Originally written for The Time's What Time Is It? album. Should P have given it to them or was he wise in keeping it for himself? Me, I think he made the right decision. What ya'll think?

I had already written something else and changed my mind. Prince's version is great, but I could see Morris doing it kind of like If the kid can't make you come.

blackguitaristz said:

Definitely! Prince sang the hell out of"International Lover." .

Morris has an okay-enough voice to do certain ballads in his (limited) vocal range, but he couldn't have done "int'l lover" like Prince did.

not only is "int'l lover" Prince's song,
but he did WELL to close 1999 with this track.

Prince's song, all the way around.

Though Morris wouldn't have sung it as well as P did, this song definitely fit his gigolo persona. I would've loved to have heard what guitar parts JJ would've come up with for this song.

JesseDezz said:

IF, J.D., IF P wouldn't have cut all the tracks himself. He wouldn't want Jesse ANYWHERE near the studio.

mltijchr said:

I agree 100%. This cut is one of my faves from P. He really takes it to church on this, especially towards the end.

As a young teen, I remember turning off all the lights in my house at night and blasting this song out the door on many a summer evening while I lay on the floor dreaming. Very cool song. I'm glad Prince kept if for himself, and even got a Grammy nod for it even though it was never released as a single.

I agree that I Prince did a great job with this song,
but the idea of a Morris version is intriguing.

Snap said:

Very true. He did get a Grammy nod which spoke volumes being that it wasn't a single. Imagine that it was a single, man. I much rather seen that as a single than say, that throwaway of a song. U know the one.

Prince did right to keep it for himself. That song would never be the same without his falsetto and screams. It's one of his best slow jams ever.

mltijchr said:

I think free would have been a better closing track, just like annastasia would have been a better closing track for lovesexy and the cross would have been better to end sign O Times, than adore.

potroastpony said:

Intersting point and I do agree withca on the part of Free closing out the album. At the time, it seemed, that besides P himself, I was the only other brother in the world who loved the song Free.

blackguitaristz said:

My best friend at the time used to rock the hell out of "Free" EVERYDAY. And he would sing along with it everytime...Those were good times, though, 'cause my P tune of the day was "When U Were Mine"

potroastpony said:

hm, in fact I think "free" would have been a good way to close 1999..
but "free" is a deep, almost "somber" song.
the title track opener is basically a "party song" with an underlying "socio-political" message & because the album starts this way, it would have made some sense to close the album the same way - with "free"..
hm..
the more I think about it, the more I think "free" would have been a real good closer to that album..
however - like everyone else - I'm used to hearing "int'l lover" close 1999,
& I like how that song closes the album.. there is the "climax" at the end of "int'l lover", & I think this also serves as the "climax" to the whole album.

I would even say
that Prince's line
"remember.. the next time you fly.. fly.. the international.."
that line was almost like.. a "premonition"
for what Prince was going to do with the album AFTER 1999..

I think we know how THAT turned out..

mltijchr said:

Interesting. U think P KNEW at the time he cut International that Purple Rain was going to be huge?

for real, I can hardly say what Prince actually knew at that time..

but at that time,
Prince had VERY GOOD musical instincts!

with EACH ALBUM - from For You through Sign O' The Times - there was CLEAR MUSICAL EVOLUTION, DEVELOPMENT & GROWTH in Prince's music.. at least artistically, if not artistically
&
commercially.


so my own opinion - yeah, Prince HAD to know he was about to blow up. he definitely had the skills, & I think he had the confidence to back up the skills.

yeah.. with "int'l lover" closing 1999.. I think he was setting his own bar another level higher. if somehow he didn't know what was coming up next for him, then DAMN.. what a foreshadow!

mltijchr said:

Well said.

I'd rather hear the Prince vocal versions of the Time lps.

blackguitaristz said:

Easily the right decision. Listening to it all these years later, I'm super impressed with his vocals...all the screaming and all. Awesome...one of my favourites in terms of his singing.

Morris is a decent vocalist.
But I glad Prince kept the song. No one can sang International lover like Prince.

Interesting. I don't know how "International Lover" did as a single. But with the right changes, The Time could've made it a bigger hit then it was since it fit their image a little bit more. Still it's one of Prince's best ballads.

I used to masterbate with this song playing.