"The Arms of Orion" is a 1989 song by American musician Prince and Scottish singer and actress Sheena Easton. It was the third single to be taken from Prince's 1989 Batman soundtrack album. It was a #36 pop hit for them on the Billboard Hot 100 charts in 1989.
| "The Arms of Orion" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 US 7" single | ||||
| Single by Prince with Sheena Easton | ||||
| from the album Batman | ||||
| B-side | "I Love U in Me" | |||
| Released | October 16, 1989 | |||
| Recorded | January 25, 1989 | |||
| Studio | Paisley Park, Chanhassen | |||
| Genre | Pop, orchestral | |||
| Length | 3:52 (7-inch edit) 5:03 (album/12-inch version) | |||
| Label | Warner Bros. | |||
| Composer(s) | Prince | |||
| Lyricist(s) | Sheena Easton | |||
| Producer(s) | Prince | |||
| Prince with Sheena Easton singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
Background
editThe song is a slow, romantic ballad that is accompanied mainly by the piano. Synthesizers also play a strong role throughout the song, programmed to emulate a string section. The track also uses a subdued LinnDrum loop, and samples of rain and thunder. The lyrics, written by Sheena Easton at Prince's suggestion, allude to the constellation of Orion.[1] Prince had to surrender all publishing rights to the songs on the Batman album including "The Arms of Orion" to Warner Bros. as part of the deal to compose, perform, and produce the soundtrack.
Critical reception
editDavid Giles from Music Week wrote, "Decidedly MOR ballad from the Batman LP which finds Prince duetting with Sheena Easton, the pair of them not sounding unlike Lionel Richie and Whitney Houston. Commercially viable, but once again "his highness" will get away with producing sub-standard floss."[2]
Track listings
edit- 7-inch single
- "The Arms of Orion" (edit) – 3:52
- "I Love U in Me" – 4:12
- 12-inch single
- "The Arms of Orion" – 5:03
- "I Love U in Me" – 4:12
- "The Arms of Orion" (edit) – 3:52
Personnel
editCredits from Benoît Clerc and Guitarcloud[3][4]
- Prince – lead and backing vocals, piano, Wurlitzer electric piano, Roland D-50, synthesizers, bass guitar, LinnDrum, Dynacord ADD-One, finger cymbals, triangle
- Sheena Easton – lead vocals
Charts
edit| Chart (1989) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australia (ARIA)[5] | 108 |
| Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[6] | 33 |
| Netherlands (Single Top 100)[7] | 13 |
| New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[8] | 44 |
| UK Singles (OCC)[9] | 27 |
| US Billboard Hot 100[10] | 36 |
References
edit- ^ "Sheena Easton: Looking back at her musical history". windycitytimes.com. 8 August 2012. Retrieved 2023-05-23.
- ^ Giles, David (November 4, 1989). "Singles" (PDF). Music Week. p. 27. Retrieved March 13, 2023.
- ^ Clerc, Benoît (October 2022). Prince: All the Songs. Octopus. ISBN 9781784728816.
- ^ "Batman". guitarcloud.org. Retrieved 2023-04-29.
- ^ "ARIA Singles Chart w/c 4-12-1989". ARIA, via Imgur.com. Retrieved December 27, 2019.
- ^ "Prince & Sheena Easton – The Arms of Orion" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved May 3, 2016.
- ^ "Prince & Sheena Easton – The Arms of Orion" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved May 3, 2016.
- ^ "Prince & Sheena Easton – The Arms of Orion". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved May 3, 2016.
- ^ "Prince: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved May 3, 2016.
- ^ "Prince Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved May 3, 2016.
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