Batdance

Lore & Background

The song was a last-minute replacement for a brooding track titled "Dance with the Devil", which Prince felt was too dark. "Batdance" is almost two songs in one, incorporating elements from at least seven songs, some unreleased. The track is loaded with dialogue samples from the film. The music video was filmed on May 27 and 28, 1989 in Culver City, California, directed by Albert Magnoli and choreographed by Barry Lather. Prince appears as a costumed character in face paint known as "Gemini", with one side representing the Joker and the other Batman. The video earned a 1990 Soul Train Music Award nomination for Best R&B/Soul Music Video and a nomination for Best Video From a Film from the MTV Video Music Awards.

In Their Own Story

The spotlight cut through the haze of the arena, illuminating a figure draped in ruffled silk. As the first mechanical siren wailed over the speakers, the crowd surged forward, sensing the shift from a standard performance to something darker. Drums kicked in with a chaotic rhythm that mimicked a heartbeat racing against time. In this moment, the music was not just sound; it was a signal, a call to action echoing through the concrete streets of a city that never slept.

Reader's Guide

The B-side is "200 Balloons", which was recorded for the film and serves as the musical blueprint for the main portion of "Batdance". The 7-inch edit removes the guitar solo and the up-tempo part near the end. The 12-inch and CD maxi singles include two remixes by Mark Moore and William Orbit: "The Batmix" and "Vicki Vale Mix". An unreleased mix featuring a rap by Big Daddy Kane leaked online in November 2013; Warner Bros. Records did not like it and refused its release, though Prince was pleased.

Did You Know?

• The music video features dancers costumed as multiple Batmen, Jokers and Vicki Vales.
• The video ends with Gemini hitting a detonator, exploding an electric chair, and Prince (actually Michael Keaton's voice) saying "Stop".
• One Vicki Vale in the video wears a black dress with the words "All this and brains too", a reference to The Dark Knight Returns.
• Hot Chip's video for "Ready for the Floor" is a homage to Prince's "Batdance" video.
• Sir Mix-a-Lot sampled the "Vicki Vale" part of "Batdance" for his song "Beepers".