If I Could Get Your Attention

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If I Could Get Your Attention

Tajasevellealbum.jpg
from the album Taja Sevelle
Ifeyecouldgeturattention single.jpg
artwork for Tidal release
Song details
Performer: Taja Sevelle; Mayte
First Released: 19 September, 1987 - Taja Sevelle album
Album(s): Taja Sevelle
Writer(s): Prince and Taja Sevelle (credited to Taja Sevelle)
Producer(s): Prince (credited to Chico Bennett)
Live Appearances
First and last live appearance:

7 November, 2015, Paisley Park Studios, Chanhassen, MN, USA (solo piano version; only known full performance)

Performed regularly on tour:
  • none
Performed occasionally in shows:

If I Could Get Your Attention (a.k.a. If Eye Could Get Ur Attention) is the sixth track on Taja Sevelle's first album Taja Sevelle.

The track was written by Prince, although credited to Taja Sevelle, who wrote additional lyrics, and was produced by Prince (although credited to the album's main producer, Chico Bennett).

In November 2015, a re-recording of the track by Prince (now titled If Eye Could Get Ur Attention) was available to stream as Tidal's Purple Pick of the Week. A few weeks later, on 3 December, 2015, Tidal opened a download store which included If Eye Could Get Ur Attention among many other previously-streamed tracks by Prince (including Stare, Stones (by The Golden Hippie) and Pretzelbodylogic Reloaded, along with the updated version of the album The Chocolate Invasion).


Recording process

Initial tracking of the original version (with Prince on vocals) took place on 10 May, 1986, at Sunset Sound, Hollywood, CA, USA (four days after recording incidental music for Under The Cherry Moon, on the same day as Frustration, the day before Boy U Bad and It). Recording dates and studio information for Taja Sevelle's vocal overdubs are not known.

In mid-September, 1993, the song was tried out during early sessions for Mayte's first album at Paisley Park Studios, Chanhassen, MN, USA, and was included as the fifth track on an early version of the album, which was titled Latino Barbie Doll at the time. The track was removed when the album evolved into Child Of The Sun, however.

A re-recording of the track with Prince on lead vocals (now titled If Eye Could Get Ur Attention), which was believed to have been recorded in Autumn, 2014, at Paisley Park Studios (during sessions for the Judith Hill album Back In Time), was premiered over the PA prior to an unannounced Prince show at Paisley Park Studios on 16 November, 2014 (am) (along with Revelation, The X's Face, a new recording of A 1,000 Hugs And Kisses, Ain't About 2 Stop and a remix of Pretzelbodylogic), following a show by FKA twigs in a different room.

A 21-second snippet of the same recording was made available almost a year later on Prince's Soundcloud account on 4 November, 2015, five days before the full track was made available on Tidal.

It has been speculated that this new recording is intended for inclusion on a follow-up album to Hitnrun Phase One (probably titled Hitnrun Phase Two), but this has not been confirmed; this page will be updated as and when new information becomes available.


Recording Information
Recording Sessions
Date Studio Additional info
10 May, 1986 Sunset Sound, Hollywood, CA, USA Initial tracking
Mid-1986 - mid-1987 Studio information needed Taja Sevelle vocal overdubs and additional lyrics
Mid-September, 1993 Paisley Park Studios, Chanhassen, MN, USA Mayte vocal overdubs
Autumn 2014 (assumed) Paisley Park Studios, Chanhassen, MN, USA Re-recording
Recording Personnel

Taja Sevelle version

  • Taja Sevelle - vocals
  • Prince - all other instruments, except where noted (uncredited)
  • Greg Porter - guitar


Mayte version

  • Mayte - vocals
  • Prince - all other instruments (assumed)


2014 version


Versions
Released Versions
Title Length Released Version Additional info
If I Could Get Your Attention 3:41 Taja Sevelle Studio Taja Sevelle version
If Eye Could Get Ur Attention 2:43 Tidal download Studio Prince version, 2014 re-recording


Unreleased Versions
Title Version Additional Info
If I Could Get Your Attention Studio Mayte version, recorded mid-September, 1993, included on Latino Barbie Doll
 
Additional Information

See also Trivia


References
If A Girl Answers (Don't Hang Up)   < < < All Songs Unreleased Songs > > >   If I Love U 2 Nite