Released March 26, 2005 Genre Pop | Format Digital single Label NPG | |
Recorded March 21, 1987, First Avenue, Minneapolis Length 4:41, 4:02 ("Sign “☮” the Times" version) | ||
"Strange Relationship" is a song from American musician Prince's 1987 double album, Sign o' the Times. A live performance of the song was released as a digital single, made available on Prince's website on March 26, 2005.
"Strange Relationship" has a long history. The song was first recorded by Prince in 1982 as a short demo called Billy*, during a highly prolific period in Prince's recording career, but remained in his vault for several years. The song was reworked in 1985 with input by Wendy & Lisa, giving it an unusual Indian sound, and was slated for the ill-fated 1986 Dream Factory project. After the disbanding of The Revolution, the Dream Factory project was shelved, but Prince retained "Strange Relationship" and reworked it once again for his Camille album. Camille was canceled, but most of the tracks, including "Strange Relationship" were absorbed into a 3-LP opus called Crystal Ball, due for a late 1986 release. Warner Bros. Records forced Prince to trim the album from three to two LPs which became Sign “☮” the Times, and "Strange Relationship" finally saw an official release. The released version dropped most of the Eastern influence, placing the sitar and wood flute deep into the mix.