Album: Graffiti Bridge

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1989: Batman All Prince Albums All Related Artists Albums 1991: Diamonds And Pearls
Graffiti Bridge


Album details


Released: 20 August 1990 (UK)

21 August 1990 (USA)

Length: 68:34
Label(s): Paisley Park Records / Warner Bros.
Studio(s): Paisley Park Studios, Chanhassen, MN, USA; Sunset Sound, Hollywood, CA, USA; Mad Hatter Studios, Los Angeles, CA; Electric Lady Studios, New York, NY, USA; United Sound Studio, Detroit, MI, USA; Washington Avenue Warehouse, Edina, MN, USA

Charts, Certifications & Awards


Charts
America
Country: Chart Entry Date Peak Position Weeks in Chart
USA: Billboard Top Pop Albums 22 Sep. 1990 6 24
USA: Billboard Top Black Albums 13 Oct. 1990 6 21
 
Europe
Country: Chart Entry Date Peak Position Weeks in Chart
Austria: Alben Top 75 16 Sep. 1990 8 9
Germany: Musikmarkt Top 100 Albums 3 Sep. 1990 4 14
The Netherlands: Nationale Top 100 15 Sep. 1990 6 12
Norway: VG-Lista Week 35/1990 2(?) 6
Sweden: Top Album 29 Aug. 1990 7 4
Switzerland: Schweizer Hitparade 2 Sep. 1990 2 9
U.K.: UK Albums Chart 1 Sep. 1990 1(1) 8
 
Pacific
Country: Chart Entry Date Peak Position Weeks in Chart
Australia: ARIA Top 50 Albums 16 Sep. 1990 10 9
New Zealand: Top Album 50 16 Sep. 1990 3 9
Certifications
Institution, Country Date Certification
RIAA, USA 1 Nov. 1990 Gold (500,000)
BPI, UK 20 Aug. 1990 Gold (100,000)
SNEP, France 1990 Gold (100,000)
CRIA, Canada 31 Oct. 1990 Gold (50,000)
Awards
This album has not received any awards in the USA

Singles released


Thieves In The Temple
b/w Thieves In The Temple (Part II)
Round And Round (Tevin Campbell)
b/w Round And Round (Soul Dub)
New Power Generation
b/w New Power Generation (Part II)
Melody Cool (Mavis Staples)
b/w Time Waits For No One
Shake! (The Time)
b/w The Latest Fashion
Can’t Stop This Feeling I Got (The Philippines only)
b/w Can’t Stop This Feeling I Got

See also


Graffiti Bridge
(Sheet Music)
Graffiti Bridge
(Film)
link:Sheet_Music:_Graffiti_Bridge link:Film:_Graffiti_Bridge


Alternate Album Configuration


  • 25 September 1988, configuration
Side 1
1. Big Tall Wall
2. Stimulation
3. Graffiti Bridge - alternate version
4. Bloody Mouth
5. The Question Of U
Side 2
1. Beatown
2. Pink Cashmere - alternate version
3. Melody Cool - alternate version
4. The Grand Progression
5. God Is Alive


  • Late 1989 configuration (timings mentioned in a handwritten tracklist)
1. Can’t Stop This Feeling I Got (4:34) - alternate version
2. New Power Generation (3:00)- alternate version
3. Release It - The Time (3:56)
4. Elephants & Flowers (3:40) - alternate version
5. The Question Of U (4:00)
6. We Can Funk - George Clinton and Prince (6:14) - alternate version
7. Joy In Repetition (5:04) - alternate version
8. Love Machine - The Time (5:01) - alternate version
9. Tick, Tick, Bang (3:01)- alternate version
10. Shake! - The Time (4:50) - alternate version
11. Melody Cool - Mavis Staples (3:00) - alternate version
12. The Grand Progression (4:36)
13. Graffiti Bridge (3:34) - alternate version
14. New Power Generation (Reprise) (2:32) - alternate version


  • Late 1989 configuration
1. Can’t Stop This Feeling I Got - (likely) alternate version
2. New Power Generation - (likely) alternate version
3. Release It - The Time
4. The Question Of U
5. Elephants & Flowers - (likely) alternate version
6. Round ‘N’ Round - Tevin Campbell - (likely) alternate version
7. Soul Psychodelicide
8. Joy In Repetition - (likely) alternate version
9. Love Machine - The Time - (likely) alternate version
10. Tick, Tick, Bang - (likely) alternate version
11. Shake! - The Time - (likely) alternate version
12. Melody Cool - Mavis Staples - alternate version
13. The Latest Fashion - The Time with Prince - alternate version
14. Still Would Stand All Time- (likely) alternate version
15. Graffiti Bridge - (likely) alternate version
16. New Power Generation (Reprise) - (likely) alternate version


  • 1990 configuration
Side 1
1. Can’t Stop This Feeling I Got - alternate version
2. New Power Generation
3. Release It - The Time
4. The Question Of U
Side 2
1. Elephants & Flowers
2. Round And Round - Tevin Campbell - alternate version
3. We Can Funk - George Clinton and Prince
4. Joy In Repetition
Side 3
1. Love Machine - The Time
2. Tick, Tick, Bang
3. Shake! - The Time
4. Thieves In The Temple
Side 4
1. Melody Cool - Mavis Staples - alternate version
2. The Latest Fashion - The Time with Prince
3. Still Would Stand All Time
4. Graffiti Bridge
5. New Power Generation Pt.II
Graffiti Bridge is the twelfth full-length studio album by Prince, and the companion album to the motion picture, Graffiti Bridge. It was released worldwide in August 1990 (fourteen months after his previous album, Batman).

For the first time, Prince included on the album tracks he had written and produced for other artists (also included in the movie), and singles were also released to support those artists.

The album was largely made up of older tracks which had been revived from the vault and reworked for release, and could be considered a "greatest hits" of unreleased material.


First Steps

Work on a movie script for Graffiti Bridge began in September 1987. Several songs that were mentioned in the first drafts were not kept as the movie underwent further changes (Ruthie Washington Jet Blues, Camille, Everything Could Be So Fine, XYZ, Crucial, Power Fantastic, Beatown, Big Tall Wall, The Grand Progression, U, Cool 1990, Billie Holiday, Stimulation and Born Free). The first known configuration of the album was dated 25 September 1988, however, and a few other configurations are known to have been made in 1989 and 1990 (see below). In late 1988, Prince used some of the same tracks for the planned album, Rave Unto The Joy Fantastic, but this appears to have been a separate project.

Several other musicians are listed as contributors on the album, but most appear with only minor contributions, with the bulk of the work on the album done by Prince alone.


Sessions and compiling

Tracks were recorded throughout the 1980s. Tick, Tick, Bang was recorded in 1981, before the album version was recorded in 1989. Can’t Stop This Feeling I Got was initially recorded in 1982, then re-recorded in Summer 1986, before the album version was recorded in 1989.

We Can Funk was initially recorded on New Year’s Eve 1983 (as We Can Fuck), then re-recorded in Summer 1986, before the album version, based on the 1983 recording was worked in 1989. The Question Of U was recorded in Summer 1985, with additional recording in late 1987. Joy In Repetition was recorded in Summer 1986. The Latest Fashion was initially recorded by Prince in Spring 1987. Graffiti Bridge was recorded in Summer 1987.

Melody Cool was also recorded in Summer 1987 (and was at one point planned for the Rave Unto The Joy Fantastic album), before lead vocals by Mavis Staples were overdubbed in late 1989. Still Would Stand All Time and Elephants & Flowers were recorded in October 1988 (and were at one point planned for the Rave Unto The Joy Fantastic album).

Release It, Love Machine and Shake! were recorded in Summer 1989 for The Time’s Corporate World (along with a reworking of The Latest Fashion), but were moved to Graffiti Bridge when the album was revamped to become Pandemonium. Round And Round was recorded in late 1989, around the same time New Power Generation was reworked from Bold Generation. The final recording for the album, Thieves In The Temple, took place in February 1990.


Promotion

The album produced five commercially-released singles, Thieves In The Temple (which preceded the album), Round And Round (by Tevin Campbell), Melody Cool (by Mavis Staples), New Power Generation and Shake! (by The Time).

Tick, Tick, Bang and The Question Of U were also planned to be singles at one point, with The Question Of U planned as the album’s first single until Thieves In The Temple was recorded and chosen as the first single.

Prince did not tour to support the album, although he was close to the end of the Nude Tour when the album was released, and he regularly played a track or two from the album in shows.


Charts

The album reached number 6 on the US Billboard Top Pop Albums Chart and number 6 on the US Billboard Top Black Albums Chart.


Certifications

The album was certified gold by the RIAA two months and a half after release , indicating 500,000 copies shipped in the USA.



Track listing
CD LP
  1. Can’t Stop This Feeling I Got (4:24)
  2. New Power Generation (3:39)
  3. Release It - The Time (3:54) 1 
  4. The Question Of U (4:00)
  5. Elephants & Flowers (3:54)
  6. Round And Round - Tevin Campbell (3:55)
  7. We Can Funk - George Clinton and Prince (5:28)
  8. Joy In Repetition (4:53)
  9. Love Machine - The Time (3:34) 2 
  10. Tick, Tick, Bang (3:30)
  11. Shake! - The Time (4:01) 3 
  12. Thieves In The Temple (3:20)
  13. The Latest Fashion - The Time with Prince (4:02)
  14. Melody Cool - Mavis Staples (3:39)
  15. Still Would Stand All Time (5:23)
  16. Graffiti Bridge (3:51)
  17. New Power Generation (Pt. II) (2:57)
  • Side 1:
  1. Can’t Stop This Feeling I Got (4:24)
  2. New Power Generation (3:39)
  3. Release It - The Time (3:54) 1 
  4. The Question Of U (4:00)
  • Side 2:
  1. Elephants & Flowers (3:54)
  2. Round And Round - Tevin Campbell (3:55)
  3. We Can Funk - George Clinton and Prince (5:28)
  4. Joy In Repetition (4:53)
  • Side 3:
  1. Love Machine - The Time (3:34) 2 
  2. Tick, Tick, Bang (3:30)
  3. Shake! - The Time (4:01) 3 
  4. Thieves In The Temple (3:20)
  • Side 4:
  1. The Latest Fashion - The Time with Prince (4:02)
  2. Melody Cool - Mavis Staples (3:39)
  3. Still Would Stand All Time (5:23)
  4. Graffiti Bridge (3:51)
  5. New Power Generation (Pt. II) (2:57)

All songs written by Prince, except where noted.

1  Written by Prince and Levi Seacer, Jr.
2  Written by Prince, Levi Seacer, Jr. and Morris Day
3  Written by Prince and Morris Day



Personnel
Musicians


Production


Thanks


  • "May U live 2 see the Dawn"



Releases
LP, CD, Cassettes and Other versions
Country Format Cat. Number Comments Front Back Label 1 Label 2

America
USA LP x2 1-27493 Promo Gold Stamp
USA LP x2 1-27493
USA CD 9 27491-2-DJ Picture CD
USA CD 9 27491-2 Long Box
USA Cassette 4-27493
USA Cassette W4 27493 Manufactured by Columbia House
► See more  ► See more 
Country Format Cat. Number Comments Front Back Label 1 Label 2
Canada LP x2 92 74931 CR With Stickers
Canada CD CD 27493
Canada CD W2 27493 CRC (Distributed by Columbia House)
Mexico LP X2 L2XB 6991 With Stickers
Europe
Switzerland CD 9 25395-2

Variants, Special Editions and Reissues
Country Format Cat. Number Comments Front Back Label 1 Label 2

None


 

 

 
Additional Information

Promotion (at time of release) Trivia

  • US Press advert for this record

  • There are four known unreleased early configurations of the Graffiti Bridge album, containing additional tracks (see Alternate Album Configuration column above).
  • The album was released during the Nude Tour. On 18 August 1990, Prince was in concert at Stade de l’Ouest (Parc des Sports Charles-Ehrmann), Nice, France. The release of the record was exceptionally advanced by two days so that the album would be available in the city’s record stores on that date.

References
1989
Batman
All Albums All Related Artists Albums 1991
Diamonds And Pearls