Machine, initially likely called Sex Machine, is an unreleased track performed live, and perhaps first recorded at the Russell Ave, Anderson house, Minneapolis, Minnesota, in 1973 by Grand Central, a band consisting of Prince, André Anderson and Charles 'Chazz' Smith. It is one of the few original compositions known to be played by the band at the time (along with Do You Feel Like Dancing?, Danger Lover and Funk It Up). The group had been playing the track live since at least 1973 although details of Grand Central’s live shows are not well known (the band mostly played cover versions of current hits).
Do You Feel Like Dancing?, Danger Lover and Funk It Up were written with or by other members of Grand Central (André Anderson, Charles 'Chazz' Smith and/or Morris Day).
Machine is one of the earliest known solo composition by Prince (when he was 16). He once said that he wrote his first song at the age of 7 (1965-1966) called Funk Machine, but it is not known if this is the same track.
Machine was later recorded, in early 1976, by Grand Central Corporation (with Morris Day replacing Charles 'Chazz' Smith on drums), at ASI Studio in Minneapolis, Minnesota (during the same set of sessions as 39th St. Party, Lady Pleasure, You’re Such A Fox, Grand Central and Whenever). The sessions were engineered and overseen by David Rivkin (who is assumed to have produced the tracks as well).
It is not known if the track was considered for inclusion on any project.
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