Can you believe one of the biggest songs ever was mixed in just five minutes? When Prince gave “Kiss” to his record label, they were not happy. They thought it sounded like a demo. The song had almost no bass. It was so empty. But Prince knew exactly what he was doing. He was creating a brand new sound.
The song itself is pure fun. Prince sings in his high falsetto voice, telling someone they do not need to be rich or cool. He just wants their time and their kiss. The famous music video shows this same simple energy. Prince dances in a half-shirt, and his moves were all made up right on the spot.
Have you seen this iconic Prince performance of “Kiss” live at Paisley Park in 1999?
For decades, people have loved this track. Many fans say it is the one song they can never skip. One person wrote that it is “the perfect song to make you dance.” Another said, “Only Prince could make a song with no bass feel this funky.” It is a song that just makes everyone feel good.
That masterpiece of a song almost did not belong to Prince at all. Before it was a number one hit, it was a simple acoustic demo. Prince did not even like it very much. He actually gave the song away to another band called Mazarati. He thought the song was better for them, not for him.
Prince – Kiss (Live At Paisley Park, 1999)
Mazarati and their producer, David Z, changed the song completely. They added a strong drum beat, lots of background vocals, and a heavy bassline. When Prince heard their new version, he was stunned. He realized it was a hit. He took the song back, but he kept Mazarati’s background vocals in the final track.
Prince was a true genius who always followed his own vision, even when others disagreed. He could see the magic in things no one else could. He built a whole world of music that was completely his own. Follow Prince on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. His music will always be full of wonderful surprises.