Partyman is the fourth track on Prince’s eleventh album Batman (the motion picture soundtrack to the Tim Burton movie Batman), and two months after the album’s release, Partyman was released as the album’s third single in the UK, with a North American release the following month.
Although Partyman was a successful single, the song was not included on The Hits collections. It is believed that this was due to the licencing of movie dialogue included in the opening seconds of the song, although these were simply edited out when the track was included on the Peach single, which contained other minor hits not included on The Hits collections (Vicki Vale’s exclamation of "Oooh, I love purple" was still included, however).
The vocals on the album are credited to a character from the movie, as if Prince is singing on their behalf. Partyman, like Electric Chair and Trust, is attributed to The Joker.
A live version of the track, recorded on the 2006 Támar Tour (segueing into a cover version of Graham Central Station’s It’s Alright), was streamed on the NPG Music Club in March 2006.
Although exact recording dates are not known, basic tracking took place in March 1989 at Paisley Park Studios in Chanhassen, Minnesota (during the same set of sessions that produced Trust and Batdance).
A short video clip of Prince playing along on the Cleo bass was shown on the documentary Prince: Musical Portrait. It was likely not an actual recording session, just Prince showing off.
Partyman replaced Rave Un2 The Joy Fantastic (which itself had replaced 1999) as the musical background of the museum scene in the movie Batman, in which The Joker traps and then ’serenades' Vicki Vale.
Remixing for the single release took place at some point between March and August 1989. Partyman (The Purple Party Mix) is notable for including sampled clips of several earlier songs in its introduction: Sexy Dancer, I Wanna Be Your Lover, Head, Partyup, Let’s Work, 1999, Raspberry Beret, Erotic City, Kiss, U Got The Look, Housequake and Alphabet St.; although these clips are brief, this would be a precursor of sorts to some of the studio medleys played over PAs before shows on various tours (beginning with the Nude Tour), and to studio medleys like Purple Medley. This remix also includes a sample of The Future and a chant from Batdance.
Partyman (The Video Mix) features additional saxophone by Candy Dulfer, marking her first of several appearances on a Prince release. Interestingly, both the The Video Mix and The Purple Party Mix contain sampled chants from the unreleased (January 1988 version of) the song The Line that were later reused on Acknowledge Me.
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Recording Information
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Recording Sessions
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Date
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Studio
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Additional info
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March 1989
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Paisley Park Studios, Chanhassen, MN, USA
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Tracking
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March-August 1989
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Paisley Park Studios, Chanhassen, MN, USA
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Remixing and additional recording
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Recording Personnel
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- Prince - all vocals and instruments, except where noted
- Jack Nicholson - sampled vocals (as The Joker, sampled from Batman) (credited for "special guest presence")
- Michael Keaton - credited for "special guest presence", but not heard
- Kim Basinger - sampled vocals (as Vicki Vale, sampled from Batman) (credited for "special guest presence")
- Femi Jiya - sampled vocals (credited for "special guest presence")
- Anna Garcia - sampled vocals (credited for "special guest presence", as "Anna Fantastic")
- Eric Leeds - saxophone (assumed. Horn part may be sampled from an unknown other song)
- Atlanta Bliss - trumpet (assumed. Horn part may be sampled from an unknown other song)
- Candy Dulfer - saxophone (Partyman (The Purple Party Mix), Partyman (The Video Mix) and Partyman (Partyman Music Mix) only)
- Elisa Fiorillo - vocals (Partyman (The Purple Party Mix) and Partyman (Partyman Music Mix) only)
- Jana Anderson - vocals (Partyman (The Video Mix) only)
- Sheila E., Boni Boyer and likely Cat - sampled vocals (uncredited sample of background vocals from The Line on Partyman (The Purple Party Mix), Partyman (The Video Mix))
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Versions
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Released Versions
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Title
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Length
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Released
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Version
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Additional info
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Partyman
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3:11
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Batman
Partyman single
Nothing Compares 2 Him promotional album
Prince Du Parc single
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Studio
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Wrongly labeled as a Single Edit on the Prince Du Parc single
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Partyman
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3:07
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The Crown Jewels promotional album
Peach single
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Edit
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Missing The Joker’s opening dialogue
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Partyman (Partyman Music Mix)
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4:31
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Partyman single
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Remix
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Remix by Femi Jiya and Prince
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Partyman (The Purple Party Mix)
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6:02
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Partyman single
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Remix
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Remix by Femi Jiya and Prince; Includes sampled clips of Sexy Dancer, I Wanna Be Your Lover, Head, Partyup, Let’s Work, 1999, Raspberry Beret, Erotic City, Kiss, U Got The Look, Housequake, Alphabet St., The Future and chants from Batdance and The Line.
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Partyman (The Purple Party Mix)
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5:58
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The Scandalous Sex Suite EP
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Remix edit
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As above, missing The Joker’s opening dialogue
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Partyman (The Video Mix)
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6:20
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Partyman single
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Remix
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Remix by Femi Jiya and Prince
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Partyman (The Video Mix)
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6:11
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The Scandalous Sex Suite EP
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Remix edit
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As above, missing The Joker’s opening dialogue
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Partyman (The Video Mix Edit)
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5:40
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Partyman single
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Remix edit
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As above, contains The Joker’s opening dialogue; earlier fade-out than full version
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Video Versions
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Broadcasts/streaming (only)
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Title
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Length
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Released
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Version
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Additional info
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Partyman
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T.B.C.
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Live concert radio broadcast
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Live
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22 July 1990, Estadio Vicente Calderón, Madrid, Spain
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Partyman
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T.B.C.
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Delayed concert TV broadcast
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Live
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29 July 1990, Estadio Santa María del Mar, La Coruña, Spain
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Partyman
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T.B.C.
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Delayed concert TV broadcast
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Live
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31 August 1990, Tokyo Dome (東京ドーム), Tokyo, Japan; includes lyrics from Janet Jackson’s What Have You Done For Me Lately
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Partyman / It’s Alright
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4:21
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NPG Music Club Glam Slam VIP audio stream
3121 Radio audio stream
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Live
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25 February 2006, Orpheum Theatre, Minneapolis, Minnesota
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Dancing Machine / Partyman / It’s Alright
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4:48
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3rdEye TV Show # 5 performance audio stream
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Rehearsal
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Late June 2013, Paisley Park, Chanhassen, Minnesota (assumed); snippet of (Theme Song From) Which Way Is Up? included in opening
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(Theme Song From) Which Way Is Up? / Dancing Machine / Partyman / It’s Alright
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4:52
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3rdEye TV Show # 7 live video stream
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Live
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30 June 2013 (a.m.) City Winery Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
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Unreleased Versions
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Title
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Version
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Additional Info
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Partyman
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Remix
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Instrumental remix, possibly intended for a single release
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