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U Make My Sun Shine, Wingspan Records (2001)

U Make My Sun Shine © 2001, Wingspan Records

1999

2001
U Make My Sun Shine

2005

Review (4.5 / 5) Prince Biography Standalone Singles Greatest Hits

U Make My Sun Shine

Wingspan Records

Single

We can put this on a record and I can give it to you with no middleman

U Make My Sun Shine was recorded at Paisley Park Studios during 2000 and was originally intended as the lead single for Prince’s aborted High album. Prince instead released the track as a free MP3 download from his official website npgonlineltd.com on 21 December 2000.

The release of U Make My Sun Shine is unique in two ways. Chiefly, it was Prince’s first single to share equal credit with another performer (Angie Stone) who was not a member of his regular band. Secondly, it is his only single to feature a cover version – The Staple Singers’ civil rights song When Will We Be Paid? (by Randall Stewart, 1970). Prince recorded his version of that song as When Will We B Paid? in the winter of 1999 as an anthem to highlight the ongoing feud with his former record label Warner Brothers and their ownership of his music. Prince performed the song at shows he staged at Paisley Park throughout 1999 to 2000. The B-side was also given its own artwork, occupying the back cover, making this essentially a double A-side release, fronted with U Make My Sun Shine. So that fans could burn the the songs to CD-R, printable artwork was available for download. 

Despite being freely available digitally, a commercial release in physical format followed on 10 April 2001 and still managed to chart – reaching 59 on the US Billboard Hot 100. For the release of the physical single, Prince agreed a free licensing arrangement with independent British distributor Wingspan Records. To aid the profile of its own artist, samples of two songs by the rap act Track Squad were included in the CD to promote the upcoming release their album with Wingspan. Track Squad have neither any association nor musical input from Prince.

Impressed with her 1999 solo album Black Diamond, fellow Arista Records artist Angie Stone was called to meet Prince in 2000, and recorded the duet that summer. Not only is U Make My Sun Shine Prince’s first single to co-credit another artist, notably the single also marks Prince’s first release as ‘Prince’ since reverting to his birth name on 16 May 2000, which since 1993 was Prince love symbol (The Artist Formally Known As Prince), an unpronounceable name he had taken in protest against Warner. The background vocals on the track are provided by the group Milenia. This group, made up of the four sisters, simply turned up at Paisley Park one day and asked to audition.

When Will We B Paid? and U Make My Sun Shine

Performers

Vox / All instr.
Prince
Co-Lead Vocals
Angie Stone U Make My Sun Shine
Backing Vox
Niyoki White U Make My Sun Shine
Mikki White U Make My Sun Shine
Tia White U Make My Sun Shine
Malikah White U Make My Sun Shine
Kip Blackshire U Make My Sun Shine

Data

Producer
Prince
Label
NPG Records
Distribution
Wingspan Records
Cover/Design
Steve Parke
Released
23 years ago on 10 April 2001
Running Time
13:03
US Chart Peak
59
US R&B Peak
108
UK Chart Peak
Did not chart
Orig. Formats

Tracklist

  1. U Make My Sun Shine [duet with Angie Stone] (5:52)
  2. When Will We B Paid? (4:06)
  3. Throw Dat Leg Up [snippet] [Track Squad] (1:36)
  4. Sweet Punanny [snippet] [Track Squad] (1:29)

U Make My Sun Shine – review

U Make My Sun Shine is a double A-side release with When Will We B Paid? The year is 2001 and Prince is about to launch his pioneering NPG Music Club. He duets with Angie Stone in what is the first single he co-credited to another solo artist. Backed with the gospel quartet Milenia, it rises and falls with delicious melody. Side B is a monster, When Will We B Paid? is soaked in reference to his crusade against Warner, which at its depth Prince likened his musical gift as enslaved to their ownership. When Will We B Paid? begins softly and then unleashes like a volcano. Supposed to be part of a bigger project, the abandoned LP High, U Make My Sun Shine is the sole remnant to make its way to a physical release. Prince’s best single from the Millennium era.

U Make My Sun Shine

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