CHAPTER SEVEN: RECORDINGS FOR MPLS, ROSIE GAINES AND OTHER ARTISTS

Songs for Jevetta Steele and Loïs Lane
During work on the Graffiti Bridge project, Prince started to occasionally use The Steeles for background vocals on some of his songs, like the song Still Would Stand All Time for that movie. In February 1990, Prince wrote the song Well Done for the group, as well as offered And How which was originally recorded 19 and 20 March 1986 by Prince in his home studio to Jevetta Steele from The Steeles. Prince also co-wrote the song Skip 2 My U My Darling with Levi Seacer Jr. for Jevetta Steele in February 1990. She was aiming for a solo career and in October 1991, Prince also gave her the songs Hold Me and Open Book.

Hold Me was originally recorded at Olympic Studios in London during the Nude Tour in the summer of 1990 and had been offered to both Rosie Gaines and Anita Baker, while Open Book was originally recorded for Martika in January 1991 by Prince and Levi Seacer Jr. Of the four songs recorded by Jevetta Steele, And How and Skip 2 My U My Darling were released in France on her Here It Is album in May 1991. Hold Me and Open Book replaced those tracks on the worldwide second release of her Here It Is album on 10 August 1993.

In early 1992, Prince recorded the song With This Tear which was offered to Jevetta Steele, but it ended up getting re-recorded and released by Celine Dion on her Celine Dion album released 31 March 1992.

The Dutch group Loïs Lane’s singers, the sisters Klemann, who had opened for Prince on some of his Nude Tour shows in 1990, visited Paisley Park in between January and March 1992 to record vocals for the songs Qualified and Sex for their 1992 album Precious. Prince proposed to do the entire album with the sisters, but they declined. Qualified was co-credited to Kirk Johnson from The Game Boyz while Sex was a new version of Prince’s song released as a B-side on the Scandalous Sex Suite single in 1989. It was remixed by Keith “KC” Cohen.

Prince also executive produced and played on the Loïs Lane songs I Oh I and Crying on the Precious album and when the album was re-released in 1993 it also included the song I Wanna Be originally released on the 1990 Loïs Lane album Fortune Fairytales, but now remixed by Prince.

In the summer of 1992, Loïs Lane released Sex as a single and music video.

Loïs Lane: Sex CD-single (summer 1992)
1. Sex (Remix/Single Edit) (4:36)
2. Sex (Album Version) (5:52)
3. Sex (Dark Dub Remix) (7:04)
4. Sex (Street Mix) (5:49)

The MPLS project
In August 1992, Prince embarked on creating an MPLS compilation of songs by artists from Minneapolis – a project that eventually morphed into the 1994 1-800-NEW-FUNK compilation with songs from artists at his record label.

Prince co-wrote the songs The Ryde Dyvine and Minneapolis with Sonny Thompson, a local musician Prince had known since his teenage years and who was now the bass player in The New Power Generation.

On the original versions, Prince was more prominent on background vocals on The Ryde Dyvine and Minneapolis started with a sample of “alright, stop the music, stop the music” from Carmen Electra: Powerline. Minneapolis was originally written by Sonny Thompson in the summer of 1989 for an abandoned project with Jana Jade aka Jana Anderson. The Ryde Dyvine became the title track of the 1992 TV special featuring performances from various artists signed to Paisley Park Records. The first act was The Crayons, a group assembled to back up Sonny Thompson for the performance of The Ryde Dyvine. Sonny played bass and sang lead vocals. The line-up included, amongst others, guitarist Billy Franze from MC Flash and Dr. Mambo’s Combo and The NPG’s Morris Hayes on keyboards. An accompanying cassette tape was made.

The Ryde Dyvine Sampler – (4 the ultimate RAVE) cassette (1992)
1. Prince and the Crayons: The Ryde Dyvine (4:00)
2. George Clinton: Let’s Get Satisfied (5:00)
3. George Clinton: This Beat Disrupts (4:40)
4. Carmen Electra: Everybody Get On Up – Single Edit (3:12)
5. Carmen Electra: Everybody Get On Up – Single Remix 3rd Time Funky Mix (4:07)
6. Carmen Electra: Everybody Get On Up – Wet And Juicy Dub (6:51)
7. Carmen Electra: Everybody Get On Up – Instrumental (7:00)

In the summer of 1993, a cassette tape was made featuring Minneapolis now called MPLS and credited to Minneapolis. The B-side was The Ryde Dyvine.

Minneapolis: MPLS cassette (summer 1993)
1. MPLS (4:13) (Sonny Thompson)
2. The Ryde Dyvine (4:05) (Prince/Sonny Thompson)

A remixed version of Minneapolis was released on the 1-800-NEW-FUNK collection released on NPG Records in August 1994. It featured both Minneapolis and Minneapolis (Reprise) by MPLS. A single of the track only became available through O(+>’s NPG Stores in Minneapolis and London and remain a rare collector’s item. The B-side was a remixed version of The Ryde Dyvine.

MPLS: Minneapolis single (spring 1994)
1. Minneapolis (4:27)
2. Minneapolis (12 Inch Mix) (7:00)
3. The Ryde Dyvine (4:17)

More recordings for the MPLS project
In August 1992, Prince wrote Ain’t No Place Like You which Jevetta Steele recorded, possibly for the MPLS project. It would get re-recorded by Prince and released on Mayte’s 1995 Child Of The Sun album. The Steeles recorded the Prince-song Color which would carry over to the 1-800-NEW-FUNK compilation released in 1994. The Steeles also appeared on the New Power Generation song Superhero which would get released on the 1994 Blankman soundtrack from which it was also released as a single and a video was made for the song.

The New Power Generation featuring The Steeles: Superhero CD-single (1994)
Superhero (Indasoul Mix) (3:56)
Superhero (5:00)
Superhero (Denair Old Skool Mix) (4:10)

Another song shortlisted for the MPLS project was A 1,000 Hugs And Kisses taped in Sydney in April 1992 on the Diamonds And Pearls tour with Rosie Gaines singing lead. It was later tried out by Nona Gaye in November 1993 before getting re-recorded by Prince himself as A Thousand Hugs And Kisses in the autumn/winter of 1995 intended for Emancipation and finally getting released many years later as 1000 X's & O's by Prince himself on the 2015 HitNRun Phase One album.

In 1992, a Paisley Park promo cassette tape was made titled CM Songs. It featured two early versions of songs by The Steeles, The Tide Keeps Lifting Me featuring Sonny T on guitar and bass and possibly Mavis Staples on backing vocals and I Don’t Wanna Be Without You with Sonny T on guitar and bass. It also included Jevetta Steele’s version of Ain’t No Place Like You. It is unknown if this tape had any relation to the MPLS project or if Ain’t No Place Like You was considered for the The Steeles album in the works.

CM Songs promo cassette (1992)
The Steeles: The Tide Keeps Lifting Me
The Steeles: I Don’t Wanna Be Without You
Jevetta Steele: Ain’t No Place Like You (4:01)

Updated versions of Tide Keeps Lifting Me and I Don’t Wanna Be Without You were released 18 June 1993 on the Heaven Help Us All album by The Steeles. It featured the song Well Done by Prince but produced by Ricky Peterson. And it was the album’s opening song Heart In My Hand which he didn’t write that O(+> decided to include in his The Sacrifice of Victor home video released 6 March 1995. It was from a live performance in London 8 September 1993.

Songs for Rosie Gaines
While a member of The New Power Generation, Prince had recorded songs with Rosie Gaines for quite a while before work started in earnest on her solo album in August 1992. Prince now let Ricky Peterson handle the production on the then 32 years-old singer’s album because he himself was busy. Ricky Peterson had also just worked with Mavis Staples on her The Voice album for Prince, too.

In December 1989, Prince and Rosie Gaines had co-created the song I Want U originally intended for The Pointer Sisters. Now it was re-recorded as I Want U (Purple Version) without Prince playing on it himself and would get released on Rosie Gaines’ 1995 Closer Than Close album. The original version would get released as I Want U (Paisley Version) on the 20th Anniversary Edition of Closer Than Close released on iTunes in 2015.

At Olympic Studios in London in June-July 1990 during the Nude Tour, the original version of her cover of the Bob Marley song Turn Your Lights Down Low had been recorded. Now a Stringless Mix was created as well as the final version which would get released on the Closer Than Close album in 1995. An Alternate Mix would get released on the 20th Anniversary Edition of Closer Than Close released on iTunes in 2015.

Also, the Prince-penned song My Tender Love was recorded on 7 June 1990 by Rosie Gaines before Prince recorded it as My Tender Heart by himself. Rosie’s version, My Tender Love was released on the 20th Anniversary Edition of Closer Than Close released on iTunes in 2015. Then Rosie added vocal to Prince’s version. That version would get included on her Concrete Jungle album released on iTunes in 2010. Ricky Peterson would produce a new version of the song for Rosie Gaines without Prince himself contributing to it. It would get released on Rosie Gaines’ 1995 Closer Than Close album.

 
On 7 June 1991, Rosie Gaines recorded the Prince-penned Hit U In The Socket that would get remade a couple of times, but this original recording would get released on the Concrete Jungle album released on iTunes in 2010.

On 13 August 1992, T.R.O.U.B.L.E. was recorded. The extent of Prince’s involvement is unknown, but a 1:15 sample titled Trouble (Never Give Up) was included on the 2000 Man ‘O’ War (Remix) NPG Records Sampler cassette. T.R.O.U.B.L.E. would get released on the Essential Rosie compilation on iTunes in 2015.

Recording with Tevin Campbell
In September 1992, Prince recorded songs for the barely 16 years-old Tevin Campbell who in 1990 had appeared in the Graffiti Bridge movie performing the song Round And Round. Now, Prince recorded five songs The P, The Halls Of Desire, Paris 17984302, Uncle Sam and Down for Tevin. Down was co-credited to NPG members Levi Seacer Jr, Kirk Johnson, Sonny Thompson, Michael Bland and Rosie Gaines. Prince also recorded Holly Don’t Care, but Tevin Campbell never recorded vocals for it. Eric Leds and Matt Blistan did record horns for it on 15 November 1992, but the song got re-recorded as Baby Don’t Care with Mayte in 1995 and was released on her Child Of The Sun album that same year.

The previously recorded Shhh on 18 June 1992 was also offered to Tevin Campbell and there were actually plans for Prince to produce the entire Tevin Campbell album, but Tevin and his executive producer Quincy Jones decided to also work with Babyface and Narada Michael Walden.

In late October 1992, Tevin Campbell added his vocals to Shhh, The Halls Of Desire, and Uncle Sam, as well as Paris 17984302 which became Paris 1798430 before release. These four songs all got released on Tevin’s I’m Ready album on 26 October 1993. It became very popular and sold Platinum twice.

Prince, now named O(+>, did some additional work on The P and Down at Bullet Sound in Nederhorst den Berg in the Netherlands on 12 August 1993 during his Act II tour of Europe. The songs had been returned with Tevin Campbell’s vocals, but both of them remain unreleased. A planned single release of Shhh also remains unreleased, but a promo single was made. It contained an edit of the song.

Tevin Campbell: Shhh 12" and CD promo-single (1993)
1. Shhh (Edit) (4:10)
2. Shhh (Album Version) (4:54)

Back to Rosie Gaines
Rosie Gaines recorded her version of Pain that had originally been recorded by Prince at Olympic Studios in London in June-July 1990 and it got included on the first configuration of her solo-album in September 1992, but her version ended up getting released as an iTunes single in 2016 instead of on her album. In the meantime, Chaka Khan had released a cover of the song on the 1997 Living Single soundtrack. The song was inspired by the song Joy And Pain by D. Channsin Berry and was co-credited to Monie Love.

Rosie Gaines also recorded the song Exploding All Over Europe which was co-credited to Prince and Ingrid Chavez. In 2018, a Junior Vasquez Mix and a Radio Mix thereof originally made in 1992 were released on iTunes. The original version never made any of her album configurations and remains unreleased.

The first configuration of the Rosie Gaines album titled Concrete Jungle was made in mid-September 1992 and featured four of the songs Prince had written for her.

Rosie Gaines: Concrete Jungle (16 September 1992)
1. Concrete Jungle (Bob Marley)
2. I Want U (Prince/Rosie Gaines)
3. Signed, Sealed, Delivered (Stevie Wonder)
4. My Tender Heart (Rosie Gaines/Prince)
5. Pain (Prince/Monie Love/Chan Berry)
6. Do What You Wanna Do (Rosie Gaines/Francis Jules/Dana Bailey)
7. The Bitch
8. Hit U In The Socket (Prince)
9. Ooh La La
10. Googaga (Makin It Up As We Go Along)
11. Get The Ghetto Off Your Mind (Rosie Gaines)

A tape was made of a new configuration of Concrete Jungle of which only Side A is known. The song I Almost Lost You was new.

Rosie Gaines: Concrete Jungle cassette (1992)
Track list unknown, except for the A-side: I Want You, I Almost Lost You (Rosie Gaines/Francis Jules/Dana Bailey/Latoya Gaines), Ooh La La, Hit You In The Socket, My Tender Heart, Goo Ga Ga (Makin’ It Up As We Go Along)

Yet a third configuration featured the songs in a different playing order and with the two new songs In The Middle Of A Garden and Everything I Do, leaving out the cover of Signed, Sealed, Delivered and Pain. It is unknown which version of I Want U that was included, Purple Version or Inner City Blue.

Rosie Gaines: Concrete Jungle (1992)
1. I Want U
2. Googaga (Makin’ It Up As We Go) (3:48) (Rosie Gaines/Francis Jules/Dana Bailey)
3. Ooh La La (3:20) (Rosie Gaines/Francis Jules/Dana Bailey)
4. My Tender Heart (5:07) (Rosie Gaines/Prince)
5. Hit U In The Socket (4:08)
6. Do What You Wanna Do (4:24) (Rosie Gaines/Francis Jules/Francis Richardson)
7. Concrete Jungle (3:30) (Bob Marley)
8. Get The Ghetto Off Your Mind (5:53) (Rosie Gaines/Francis Jules/Dana Bailey)
9. Jah Love (3:28)
10. Bitch (4:43)
11. In The Middle Of A Garden (4:49)
12. I Almost Lost You (2:33) (Rosie Gaines/Francis Jules/Dana Bailey/Latoya Gaines)
13. Everything I Do (B. Adams/M. Kamen/R.J. Lange)

A fourth configuration resembling the third was released on iTunes in 2010. It included a remix of I Want U, the Prince-produced version of My Tender Heart that had him singing background vocals and concluded with the new song Play That Beat instead of Everything I Do.

Rosie Gaines: Concrete Jungle (1992)
1. I Want U (Inner City Blue) (4:13)
2. Googaga (Makin’ It Up As We Go) (3:47)
3. Ooh La La (3:19)
4. My Tender Heart (5:07)
5. Hit U In The Socket (4:07)
6. Do What You Wanna Do (4.24)
7. Concrete Jungle (3:29)
8. Get The Ghetto Off Your Mind (5:53)
9. JAH Love (3:28)
10. The Bitch (4:42)
11. In The Middle Of A Garden (4:49)
12. I Almost Lost You (2:32)
13. Play That Beat (3:09)

Concrete Jungle becomes Try Me
On 15 November 1992, Eric Leeds & Matt Blistan added horns to Rosie Gaines’ Hit U In The Socket, now titled simply In The Socket. This version would get released on a 2005 digital release of Rosie Gaines’ previously unreleased 1994 album Try Me on her website. In March 2000, an NPGMC Remix of the song had been released by Prince as a cyber single and was included in Ahdio Show #4 from his online music club in May 2001.

On 19 December 1992 ABC TV broadcast The Ryde Dyvine in their In Concert series. Filmed at Paisley Park, the 45-minute The Ryde Dyvine featured live performances by Prince and several Paisley Park Records artists, including Rosie Gaines performing My Tender Heart. A single was made of My Tender Heart b/w Pain which was no longer on the album for release in 1993, but it was never released.

Rosie Gaines: My Tender Heart single (1993)
1. My Tender Heart (Edit) (Rosie Gaines/Prince)
2. Pain (Prince/Monie Love/Chan Berry)

A fifth configuration of Concrete Jungle featured a bunch of new tracks Try Me, Swing Hard, Crazy Mutha Funky, Greatest Touch, December 25th, Lost In The Wilderness and We The People, as well as an extended version of Concrete Jungle. Also, the Bob Marley cover Turn Your Lights Down Low was now included. This left out all of the Prince tracks but My Tender Heart, as well as the songs Googaga (Makin’ It Up As We Go), Ooh La La, The Bitch and In The Middle Of A Garden, making it almost an entirely new album.

Rosie Gaines: Concrete Jungle (1993)
1. Try Me (4:45) (Rosie Gaines)
2. I Almost Lost You (2:30) (Rosie Gaines/Francis Jules/Dana Bailey/Latoya Gaines)
3. Concrete Jungle (8:01) (Bob Marley)
4. Nobody Can (Love Me Like You Do) (5:20) – tentative title
5. Swing Hard (2:48)
6. Crazy Mutha Funky (3:42)
7. Turn Your Lights Down Low (4:25) (Bob Marley)
8. Greatest Touch (3:11)
9. Jah Love (3:52)
10. Play The Beat (3:24)
11. December 25th (3:49) (Rosie Gaines/Francis Jules/Dana Bailey)
12. Lost In The Wilderness (3:14)
13. Do What You Wanna Do (5:45) (Rosie Gaines/Francis Jules/Dana Bailey)
14. My Tender Heart (5:06) (Rosie Gaines/Prince)
15. We The People (1:32)

A sixth configuration had a different playing order and the addition of Poor Little Girl which is a remix of Lost In The Wilderness.

Rosie Gaines: Concrete Jungle (1993)
1. Try Me (4:46) (Rosie Gaines)
2. Lost In The Wilderness (3:12)
3. Slow Man (5:33) (Rosie Gaines/Francis Jules/Dana Bailey)
4. Swing Hard (2:48)
5. I Almost Lost U (2:37) (Rosie Gaines/Francis Jules/Dana Bailey/Latoya Gaines)
6. Concrete Jungle (7:48) (Bob Marley)
7. December 25th (3:56) (Rosie Gaines/Francis Jules/Dana Bailey)
8. Do What You Want Me To Do (5:51) (Rosie Gaines/Francis Jules/Dana Bailey)
9. Crazy Mutha Funky (3:43)
10. Greatest Touch (3:12)
11. My Tender Heart (5:07) (Rosie Gaines/Prince)
12. Play The Beat (3:27)
13. Turn Your Lights Down Low (4:29) (Bob Marley)
14. JAH Love (3:49)
15. We The People (1:31)
16. Poor Little Girl (6:25)

By 1994, the Rosie Gaines album was retitled Try Me because the Bob Marley cover Concrete Jungle was left off the album, as was Slow Man, I Almost Lost U, December 25th, Turn Your Lights Down Low and Poor Little Girl. My Tender Heart was also gone, but In The Socket was back as the required Prince contribution instead. The Bitch was also back, now titled B.I.T.C.H., as was In The Middle Of The Garden and Ooh, La La from the later released Concrete Jungle configuration. We The People was retitled The People Of Today. (Everything I Do) I Do It For You was a new track.

Rosie Gaines: Try Me (1994)
1. Try Me (4:45) (Rosie Gaines)
2. B.I.T.C.H. (4:32)
3. In The Middle of The Garden (4:47)
4. Ooh, La La (4:41) (Rosie Gaines)
5. In The Socket (3:53)
6. Lost In The Wilderness (3:18)
7. Do What You Wanna Do (5:51) (Rosie Gaines/Francis Jules/Francis Richardson)
8. Swing Hard (2:51) (Rosie Gaines/Dana Bailey)
9. Crazy Mutha Funky (3:47)
10. The Greatest Touch (3:14)
11. Play That Beat (3:28)
12. JAH Love (3:56)
13. The People Of Today (1:36) (Rosie Gaines/Francois Richardson)
14. (Everything I Do) I Do It For You (4:31) (B. Adams/M. Kamen/R.J. Lange)

Try Me becomes Closer Than Close
On 13 June 1995, a Rosie Gaines album was finally released. It was now titled Closer Than Close with Try Me being left off the album. It included the new songs Are You Ready, Closer Than Close, Can You Handle It and Bubbly World. The rest of the tracks had all appeared on past configurations. All of the songs were written by Rosie Gaines with Francis Jules and Dana Bailey, except Turn Your Lights Down Low and Concrete Jungle which were Bob Marley covers and the two Prince songs fans ended up with, I Want U and the Ricky Peterson-produced version of My Tender Heart.

The album was released on Motown, not Prince’s NPG Records. “She hung as long as she could,” her NPG colleague Michael Bland told Funkatopia in a 2024 YouTube interview. “She watched Carmen Electra’s record come out. She watched Diamond And Pearl put 51 Hours out and what else was there? I think Mayte’s record. Rosie was watching a lot of people get theirs before she was gonna get hers. (…) At some point she said, ‘Prince, I’m not getting any younger, I need to do this now.’ And finally, Motown offered her a record deal and she went for it.”

Rosie Gaines: Closer Than Close (13 June 1995)
1. I Want U (Purple Version) (3:36)
2. Are You Ready (5:49)
3. Closer Than Close (5:09)
4. Googaga (3:55)
5. Ooh La La (4:40)
6. Turn Your Lights Down Low (4:29)
7. My Tender Heart (5:10)
8. I Almost Lost U (2:37)
9. Slow Man (5:33)
10. Can You Handle it (5:13)
11. Concrete Jungle (7:48)
12. Get The Ghetto Off Your Mind (5:52)
13. December 25th (3:56)
14. Bubbly World (5:05)
15. Do What You Wanna Do (3:11)

Two singles were released with remixes of I Want U and a music video was made of the Inner City Blue version of the song.

Rosie Gaines: I Want U (Purple Version) CD-single (1995)
1. I Want U (Purple Version) (3:37)
2. I Want U “Inner City Blue” (Earth Mama Version) (6:34)
3. I Want U “Inner City Blue” (Earth Mama Version Edit) (4:37)
4. I Want U “Inner City Blue” (Earth Mama Version Instrumental) (5:01)

Rosie Gaines: I Want U (Inner City Blue) CD-single (1995)
1. I Want U (Whistles In Heaven) (5:46)
2. I Want U (Notice The House Mix) (5:42)
3. I Want U (M&M Anthem Mix) (7:26)
4. I Want U (Bonus Vocal Mix) (6:41)

An additional remix, I Want U (Weekend Mix) lasting almost ten minutes was only released on 12” vinyl.