The Apple Stretching

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"The Apple Stretching"
Single by Grace Jones
from the album Living My Life
B-side"Nipple to the Bottle"
ReleasedOctober 1982
RecordedJune 1982
GenreReggae
Length3:33
LabelIsland
Songwriter(s)Melvin Van Peebles
Producer(s)
Grace Jones singles chronology
"Nipple to the Bottle"
(1982)
"The Apple Stretching"
(1982)
"My Jamaican Guy"
(1983)

"The Apple Stretching" is a song by American recording artist Grace Jones, released as a single in 1982.

Background[edit]

"The Apple Stretching" was written by Melvin Van Peebles for his 1982 play Waltz of the Stork.[1] The song describes New York City in the early morning. It was included on Jones' sixth album Living My Life and also released as a double A-side single with "Nipple to the Bottle", written by Jones and Sly Dunbar (which also got a separate single release in certain territories). The original 7-minute song's single edit was just the album version, faded out at 3:33. "The Apple Stretching" was simultaneously released as a 12" version, clocking in at 8:40. It included a second verse of the song, which had been omitted on the album version, where Jones sings together with a bass guitar only along with funky percussion. This version remains unreleased on CD.

Van Peebles said of being able to do the song, "I couldn't have done [that track before], because people weren't used to [paying attention to] music and words simultaneously."[2] He performed the song on his own album, Ghetto Gothic in 1995.

Track listing[edit]

  • 7" single
A. "The Apple Stretching" – 3:33
B. "Nipple to the Bottle" – 4:22
  • 12" single
A. "The Apple Stretching" – 8:40
B. "Nipple to the Bottle" – 6:59

Chart performance[edit]

Chart (1982) Peak
position
UK Singles (OCC)[3] 50

References[edit]

  1. ^ Bessman, Jim (March 4, 1995). "Capitol's Melvin Van Peebles Issues 1st Album in 20 Years". Billboard. 107 (9): 86. ISSN 0006-2510.
  2. ^ Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. 1995-03-04.
  3. ^ "Grace Jones: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 8 October 2021.