Content deleted Content added
m style per MoS:T |
added chart position |
||
| (104 intermediate revisions by 52 users not shown) | |||
Line 1:
{{More citations needed|date=November 2010}}
{{Infobox song
|
|
|
| caption = UK 7" single
| type = single
|
| album = [[Graffiti Bridge (album)|Graffiti Bridge]]
| B-side = {{flatlist|
* "New Power Generation (Part II)"
* "Brother with a Purpose" (12")
* "Get Off" (12")
* "The Lubricated Lady" (12")
* "Loveleft, Loveright" (12")
* "Melody Cool" (Extended Remix; UK 12")
Funky Weapon Remix, T.C.'s Rap
}}
| released = October 23, 1990
| recorded = January 1982–December 1989<ref name="Clerc"/>
| studio = [[Paisley Park]], [[Chanhassen, Minnesota|Chanhassen]]
| genre = [[New jack swing]]<ref>{{cite news|first= Rick |last= Mason |title= 'Bridge' Spans all the Genres |date= August 5, 1990 |newspaper= [[St. Paul Pioneer Press]] |url= http://www.petergillis.net/archives/reviews/14/07.htm |access-date= May 19, 2016}}</ref>
|
|
* [[Paisley Park Records|Paisley Park]]
* [[Warner Bros. Records|Warner Bros.]]
| writer = Prince
| producer = Prince
| prev_title = [[Thieves in the Temple]]
| prev_year = 1990
| next_title = [[Gett Off]]
| next_year = 1991
| misc =
{{Extra chronology
| artist = ''[[Graffiti Bridge (album)|Graffiti Bridge]]'' singles
| type = soundtrack
| prev_title = [[Round and Round (Tevin Campbell song)|Round and Round]]
| prev_year = 1990
| title = New Power Generation
| year = 1990
| next_title = Melody Cool
| next_year = 1990}}
{{External music video|{{YouTube|_Hd_EkQo9gg|"New Power Generation"}}}}
}}
"'''New Power Generation'''", or "'''N.P.G.'''", is a song by American musician [[Prince (musician)|Prince]] from the 1990 album and film ''[[Graffiti Bridge (album)|Graffiti Bridge]]''.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.discogs.com/Prince-New-Power-Generation/master/109424|title = Prince - New Power Generation|website = [[Discogs]]| date=1990 }}</ref> It is an anthem for his backing band, [[The New Power Generation]], who were officially co-credited on his album covers for a time, and continued to back him up until 2013, albeit with a changing lineup. The song saw minimal chart attention, and was not as successful as its predecessor, "[[Thieves in the Temple]]".
"N.P.G." is a [[funk]] number featuring [[Drum kit|drumming]] by [[Morris Day]], and vocal help by [[Rosie Gaines]]. The track had originally been cut in January of 1982 during the sessions for [[The Time (band)|The Time]]'s ''[[What Time Is It? (album)|What Time Is It?]]'' under the name of "Bold Generation". The track was revisited in 1989, albeit heavily redone with Day's drum track buried in the mix.
The funk on the track is cut by some carnival-like [[Organ (music)|organ]] playing and distorted [[guitar]]. The song is generally a positive message of overcoming odds. The part two continuation of the song features contributions from a number of artists, as well as samples of several unreleased songs. [[Tevin Campbell]] and [[Mavis Staples]] sing in part two, and a rap is delivered by T.C. Ellis. Unreleased songs sampled include "My Tree", "Oobee Doop", and "Positive Place".
The [[A-side and B-side|B-side]] for the single was "New Power Generation, pt. 2", also from ''Graffiti Bridge''.
The 12" and CD maxi release contained numerous previously unheard remixes and bonus material. It began with a "Funky Weapon Remix" of "N.P.G.", which combined parts one and two of the song, but removed all other vocals other than Prince and Rosie Gaines. Next was "T.C.'s Rap". This mix was the "True Confessions" [[Rapping|rap]] by rapper T.C. Ellis, whom Prince would later assist on a 1991 album. Another rap follows called "Brother with a Purpose". The main song was slowed down, and [[Tony M.]] delivers an original rap atop the tune.
"Get Off" is next, which is a new song over the beat of "N.P.G." Some ideas from this track would later be incorporated in the similarly titled "[[Gett Off]]" from ''[[Diamonds and Pearls]]''. "Get Off" is then incorporated into "The Lubricated Lady". The final track is a song about a threesome called "Loveleft, Loveright", which itself was sampled in "New Power Generation, pt. 2". The song ends with the same spoken segment from Prince that begins the [[Extended play|EP]].
The 12" single released in the UK included "Melody Cool" (Extended Remix), sung by [[Mavis Staples]]. In [[Japan]], the CD maxi single included all the tracks from the US maxi single, plus those from "[[Thieves in the Temple]]".
==Critical reception==
Andy Healy from Albumism stated that [[Prince (musician)|Prince]] "delivered" on the "[[funk]] heavy" song, "with its mix of social consciousness and [[electronic dance music|dance]] grooves".<ref>{{cite web|first= Andy |last= Healy |title= Prince's 'Graffiti Bridge' Turns 30: Anniversary Retrospective |publisher= Albumism |date= August 19, 2020 |access-date= November 15, 2020 |url= https://www.albumism.com/features/prince-graffiti-bridge-turns-30-anniversary-retrospective}}</ref> [[Larry Flick]] from ''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]'' wrote, "The master of funk/[[rock music|rock]] dips into his "''[[Graffiti Bridge (album)|Graffiti Bridge]]''" disc and pulls out another multiformat gem. Imaginative and ethereal track emphasizes his unique vocal stamp, and features guest appearances by [[Mavis Staples]] and [[Tevin Campbell]]."<ref>{{cite magazine|first= Larry |last= Flick |title= Single Reviews |magazine= [[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] |date= November 3, 1990 |page= 83 |access-date= October 28, 2020 |url= https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-Billboard/90s/1990/BB-1990-11-03.pdf |author-link= Larry Flick}}</ref> [[Greg Kot]] from ''[[Chicago Tribune]]'' described it as "the record's manifesto-like lead track".<ref>{{cite news|first= Greg |last= Kot |title= 'GRAFFITI BRIDGE' |work= [[Chicago Tribune]] |date= August 23, 1990 |access-date= November 2, 2020 |url= https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1990-08-23-9003110667-story.html |author-link= Greg Kot}}</ref> Duncan Holland from ''[[Music Week]]'' commented, "Take all above styles, mix them all together, and you get Prince. Although a fairly routine track, this is the one that could give him his tenth Top 10. Is there anything this man cannot do?"<ref>{{cite magazine|first= Duncan |last= Holland |title= Singles |magazine= [[Music Week]] |date= November 3, 1990 |page= 23 |access-date= November 1, 2020 |url= https://worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-Week/1990/MW-1990-11-03.pdf}}</ref> A reviewer from ''[[People (magazine)|People Magazine]]'' noted "the up-side-your-head funk" of the song.<ref>{{cite magazine|url= https://people.com/archive/picks-and-pans-review-graffiti-bridge-vol-34-no-11/ |title= Picks and Pans Review: Graffiti Bridge |magazine= [[People (magazine)|People]] |date= September 17, 1990 |access-date= November 13, 2020}}</ref>
==Chart performance==
"New Power Generation" failed to make the Top 40 of the ''Billboard'' Hot 100; however, on the R&B/Hip-Hop singles chart, the song reached number 27, and it peaked one spot higher in the UK, but the track was still considered a commercial disappointment.
==Track listing==
* '''7"'''
#"New Power Generation" –
#"New Power Generation" (Part II) –
* '''UK 12"'''
#"New Power Generation" – 3:39
#"New Power Generation" (Part II) – 2:57
#"Melody Cool" (Extended Remix) featuring Mavis Staples – 6:04
* '''Maxi single'''
#"N.P.G." (Funky Weapon Remix) – 5:01
#"T.C.'s Rap" (featuring T.C. Ellis) – 3:11
#"Brother with a Purpose" (featuring [[Tony M.|Tony Mosley]]) – 4:18
#"Get Off" – 4:41
#"The Lubricated Lady" – 2:39
#"Loveleft, Loveright" – 5:00
==Personnel==
Credits from Benoît Clerc and Guitarcloud<ref name="Clerc">{{cite book|last=Clerc |first=Benoît |date=October 2022 |title=Prince: All the Songs |publisher=Octopus |isbn=9781784728816}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Graffiti Bridge|url=http://guitarcloud.org/era/graffiti-bridge|access-date=2023-04-29|website=guitarcloud.org}}</ref>
'''Part 1'''
*[[Prince (musician)|Prince]] – lead and backing vocals, synthesizers, electric guitar, bass guitar, [[Dynacord Add-One|Dynacord ADD-One]], handclaps
*[[Rosie Gaines]] – co-lead vocals
*[[New Power Generation]] – co-lead vocals, spoken word
*[[Morris Day]] – drums
'''Part 2'''
*Prince – lead and backing vocals, synthesizers, electric guitar, bass guitar, Dynacord ADD-One, tambourine, handclaps
*T.C. Ellis – rap
*Morris Day – drums
*[[Tevin Campbell]] – backing vocals
*[[Mavis Staples]] – backing vocals
*Robin Power – backing vocals
*New Power Generation – backing vocals, spoken word
'''Bold Generation'''
*Prince – lead and backing vocals, piano, synthesizers, electric guitars, bass guitar, handclaps
*Morris Day – drums
==Charts==
{| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
|+Chart performance for "New Power Generation"
! scope="col"| Chart (1990)
! scope="col"| Peak<br /> position
|-
! scope="row"| Australia ([[ARIA Charts|ARIA]])<ref>{{cite Ryan|page=225}}</ref>
| 91
|-
{{singlechart|Flanders|42|artist=Prince|song=New Power Generation|rowheader=true|access-date=May 3, 2016}}
|-
! scope="row"| Europe ([[Eurochart Hot 100]])<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-and-Media/90s/1990/MM-1990-12-01.pdf|title=Eurochart Hot 100 Singles|date=December 1, 1990|page=|accessdate=June 21, 2021|magazine=[[Music & Media]]}}</ref>
| 53
|-
! scope="row"| Luxembourg ([[Radio Luxembourg]])<ref>[http://www.umdmusic.com/default.asp?Lang=English&Chart=F&ChDate=19901111&ChMode=N Radio Luxembourg Singles. November 18, 1990.]</ref>
| 19
|-
{{singlechart|Dutch40|21|artist=Prince|song=New Power Generation|rowheader=true|access-date=June 22, 2021}}
|-
{{singlechart|Dutch100|18|artist=Prince|song=New Power Generation|rowheader=true|access-date=May 3, 2016}}
|-
{{singlechart|UKsinglesbyname|26|artist=Prince|rowheader=true|access-date=May 3, 2016}}
|-
! scope="row"| US ''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]'' [[Billboard Hot 100|Hot 100]]
| 64
|-
! scope="row"| US [[Billboard Hot 100 Airplay|Hot 100 Airplay]] (''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]'')
| 70
|-
! scope="row"| US [[Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs|Hot R&B Songs]] (''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]'')
| 27
|}
==
{{reflist}}
{{Prince singles}}
{{authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:New Power Generation (Song)}}
[[Category:Prince (musician) songs]]
[[Category:1990 singles]]
[[Category:Songs written by Prince (musician)]]
[[Category:Music videos directed by Prince (musician)]]
[[Category:Paisley Park Records singles]]
[[Category:Warner Records singles]]
[[Category:Songs written for films]]
[[Category:Song recordings produced by Prince (musician)]]
[[Category:1990 songs]]
| |||