prince's voice

Based on his performances in 2007, I feel his voice is better than ever. What do you think and can you think of a performance when Prince's vocals were off?
I've heard that during the Dirty Mind tour his voice was a bit rough.

Vocally for me. SOTT and Lovesexy tours were impeccable. Just amazing. I can only go on earlier shows from recordings. The Purple Rain tour he was quite patchy and ropey at times but the show was amazing so pulled it off.

The little smippets of IIWYG at the o2 arena


spectacular....


almost made me nose bleed.....

He sounds excellent to have screamed his way thru the 80's and 90's!

Prince's voice is an immortal song.

Dayclear said:

He sounds excellent to have screamed his way thru the 80's and 90's!

I agree with you OP.

I mean, when it comes to Prince as a LIVE singer that is.

In the eighties and nineties i sometimes felt underwhelmed by Princes live vocals. It did often sound too thin, not loud enough, and from time to time it sounded like he had to 'force his' vocals.

A first example:
When i see live-material from the Dirty Mind - Controversy period it often irritates me how thin and soft his falsetto sounds compared to the rest of the music (which is rather direct and stark, wether its a funky jam or a rocktrack).
On album he might have had the 'opportunities' to put his vocals and his music on the same 'level', but live its dissapointing, i think.

Another example:
On the parade-tour he was often struggling with the vocals. Like he had trouble with dealing with the more complex, jazzy arangements he used for the songs.

A third example?
On the Livesexy VHS (the Dortmund concert, praised a lot in here) most of his singing is not very powerfull and convincing, i think: rather thin sounding and unimpressive.
The strange thing is: when he turns to more 'conservative' material during that concert (Blues in C: if i had a harem, the piano-medly) his singing is much better (sounding).

Making a jump towards the 21th century, it sounds to me that his live-vocals have benefitted from his aging. His voice seems to have gotten deeper, and a bit more 'body' also.
On material from the ONA-tour, The Musicology tour and some TV-performances it seems like he is forcing his vocals a lot less, like he has more control on using his breathe when he is singing.
First i thought: hey, did he take singing lessons? But another explenation could be: he isn't using the lavish choreography anymore, he isn't dancing way as much as in the past. Maybe that gives hime more opportunity to focus on his vocals (without being out of breathe most of the time... lol)

When Prince's vocals were off ... we till have much from him too, trough his talent in his instrumental music or singer who perfomances his songs

His deep speaking voice is practically orgasmic... Oh you were talking about his SINGING voice...ahh..same...
[Edited 8/29/08 12:25pm]

Prince has one of those soothing, mesmerizing voices... now and before... i always loved his voice in 'Something in the Water' .. sexy voice..

EmeraldSkies said:

His deep speaking voice is practically orgasmic... Oh you were talking about his SINGING voice...ahh..same...
[Edited 8/29/08 12:25pm]

I am still here.

I've heard Prince do some fantastic vocalizing, that I have never heard him do on his records

rnljs said:

EmeraldSkies said:

His deep speaking voice is practically orgasmic... Oh you were talking about his SINGING voice...ahh..same...
[Edited 8/29/08 12:25pm]

Oh lawd yes...yes...YES!

I was just listening today to Prince & Stevie doing Maybe Your Baby....OMG!!! I can't stop rewinding the first part and then the "Little Sally Walker" part. Do you hear him????? Oh, he RIPPED this song.


Also, when I was listening to WBAI's Prince Birthday Celebration or New Years program back in 1999 or 2000, they played a recording of Prince singing How Come You Don't Call Me....YO!!!! He saaaaayyyyng that song! Then there was the part with him and Doug E Fresh. K, he wasn't singing but Doug E Fresh was doing his Beats and Prince would play guitar accompaniment....Man, priceless...too bad I lost the tapes. I stayed up 24 hours to record that stuff.....now I'm mad.

that's the thing. when you're a properly trained singer, you can do unbelievable things with your voice and not have to worry about it. Just listen to him sing "Gotta Broken Heart Again" from the Aladdin 02 concert - I think he goes even higher than he does in TMBGITW. I know that's not screaming, but still...

ToraToraDreams said:

Dayclear said:

He sounds excellent to have screamed his way thru the 80's and 90's!

Hahaaa

I think his voice is more polished. But I always liked that rough sound.