Eggplant

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Eggplant

Sign O’ The Times Super Deluxe Edition
from the album
Sign O’ The Times Super Deluxe Edition
Song details
Performer: Prince (Prince and the Revolution)
First Released: 25 September 2020 - Sign O’ The Times ‘’Super Deluxe Edition album
Album(s): Sign O’ The Times Super Deluxe Edition
Writer(s): Prince
Producer(s): Prince
Live Appearances
First and last live appearance:
  • This track is not believed to have been performed live by Prince
Performed regularly on tour:
  • none
Performed occasionally in shows:
  • none

Eggplant is a song recorded on 7 July 1986 at Prince’s Galpin Blvd Home Studio (on the same day as Train). Inspiration for this song came from Susannah and Wendy Melvoin, as Prince overheard their conversation about vain girls who constantly flip their hair while having a conversation with someone. The song makes an analogy between a shallow girl and an eggplant, presumably the opposite of an egghead (an intellectual). The song is sung as an advocacy to a friend. Horns overdubs were done to the second instrumental half of the song.

While the sessions that yielded this song concentrated on material for the aborted musical possibly known as Dream Factory, as well as the aborted Dream Factory album, it is unknown if this song was intended for these or any other project.

Prince initially created a version with only him singing, which Eric Leeds and Atlanta Bliss recorded a horn arrangement for the next day.

Prince then decided he would have Wendy sing lead vocal, as a character named Lucy. Some humorous dialogue between him and Lucy was added, like friends or perhaps siblings squabbling. Prince added a short rap over the beginning of the second half, right after the break. The girls added backing vocals, too, and at some point they get the giggles, which Prince left in the song.

The version with only Prince’s vocal (listed as Eggplant (Original Prince Vocal)) was released in September 2020 as the third track of Vault Tracks part 2, one of the discs with previously unreleased tracks included with the Sign O’ The Times Super Deluxe Edition. The version with Wendy on lead vocals remains unreleased.

Some more overdubbing was also done on the song at some point in 1987. The track sheet indicates a Roland D-50 synth, that did not come out until April 1987.


Recording Information
Recording Sessions
Date Studio Additional info
7 July 1986 (8 July (a.m.) Galpin Blvd Home Studio,
Chanhassen, MN, USA
Tracking, mix
8 July 1986 Galpin Blvd Home Studio,
Chanhassen, MN, USA
Overdubs, including Wendy lead vox, horn overdubs, mix)
12 & 13 July 1986 Sunset Sound - Studio 3,
Hollywood, CA, USA
Overdubs, mix, including instrumental (12th), Mix (13th)
mid-late 1987 Paisley Park Studios (assumed) Overdubs (Roland D-50), mix
Recording Personnel


unreleased ‘duet’ version


Versions
Released Versions
Title Length Released Version Additional info
Eggplant 5:18 Sign O’ The Times Super Deluxe Edition Studio Prince solo vocal version, listed as Eggplant (Original Prince Vocal)


Unreleased Versions
Title Version Additional Info
Eggplant (Instrumental) Studio Instrumental mix
Eggplant Studio Wendy Melvoin lead vocals
Eggplant Studio version with Roland D-50 overdubs
 
Additional Information

See also Trivia

  • The released mix of this track was done by Niko Bolas specifically for the Sign O’ The Times Super Deluxe Edition release. It was made to replicate the original mix from the time the song was initially tracked, as much as possible. So even when a slightly different mix of this track might exist, the now released version is not considered a true alternate mix of the track.
  • The vegetable known as 'eggplant' in the United States is known as 'aubergine' elsewhere in the world.

References
Easy Does It   < < < All Songs Unreleased Songs > > >   The Egyptian Intro