Take Me with U

Lore & Background

The song is sung as a duet with Apollonia Kotero. It was originally intended to be performed by Vanity, who quit participation in the film *Purple Rain* shortly before filming began after being offered a contract with Motown Records and began filming *The Last Dragon*. An early demo with Vanity's vocals exists on bootleg recordings. The song was then intended for the Apollonia 6 album but was pulled for the *Purple Rain* soundtrack. As a result, Prince made cuts to the original "Computer Blue"; an extended version circulates among collectors, and a portion of its second section can be heard in the film *Purple Rain* as Prince walks in on the men of The Revolution rehearsing. The original version of the song was about a minute longer.

In Their Own Story

The neon lights of Minneapolis flicker against the rain-slicked pavement, but inside the purple-hued sanctuary of the studio, the air hums with anticipation. Prince leans into the microphone, eyes closed, as the bassline locks in—a deep, pulsing heartbeat that demands movement. He doesn't just sing; he whispers a secret to the universe, inviting someone close to leave the gray world behind. The room fills with the warmth of analog synthesizers and the crisp snap of a snare drum, creating a pocket of time where nothing exists but the groove and the promise of being taken away together.

Reader's Guide

The single was released with an edit of album track "Baby I'm a Star" as its B-side. In the US, it peaked at number 40 on the Hot Black Singles chart and number 25 on the Billboard Hot 100 the weeks of March 23 and 30, 1985. In the UK, the song was issued as a double A-side single, coupled with "Let's Go Crazy", reaching number 7 in March 1985.

Did You Know?

• The string arrangement was by both Prince and band member Lisa Coleman.
• The song was originally about a minute longer before being edited for the album.
• An early demo with Vanity's vocals circulates on bootleg recordings.