"Sexy Dancer" is a song by Prince, released in the UK as the second single from his self-titled second album.[2] It was the first Prince single released outside the United States that was not released as a single stateside. The disco number has few lyrics but contains prominent bass guitar, grunts and screams. It also has elements of rock and R&B.
| "Sexy Dancer" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Japanese 7" single | ||||
| Single by Prince | ||||
| from the album Prince | ||||
| B-side |
| |||
| Released | April 1980 (UK) May 1980 (Japan) | |||
| Recorded | April 1979[1] | |||
| Studio | Alpha Studios, Burbank, California | |||
| Genre | Disco, rock, R&B | |||
| Length |
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| Label | Warner Bros. | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Prince | |||
| Producer(s) | Prince | |||
| Prince singles chronology | ||||
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The 12" single was Prince's first non-album extended version to be released and because it was only ever released in the UK, a near mint 12" (UK Warner Brothers K 17590 T) copy can and has sold for over £100. It includes extended bass and guitar solos, as well as more repeats of the refrain. Listening to the extended version as compared to the album and Japanese 7" track, it appears likely they are in fact edited down. So perhaps it is more accurate to describe the 12" version as the "original", the LP and 7" being the shortened version. "Sexy Dancer" was a popular number performed live, often giving other band members the opportunity to perform instrumental solos.
The song has been modified over the years during live performances, often segueing into or out of other tracks, most recently during Prince's 2007, Earth Tour, where the music to the song is accompanied by completely different lyrics, including parts of the disco classic "Le Freak". The B-side of the track was the album track rocker, "Bambi" in the UK and "Why You Wanna Treat Me So Bad?" in Japan.
In Episode 1 of The Golden Bachelor, contestant Leslie Fhima claims that "Sexy Dancer" was written about her after a fling with Prince.
Personnel
editInformation taken from Benoît Clerc and Guitarcloud.[3][4]
- Prince – lead and backing vocals, electric guitars, clavinet, Yamaha CP-70 electric grand piano, Polymoog, ARP String Ensemble, bass guitar, drums, Pollard Syndrums, handclaps
References
edit- ^ "Sexy Dancer". Prince Vault.
- ^ "Prince - Sexy Dancer (Vinyl)". Discogs.com. Retrieved 2016-10-17.
- ^ Clerc, Benoît (October 2022). Prince: All the Songs. Octopus. ISBN 9781784728816.
- ^ "Prince". guitarcloud.org. Retrieved 2023-04-30.