The fourth track from Prince’s classic Purple Rain soundtrack, ‘Computer Blue,’ underwent major changes between concept and final execution. The song originally ran about 14 minutes and ended with “three full minutes of screeching feedback,” according to Wikipedia. I’d say saner minds prevailed.

Apparently the song was trimmed after ‘Take Me With U’ was added to the album lineup, though I’m not sure what one thing has to do with the other.

I’m guessing that the album would have run too long to fit on two sides of vinyl. It’s strange how in the pre-digital days, the physical limitations of the medium led to changes in the art.

It reminds me of a cassette tape I owned of Pink Floyd’s Animals, on which the track ‘Pigs (Three Different Ones)’ faded out at the end of side one and faded back in to begin side two because the full song couldn’t fit.