The Apple Stretching

"The Apple Stretching"
Single by Grace Jones
from the album Living My Life
B-side	"Nipple to the Bottle"
Released	October 1982
Format	7" 12"
Recorded	June 1982
Genre	Reggae
Length	3:33
Label	Island
Writer(s)	Melvin Van Peebles
Producer(s)	Alex Sadkin Chris Blackwell
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

"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 later 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. The original 7-minute song's single edit was just the album version, faded out at 3:33. "The Apple Stretching" was simultaneously released in a 12" version, clocking in at 8:40. It included an omitted (on the album) second verse of the song, where Grace sings together with a bass guitar only along with funky percussion. This version remains unreleased on CD. The song has been described as "the best record ever about New York."^[2] 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}.^[3]

Track listing

• 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

References