Home | Songs By Year | Songs from 1991
Cream (Prince song)
Buy Cream (Prince song) now from AmazonFirst, read the Wikipedia article. Then, scroll down to see what other TopShelfReviews readers thought about the song. And once you've experienced the song, tell everyone what you thought about it.
Wikipedia article
{{Infobox song
| name = Cream
| cover = Prince_Cream.jpg
| alt =
| caption = UK 7-inch single
| type = single
| artist = Prince and the New Power Generation
| album = Diamonds and Pearls
| B-side =
* "Horny Pony"
* "Gangster Glam" (UK 12-inch and CD)
| released =
| recorded =
| studio = Paisley Park
| genre =
* Pop
* funk
* glam rock
* R&B
| length = 4:12
| label =
* Paisley Park
* Warner Bros.
| writer = Prince
| producer = Prince
| prev_title = Gett Off
| prev_year = 1991
| next_title = Insatiable
| next_year = 1991
| misc =
}}
"'Cream'" is a song by American singer-songwriter Prince and his backing band the New Power Generation, released as the second single from Prince's 13th studio album, 'Diamonds and Pearls' (1991), in September 1991. In a 2004 MTV special, Prince joked that he wrote the song while looking at himself in the mirror. "Cream" became Prince's fifth and last number-one single on the 'Billboard' Hot 100, staying at the top for two weeks. The song entered the top 10 in 15 other countries worldwide, peaking within the top three in Australia, Canada, Norway, and Switzerland.
The single's B-side, "Horny Pony", a rap song that was replaced on 'Diamonds and Pearls' at the last minute by "Gett Off", was re-used from the "Gett Off" single. "Cream" was also released as a maxi-single EP with remixes and songs/raps loosely based on "Cream". The EP is notable for including several prank telephone conversations. In the UK, "Gangster Glam" is an additional B-side on the 12-inch maxi maxi-CD single. In Japan, an EP was released with the tracks from the US maxi single, and four tracks from the US "Gett Off" maxi single.
Critical reception
Patrick Corcoran from Albumism stated that the oft-repeated tale of "Cream"'s composition "doesn't lessen the impact of its swaggering braggadocio years later". Stephen Thomas Erlewine from AllMusic called it a "sexy T. Rex groove" and a "terrific" pop single. Mike Diver for the BBC said in his 2010 review, that it is "quite simply a song about getting it on, and a brilliant one at that". Larry Flick from 'Billboard' wrote, "On the heels of the risque "Gett Off" comes an equally sexy pop/rocker that recalls T-Rex's "Bang a Gong"." He added, "Militaristic drum beats, an unshakable chorus, and snakey guitar and keyboard lines add up to a pretty good bet for multiformat acceptance." David Browne from 'Entertainment Weekly' described it as "a standard-issue funk workout with oh-so-daring lyrics like "U got the horn so why don't U blow it!"".
Alexis Petridis from 'The Guardian' viewed the song as a "glorious, loving homage to Get It On, complete with lyrical echoes (the object of Prince's affections is "filthy-cute" as opposed to "dirty-sweet")." He added, "Never given to underestimating his own importance, Marc Bolan would doubtless have adored it." Pan-European magazine 'Music & Media' commented, "Could this second single from the new album 'Diamonds and Pearls' be a leftover composition of the never-realised Prince/Bonnie Raitt collaboration?" They also concluded, "This basic R&B song is definitely his best single since 1989's Alphabet Street." A reviewer from 'People Magazine' deemed it as "tart and bluesy". 'Rolling Stone' said the song is "impossibly slinky". Scott Poulson-Bryant from 'Spin' viewed it as "poppy glam-rock". Neil McKay from 'Sunday Life' called it "irresistible pop".
Chart performance
In the United States, "Cream" hit number one for two weeks on the 'Billboard' Hot 100 in November 1991; however, it did not make the 'Billboard' Hot R&B Singles chart because it was not sent to urban radio; "Insatiable" was sent to urban stations instead. The song made the top 20 in the United Kingdom, and it reached the top 10 in several European countries, Australia, and New Zealand. On the Eurochart Hot 100, "Cream" climbed to number six.
Music video
A music video was made to accompany the song, directed by Rebecca Blake.
Impact and legacy
In 2020, Cleveland.com listed "Cream" at number 33 in their ranking of the best 'Billboard' Hot 100 number-one song of the 1990s, stating that it "fully realizes the sultry funk odyssey Prince was going for on his 13th studio album."
Track listing
Several tracks on this release include unlisted telephone segues, and are listed with separate lengths on this page.
Charts
Weekly charts
Year-end charts
Certifications
References
Category:1991 singles
Category:1991 songs
Category:Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles
Category:Cashbox number-one singles
Category:Paisley Park Records singles
Category:Prince (musician) songs
Category:Song recordings produced by Prince (musician)
Category:Songs written by Prince (musician)
Category:Warner Records singles
Category:Glam rock songs
Buy Cream (Prince song) now from Amazon
<-- Return to songs from 1991