Van Gogh

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Van Gogh

Vangogh album.jpg
from the album Van Gogh
NPGMusicClub logo.jpg

NPG Music Club download - no official artwork created

Song details
Performer: Van Gogh / SymbolSmallerBlue.png
First Released: 6 November 1998 - Van Gogh album (Van Gogh version)

7 July 2001 - NPG Music Club Edition # 6 download (SymbolSmallerBlue.png version)

Album(s): Van Gogh
Writer(s): Prince (credited as The Artist), Sandra St. Victor (uncredited) and Tom Hammer (uncredited)
Producer(s): Robby Heisner; Prince (as SymbolSmallerBlue.png) (assumed)
Live Appearances
First and last live appearance:
  • This track is not believed to have been performed live by Prince
Performed regularly on tour:
  • none
Performed occasionally in shows:
  • none

Van Gogh is the sixth track on Van Gogh’s fourth album Van Gogh, co-written by Prince (as SymbolSmallerBlue.png) and Sandra St. Victor and Tom Hammer, but re-recorded by the band for their release. In 2001, SymbolSmallerBlue.png’s own version was released as part of NPG Music Club Edition # 6. The released version was different from the original 1995 version. It had added horn overdubs , plus a longer bass coda, not in the 1995 version.

While specific recording dates are not known, the track was originally written by Sandra St. Victor and Tom Hammer as Love Is, and was sent to SymbolSmallerBlue.png in Spring 1995, following a loose agreement for SymbolSmallerBlue.png and Sandra St. Victor to work together (along with Sanctuary (later renamed Soul Sanctuary), I’ll Never Open My Legs Again (later renamed EyeBlue.png’ll Never B Another Fool), How We Livin’ (later renamed Livin’ 2 Die) and Nothing Left To Give (later renamed Stone). Additional lyrics and music were added by SymbolSmallerBlue.png before recording in 1995, at Paisley Park Studios in Chanhassen, Minnesota (during the same set of sessions as the other songs sent by St. Victor).

Love Is, I’ll Never Open My Legs Again, Sanctuary and Nothing Left To Give came from Sanctuary, Sandra St. Victor’s canceled first solo album on Elektra Records (intended to be released in 1993). SymbolSmallerBlue.png was able to listen to this record however and liked it enough to contact Sandra St. Victor for a collaboration. Her original version of Van Gogh was released in 2018 (with its initial title Love Is), when Sanctuary was made available on digital plateforms. Since Love Is was not initially intended for SymbolSmallerBlue.png and contains no input by him, this version is not listed below.

The song was at one point considered for Emancipation. It was also slated to appear on a Playtime By Versace project in mid-late 1995. In March 1998, SymbolSmallerBlue.png sent a cassette of the song to Van Gogh, as he wanted to give a song to a professional artist with a disability and had found Van Gogh after much searching online, through the Coalition of Disabled Musicians in New York (the bandmembers all use wheelchairs). Van Gogh’s version was recorded in Spring or Summer 1998 at Van Gogh Studios, Atlanta, Georgia. Sandra St. Victor’s and Tom Hammer’s names were missing on the song’s credits; other tracks by St. Victor were also released with inaccurate credits, causing her to make legal threats against SymbolSmallerBlue.png, but she eventually opted not to sue.


Recording Information
Recording Sessions
Date Studio Additional info
Spring 1995 Paisley Park Studios,
Chanhassen, MN, USA
Tracking
unknown date unknown studio Horn overdubs
Spring - Summer 1998 Van Gogh Studios,
Atlanta, GA, USA
Van Gogh re-recording
Recording Personnel

Van Gogh version

  • Robby Heisner - lead vocals and keyboards
  • Ricky Heisner - harmony
  • Scott Robertson - drums and sampling
  • Kevin Wyglad - bass guitar and guitar
  • Valerie Hunter - background vocals
  • Alsia Dorsey - background vocals


SymbolSmaller.png version

  • Prince (as SymbolSmallerBlue.png) - all vocals and instruments, except where noted (assumed)
  • Eric Leeds - saxophone (assumed)
  • Other musical credits not given for SymbolSmallerBlue.png version

Versions
Released Versions
Title Length Released Version Additional info
Van Gogh 4:35 Van Gogh Studio Van Gogh version
Van Gogh 5:59 NPG Music Club Edition # 6 mp3 download Studio SymbolSmallerBlue.png version


Unreleased Versions
Title Version Additional Info
Van Gogh Studio 1995 Version without horns
 
Additional Information

See also Trivia


References
Valentina   < < < All Songs Unreleased Songs > > >   Vavoom