Q.U.E.E.N.

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Q.U.E.E.N.

logo from 3rdEye TV (no official artwork) Song details Performer: Janelle Monáe featuring Erykah Badu First Released: 21 June, 2013 - 3rdEye TV Show # 2 video stream Album(s): None Writer(s): Janelle Monáe, Kellis Parker Jr., Roman GianArthur Irvin, Nathaniel Irvin III, Charles Joseph II, Kellindo Parker, Chuck Lightning and Nate "Rocket" Wonder Producer(s): Joshua Welton and Prince (assumed, no official credits given) Live Appearances First and last live appearance: This track is not known to have been performed live by Prince Performed regularly on tour: none Performed occasionally in shows: none

Q.U.E.E.N. is the third song of Janelle Monáe’s second studio album The Electric Lady and its first single. A remix by Joshua Welton and Prince (assumed) was streamed during 3rdEye TV Show # 2 in 2013. A longer version was streamed the following day as was an instrumental version of this remix two days later. It was Joshua’s first work in the studio with Prince. The result led him to get the co-producer job on the Art Official Age album (released the following year). The track was written by Janelle Monáe, Kellis Parker Jr., Roman GianArthur Irvin, Nathaniel Irvin III, Charles Joseph II, Kellindo Parker, Chuck Lightning and Nate "Rocket" Wonder. It is not known if Monáe had actually asked Prince to do a remix of this song, or if he chose it to audition Welton. The extent of his involvement on this remix is unknown however. While Prince has contributed to Givin Em What They Love on the Electric Lady album by co-writing the song and providing co-lead vocals, guitar and bass guitar, he did not contribute to the album version of Q.U.E.E.N.. The single was released two months earlier and did not include Joshua Welton (and Prince)’s remixes which may have been made between april and june 2013 at Paisley Park Studios, Chanhassen, Minnesota. Those remixes were not given titles as such and were not officially released to own but were streamed during four 3rdEye TV shows in june 2013 (see below for details). Recording Information Recording Sessions Date Studio Additional info April-June 2013 Paisley Park Studios, Chanhassen, MN, USA Remix Recording Personnel Album version N.B. - recording personnel below refer to the album version without Prince’s input; this track is not known to have been recorded in the studio by Prince Janelle Monáe - co-lead vocals and backing vocals Erykah Badu - co-lead vocals and backing vocals Nate "Rocket" Wonder - bass guitar, guitar, piano, drums, percussion and backing vocals Roman GianArthur Irvin - organ, percussion and bass guitar Grace Shim - cello Terrence L. Brown – electric piano Kellindo Parker – rhythm guitar DJ Cutmaster Swiff - scratches The Wondaland ArchOrchestra - strings Lance Powlis - trumpet Alexander Page – violin and viola Janelle Monáe, Roman GianArthur Irvin and Deep Cotton (as Wonder & Lightning) - production Remixed versions Joshua Welton & Prince - remixes on versions listed below Versions Released Versions Title Length Released Version Additional info Q.U.E.E.N. n/a n/a n/a No 'hard format' release of this song was made available. Broadcasts/streaming (only) Title Length Released Version Additional info Q.U.E.E.N. 2:17 3rdEye TV Show # 2 audio stream Remix Not titled as such Q.U.E.E.N. 3:10 3rdEye TV Show # 3 audio stream Remix longer version not titled as such Q.U.E.E.N. 5:00 3rdEye TV Show # 4 and 3rdEye TV Show # 6 audio streams Instrumental remix Not titled as such Unreleased Versions Title Version Additional Info Q.U.E.E.N. Remix Full version

Additional Information See also Trivia The Q.U.E.E.N. remix was an audition for Joshua Welton. That day, two producers from Switzerland (probably Jamie Lewis and David Alexander who did remixes for Dance 4 Me, 2nite, and Rock And Roll Love Affair in 2011 and 2012) were also in competition and were working on one or more other unidentified songs attributed by Prince. In 2018, when Janelle Monáe released the song "Make Me Feel", Lenka Paris, who was a DJ at parties hosted by Prince at Paisley Park, posted the following message on Facebook : "Roughly 2 and a half years ago I played this little party for Prince, and at one point he goes: Stop the music, I wanna play something. .... He opens his computer and plays a groove. Then this heavy synth hits and my 2 friends and I go simultaneously "oh shit!", He heard us and laughed. It was futuristic and so so good. Last night I heard Janelle Monáe’s new song. As soon as the synth came in, I went "oh shit! That’s it!". He gave that to her. " This post suggests that Prince was involved in "Make Me Feel" which indeed sounds like a song he could have written (it also borrows a guitar part from Kiss and similar screams). But the characteristic synth sound that is found on this song was actually already present on the original version of Q.U.E.E.N. and its remix made by Prince and Joshua Welton. "Make Me Feel" was composed by Janelle Monáe, Julia Michaels, Mattias Larsson, Robin Fredriksson and Justin Tranter. Although Monáe has stated that "Prince actually was working on the album with [her] before he passed on to another frequency, and helped [her] come up with sounds", it is still unknown if his ideas or instrumental contributions, if any, were kept for her album Dirty Computer. To this day, no information confirms that Prince was involved in "Make Me Feel". Beside Q.U.E.E.N., the only other known song with Janelle Monáe to feature a Prince contribution is Givin Em What They Love. References Podcast: Joshua Welton God, Producing Prince and The Purple Movement on Podcast Juice (4 July 2020)

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