✦ The Future – Single EU: May. 1990

A dark, remix‑driven finale to the Batman era, released nearly a year after the film

✦ Summary

The Future was released on May 18, 1990 as the fifth and final commercial single from Prince’s Batman soundtrack — a Europe‑only issue arriving eleven months after the album’s debut. While Trust had appeared earlier as a Hong Kong‑only promo, The Future served as the last official single tied to the project. Uniquely, the single presented its lead track exclusively in remixed form, marking the first time Prince issued a single without the album version as the primary cut.

The remixes were crafted by William Orbit and Mark Moore, both of whom had contributed to the Batdance remix campaign, giving the track a colder, industrial edge that aligned with the film’s noir aesthetic. Commercially, the single performed modestly, charting at No. 7 in the Netherlands and No. 39 in Germany, but failing to chart in the UK.

As the closing chapter of the Batman single cycle, The Future stands as a distinctive, remix‑forward outlier in Prince’s late‑’80s catalogue.

✦ Highlights

• Released May 18, 1990 in Europe

• Fifth and final commercial single from Batman

• First Prince single where the lead track appears only as a remix

• Remixed by William Orbit and Mark Moore

• Europe‑only commercial release

• Charted at No. 7 (Netherlands) and No. 39 (Germany)

• Did not chart in the UK

✦ Track Details

12-inch Vinyl – Germany/France (7599‑21570‑0)

A: The Future (Remix) — 6:44

B: Electric Chair (Remix) — 5:43

Catalogue number: 7599‑21570‑0

Release date: 18 May 1990 (Europe)

Label: Warner Bros. Records

Produced, arranged, composed, and performed by Prince

Remixes by William Orbit and Mark Moore

✦ Chart Performance

Netherlands: No. 7

Germany: No. 39

United Kingdom: Did not chart

✦ Discography

Batman Era Singles:

Batdance — Single: June 1989

Partyman — Single: Aug. 1989

The Arms Of Orion — Single: Oct. 1989

Scandalous — Single: Nov. 1989

The Future — Europe‑Only Single: May 1990

Batman — Album: 1989

✦ Prince Era Mini‑Timeline

June 1989 — Batman album released

1989–1990 — Four singles issued worldwide

May 18, 1990 — The Future closes the single campaign

1990 — Prince transitions into the Graffiti Bridge era

✦ Glam Flashback

The Future is one of the most atmospheric releases of Prince’s late ’80s output — a brooding, synth‑driven track transformed into a darker, club‑ready statement by Orbit and Moore. Issued long after the Batman frenzy had cooled, it became a cult favourite among European fans and remix collectors. As the final echo of the Batman era, it captures Prince’s willingness to experiment with mood, texture, and reinvention.

✦ Sources

Prince Vault, Discogs, 45cat, AllMusic, Rate Your Music, Wikipedia, Official Charts Company, Billboard Chart History, YouTube