If I Was Your Girlfriend

"If I Was Your Girlfriend" was the second single from American musician Prince's 1987 double album Sign “☮” the Times. The song was a hit in the United Kingdom but was only a minor hit in America. It was originally from the Camille project of 1986, which was to be released under the guise of Prince's alter ego named Camille. The song is delivered from an androgynous male perspective to a woman, wherein Prince explores the possibilities of a more intimate relationship if he were his lover's platonic girlfriend. Trouser Press names the song as one of the album's highlights, noting that it "redefines a relationship in a surprisingly mature way."^[1] It is believed that "If I Was Your Girlfriend" deals with the jealousy Prince felt at the close bond shared between then girlfriend/fiancée Susannah Melvoin with her sister Wendy.^[2]

Musically, the song features Prince's pitched-up, androgynous vocals over a sparse bass and drum machine pattern, punctuated by a keyboard line. The opening seconds include a sound collage that includes an orchestra tuning up, a salesman and a sample of Felix Mendelssohn's "Wedding March". According to engineer Susan Rogers, a rare technical error on her part led to distortion—albeit only on certain words. As recounted in Alex Hahn's book Possessed: The Rise and Fall of Prince, Rogers thought Prince "was going to rip my head off" for the mistake. Yet, after hearing the playback, Prince loved the effect, which is featured on the released version.

The song was released on May 6, 1987, and reached number 67 on the US Billboard Hot 100. It was more successful in the UK, reaching number 20 on the chart in that country.

"Shockadelica"

The B-side to the track was another "Camille" track, "Shockadelica". The track was actually written in response to an album of the same name by former Time member, Jesse Johnson. Prince heard Johnson's album before its release, and commented that a great album should have a great title track. Johnson disagreed, so Prince recorded the track and had it played on a Minneapolis radio station before the release of Johnson's album. The public perception would be that Johnson was copying Prince's idea, and this caused tension between Johnson and Prince.

When the "Camille" project was scrapped in favor of Crystal Ball, "Shockadelica" again made the cut, but was deleted from the tracklist when the set was trimmed to Sign “☮” the Times. The track was released as a B-side, and later on The Hits/The B-Sides.

Track listings

7" single

A. "If I Was Your Girlfriend" (edit) – 3:46
B. "Shockadelica" – 3:30

12" single

A. "If I Was Your Girlfriend" – 4:54
B. "Shockadelica" (extended version) – 6:12

Cover versions

"If I Was Your Girlfriend" was covered on the TLC album, CrazySexyCool, released in 1994, and on their FanMail Tour.
The song was covered by Eels during their tours of 1997 and 1998. Their version was made commercially available on their 2008 rarities compilation Useless Trinkets: B-Sides, Soundtracks, Rarities and Unreleased 1996–2006.
"If I Was Your Girlfriend" was covered by Martin Rossiter, released in 2012 on a cover EP called The Defenestration of Prince and Others.
"If I Was Your Girlfriend" was covered by B.Slade, as "Girlfriend", on the 2012 album Stunt B%$@H.

Sampling

Mobb Deep sampled the song on their 1996 pre-Hell on Earth song "Young Luv".
Chicano rapper Lil Rob samples "If I Was Your Girlfriend" on his 1997 Crazy Life album.
In 2003, the Jay-Z/Beyoncé Knowles single, "'03 Bonnie & Clyde" (from The Blueprint²: The Gift & the Curse) used several lines of "If I Was Your Girlfriend", and Prince was credited as one of the writers.
2Pac sampled a live performance of "If I Was Your Girlfriend" for his song "Thugs Get Lonely Too"; the title is also a nod to another Prince composition called "Gigolos Get Lonely Too," performed by The Time. The song was recorded in 1993 but did not see official release until 2004, when the Prince samples were removed.
George Clinton sampled "If I Was Your Girlfriend" for his song, "Heaven", off of his 2008 album George Clinton and His Gangsters of Love.

Appearances in other media

"If I Was Your Girlfriend" and the B-side "Shockadelica" both appear in Demi Moore's 1996 film, Striptease.

Charts

Chart (1987)	Peak position
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)^[3]	14
Netherlands (Single Top 100)^[4]	17
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)^[5]	48
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)^[6]	15
UK Singles (Official Charts Company)^[7]	20
US Billboard Hot 100^[8]	67

References

↑ Green, Jim; Ira Robbins. "Prince". Trouser Press. Trouser Press LLC. Retrieved 2007-10-10.
↑ Jason Draper (2008). "Prince: Life & Times". Jawbone Press.
↑ "Ultratop.be – Prince – If I Was Your Girlfriend" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved May 4, 2016.
↑ "Dutchcharts.nl – Prince – If I Was Your Girlfriend" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved May 4, 2016.
↑ "Charts.org.nz – Prince – If I Was Your Girlfriend". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved May 4, 2016.
↑ "Swisscharts.com – Prince – If I Was Your Girlfriend". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved May 4, 2016.
↑ "Prince: Artist Chart History" Official Charts Company. Retrieved May 4, 2016.
↑ "Prince – Chart history" Billboard Hot 100 for Prince. Retrieved May 4, 2016.

External links

Lyrics of this song at MetroLyrics

Prince singles

1970s	"Soft and Wet" "Just as Long as We're Together" "I Wanna Be Your Lover"

1980s	"Why You Wanna Treat Me So Bad?" "Still Waiting" "Sexy Dancer" "Bambi" "Uptown" "Dirty Mind" "Do It All Night" "Controversy" "Let's Work" "Do Me, Baby" "Sexuality" "1999" "Little Red Corvette" "D.M.S.R." "Delirious" "Automatic" "Let's Pretend We're Married" "When Doves Cry" "Let's Go Crazy" "Purple Rain" "I Would Die 4 U" "Take Me with U" "Paisley Park" "Raspberry Beret" "Pop Life" "America" "Kiss" "Mountains" "Anotherloverholenyohead" "Girls & Boys" "Sign "O" the Times" "If I Was Your Girlfriend" "U Got the Look" "I Could Never Take the Place of Your Man" "Alphabet St." "Glam Slam" "I Wish U Heaven" "Batdance" "Partyman" "The Arms of Orion" "Scandalous!"

1990s	"The Future" "Thieves in the Temple" "New Power Generation" "Gett Off" "Cream" "Diamonds and Pearls" "Money Don't Matter 2 Night" "Insatiable" "Thunder" "Sexy MF" "My Name Is Prince" "7" "Damn U" "The Morning Papers" "Pink Cashmere" "Nothing Compares 2 U" "Peach" "Pope" (remix) "Come" "Letitgo" "Space" "The Most Beautiful Girl in the World" "P Control" "Dolphin" "Endorphinmachine" "I Hate U" "Gold" "Dinner with Delores" "Betcha by Golly Wow!" "The Holy River" "Somebody's Somebody" "Face Down" "The Truth" "Extraordinary" "The Rest of My Life" "5 Women" "It's About That Walk" "The Greatest Romance Ever Sold"

2000s	"U Make My Sun Shine" (with Angie Stone) "When Will We Be Paid?" (with Audio Stepchild) "Supercute" "The Work, pt. 1" "Days of Wild" "Musicology" "Cinnamon Girl" "Controversy (Live in Hawaii)" "S.S.T." "Te Amo Corazón" "Black Sweat" "Fury" "Guitar" "F.U.N.K." "Dance 4 Me"

2010s	"Extraloveable" "Rock and Roll Love Affair" "Screwdriver" "Fixurlifeup" "Breakfast Can Wait" "Pretzelbodylogic" "Fallinlove2nite" "Breakdown" "Clouds" "Baltimore" "Hardrocklover" "This Could B Us" "Free Urself"

Promotional singles	"When You Were Mine" "D.M.S.R." "Another Lonely Christmas" "Erotic City" "Hot Thing" "Trust" "Willing and Able" "Nothing Compares 2 U" "Pope" "Love Sign" (with Nona Gaye) "Come" "P. Control" "Dolphin" "Endorphinmachine" "Slave" "Somebody's Somebody" "Face Down" "Extraordinary" "The Rest of My Life" "5 Women" "It's About That Walk" "Baby Knows" "Man'O'War" "She Loves Me 4 Me" "Last December" "One Nite Alone... Live EP" "Live at the Aladdin Las Vegas" "Call My Name" "The Song of the Heart" "Beautiful, Loved & Blessed" (with Tamar Davis) "Chelsea Rodgers" "Future Baby Mama" "The One U Wanna C" "U're Gonna C Me"

Airplay-only songs	"International Lover" "Shhh" "Satisfied" "Better with Time"

Internet downloads	"One Song" "Cybersingle" "Bataclan" "Glass Cutter" "Live from Paisley Park" "Strange Relationship" (Live in Minneapolis) "Guitar" (original "demo" version) "Love" (acoustic version) "Rock and Roll Love Affair" (Remix 7) "Screwdriver" (Remix) "Boyfriend" (Demo) "That Girl Thang" "Live Out Loud" "Ain't Gonna Miss U When U're Gone" "Extraloveable Reloaded" "Menstrual Cycle" "Octopus Heart" "Groovy Potential" "The Sweeter She Is" "Something in the Water" (Paisley Park Rehearsal) "Da Bourgeoisie" "What If" "The X's Face"

Streams	"U're Still the One" "Xylophone" "In a Large Room with No Light" "Purple and Gold" "Cause and Effect" "Hot Summer" "Rich Friends" "Same Page Different Book" "Stare"

EP's	The Scandalous Sex Suite EP New Power Generation Remixes Gett Off Remix EP Cream Remixes' My Name Is Prince Remixes 7 Remixes The Beautiful Experience Letitgo Remixes Space Remixes I Hate U Remixes 1999: The New Master The Greatest Romance Ever Sold Remixes Breakfast Can Wait

Other songs	"I Feel for You" "When You Were Mine" "Head" "Private Joy" "How Come U Don't Call Me Anymore?" "17 Days" "The Beautiful Ones" "Computer Blue" "Darling Nikki" "Baby I'm a Star" "4 the Tears in Your Eyes" "Housequake" "Starfish and Coffee" "Adore" "Don't Talk 2 Strangers" "I Can't Make U Love Me" "La, La, La Means I Love U" "One of Us" "Everyday Is a Winding Road" "A Case of U"

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