Strange Relationship (Prince song)
Encyclopedia
"Strange Relationship" is a song from Prince
's 1987 double album
, Sign “☮” the Times. A live performance of the song was released as a digital single, made available on Prince's website on March 26, 2005.
"Strange Relationship" has a long history. The song was actually recorded by Prince in 1982, during a highly prolific period in Prince's recording career, but remained in his vault for several years. The song was reworked in 1985 with input by Wendy & Lisa
, giving it an unusual Indian sound, and was slated for the ill-fated 1986 Dream Factory
project. After the disbanding of The Revolution
, the Dream Factory project was shelved, but Prince retained "Strange Relationship" and reworked it once again for his Camille album. Camille was canceled, but most of the tracks, including "Strange Relationship" were absorbed into a 3-LP opus called Crystal Ball
, due for a late 1986 release. Warner Bros. Records
forced Prince to trim the album from three to two LPs which became Sign “☮” the Times, and "Strange Relationship" finally saw an official release. The released version dropped most of the Eastern influence, placing the sitar
and wood flute
deep into the mix.
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...
's 1987 double album
Double album
A double album is an audio album which spans two units of the primary medium in which it is sold, typically records and compact discs....
, Sign “☮” the Times. A live performance of the song was released as a digital single, made available on Prince's website on March 26, 2005.
"Strange Relationship" has a long history. The song was actually recorded by Prince in 1982, during a highly prolific period in Prince's recording career, but remained in his vault for several years. The song was reworked in 1985 with input by Wendy & Lisa
Wendy & Lisa
Wendy & Lisa are a music duo consisting of Wendy Melvoin and Lisa Coleman. They began working with Prince in the early 1980s and were part of his band The Revolution, before branching out on their own and releasing their debut album in 1987...
, giving it an unusual Indian sound, and was slated for the ill-fated 1986 Dream Factory
Dream Factory (album)
Dream Factory was an unreleased double LP project recorded by Prince and The Revolution from 1986.-History:Unlike the three previous Prince and The Revolution albums, the entire band was invited to the studio to contribute to a majority of the album's material, with the notable exceptions of "The...
project. After the disbanding of The Revolution
The Revolution (band)
The Revolution was an American rock band formed in Minneapolis, Minnesota in 1979 by Prince. Although widely associated with rock music, the band's sound incorporated heavy metal, pop, funk, R&B and hard rock elements. Before their official break-up, The Revolution had released one studio album,...
, the Dream Factory project was shelved, but Prince retained "Strange Relationship" and reworked it once again for his Camille album. Camille was canceled, but most of the tracks, including "Strange Relationship" were absorbed into a 3-LP opus called Crystal Ball
Crystal Ball (unreleased album)
Crystal Ball is an unreleased studio album by Prince recorded throughout 1986. The album was planned to consist of 3 LPs and cover a broad range of musical styles.-Evolution of the album:...
, due for a late 1986 release. Warner Bros. Records
Warner Bros. Records
Warner Bros. Records Inc. is an American record label. It was the foundation label of the present-day Warner Music Group, and now operates as a wholly owned subsidiary of that corporation. It maintains a close relationship with its former parent, Warner Bros. Pictures, although the two companies...
forced Prince to trim the album from three to two LPs which became Sign “☮” the Times, and "Strange Relationship" finally saw an official release. The released version dropped most of the Eastern influence, placing the sitar
Sitar
The 'Tablaman' is a plucked stringed instrument predominantly used in Hindustani classical music, where it has been ubiquitous since the Middle Ages...
and wood flute
Flute
The flute is a musical instrument of the woodwind family. Unlike woodwind instruments with reeds, a flute is an aerophone or reedless wind instrument that produces its sound from the flow of air across an opening...
deep into the mix.