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Do Me, Baby is the third track on Prince’s fourth album Controversy, and, nine months after the album’s release, Do Me, Baby was released as the album’s third single. In 1993, the single edit was included as the fifth track on Prince’s second compilation album The Hits 2 (also included as the second disc of The Hits / The B-Sides).
In 2002, a live version was also included as the eighth track on the second disc of One Nite Alone... Live!, Prince’s first live album (along with Adore and Condition Of The ♥ (Interlude) from the same show). The song was written by André Cymone, but credited to Prince.
An early version of the song featuring André Cymone on lead vocals was recorded in February 1978 at Music Farm Studios in New York, NY, USA, around the same time as of sessions led by Pepé Willie intended for Tony Silvester, leader of the group The Main Ingredient to use as demos for Little Anthony and the Imperials, who he wanted to produce (the one-day session also produced I Feel For You, Thrill You Or Kill You and With You), although Do Me, Baby was recorded with extra studio time and was not intended for use by Silvester.
Even when the song is credited solely to Prince, André Cymone has said it was his song and Pepé Willie has corroborated this statement. Cymone claims he came up with the main groove and perhaps the melody and Prince put lyrics to it. It is interesting to note that the song bears a striking similarity to the chord progression of Aretha Franklin’s Angel, from Hey Now Hey (The Other Side Of The Sky (1973), combined with the melody of a guitar solo in Eddie Hazel’s Frantic Moment from Game, Dames & Guitar Thangs (1977). Cymone never disputed the songwriting credits in court but he later reveiled that he started receiving royalties from this song from 2014, until Prince’s passing in 2016:" He was my friend I didn’t make a big deal out of it. It was between he and I. The crazy thing is somewhere along the line he must have decided that "Well André does deserve", so I started getting royalties for the song and I didn’t ask for it. And then, after he passed and The Prince Estate took over, I stopped getting royalties for the song."
Prince re-cut the song as a solo effort in April 1979 at Alpha Studios in Burbank, California. That version was mixed in early June 1979 at Hollywood Sound Recorders in Los Angeles, California, while working on recording the Prince album. But the song did not end up being used for the album and was shelved. This version from 1979 was released in 2021 as a stand alone digital track and in 2022 as a limited 7" purple vinyl single and cassette to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the Controversy album.
While specific recording dates of the version released on Controversy are not known, the album sessions took place in Spring and Summer 1981, at Hollywood Sound Recorders in Los Angeles, California. The album was completed at Sunset Sound in Hollywood, California, between 14 and 23 August 1981.
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Recording Information
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Recording Sessions
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| Date
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Studio
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Additional info
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| February 1978
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Music Farm Studios,
New York, NY, USA
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Early recording with André Cymone on lead vocals
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| April 1979
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Alpha Studios, Burbank, CA, USA
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tracking of solo version
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| 1 June 1979
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Hollywood Sound Recorders,
Los Angeles, CA, USA
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overdubbing/ mixing 1979 version
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| Spring-Summer 1981
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Hollywood Sound Recorders in Los Angeles, CA
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Tracking of Controversy version
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| 14 - 23 August 1981
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Sunset Sound,
Hollywood, CA, USA
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Overdubs, mixing
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Recording Personnel
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Released version
- Prince - all vocals and instruments
Preliminary version
- André Cymone - lead vocals and bass guitar (assumed)
- Prince - guitar, synthesizer and keyboards (assumed)
- Pepé Willie - synthesizer, percussion (assumed)
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Versions
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Released Versions
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| Title
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Length
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Released
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Version
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Additional info
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| Do Me, Baby
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7:47
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Controversy
Strange Tales From The Rain promotional album
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Studio
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| Do Me, Baby (Edit)
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3:57
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Do Me, Baby single
The Hits 2
The Hits / The B-Sides
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Edit
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| Do Me, Baby
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7:18
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1999 Super Deluxe Edition
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Live
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1 December 1982 (a.m.): Masonic Temple Auditorium, Detroit, MI, USA
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| Do Me, Baby
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4:51
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Prince And The Revolution: Live
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Live
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30 March 1985, Carrier Dome, Syracuse, NY, USA
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| Do Me, Baby
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2:00
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Prince And The Revolution: Live (2022 re-release)
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Live
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30 March 1985, Carrier Dome, Syracuse, NY, USA. Remastered.
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| Do Me, Baby
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1:56
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One Nite Alone... Live!
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Live
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14 April 2002, Verizon Wireless Theater, Houston, TX, USA
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| Do Me, Baby (Demo)
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4:34
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Do Me, Baby (Demo) single
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Demo
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1979 version. Released posthumously
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Video Versions
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| Title
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Length
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Released
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Version
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Additional info
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| Do Me, Baby
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4:40
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Prince And The Revolution: Live VHS/laserdisc
Purple Rain Deluxe Expanded Edition – Live at the Carrier Dome (DVD)
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Live
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30 March 1985, Carrier Dome, Syracuse, NY, USA
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| Do Me, Baby
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T.B.C.
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Lovesexy Live 2 VHS
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Live
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9 September 1988, Westfalenhallen, Dortmund, West Germany
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| Do Me, Baby
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6:35
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1999 Super Deluxe Edition DVD
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Live
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29 December 1982: The Summit, Houston, TX, USA
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| Do Me, Baby
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T.B.C.
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Sign O’ The Times Super Deluxe Edition DVD
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Live
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31 December 1987: Paisley Park Studios, Chanhassen, MN, USA
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Broadcasts/streaming (only)
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| Title
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Length
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Released
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Version
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Additional info
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| Do Me, Baby
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T.B.C.
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Live concert radio broadcast
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Live
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22 July 1990, Estadio Vicente Calderón, Madrid, Spain
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| Do Me, Baby
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T.B.C.
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Delayed concert TV broadcast
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Live
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29 July 1990, Estadio Santa María del Mar, La Coruña, Spain
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| Do Me, Baby
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T.B.C.
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Delayed concert TV broadcast
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Live
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31 August 1990, Tokyo Dome (東京ドーム), Tokyo, Japan
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| Do Me, Baby
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T.B.C.
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Live concert performance
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Live
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20 November 1996, Harpo Studios, Chicago, IL, USA
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Sampled, Referred to, Quoted in...
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Unreleased Versions
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| Title
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Version
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Additional Info
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| Do Me, Baby
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Studio
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1978 André Cymone version
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