The Ballad Of Dorothy Parker

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The Ballad Of Dorothy Parker

from the album Sign O’ The Times from the album Sign O’ The Times Super Deluxe Edition Song details Performer: Prince First Released: 30 March 1987 - Sign O’ The Times album Album(s): Sign O’ The Times One Nite Alone... The Aftershow: It Ain’t Over Sign O’ The Times Deluxe Edition and Super Deluxe Edition Writer(s): Prince Producer(s): Prince Live Appearances First and last live appearance: 21 May 1987: Park Café, Munich, (West) Germany (including Four) 14 April 2016 (Show 2): Fox Theatre, Atlanta, GA, USA (including Four) Performed regularly on tour: Hit N Run Tour (including Four) A Celebration (including Four) Piano & A Microphone Tour (including Four) Performed occasionally in shows: 1987 (including Four), 1988 (including Four), 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000 (including Four), 2001 (including Four), 2002, 2007, 2011, 2012, 2014, 2015 (including Four), 2016 (solo piano, including Four))

The Ballad Of Dorothy Parker is the fourth track on the first disc of Prince’s ninth album Sign O’ The Times. Basic tracking took place on 13 March 1986 at Prince’s Galpin Blvd Home Studio in Chanhassen, Minnesota (six days before And How and Power Fantastic). It was the first track he recorded in his newly installed home studio. The track was initially included as the fourth track on a late April 1986 configuration of Dream Factory, and as the album expanded, it was kept as the fourth track on the first disc on the 3 June 1986 and 18 July 1986 configurations. It was kept for inclusion as the fourth track on the first disc as the album developed into the triple-album Crystal Ball on the 30 November 1986 configuration, which was eventually pared down and became Sign O’ The Times. The Ballad Of Dorothy Parker was planned as a single release also (likely as the album’s fifth commercial single), but this release was abandoned. The whole song sounds somewhat dull and murky because of a technical problem. The console for the newly built home studio arrived from Los Angeles as a skeleton, with the wires hanging out and all the parts in boxes. Everything was hooked up, but no music was run through the console before recording commenced. While installing there was a loss of power in the house. The console had one power supply for the positive side and another for the negative side and, unbeknown to technician Susan Rogers, one of the power supplies didn’t come back up. Rogers noticed the music sounding flat, but didn’t want to ask Prince to stop recording. It was only after the day long recording session that Rogers discovered the cause of the problem. However Prince professed to like the recording. Eric Leeds added a saxophone part to the song which was discarded. The song was also sent to Clare Fischer for his input and an elaborate horn arrangement was recorded, but Prince ended up not using it. The song’s title seemingly refers to Dorothy Parker, an American writer and poet, born 1893, "best known for her wit, wisecracks, and sharp eye for 20th century urban foibles", but this was unintentional. Prince wrote the song following a dream he had. He must have heard the name somewhere, but allegedly when asked at the time, it appeared that he did not know about the writer Dorothy Parker. The song also references Joni Mitchell’s Help Me ("Help me, I think I’m falling in love again") from her 1974 album Court And Spark (also released as a single in 1974). In 2002, a live version was included as the seventh track on the live release One Nite Alone... The Aftershow: It Ain’t Over (titled only Dorothy Parker). The version with Eric Leeds overdub was released in September 2020 as the eighth track of Vault Tracks part 1, one of the discs with previously unreleased tracks included with the Sign O’ The Times Super Deluxe Edition. Recording Information Recording Sessions Date Studio Additional info 13 March 1986 Galpin Blvd Home Studio, Chanhassen, MN, USA Tracking 15 March 1986 Galpin Blvd Home Studio, Chanhassen, MN, USA (assumed) Overdubs, mix 15 April 1986 Galpin Blvd Home Studio, Chanhassen, MN, USA Overdubs, including saxophone (Eric Leeds), mix 17 & 18 April 1986 Galpin Blvd Home Studio, Chanhassen, MN, USA Mix (17th); crossfading (18th) 4 or 5 June 1986 Galpin Blvd Home Studio, Chanhassen, MN, USA Mix 23 June 1986 Ocean Way Recording, Hollywood, CA, USA Orchestral overdubs by Clare Fischer orchestra 25 June 1986 (estimate) Washington Avenue Warehouse, Edina, MN, USA Orchestral mix Recording Personnel Released version Prince - all vocals and instruments, except where noted Susannah Melvoin - background vocals Horn overdub version Prince - all vocals and instruments, except where noted Susannah Melvoin - background vocals Eric Leeds - saxophone Claire Fischer overdub version Prince - all vocals and instruments, except where noted Susannah Melvoin - background vocals Unknown Clare Fischer Orchestra horn section - horns Versions Released Versions Title Length Released Version Additional info The Ballad Of Dorothy Parker 4:04 Sign O’ The Times Studio The Ballad Of Dorothy Parker 4:04 Sign O’ The Times Deluxe Edition and Super Deluxe Edition Studio Remastered in 2020 Dorothy Parker 6:16 One Nite Alone... The Aftershow: It Ain’t Over Live 21 April 2002 (a.m.): House Of Blues Sunset Strip, West Hollywood, CA, USA The Ballad Of Dorothy Parker (With Horns) 4:56 Sign O’ The Times Super Deluxe Edition Studio Includes Eric Leeds horn overdubs Video Versions Title Length Released Version Additional info The Ballad Of Dorothy Parker 3:53 NPG Music Club Edition # 4 .mov download Live 4 May 2001 (mat.), The Tonight Show With Jay Leno, NBC Studio 3, Burbank, CA, USA; includes Four (uncredited) Sampled, Referred to, Quoted in... Title Length Released Version Additional info Letitgo (Sherm Stick Edit) 5:42 Letitgo single Remix Contains looped samples from The Ballad Of Dorothy Parker; remix by J-Sw!ft Letitgo ((-)Sherm Stick Edit) 5:42 Letitgo single Remix Instrumental version of Letitgo (Sherm Stick Edit); contains looped samples from The Ballad Of Dorothy Parker; remix by J-Sw!ft Unreleased Versions Title Version Additional Info The Ballad Of Dorothy Parker Studio longer version, as released on Sign O’ The Times Super Deluxe Edition, but without the sax overdub The Ballad Of Dorothy Parker Studio Includes orchestral (brass) arrangement by Clare Fischer, not used in any released version

Additional Information See also Trivia Sign O’ The Times album Dream Factory unreleased album Crystal Ball unreleased album Sign O’ The Times Deluxe Edition and Super Deluxe Edition album The Ballad Of Dorothy Parker unreleased single References The Vault: The Definitive Guide to the Musical World of Prince (2004) Book: Prince - Dancemusicsexromance - The First Decade (Fire Fly) Prince and the Parade/Sign O’ The Times Era Studio Sessions 1985 and 1986, Duane Tudahl (2021)

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