Of the recent bunch of new Prince track released to radio I enjoyed his cover of Crimson & Clover most. This past week i noticed something quite startling about Prince's spin on this cover tune - particulary how it reminds me of another song. "Nothing new under the sun" i hear you cry! True. But hear me out.

Prince's rendition sounds like it was recorded in the same vein as one of His most famous and revered live cover versions. "Just My Imagination' from the now legendary bootleg 'Small Club'

In particular the guitar solo, proceeding drum breakdown, Song structure And in some parts, vocal delivery.

The guitar solo phrasing and tonality (admitedly without as much wah wah) repeats that euphoric escalating outburst of pure emotion which continues to climb higher and higher even though you think he has already taken it to its highest point. They are so similar but not in a 'note for note' way. I would say the similarity is in from where the music its comming from.

The drum breakdown which follows the last burst of wailing guitar energy is also very similar in sound/technique and musical purpose as 'just my imagination'.


Anybody notice this? Do you think it was intentional? The small club is seen as one of his greatest performances. For prince to try and record a studio version of Just my imagination today would seem pointless. The magic, the history and perfection of that small club gig is already out there (in great quality, too!). Do you think that Prince may have conciously picked another cover tune to produce something similar to the greatness of the small club performance without having the two compared?

Even the song structure is similar in both of Princes efforts.


maybe im hearing things but i'd like to think that he knows how loved that performnce is and wanted another stab to wow us. Particularly as it was rumoured to be a more 'rock' sounding record. Did he achieve it? thats upto the listener to decide.


Any thoughts?

Hadn't noticed that. Prince's guitar playing is a world away from (and inferior, IMO, to) his JMI, 80s-era playing style (tone, scales, vibrato -- you name it).

I'll look out for a similarity in composition, though.

ThreadBare said:

Yes, i agree his style has changed up on the guitar alot since then. Its more of where he is comming from in his playing that strikes me as similar - the way he tackled the song. There are alot of similarities between the two tracks imo