Brother With A Purpose (originally titled Tony’s Iggnant Mix) is the third track on the maxi-single of New Power Generation, the second Prince single (and fourth single overall) from Prince’s twelfth album Graffiti Bridge (Round And Round by Tevin Campbell and Melody Cool by Mavis Staples had also been released). Although largely based around the track New Power Generation, it is considered a separate track and receives its own entry here.
Basic tracking of New Power Generation took place in Autumn-Winter 1989 at Paisley Park Studios in Chanhassen, Minnesota (during the same sessions that produced Round And Round). Additional work was done in September or October 1990 at Larrabee Sound Studios in North Hollywood, California, for the maxi-single release, creating Tony’s Iggnant Mix (during the same set of sessions as the N.P.G. (Funky Weapon Remix), T.C.’s Rap, Get Off, The Lubricated Lady, Loveleft, Loveright, a segue later included in the N.P.G. (Funky Weapon Remix), Oobey Doop, Play, Heaven Is Keeping Score, Insatiable, additional recording on My Tree and A Positive Place and a remix for The Latest Fashion). It was included as the third track on both October 1990, configurations of the New Power Generation maxi-single, which was worked on further before release. The track was later renamed Brother With A Purpose.
The track is notable as the first released track by Prince to feature Tony M., although he had appeared on the Nude Tour as a member of the New Power Generation band. On this tour (part of) the third verse of the song was regularly performed as part of the end jam on Baby I’m A Star over a sampled loop of James Brown’s Get On The Good Foot
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