Prince had no shortage of hits. From "Purple Rain" to "Cream," he produced some of the most iconic songs of all-time, but did you know Prince wrote music for other artists? The singer didn't just write hits for himself; he wrote them for other people too. He had a hand in Jay Z's "'03 Bonnie and Clyde" and wrote "Nothing Compares 4 U," but perhaps the most famous Prince song not performed by Prince is "Manic Monday" by The Bangles.
That's right, the catchy tune you find yourself absentmindedly humming every Monday morning was written by Prince under the pen name Christopher. If you are wondering why he chose the name, Christopher was the name of Prince's character in the 1986 movie Under the Cherry Moon. For Prince, using a pseudonym when he wrote for other artists was a way for him to not get tired of himself. In a 1999 interview for Bass Player magazine, Prince said, "I was just getting tired of seeing my name. If you give away an idea, you still own that idea. In fact, giving it away strengthens it. Why do people feel they have to take credit for everything they do? Ego — that’s the only reason."
When it came to his involvement with The Bangles, Prince fell for the band after he showed up for one of their Los Angeles performances. According to Song Facts, Prince then put together a mixtape just for the group that included the song "Manic Monday." Interestingly, he first intended the song to be for his Purple Rain group Apollonia 6. Check out their version:
It's not quite the same, is it? Apollonia 6 never achieved the level of fame The Bangles did. They have their own unique sound, but it doesn't exactly scream '80s pop the way The Bangles' sound did.
"Manic Monday" became The Bangles first hit because they infused the lyrics with their crowd pleasing '80s pop sound. Prince's lyrics and their vocals combined to create one of the catchiest songs of the decade. It fit the group's personality and style perfectly. In 1986, Prince took to the stage with The Bangles to perform "Manic Monday" together, and, yes, it was a truly epic moment. The song was The Bangles first big hit and, without Prince, they never would have had the song that became synonymous with their group.
In case you were wondering, yes, this does mean that Prince is responsible for the origin of the phrase "Sunday Funday." Yeah, the icon didn't just give you the ultimate Mondays suck song, but he also perfectly summed up your feelings on the wonders of Sunday. Then The Bangles took all of the awesomeness that Prince infused the song with and made it a touchstone of popular music.
"Manic Monday" is just one of the songs Prince wrote for other artists during his too brief career. Prince gave the world so much more than just his albums. He was a singer, songwriter, actor, fashion icon, and a great supporter of his fellow artists. Remember him the next time you start humming "Manic Monday" and smile, because, even though Prince is gone, there is still so much of his work out there just waiting for you to discover it.
