While it garnered mixed reviews from critics, the
1989 ''
Soundtrack returned
Prince to the top of the
Billboard album charts. The
Album was buoyed by the No. 1 hit single, "
Batdance ", a multi-phased pastiche of
Funk ,
Rock , and dance interlaced with samples from the
Movie itself. ''Batman'' also spawned the follow-up single, "
Partyman "; both
Video clips featured Prince's quirky alter-ego known as "Gemini", a half-
Batman , half-
Joker embodiment, somewhat akin to ''
Lovesexy '''s '
Camille ' vs. '
Spooky Electric '. The
Sheena Easton Duet , "
The Arms Of Orion ", followed as the third single and last were the slow-burning
Ballad , "
Scandalous " in the
U.S. and a remix of "
The Future " in the
UK .
As a ''.
The whole ownership of the "Batman" edition of the ''Batman'' movie contains Prince's related videos as a bonus feature.) Wedged between ''
Lovesexy '' and ''
Graffiti Bridge '', the soundtrack serves as Prince's final album contribution of the
1980s .
Critically, the album was not particularly well received at the time, with many reviewers labelling it as mechanical and dull. Indeed many reviewers suggested that Prince was just using the soundtrack as a means of jettisoning some of the excess tracks that had built up in the Paisley Park vaults over the years. Songs like "The Arms Of Orion" and "Lemon Crush" could have been formulated for any other film, not just Batman. In a recent trivia book, Q music magazine suggested that "Batdance" was the beginning of the end of Prince's musical greatness, a view echoed by the popular press. Without the support of the movie, it's unlikely that the album would have sold as well as it did, although in 1990 it won a Brit Award for best soundtrack/score. The album also debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200 charts and went multi-platinum in the US.
- Not to be confused with Danny Elfman 's orchestral score for the same movie.
- No.1 Billboard 200 Albums Chart
- No.5 Billboard R&B Albums Chart
#"
The Future "
#"Electric Chair"
#"
The Arms Of Orion "
#"
Partyman "
#"Vicki Waiting"
#"Trust"
#"Lemon Crush"
#"
Scandalous "
#"
Batdance "
- " Batdance " (#1 US, #1 R&B, #2 UK)
# "Batdance (The Batmix)" (maxi-single)
# "Batdance (Vicki Vale Mix)"(maxi-single)
# "200 Balloons"
- " Partyman " (#18 US, #5 R&B, #14 UK)
# "Partyman"
# "Feel U Up"
# "The Purple Party Mix" (maxi-single)
# "Partyman Music Mix" (maxi-single)
# "Partyman Video Mix" (maxi-single)
# "I Love U in Me"
# "When 2 R In Love"
# "The Crime" ("The Scandalous Sex Suite" maxi-single)
# "The Passion" ("The Scandalous Sex Suite" maxi-single)
# "The Rapture" ("The Scandalous Sex Suite" maxi-single)
# "Sex" "The Scandalous Sex Suite" maxi-single
- " The Future " (UK/Germany)
# "The Future" (remix)
# "Electric Chair" (remix)
- The theme to the 1960s ''Batman'' TV program was one of the first musical pieces Prince learned to play on the Piano .
- Prince had a uncredited Cameo in the '' Batman '' film.
- Tim Burton and Jack Nicholson were both Prince fans and Burton included " 1999 " and "Baby, I'm a Star" in a rough cut of the film. Intrigued, Prince delivered a whole album of material to Burton with the songs "Rave Unto the Joy Fantastic" and "200 Balloons" to replace his older hits in the film. Burton rejected both, so Prince replaced them with " Partyman " and "Trust", respectively.
- "Partyman" was inspired by the coolness of Jack Nicholson and tailored to his role as The Joker.
- " Batdance " was a replacement for the song "Dance With the Devil" which Prince felt was too dark. A few of the later's Lyrics were included in the linear notes for the CD . The track's title was taken from a conversation in the movie between the Joker and Vicki Vale, which was also included in "Batdance".
- In the 2004 Zombie -themed comedy '' Shaun Of The Dead '', the album is one of a group that is used as projectile weaponry against advancing zombies. Another Prince album, Sign 'O' The Times , is spared, however.
- Michael Jackson was originally asked to provide songs for the soundtrack, but turned it down as he was busy with concert arrangements {Link without Title} .
- The Film Score by Danny Elfman is a separate album, but contains a reworking of Prince's " Scandalous ".
