Let's Pretend We're Married
| "Let's Pretend We're Married" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 US 7" single | ||||
| Single by Prince | ||||
| from the album 1999 | ||||
| B-side | "Irresistible Bitch" | |||
| Released | November 23, 1983 | |||
| Recorded | March 30, 1982 | |||
| Studio | Sunset Sound | |||
| Genre | New wave, synthpop | |||
| Length |
| |||
| Label | Warner Bros. | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Prince | |||
| Producer(s) | Prince | |||
| Prince singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
"Let's Pretend We're Married" is a song by American musician Prince from his 1982 album 1999. It was the final US single from the album and peaked at number 52 in the US.[1]
Background
Reception and performances
The B-side, "Irresistible Bitch", received equal airplay and so qualified to chart alongside the A-side. The track was written and first recorded in 1981, and segues from the song "Feel U Up", which was re-recorded in 1986 for the Camille project. The original version of "Irresistible Bitch" has a much rougher vocal, and is an organ-driven song. The 1982-1983 remake which was released as the B-side of "Let's Pretend We're Married" has more percussion, both live drums and drum machines, along with bell-like keyboards and vocal backup from Wendy & Lisa. The lyrics are the familiar Prince theme of a jilted lover who treats his woman well, but gets treated badly in return. The song was performed on the Purple Rain tour, once again with the New Power Generation, for their 1992–1993 tours.
Personnel
Credits sourced from Benoît Clerc and Guitarcloud[2][3]
- Prince – lead and backing vocals, Oberheim synthesizers, bass guitar, Linn LM-1, Pearl SY-1 Syncussion
Chart performance
| Chart (1983–1984) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Billboard Hot 100[4] | 52 |
| US Dance/Disco Top 80 (Billboard)[5] | 52 |
| US Hot Black Singles (Billboard)[6] | 55 |
Cover versions
Tina Turner covered "Let's Pretend We're Married" in live performances, and one of these is included on her The Collected Recordings – Sixties to Nineties album. This performance was originally released as the B-side of her own "Show Some Respect" single in 1984 (in the UK, it was included as the B-side of "I Can't Stand the Rain" in 1985).
References
- ↑ "Music: Top 100 Songs JANUARY 28, 1984". Billboard.
- ↑ Clerc, Benoît (October 2022). Prince: All the Songs. Octopus. ISBN 9781784728816.
- ↑ "1999". guitarcloud.org. Retrieved 2023-04-12.
- ↑ "Prince Chart History: Hot 100". Billboard. Retrieved August 4, 2023.
- ↑ Whitburn, Joel (2004). Hot Dance/Disco: 1974-2003. Record Research. p. 208.
- ↑ Whitburn, Joel (2004). Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942-2004. Record Research. p. 471.