I Would Die 4 U
"I Would Die 4 U" | |||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
![]() US 7" single | |||||||||||||||||||
Single by Prince and The Revolution | |||||||||||||||||||
from the album Purple Rain | |||||||||||||||||||
B-side |
| ||||||||||||||||||
Released | November 28, 1984 | ||||||||||||||||||
Format |
| ||||||||||||||||||
Recorded | Live, First Avenue, Minneapolis, August 3, 1983 | ||||||||||||||||||
Genre | |||||||||||||||||||
Length |
| ||||||||||||||||||
Label | Warner Bros. | ||||||||||||||||||
Writer(s) | Prince | ||||||||||||||||||
Producer(s) | Prince | ||||||||||||||||||
Prince singles chronology | |||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||
|
"I Would Die 4 U" is a song by Prince and The Revolution, and the fourth single in the US from their 1984 album, Purple Rain. The up-tempo dance song was a top 10 hit (the last from the album) in the US, reaching number 8 on the Hot 100.
"I Would Die 4 U" is often played in sequence with "Baby I'm a Star", the track following it, on Purple Rain. As of April 30, 2016, it has sold 561,772 copies in the United States.[1]
Following Prince's death, the song re-charted on the Billboard Hot 100 at number 39 on the chart dated the week of May 14, 2016.
Alternate versions
The extended version of "I Would Die 4 U" is actually a rehearsal jam on the song with The Revolution and musicians from Sheila E.'s band, Eddie M (on sax) and Miko Weaver (guitar), along with Sheila E. herself recorded some time before the Purple Rain Tour. The jam features some overdubbing and fades at the end; a longer version, nearly 31 minutes long, was never released officially, but has been bootlegged. The extended mix was also used as the B-side of the 1989 "Erotic City" single (the artwork of which features the same image of Prince that was used for this single's cover).
The B-side, "Another Lonely Christmas", is a sad account of a man mourning his lover who died on Christmas Day from pneumonia. The UK 12" single release also included the 1999 track "Free".
Personnel
- Prince – lead vocals and various instruments
- Wendy Melvoin – guitar and vocals
- Lisa Coleman – keyboards and vocals
- Matt Fink – keyboards
- Brown Mark – bass
- Bobby Z. – drums and percussion
Track listing
7": Paisley Park / 7-29121 (US)
- "I Would Die 4 U" (single version) – 2:57
- "Another Lonely Christmas" – 4:51
12": Paisley Park / 9 20291-0 (US)
- "I Would Die 4 U" (extended version) – 10:15
- "Another Lonely Christmas" (extended version) – 6:47
12": Warner Bros. / W9121T (UK)
- "I Would Die 4 U" (single version) – 2:57
- "Another Lonely Christmas" – 4:51
- "Free" – 5:00
Charts
Chart (1984–85) | Peak position |
---|---|
Canadian Singles Chart | 12 |
Netherlands Singles Chart | 7 |
UK Singles Chart | 58 |
US Billboard Hot 100 | 8 |
US Billboard Hot R&B Singles | 11 |
US Billboard Hot Dance Club Songs | 50 |
Cover versions
- Indie band Cush included a cover of the song on their 2002 EP Spiritual 1.[2]
- The song was covered by French music artist Space Cowboy on his 2003 album Across The Sky.[3]
- A cover by Mariachi El Bronx was included on the 2009 tribute compilation Purplish Rain. A free download of the song was offered by Spin magazine.[4]
- The synthpop band Chvrches covered the song during their live performances since 2012, titled as 'I Would Die 4 V', as a reference to the V in their band name.[5]
- Neo-soul singer Raheem DeVaughn released a cover on his 2010 mixtape "Mr. February aka March Madness."[6]
- British indie rock band White Lies released a cover of the song on their 2013 extended play Small TV.
- Nick Jonas recorded a cover version, available on his Facebook page.
- American singer Lydia Loveless covered the song on a single released together with Cory Branan in 2015.
- California Pop band Hotel Apache released a cover of the song following Prince's death in April 2016.[7]
Live cover performances
- Of Montreal covered this song throughout their fall tour in 2007, along with other Prince songs.
- Bloc Party covered part of the song as an intro to "Flux" throughout their 2008 summer tour.
- Chvrches have covered this song live in 2012, and was one of the first three songs readily available on the internet by them.
- Haim covered this song live at Osheaga and Lollapolozza in 2016.
References
- ↑ "Hip Hop Single Sales: Prince, Desiigner & Drake". HipHopDX. April 30, 2016. Retrieved April 30, 2016.
- ↑ "cMusicWeb.com: Spiritual 1 EP".
- ↑ "Space Cowboy — I Would Die 4 U — Listen and discover music at Last.fm".
- ↑ "Get Your FREE Copy of SPIN's Prince Tribute!". Spin.
- ↑ "CHVRCHES – I Would Die 4 V (Prince Cover) - All Things Go".
- ↑ "Mr. February aka March Madness - 368 Music Group". 368 Music Group. 15 January 2010.
- ↑ http://www.wearehotelapache.com/