I Would Die 4 U

It was also, uh, Wendy's live debut with the Revolution.

Then came the new material, songs that you guys know and I love: Let's Go Crazy, I Would Die For You, Baby I'm a Star, and near the end of the show, something the audience had never heard before, Purple Rain.

The performance ran for roughly 11 minutes, and this is the part of the story that matters.

This wasn't Prince's recreating an album recording for an audience.

The album version did not exist yet.

The sound in that room, the band, Prince's voice, and the reaction of the people standing inside First Avenue became part of the record.

I Would Die For You, Baby I'm a Star, and Pr- and Purple Rain itself.

Those live First Avenue performances went forward into the Purple Rain project.

What's the sexiest song?

I Would Die For You by Prince.

Yeah.

That's one of the best songs ever written, but yeah.

... uh, you know, right? Like, I like having a title to work backwards from.

Mm-hmm.

Um, so yeah, "I would die for you.

I'm not your lover, I'm not your friend.

...

Oh, wow

... and of course, the title track all on the B side of the album.

[laughs]

Or Prince, referring to a successful Prince songs with numbers in their titles, such as I Would Die For You, as in-

[laughs]

... four letter you.

first? Whatchamacallit.

I Would Die For You, I consider an R&B song.

Really? And Prince is my favorite artist of all time.

That's a good,