Head

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Head

Dirtymind.jpg
from the album Dirty Mind
Head single.jpg
single art for Head
Song details
Performer: Prince
First Released: 8 October 1980 - Dirty Mind album
Album(s): Dirty Mind

The Hits 2
The Hits / The B-Sides
4Ever
1999 Super Deluxe Edition

Writer(s): Prince
Producer(s): Prince
Live Appearances
First and last live appearance:
Performed regularly on tour:
Performed occasionally in shows:

Head is the sixth track on Prince’s third album Dirty Mind, and, in late 1980, Head was released as the album’s second single (only available in the Philippines; in the USA it was released only on a promo acting more as an album sampler than a promo for this particular song).

In 1993, the track was included as the fourth track on Prince’s compilation album The Hits 2 (also included as the second disc of The Hits / The B-Sides).

While specific recording dates are not known, the album sessions took place from May to June 1980, in Prince’s North Arm Drive Home Studio in Orono, Minnesota (credited as "Somewhere in Uptown"), and completed in June 1980 at Hollywood Sound Recorders in Los Angeles, California.

The song introduced new band member Lisa Coleman who contributed a spoken word segment after Gayle Chapman objected to the song’s lyrics and left the band.

Some of the lyrics are seemingly inspired by Darlene, a girl from San Francisco, CA that Prince was seeing and the protagonist for the song Darlene Marie. At the time they first met in September 1978, she was engaged to be married. The line " ...when I met you, baby, you were on your way to be wed" was about, or inspired by her.

In 1994, Kirk Johnson remixed the track at Paisley Park Studios in Chanhassen, Minnesota, and the remix, while unreleased, was partially included in the Kirk J’s B Sides Remix medley.


Recording Information
Recording Sessions
Date Studio Additional info
May-June 1980 North Arm Drive Home Studio,
Orono, MN, USA
Tracking
June 1980 Hollywood Sound Recorders,
Los Angeles, CA, USA
Overdubs, mixing
19 January 1983 Lakeland Civic Center, Lakeland FL Tour Demo version
1994 Paisley Park Studios,
Chanhassen, MN, USA
Remix by Kirk Johnson
Recording Personnel


Tour Demo Version


Versions
Released Versions
Title Length Released Version Additional info
Head 4:40 Dirty Mind

Uptown promo
Head single
Do It All Night single
Gotta Stop (Messin’ About) single
The Hits 2
The Hits / The B-Sides
4Ever

Studio
Lady Cab Driver / I Wanna Be Your Lover / Head / Little Red Corvette (Tour Demo) 7:00 1999 Super Deluxe Edition Live Recorded 19 January 1983, Lakeland Civic Center, Lakeland FL
Head 4:13 1999 Super Deluxe Edition Live 1 December 1982 (a.m.): Masonic Temple Auditorium, Detroit, MI, USA
Video Versions
Title Length Released Version Additional info
Head 3:18 Lovesexy Live 2 VHS Live 9 September 1988, Westfalenhallen, Dortmund, West Germany
Head 6:02 1999 Super Deluxe Edition DVD Live 29 December 1982: The Summit, Houston, TX, USA
Broadcasts/streaming (only)
Title Length Released Version Additional info
Head T.B.C. Live concert TV broadcast Live 7 June 1986, Cobo Arena, Detroit, MI, USA
Sampled, Referred to, Quoted in...
Title Length Released Version Additional info
Partyman (The Purple Party Mix) 6:02 Partyman single Remix Remix by Femi Jiya and Prince; Includes sampled clips of Sexy Dancer, I Wanna Be Your Lover, Head, Partyup, Let’s Work, 1999, Raspberry Beret, Erotic City, Kiss, U Got The Look, Housequake, Alphabet St., The Future and a chant from Batdance
Partyman (The Purple Party Mix) 5:58 The Scandalous Sex Suite EP Remix edit As above, missing The Joker’s opening dialogue
Kirk J’s B Sides Remix 7:00 Purple Medley single Studio medley See Kirk J’s B Sides Remix for more details
Unreleased Versions
Title Version Additional Info
Head Remix Remixed 1994 version of the track by Kirk Johnson containing new beats and keyboard lines
 
Additional Information

See also Trivia

  • Head is the earliest-recorded track to feature Lisa Coleman, who contributed a spoken word segment after Gayle Chapman objected to the song’s lyrics and left the band.

References
Have A ♥   < < < All Songs Unreleased Songs > > >   Heart Attack