Billy Jack Bitch

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Billy Jack Bitch

Thegoldexperience.jpg
from the album The Gold Experience
Song details
Performer: SymbolSmallerBlue.png
First Released: 26 September 1995 - The Gold Experience album
Album(s): The Gold Experience

The Versace Experience (Prelude 2 Gold)

Writer(s): Prince (as SymbolSmallerBlue.png) and Michael B. Nelson
Producer(s): Prince (as SymbolSmallerBlue.png)
Live Appearances
First and last live appearance:
Performed regularly on tour:
Performed occasionally in shows:

Billy Jack Bitch is the 15th track (tenth song) on Prince’s 17th album The Gold Experience, the first album to be credited to SymbolSmallerBlue.png.

Basic tracking took place in late October 1993, at Paisley Park Studios in Chanhassen, Minnesota (in the same set of sessions as 319, Strawberries and Gold). The track’s chorus features background vocals by American singer-songwriter Lenny Kravitz (who was not credited on the release as he was on a different record label), marking their only known studio collaboration to have been released. The horns on the song play the track New Dell Inn by the Hornheadz (unreleased at the time, but released on their 1994 album Hornheads). New Dell Inn was written by Michael B. Nelson. He is credited on Billy Jack Bitch as co-author and for "horn arrangement".

During a recording session with the Hornheadz on other tracks (most likely 319 or Strawberries, although this is unconfirmed), while tapes were changed, the Hornheadz played their New Dell Inn as well as their arrangement of Thelonius Monk’s 1944 composition Well You Needn’t (also later released on their 1994 album Hornheads). Prince liked the arrangements, and later had them repeat those two as well as other horn parts for Billy Jack Bitch; both were contained on the original full-length version which remains unreleased, but only the New Dell Inn part ended up on the track. The track also has a looped sample from Lyin’ Ass Bitch by Fishbone (from their 1985 Fishbone EP).

The studio version of the song was premiered at a party at Glam Slam in Minneapolis, Minnesota on 16 March 1994 (along with EyeBlue.png Hate U, Days Of Wild, Now and a remix of Pope, hours after recording Letitgo).

Billy Jack Bitch was included as the 15th track (ninth song) on March 1994, and May 1994, configurations of The Gold Experience, before being included as the tenth song on a later 1994 configuration. The 13 October 1994, configuration included Billy Jack Bitch as the 18th track (eleventh song), before the track Days Of Wild was removed from the album for release.

The track is designed as retaliation again Minneapolis gossip columnist C.J. (full name Cheryl Johnson), who regularly wrote negative articles about Prince/SymbolSmallerBlue.png.


Recording Information
Recording Sessions
Date Studio Additional info
Late October 1993 Paisley Park Studios,
Chanhassen, MN, USA
Tracking
Recording Personnel

Versions
Released Versions
Title Length Released Version Additional info
Billy Jack Bitch 5:32 The Gold Experience Studio
Billy Jack Bitch 2:31 The Versace Experience (Prelude 2 Gold) Edit
Broadcasts/streaming (only)
Title Length Released Version Additional info
Billy Jack Bitch ?:?? Live awards TV performance Lip-synch 30 January 1995, 22nd annual American Music Awards, Shrine Auditorium, Los Angeles, California; as part of lip-synched medley of Billy Jack Bitch / EyeBlue.png Hate U / 319
Billy Jack Bitch ?:?? Live TV performance Live 5 March 1995 (mat.), The Sunday Show, Wembley Arena, London, England
Sampled, Referred to, Quoted in...
Title Length Released Version Additional info
EyeBlue.png Hate U 5:54 The Gold Experience Studio Contains a vocal sample from Billy Jack Bitch
EyeBlue.png Hate U (Album Version) 6:07 EyeBlue.png Hate U single

Anthology: 1995-2010

Studio Contains a vocal sample from Billy Jack Bitch
EyeBlue.png Hate U (7" Edit w/o Guitar) 3:50 EyeBlue.png Hate U single Edit Contains a vocal sample from Billy Jack Bitch
EyeBlue.png Hate U (Album Edit) 4:26 EyeBlue.png Hate U single Edit Contains a vocal sample from Billy Jack Bitch
Love 4 1another 8:15 GCS 2000 Studio Uses Michael B.’s drum part and Mayte’s finger cymbals part
95 Tour Wallpaper (video) Unreleased Glam Slam clubs in-house video Long-form video-mix with vocal samples from Billy Jack Bitch among others.
Unreleased Versions
Title Version Additional Info
Billy Jack Bitch Studio Full recording, containing Well You Needn’t horn part, edited for release
 
Additional Information

See also Trivia


References
Billy   < < < All Songs Unreleased Songs > > >   The Bird