Jungle Love is the fourth track on The Time’s third album Ice Cream Castle, and, five months after the album’s release, Jungle Love was released as the album’s second single. The song also features in the movie Purple Rain.
Jungle Love was initially written by Jesse Johnson, with later contributions by Morris Day. Prince under the pseudonym Jamie Starr wrote the lyrics and came up with the melody. It was co-produced by Morris Day and Prince using the name The Starr Company. Jesse Johnson was initially included in the credits when submitted for copyright in May 1984, but after he left the band, his name was removed from the credits upon release.
Jesse Johnson demoed the song, likely in 1982 on a Tascam 8-track recorder in his Cedar Square West Apartment, playing guitar, bass guitar and keyboard (Oberheim OB-SX), over a Roland 808 Drum Machine beat. Johnson wanted to offer the song to Lenny Williams (former lead vocalist for Tower Of Power). He presented it to Prince who then took it to flesh it out with Johnson and Morris Day. Basic tracking took place on 26 March 1983 at Sunset Sound in Hollywood, California (the day before My Summertime Thang and the day before Cloreen Bacon Skin)
In 2019, Prince’s own version was released as the second track on the posthumous album Originals, with Prince, Morris Day and Jesse Johnson credited as the authors of the song.
A 1998 live version recorded by Morris Day was released in 2004 on his album It’s About Time, but this has no input by Prince and is not included here, as it is considered a cover version.
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