Million $ Show

From Prince Vault
Jump to: navigation, search
Milk & Honey   < < < Non-Prince Songs All Prince Songs Unreleased Songs > > >   Mind Bells
Million $ Show

Hitnrun album.jpg
from the album Hitnrun Phase One
Song details
Performer: Prince
First Released: 7 September 2015 - Hitnrun Phase One album stream
Album(s): Hitnrun Phase One
Writer(s): Prince and Joshua Welton
Producer(s): Prince and Joshua Welton
Live Appearances
First and last live appearance:
Performed regularly on tour:
  • none
Performed occasionally in shows:

Million $Show is the first track on Prince’s 38th album Hitnrun Phase One.

Similar to the pre-recorded DAT intros played prior to live shows, the track begins with snippets of past Prince songs: For You (the opening track from Prince’s first album For You), 1999 (the opening track from 1999) and Let’s Go Crazy (from Purple Rain).

Appropriately, the track was premiered over the PA prior to the opening of a live show, on 9 April 2015, Fox Theatre, Detroit, MI, USA (a date on the so-called Hit n' Run Tour). Because of the inclusion of samples from other past tracks, it wasn’t immediately clear if the new component was simply a sample of a longer track.

While specific recording dates are not known, it is assumed that a studio version of the track was recorded in early 2015, most likely at Paisley Park Studios in Chanhassen, Minnesota. Horn overdubs took place in July 2015, also at Paisley Park Studios. Some editing also took place, removing some vocals by Prince at the beginning of the song saying "Welcome 2 the million dollar show / Don’t fear the fro". The track includes co-lead vocals by Judith Hill.

While promoting the album in an interview with Smokey D. Fontaine prior to its release, the background behind this track was discussed, with Prince tying it in to his ongoing issues with record companies and the inherent value behind artistic work:

“They’ve just set up another system that you have to go through to get your work out. They don’t give you any money to help you create the music or to promote anything. But they want you to send all your work to them, for free, and then just wait for a check. How is that fair?
“And then they ask you to perform for them for free!” he exclaims. “They’re going to take your show and sell it to advertisers, right? So they think artists are stupid.
“But when I had my assistant call [the networks] back to tell them what my price was for me and the band, then they knew better…” (“The day he made that call was the night we recorded HITNRUN’s Million Dollar ShowWelton tells me later.)

Recording Information
Recording Sessions
Date Studio Additional info
Early 2015 Paisley Park Studios,
Chanhassen, MN, USA
Tracking
July 2015 Bone 2 B Wild Music Studio,
Minneapolis, MN, USA
Horn overdubs
July 2015 (assumed) The Brewhouse,
Minneapolis, MN, USA
String overdubs
Recording Personnel

Versions
Released Versions
Title Length Released Version Additional info
Million $Show 3:10 Hitnrun Phase One Studio Contains samples from openings of For You, 1999 and Let’s Go Crazy


Unreleased Versions
Title Version Additional Info
Million $Show Studio Initial studio version prior to editing and vocal/horn overdubs
 
Additional Information

See also Trivia


References
Milk & Honey   < < < All Songs Unreleased Songs > > >   Mind Bells