The Ball

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The Ball

from the album Sign O’ The Times Super Deluxe Edition Song details Performer: Prince First Released: 25 September 2020 - Sign O’ The Times Super Deluxe Edition album Album(s): Sign O’ The Times Super Deluxe Edition Writer(s): Prince Producer(s): Prince Live Appearances First and last live appearance: 29 May 1987 (a.m.): U4, Vienna, Austria (only known performance) Performed regularly on tour: none Performed occasionally in shows: 1987

The Ball is a track recorded by Prince on 25 July 1986 at the Washington Avenue Warehouse in Edina, Minnesota, with horn overdubs done a few days later at the Galpin Blvd Home Studio. The party segue was likely recorded during rehearsals at the Washington Avenue Warehouse,Edina, Minnesota in that same week. The Ball was included as the fourth track on the second disc on the 30 November 1986 configuration of the Crystal Ball triple LP, segueing directly into Joy In Repetition. When the album developed into Sign O’ The Times, the track was removed (along with Crystal Ball). On 11 December 1987, Prince re-recorded the track with new lyrics as No (see No for details), but kept the original segue ending the track (which was also used at the beginning of the released version of Joy In Repetition). In September 2020 the song was as the seventh track of Vault Tracks part 2, 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 Between 22 & 31 July 1986 (assumed) Washington Avenue Warehouse, Edina, MN, USA ‘party’ coda (probably from rehearsals with The Revolution 25 July 1986 Washington Avenue Warehouse, Edina, MN, USA Tracking, overdubs, mix Between 27 July 1986 (assumed) Galpin Blvd Home Studio, Chanhassen, MN, USA Horn overdubs, mix Recording Personnel Prince - all vocal and instruments, except where noted Susannah Melvoin - background vocals Eric Leeds - saxophone and spoken voice ('party' coda) Atlanta Bliss - trumpet and spoken voice ('party' coda) Wally Safford - spoken voice ('party' coda) Greg Brooks - spoken voice ('party' coda) Jerome Benton - spoken voice ('party' coda - assumed) Versions Released Versions Title Length Released Version Additional info The Ball 4:34 Sign O’ The Times Super Deluxe Edition Studio Sampled, Referred to, Quoted in... Title Length Released Version Additional info No 5:47 Lovesexy Studio Reuses music from The Ball Unreleased Versions Title Version Additional Info The Ball Studio version seguing into Joy In Repetition, unlike the version released on Sign O’ The Times Super Deluxe Edition, that fades out.

Additional Information See also Trivia Sign O’ The Times Super Deluxe Edition album The song reuses the line "All for one, one for all, fun for everyone," from the track Romance 1600 (the line is a paraphrase of the motto "All for one, one for all" from The Three Muskateers). The same line in Spanish (Una para todos, y todos para uno) is also said by Mayte at the beginning of We March. 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)

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