Willing And Able is the sixth track on Prince’s 13th album Diamonds And Pearls, the first album to be credited to Prince and the New Power Generation, and, eight months after the album’s release, Willing And Able was released to radio as a promotional single in the USA.
While specific recording dates are not known, basic tracking took place in August/September 1990 at Warner Pioneer Studios, Tokyo, Japan, during the same sessions that produced Strollin’, Money Don’t Matter 2 Night, 5 Women and Something Funky (This House Comes). The song evolved from a jam session, in which Michael B. began playing a drum pattern from an unknown song by British band Rockpile. Levi Seacer, Jr. added a bass line, and Prince began to add guitar chords. Additional recording took place in December 1990 at Paisley Park Studios in Chanhassen, Minnesota. It was included as the fifth track on a December 1990, configuration of Diamonds And Pearls, and was included as the sixth track on a 1 March 1991, configuration of the album. The drum intro for the track was also used as the musical background for the track Joyful Sound, and when that track was added to a Spring 1991 configuration of the album, the intro was removed from Willing And Able, which was included as the seventh track. The edited version was included as the sixth track on the 8 May 1991, configuration, where it remained for release. The track was re-recorded for the Willing And Able promo video, most likely in early 1992 at Paisley Park Studios.
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