View source for 777-9311

{{song|
|song name                 = 777-9311
|album image               = [[File:Whattimeisit album.jpg|100px|border|link=Album: What Time Is It?]] <br><small> from the album [[Album: What Time Is It?|What Time Is It?]] </small>
|single image              = [[File:7779311 single.jpg|100px|border|link=Single: 777-9311]] <br><small> single art for [[Single: 777-9311|777-9311]] 
|performer                 = [[The Time]]
|first released            = [[Prince_Vault:Selected_anniversaries/July 30|30 July 1982]] - [[Single: 777-9311|777-9311]] single
|album(s)               = [[Album: What Time Is It?|What Time Is It?]]<br> 
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/It’s_About_Time_(Morris_Day_album) It’s About Time]
|writer(s)                 = [[Prince]] (credited to [[Morris Day]])
|producer(s)               = [[Prince]] (as [[The Starr Company]]) (credited to [[Morris Day]] and [[The Starr Company]])
|previous song             = [[3121]]
|next song                 = [[A Couple Miles]]
|introduction              = '''777-9311''' is the second track on [[The Time]]’s second album [[Album: What Time Is It?|What Time Is It?]], and, four weeks before the album’s release, [[Single: 777-9311|777-9311]] was released as the album’s first single. The song was written by [[Prince]], although the song is officially credited to [[Morris Day]]. It was produced by [[Prince]] (as [[The Starr Company]]), but was credited to [[Morris Day]] and [[The Starr Company]].

While specific recording dates are not known, basic tracking took place in May or June 1982 at [[Prince]]’s [[Kiowa Trail Home Studio]] in Chanhassen, Minnesota (during the same set of sessions that produced [[Onedayi’mgonnabesomebody]], [[I Don’t Wanna Leave You]], and several other tracks that were released over the next several years). Although [[Morris Day]] calls various bandmembers' names before solos, the recording features only [[Prince]] and [[Morris Day]]. While reflecting on the track’s history on Facebook in 2014, [[Jesse Johnson]] wrote "<i>'''777-9311''' Was A Stock Drum Beat In [[Prince]]’s [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linn_LM-1 Linn LM-1] ($5,500 drum machine you know it wasn’t [[The Time]]’s) ... The beat was programed into the Linn LM1 by [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tower_of_Power Tower of Power] drummer [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Garibaldi_(musician) David Garibaldi]<sup>1</sup> ... for [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roger_Linn Roger Linn].</i>" (David Garibaldi’s drumming would also be sampled, uncredited, years later on [[The Time]]’s [[Release It]].) He also added "<i>[[Prince]] used my $179.00 [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hondo_(guitar_company) Hondo] Strat to play the chords on '''777''' (that’s why the guitar sounds so nice and dull...cause it was cheap!)</i>"

The title of the track was [[Dez Dickerson]]’s home phone number at the time, and he was allegedly upset that it was used in the song; when the album was released he received several unwanted calls and changed the number as a result.
|recording info            =
{{RecordingLine|
|date                      = May-June 1982
|studio                    = [[Kiowa Trail Home Studio]],<br>Chanhassen, MN, USA
|additional info           = Tracking
}}
|recording personnel       = 
*[[Morris Day]] - vocals
*[[Prince]] - background vocals and all instruments (uncredited)
*<small>[[Jellybean Johnson]] - credited for drums and percussion, but did not appear</small>
*<small>[[Terry Lewis]] - credited for bass guitar, co-lead and background vocals, but did not appear</small>
*<small>[[Jesse Johnson]] - credited for guitar and vocals, but did not appear</small>
*<small>[[Jimmy Jam]] - credited for keyboards and vocals, but did not appear</small>
*<small>[[Monte Moir]] - credited for keyboards and vocals, but did not appear</small>
|released versions         =
{{Songchart|
|line =
{{Songline|
|1= '''777-9311'''
|2= 7:57
|3= [[Album: What Time Is It?|What Time Is It?]]<br>
[[Single: 777-9311|777-9311]] single <br>
[[Single: Jungle Love|Jungle Love]] 12" single
|4= Studio 
|5= 
}}
{{Songline|
|1= '''777-9311 (Edit)'''
|2= 3:28
|3= [[Single: 777-9311|777-9311]] single
[[Single: The Walk|The Walk]] single (Japan)
|4= Edit
|5= 
}}
{{Songline|
|1= '''777-9311 (mono)'''
|2= 3:28
|3= [[Single: 777-9311|777-9311]] 7" promo
|4= Edit
|5= same as above, but in mono
}}
{{Songline|
|1= '''[[Get It Up]] / 777'''
|2= 3:27
|3= [[Morris Day]]: [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/It’s_About_Time_(Morris_Day_album) It’s About Time]<br>
|4= Live
|5= 21 June 1998, House Of Blues, Hollywood, California, USA
}}
}}
|video versions            = 
|broadcasts, streaming     = 
|unreleased versions       = 
|sampled in                =
{{SongSampled|
|sampled in                = 
{{Songchart|
|line =
{{Songline|
|1= '''[[Grace]] '''
|2= 2:37
|3= [[Single: 777-9311|777-9311]] single
|4= Studio
|5= Uses musical backing of [[777-9311]]
}}
{{Songline|
|1= '''[[Murph Drag]]'''
|2= 4:11
|3= [[NPG Ahdio Show 3|NPG Ahdio Show # 3]] (not available as a separate track)
|4= Studio
|5= 
}}
{{Songline|
|1= '''[[Murph Drag]]'''
|2= 
|3= Unreleased
|4= Studio
|5= 
}}
{{Songline|
|1= '''[[Purple Medley]] '''
|2= 11:03
|3= [[Single: Purple Medley|Purple Medley]] single
|4= Studio medley
|5= See [[Purple Medley]] for more details
}}
}}
}}
|first live appearance     = [[11_November 1982|11 November 1982: Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Auditorium, Chattanooga, TN, USA]] <small>(during set by [[The Time]])</small>; [[26_June 1994|26 June 1994: Glam Slam, Los Angeles, California]] <small>(first [[Prince]] performance, clip only)</small>; [[23 January 1998-am|23 January 1998 (a.m.): Townsend, Oakland, CA, USA]] <small>(first full performance by [[Prince]])</small><br>
* [[05 March 2016-am|5 March 2016 (a.m.): Great American Music Hall, San Francisco, CA, USA]] <small>(during sampler set)</small>
|performed regularly on    = none
|performed occasionally in = [[All Concerts#1994|1994]] <small>(clip only)</small>, [[All Concerts#1996|1996]] <small>(clip only)</small>, [[All Concerts#1997|1997]] <small>(clip only)</small>, [[All Concerts#1998|1998]], [[All Concerts#2001|2001]], [[All Concerts#2002|2002]], [[All Concerts#2003|2003]], [[All Concerts#2004|2004]], [[All Concerts#2006|2006]], [[All Concerts#2007|2007]], [[All_Concerts#2010|2010]], [[All Concerts#2011|2011]] <small>(instrumental clip only during sampler set)</small>, [[All_Concerts#2013|2013]] <small> (instrumental clip only during sampler set)</small>, [[All Concerts#2014|2014]] <small> (instrumental clip only during sampler set)</small>, [[All Concerts#2015|2015]]
|trivia                    = <sup>1</sup> It’s interesting to note that while the original beat was indeed programmed by [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Garibaldi_(musician) David Garibaldi], the drums samples were not played by him, but a drummer named Art Wood.
|see also                  = [[Album: What Time Is It?|What Time Is It?]] album
* [[Single: 777-9311|777-9311]] single
* [[The Time]]
|references                = ''[[Book:_The_Vault|The Vault: The Definitive Guide to the Musical World of Prince (2004)]] ''
*https://www.facebook.com/JesseJohnsonfan/posts/10152295060396224
*https://www.facebook.com/JesseJohnsonfan/posts/10152295513321224
|categories                = [[Category:1982]][[Category:Recorded 1982]][[Category:Songs (Prince)]][[Category:Songs (Associated Artists)]][[Category:Songs (The Time)‏]][[Category:Released Songs (Associated Artists)]]
}}