Prince (July 16, 2020) – "I Could Never Take The Place Of Your Man (1979 Version)" Digital Single

I Could Never Take The Place Of Your Man is the fourth track on the second disc of Prince’s ninth album Sign O’ The Times, and seven months after the album’s release, it became the album’s fourth single.

A live version was also included in the concert movie Sign O’ The Times.

In 1993, the single edit was included as the tenth track on Prince’s first compilation album The Hits 1 (also included as the first disc of The Hits / The B‑Sides).

On July 16, 2020, the 1979 Version was made available on streaming and download platforms as a preview of the Sign O’ The Times Super Deluxe Edition, accompanied by a photo of Prince’s original handwritten lyrics written on a 12" record sleeve.

RECORDING

Basic tracking for the original 1979 version took place on May 23, 1979, at Hollywood Sound Recorders in Los Angeles, California, during sessions focused on overdubs and mixing for the Prince album.

On June 3, 1986, the track was taken out of the vault and reviewed for possible inclusion on the Dream Factory album. Prince then re‑recorded the song from scratch on July 16, 1986 at Sunset Sound in Hollywood, California, and it was included as the tenth track of the July 18, 1986 configuration of Dream Factory.

When the album developed into the triple‑album Crystal Ball, the song was included as the seventh and final track on the second disc of the November 30, 1986 configuration, which was eventually pared down and became Sign O’ The Times.

The original 1979 version was officially released in September 2020 as the first track on Vault Tracks Part 1 within the Sign O’ The Times Super Deluxe Edition.

STYLE & THEMES

The 1979 version is leaner and more direct than the 1986 re‑recording, showcasing Prince’s early‑era production style. Thematically, the song explores emotional honesty, romantic hesitation, and the difficulty of replacing someone in a relationship.

TRACK‑BY‑TRACK NOTES

• I Could Never Take The Place Of Your Man (1979 Version) — Early vault version recorded in 1979; released digitally in 2020 as a preview for Sign O’ The Times Super Deluxe Edition.

RELEASE HISTORY

• July 16, 2020 — Digital release of the 1979 Version as a preview for Sign O’ The Times Super Deluxe Edition.

• September 2020 — Included on Vault Tracks Part 1 within the Super Deluxe Edition.

• 1987 — Re‑recorded version released on Sign O’ The Times.

• Late 1987 — Became the album’s fourth single.

PERSONNEL

Prince — vocals, instruments, production

PRODUCTION

Produced by Prince Label: NPG Records / Warner Bros. Catalogue numbers:

COUNTRY VARIANTS

Artist: Prince Title: I Could Never Take The Place Of Your Man (1979 Version) Label: NPG Records / Warner Bros. Country: USA

Catalogue: [cat numbers]

Date: July 16, 2020

Format: Digital Single

Tracklist (7"):   A — I Could Never Take The Place Of Your Man (1979 Version)

Tracklist (7" Promo):  

A — I Could Never Take The Place Of Your Man (1979 Version)

B — I Could Never Take The Place Of Your Man (1979 Version)

Notes:  

Released as a preview for Sign O’ The Times Super Deluxe Edition.

Accompanied by Prince’s handwritten lyric sheet on a 12" sleeve.

NSTAGRAM ANNOUNCEMENT BLOCK

The Prince Estate and @WarnerRecords are pleased to unveil the original recording and handwritten lyrics for "I Could Never Take the Place of Your Man," a song Prince wrote during the sessions for his 1979 self‑titled album. It was recorded at Hollywood Sound Recorders, Studio A on May 23, 1979, and is the oldest recording in the forthcoming Super Deluxe Edition of Sign O' The Times.

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The track was retrieved from the vault by Prince in June 1986 and re‑recorded, with Prince adding a guitar solo and updating the sound.

That updated version was included on the abandoned Dream Factory and Crystal Ball projects, and was eventually released on Sign O' The Times.

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The new Sign O' The Times expanded reissue will be available September 25 via all physical, digital and streaming partners, with the classic album remastered for the first time. The Super Deluxe edition features 63 previously unreleased tracks and a 2+ hour video of a concert at Paisley Park on December 31, 1987.

SOURCES Discogs, 45 World, Wikipedia. BBC Official Charts Prince Vault, Sleeveographia2

All magazine scans, photographs, and original text excerpts referenced in this entry remain the property of their respective copyright holders. This Chronicle entry is a transformative, non-commercial archival summary created for historical documentation and educational reference. No ownership of the original material is claimed or implied.

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