Extraloveable

Universal Music Group

Single

You got a dozen little sexy tricks.

Extraloveable was released as a MP3 download on 23 November 2011, shortly after it was recorded at Paisley Park Studios. The track was distributed via Prince’s official download store 3rdEyeGirl.com, and then of the 28th commercially by Universal Music published on iTunes Canada to promote the Canadian leg of his solo Welcome 2 America Tour.

The song is a re-working of a much older recording of a previously unreleased Prince track of the same name, but spelt Xtraloveable, recorded at Sunset Sound on 3 April 1982. That original was intended for the debut album for Vanity 6 but was not included in the final configuration. In the aftermath of Prince’s death the original 1982 version was due to be included in the track list of Warner Brothers’ 2019 release 1999 Super Deluxe Edition but was omitted from the final configuration due to its reference to rape in the lyrics which was deemed too inappropriate in the post #MeToo movement of 2017/18.

The 2011 re-recording of Extraloveable featured a rap by Prince’s then musical protegee Andy Allo. Then a further updated version of the song (renamed Extraloveable Reloaded) released on 3rdEyeGirl.com on 19 June 2013 contained a horn section in place of Allo’s rap which was removed entirely. This third version of the track was further renamed Xtraloveable and re-released on 12 December 2015 when included into the configuration on what was tragically to become Prince’s final album, HITNRUN Phase Two.

Cover story

The image of Prince used as the artwork for this digital release is a shot taken by Randee St. Nicholas in in Sultan’s suite at the Dorchester Hotel, captured for his 2008 photo book 21 Nights to document his historic run of 21 sold out concerts at London’s O2 Arena during August and September 2007.

Performers

Vox / All instr.

Prince

Drums

John Blackwell

Rap

Andy Allo

Data

Producer

Prince

Label

NPG Records

Distribution

Universal Music Group

Cover/Design

Randee St. Nicholas

Released

13 years ago on 28 November 2011

Running Time

5:01

US Chart Peak

Did not chart

UK Chart Peak

Did not chart

Orig. Format

Tracklist

1. Extraloveable [feat. Andy Allo] (5:01)

Extraloveable – review

This reworked version of the 1982 original, then named Extra Loveable, was released on iTunes Canada at part of the promotion for his tour Welcome 2 Canada. The original is a gritty affair, for decades doing the rounds on gradually degrading tape from the original cassette possibly picked direct from Prince’s car glovebox by some opportunist bootlegger. The original version was too crude to put out 2011 and so he cleaned it up and gave it a glossier production. Renamed Extralovable to conform to his naming convention of that time, the new version, call it a reinterpretation, has reduced impact of the original. It features a rap by Andy Allo, her first appearance on a Prince record, and NPG’s powerhouse John Blackwell on drums. An easy picking to offer fans some excitement during his self imposed studio exile of 2010-2013.

Extraloveable is rated 3 out of 5 by Goldies Parade.

Related release

HITNRUN Phase Two

NPG Records (2015)

About this release and review