Batdance
Batman soundtrack
Michael Keaton
date & photographer unknown
Showing posts with label Michael Keaton. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Michael Keaton. Show all posts
June 11, 2020
June 9, 2020
45 RPMs 45: Prince ~ Batdance
photos by Styrous®
Batdance is a song by American musician Prince, from the 1989 Batman soundtrack (link below). Helped by the film's
popularity, the song, released 31 years ago on June 9, 1989, reached number one in
the US, becoming Prince's fourth American number-one single.
It utilized the basic motif by Neal Hefti used in the original 1960's Batman series (links below).
Perhaps because the track contains several samples from the movie
Batman (which are covered by their own copyright permissions), and since
the track can be seen as a promotional tie-in more than a song in any
traditional sense, it had not been included on any of Prince's
compilation albums, despite its commercial success.
Batdance was a last-minute replacement for a brooding track titled Dance with the Devil, which Prince felt was too dark. On the soundtrack album Batdance is almost two songs in one—a chaotic, mechanical dance beat that changes
gears into a slinky, funky groove before changing back for the song's
conclusion. On the single version the
guitar solo before the middle section is eliminated, then goes straight to the
mechanical Joker laughter from the end of the movie and an earlier movie
soundbyte of Michael Keaton saying "Stop").
Music critic Chris Molanphy says Batdance is more of a mashup or remix than an actual song. It jumps from tempo to tempo, theme to theme -- and includes a lot of maniacal Joker laughter. And, strangely enough, it went higher on the charts than some of Prince's other best known songs -- like “Purple Rain" or "1999."
Music critic Chris Molanphy says Batdance is more of a mashup or remix than an actual song. It jumps from tempo to tempo, theme to theme -- and includes a lot of maniacal Joker laughter. And, strangely enough, it went higher on the charts than some of Prince's other best known songs -- like “Purple Rain" or "1999."
detail photo by Styrous®
Prince ~ Batdance
The song's music video (link below), directed by Albert Magnoli and choreographed by Barry Lather, featured dancers costumed as multiple Batmen, Jokers and Vicki Vales.
Prince appears as a costumed character in face paint known as "Gemini",
with one side of his face representing the Joker (evil) and the other,
Batman (good). The Batman and Jokers alternate dance sections, while
Prince (as both himself and Gemini) sings. The video ends with Gemini
hitting a detonator, exploding an electric chair (referenced in the
song), and Prince (actually Keaton's voice) saying "Stop" as the
video abruptly ends. The video also features one Vicki Vale wearing a
black dress with the words "All this and brains too", a reference to The Dark Knight Returns by Frank Miller, in which a female news presenter wears a top with the same slogan.
The 7-inch edit of the song is basically the album version without the guitar solo and the up-tempo part near the end.
There is a remix of Batdance that features a guest rap verse by Big Daddy Kane; originally Warner Bros. wouldn't allow its release (links below).
There is a remix of Batdance that features a guest rap verse by Big Daddy Kane; originally Warner Bros. wouldn't allow its release (links below).
The B-side
to Batdance is 200 Balloons, which was recorded for the film
and serves as the musical blueprint for the main portion of "Batdance".
The song was rejected for the film by Tim Burton
and replaced with "Trust". The lyrics of "200 Balloons" reference the
scene which it was created for to a greater degree than the replacement
track, which is only connected to the scene by the Joker asking "Who do
you trust?" after the song ends.
Prince ~ 200 Balloons
7" 45 RPM record sleeve back detail
design by Tom Recchion
detail photo by Styrous®
7" 45 RPM record sleeve back detail
design by Tom Recchion
detail photo by Styrous®
Prince did little more than replace the lyrics of 200 Balloons in its
transition into Batdance. Only musical portions survived the
transition, but full lyrics showed up in The Batmix (turn your head to
the east, I be coming from the west). 200 Balloons also contains
samples of House in Order and Rave Unto the Joy Fantastic; the
latter was another song submitted for inclusion in the movie, but
rejected (it was replaced by Partyman).
Prince ~ 200 Balloons
7" 45 RPM record sleeve back detail
design by Tom Recchion
detail photo by Styrous®
7" 45 RPM record sleeve back detail
design by Tom Recchion
detail photo by Styrous®
In November 2013, an unreleased mix leaked online that featured a rap by Big Daddy Kane.
The remix was done by John Luongo, who confirmed its existence.
According to Luongo, the reason for the remix being unreleased was that
Warner Bros. Records didn't like it because it was "too different" and
refused its release. However, Prince liked the finished result.
A - Batdance (Edit) - 4:06
B - 200 Balloons - 5:05
Companies, etc.
Phonographic Copyright (p) – Warner Bros. Records Inc.
Copyright (c) – WEA International Inc.
Copyright (c) – DC Comics Inc.
Published By – Controversy Music
Mastered At – Masterdisk
Pressed By – Specialty Records Corporation
Credits:
Design – Tom Recchion
Mastered By – HW*
Producer [Produced], Arranged By, Composed By, Performer [Performed By] – Prince
Notes:
Sleeve:
"BATDANCE" from the Warner Bros. soundtrack album BATMAN™ a Warner Bros. film.
Available on LP, Cassette and Compact Disc (1/4/2-25936)
TM & © 1964 DC Comics Inc. ℗ 1989 Warner Bros. Records Inc. for the U.S. and WEA International Inc. for the world outside of the U.S. Made in U.S.A. 9 22824-7
Side A, label:
7-22924-A
Controversy Music ASCAP
From the Motion Picture Soundtrack album BATMAN™ a Warner Bros. film (1-25936)
℗ 1989 Warner Bros. Records Inc. for the U.S.
TM & © 1989 DC Comics Inc.
Side B, label:
7-22924-B
Controversy Music ASCAP
℗ 1989 Warner Bros. Records Inc. for the U.S.
Barcode and Other Identifiers
Barcode (Text): 0 7599-22924-7 4
Barcode: 075992292474
Rights Society: ASCAP
Matrix / Runout (Side A, runout, variant 1): MASTERDISK HW [SRC logo] 7-122924 - A - SRI
Matrix / Runout (Side B, runout, variant 1): SP 7-122924 - B - SRI
Matrix / Runout (Side A, runout, variant 2): MASTERDISK HW [SRC logo] 7-122924 - A - SRI I - I
Matrix / Runout (Side B, runout, variant 2): SP 7-122924 - B - SRI I - I
Matrix / Runout (Side A, runout, variant 3): MASTERDISK HW [SRC logo] 7-22924-A-SR1 1-1
Matrix / Runout (Side B, runout, variant 3): SP 7-22924-B-SR1 1-1
Pressing Plant ID (Specialty Records Corporation): [SRC logo]
Label: Warner Bros. Records – 9 22824-7, Warner Bros. Records – 7-22924
Format: Vinyl, 7", 45 RPM, Single, Specialty Records Pressing
Country: US
Released: 1989
Genre: Electronic, Funk / Soul
Style: Synth-pop, Funk
Viewfinder links:
Batman, Adam West & the Whole Gang
Batman soundtrack
Neal Hefti
Tim Burton
Prince
Net links:
A Pop Life ~ Get the funk up! Prince and Batman: crown time is over?
Casci Ritchie ~ Dressing the Batdance
Consequence of Sound ~ Break Yo TV: Prince Batdance
Fandom ~ Batdance Lyrics
Houston Chronicle ~ The enduring legacy of Prince's Batdance
KEXP ~ Batdancing In The Dark: Revisiting Batman 30 Years Later
LA Times ~ Prince & Big Daddy Kane Batdance remix Warner Bros. won’t let you hear
NPR ~ Whither Prince's Batdance? (Quo Batdancimus?)
Princevault ~ Batdance
Simply Eighties ~ Prince - Batdance (1989)
Songfacts ~ Batdance by Prince
The Twin Geeks ~ Batman ’89 or: How Bad Was Batdance Really?
The Ultimate Prince ~ Batman Roundtable: Our Writers Answer 5 Questions
WNYC Studios Soundcheck ~ That Was a Hit?!?: Prince, Batdance
YouTube links:
Batdance (Official Music Video)
Batdance (The Bat Mix) / Batdance (Vicki Vale Mix) (12 mins., 25 sec.)
Batman (original - 1960's)
Dance with the Devil (Unreleased Batman Soundtrack)
Partyman (Museum Scene) (12 mins., 25 sec.)
Prince ft. Big Daddy Kane - Batdance (DSRemix) (7 mins.)
Styrous® ~ Tuesday, June 9, 2020
June 20, 2018
20,000 Vinyl LPs 139: Prince ~ Batman
~ Styrous®
vinyl LP album cover
Batman is the eleventh studio album by American recording artist Prince and the soundtrack album to the 1989 film by director Tim Burton, Batman. It was released almost thirty years ago on June 20, 1989 by Warner Bros. Records. Lord, I can't believe it's been thirty years! The album was No. 1 on the Billboard albums chart for six consecutive weeks. It has sold over eleven million copies worldwide. The film was a landmark cinematic release.
vinyl LP album back cover
In a 2001 Rolling Stone interview, Prince revealed that the project was initially supposed to be a collaboration between himself and Michael Jackson:
"Did you know that the album was supposed to be a duet between Michael Jackson and me? He as Batman, me as the Joker?"Prince would have sung funk songs for the villains, while Michael Jackson would have sung ballads for the heroes. This never came to fruition as Jackson was busy with the Bad World Tour and signed with Epic Records, while the film was a Warner Bros. production.
All dialogue sampled on the Prince Batman album is taken directly from a workprint of Batman and therefore lacks ADR and foley. This is especially noticeable in the beginning of the first track, The Future, with dialogue of Michael Keaton speaking as Batman.
Batman also marked a change in Prince's appearance; he switched
out frilly clothing, polka dots, lace, and controversial attire for a
much darker and simpler attire, usually donning dark blue/black clothing
and "Batman" boots. The artist's hair was also completely straightened
from wavy curls, as shown in the "Batdance" video (link below).
Ownership of the Batman franchise is complex.
Prince had to agree to sign the publishing rights to the songs used in
the film over to Warner Bros.; Prince's hit singles from this album were
not permitted to appear on any of his hits compilations until the 2016
release of 4Ever, which included Batdance. Only the B-sides 200 Balloons, Feel U Up, and I Love U in Me appeared on his 1993 The Hits/The B-Sides collection.
Prince ~ Batman
vinyl LP record sleeve
from the Princevault
Prince began recording songs for the album in mid-February 1989, immediately after returning from the Lovesexy Tour, and he previewed eleven songs in late February, including Rave Unto The Joy Fantastic and 200 Balloons, intended to replace 1999 and Baby I'm A Star respectively), and Batman Theme.He worked on the album further in March 1989, recording Partyman and Trust (to replace Rave Unto The Joy Fantastic and 200 Balloons respectively). Dance With The Devil was recorded for the album, but Prince considered the song to be too dark and replaced it with Batdance, which was the last song recorded for the album.While the bulk of the album was recorded between mid-February and the end of March 1989, Electric Chair was recorded in June 1988, and Scandalous in October 1988. In addition, Vicki Waiting was a revamped version of Anna Waiting, initially recorded in December 1988.
Prince ~ Batman
vinyl LP record sleeve detail
Prince ~ Batman
vinyl LP record sleeve detail
vinyl LP record sleeve detail
Prince ~ Batman
vinyl LP record sleeve detail
According to Variety (link below), Michael Keaton may forever be associated with Prince
in some fans’ minds because the movie star and the pop star both worked
on 1989’s Batman — the actor starring as the caped crusader and the
musician performing the song Batdance, which became a No. 1 hit.
In 2016, film critic Matt Zoller Seitz praised Prince's songs and music videos for Batman,
more so than the film itself, stating that his songs "suggest a goofy,
perverse, sensuous, somewhat introverted Batman film that so far we've
never gotten from anyone", and arguing that Prince's music videos "are
more psychologically perceptive than any of the Batman films."
Tracklist:
Side 1:
A1 - The Future - 4:08
A2 - Electric Chair, Mixed By Chris Lord-Alge - 4:13
A3 - The Arms Of Orion, Composed By, Performer – Prince, Sheena Easton Guest [Special Guest Presence] – Sheena Easton - 5:03
A4 - Partyman, Guest [Special Guest Presence] – Anna Fantastic, Femi Jiya - 3:11
A5 - Vicki Waiting - 4:47
Side 2:
B1 - Trust - 4:24
B2 - Lemon Crush - 4:15
B3 - Scandalous, Composed By John L. Nelson, Prince - 6:15
B4 - Batdance, Guest [Special Guest Presence] – Matthew Larson - 6:13
Companies, etc.
Copyright (c) – DC Comics Inc.
Record Company – Warner Bros.
Record Company – Warner Communications
Record Company – Warner Bros. Records Inc.
Copyright (c) – DC Comics
Phonographic Copyright (p) – Warner Bros. Records Inc.
Phonographic Copyright (p) – WEA International Inc.
Recorded At – Paisley Park Studios
Mixed At – Paisley Park Studios
Mixed At – The Grey Room
Mastered At – Masterdisk
Published By – Controversy Music
Published By – Wb Music Corp.
Published By – Skye Heart Music
Credits:
Choir – The Sounds Of Blackness Choir*
Design – Tom Recchion
Executive-Producer [Album] – Jon Peters (2), Peter Guber
Guest [Special Guest Presence], Voice – Jack Nicholson (tracks: A1, A4,
A5, B4), Kim Basinger (tracks: A1, A4, A5, B4), Michael Keaton (tracks:
A1, A4, A5, B4)
Horns – Atlanta Bliss, Eric Leeds
Illustration [Logo] – Anton Furst
Instruments [All Other], Vocals [All Other Voices], Arranged By [All Other Instruments & Voices], Performer – Prince
Lyrics By – Prince
Mastered By [DMM] – HW*
Orchestra – The Clare Fischer Orchestra
Photography By [Prince] – Jeff Katz (2)
Producer, Arranged By, Composed By, Performer – Prince
Production Manager [Executive In Charge Of Album Production] – Gary LeMel
Recorded By [Assistant], Mixed By [Assistant] – Chuck Zwicky, David Friedlander*, Eddie Miller, Heidi Hanschu
Recorded By, Mixed By – Femi Jiya, Prince
Sampler [Samples Re-Arranged & Performed] – Prince
Supervised By [Music Supervisor] – Michael Dilbeck
Notes:
Soundtrack of the movie "Batman" directed by Tim Burton (1989).
Recorded and mixed at Paisley Park Studios.
'Electric Chair' mixed at the Grey Room.
Mastered at Masterdisk, New York.
Sheena Easton appears courtesy of MCA Records, Inc.
All songs published by Controversy Music/WB Music Corp. ASCAP
except A3 published by Controversy Music ASCAP/Skye Heart Music BMI
and B2 & B4 published by Controversy Music ASCAP
[Lyrics sheet] © 1989 Controversy Music/ASCAP
TM & © 1989 DC Comics Inc.
Warner Bros. A Warner Communications Company
© 1989 Warner Bros. Inc.
Warner Bros. Records Inc., a Warner Communications Company.
© 1989 DC Comics ℗ 1989 Warner Bros. Records Inc. for the U.S. and WEA International Inc. for the world outside of the U.S.
A counterpart Batman (Original Motion Picture Score) was also released.
Barcode and Other Identifiers
Barcode: 0 7599-25936-1 8
Rights Society (All songs): ASCAP
Rights Society (A3): BMI
Matrix / Runout (Side A): 1-25936-A SRI-DMM SPI-I MASTERDISK DMM -HW
Matrix / Runout (Side B): 1-25936-B SRI-DMM SPI-I MASTERDISK DMM -HW
Prince – Batman™ Motion Picture Soundtrack
Label: Warner Bros. Records – 9 25936-1, Warner Bros. Records – 1-25936
Format: Vinyl, LP, Album
Country: US
Released: 1989
Genre: Electronic, Rock, Funk / Soul, Stage & Screen
Style: Soundtrack, House, Pop Rock, Synth-pop, Funk
Comics Alliance ~ Review Of Prince’s Batman
PrinceVault ~ Batman
Variety ~ Michael Keaton Remembers Prince
AV/Music ~ Batman not the embarrassment it’s reputed to be
Pile Rats ~ That time Prince did the soundtrack for Tim Burton's Batman
Mass Appeal ~
When Batman Swooped in to Help Prince’s Career
We Minored In Film ~
PrinceVault ~ Batman
Variety ~ Michael Keaton Remembers Prince
AV/Music ~ Batman not the embarrassment it’s reputed to be
Pile Rats ~ That time Prince did the soundtrack for Tim Burton's Batman
Mass Appeal ~
When Batman Swooped in to Help Prince’s Career
We Minored In Film ~
The Hollywood Reporter ~
Prince ~ 10 Memorable Movies Featuring His Songs
Diffuser ~ 365 Prince Songs in a Year
The Guardian ~
Clouds, Batman and high heels: proof that Prince had the look
Youtube links:
Batdance
U Got The Look
Partyman
Scandalous
The Arms Of Orion ~ Featuring Sheena Easton
Styrous® ~ Wednesday, June 20, 2018
Diffuser ~ 365 Prince Songs in a Year
The Guardian ~
Clouds, Batman and high heels: proof that Prince had the look
Youtube links:
Batdance
U Got The Look
Partyman
Scandalous
The Arms Of Orion ~ Featuring Sheena Easton
Styrous® ~ Wednesday, June 20, 2018
~
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