Glam Slam

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"Glam Slam"

U.K. 7" single
Single by Prince
from the album Lovesexy
B-side "Escape"
Released July 11, 1988
Format 7" single
12" single
CD single
Recorded Paisley Park Studios, December 1987–January 1988
Genre Pop rock
Length 7" edit: 3:28
Album: 5:04
12" Remix: 8:52
Label Paisley Park
Writer(s) Prince
Producer Prince
Prince singles chronology
"Alphabet St."
"Glam Slam"
"I Wish U Heaven"

"Glam Slam" is a song by Prince, and the second single from his 1988 album, Lovesexy.[1] The title originates from the sexual quote "Wham, bam, thank you, ma'am". The song has sexual overtones with a spiritual undertone and fits the Lovesexy theme of integrating God and sex. The song is complex musically, recalling "Life Can Be So Nice" from Parade. It ends with a chorus of strings (played on the keyboard). A 12" single remix of the song mainly includes dance beats and extra instrumentation and samples.

The B-side, "Escape (Free yo mind from this rat race)", is somewhat of a remix, sampling the chorus from "Glam Slam", but adding all new lyrics and a funky bass guitar. The theme of "Escape" is more anti-drugs and gangs and is generally more of a dance number than "Glam Slam". The edit of "Escape" was included on 1993's The Hits/The B-Sides.

The opening lines to "Escape" were lifted from the Camille outtake, "Rebirth of the Flesh". These lines also kicked off the Lovesexy World Tour, before leading into "Erotic City".

Prince recorded a remix in 1991 called "Glam Slam '91" that later was the basis of "Gett Off" from Diamonds and Pearls.

Glam Slam nightclubs[edit]

In late 1989, Prince opened a nightclub in Minneapolis named after the song and partially decorated with paintings by Brian Canfield Mitchell. After eight years of frustration vis-a-vis its more established rival First Avenue, he sold it to new owner, Gilbert Davison, former Prince Manager and President of Paisley Park, who renamed it The Quest. The club became one of the premier nightspots in the Twin Cities, rivaling First Avenue as a live music venue, before closing in 2006 due to a fire in the club. The building was reconfigured following the closure and reopened as the nightclub Epic.

Other Glam Slam clubs opened in Miami (Glam Slam East), Los Angeles (Glam Slam West), and Yokohama (Glam Slam Yokohama); all have since closed, or closed and reopened under new management not tied to Prince.

Glam Slam Ulysses[edit]

The Glam Slam moniker was extended in 1993 with Prince's Glam Slam Ulysses, a combination of live performances and video loosely based on Homer's Odyssey.


External links[edit]