Studio in Chanhassen, Minnesota (four days after the end of the Parade Tour in Japan, the day before recording The Cocoa Boys). Two days later Prince worked further on the song recording almost completely new lyrics for it.

Eric Leeds added a saxophone part on 8 November 1986, at Sunset Sound in Hollywood, California, at Prince’s request, but when Prince heard it, he let Leeds know that the main saxophone solo was in place of the guitar solo, so the saxophone solo was discarded. Leeds then recorded a different sax part the next day.

Along with When The Dawn Of The Morning Comes and The Cocoa Boys, the song was written specifically for the planned musical The Dawn. Other songs recorded earlier (Heaven, God Is Everywhere, Others Here With Us and All My Dreams) were also considered for the film, but the project was ultimately abandoned, and the song was never intended for any of Prince’s many late-1986 album projects (although the album notes in Crystal Ball state that it was intended for Sign O’ The Times and was replaced by Adore). The title is mentioned in an early 1987 draft of what would become Graffiti Bridge. The song (with its original lyrics) was also mentioned in the movie script from October 1987. It was not included on any known configuration of the Graffiti Bridge album.

It is believed that the version used for release on Crystal Ball was edited in 1997, although this has not been confirmed.

|recording info = |- align="left" |style="border-top:1px dotted #ccc;"|13 September 1986 |style="border-top:1px dotted #ccc;"|Galpin Blvd Home Studio,
Chanhassen, MN, USA |style="border-top:1px dotted #ccc;"|Tracking, overdubs, vocals, mix |- align="left" |style="border-top:1px dotted #ccc;"|15 September 1986 |style="border-top:1px dotted #ccc;"|Galpin Blvd Home Studio,
Chanhassen, MN, USA |style="border-top:1px dotted #ccc;"|Vocal overdubs (new lyrics), mix |- align="left" |style="border-top:1px dotted #ccc;"|15 September 1986 |style="border-top:1px dotted #ccc;"|Galpin Blvd Home Studio,
Chanhassen, MN, USA |style="border-top:1px dotted #ccc;"|Edit, mix |- align="left" |style="border-top:1px dotted #ccc;"|8 & 9 November 1986 |style="border-top:1px dotted #ccc;"|Sunset Sound,
Hollywood, CA, USA |style="border-top:1px dotted #ccc;"|Saxophone overdubs (Eric Leeds) (8th) & saxophone overdubs, mix (9th) |- align="left" |style="border-top:1px dotted #ccc;"|12 January 1987 |style="border-top:1px dotted #ccc;"|Mad Hatter Studios
Los Angeles, CA, USA |style="border-top:1px dotted #ccc;"|Orchestra overdubs by Clare Fischer |- align="left" |style="border-top:1px dotted #ccc;"|January 1987 (assumed) |style="border-top:1px dotted #ccc;"|Galpin Blvd Home Studio,
Chanhassen, MN, USA (assumed) |style="border-top:1px dotted #ccc;"|Orchestra mix |recording personnel =

  • Prince - all vocals and instruments

Crucial (Alternate lyrics)

  • Prince - all vocals and instruments, except where noted
  • Clare Fischer - Orchestral arrangements (uncertain)

1986 Unreleased version

1987 Unreleased version

|released versions = {{Songchart| |line = |- style="background:white;color:black;" |style="border-top:1px dotted #ccc;"|Crucial |style="border-top:1px dotted #ccc;"|5:05 |style="border-top:1px dotted #ccc;padding-right:5px"|Crystal Ball |style="border-top:1px dotted #ccc;"|Studio |style="border-top:1px dotted #ccc;"|{| cellpadding="1" cellspacing="0" align="left" width="100%" style="background-color:#fff;margin-bottom:.7em;font-size:.9em;" |- style="color:black" ! width="30%" align="left"|Title ! width="7" align="left"|Length ! width="23%" align="left"|Released ! width="15%" align="left"|Version ! width="25%" align="left"|Additional info |- style="background:white;color:black;" |style="border-top:1px dotted #ccc;"|Crucial |style="border-top:1px dotted #ccc;"|5:08 |style="border-top:1px dotted #ccc;padding-right:5px"|Anthology: 1995-2010 |style="border-top:1px dotted #ccc;"|Studio / edit |style="border-top:1px dotted #ccc;"|Fade-out |- style="background:white;color:black;" |style="border-top:1px dotted #ccc;"|Crucial (Alternate Lyrics Version) |style="border-top:1px dotted #ccc;"|6:14 |style="border-top:1px dotted #ccc;padding-right:5px"|Sign O’ The Times Super Deluxe Edition |style="border-top:1px dotted #ccc;"|Studio |style="border-top:1px dotted #ccc;"| |}