View source for Merci For The Speed Of A Mad Clown In Summer

{{song-2|
|song name                 = Merci For The Speed Of A Mad Clown In Summer
|single image              = [[File:Romance1600_album.jpg|100px|link=Album: Romance 1600]] <br><small> from the album [[Album: Romance 1600|Romance 1600]]</small>
|performer                 = [[Sheila E.]]
|first released            = [[Prince_Vault:Selected_anniversaries/August 26|26 August 1985]] - [[Album: Romance 1600|Romance 1600]] album
|album(s)                  = [[Album: Romance 1600|Romance 1600]]
|writer(s)                 = [[Sheila E.]]
|producer(s)               = [[Prince]] (credited to [[Sheila E.]])
|previous song             = [[Mama Feelgood]]
|next song                 = [[Mind Of J]]
|introduction              = '''Merci For The Speed Of A Mad Clown In Summer''' is an instrumental featured as the seventh track on [[Sheila E.]]’s second album [[Album: Romance 1600|Romance 1600]]. [[Prince]] did not write this song, but plays uncredited keyboards on it.

Basic tracking took place on [[Prince_Vault:Selected_anniversaries/January 20|20 January 1985]] at 5th Floor Recording Studio, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA . At this point the track was still known as '''Small Grey Monkey'''. Overdubs took place on the 23rd, and 24th, also at 5th Floor Recording Studio.

The introduction is a sound effect (titled ''Carnival Midway'') from Jac Holzman’s ''Authentic Sound Effects Volume 1'' (1960, Elektra Records) sound library. The track also contains an interpolation of [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Julius_Fu%C4%8D%C3%ADk_(composer) Julius Fučík]’s 1897 composition [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Entrance_of_the_Gladiators Entrance Of The Gladiators]. 

|recording info            =
{{RecordingLine|
|date                      = [[Prince_Vault:Selected_anniversaries/January 20|20 January 1985]]
|studio                    = 5th Floor Recording Studio, <br>Cincinnati, OH, USA
|additional info           = Tracking, overdubs, mix
}}
{{RecordingLine|
|date                      = [[Prince_Vault:Selected_anniversaries/January 23|23]] &[[Prince_Vault:Selected_anniversaries/January 24|24 January 1985]]
|studio                    = 5th Floor Recording Studio, <br>Cincinnati, OH, USA
|additional info           = overdubs, mix (23rd); edits, mix (24th)
}}
{{RecordingLine|
|date                      = [[Prince_Vault:Selected_anniversaries/January 24|24 January 1985]]
|studio                    = 5th Floor Recording Studio, <br>Cincinnati, OH, USA
|additional info           = overdubs
}}
|recording personnel       = 
'''Released version'''

*[[Sheila E.]] - vocals, bass, bongos, congas, drums, guitar, keyboards, percussion (credits given for full album - instrument credits may not be accurate for this track)
*[[Prince]] - keyboards (uncredited)
*[[Eddie M.]] - saxophone
*[[Karl Perazzo]] - drums, bongos (uncredited)
*[[Benny Rietveld]] - bass guitar (uncredited)
*[[Susie Davis]] - keyboards (uncredited)


'''Unreleased version (Small Grey Monkey)'''
*[[Sheila E.]] - lead vocals, bass, bongos, congas, drums, guitar, keyboards, percussion (assumed)
*[[Prince]] - keyboards
*[[Eddie M.]] - saxophone
*[[Karl Perazzo]] - drums, bongos
*[[Benny Rietveld]] - bass guitar
*[[Susie Davis]] - keyboards 
|released versions         =
{{Songchart|
|line =
{{Songline|
|1= '''Merci For The Speed Of A Mad Clown In Summer'''
|2= 2:47
|3= [[Album: Romance 1600|Romance 1600]]
|4= Studio
|5= 
}}
}}
|unreleased versions       = 
{{SongUnreleased|
|unreleased versions       = 
{{Unreleased|
|line=
{{Unreleasedline|
|1= '''Small Grey Monkey'''
|2= Studio
|3= Initial takes with vocals by [[Sheila E.]] (later replaced by saxophone on the released version)
}}
{{Unreleasedline|
|1= '''Small Grey Monkey'''
|2= Studio
|3= Overdubs on one of the intial takes (5-minute version) 
}}
{{Unreleasedline|
|1= '''Merci For The Speed Of A Mad Clown In Summer'''
|2= Studio
|3= Same as released without sound effects
}}
}}
}}
|video versions            = 
{{SongVideo|
|video versions            = 
{{Songchart|
|line =
{{Songline|
|1= '''Merci For The Speed Of A Mad Clown In Summer'''
|2= 06:45
|3= [[Sheila E.]]: [[Home Video: Live Romance 1600|Live Romance 1600]] VHS/laserdisc
|4= Live
|5= [[08_March 1986|8 March 1986, Warfield Theater, San Francisco, CA]]
}}
}}
}}
|broadcasts, streaming     =
|sampled in                =
|first live appearance     = This track is not believed to have been performed live by [[Prince]] except a horn interpolation (played by [[Eddie M.]]) during [[America]] on [[23 February 1985|23 February 1985: The Forum, Inglewood, CA, USA]]
|performed regularly on    = see Trivia
|performed occasionally in = none
|trivia                    = The live version by [[Sheila E.]] and her band of '''[[Merci For The Speed Of A Mad Clown In Summer]]''' included in the Home-Video [[Home_Video:_Live_Romance_1600|Live In Romance 1600]] contains an arrangement (not included on the album version) that was later used on the [[Lovesexy Tour]] during the [[Jack U Off]] / [[It Don’t Mean A Thing (If It Ain’t Got That Swing)]] / [[Twelve]] portion.
*[[Merci For The Speed Of A Mad Clown In Summer]] seems to have inspired both [[2 Nigs United 4 West Compton]] (bass line) and [[Ten And ½]]. 
|see also                  = [[Album: Romance 1600|Romance 1600]] album
* [[Sheila E.]]
|references                = ''[[Book:_The_Vault|The Vault: The Definitive Guide to the Musical World of Prince (2004)]]''
* ''[https://www.duanetudahl.com/prince-book Prince and the Parade/Sign O’ The Times Era Studio Sessions 1985 and 1986, Duane Tudahl (2021)]''
|categories                = [[Category:1985]][[Category:Recorded 1985]][[Category:Songs (Associated Artists)]][[Category:Songs (Prince contribution)‏‎‏‎]][[Category:Released Songs (Associated Artists)]]
}}