what song made him stand out amongst musicians and songwriters as being different and fresh?

Well...if your talking only is most popular songs, then I would say When Doves Cry.

divo02 said:

I think I agree with ya, but dag, he has so many!!!

He's the only one we can't put the limits to...
[This message was edited Thu May 2 16:28:02 PDT 2002 by purpleleaf7]

I'd say "Crystal Ball".Just listen 2 all the different inst. being used.I would have loved 2 be in the studio 4 that 1

divo02 said:

yeah from the opening to just the drum track i would say that song also

Life can be so nice and Tamborine.

[b]Here is THE MOST WEIRD PRINCE MUSIC TOP:

-Darling Nikky (all versions)
- When Doves Cry
- Pailsey Park
- Raspberry Berret
- Shokadelika
- New Position
- Love Byzare
- Tricky (the bootleg with Morris Day)
- Man In Uniform
- Heaven Over U (the bootleg)
- Strange But True
- Sadomajistic Grrove
- Rock Hard In a Funky Place
- Superfunkycalyfragisexy (hup?)
- If I was Your Girlfriend
- Sign Of The Time
- I Wish You Heaven Part 3
- Something In The Water
- Kiss (Maxi version)
- HouseQuake
- 1999
- Automatic
- Pussy Control
- 8
- Blue Limosine/Vibrator
- Dream Factory


Have better?

1999 and Little Red Corvette
[This message was edited Thu May 2 17:25:20 PDT 2002 by Berry]

well if I was 2 pick a song that introduced new ideas hince innovative I would say something off .... sign of the times like "Sign Of the times" or "If I was Ur Girlfriend" Or maybe something off Parade ... Like "Kiss" member the 1st time U heard kiss???? Uh HUH !!!

When doves Cry. End of story

"Something In The Water"...

I think the one that really got people's attention was Controversy. That nasty synthed out heavy funk lead to 1999 lp. 1999 was pretty innovative, it lead to a new fresh funk sound in particularly black music. Everyone else had for the most part imitated the sound of Parliament/Funkadelic...Rick James, the Gap Band etc were doing the P-Funk thang. Prince came with something new but still had the elements of JB,Sly,P-Funk,Hendrix but was fresh and didn't sound like he was coping nobody.

Epigram said:

Kiss is just 12 bar blues. It's not innovative unless it's innovative to take a guitar out of a blues song.

Really I have to say that the most innovative song in my mind was BatDance, and don't take that to mean I really like it, cause I don't exactally care for it. But stringing together a bunch of samples into a 6 minute track and having it be a #1 hit is innovative.

crystal ball.. hands down.

definitely When Doves Cry

We must replace each song in his context.
In 1984 ... When Doves Cry !! WWWOOOOOWWWWW

It's much more complicate to be innovative now.

It's songs like When Doves Cry that made guys like Aphex Twin...

1999

Cornerman said:

BatDance is such a ridiculous song (in a good way). The video is hilarious! Did it really make it to #1? I had no idea. My non-Prince friends love the song way more than I do. Maybe it's music for the masses.

Anyway, I would say When Doves Cry - didn't he take out the bassline?
[This message was edited Sun May 5 19:51:34 PDT 2002 by Natsume]

Cornerman said:

Rhythmically it's innovative. Listen to the way the high hat is programmed, listen to the sandpaper-like rhythm. Part of what makes Prince special is how he gets unconventional sounds and voicings out of his instrumentation.

Natsume said:


Yes.



Yes.

I guess you're right Supernova, Kiss does disquise it's roots rather well and create a feeling that most other songs do not have. It was also a number one single which leads me to ask, isn't it strange that Princes most innovative tracks love them or leave them have been #1's?

Examples:

WDC - taking out the bass line, the length, the subject matter, all of these were innovations.

Let's Go Crazy - now technically this is a rock song, but I play guitar and it's written all wrong, transposed down a half-step (pre-Nirvana) and that solo, that was such and awesome harsh tone! That screechy tele through plexi sounding, who else ever made a hit with that kind of guitar tone in it? It's not even a conventional Vs. chorus Vs. structure either.

Kiss - we just dicussed

SOTT - that song is so strange, have you ever heard another song like "sign" ? Simplistic, edgy, it's a great track and people bought it.

Batdance - By all standards should never have been a number one single. 200 Balloons was a better song and that was the B-side.

Hey, was Theives a #1? Cause that was an odd little song too.

SexLovely said:



I'll take your word for it, but just going by some of the material he did either alone or virtually alone, I'm not convinced that's true. It's a gate effect.

Cornerman said:


I like the 12" version and the way he plays the riff from Vanity 6's "Drive Me Wild" in the middle of it. And that staccato piano too.



Minimalist, like Doves and Kiss - to an extent.



I had forgotten this was a #1 til Natsume brought it up. I can't even remember what 200 Balloons sounds like.

Supernova said:

Actually I brought it up, she asked if I was telling the truth. You should check out 200 Balloons, it's on the "B-sides" disc. Otherwise download it.