BURNING THE GROUND EXCLUSIVE 1988
Happy New Year! I hope that everyone had a great Christmas. Wishing all of you a healthy and happy 2015.
“Partyman” is a song by Prince from his 1989 Batman album, and the follow-up to his number one hit, “Batdance”. The song is one of the few on the album that is prominently featured in the film, accompanying the scene in which the Joker and his minions gleefully deface the exhibits in the Gotham City Art Museum before meeting Vicki Vale.
The song became the only Batman single to perform better in the UK charts, where it peaked at number 14, as opposed to the U.S. (where it peaked at number 18). The upbeat and humorous number features horn samples and Prince’s sped-up “Camille” vocals, as well as a vocal performance by Anna Fantastic. The 12″ single extends the song to about six minutes in length (labeled as the “Video Mix”), and features the B-side “Feel U Up”, a previously unreleased Camille track which would later be available on The Hits/The B-Sides compilation.
“Feel U Up” was originally cut in 1981, but re-recorded in 1986 for the Camille album. Despite being intended for a totally different project, the horn arrangement and vocal style complement “Partyman” perfectly. The 12″ single also included a “Purple Party Mix”, which starts with a string of samples from Prince’s earlier hits and contains different lyrics. A track identified as a “music mix” is an instrumental of the “Purple Party Mix”.
The song’s accompanying music video, directed by Albert “Al” Magnoli, again presents Prince’s “Gemini” persona dressed in a “half-Joker” costume.
Owing to licensing problems, “Partyman”, like all of the Batman-era hits, has failed to appear on any Prince compilation album, barring the UK singles promoting The Hits/The B-Sides.
SIDE A:
The Purple Party Mix 6:02
Remix – Femi Jiya, Prince
Partyman Music Mix 4:31
Remix – Femi Jiya, Prince
SIDE B:
Partyman (The Video Mix) 6:14
Remix – Femi Jiya, Prince
Feel U Up (Short Stroke) 3:44
VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint
U.S. CHART HISTORY:
| Year | Single | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1989 | Partyman | U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | #18 |
| 1989 | Partyman | U.S. Billboard Hot Black Singles | #45 |
| 1989 | Partyman | U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Music/Club Play | #5 |
RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: Warner Bros. Records – 0-21370
Format: Vinyl, 12″, 33 ⅓ RPM, Maxi-Single
Country: US
Released: 1989
Genre: Electronic, Funk / Soul, Pop
Style: House, Synth-pop, Funk
CREDITS:
Design – Tom Recchion
Producer, Arranged By, Composed By, Performer – Prince
NOTES:
Remixed 4 Paisley Park Productions.
Original version of “Partyman” available on the Warner Bros. Motion Picture Soundtrack album BATMAN, a Warner Bros. film.
Find The 12″ On DISCOGS
EQUIPMENT USED:
Turntable: Pro-Ject Debut III
Cartridge: Ortofon Super
Stylus: Ortofon OM Stylus 30
Platter: Pro-Ject Acryl-It platter
Stabilizer: Pro-Ject Record Puck
Speed Control: Pro-Ject Speed Box S
Phono Pre-amp: Bellari VP130 Tube Phono Preamp
Tube: Tung-Sol 12AX7ECC803-S Gold Electron Tube
Soundcard: ESI Juli@
Record Cleaning: VPI HW 16.5 Record Cleaning Machine
Artwork Scans: Brother MFC-6490CW Professional Series Scanner
SOFTWARE USED:
Recording/Editing: Adobe Audition 3.0 (Recording)
Down Sampling: iZotope RX Advanced 2
Artwork Editor: Adobe Photoshop CS5
Click Removeal: Manual
FLAC/MP3 Conversion: dBpoweramp
M3U Playlist: Playlist Creator
RESTORATION NOTES:
All vinyl rips are recorded @ 32bit/float
FLAC (Level Eight)
MP3 (320kbps)
Artwork scanned at 600dpi
