The Time (October 1, 1990) – "Chocolate" b/w "My Drawers" Single: USA
"Chocolate" was released on October 1, 1990 as the second and final single from Pandemonium, the fourth album by The Time. Arriving almost three months after the album's release, the single continued the group's comeback campaign following their return from a five-year recording hiatus.
Although credited to The Time, the recording featured significant involvement from Prince, who participated as a writer, producer and performer. Despite his substantial contribution to the track, his involvement was not formally credited on the release.
The single was supported by an extensive remix campaign headed by Keith "K.C." Cohen, resulting in multiple remix, instrumental and Percapella versions across commercial and promotional formats.
These alternate mixes significantly expanded the song beyond the original album version and reflected the growing importance of remix culture within late-1980s and early-1990s R&B and dance music marketing.
For the B-side, The Time revisited "My Drawers", a track from their 1984 album Ice Cream Castle. Its inclusion created a direct link to the group's original era, as the song had previously appeared as the B-side to "The Bird" in 1985, the band's final single before their lengthy break.
RECORDING
"Chocolate" was written, produced and performed with uncredited involvement from Prince.
Several remix versions were subsequently created by Keith "K.C." Cohen specifically for the single release campaign.
"My Drawers" originated from Ice Cream Castle and was reused as the B-side for this release.
STYLE & THEMES
"Chocolate" blended contemporary Minneapolis funk and R&B with the polished production approach associated with Prince's Paisley Park projects of the period.
The remixes expanded the song's dance-floor appeal through extended club arrangements, instrumental versions and Percapella mixes intended for DJs and remix use.
TRACK‑BY‑TRACK NOTES
• Chocolate — The second and final single from Pandemonium.
• Chocolate (12" Remix) — Extended remix by Keith "K.C." Cohen.
• Chocolate (Tootsie Roll Club Mix) — Dance-oriented club remix prepared for promotional and commercial extended formats.
• Chocolate (7" Remix / Edit) — Special radio-friendly remix version unavailable on the parent album.
• Chocolate (Instrumental) — Instrumental remix prepared for DJs and club play.
• Chocolate (Percapella) — Vocal and percussion-focused mix for remix and club use.
• My Drawers — Album track from Ice Cream Castle reused as the B-side.
RELEASE HISTORY
Released in the United States on October 1, 1990 through Paisley Park Records and Reprise Records.
The single was issued on 7-inch vinyl, 12-inch vinyl, cassette single, CD single, promo vinyl and promo CD. Unlike many Time releases, the campaign concentrated heavily on remix variations rather than non-album songs.
"Chocolate" replaced "Pandemonium", which had originally been planned as the album's second single before being withdrawn for unknown reasons.
Although the single failed to enter the Billboard Hot 100, it reached number 44 on Billboard's Hot R&B Singles chart. Within weeks of the release, The Time disbanded once again, making "Chocolate" the final single from the original reunion era.
CHARTS & CERTIFICATIONS
AMERICA
Chart | Entry Date | Peak | Weeks |
Billboard Hot R&B Singles | October 20, 1990 | 44 | 7 |
RELEASE VARIANTS TABLE
Artist | Title | Label | Country | Catalogue | Date | Format |
The Time | Chocolate | Paisley Park / Reprise | USA | 7-19759 | October 1, 1990 | 7" Single |
The Time | Chocolate | Paisley Park / Reprise | USA | 0-21588 | October 1, 1990 | 12" Maxi-Single |
The Time | Chocolate | Paisley Park / Reprise | USA | 9 21701-2 | 1990 | CD Single |
The Time | Chocolate | Paisley Park / Reprise | USA | 9 19759-4 | 1990 | Cassette Single |
The Time | Chocolate | Paisley Park / Reprise | USA | PRO-A-4500 | 1990 | 12" Promo |
The Time | Chocolate | Paisley Park / Reprise | USA | PRO-A-4519 | 1990 | 12" Promo |
The Time | Chocolate | Paisley Park / Reprise | USA | PRO-CD-4500 | 1990 | CD Promo |
TRACKLIST TABLE (ALL FORMATS)
Format | Catalogue | Tracklisting |
7" Single | 7-19759 | • Chocolate (Edit) (4:23) • My Drawers (4:04) |
12" Maxi-Single | 0-21588 | • Chocolate (12" Remix) (7:56) • Chocolate (Tootsie Roll Club Mix) (6:09) • Chocolate (7" Remix / Edit) (4:33) • Chocolate (Instrumental) (7:27) • Chocolate (Percapella) (7:19) • My Drawers (Album Version) (4:04) |
CD Single | 9 21701-2 | • Chocolate (7" Remix / Edit) (4:33) • Chocolate (12" Remix) (7:56) • Chocolate (Tootsie Roll Club Mix) (6:09) • Chocolate (Instrumental) (7:27) • Chocolate (Percapella) (7:19) • My Drawers (Album Version) (4:04) |
Cassette Single | 9 19759-4 | • Chocolate (Edit) (4:23) • Chocolate (Album Version) (7:30) |
Cassette Maxi-Single | 9 21588-4 | • Chocolate (12" Remix) (7:52) • Chocolate (Tootsie Roll Club Mix) (6:14) • Chocolate (7" Remix/Edit) (4:29) • Chocolate (Instrumental) (7:24) • Chocolate (Percapella) (7:25) • My Drawers (Album Version) (4:04) |
12" Promo | PRO-A-4500 | • Chocolate (Edit) (4:23) • Chocolate (Remix/Edit) (4:28) • Chocolate (Album Version) (7:30) |
12" Promo | PRO-A-4519 | • Chocolate (7" Remix/Edit) (4:33) • Chocolate (12" Remix) (7:56) • Chocolate (Instrumental) (7:27) • Chocolate (Tootsie Roll Club Mix) (6:09) • Chocolate (Percapella) (7:19) |
CD Promo | PRO-CD-4500 | • Chocolate (Edit) (4:23) • Chocolate (Remix/Edit) (4:28) • Chocolate (Album Version) (7:30) |
NOTES
• "Chocolate" was the second and final commercial single released from Pandemonium, making it the final single from The Time's reunion-era album campaign.
• The release arrived almost three months after the album itself, indicating a continued effort by Paisley Park and Reprise to sustain interest in the project after its initial launch.
• Prince contributed as a songwriter, producer and performer on the track, although his participation was not credited on the release packaging.
• Keith "K.C." Cohen was commissioned to create multiple remix versions, resulting in an unusually extensive remix programme across commercial and promotional configurations.
• Three exclusive non-album variants became key collector items: "Chocolate (7" Remix / Edit)", "Chocolate (12" Remix)" and "Chocolate (Album Edit)".
• The single included instrumental and Percapella versions, reflecting a growing trend in dance and club marketing at the beginning of the 1990s.
• "My Drawers" was selected as the B-side despite originating six years earlier on Ice Cream Castle.
• The same recording of "My Drawers" had previously appeared as the B-side of "The Bird" in 1985.
• Before "Chocolate" was selected, "Pandemonium" had been planned as the second single from the album with the same B-side configuration.
• Although the release failed to enter the Billboard Hot 100, it reached No. 44 on Billboard's Hot R&B Singles chart and remained on the chart for seven weeks.
• The single became one of the last releases connected to The Time before the group dissolved once again only weeks after its release.
• The remix campaign generated releases across 7-inch vinyl, 12-inch vinyl, CD single, cassette single, promo vinyl and promo CD formats, making it one of the most extensively formatted singles from the Pandemonium era.
• No international commercial releases, certifications or awards were reported for the single.
SOURCES Prince Vault, Sleevographia2, Discogs.
All single artwork, photographs, logos, and original text excerpts remain the property of their respective copyright holders. This 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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