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I Wanna Be Your Lover is the first track on Prince’s second album Prince, and, two months prior to the album’s release, I Wanna Be Your Lover was released as the album’s first single. In 1993, the track was included as the third track on Prince’s compilation album The Hits 2 (also included as the second disc of The Hits / The B-Sides). In 2001, the track was included as the first track on the compilation album The Very Best Of Prince. In 2006, the track was included as the first track on the first disc of the compilation album Ultimate. In 2002, a live version (titled  Wanna B Ur Lover) was also included as the seventh track on the second disc of One Nite Alone... Live!, Prince’s first live album (along with Xenophobia, Extraordinary, Avalanche, Family Name, Raspberry Beret, The Everlasting Now, Diamonds & Pearls, The Beautiful Ones, Nothing Compares 2 U and How Come U Don’t Call Me Anymore from the same show).
While specific dates are not known, the track was most likely recorded in April 1979 at Alpha Studios in Burbank, California. Overdubs and mixing took place at Hollywood Sound Recorders in Los Angeles, California in June 1979. The liner notes on The Hits 2 (and The Hits / The B-Sides), written by Alan Leeds, state that I Wanna Be Your Lover was "originally recorded as a demo 4 Patrice Rushen’s album. PRN had a mad crush on her at the time and the song is about her." Rushen did not re-recorded her own version of the song however. I Feel For You was also written about and for her in 1978. I Wanna Be Your Lover may have been written around the same time but it has not been verified.
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Versions
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Released Versions
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Video Versions
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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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| I Wanna Be Your Lover
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T.B.C.
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Live TV broadcast
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Lip sync
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16 December 1979, American Bandstand, Hollywood, CA, USA
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| I Wanna Be Your Lover
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T.B.C.
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Live TV broadcast
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Lip sync
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8 January 1980, Midnight Special, Burbank, CA, USA
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| I Wanna Be Your Lover
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T.B.C.
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Live concert TV broadcast
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Live
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7 June 1986, Cobo Arena, Detroit, MI, USA
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Sampled, Referred to, Quoted in...
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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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| Partyman (The Purple Party Mix)
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6:02
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Partyman single
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Remix
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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
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| Partyman (The Purple Party Mix)
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5:58
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The Scandalous Sex Suite EP
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Remix edit
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As above, missing The Joker’s opening dialogue by Jack Nicholson
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| My Name Is Prince
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6:37
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 album
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Studio
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Includes samples of I Wanna Be Your Lover and Controversy in opening
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| My Name Is Prince
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6:37
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album (clean version)
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Alternate
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Clean version
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| My Name Is Prince (Edit)
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4:05
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My Name Is Prince single
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Edit
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Alternate opening to album version (not a straightforward edit)
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| My Name Is Prince (Original Mix Edit)
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8:06
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My Name Is Prince single
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Remix
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Perhaps an original version edited for album release
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| Purple Medley
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11:03
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Purple Medley single
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Studio medley
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See Purple Medley for more details
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