Songs You Didn't Realize Were Written By Prince
Prince recorded some of the greatest songs of all time, from "When Doves Cry" to "Purple Rain." His performances were always a mix of sensuality and power that is still unmatched. But the Purple One was more than a performer. He was also a brilliant songwriter.
Prince sang and released most of the tunes he wrote, but songwriters don't always sing their own singles. Like other artists, he gave away some of his masterpieces — the same way that Sia wrote "Diamonds" for Rihanna and Pharrell Williams made "Hot in Herre" for Nelly.
One of the most famous Prince songs he didn't record is everyone's favorite start-of-the-week bop "Manic Monday" by The Bangles. Per Rolling Stone, Prince saw the Bangles perform in Los Angeles and sent over a tape with two original pieces. The band chose "Manic Monday" and it became their first hit, charting Number Two in the Hot 100. Lead singer Susanna Hoffs had said the band wanted to do a good job with it to be worthy of its regal writer
Nothing compared to Nothing Compares to You
Arguably the most famous Prince song you didn't know was written by Prince, "Nothing Compares 2 U" became so tied to with Sinead O'Connor that people think it isn't a cover. Originally released by Prince's side project The Family in 1985, O'Connor re-recorded it in 1990, according to NME. O'Connor's version hit number one in 19 countries, reports CBC, and it skyrocketed the Irish singer to stardom in the United States.
Prince did occasionally perform "Nothing Compares 2 U" live years after O'Connor released it. He sang it during his Live from Paisley Park concert in 1999. His estate even unearthed an older version of the song recorded by Prince earlier this year, CNN writes and shared it to the world. As for O'Connor, the song pretty much defined her career until her erratic behavior overshadowed it. Per The Guardian, O'Connor "never recovered from its success." The paper wrote O'Connor claimed Prince never liked her version and alleged the singer threatened her with violence and chased her down a hill.
I Feel For You, Sugar Walls
Chaka Khan recorded "I Feel for You" in 1984, years after Prince put the song in his 1979 self-titled album. Khan's version was a mix of funk and hip-hop and became one of her biggest hits. It even won her a Best R&B Song Grammy in 1985. Rolling Stone says Prince wrote the tune for one his crushes, the jazz-funk singer Patrice Rushen. Khan, according to Rolling Stone, wasn't fully comfortable recording "I Feel for You" since she was mostly playing with a different sound. She said in an interview in 1984 "'I Feel for You' is obviously a song that appeals to a lot of the younger kids."
A year after Khan released "I Feel for You," Sheena Easton came out with her own Prince-penned single "Sugar Walls." The record, famous for the lyric "come spend the night inside my sugar walls," was controversial for its time. Future vice-president Al Gore's wife Tipper Gore included the song the Parent's Music Resource Council's war on the music industry.
Round and Round went to Tevin Campbell
Prince also wrote more wholesome songs, as was the case with "Round and Round" sung by Tevin Campbell. The single, released in 1990 on Campbell's debut album T.E.V.I.N., talked about making it in a big city, according to NME – a facet of life that Prince didn't really touch in most other songs.
Campbell, later known for his song "Can We Talk," was only a teenager when he sang "Round and Round, but ended up garnering a Grammy nomination for Best Male R&B Vocal. The consistent success artists found with Prince-penned tunes point to just how strong of an artist he was. There simply were no boundaries the man couldn't overcome. He dabbled in all genres, played all instruments, wrote all his music, made movies, and was never afraid to express exactly who he was, regardless of what others thought. He was true entertainment royalty.