| The Apple Stretching | |
| Cover: | Gracejonesapplenipple.jpg |
| Type: | single |
| Artist: | Grace Jones |
| Album: | Living My Life |
| B-Side: | Nipple to the Bottle |
| Released: | October 1982 |
| Recorded: | June 1982 |
| Genre: | Reggae |
| Length: | 3:33 |
| Label: | Island |
| Prev Title: | Nipple to the Bottle |
| Prev Year: | 1982 |
| Next Title: | My Jamaican Guy |
| Next Year: | 1983 |
"The Apple Stretching" is a song by American recording artist Grace Jones, released as a single in 1982.
"The Apple Stretching" was written by Melvin Van Peebles for his 1982 play Waltz of the Stork.[1] The song describes New York City in the early morning. It was included on Jones' sixth album Living My Life and also released as a double A-side single with "Nipple to the Bottle", written by Jones and Sly Dunbar (which also got a separate single release in certain territories). The original 7-minute song's single edit was just the album version, faded out at 3:33. "The Apple Stretching" was simultaneously released as a 12" version, clocking in at 8:40. It included a second verse of the song, which had been omitted on the album version, where Jones sings together with a bass guitar only along with funky percussion. This version remains unreleased on CD.
Van Peebles said of being able to do the song, "I couldn't have done [that track before], because people weren't used to [paying attention to] music and words simultaneously."[2] He performed the song on his own album, Ghetto Gothic in 1995.
A. "The Apple Stretching" (Single version) – 3:27
B. "Nipple to the Bottle" (Single version) – 4:22
A. "The Apple Stretching" (Long version) – 8:40
B. "Nipple to the Bottle" (Long version) – 6:59