I Would Die 4 U

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I Would Die 4 U

from the album Purple Rain single art for I Would Die 4 U Song details Performer: Prince and the Revolution First Released: 25 June 1984 - Purple Rain album Album(s): Purple Rain The Hits 2 The Hits / The B-Sides The Very Best Of Prince Ultimate 4Ever Purple Rain Deluxe Edition and Deluxe Expanded Edition Prince And The Revolution: Live Writer(s): Prince (credited to Prince and the Revolution) Producer(s): Prince (credited to Prince and the Revolution) Live Appearances First and last live appearance: 3 August 1983: First Avenue, Minneapolis, MN, USA 14 April 2016 (Show 2): Fox Theatre, Atlanta, GA, USA Performed regularly on tour: Purple Rain Tour Jam Of The Year World Tour New Power Soul Festival Tour Hit N Run Tour World Tour 2003 Musicology Live 2004ever Hit And Run Part II (during sampler set) Performed occasionally in shows: 1983, 2001, 2007 , 2011 (clip only during sampler set), 2012 (during sampler set), 2013 (during sampler set), 2014 (during sampler set), 2015 (during sampler set), 2016 (solo piano)

I Would Die 4 U is the seventh track on Prince’s sixth album Purple Rain, the first album to be credited to Prince and the Revolution. Five months after the album’s release, I Would Die 4 U was released as the album’s fourth single. The track is also featured in the movie Purple Rain. In 1993, the track was included as the eighth track on the compilation album The Hits 2 (also included as the second disc of The Hits / The B-Sides). In 2001, the track was included as the seventh track on the compilation album The Very Best Of Prince. In 2006, the track was included as the seventh track on the first disc of the compilation album Ultimate. The song dates back to at least 1982 when it was tried out in soundcheck during a Controversy Tour show (on 15 February 1982 at San Francisco Civic Auditorium, San Francisco, CA, USA). Together with Baby I’m A Star, it was (possibly first) rehearsed with The Revolution on 15 June 1983 at The Warehouse in St. Louis Park, Minnesota. A rehearsal take of the track was then recorded with the band on 21 June 1983 at The Warehouse in St. Louis Park, Minnesota, which remains unreleased. The song was then cut live on 3 August 1983 at First Avenue in Minneapolis, Minnesota (at the same concert where Baby I’m A Star and Purple Rain were also recorded). In September the 2-minute First Avenue live -recording song was extended in the studio with edited in extra bars after where the song originally segued into Baby I’m A Star. It then included an instrumental break, that was eventually edited out before release. It was included as the seventh track on a tentative 7 November 1983 configuration of the album, and the sixth track on the 23 March 1984 configuration, but became the seventh track on the final 14 April 1984 configuration after some tracklist changes to the album. A tour rehearsal jam version of the song was recorded on 25 October 1984 for release on the single’s 12". The full take lasted over 30 minutes, but was edited down by two-third before release. The 12" single version of the track was included as the eleventh track on the first disc of an early configuration of the compilation album Ultimate before the album was reworked for release. Recording Information Recording Sessions Date Studio Additional info 1982 (assumed) Kiowa Trail Home Studio, Chanhassen, MN, USA or Sunset Sound Hollywood, CA, USA (assumed) Tracking (assumed) 21 June 1983 The Warehouse, St. Louis Park, MN, USA Rehearsal recording 3 August 1983, First Avenue, Minneapolis, MN, USA First Avenue Minneapolis, MN, USA Live recording 31 August 1983-3 September 1983 Sunset Sound, Hollywood, CA, USA Overdubs, Mix 25 October 1984 Minneapolis Auditorium, Minneapolis, MN,USA Rehearsal recording Recording Personnel Warehouse rehearsal and Purple Rain (album) version Prince - all vocals and instruments, except where noted Bobby Z. - drums and percussion Brown Mark - bass guitar and vocals Wendy Melvoin - guitars and vocals Lisa Coleman - keyboards and vocals Matt Fink - keyboards and vocals Rob "Cubby" Colby - engineer (Warehouse rehearsal) David Z. - engineer (First Avenue) David Leonard - engineer (First Avenue) Peggy McCreary - engineer (Sunset) Tour Rehearsal Recording Prince - all vocals and instruments, except where noted Bobby Z. - drums and percussion Brown Mark - bass guitar and vocals Wendy Melvoin - guitars and vocals Lisa Coleman - keyboards and vocals Matt Fink - keyboards and vocals Sheila E. - percussion Eddie M. - saxophone Miko Weaver - guitar Susie Davis - keyboards Rob "Cubby" Colby or David Tickle or Susan Rogers - engineer Versions Released Versions Title Length Released Version Additional info I Would Die 4 U 2:51 Purple Rain album Strange Tales From The Rain promotional album Nothing Compares 2 Him promotional album Live with overdubs 3 August 1983, First Avenue in Minneapolis, MN, USA; segues (as recorded) with Baby I’m A Star I Would Die 4 U 2:51 Purple Rain Deluxe Edition and Deluxe Expanded Edition Studio Remastered 2015 I Would Die 4 U (Single Version) 2:57 I Would Die 4 U single Prince Sampler promotional album The Story So Far... promotional album Sounds O’ The Times promotional album Love Prince promotional album The Hits 2 album The Hits / The B-Sides album The Very Best Of Prince album Ultimate album 4Ever album Edit Slightly alternate ending avoiding segue. a.k.a. 7" Single Edit I Would Die 4 U (7" Single Edit) 2:57 Purple Rain Deluxe Expanded Edition - Single Edits & B-Sides album Edit Remastered 2017 I Would Die 4 U 2:57 I Would Die 4 U UK promo single Edit Fade out ending I Would Die 4 U (Extended Version) 10:15 I Would Die 4 U single His Majesty’s Pop Life Erotic City reissue single Rehearsal recording with Sheila E. and members of her band. A.k.a 7" Single Extended Version I Would Die 4 U (7" Single Extended Version) 10:15 Purple Rain Deluxe Expanded Edition - Single Edits & B-Sides Rehearsal recording with Sheila E. and members of her band. A.k.a Extended Version. Remastered 2017 I Would Die 4 U 3:27 Prince And The Revolution: Live Live 30 March 1985, Carrier Dome, Syracuse, NY, USA I Would Die 4 U 3:26 Prince And The Revolution: Live (2022 re-release) Live 30 March 1985, Carrier Dome, Syracuse, NY, USA. Remastered Video Versions Title Length Released Version Additional info I Would Die 4 U 3:33 Purple Rain film Live with overdubs Slightly longer version. Released on VHS and DVD I Would Die 4 U 4:01 The Hits Collection VHS/DVD Purple Rain 20th Anniversary DVD Live concert promo video 20 November 1984, Capital Centre, Landover, MD, USA; See I Would Die 4 U video for more details I Would Die 4 U 3:50 Prince And The Revolution: Live VHS/laserdisc Purple Rain Deluxe Expanded Edition – Live at the Carrier Dome (DVD) Prince And The Revolution: Live (2022 re-release) Live 30 March 1985, Carrier Dome, Syracuse, NY, USA Unreleased Versions Title Version Additional Info I Would Die 4 U Studio Possible 1982 studio version (unverified) I Would Die 4 U Live recording 3 August 1983, First Avenue version; without overdubs I Would Die 4 U Live recording 3 August 1983, First Avenue version; contains instrumental break edited from release I Would Die 4 U (Extended Version) Rehearsal recording Version edited for release on 12"; features Sheila E. and members of her band

Additional Information See also Trivia Purple Rain album Purple Rain Deluxe Expanded Edition I Would Die 4 U single I Would Die 4 U video In a notebook where Prince wrote his (undated) synopsis for what would become the movie Purple Rain and included in The Beautiful Ones book (released posthumously in 2019), I Would Die 4 U is listed as one of the songs to be included in the film (along with Baby I’m A Star, Moonbeam Levels, I Can’t Stop This Feeling I Got, Too Tough, Wouldn’t U Love To Love Me, I Just Wanna Be Rich and Bold Generation). References The Vault: The Definitive Guide to the Musical World of Prince (2004) Prince and the Purple Rain Era Studio Sessions 1983 and 1984 (Expanded Edition, paperback), Duane Tudahl (2018) The Beautiful Ones (2019)

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