Let’s Work

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Let’s Work

from the album Controversy single art for Let’s Work Song details Performer: Prince First Released: 14 October 1981 - Controversy album Album(s): Controversy Ultimate 4Ever 1999 Super Deluxe Edition Writer(s): Prince Producer(s): Prince Live Appearances First and last live appearance: 5 October 1981, Sam’s, Minneapolis, Minnesota 1 January 2016 (a.m.), Gouverneur Bay Estate, Gouverneur Bay, France (Saint Barthélemy) Performed regularly on tour: Controversy Tour 1999 Tour World Tour 2003 Musicology Live 2004ever Prince Live 2010 Welcome 2 America Tour Performed occasionally in shows: 1988 (clip as part of 80s Medley), 1991, 1997, 1998, 2002, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015

Let’s Work is the sixth track on Prince’s fourth album Controversy, and, three months after the album’s release, Let’s Work was released as the album’s second single. The track was initially recorded (as Let’s Rock) between 10-21 July 1979 at Mountain Ears Sound Studio in Boulder, Colorado, during sessions for The Rebels album. Let’s Rock was named after a dance called "The Rock" Prince had seen in clubs during the summer of 1979 (The dance itself influenced or was influenced by Edwin Starr’s single "It’s Called The Rock" from his album "Happy Radio" released that year). Prince wanted to release it as a single immediately after recording but Warner Bros. declined. It was considered as the opening track for the Prince album before being shelved a few years. While Prince liked the track, he felt it needed to be renamed when released in 1981 to avoid it seeming dated. Let’s Work was re-recorded during sessions for the album in Spring and Summer 1981, at Hollywood Sound Recorders in Los Angeles, California. The song was completed at Sunset Sound in Hollywood, California, between 14 and 23 August 1981. Prince and Morris Day worked on the Dance Remix of the track on 8 December 1981, two months after the track’s initial release, also at Sunset Sound. It was revealed in November 2003 on the NPG Music Club website that Morris Day plays drums on the extended portion of the Dance Remix, and that Prince and Morris Day switched drumming duties live as the tape was running. The Dance Remix contains sampled clips from Private Joy, Annie Christian and Controversy, the first time a Prince song sampled another of his songs (something he has done often ever since). Various loops from the song were included in the NPG Music Club’s short-lived Musicology Control Room Mixer, opened on 3 June 2003, which appeared to be alternate recordings, but it is unclear when these were made. Since these are short loops lasting no more than a few seconds, they are not listed below. On 21 June 2013, an instrumental rehearsal of Let’s Work featuring Prince (bass), Donna Grantis (guitar) and Hannah Ford (drums) was streamed live on 3rdEyeGirl LiveStream TV for 1:35 minutes. Recording Information Recording Sessions Date Studio Additional info 10 - 21 July 1979 Mountain Ears Sound Studio Boulder, Colorado Tracking of Let’s Rock Spring-Summer 1981 Hollywood Sound Recorders, Los Angeles, CA, USA Re-recording as Let’s Work 14 - 23 August 1981 Sunset Sound, Hollywood, CA, USA Overdubs, mixing 8 December 1981 Sunset Sound, Hollywood, CA, USA Additional recording creating Dance Remix Recording Personnel Album version Prince - all vocals and instruments Dance Remix Prince - all vocals and instruments Morris Day - drums on extended portion only (uncredited) Let’s Rock (Unreleased) Prince - all vocals and instruments, except where noted André Cymone - bass Versions Released Versions Title Length Released Version Additional info Let’s Work 3:52 Controversy Studio Let’s Work (Edit) 2:56 Let’s Work single Edit Let’s Work (Edit) 2:56 Let’s Work promo Edit (as above), mono version Let’s Work (Edit) 2:59 4Ever different mix edit, no fade out Let’s Work (Dance Remix) 8:02 Let’s Work single Ultimate Extended version a.k.a. Let’s Work (Xtended); drums on extended portion by Morris Day Let’s Work 5:27 1999 Super Deluxe Edition Live 1 December 1982 (a.m.): Masonic Temple Auditorium, Detroit, MI, USA Video Versions Title Length Released Version Additional info Let’s Work 5:27 1999 Super Deluxe Edition DVD Live 29 December 1982: The Summit, Houston, TX, USA Broadcasts/streaming (only) Title Length Released Version Additional info Let’s Work 2:52 Delayed performance TV broadcast Live 8 June 1998, Vibe, CBS Television City, Los Angeles, California Let’s Work 2:10 Prince! Behind The Symbol TV broadcast Live 24 March 2011, Time Warner Cable Arena, Charlotte, NC, USA Let’s Work Instrumental 1:35 3rdEyeTV Show # 2 live video stream Rehearsal Recorded 21 June 2013, Paisley Park, Chanhassen, Minnesota Let’s Work Instrumental 4:10 3rdEyeTV Show # 3 live video stream Rehearsal Recorded 21 June 2013, Paisley Park, Chanhassen, Minnesota Sampled, Referred to, Quoted in... Title Length Released Version Additional info Partyman (The Purple Party Mix) 6:02 Partyman single Remix Remix by Femi Jiya and Prince; Includes sampled clips of Sexy Dancer, I Wanna Be Your Lover, Head, Partyup, Let’s Work, 1999, Raspberry Beret, Erotic City, Kiss, U Got The Look, Housequake, Alphabet St., The Future and a chant from Batdance Partyman (The Purple Party Mix) 5:58 The Scandalous Sex Suite EP Remix edit As above, missing The Joker’s opening dialogue Purple Medley 11:03 Purple Medley single Studio medley See Purple Medley for more details Unreleased Versions Title Version Additional Info Let’s Rock Studio Original version

Additional Information See also Trivia Controversy album Let’s Work single 1999 Super Deluxe Edition References The Vault: The Definitive Guide to the Musical World of Prince (2004) Wax Poetics Issue 67, February 2018

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