Gett Off

"Gett Off"
UK 7" single
Single by Prince and The New Power Generation
from the album Diamonds and Pearls
B-side	"Horny Pony" (7") "Violet the Organ Grinder" (12") "Gangster Glam" (12") "Clockin' the Jizz" (12")
Released	July 29, 1991[1]
Format	7" single 12" single CD single CD maxi single
Recorded	Paisley Park Studios, May, 1991
Genre	Hip hop, R&B, funk, new jack swing, dance
Length	Album/7": 4:31 Extended remix: 8:31
Label	Paisley Park, Warner Bros.
Writer(s)	Prince
Producer(s)	Prince
Certification	Gold (RIAA) - October 23, 1991
Prince and The New Power Generation singles chronology
"New Power Generation" (1990) "Gett Off" (1991) "Cream" (1991)

"Gett Off" is the lead single by Prince and The New Power Generation from the 1991 album Diamonds and Pearls.^[2] The cover uses a face drawn in place of the first letter in the word Off, and Prince's name written in reverse. The song was a hit on both sides of the Atlantic, reaching number 4 in the United Kingdom. In the United States, "Gett Off" went to number 21 on the pop chart and number 6 on the R&B charts.^[3] In addition, "Gett Off" was Prince's seventh and final song to reach #1 on the US dance chart,^[4] putting him in a tie with Michael Jackson and Enrique Iglesias as the most successful male artist in its history.

Development

"Gett Off" evolved from several earlier compositions, starting with the song "Glam Slam" from 1988's Lovesexy. Prince created an unreleased remix in early 1991 called "Glam Slam '91", which used the chorus of "Glam Slam", but with new music and lyrics that borrowed partially from Graffiti Bridge's "Love Machine". Prince toyed with the song some more, adding a new chorus, and involving the newly formed New Power Generation. The song was renamed "Gett Off", which was very similar to a B-side/remix called "Get Off" from the maxi single release of "New Power Generation", also from Graffiti Bridge. "Gett Off" also uses a few musical segments from "Get Off". The new track features vocal contributions from Rosie Gaines and Tony M., and flute by long-time Prince associate Eric Leeds. Prince also contributes a guitar solo. Prince delivered the song exclusively to nightclubs on his 33rd birthday, on a now very valuable 12" single featuring the otherwise unavailable "Gett Off (Damn Near 10 Minutes Mix)" remix. It was so well-received that Prince decided to release the song commercially as a single with the rap song "Horny Pony" as its B-side, and also as a maxi single with several remixes, which varied from country to country. He also added it at the last minute to Diamonds and Pearls, replacing "Horny Pony" (on the packaging for Diamonds and Pearls, "Horny Pony" is written in red over "Gett Off", to fit in with the narrative track listing that was already finished.) It was number 97 in VH1's 100 Greatest Songs of the '90s.

"Mother Popcorn"

The lyrics "I like 'em fat, I like 'em proud, you've got to have a mother for me..." and the music that accompanies them in the fourth verse of "Gett Off" are paraphrased from the 1969 James Brown song "Mother Popcorn". Prince alludes to the borrowing in a vocal aside ("Reminds me of something James used to say..."). The musical quotation is preceded by a crackling noise mimicking the sound of an old vinyl record and a sample of Brown's song.

Releases

7" releases

US 7-19225

1. "Gett Off" (single remix) – 4:31
2. "Horny Pony" – 4:17

UK W0056

DEU 5439-19225-7

1. "Gett Off" (single remix) – 4:01
2. "Horny Pony" – 4:17

UK PROMO SAM 888

1. "Gett Off" (Urge Single Edit) – 4:24

12" releases

US 0-40138

US PROMO PRO-A-4920

AUS MX79029-30

UK 0-40138

1. "Gett Off" (extended remix) – 8:31
2. "Gett Off" (Houstyle) – 8:20
3. "Violet the Organ Grinder" – 4:59
4. "Gett Off" (Flutestramental) – 7:26
5. "Gangster Glam" – 6:04
6. "Clockin' the Jizz" (Instrumental) – 4:51

UK W0056T

DEU 9362-40187-0

1. "Gett Off" (Urge Mix) – 8:20
2. "Gett Off" (Thrust Mix) – 9:29

UK PROMO SAM 857

1. "Gett Off" (Urge Mix) – 8:20
2. "Gett Off" (Flute Instrumental) – 7:26
3. "Gett Off" (Purple Pump Mix) – 8:31
4. "Gett Off" (Thrust Edit) – 4:48
5. "Gett Off" (Thrust Dub) – 7:24

US

PROMO JUN7

1. "Gett Off" (Damn Near 10 Minutes) – 9:22

PROMO PRO-A-4977

1. "Gett Off" (Urge Mix) – 8:20
2. "Gett Off" (Urge Dub) – 4:35
3. "Gett Off" (Flutestramental) – 4:12
4. "Gett Off" (Thrust Mix) – 9:29
5. "Gett Off" (Thrust Dub) – 7:24
6. "Gett Off" (Rosie's Dub) – 5:30

CD maxi single releases

US

9 40138-2

1. "Gett Off" (single remix) – 4:31
2. "Gett Off" (Houstyle) – 8:20
3. "Violet the Organ Grinder" – 4:59
4. "Gett Off" (Flutestramental) – 7:26
5. "Gangster Glam" – 6:04
6. "Clockin' the Jizz" (Instrumental) – 4:51
7. "Gett Off" (Extended Remix) – 8:31

PROMO PRO-CD-4977

1. "Gett Off" (single remix) – 4:01
2. "Gett Off" (Urge Single Edit) – 4:25
3. "Gett Off" (Thrust Single Edit) – 4:48
4. "Gett Off" (Purple Pump Mix) – 8:31
5. "Gett Off" (Urge Mix) – 8:20
6. "Gett Off" (Thrust Mix) – 9:29

UK W0056CD

DEU 9362-40188-2

1. "Gett Off" (single remix) – 4:01
2. "Gett Off" (Urge Single Edit) – 4:24
3. "Gett Off" (Purple Pump Mix) – 8:31

JAP WPCP-4630

1. "Gett Off" (extended remix) – 8:31
2. "Gett Off" (Houstyle) – 8:20
3. "Violet the Organ Grinder" – 4:59
4. "Gangster Glam" – 6:04
5. "Cream" (N.P.G Mix) – 5:47
6. "Things Have Gotta Change" (Tony M. Rap) – 3:57
7. "2 the Wire" (Creamy Instrumental) – 3:13
8. "Get Some Solo" – 1:31
9. "Do Your Dance" (KC's Remix) – 5:58
10. "Housebangers" – 4:23
11. "Q in Doubt" (instrumental) – 4:00
12. "Ethereal Mix" – 4:43

Notes

• "Damn Near 10 Minutes Mix", "Single Remix", "Extended Remix" a.k.a. "Purple Pump Mix" and "Album Version" are edits of the original song.
• "Urge Mix" (alternatively titled "Houstyle"), "Thrust Dub" (alternatively titled "Flutestramental"), "Thrust Single Edit", "Urge Single Edit", and "Thrust Mix" are house versions remixed by Steve "Silk" Hurley. Other titles are variations around the original song with added rap parts, chants or instrumental parts.

Appearances in other media

• The edited 4:04 single mix backmasks the word "ass"; this version was included on the UK compilation Now That's What I Call Music! 20.
• On the soundtrack of the 1992 film Innocent Blood.
• The actress Hilary Swank sang this song in the film P.S. I Love You.
• The song was played in the strip club scene in the 1991 film The Last Boy Scout.
• An instrumental version is briefly heard during "Rich Hank, Poor Hank", an episode from the eighth season of the animated series King of the Hill.
• The song features in episode 3 of series 1 of Fresh Meat in one of the scenes.
• The song has been mentioned in the 2006 John Green novel Looking for Alaska.

Charts

References

External links

• Lyrics of this song at MetroLyrics