Classic pop songs of all time . . . . 

I had a fairly ambivalent attitude to Prince and never bought anything . . . . . I did download the Black album bootleg but that's a whole other thing. That he was an undoubted master of the genre a superb guitarist and songwriter somehow I didn't go for all that eighties high flash glitter and bastardised rhythm and blues soul type hybridisation funk. I did however enjoy certain singles and Raspberry Beret, Purple Rain and this, 1999 were of course hypnotically brilliant. 
His terrible tragic death is another in the medication argument that caught and continues to catch so many in addiction with prescribed meds being prey to the power of money that we know has hit Prince, Michael Jackson, Anna Nicole Smith, Wynona Ryder [on her arrest for shoplifting schtick], heck, even Elvis himself was being prescribed over 12 different contra-indicated meds . . . . . .it is a longer story but that Prince was fallen by his consumption of prescribed painkillers and powerful sedatives is a given and the problem is killing our great artists. Sudden removal of the problem opiod and opiate prescribed meds has resulted in the outbreak of heroin addiction and is not the answer

On this day in music history: September 24, 1982 - “1999” by Prince is released. Written and produced by Prince, it is the eleventh single release for the singer, songwriter, musician and producer from Minneapolis, MN. Written about “a party at the end of world”, the lyrics touch on widespread fears of the escalation of “The Cold War”, and the impending threat of global thermal nuclear war between the United States and the then Soviet Union (Russia). The song’s message encourages listeners to enjoy the time we do have, best expressed in the lyric “life is just a party, and parties weren’t meant to last”. The somewhat dark undercurrent present in the lyrics are masked by the exuberant, funky track, with its point being missed by many who only viewed it as a party song. One of the last songs recorded for the album, the basic tracks are recorded at Prince’s home studio on Kiowa Trail (“The Purple House”) in Chanhassen, MN in late July/early August of 1982.  The song features Prince sharing lead vocals with band members Lisa Coleman, Jill Jones, and Dez Dickerson. Initially, he had planned for everyone to sing the entire song in unison, but during mixing of the single he hits upon the idea of having them sing lines on their own then all together on the chorus.  The songs music video is directed by Bruce Gowers (Queen, Michael Jackson), and is shot at the Minneapolis Armory (with the full stage set up) during rehearsals for the “Triple Threat Tour”. It is one of three promotional clips filmed that week along with “Automatic” and “Let’s Pretend We’re Married”. The single is backed with the non album B-side “How Come U Don’t Call Me Anymore”. Featuring Prince singing lead and background vocals to his own piano accompaniment, it is recorded at Sunset Sound Recorders in Hollywood, CA on April 26, 1982. “How Come” is included on the compilation “The Hits/B-sides” in 1993, and on the soundtrack to Spike Lee’s film “Girl 6” in 1996. “1999” peaks at #4 on the Billboard R&B singles chart in December of 1982 also topping the Club Play chart for 2 weeks on December 4, 1982, and initially peaking at number #44 on the Hot 100. After the top ten chart success of “Little Red Corvette”, Warner Bros re-promotes “1999” at US top 40 pop radio in the late Spring of 1983. It re-enters the Hot 100, and peak at #12 on July 23, 1983. Prince re-records “1999” in late 1998, releasing it on his NPG Records imprint (as a seven track EP) after Warner Bros reissues the original version. The original re-charts again, peaking at #40 on the Hot 100 on January 16, 1999, with the remake peaking at #58 on the R&B album chart, and #150 on the Top 200 on February 20, 1999.

with thanks to Jeff Harris' blog Behind the Grooves