Prince (July 21, 1989) – "Batdance (The Batmix)" b/w "Batdance (Vicki Vale Mix)" Maxi‑Single: USA

Batdance was the first single released from Prince’s eleventh album Batman (the motion picture soundtrack to the 1989 Tim Burton movie Batman). The B‑side, 200 Balloons, was previously unreleased and not included on the album.

Batdance was a last‑minute replacement for a brooding track titled Dance With The Devil, which Prince felt was too dark. Although Dance With The Devil remains unreleased, some of its lyrics appear in the album’s liner notes.

TRACK‑BY‑TRACK NOTES

• Batdance (The Batmix) — Remix focusing on the chaotic rock section, with electronic distortion and samples.

• Batdance (Vicki Vale Mix) — Extended middle section featuring Bruce Wayne/Vicki Vale dialogue.

• 200 Balloons — Musical foundation for Batdance; rejected from the film.

The track is an amalgam of many musical ideas Prince was exploring at the time. Elements from at least seven songs were incorporated into Batdance: 200 Balloons, We Got The Power, House In Order, Rave Unto The Joy Fantastic, The Future, and Electric Chair.

The song also contains extensive dialogue samples from the film, making it one of Prince’s earliest experiments with sampling.

Critics noted the track’s chaotic structure and heavy use of samples. Jerry Smith (Music Week) praised its “delicious funky groove,” while Mike Soutar (Smash Hits) described it as “very odd indeed,” highlighting its collage of film dialogue, laughter, and guitar stabs.

The music video was filmed on May 27 and May 28, 1989 in Culver City, California. Directed by Albert Magnoli and choreographed by Barry Lather, it featured dancers dressed as multiple Batmen, Jokers, and Vicki Vales.

Prince appeared as “Gemini,” a dual‑sided character representing Batman (good) and Joker (evil). The video earned Prince nominations at the 1990 Soul Train Music Awards and the 1990 MTV Video Music Awards.

The B‑side 200 Balloons served as the musical blueprint for the main portion of Batdance. It was rejected for the film by Tim Burton and replaced with Trust. Full lyrics from 200 Balloons later appeared in The Batmix.

RELEASE HISTORY

• July 21, 1989 — Release of the maxi‑single (12"/CD) containing Batdance (The Batmix) / Batdance (Vicki Vale Mix) / 200 Balloons  

• August 11, 1989 — RIAA platinum certification (1 million units shipped)

CHARTS & CERTIFICATIONS

America  

• USA: Billboard Hot 100 — Entry Date: June 17, 1989 — Peak Position: 1 — Weeks: 18

• USA: Billboard Hot Black Singles — Entry Date: June 17, 1989 — Peak Position: 1 — Weeks: 15

• USA: Billboard Hot Dance Music – Club Play — Entry Date: July 22, 1989 — Peak Position: 1 — Weeks: 9

Europe  

• Belgium: Ultratop Flanders — Entry Date: July 1, 1989 — Peak Position: 5 — Weeks: 11

• France: Nielsen & Ipsos Top 50 — Entry Date: July 22, 1989 — Peak Position: 5 — Weeks: 19

• Germany: MusikWoche Top 100 Singles — Entry Date: June 26, 1989 — Peak Position: 10 — Weeks: 19

• Ireland: IRMA Singles Chart — Entry Date: June 15, 1989 — Peak Position: 2 — Weeks: 11

• The Netherlands: Mega Top 50 — Entry Date: June 9, 1989 — Peak Position: 4 — Weeks: 12

• The Netherlands: Nederlandse Top 40 — Entry Date: June 24, 1989 — Peak Position: 4 — Weeks: 9

• UK: Gallup Singles Chart — Entry Date: June 24, 1989 — Peak Position: 2 — Weeks: 12

COUNTRY VARIANTS

Format: Maxi‑Single

Tracklist (12"):

Catalogue: US: 0‑21257  

A — Batdance (The Batmix) (7:15)

B1 — Batdance (Vicki Vale Mix) (5:55)

B2 — 200 Balloons (5:05)

Tracklist (12" Promo):  

Catalogue: US: PRO‑A‑3702  

A1 — Batdance (The Batmix) (7:15)

A2 — Batdance (The Batmix Radio Edit) (4:09)

B1 — Batdance (Vicki Vale Mix) (5:55)

B2 — Batdance (Vicki Vale Mix Radio Edit) (4:13)

Tracklist (Cassette Maxi):  

Catalogue: US: 4‑21257  

A — Batdance (The Batmix) (7:15)

B1 — Batdance (Vicki Vale Mix) (5:55)

B2 — 200 Balloons (5:05)

Tracklist (CD Maxi):  

Catalogue: US: 9‑21257‑2  

1 — Batdance (The Batmix) (7:15)

2 — Batdance (Vicki Vale Mix) (5:55)

3 — 200 Balloons (5:05)

Tracklist (7" Promo):   Catalogue: US: 7‑22924   A — Batdance (The Batmix Edit) (4:09) B — Batdance (Vicki Vale Mix Edit) (4:13)

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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