Prince Wrote That???

I'm a pretty big Prince fan.  Even when he was the squiggly symbol, I totally dug his music.
As many songs as the man has recorded and produced, people are often shocked by just how many songs he's written for other people.  Prince has written entire albums for other artists, sometimes under an assumed name.  Chances are, you didn't know that all of these songs were written by the purple one.

Nothing Compares 2 U - Sinead O'Connor
It wasn't written for Sinead (originally for a group called The Family), but it's her version that is most famous.  Simple, elegant, haunting, and perfect - you've probably put it on repeat after a bad break up.  If you want to hear Prince's version, you can get get it on The Hits Disc 1.

One Of Us - Joan Osborne
Another massive radio hit, Prince's version from disc three of Emancipation asks, "What if God was one of us/ Just a slave like one of us?"  This is always the one that surprises people at the mall when it's playing and I say, did you know this is actually a Prince song?

Manic Monday - The Bangles
Never actually released in any form, there is a recording of Prince and Appollonia (from Purple Rain) singing this song as a duet, very similar to "Take Me With U".  I don't know why Prince never kept the song, it was really catchy and could be tres funky.

The Waiting Room - No Doubt
So Prince didn't completely write this song for Gwen Stefani and company, but he did help the band write it.  He also played on the track and helped produce it.  You can hear it on their Rocksteady CD.

I Feel For You - Chaka Khan
This one goes all the way back to his royal badness' second album in 1979.  I don't have much to say about this song because it's the only one on the list that didn't improve on the original.

How Come U Don't Call Me Anymore? - Alicia Keys
This was a lost B-Side from the early 80's, the backing track to "1999", and it's the real proof in just how good of a songwriter Prince really is... or was.  Even his throwaway songs that didn't make it to his own albums could be top ten hits for other artists.  You can hear her version on the LP, "Songs In A Minor".

So there you go.  You're now either a little bit smarter, or you have more information you'll never use.