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Bright Lights, Big City - compilation by Prince, Warner Bros. Records (1988)

Bright Lights, Big City Prince • Warner Bros. Records • 1988

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1985
We Are The World

1988
Bright Lights, Big City

1994
Blankman

Prince Biography Compilation Appearances Greatest Hits

Bright Lights, Big City Prince compilation

Warner Bros. Records

compilation

Whisper words, erotica, when you kiss me there

Good Love was written and performed by Prince for his aborted Camille album of 1986, a post Revolution solo project that evolved into a triple LP named Crystal Ball before becoming the iconic double album Sign O’ The Times. Only 25 test pressings of the original Camille are known to exist.

Prince recorded Good Love at Sunset Sound in Hollywood on 30 October 1986, with Jill Jones and Susannah Melvoin providing backing vocals on the track. The pitch of Prince’s vocals are performed in the style of his then pseudonym Camille when looking for a new creative direction following the dissolution of The Revolution that month. The track was created during the same sessions that produced Housequake, Shockadelica and If I Was Your Girlfriend, all under this persona. Like those, Goodlove was included in the album configuration for Camille which was not intended to be marketed under the name ‘Prince’. The recording of the album began straight after the studio sessions for Madhouse 8 and continued until December 1986. Eight new tracks were created for Camille and was intended for release in January 1987. This LPs release was cancelled and many of its 100 test pressings were destroyed, because Prince embarked on its expanded replacement project Crystal Ball. Goodlove was transferred to the new album but subsequently discarded from the final track configuration during project’s third evolution, which became Sign O’ The Times album. Prince instead passed the song for inclusion to the soundtrack for the Warner Pictures movie Bright Lights, Big City, grammar corrected to Good Love.

The movie is directed by James Bridges and tells the story of a small town disillusioned young writer Jamie Conway (played by Michael J. Fox) lured to New York to work as a magazine fact checker. He is drawn to the glitz and glamour of the city’s nightlife and turns to drink and drugs. Kiefer Sutherland and Phoebe Cates costar as Conway’s party loving friends. The movie’s official soundtrack marks Prince’s second contribution to a compilation album. Bright Lights, Big City premiered on 1 April 1988 and took £16.1 million at the box office overall.

A slightly shortened version of Good Love was later released by Prince on 21 March 1998 on this triple disc compilation likewise named Crystal Ball. This triple album featured several other studio outtakes from 1986, Prince’s most prolific writing year.