I Would Die 4 U

When you dive into *I Would Die 4 U*, you encounter an energy that compels you to move. It's a track that was released as the fourth single in the United States from the highly influential album, *Purple Rain*, in 1984. The song, with its driving tempo, became one of the last hits from that record to reach the top 10 of the Billboard Hot charts, peaking at number 8. Contemporary reviews described it as a display of "contained ecstasy," highlighting Prince's passionate vocal delivery, and called it "electrifying," comparing its nervous excitement to a live wire.

It's interesting to note how *I Would Die 4 U* is often presented in conjunction with *Baby I'm a Star*, the song that follows it on the album *Purple Rain*. The extended version of *I Would Die 4 U* actually stems from a studio rehearsal session, where Prince and The Revolution shared space with musicians from Sheila E.'s band, including Eddie M. on saxophone and Miko Weaver on guitar, in addition to Sheila E. herself. This take, which was recorded before the *Purple Rain Tour*, received some additional layers of sound and fades out at the end. An even longer version exists, clocking in at nearly 31 minutes, which was never officially released but has circulated on bootlegs. The extended version also appeared as the B-side to the *Erotic City* single in 1989. The main B-side to *I Would Die 4 U* was *Another Lonely Christmas*, a piece that recounts the loss of a loved one at Christmas, recorded in February 1984. Although Prince was in a period of social reclusion, he himself stated that *Another Lonely Christmas* was a fictional story, and it has been compared to *Sometimes It Snows in April* from the 1986 album *Parade*.