We Got The Power

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We Got The Power

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Song details
Performer: Prince
Writer(s): Prince (assumed)
Producer(s): Prince (assumed)
Live Appearances
First and last live appearance:
Performed regularly on tour:
  • none
Performed occasionally in shows:
  • none

We Got The Power is an unreleased track recorded on 15 October 1988 at Paisley Park Studios in Chanhassen, Minnesota (during a day of on the Lovesexy Tour, between shows in Atlanta, GA and Greensboro, NC).

The song contains a robotic-sounding countdown that was later used on Live 4 Love (and was used as an intro to Controversy on the Lovesexy Tour a week after We Got The Power was recorded). It was included on a 27 October 1988, configuration of Rave Unto The Joy Fantastic, but was not included on the late 1988 / early 1989 configuration.

It was briefly considered for use on the Batman album, and was used in the background of an early unreleased trailer for the Batman movie. The chant of "hey, we got the power, oh, we got the soul, hey we got the sho'nuff get off to make the devil go go" was used in Batdance.

Similarly, the chant "hey, we got the power, oh, we got the soul" was used in Carmen Electra's Power From Above.

The track mentions some of Prince's band members from the time; "Junior" (Levi Seacer, Jr.) and "Doctor" (Dr. Fink), and mentions "an angel" for a drummer (Sheila E.'s name in the original Graffiti Bridge movie script was "Angel"), which may be a reason the track wasn't used once the group disbanded.

Additionally, Prince refers to the unreleased track The Grand Progression by asking "is the progression grand?" (he refers to The Grand Progression similarly in F.U.N.K.). The track remains unreleased.


Recording Information
Recording Sessions
Date Studio Additional info
15 October 1988 Paisley Park Studios,
Chanhassen, MN, USA
Basic tracking
Recording Personnel
  • Prince - all vocals and instruments, except where noted
  • Sheila E. - background vocals (assumed)
  • Boni Boyer - background vocals (assumed)

Versions
Unreleased Versions
Title Version Additional Info
We Got The Power Studio Recorded 15 October 1988


Sampled, Referred to, Quoted in...
Title Length Released Version Additional info
Batdance 6:13 Batman

Batdance single

Studio a.k.a. Batdance (LP Version)
Batdance (Edit) 4:06 Batdance single Edit
Batdance (The Batmix) 7:15 Batdance single Remix
Batdance (The Batmix Edit) 4:09 Batdance single Remix Edit a.k.a. Batdance (The Batmix Radio Edit)
Batdance (The Batmix Edit) 4:14 The Crown Jewels promo Remix Edit a.k.a. Batdance (The Batmix Radio Edit)
Batdance (Vicki Vale Mix) 5:55 Batdance single Remix
Batdance (Vicki Vale Mix Edit) 5:55 Batdance single Remix Edit a.k.a. Batdance (Vicki Vale Mix Radio Edit)
Live 4 Love 6:58 Diamonds And Pearls album

The Morning Papers single

Studio
Live 4 Love Studio Fewer sound effects than released version, with falsetto vocal and slightly different lyrics in places
Power From Above Studio Recorded 26 August 1991
Power From Above Studio 1991 version with Martin Luther King, Jr. repeated sample; included on 15 June 1992 configuration of On Top
 
Additional Information

See also Trivia


References
We Gets Up   < < < All Songs Unreleased Songs > > >   We Live (2 Get Funky)