Eye No
| "Eye No" | |
|---|---|
| Song by Prince | |
| from the album Lovesexy | |
| Recorded | |
| Studio |
|
| Length |
|
| Producer | Prince |
"Eye No", stylized as "Abstract eye shape with simple lines. Black pupil with white iris with black outer border. 5 eyebrows. No", is a song by American musician Prince, and is the opening track to his 1988 album, Lovesexy .
Background
[edit ]During the recording sessions that would eventually lead to his 1987 album Sign o' the Times , Prince started recording "The Ball" at the end of July after rehearsals for the Parade Tour, with horns being overdubbed a couple days later.[1] The song was in some configurations of Crystal Ball and would have segued into "Joy in Repetition", however was ultimately dropped.[3]
During the recording sessions for Lovesexy , Prince revisited, rewrote, and rerecorded the track, becoming the studio version of "Eye No".[2]
Composition
[edit ]"Eye No" opens with chords on the synthesizer and a poem written and spoken by Ingrid Chavez.[4] Rolling Stone writer David Browne described the song as "a jumbled barrage of Sly Stone wails, fatback bass lines, a grinding sax, wah-wah guitar and swarming backup vocals that continually collide with each other".[5]
While "Eye No" is viewed as "sterile", "The Ball" is viewed as a "stankier", Fairlight-driven groove.[6] [1] This may be due to the production of the former being collaborative featuring the members of Prince's band at the time, whereas the latter is primarily Prince.[2] Eric Leeds did state he preferred "The Ball", saying "it was just a little fresher to me."[1]
The song's lyrics also make reference to "Crystal Ball", "Train", and Sheila E.'s "Romance 1600".[1]
Personnel
[edit ]Adapted from Benoît Clerc and Duane Tudahl.[2] [1]
"Eye No"
[edit ]Musicians
[edit ]- Prince – lead vocals, backing vocals, electric guitar, synthesizers, claps
- Atlanta Bliss – spoken vocals, trumpet
- Boni Boyer – vocals, Hammond organ
- Greg Brooks, Ingrid Chavez, Wally Safford – spoken vocals
- Sheila E. – backing vocals, drums
- Doctor Fink – synthesizers
- Eric Leeds – saxophone
- Levi Seacer Jr. – bass
- Miko Weaver – electric guitar
Production
[edit ]- Prince – producer
- Eddie Miller – recording engineer
"The Ball"
[edit ]Musicians
[edit ]- Prince – lead vocals, spoken vocals, backing vocals, electric guitar, bass, synthesizers, Fairlight CMI, clavinet, drums, claps
- Jerome Benton, Greg Brooks, Susannah Melvoin, Wally Safford – backing vocals
- Atlanta Bliss – trumpet
- Eric Leeds – saxophone
Production
[edit ]- Prince – producer
- Susan Rogers – recording engineer
- Todd Herreman – assistant recording engineer
References
[edit ]- ^ a b c d e f Tudahl, Duane (2021). Prince and the Parade and Sign O' The Times Era Studio Sessions 1985 and 1986. Rowman & Littlefield. ISBN 9781538144527.
- ^ a b c d Clerc, Benoît (October 2022). Prince: All the Songs. Octopus. ISBN 9781784728816.
- ^ Nilsen, Per; Mattheij, jooZt (2004). The Vault: The Definitive Guide to the Musical World of Prince. Sweden: Uptown. ISBN 978-91631 5482-9.
- ^ Guzman, Nikole (June 9, 2022). "Heaven Must Be Near: In Conversation with Ingrid Chavez 'The Spirit Child'". In Sheeps Clothing. Retrieved December 1, 2025.
- ^ Browne, David (June 16, 1988). "Lovesexy". Rolling Stone. Retrieved November 30, 2025.
- ^ Bliss, Tora (June 24, 2017). "275: Eye No / The Ball". 500 Prince Songs. Retrieved December 1, 2025.
