3121

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3121

from the album 3121 Song details Performer: Prince First Released: 21 March 2006 - 3121 album Album(s): 3121 Indigo Nights Writer(s): Prince, Sonny T. and Michael B. (credited to Prince) Producer(s): Prince Live Appearances First and last live appearance: 28 February 2005 (a.m.): 3121 Antelo Rd., Beverly Hills, CA, USA (although potentially also performed earlier in 2005) 12 October 2009: La Cigale, Paris, France Performed regularly on tour: Per4ming Live 3121 21 Nights In London : The Earth Tour Performed occasionally in shows: 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009

3121 is the first track on Prince’s 31st studio album 3121. In 2008, a 2007 live recording of the track was included as the first track on Prince’s fourth live album Indigo Nights, incorporating renditions of The Entertainer (Scott Joplin’s 1902 composition), Alexander’s Ragtime Band (Irving Berlin’s 1911 composition), Music! Music! Music! (by Bernie Baum and Stephan Weiss, from Teresa Brewer’s 1949 single Music! Music! Music!), and Prince’s own D.M.S.R. (from 1999). Basic tracking took place on 19 November 2004, during a three-and-a-half hour session with Michael B. on drums and Sonny T. on bass at Paisley Park Studios in Chanhassen, Minnesota that also yielded From The Lotus..., ...Back 2 The Lotus, Colonized Mind, Love Like Jazz, Wall Of Berlin, Planet Earth, Guitar, Shameless and others tracks. In an August 2006 interview, Michael B. said they recorded eleven or twelve tracks that night. On a different occasion he later indicated that this was the last recording session they did with Prince for a while after that. Much like Ripopgodazippa, 3121 was based around a bass line and a beat created by Sonny T. and Michael B. during that session, although they are uncredited. Prince allegedly wrote the song inspired by the 3121 address of the house, in the week he hired it, so it is likely an early version of the song was recorded in October 2004. Prince wore a jacket with the "3121" logo (as on the album cover) when performing at the 36th NAACP Image Awards on 19 March 2005, and his rented mansion in Los Angeles at the time was at 3121 Antelo Rd., the address of which inspired the track’s title. It was included as the first track on a late 2005 configuration of 3121, where it remained for release. Of note is that the intro of 3121 contains some disguised spoken words that say "From the lotus flower..." also used on ...Back 2 The Lotus (although not on From The Lotus...) and ends with the phrase "It’s going down y'all, like the wall of Berlin", all referring to songs recorded during the same session. The "wall of Berlin" is a reference to the Berlin Wall, which divided the cities of West Berlin and East Berlin (and the countries of West Germany and East Germany, respectively) until its fall in 1989. Recording Information Recording Sessions Date Studio Additional info October 2004 (estimate, assumed) unknown studio initial recording 19 November 2004 Paisley Park Studios, Chanhassen, MN, USA Tracking late 2004 (assumed) Paisley Park Studios, Chanhassen, MN, USA (assumed) horn overdubs Recording Personnel Studio version Prince - all vocals and instruments, except where noted Michael B. - drums Sonny T. - bass guitar Maceo Parker - horns Candy Dulfer - horns Greg Boyer - horns Ray Monteiro - horns Indigo Nights version Prince - vocals and guitar Cora Coleman-Dunham - drums Josh Dunham - bass guitar Morris Hayes - keyboards Renato Neto - keyboards Greg Boyer - trombone Mike Phillips - saxophone, vocoder Lee Hogans - trumpet Shelby J. - backing vocals Marva King - backing vocals Maya McClean - backing vocals Nandy McClean - backing vocals Versions Released Versions Title Length Released Version Additional info 3121 4:31 3121 Studio 3121 7:43 Indigo Nights Live 17 September 2007 (a.m.), 3121 at The IndigO2, London, England; incorporates renditions of The Entertainer, Alexander’s Ragtime Band, Music! Music! Music!, and D.M.S.R. Broadcasts/streaming (only) Title Length Released Version Additional info 3121 T.B.C. Live performance TV broadcast Live 27 June 2006, 6th annual BET Awards, Shrine Auditorium, Los Angeles, CA, USA; includes freestyle rap by Will.i.am 3121 3:30 3121.com audio stream Live edit 29 April 2007 (a.m.), 3121 @ Rio Hotel & Casino, Las Vegas, NV, USA; incorporates renditions of Alexander’s Ragtime Band and Music! Music! Music!; initially offered as 1:55 clip

Additional Information See also Trivia 3121 album 3121 3121.com The name "3121" has been used in many ways, It is believed Prince wrote the song around the time he moved into a rented mansion on 3121 Antelo Rd. in Los Angeles, California. Prince named his website from 2006-8 3121.com. The sessions that yielded this track mark the first appearance of Michael B. and Sonny T. together on a released Prince recording since their Spring 1996 sessions as part of the New Power Generation Prince released a perfume in 2007 titled 3121. References

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