Crucial

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Crucial

Crystalball album.png
from the album Crystal Ball
Sign O' The Times Super Deluxe
from the album
Sign O' The Times Super Deluxe Edition
Song details
Performer: Prince
First Released: 29 January 1998 - Crystal Ball album
Album(s): Crystal Ball
Writer(s): Prince
Producer(s): Prince
Live Appearances
First and last live appearance:
Performed regularly on tour:
  • none
Performed occasionally in shows:
  • none

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

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 the place where the guitar solo would be, so the saxophone solo was discarded. Leeds then recorded a different sax part the next day

The song was written specifically for the planned musical The Dawn, which 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

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

The original lyrics version (with the later Clare Fischer arrangement) was released on Sign O’ The Times Super Deluxe in September 2020


Recording Information
Recording Sessions
Date Studio Additional info
13 September 1986 Galpin Blvd Home Studio,
Chanhassen, MN, USA
Basic tracking
15 September 1986 Galpin Blvd Home Studio,
Chanhassen, MN, USA
vocal overdubs with largely new lyrics
8 & 9 November 1986 Sunset Sound,
Hollywood, CA, USA
Saxophone overdubs by Eric Leeds
January 1987 Mad Hatter Studios
Los Angeles, CA, USA
Orchestra overdubs by Clare Fischer
Recording Personnel

Versions
Released Versions
Title Length Released Version Additional info
Crucial 5:05 Crystal Ball Studio
Crucial (Alternate Lyrics Version) 6:14 Sign O' The Times Super Deluxe Edition Studio


Unreleased Versions
Title Version Additional Info
Crucial Original version before saxophone and guitar solo overdubs
Crucial Studio Longer recording with some vocal and musical mixing differences, and lengthy saxophone solo by Eric Leeds
Crucial Studio Longer recording with some vocal and musical mixing differences, and lengthy guitar solo
Crucial Studio Version with Susannah Melvoin singing lead
Crucial Studio Version with Clare Fischer Orchestra overdubs (possibly the same as above)
 
Additional Information

See also Trivia


References
Cross The Line   < < < All Songs Unreleased Songs > > >   Crystal Ball