Glam Slam

Infobox Single
Name = Glam Slam


Caption = U.S. 7" single
Artist = Prince
from Album = Lovesexy
B-side = "Escape"
Released = 11 July, 1988
Format = 7" single
12" single
CD single
Recorded = Paisley Park Studios, December 1987–January 1988
Genre = Pop, funk
Length = 7" edit: 3:28
Album: 5:04
12" Remix: 8:52
Label = Paisley Park Records
Writer = Prince
Producer = Prince
Certification =
Chart position = * #44 R&B
* #29 UK
Last single = "Alphabet St."
(1988)
This single = "Glam Slam"
(1988)
Next single = "I Wish U Heaven"
(1988)

"Glam Slam" is a single from Prince's 1988 album, "Lovesexy." The title originates from the sexual quote "Wham, bam, thank you, ma'am," which is an allusion to the popularized line from glam-rock star David Bowie's "Suffragette City." The song has sexual overtones with a spiritual undertone and fits the "Lovesexy" theme of integrating God and sex. The song is complex musically, recalling "Life Can Be So Nice" from "Parade." It ends with a chorus of strings (played on the keyboard). A 12" single remix of the song mainly includes dance beats and extra instrumentation and samples.

The B-side, "Escape (Free yo mind from this rat race)," is somewhat of a remix, sampling the chorus from "Glam Slam," but adding all new lyrics and a funky bass guitar. The theme of "Escape" is more anti-drugs/gangs and is generally more of a dance number than "Glam Slam." The edit of "Escape" was included on 1993's "The Hits/The B-Sides".

The opening lines to "Escape" were lifted from the "Camille" outtake, "Rebirth of the Flesh." These lines also kicked off the Lovesexy World Tour, before leading into "Erotic City."

Prince recorded a remix in 1991 called "Glam Slam '91" that later was the basis of "Gett Off" from "Diamonds and Pearls."

In late 1989, Prince opened a nightclub in Minneapolis named after the song. After eight years of frustration vis a vis its more established rival, First Avenue, he sold it to new owners, who renamed it The Quest. The club had since become one of the premier nightspots in the Twin Cities, rivaling First Avenue as a live music venue, before closing in 2006. It was partially decorated with paintings by Brian Canfield Mitchell.

Poetry Competition

In 1998, under the guise of "The House of Xavier", NYC poet Emanuel Xavier created an event combining elements of the ballroom culture as featured in the documentary Paris Is Burning (film) with the slam poetry competition called "The Glam Slam." The events would open with a Grand March and feature four open categories in which audience members would read a poem for up to three minutes featuring the required props. Category examples included Best Erotic Poem in Sexy Underwear or Lingerie, Best Love Poem in Fire Engine Red, etc. Five selected judges would score based on poetry and performance on a scale of 0 to 10 with the highest and lowest scores dropped for the highest possible score of 30 as per traditional slam poetry competition rules. The winner of each category would receive a trophy and go on to compete in a Grand Prize category (usually Best Verbal Vogue).

The Glam Slam was held every year in NYC, first at the Nuyorican Poets Cafe, later at Bowery Poetry Club to kick off NYC Gay Pride Week until 2008.

It was then passed over to London based performance poet, Ernesto Sarezale, who would begin staging the annual event in the U.K.

External links

* "Glam Slam" [http://www.dtt-lyrics.com/albums/lovesexy.html#glam lyrics]
* "Glam Slam" Video [http://www.mtv.co.uk/overdrive/vid/47238/prince__glam_slam]