Somebody’s Somebody

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Somebody’s Somebody

from the album Emancipation promo single sleeve for Somebody’s Somebody Song details Performer: First Released: 3 March 1995 - NPG Records Sampler Experience (Derick Hughes clip) 19 November 1996 - Emancipation album (full version) Album(s): Emancipation Writer(s): Prince (as ), Brenda Lee Eager and Hilliard Wilson Producer(s): Prince (as ) Live Appearances First and last live appearance: 28 December 1996 (a.m.): Paisley Park Studios, Chanhassen, MN, USA 31 May 1999 (a.m.): Studio 54 @ MGM Grand Hotel, Las Vegas, NV, USA Performed regularly on tour: none Performed occasionally in shows: 1996, 1997, 1999

Somebody’s Somebody is the third track on the first disc of Prince’s 19th album Emancipation, the third to be credited to . Two months after the album’s release, Somebody’s Somebody was released as the album’s second promotional single, available only in the USA (in the UK, the same tracks were included on the retail release of The Holy River, released on the same date). A year before the album’s release, however, a clip of the song containing vocals by Derick Hughes (a friend of Levi Seacer, Jr.’s) was included as the fourteenth track (eighth song) on NPG Records Sampler Experience, a cassette sampler given out to select audience members during The Ultimate Live Experience tour in UK and Europe. Writing credit for the track is shared with Brenda Lee Eager and Hilliard Wilson (who also wrote the original lyrics for Hide The Bone). Eager gave the lyrics to her friend Mavis Staples (presumably when she was working on her second album The Voice in 1992). Prince liked the lyrics and put music to it, but at the time didn’t use it for Mavis Staples' album. Prince then asked Eager and Hilliard for more material, which yielded Hide The Bone. Basic tracking dates are unknown, but Derick Hughes’ vocals were likely recorded in November 1994, around the same time as Proud Mary and possibly Thousand Hugs And Kisses, at Paisley Park Studios in Chanhassen, Minnesota. It is not known if Prince’s vocals pre-date this or were recorded later. It is also not known when Prince worked on the Ultrafantasy Edit and Livestudio Mix versions of the track, but these were likely recorded in the second half of 1996 at Paisley Park Studios, shortly after Rhonda Smith joined the band. The song’s instrumentation was also used as the background of On Sale Now!, an advertisement skit featuring Prince as a customer calling 1-800 New Funk and ordering products. It is likely that it was recorded in late 1996, and is included here as it is not a song in its own right. Recording Information Recording Sessions Date Studio Additional info November 1994 Paisley Park Studios, Chanhassen, MN, USA Tracking (Derick Hughes vocals, and possibly vocals) Late 1996 Paisley Park Studios, Chanhassen, MN, USA Remixing for Ultrafantasy Edit Late 1996 Paisley Park Studios, Chanhassen, MN, USA Re-recording for Livestudio Mix Recording Personnel Derick Hughes version Derick Hughes - vocals Prince (as ) - all other vocals and instruments version Prince (as ) - all vocals and instruments, except where noted Livestudio Mix Prince (as ) - vocals, guitar (assumed) Kirk Johnson - drums (assumed) Rhonda Smith - bass guitar (assumed) Morris Hayes - keyboards (assumed) Kat Dyson - guitar (assumed) Mike Scott - guitar (assumed) Ultrafantasy Edit Prince (as ) - all vocals and instruments, except where noted Rhonda Smith - vocals Versions Released Versions Title Length Released Version Additional info Somebody’s Somebody 4:43 Emancipation Somebody’s Somebody promo Studio Somebody’s Somebody (Radio Edit) 4:30 The Holy River single Somebody’s Somebody promo Edit Somebody’s Somebody (Livestudio Mix) 3:47 The Holy River single Somebody’s Somebody promo Re-recording Somebody’s Somebody (Ultrafantasy Edit) 3:45 The Holy River single Somebody’s Somebody promo Re-recording Somebody’s Somebody 0:46 NPG Records Sampler Experience Studio Derick Hughes vocal version; clip of song only On Sale Now! 0:48 The Holy River single Somebody’s Somebody promo Skit Advertisement skit featuring as a customer calling 1-800 New Funk and ordering products Video Versions Title Length Released Version Additional info Somebody’s Somebody 4:45 Promotional release only Promo video See Somebody’s Somebody video for more details Broadcasts/streaming (only) Title Length Released Version Additional info Somebody’s Somebody T.B.C. Live performance TV broadcast Live 7 January 1997 (mat.), Rosie O’Donnell Show, NBC TV Studios, GE Building, New York, NY, USA Unreleased Versions Title Version Additional Info Somebody’s Somebody Studio Full Derick Hughes version

Additional Information See also Trivia Emancipation Somebody’s Somebody single Somebody’s Somebody video References The Vault: The Definitive Guide to the Musical World of Prince (2004)

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