Difference between revisions of "If You Were A Sailboat"

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|performer                = [[Prince]]
 
|performer                = [[Prince]]
 
|writer(s)                = [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mike_Batt Mike Batt]
 
|writer(s)                = [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mike_Batt Mike Batt]
|producer(s)              = [[Prince]] (assumed)
+
|producer(s)              = [[Prince]] <small>(assumed)</small>
 
|previous song            = [[If I Was King]]
 
|previous song            = [[If I Was King]]
 
|next song                = [[If We Don’t]]
 
|next song                = [[If We Don’t]]
|introduction              = '''If You Were A Sailboat''' is an unreleased cover version of the 2007 track by [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Katie_Melua Katie Muela] (from her album [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pictures_(Katie_Melua_album) Pictures] and also released as a single) believed to have been recorded between late 2007 and 2009 at [[Paisley Park Studios]] in Chanhassen, Minnesota along with covers of two other [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Katie_Melua Muela] songs, [[Nine Million Bicycles]] and [[The Closest Thing To Crazy]]. It is unknown if this recordings (all written by [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mike_Batt Mike Batt]) were intended for any project at that time, but [[Prince]] was most likely not involved in the original songs. More information will be added when available.
+
|introduction              = '''If You Were A Sailboat''' is an unreleased cover version of the 2007 [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/If_You_Were_a_Sailboat track] by [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Katie_Melua Katie Melua] (the lead single from her album [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pictures_(Katie_Melua_album) Pictures]). It is not known if it was recorded around the same time as the two other [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Katie_Melua Melua] songs ([[Nine Million Bicycles]] and [[The Closest Thing To Crazy]], all written by [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mike_Batt Mike Batt]) but since [[Prince]] was most likely not involved in the original songs, it is safe to assume that '''If You Were A Sailboat''' was recorded at the earliest in late 2007, after the release of the song by [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Katie_Melua Katie Melua] (as a single in September 2007). More information will be added if it becomes available.
  
[[Prince]] ’s version of '''If You Were A Sailboat''' was posted on Batt’s [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6H_FiRdbtcU Youtube channel] in April 2022 with the following description:
+
[[Prince]]’s version of '''If You Were A Sailboat''' was posted on Batt’s [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6H_FiRdbtcU YouTube channel] in April 2022 with the following description:
<br>''" [[Prince]]'s recording of my song "If You Were A Sailboat", which I wrote for Katie Melua, of whom Prince was a big fan. He sang three of my songs for her ([[The Closest Thing To Crazy]], [[Nine Million Bicycles]] and this one). Before recording it he asked me if he could change "If you were a cowboy" to "If you were a gypsy" to fit the male POV better. I agreed, but when I approved the final version that he sent (as here) he snuck in "If you were a Witness" for "if you were a preacher"!!! (He was a Jehovah's Witness). I hadn't noticed that! I'm sure he wouldn't mind my posting it now, so the world can hear it. Very nice of him to ask permission to make that word change. "''
+
<br>''"[[Prince]]’s recording of my song '''If You Were A Sailboat''', which I wrote for Katie Melua, of whom Prince was a big fan. He sang three of my songs for her ([[The Closest Thing To Crazy]], [[Nine Million Bicycles]] and this one). Before recording it he asked me if he could change "If you were a cowboy" to "If you were a gypsy" to fit the male POV better. I agreed, but when I approved the final version that he sent (as here) he snuck in "If you were a Witness" for "if you were a preacher"!!! (He was a Jehovah’s Witness). I hadn’t noticed that! I’m sure he wouldn’t mind my posting it now, so the world can hear it. Very nice of him to ask permission to make that word change."''
  
Despite being posted on Youtube by the writer and producer of the song, [[Prince]]’s version is considered as unreleased since it was not officially sanctionned by [[The Prince Estate]].
+
This description may be confusing as it implies that [[Prince]] recorded these three tracks in the studio, which contradicts a post by Mike Batts on [https://twitter.com/Mike_Batt/status/1094362882702299141 Twitter] in 2019 that reads  <br>''"[[Prince]] did 3 of my songs on stage but only recorded one of them and that’s unreleased"''. It has been confirmed that [[Prince]] also recorded a studio version of [[Nine Million Bicycles]] however.
 +
 
 +
Despite being posted on YouTube by the writer and producer of the song, [[Prince]]’s version of '''If You Were A Sailboat''' is considered as unreleased since it was not officially sanctioned by [[The Prince Estate]].
 +
 
 +
Of note, the Itunes edition of [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Katie_Melua Katie Melua]’s album [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pictures_(Katie_Melua_album) Pictures] also includes her cover of [[Under The Cherry Moon]], but that does not necessarily indicate that [[Prince]] was involved in the making of her record.
 
|recording info            =
 
|recording info            =
 
{{RecordingLine|
 
{{RecordingLine|
|date                    = Late 2007- 2009 (assumed)
+
|date                    = Late 2007 (assumed)
 
|studio                  = [[Paisley Park Studios]],<br>Chanhassen, MN, USA (assumed)
 
|studio                  = [[Paisley Park Studios]],<br>Chanhassen, MN, USA (assumed)
  
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|recording personnel      =  
 
|recording personnel      =  
 
*[[Prince]] - all vocals and instruments (assumed)
 
*[[Prince]] - all vocals and instruments (assumed)
*[[Clare Fischer]] - strings arrangement (assumed)
+
<!--*[[Clare Fischer]] - strings arrangement (assumed) -->
  
 
|released versions      =  
 
|released versions      =  
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|1= '''If You Were A Sailboat'''
 
|1= '''If You Were A Sailboat'''
 
|2= Studio
 
|2= Studio
|3=  
+
|3= Recorded in 2007 (assumed)
 
}}
 
}}
 
}}
 
}}
|first live appearance    = This track is not believed to have been performed live by [[Prince]].
+
|first live appearance    = [[Prince]] reportedly performed this song live but the shows have not been identified.
|performed occasionally in = none
+
|performed occasionally in = see above
 
|performed regularly on    = none
 
|performed regularly on    = none
|trivia                    =  
+
|trivia                    = Whether intentionally or not, the three [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Katie_Melua Katie Melua] songs known to have been covered by [[Prince]] were also the lead singles of the three albums she released in 2003 ([https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Closest_Thing_to_Crazy The Closest Thing To Crazy] from [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Call_Off_the_Search Call Off The Search]), 2005 ([https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nine_Million_Bicycles Nine Million Bicycles] from [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piece_by_Piece_(Katie_Melua_album) Piece By Piece]) and 2007 [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/If_You_Were_a_Sailboat If You Were A Sailboat] from [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pictures_(Katie_Melua_album) Pictures]).
 
|see also                  = [[Unreleased Songs]]
 
|see also                  = [[Unreleased Songs]]
 
*[[Nine Million Bicycles]]  
 
*[[Nine Million Bicycles]]  
 
*[[The Closest Thing To Crazy]]
 
*[[The Closest Thing To Crazy]]
|references                = ''[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6H_FiRdbtcU Mike Batt Youtube channel]''
+
|references                = ''[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6H_FiRdbtcU Mike Batt YouTube channel]''
|categories                = [[Category:2007]][[Category:Songs (Prince)]][[Category:Cover Songs]][[Category:Cover Songs (Studio)]][[Category:Unreleased Songs]][[Category:Recorded 2007]]
+
*[https://twitter.com/Mike_Batt/status/1094362882702299141 2019 Twitter post by Mike Batt]
 +
|categories                = [[Category:2007]][[Category:Recorded 2007]][[Category:Songs (Prince)]][[Category:Cover Songs]][[Category:Cover Songs (Studio)]][[Category:Unreleased Songs]]
 
}}
 
}}

Latest revision as of 15:48, 26 June 2022

If I Was King   < < < Non-Prince Songs All Prince Songs Unreleased Songs > > >   If We Don’t
If You Were A Sailboat

border
Song details
Performer: Prince
Writer(s): Mike Batt
Producer(s): Prince (assumed)
Live Appearances
First and last live appearance:
  • Prince reportedly performed this song live but the shows have not been identified.
Performed regularly on tour:
  • none
Performed occasionally in shows:
  • see above

If You Were A Sailboat is an unreleased cover version of the 2007 track by Katie Melua (the lead single from her album Pictures). It is not known if it was recorded around the same time as the two other Melua songs (Nine Million Bicycles and The Closest Thing To Crazy, all written by Mike Batt) but since Prince was most likely not involved in the original songs, it is safe to assume that If You Were A Sailboat was recorded at the earliest in late 2007, after the release of the song by Katie Melua (as a single in September 2007). More information will be added if it becomes available.

Prince’s version of If You Were A Sailboat was posted on Batt’s YouTube channel in April 2022 with the following description:
"Prince’s recording of my song If You Were A Sailboat, which I wrote for Katie Melua, of whom Prince was a big fan. He sang three of my songs for her (The Closest Thing To Crazy, Nine Million Bicycles and this one). Before recording it he asked me if he could change "If you were a cowboy" to "If you were a gypsy" to fit the male POV better. I agreed, but when I approved the final version that he sent (as here) he snuck in "If you were a Witness" for "if you were a preacher"!!! (He was a Jehovah’s Witness). I hadn’t noticed that! I’m sure he wouldn’t mind my posting it now, so the world can hear it. Very nice of him to ask permission to make that word change."

This description may be confusing as it implies that Prince recorded these three tracks in the studio, which contradicts a post by Mike Batts on Twitter in 2019 that reads
"Prince did 3 of my songs on stage but only recorded one of them and that’s unreleased". It has been confirmed that Prince also recorded a studio version of Nine Million Bicycles however.

Despite being posted on YouTube by the writer and producer of the song, Prince’s version of If You Were A Sailboat is considered as unreleased since it was not officially sanctioned by The Prince Estate.

Of note, the Itunes edition of Katie Melua’s album Pictures also includes her cover of Under The Cherry Moon, but that does not necessarily indicate that Prince was involved in the making of her record.


Recording Information
Recording Sessions
Date Studio Additional info
Late 2007 (assumed) Paisley Park Studios,
Chanhassen, MN, USA (assumed)
Tracking
Recording Personnel
  • Prince - all vocals and instruments (assumed)

Versions
Unreleased Versions
Title Version Additional Info
If You Were A Sailboat Studio Recorded in 2007 (assumed)


 
Additional Information

See also Trivia


References
If I Was King   < < < All Songs Unreleased Songs > > >   If We Don’t