Slow Love

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Slow Love

from the album Sign O’ The Times Song details Performer: Prince; Mayte First Released: 30 March 1987 - Sign O’ The Times album Album(s): Sign O’ The Times Sign O’ The Times Deluxe Edition and Super Deluxe Edition Writer(s): Carole Davis (lyrics & music), (mostly incorrectly) co-credited to Prince Producer(s): Prince Live Appearances First and last live appearance: 21 March 1987, First Avenue, Minneapolis, Minnesota 13 February 1989: Osaka-jō Hall (大阪城ホール), Osaka, Japan Performed regularly on tour: Sign O’ The Times Tour Lovesexy Tour Performed occasionally in shows: 1987

Slow Love is the seventh track on the first disc of Prince’s ninth album Sign O’ The Times. In 1987, a live version was included as the fifth track of the concert movie Sign O’ The Times. The song was longtime thought to be co-written by Carole Davis, whom Prince met in 1984, but in fact it is essentially a sole-composition by Davis, who wrote the lyrics and music and did the vocal arrangement. Prince only helped to rewrite and re-arrange the bridge. This initial version was recorded on 1 July 1984 at his Kiowa Trail Home Studio in Chanhassen, Minnesota. The song was then shelved and taken out again two years later, when Prince worked further on the recording on 3 June 1986 at the Galpin Blvd Home Studio in Chanhassen, Minnesota (the day after a configuration of the Dream Factory album was made, on the same day as Eric Leeds saxophone overdubs on Yah, U Know). The track was then initially included as the ninth track on the third and final configuration of the Dream Factory album on 18 July 1986. When that album developed into the triple-album Crystal Ball, the song was included as the seventh track on the first disc on its 30 November 1986 configuration, which was eventually pared down and became Sign O’ The Times. When Prince was planning to release the song, in 1987, He attempted to buy the rights to it. Davis: “He had his lawyers call me, and they offered me $25,000 to own the song outright, and I refused, and they got back to me about a month later to give me 50 percent of publishing and writers, which I accepted for the opportunity to appear on a Prince record.” In late 1993, the song was tried out during early sessions for Mayte’s first album at Paisley Park Studios in Chanhassen, Minnesota, and was included as the eighth track on an early version of the album, which was titled Latino Barbie Doll at the time. The track was removed when the album evolved into Child Of The Sun, however. Recording Information Recording Sessions Date Studio Additional info 1 July 1984 Kiowa Trail Home Studio, Chanhassen, MN, USA Basic tracking 3 June 1986 Galpin Blvd Home Studio, Chanhassen, MN, USA Strings overdubs (with Novi Novog and Suzie Katayama) and mix 4 June 1986 Galpin Blvd Home Studio, Chanhassen, MN, USA Horn overdubs and mix 12 June 1986 Galpin Blvd Home Studio, Chanhassen, MN, USA Possible overdubs 11 July 1986 One On One Recording, North Hollywood, California Orchestra recording by Clare Fischer 19 July 1986 Sunset Sound, Hollywood, CA, USA Mix Late 1993 Paisley Park Studios, Chanhassen, MN, USA Vocal overdubs by Mayte Recording Personnel Released Prince version Prince - all vocals and instruments, except where noted Eric Leeds - saxophone Atlanta Bliss - trumpet Wendy Melvoin - guitar and backing vocals Lisa Coleman - backing vocals Clare Fischer - orchestration Unreleased Mayte version Mayte - vocals Prince - all instruments, except where noted Eric Leeds - saxophone Atlanta Bliss - trumpet Wendy Melvoin - guitar and backing vocals (assumed) Lisa Coleman - backing vocals (assumed) Clare Fischer - orchestration (assumed) Versions Released Versions Title Length Released Version Additional info Slow Love 4:18 Sign O’ The Times Studio Slow Love 4:18 Sign O’ The Times Deluxe Edition and Super Deluxe Edition Studio Remastered in 2020 Slow Love 4:03 Carole Davis: Heart of Gold (Cd version only) Studio Carole Davis own version Slow Love 5:05 Sign O’ The Times Super Deluxe Edition Live 20 June 1987: Stadion de Galgenwaard, Utrecht, the Netherlands Video Versions Title Length Released Version Additional info Slow Love 6:36 Sign O’ The Times VHS/DVD Live See Sign O’ The Times for details Slow Love 1:05 Lovesexy Live 2 VHS Live 9 September 1988, Westfallenhalle, Dortmund, West Germany Slow Love T.B.C. Sign O’ The Times Super Deluxe Edition DVD Live 31 December 1987: Paisley Park Studios, Chanhassen, MN, USA Unreleased Versions Title Version Additional Info Slow Love Studio Original 1984 recording Slow Love Studio 1986 updated version with strings by Novi Novog and Suzie Katayama Slow Love Studio Mayte’s 1993 recording

Additional Information See also Trivia Sign O’ The Times album Dream Factory unreleased album Crystal Ball unreleased album Mayte While Carole Davis largely wrote all the music and lyrics and she released her own version of the song (produced by Nile Rodgers) that appeared as a bonus track on the cd version only of her 1989 debut album Heart Of Gold, Prince's version is not considered a cover as his was released first and he is officially credited as co-author of the song. References The Vault: The Definitive Guide to the Musical World of Prince (2004) Prince and the Parade/Sign O’ The Times Era Studio Sessions 1985 and 1986, Duane Tudahl (2021) Prince, Matt Throne (2012)

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