Prince / Batman All Mixed Up Edition

“Batman” (the soundtrack to Tim Burton’s Batman film) is Prince’s 11th full-length studio album and the only soundtrack to a film in which he did not act. The album reached number one on the US Billboard Top Pop Albums chart and remained at the top for six consecutive weeks. It also reached number five on the Billboard Top Black Albums chart. Director Tim Burton had used Prince’s songs “1999” and “Baby I’m A Star” in a rough cut of the film, and found them to be a great fit for the movie. In mid-December 1988, he contacted Prince and asked him to re-record those songs or provide new ones for use in the film. Prince was initially hesitant, but after visiting the film set in January 1989 and seeing parts of the rough cut, he was very impressed and met with Burton to discuss the concept. He was so captivated by the idea of ​​composing music for the film that he even considered canceling his Lovesexy Tour performances scheduled in Japan, but abandoned the idea due to the enormous costs involved. In mid-February 1989, immediately after returning from the Lovesexy Tour, he began composing music for the album. By the end of February, he had narrowed down 11 songs to candidates, including “Rave Unto The Joy Fantastic,” “200 Balloons” (intended as replacements for “1999” and “Baby I’m A Star,” respectively) and “Batman Theme.” In March 1989, he continued production, recording “Partyman” and “Trust,” which were adopted as replacements for “Rave Unto The Joy Fantastic” and “200 Balloons.” “Dance With The Devil” had also been recorded as the final track on the album, but Prince felt it was too dark and opted for “Batdance” instead. As a result, “Batdance” became the last song recorded on the album. Most of the album was recorded between mid-February and the end of March 1989. However, “Electric Chair” was recorded in June 1988, and “Scandalous” in October 1988. Also, “Vicki Waiting” is a revised version of “Anna Waiting,” which was first recorded in December 1988. Notably, although Prince is credited as the lead vocalist, the lyrics are actually written from the perspective of the film’s characters, with Prince singing on their behalf. “The Future” and “Scandalous” are sung from Batman’s perspective, while “Electric Chair,” “Partyman,” and “Trust” are sung from the Joker’s perspective. “The Arms of Orion” is a duet between Bruce Wayne (an alternate personality of Batman) and Vicki Vale, “Vicki Waiting” is from Bruce Wayne’s perspective, and “Lemon Crush” is from Vicki Vale’s perspective. “Batdance” features lines from various characters in the film, and also introduces Gemini, a character created by Prince who is a fusion of Batman and Joker. Incidentally, the lyrics attributed to Prince himself are intentionally minimal, consisting only of the last line of “Trust”: “Who do ya trust if you can’t trust God? Who can you trust – who can ya? Nobody,” and the “Stop!” voice from Batdance. This release is a fantastic DJ remix 2CDR, featuring tracks from the Batman soundtrack, B-sides, and outtakes (excluding the ballad “Scandolous”), cleverly blended and remastered for a smooth flow. The album opens with a unique, slowed-down version of “Batdance,” followed by the unreleased track “The Power,” then a layered “Vicky Waiting” leading into “The Transition to Vicky Waiting,” a clever mix of the vocals from “Rave Unto The Joy Fantastic” over the rhythm of “The Future,” and remixes of “The Future” and “The Batdance.” Although a ballad, “The Arms Of Orion” is transformed into a cool, danceable mix with the rhythm of “Rave.” “Partyman” includes the call-and-response from “Housequake,” and is a fantastic blend of multiple remixes. “Sex” uses the rhythm of “Partyman” to give it a jazzy feel. The transition from “200 Balloons” to “Lemond Crush” is also excellent. “Electric Chair” uses a remixed version, which fits perfectly into this danceable progression. “Me Touch Myself,” included because it was made during the production of Batman, is paired with the rhythm of “Rave” to eliminate its dark feel. Disc 2 begins with the dark “Dance With The Devil.” “Feel U Up” features an interesting duet between the original vocals and Camille’s voice. From the lively sound of “Trust” to the fantastic remixes of “Batdance” and “200 Balloons” at the end, the album unfolds at a breathtaking pace. Disc 1 Intro – I’m Batman The Power Vicky Waiting Rave Unto The Joy Fantastic The Future Batdance – Vicky Vale The Arms Of Orion (Dance Remix) Partyman Sex Lemon Crush Electric Chair Me Touch Myself Disc 2 Dance With The Devil Feel U Up Trust Batdance 200 Balloons