Days of Wild
Encyclopedia
"Days of Wild" is a song by Prince
and The New Power Generation. It was written by Prince in early 1994 after his name change to an unpronounceable symbol. The song is regarded as one of Prince's first legitimate successes at rapping and is both an ode to, and criticises gangsta rap
. Strong language and cursing is used throughout the track, but it ultimately elevates women with lyrics such as "A woman everyday should be thanked, not disrespected, not raped or spanked". "Days of Wild" is pure funk
, relying heavily on bass guitar
as well as the organ
and sampler
s to create an infectious groove.
"Days of Wild" was premiered live in concert in February 1994 along with other new material to promote Prince's new on-stage persona, performing all new material. Shortly thereafter, the studio version of this song and others were played as a promotion on European radio stations and began circulating among collectors. "Days of Wild" became a crowd favorite at concerts, despite it never being officially released. The song was originally to be released on 1995's The Gold Experience
but ended up being pulled for unknown reasons. Comments by Prince and associates suggest that he may have simply been dissatisfied with the studio version, which pales in comparison to live performances.
A live performance of the song was eventually broadcast on a VH1
special segment of Prince videos in 1996. This particular version was eventually released on the 1998 Crystal Ball
3-CD set. Sometime after this point, Prince's mentor and spiritual guide, Larry Graham
influenced him to eliminate cursing from his music and change the lyrics of older songs to fit in with his new morality. By 1998, Prince had revised the lyrics of "Days of Wild" in concert to eliminate the profanity. During the 2000 "Celebration" concert at the University of Minnesota
, Prince even scolded the audience ("We don't do that no more!") when it began the "Play that motherfuckin' bass!" chant associated with concert performances of the song.
A live performance from a 2002 concert in Montreal was released as a single
on June 30 of the same year. Many have said that the cleaner lyrics dull the edge of the original track, of which the studio version still remains unreleased.
The B-side
to the single is a live version of "1+1+1 is 3", a track from The Rainbow Children
that was performed on the same tour and included on the live box set, One Nite Alone... Live!
. An edit of "Days of Wild" was also included on the single. "1+1+1 is 3" is a funk number and a metaphor for God, man and wife as a union. The single was only available for sale through Prince's online retail outlet and during concerts.
In 2001, Prince released a promotional compilation, Days of Wild: 1993-2001, named after the song.
Prince (musician)
Prince Rogers Nelson , often known simply as Prince, is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and actor. Prince has produced ten platinum albums and thirty Top 40 singles during his career. Prince founded his own recording studio and label; writing, self-producing and playing most, or all, of...
and The New Power Generation. It was written by Prince in early 1994 after his name change to an unpronounceable symbol. The song is regarded as one of Prince's first legitimate successes at rapping and is both an ode to, and criticises gangsta rap
Gangsta rap
Gangsta Rap is a subgenre of hip hop music that evolved from hardcore hip hop and purports to reflect urban crime and the violent lifestyles of inner-city youths. Lyrics in gangsta rap have varied from accurate reflections to fictionalized accounts. Gangsta is a non-rhotic pronunciation of the word...
. Strong language and cursing is used throughout the track, but it ultimately elevates women with lyrics such as "A woman everyday should be thanked, not disrespected, not raped or spanked". "Days of Wild" is pure funk
Funk
Funk is a music genre that originated in the mid-late 1960s when African American musicians blended soul music, jazz and R&B into a rhythmic, danceable new form of music. Funk de-emphasizes melody and harmony and brings a strong rhythmic groove of electric bass and drums to the foreground...
, relying heavily on bass guitar
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
as well as the organ
Organ (music)
The organ , is a keyboard instrument of one or more divisions, each played with its own keyboard operated either with the hands or with the feet. The organ is a relatively old musical instrument in the Western musical tradition, dating from the time of Ctesibius of Alexandria who is credited with...
and sampler
Sampler (musical instrument)
A sampler is an electronic musical instrument similar in some respects to a synthesizer but, instead of generating sounds, it uses recordings of sounds that are loaded or recorded into it by the user and then played back by means of a keyboard, sequencer or other triggering device to perform or...
s to create an infectious groove.
"Days of Wild" was premiered live in concert in February 1994 along with other new material to promote Prince's new on-stage persona, performing all new material. Shortly thereafter, the studio version of this song and others were played as a promotion on European radio stations and began circulating among collectors. "Days of Wild" became a crowd favorite at concerts, despite it never being officially released. The song was originally to be released on 1995's The Gold Experience
The Gold Experience
The Gold Experience is the seventeenth studio album by Prince . It was released on September 26, 1995...
but ended up being pulled for unknown reasons. Comments by Prince and associates suggest that he may have simply been dissatisfied with the studio version, which pales in comparison to live performances.
A live performance of the song was eventually broadcast on a VH1
VH1
VH1 or Vh1 is an American cable television network based in New York City. Launched on January 1, 1985 in the old space of Turner Broadcasting's short-lived Cable Music Channel, the original purpose of the channel was to build on the success of MTV by playing music videos, but targeting a slightly...
special segment of Prince videos in 1996. This particular version was eventually released on the 1998 Crystal Ball
Crystal Ball (album set)
Crystal Ball is the twentieth studio album by Prince . Crystal Ball is a four-disc set containing a three CD set of the same name featuring a much anticipated collection of "previously bootlegged" material, with The Truth, the twenty-first studio album by Prince which is a bonus disc of 12 new...
3-CD set. Sometime after this point, Prince's mentor and spiritual guide, Larry Graham
Larry Graham
Larry Graham, Jr. is an African American bass guitar player, both with the popular and influential psychedelic soul/funk band Sly & the Family Stone, and as the founder and frontman of Graham Central Station...
influenced him to eliminate cursing from his music and change the lyrics of older songs to fit in with his new morality. By 1998, Prince had revised the lyrics of "Days of Wild" in concert to eliminate the profanity. During the 2000 "Celebration" concert at the University of Minnesota
University of Minnesota
The University of Minnesota, Twin Cities is a public research university located in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota, United States. It is the oldest and largest part of the University of Minnesota system and has the fourth-largest main campus student body in the United States, with 52,557...
, Prince even scolded the audience ("We don't do that no more!") when it began the "Play that motherfuckin' bass!" chant associated with concert performances of the song.
A live performance from a 2002 concert in Montreal was released as a single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
on June 30 of the same year. Many have said that the cleaner lyrics dull the edge of the original track, of which the studio version still remains unreleased.
The B-side
A-side and B-side
A-side and B-side originally referred to the two sides of gramophone records on which singles were released beginning in the 1950s. The terms have come to refer to the types of song conventionally placed on each side of the record, with the A-side being the featured song , while the B-side, or...
to the single is a live version of "1+1+1 is 3", a track from The Rainbow Children
The Rainbow Children
The Rainbow Children is the twenty-fourth studio album by Prince, released in 2001. It was also released through Prince's website earlier in the year...
that was performed on the same tour and included on the live box set, One Nite Alone... Live!
One Nite Alone... Live!
One Nite Alone... Live! is a live album box set by Prince and The New Power Generation, containing live recordings from the intimate One Nite Alone... Tour performances...
. An edit of "Days of Wild" was also included on the single. "1+1+1 is 3" is a funk number and a metaphor for God, man and wife as a union. The single was only available for sale through Prince's online retail outlet and during concerts.
In 2001, Prince released a promotional compilation, Days of Wild: 1993-2001, named after the song.