The Good Life

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Good Life   < < < Non-Prince Songs All Prince Songs Unreleased Songs > > >   Good Love
The Good Life

Exodus album.jpg
from the album Exodus
The Good Life
single art for The Good Life
Song details
Performer: New Power Generation
First Released: 27 March 1995 - Exodus album
Album(s): Exodus
Writer(s): Prince, Sonny T., Michael B., Mr. Hayes and Tommy Barbarella (credited to the New Power Generation)
Producer(s): Prince (credited to the New Power Generation)
Live Appearances
First and last live appearance:
Performed regularly on tour:
  • none
Performed occasionally in shows:

The Good Life is the ninth track (fourth song) on the New Power Generation’s second 'solo' album Exodus, and, two and a half months after the album’s release, The Good Life was released as the album’s second single in the UK and Europe, with a North American release following two months later as the first and only North American single (Exodus was not released in North America).

The single contained various remixes. The Big City Remix is significantly different from the original as it contains an entirely new rap delivered by Prince (uncredited), which was played live on a few occasions, and new backing music not too far removed from Ninety-9’s unreleased track Stained_Glass. It uses a horn sample from the song Bebop Ta Hip Hop by Headshock (also sampled for Mad), a repeated sample of "bought a house next to Prince", taken from What Can I Do? (Remix) by Ice Cube (later used on Mr. Happy and Love 4 1another), "Microphone check", taken from When I Get To Heaven (Remix) by Ice Cube (also used on Mr. Happy) and vocal samples from No Hook by Shaquille O’Neal featuring RZA & Method Man and the Spinback 1 sound effect taken from Simon Harris’ "Beats, Breaks & Scratches" series (also used on Push, I’m A DJ, Slave and later on Peace), among other sounds. This version was also placed as the sixth track on a configuration of the New Power Generation’s third album Newpower Soul, but was removed prior to release. Due to its late removal, The Good Life is mentioned in the rap portion of the track Newpower Soul (which namechecks all the credited tracks on the album), and the numbering of tracks on the back cover of the first pressing of the album states erroneously that track 6, Push It Up, is track 7. The same Big City Remix was also placed on a Playtime By Versace project in mid-late 1995.

The Bullets Go Bang Remix contains repeated vocal samples of "the bullets go bang" from Ninety-9’s track Three Shots (containing input by Prince). The repeated drum pattern heard throughout this remix was also used for Right Back Here In My Arms, recorded around the same time (and also contains a sample from Three Shots).

While specific recording dates are not known, basic tracking took place in December 1994 - January 1995 at Paisley Park Studios in Chanhassen, Minnesota (during the same set of sessions as Big Fun, Return Of The Bump Squad and Cherry, Cherry).


Recording Information
Recording Sessions
Date Studio Additional info
December 1994 - January 1995 Paisley Park Studios,
Chanhassen, MN, USA
Tracking
Spring - early Summer 1995 Studio information needed Remixes by Kirk Johnson and SymbolSmallerBlue.png
Spring - early Summer 1995 Studio information needed Remixes by Dancing Divaz and Platinum People
Recording Personnel

Versions
Released Versions
Title Length Released Version Additional info
The Good Life 5:48 Exodus

The Good Life single

Studio a.k.a. The Good Life (Album Version)
The Good Life (Album Edit) 4:01 The Good Life single Edit a.k.a. The Good Life (Radio Edit)
The Good Life (Big City Remix) 5:05 The Good Life single Remix Remix by Kirk Johnson (officially credited), vocals by Bros. Jules and James McGregor (officially credited), saxophone uncredited; contains samples from What Can I Do? (Remix) and When I Get To Heaven (Remix) by Ice Cube (from Bootleg & B-Sides) and No Hook by Shaquille O’Neal featuring RZA & Method Man (from Shaq Fu: Da Return)
The Good Life (Big City Radio Edit) 4:14 The Good Life promo Remix edit Remix by Kirk Johnson (officially credited), vocals by Bros. Jules and James McGregor (officially credited), saxophone uncredited; contains samples from What Can I Do? (Remix) and When I Get To Heaven (Remix) by Ice Cube (from Bootleg & B-Sides) and No Hook by Shaquille O’Neal featuring RZA & Method Man (from Shaq Fu: Da Return)
The Good Life (Big City Remix - clean version) 4:01 NPG Ahdio Show # 5 mp3 (not available as a separate track) clean version, not specified as such Edit of the Big City Remix
The Good Life (Bullets Go Bang Remix) 5:14 The Good Life single Remix Remix by Kirk Johnson, engineered by Steve Durkee and Hans-Martin Buff
The Good Life (Dancing Divaz Mix) 6:40 The Good Life single Remix Remix by Dancing Divaz
The Good Life (Platinum People Mix) 6:40 The Good Life single Remix Remix by Platinum People
The Good Life (Platinum People Edit) 4:12 The Good Life single Remix Remix by Platinum People
Video Versions
Title Length Released Version Additional info
The Good Life ?:?? Promotional release only Promo video See The Good Life video for more details
Sampled, Referred to, Quoted in...
Title Length Released Version Additional info
Free The Music 1:47 The Good Life single Studio
Free The Music 3:24 The Good Life Exodus Sampler Experience promo Extended version Original full-length version with Little Richard samples
Newpower Soul 5:00 Newpower Soul Studio See Newpower Soul for more details
 
Additional Information

See also Trivia

  • The Good Life is not related to the Prince live streamed track Good Life, although both include chants of their respective titles.

References
Good Life   < < < All Songs Unreleased Songs > > >   Good Love