Take Me with U explained

Take Me with U
Cover:Prince TakeMe.jpg
Caption:Japan 7" single
Type:single
Artist:Prince and the Revolution
Album:Purple Rain
A-Side:"Let's Go Crazy" (UK)
B-Side:Baby I'm a Star
Released:January 25, 1985
Recorded:January 27, 1984
Studio:Sunset Sound, Los Angeles
Genre:
Length:3:52 (album/12" version)
3:39 (7" edit)
Label:Warner Bros.
Producer:Prince
Chronology:Prince
Prev Title:I Would Die 4 U
Prev Year:1984
Next Title:Raspberry Beret
Next Year:1985

"Take Me with U" is a song by Prince and the Revolution, and the final US single released from their album, Purple Rain (1984).

Background

The song is sung as a duet with Apollonia Kotero, and was originally intended to be performed by Vanity but shortly before filming began on the movie Purple Rain, Vanity famously chose to quit participation in the film altogether when she was offered what appeared to be a lucrative contract with Motown Records exec Berry Gordy and began filming The Last Dragon (An early demo of the song exists with her vocals and has circulated on bootleg recordings by collectors.) and ceased her romantic relationship with Prince. The song was then intended for the Apollonia 6 album to coincide with the film, but was pulled for the Purple Rain soundtrack. As a result of this addition, Prince made cuts to the suite-like original "Computer Blue", which circulates among collectors in an extended version (a portion of this second section of "Computer Blue" can be heard in the film Purple Rain as Prince walks in on the men of The Revolution rehearsing). The original version of the song was about a minute longer.

Reception

Cash Box said that the song has "some beautiful melodies and some well-placed string sections which are proof of Prince’s varied talents."[3]

Chart performance

The single was released with an edit of album track "Baby I'm a Star" as its B-side. In the US, it reached number 40 on the Hot Black Singles chart and reached number 25 on the top 40 chart.[4] In the UK, the song was issued as a double A-side single, coupled with "Let's Go Crazy", reaching number 7 in March 1985.[5]

Track listing

7": Paisley Park / 7-29079 (US)

  1. "Take Me with U" (edit) – 3:42
  2. "Baby I'm a Star" (edit) – 2:55

Personnel

Credits sourced from Duane Tudahl, Benoît Clerc, Guitarcloud, Michael Aubrecht, and the album's liner notes[6] [7] [8] [9] [10]

Notes and References

  1. Prince's 'Purple Rain' at 30: Classic Track-by-Track Album Review . . June 24, 2014 . October 30, 2015 . Partridge, Kenneth.
  2. Book: Breihan, Tom. Prince - "When Doves Cry. November 15, 2022. The Number Ones: Twenty Chart-Topping Hits That Reveal the History of Pop Music. Hachette Book Group. New York. 165.
  3. Reviews. Cash Box. February 9, 1985. 2022-07-26. 7.
  4. Book: Whitburn, Joel . Joel Whitburn

    . Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942–2004. Joel Whitburn . 2004 . Record Research . 471.

  5. Web site: officialcharts.com. . April 8, 2021.
  6. Book: Tudahl, Duane . 2018 . Prince and the Purple Rain Era Studio Sessions: 1983 and 1984 . Rowman & Littlefield . 9781538116432 . Expanded .
  7. Book: Clerc, Benoît . October 2022 . Prince: All the Songs . Octopus . 9781784728816.
  8. Web site: Linn LinnDrum. 2023-04-12. guitarcloud.org.
  9. Exclusive Interview: Bobby Z.. 2017. 2 May 2023.
  10. Book: Prince and the Revolution. Purple Rain Soundtrack (Album Notes). Warner Bros. Records. 1984.