Sign o' the Times (song)

"Sign o' the Times" is the lead single from American musician Prince's 1987 album of the same name. The song was originally intended for two separate Prince albums meant to be released in 1986, that were both shelved: Dream Factory and Crystal Ball. (Many of the tracks from both of these albums ended up on the album Sign o' the Times.) Prince sings and performs the entire track except for some backing vocals by then-girlfriend Susannah Melvoin, sister of Wendy, then a guitarist in The Revolution. "Sign o' the Times" was written and composed on a Sunday, when Prince usually wrote his most introspective songs.

The song proved popular upon release, topping the R&B chart, and reaching number three on the Billboard Hot 100 and number 10 on the UK Singles Chart.^[2] In 2010 Rolling Stone ranked "Sign o' the Times" at number 304 on their list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. In 1987, both NME and Village Voice's Pazz & Jop critics' poll named "Sign o' the Times" the best single of the year.^[3] The song is also included in The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll.^[4]

Composition and arrangement

The song was constructed by Prince almost entirely on the Fairlight sampling synthesizer, which provides the primary keyboard riff and sampled electronic bass sounds heard on the track. Unlike some artists, Prince did not program new sounds for this song. He simply used the stock sounds the Fairlight offered, including the famed "orchestra hit" towards the end of the composition. The single marked a shift from those pulled from the albums Parade and Around the World in a Day, with a spare, electronic-based arrangement, simple drum machine hits and minimal stacked synth patterns, as well as a bluesy, funk-rock guitar part (cut from the single edit of the song). The record was noticeably bluesier and more downcast (both melodically and lyrically) than any of Prince's previous singles, addressing various socio-political problems including AIDS, gang violence, natural disasters, poverty, drug abuse, the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster and impending nuclear holocaust. This record showcased Prince's ability to merge classic and modern rhythm and blues characteristics into one song.

Artwork

The single's cover features new band member Cat Glover posing with a large heart covering her face, and on the back of the cover, posing with Prince's guitar; there was a popular rumor that incorrectly insisted that the front cover showed Prince in drag.

Music video

The official video for the song consists of the lyrics of the song written in the typeface Times appearing on-screen in differing graphic displays alongside geometric shapes.^[5] It was directed by Bill Konersman and is considered one of the earliest instances of a lyric video.^[5]

B-side

The B-side was the funk-oriented "La, La, La, He, He, Hee", which Prince wrote and composed as a rejoinder to Sheena Easton. The track features vocal samples morphed into drumbeats not dissimilar to that of a dog barking. The lyrics refer to a dog's affair with a cat with playful sexuality. Part of the refrain was used briefly in the song "I Wanna Melt with U" from the Love Symbol album.

Track listings

7" single

A. "Sign o' the Times" (edit) – 3:42
B. "La, La, La, He, He, Hee" – 3:21

12" single

A. "Sign o' the Times" (LP version) – 4:57
B. "La, La, La, He, He, Hee" (Highly Explosive) – 10:32

Cover versions

The jazz-fusion drummer Billy Cobham recorded a cover of the song on his album "Picture This" in 1987, featuring saxophonist Grover Washington, Jr.
The Scottish band Simple Minds recorded a version of this song on their EP The Amsterdam in 1989.
The singer and pianist Nina Simone recorded a version of the song for her last studio album, A Single Woman, in 1993. But her version never made it to the final album.^[6]
Chaka Khan included a cover of the song on her 2007 album Funk This.
Steven Wilson of Porcupine Tree covered the song on the fifth release of his Cover Version series in 2008.
Heaven 17 covered the song in 2007.
Muse covered the song in an hour-long special of BBC Radio 1's Live Lounge on September 28, 2012 and in a gig at Staples Center on January 24, 2013.

Samples

Dubstep producer Kode 9 along with vocalist The Spaceape produced a dark, slow, dub-influenced pseudo cover version of this track, called "Sine", on the album Memories of the Future.
Derek B included a sample of the opening lyric "Oh, yeah" on his 1988 song "Bad Young Brother".
Young Disciples included a sample of the lyrics "gang called the Disciples" on their 1991 song "Get Yourself Together".

Charts

Chart (1987)	Peak position
Australia (Kent Music Report)^[7]	29
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)^[8]	20
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)^[8]	8
Germany (Official German Charts)^[8]	35
Netherlands (Single Top 100)^[8]	7
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)^[8]	4
Norway (VG-lista)^[8]	7
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)^[8]	14
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)^[8]	11
UK Singles (Official Charts Company)^[9]	10
US Billboard Hot 100^[10]	3
US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)^[11]	1
Chart (2016)	Peak position
France (SNEP)^[8]	15

References

↑ Reid, Graham. "Back to Black: (2014): 12 inch vinyl, a Sign o' The Times". Retrieved July 18, 2016.
↑ Whitburn, Joel (2004). Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942-2004. Record Research. p. 471.
↑ Robert Christgau (1987). "robertchristgau.com - The 1987 Pazz & Jop Critics Poll". Retrieved 24 April 2016.
↑ http://rockhall.com/exhibits/500-songs-that-shaped-rock-and/
1 2 https://books.google.com.au/books?id=SRQKDAAAQBAJ&pg=PT140&lpg=PT140&dq=sign+o+the+times+lyric+video&source=bl&ots=F2BrUhiLwB&sig=adg7L3mLQQS-4Uk6QsweMW2qLxs&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwj_j4aX3bzMAhXj6aYKHcuFDjo4ChDoAQgtMAY
↑ Hampton. A Musical Odyssey (David Nathan) in: Break Down And Let It All Out. p. 220.
↑ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, NSW: Australian Chart Book. p. 239. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 "ultratop.be - Prince - Sign "☮" The Times". Ultratop. Hung Medien. 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.
↑ "Prince – Chart history" Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs for Prince. Retrieved May 4, 2016.

Preceded by "Looking for a New Love" by Jody Watley	Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks number one single April 11, 1987	Succeeded by "Don't Disturb This Groove" by The System

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 Greatest Romance Ever Sold"

2000s	"U Make My Sun Shine" (with Angie Stone) "When Will We B 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" "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" "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" "Sometimes It Snows in April" "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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