The Morning Papers

"The Morning Papers" is a song by Prince and The New Power Generation, from the 1992 Love Symbol album.[1] It was released as the fourth worldwide (and fifth overall) single from the album; the B-side was "Live 4 Love", a track from Prince's previous album, Diamonds and Pearls. The UK CD single included "Love 2 the 9's" as well, also from the Love Symbol album.

"The Morning Papers"
UK 7" single
Single by Prince and The New Power Generation
from the album Love Symbol Album
B-side
  • "Live 4 Love"
  • "Love 2 the 9's" (UK CD)
ReleasedApril 3, 1993
RecordedPaisley Park Studios, Early December 1991
GenrePop rock
Length3:57
LabelPaisley Park/Warner Bros.
Songwriter(s)Prince
Producer(s)Prince
Prince and The New Power Generation singles chronology
"Damn U"
(1992)
"The Morning Papers"
(1993)
"Pink Cashmere"
(1993)
Prince (UK) singles chronology
"7"
(1992)
"The Morning Papers"
(1993)
"Peach"
(1993)
Music video
"The Morning Papers" on YouTube

The lyrics of the song concern Prince falling in love with Mayte Garcia, and sticks to the theme of the movie 3 Chains o' Gold, where Mayte (a princess in Egypt) and Prince meet after her father is assassinated by seven mysterious men. Prince sings about the things they do together and how other people do not value/understand the bond they share. Musically, the song is a pop-rock number with an emphasis on guitar. The video is notable for featuring Prince embracing "the grunge look".

Critical reception

Andy Healy from Albumism stated that the pop-rock of the song "reinforce that no style or genre was beyond Prince's command".[2] Larry Flick from Billboard described it as "a cinematic rock ballad, rife with retro-soul nuances." He added, "An appealing, storytelling vocal is surrounded by rousing piano lines, nimble guitar riffs, and brassy horn fills. And, of course, Prince delivers a strong, affecting vocal. Will prove to be a refreshing respite from the usual cookie-cutter fare on pop radio."[3] Randy Clark from Cashbox commented, "All hail the latest release from his Royal Badness' platinum album. This soulful, mid-tempo blues ballad has all the teasing, playful spirit we have grown to expect from the punk with the funk."[4]

Chart performance

"The Morning Papers" was a moderate success on all the charts on which it appeared. It peaked at number 44 on the US Billboard Hot 100, number 18 on the Top 40 Mainstream, number 68 on R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, and number 52 in the UK. The song became the first song by Prince released in proper form in the United Kingdom to miss the top 40 since "Mountains" in 1986, seven years earlier (this means that 23 of Prince's songs in a row had made the top 40 before "The Morning Papers"). The song, despite missing the Billboard top 40, made the Top 40 mainstream chart, meaning it received significant radio airplay in America.

Charts

Chart (1993) Peak
position
Australia (ARIA)[5] 87
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[6] 42
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[7] 39
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[8] 31
UK Singles (OCC)[9] 52
US Billboard Hot 100 44
US Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs 68
US Billboard Top 40 Mainstream 18

References

  1. http://www.discogs.com/Prince-And-The-New-Power-Generation-The-Morning-Papers/master/97262
  2. Healy, Andy (October 12, 2017). "Prince's 'Love Symbol' Album Turns 25: Anniversary Retrospective". Albumism. Retrieved November 16, 2020.
  3. Flick, Larry (March 27, 1993). "Single Reviews" (PDF). Billboard. p. 82. Retrieved October 26, 2020.
  4. Clark, Randy (March 27, 1993). "Music Reviews: Singles" (PDF). Cashbox. p. 5. Retrieved November 2, 2020.
  5. Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010. Mt. Martha, VIC, Australia: Moonlight Publishing.
  6. "Ultratop.be – Prince & The New Power Generation – The Morning Papers" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved May 2, 2016.
  7. "Dutchcharts.nl – Prince & The New Power Generation – The Morning Papers" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved May 2, 2016.
  8. "Swisscharts.com – Prince & The New Power Generation – The Morning Papers". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved May 2, 2016.
  9. "Prince: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved May 2, 2016.


This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.