Five is the fifth track on Madhouse’s first album 8. Five was written and produced by Prince (credited only to Madhouse), with saxophone and musical input by Eric Leeds.
Basic tracking took place on 29 September 1986 at Prince’s Galpin Blvd Home Studio in Chanhassen, Minnesota (the day after Baby Doll House, One and Two, the same day as Three, Four and When The Dawn Of The Morning Comes, the day before Six and Seven), although it is credited as being recorded at "Madhouse Studios", Pittsburgh, PA, USA (a fictional studio). It is likely that the title was assigned only after the final sequence had been arranged for the album.
The track features sped-up telephone conversation in the background throughout, but it is not known who was involved in this recording. That idea (of having an instrumental played under different and unrelated phone conversations) will be taken up a few years later on the fourth Segue on the New Power Generation’s first ’solo' album Gold Nigga.
The sped-up sample of a woman saying "operator what city please" in the beginning of the track also appears on Bob George recorded a few months later.
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