Prisoner of Love (Tin Machine song)

"Prisoner of Love"
Single by Tin Machine
from the album Tin Machine
B-side	"Baby Can Dance" (Live) / "Crack City" (Live)
Released	30 October 1989
Recorded	August 1988 – early 1989; studio material recorded at Mountain Studios, Montreux Switzerland, and Compass Point Studios, Nassau live recording 25th of June 1989; at La Cigale, Paris
Genre	Rock
Length	4:09
Label	EMI MT 76
Songwriter(s)	David Bowie
Producer(s)	Tin Machine Tim Palmer
Tin Machine singles chronology
"Tin Machine" / "Maggie's Farm (live)" (1989) "Prisoner of Love" (1989) "You Belong in Rock n' Roll" (1991)

"Prisoner of Love" is a song by Tin Machine taken from their eponymous debut album, issued as their third single in October 1989.

Bowie claimed at the time he wrote the song for his then-partner Melissa Hurley.^[1] It reads as worldly advice from the singer to his naive younger girlfriend.^[2]

The band elected not to make music videos for singles from the album, and instead created a 13-minute megamix video, in which "Prisoner of Love" was included. The video, directed by Julien Temple, went unreleased commercially until its 30th anniversary in 2019.^[3]

"Prisoner of Love" was performed during the 1989 Tin Machine Tour. The single was backed by live tracks recorded at La Cigale, Paris on 25 June 1989, and had a novel heart-shaped 7" picture disc release. It failed to chart in the UK or the US.

7" version

1. "Prisoner of Love" (Edit) (Bowie, Gabrels, Sales, Sales) – 4:09
2. "Baby Can Dance" (Live) (Bowie) – 6:16

12"/CD version

1. "Prisoner of Love" (Edit) (Bowie, Gabrels, Sales, Sales) – 4:09
2. "Baby Can Dance" (Live) (Bowie) – 6:16
3. "Crack City" (Live) (Bowie) – 5:13
4. "Prisoner of Love" (LP version) (Bowie, Gabrels, Sales, Sales) – 4:15

Producers

• Tin Machine
• Tim Palmer

Musicians

• David Bowie – vocals, guitar
• Reeves Gabrels – lead guitar
• Hunt Sales – drums, vocals
• Tony Sales – bass, vocals

Additional musicians

• Kevin Armstrong – rhythm guitar

• Tin Machine - Nine Track Compilation (Official Video) on YouTube

• Pegg, Nicholas, The Complete David Bowie, Reynolds & Hearn Ltd, 2000, ISBN 1-903111-14-5