"If I Was Your Girlfriend"
US 7" single
Single by Prince
from the album Sign o' the Times
B-side"Shockadelica"
ReleasedMay 6, 1987
RecordedNovember 2, 1986; December 23, 1986 (intro segue)
StudioSunset Sound, Hollywood
GenreR&B, funk
Length3:46 (7" edit)
4:54 (album/12" version)
LabelPaisley Park, Warner Bros.
Songwriter(s)Prince
Producer(s)Prince
Prince singles chronology
"Sign o' the Times"
(1987)		 "If I Was Your Girlfriend"
(1987)		 "U Got the Look"
(1987)

"If I Was Your Girlfriend" is a song by American singer and songwriter Prince. The song serves as the second single from his ninth studio album Sign o' the Times (1987). The single was a hit in the UK (#20) but was only a minor hit in America (#67) but a major hit on black radio in America. It was originally from the Camille album, which was to be released under the guise of Prince's alter ego named Camille.

The song is delivered from an androgynous male perspective to a woman, wherein Prince explores the possibilities of a more intimate relationship if he were his lover's platonic girlfriend. Trouser Press names the song as one of the album's highlights, noting that it "redefines a relationship in a surprisingly mature way."[1] It is believed that "If I Was Your Girlfriend" deals with the jealousy Prince felt at the close bond shared between then girlfriend/fiancée Susannah Melvoin with her twin sister Wendy.[2]

Musically, the song features Prince's pitched-up, androgynous vocals over a sparse bass and drum machine pattern, punctuated by a keyboard line. The opening seconds include a sound collage that includes an orchestra tuning up, a salesman and a sample of Felix Mendelssohn's "Wedding March". According to engineer Susan Rogers, a rare technical error on her part led to distortion—albeit only on certain words. Yet after hearing the playback, Prince loved the effect, which is featured on the released version.

The song was released on May 6, 1987, and reached number 67 on the US Billboard Hot 100 but was more successful on the US Billboard Hot Black Singles reaching number 12. It was little more successful in the UK, reaching number 20.

Track listings

7" single

  • A. "If I Was Your Girlfriend" (edit) – 3:46
  • B. "Shockadelica" – 3:30

12" single

  • A. "If I Was Your Girlfriend" – 4:54
  • B. "Shockadelica" (extended version) – 6:12

Personnel

Credits from Duane Tudahl and Benoît Clerc[3][4]

Charts

Initial chart performance for "If I Was Your Girlfriend"
Chart (1987) Peak
position
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[5] 14
Italy (Musica e Dischi)[6] 7
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[7] 17
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[8] 48
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[9] 15
UK Singles (OCC)[10] 20
US Billboard Hot 100[11] 67
Chart performance for "If I Was Your Girlfriend" upon Prince's death
Chart (2016) Peak
position
France (SNEP)[12] 188

"Shockadelica"

The B-side to the track was another "Camille" track, "Shockadelica". The track was actually written in response to an album of the same name by former Time member, Jesse Johnson. Prince heard Johnson's album before its release, and commented that a great album should have a great title track. Johnson disagreed, so Prince recorded the track and had it played on a Minneapolis radio station before the release of Johnson's album. The public perception would be that Johnson was copying Prince's idea, and this caused tension between Johnson and Prince.

When the "Camille" project was scrapped in favor of Crystal Ball, "Shockadelica" again made the cut, but was deleted from the track list when the set was trimmed to Sign o' the Times. The track was released as a B-side, and later on The Hits/The B-Sides.

Other uses

Cover versions

Sampling

Appearances in other media

  • "If I Was Your Girlfriend" and the B-side "Shockadelica" both appear in Demi Moore's 1996 film, Striptease.

References

  1. ↑ Green, Jim; Ira Robbins. "Prince". Trouser Press. Trouser Press LLC. Retrieved 2007-10-10.
  2. ↑ Jason Draper (2008). "Prince: Life & Times". Jawbone Press.
  3. ↑ Tudahl, Duane (2021). Prince and the Parade and Sign O' The Times Era Studio Sessions 1985 and 1986. Rowman & Littlefield. ISBN 9781538144527.
  4. ↑ Clerc, Benoît (October 2022). Prince: All the Songs. Octopus. ISBN 9781784728816.
  5. ↑ "Prince – If I Was Your Girlfriend" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved May 4, 2016.
  6. ↑ "Classifiche". Musica e Dischi (in Italian). Retrieved May 28, 2022. Set "Tipo" on "Singoli". Then, in the "Artista" field, search "Prince".
  7. ↑ "Prince – If I Was Your Girlfriend" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved May 4, 2016.
  8. ↑ "Prince – If I Was Your Girlfriend". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved May 4, 2016.
  9. ↑ "Prince – If I Was Your Girlfriend". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved May 4, 2016.
  10. ↑ "Prince: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved May 4, 2016.
  11. ↑ "Prince Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved May 4, 2016.
  12. ↑ "Prince – If I Was Your Girlfriend" (in French). Les classement single. Retrieved May 9, 2016.
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