I am a Prince instrumental freak.

Just recently i discovered the 8 instrumentals he apparently recorded in Owen Husney's rehearsal room in 1977.

The line up was Andre Cymone, Bobby Z Rivkin and Prince.

These recordings sound as fresh today as any instrumental release from Prince since Madhouse 8.

The Madhouse albums in my opinion have (so far) not been beaten, but these 1977 recordings using just a simple 3 piece, with drums, bass and keyboards, sound as modern and accomplished as the instrumental albums Prince has released officially.

Is there anyone familiar with these recordings?

What is your opinion on them?

I love those instrumentals.

Your linking them with Madhouse is very appropiate.

In fact, during those days Prince declared in an interview that he wanted to release in paralell with his current output some jazz-infused material (can't remember the actual quote and outlet).

He got to that 10 years later with Madhouse.

Though unreleased (and unheard bar U Gotta Shake Somethin') The Flesh sessions are a sort of a middle point in that route, as are The Family instrumentals.

I have not heard these. But I think I would dig them.

really like that it's a 3-piece... hope there are no overdubs... I think it would sound best live and raw...

crazydoctor said:

I have not heard these. But I think I would dig them.

really like that it's a 3-piece... hope there are no overdubs... I think it would sound best live and raw...

Although i am not 100% certain, these tracks sound 'live.'

They can be found on the 'Work It 2.0 Vol 1' bootleg, sound quality is excellent.

MikeyB71 said:

crazydoctor said:

I have not heard these. But I think I would dig them.

really like that it's a 3-piece... hope there are no overdubs... I think it would sound best live and raw...

Although i am not 100% certain, these tracks sound 'live.'

They can be found on the 'Work It 2.0 Vol 1' bootleg, sound quality is excellent.

cool. thx. I'll try to check it out.

I guess they were recorded during rehearsals in or around Owen Husney's Loring Park office. Loring Park is a few blocks from Sam's (what would eventually become First Avenue).

squirrelgrease said:

I guess they were recorded during rehearsals in or around Owen Husney's Loring Park office. Loring Park is a few blocks from Sam's (what would eventually become First Avenue).

What do you think of the recordings squirrelgrease, are they your cup of tea?

MikeyB71 said:

I am a Prince instrumental freak.

Just recently i discovered the 8 instrumentals he apparently recorded in Owen Husney's rehearsal room in 1977.

The line up was Andre Cymone, Bobby Z Rivkin and Prince.

These recordings sound as fresh today as any instrumental release from Prince since Madhouse 8.

The Madhouse albums in my opinion have (so far) not been beaten, but these 1977 recordings using just a simple 3 piece, with drums, bass and keyboards, sound as modern and accomplished as the instrumental albums Prince has released officially.

Is there anyone familiar with these recordings?

What is your opinion on them?

I often listen to these. They could make a great album just the way they are if Prince was to release unreleased material.

They also show that Bobby was a much better drummer than what he did with Prince on stage suggests.

databank said:

MikeyB71 said:

I am a Prince instrumental freak.

Just recently i discovered the 8 instrumentals he apparently recorded in Owen Husney's rehearsal room in 1977.

The line up was Andre Cymone, Bobby Z Rivkin and Prince.

These recordings sound as fresh today as any instrumental release from Prince since Madhouse 8.

The Madhouse albums in my opinion have (so far) not been beaten, but these 1977 recordings using just a simple 3 piece, with drums, bass and keyboards, sound as modern and accomplished as the instrumental albums Prince has released officially.

Is there anyone familiar with these recordings?

What is your opinion on them?

I often listen to these. They could make a great album just the way they are if Prince was to release unreleased material.

They also show that Bobby was a much better drummer than what he did with Prince on stage suggests.

I agree with you about Bobby Z, i was surprised by the drumming on these recordings. On stage with the Revolution he was more cold and mechanically repetative, which suited the music fine of course, but on these instrumentals he rocks.

MikeyB71 said:

squirrelgrease said:

I guess they were recorded during rehearsals in or around Owen Husney's Loring Park office. Loring Park is a few blocks from Sam's (what would eventually become First Avenue).

What do you think of the recordings squirrelgrease, are they your cup of tea?

I'll have to give them a listen again.

squirrelgrease said:

MikeyB71 said:

What do you think of the recordings squirrelgrease, are they your cup of tea?

I'll have to give them a listen again.

MikeyB71 said:

squirrelgrease said:

I'll have to give them a listen again.

I haven't burned all of Work It 2.0 to CD yet and I only skimmed those instrumental tracks a long time ago. My PC went up in smoke, so I have to find the back-ups. I love Prince instrumentals as well, but I have yet to give the Loring tracks my full attention. It's on my to-do list for sure.

squirrelgrease said:

MikeyB71 said:

I haven't burned all of Work It 2.0 to CD yet and I only skimmed those instrumental tracks a long time ago. My PC went up in smoke, so I have to find the back-ups. I love Prince instrumentals as well, but I have yet to give the Loring tracks my full attention. It's on my to-do list for sure.

Sorry to hear about the pc, i just completed my download and burn to disc of all 8 volumes of Work It 2.0, quite a task, but worth it in the end.

Let me know when you get a chance to listen to those instrumentals.

Interesting

soulyacolia said:

Were these on the 'Sound 80' portion of the Studio Nights boot back in the day? There was a whole disc of instrumentals but I don't know which sessions they were from

I don't have Studio Nights, so I'm not familiar with those 16 instrumentals on the set. It looks like that boot is all over the map considering what is on it and what isn't.

From scififilmnerd's wonderful thread: http://prince.org/msg/7/320445

Home recordings, 1976
Sweet Thing (4:24) (Chaka Khan)
Wouldn’t You Love To Love Me? #1 (3:53)
I Spend My Time Loving You (7:20)
Rock Me, Lover #1 (3:51)
Improvisation (0:40)
Don’t You Wanna Ride? (5:14)
Nightingale (4:16)
Leaving For New York #1 (5:52)
Humming A Tune (0:34)
Humming A Tune Pt.2 (0:30)
Instrumental (0:37)
Instrumental Pt.2 (0:52)
Telephone conversation (0:56)
Instrumental (1:00)
Instrumental (1:00)
For You #1 (1:06)
For You #2 (0:45)
Hey, Lover (0:46)

14-track demo tape, Moonsound, Minneapolis, spring – December 1976 – no known order
Instrumental (7:25) – possibly titled Farnborough
Aces (Prince/Chris Moon)
Diamond Eyes (Prince/Chris Moon)
Don’t Forget (Prince/Chris Moon)
Don’t Hold Back (Prince/Chris Moon)
Fantasy (Prince/Chris Moon)
Love Is Forever #1 (Prince/Chris Moon)
Make It Through The Storm #1 (Prince/Chris Moon)
Piano Intro (0:40)
Soft And Wet #1 (3:22) (Prince/Chris Moon)
Surprise (Prince/Chris Moon)
Baby #1
I’m Yours #1
Jelly Jam #1 (Instrumental)
Leaving For New York #2
Since We’ve Been Together #1
For You #3 (1:19)
For You #4 (1:20)
Outro (0:13)

- A 4-track demo tape was also made with Soft And Wet, Love Is Forever, Baby & Aces

Sound 80, Minneapolis, 29 December 1976 – summer 1977
Baby #2 (Instrumental) (3:15)
Baby #3 (3:08)
Just As Long As We’re Together #1 (3:34)
Soft And Wet #2 (3:04) (Prince/Chris Moon)
Instrumental (3:49)
My Love Is Forever #2 (previously “Love Is Forever”) (4:03) (Prince/Chris Moon)
Make It Through The Storm #2 (2:44) (Prince/Chris Moon)
Jelly Jam #2 (Instrumental) (2:05)
In Love #1
Just As Long As We’re Together #2 (incorporates “Jelly Jam”) (5:45)
Just As Long As We’re Together #3 (5:51)
Love In The Morning
You Really Get To Me

94 East, Sound 80, Minneapolis, early 1977
- Guitar & background vocals: Prince
Fortune Teller (Hank Cosby)
10:15 (Pepé Willie)

The Lewis Conection, Moonsound, Minneapolis, 1977
- Guitar & background vocals: Prince
Got To Be Something Here* (Sonny Thompson)

Owen Husney’s rehearsal room, Minneapolis, 1977
- Keyboards: Prince, bass: André Cymone, drums: Bobby Z. Rivkin
Instrumental 1 (5:32)
Instrumental 2 (6:24)
Instrumental 3 (6:22)
Instrumental 4 (8:42)
Instrumental 5 (7:06)
Instrumental 6 (8:14)
Instrumental 7 (7:45)
Instrumental 8 (6:39)

Home recordings, 1977
Darling Marie #1
Hello, My Love
I Like What You’re Doing
Neurotic Lover’s Baby’s Bedroom

CBS Records, Village Recorders, Los Angeles, 8 April 1977
Just As Long As We’re Together #4

Sound 80, Minneapolis, June 1977
We Can Work It Out (2:58) – drums: Bobby Z.

Warner Bros., Amigo Studios, Los Angeles, summer 1977
Just As Long As We’re Together #5

For You, The Record Plant, Sausalito, 1 October – 22 December 1977
For You #5 (1:06)*
In Love #2 (3:38)*
Soft And Wet #3 (3:01)* (Prince/Chris Moon)
Crazy You (2:17)*
Just As Long As We’re Together #6 (6:24)*
Baby # 4 (3:09)*
My Love Is Forever #3 (4:09)* (Prince/Chris Moon)
So Blue (4:26)*
I’m Yours #2 (5:01)*
Make It Through The Storm #3 (Prince/Chris Moon)

Instrumental jams, The Record Plant, Sausalito, 4 November – 10 December 1977
- Guitar & keyboards: Prince, bass: André Cymone, drums: Steve Fontano
Bump This (4/11)
E-Pluribous Funk (4/11)
Shine Your Light/Red Zone (4/11)
Instrumental (5/12)
Life Is So Neat (10/12)
Waiting For You (10/12)

Sue Ann Carwell, home studio & Sound 80, summer 1978
Make It Through The Storm #4 (Prince/Chris Moon) – re-recorded and released as b-side of Let Me Let You Rock Me-single in 1981
Since We’ve Been Together #2 – copyrighted at The Library of Congress 21/8-1980
Wouldn’t You Love To Love Me? #2

Pepé Willie, Willie’s home, 1978
- Guitar, bass & backing vocals: Prince
Dance To The Music Of The World #1 (Practice Session)* (Pepé Willie)

Pepé Willie, Sound 80, Minneapolis, 1978
- Guitar, keyboards & drums: Prince, backing vocals on “Dance To The Music Of The World”: Prince
Just Another Sucker (5:21)* (Pepé Willie/Prince)
Lovin’ Cup (4:20)* (Pepé Willie)
Dance To The Music Of The World #2 (5:07)* (Pepé Willie)

Pepé Willie, home studio, 1978
You Can Be My Teacher (4:06)* (Pepé Willie) - bass
Love, Love, Love (3:52)* (Pepé Willie) – bass & guitar

Home recordings, 1978 – 1979
Baby, Baby, Baby (2:44)
Nadeara (1:50)
K-FUNK Interview (featuring Nadeara) (7:47)
Miss You (1:53)
Donna (4:06)
Down A Long Lonely Road (1:18)
Do It Again
Gypsy
I Am You (late ’78)
I Met A Virgin Queen
I’m Leaving LA
Love Affair
Love Of Mine
Rock Me, Lover #2
Rocking Chair
We Would Like To See You Again
Wouldn’t You Love To Love Me? #3 (5:01)
Instrumental 1 (2:14) – guitars, soft drum machine
Instrumental 2 (2:21) – guitar, fast drum machine
Instrumental 3 (0:52) – percussion
Instrumental 4 (1:11) – acoustic guitar
Instrumental 5 (1:30) – funky acoustic & bass guitars
Instrumental 6 (0:37) – funky bass guitar

Pepé Willie, Music Farm Studios, New York, 17 February 1979
I Feel For You #1
If You Feel Like Dancin’ (7:08)* (Pepé Willie) – guitar & keyboards
One Man Jam (6:15)* (Pepé Willie) – everything but bass: André Cymone & synth: Pepé Willie
Thrill You Or Kill You #1 (André Cymone)
With You #1

Prince, Alpha Studio, Los Angeles, late April – 13 June 1979
I Wanna Be Your Lover (5:47)*
Why You Wanna Treat Me So Bad? (3:49)*
Sexy Dancer #1 – with sound engineer
Sexy Dancer #2 (Long Version) (8:54)* - edit of #1
When We’re Dancing Close And Slow (5:18)*
With You #2 (3:59)*
Bambi (4:22)*
Still Waiting (4:24)*
I Feel For You #2
It’s Gonna Be Lonely (5:30)*
Oh, Baby #1

Prince, Hollywood Sound Records, Los Angeles, June 1979
Darling Marie #2
Sexy Dancer #3 (4:18)* - edit of #2
I Feel For You #3 (3:24)* - edit of #2

The Rebels, Mountain Ears Sound Studios, Boulder, Colorado, 10 – 21 July 1979
You #1 (2:53) – lead vocal: Gayle Chapman
Too Long (4:09) (Dez Dickerson) – lead vocal: Dez Dickerson
Hard To Get #1 (3:24) – lead vocal: André Cymone, backing vocal: Prince
Thrill You Or Kill You #2 (6:06) (André Cymone) – lead vocal: André Cymone
Disco Away (4:29) (Dez Dickerson) – lead vocal: Dez Dickerson
Instrumental 1 (1:05) (Dez Dickerson) – acoustic guitar & guitar sounding like synth
Instrumental 2 (1:00) (André Cymone) - bass & drums
If I Love You Tonight #1 (4:42) – lead vocal: Gayle Chapman
Turn Me On (1:58) – lead vocal: Gayle Chapman
Head #1

http://www.angelfire.com/jazz/ug2p/

Studio Nights: Sound 80 2CD

G2P Rating 4/5.0

Track Listing

Sound 80 Demos 1977
just as long as we're together

baby

soft and wet

my love is forever

we can work it out

make it through the storm

instrumental

just as long as we're together

1978-1979 Outtakes
wouldn't you love to love me

i miss you

donna

down a long lonely road

Instrumentals
16 tracks

Comments
Deane's Comments (rates this release 3.5/5.0)
I had three of these tracks, (Wouldn't You Love To Love Me, I Miss You , Donna) years ago on tape and never thought I'd get good, clean copies of them. The sound quality on all of these tracks is excellent. The Sound 80 session a nice document of the early Warner recordings. The second disc of this release is all instrumentals, which may or may not be Prince. A few tracks I am sure hope aren't him. Good packaging with an 4 page fold out.

Dale's Comments (rates this release 4.25/5.0)
Another excellent document of early Prince material. Although there is no information about the instrumentals, they sound like they are legit, and I have never heard a claim otherwise. With so few releases of early material, picking up releases like this is a no-brainer. Moonraker/Thunderball has recently been rerelasing tracks from this set, but I like having them together in more of a chronological order even if the sound quality is slightly lower. I get a kick out of hearing the ending of Make It Through The Storm, where Prince says, "Making music naturally, me and W B."

Mike's Comments (rates this release 4.75/5.0)
The stunning sound quality of these tracks suggests they were recorded in a proper studio rather than on to some cheap cassette recorder a la Work in progress, and if so these must be among the earliest Prince studio recordings in existence. Much of disc 1 is taken up with Prince's demos for his first album, and the perfectionist approach it is claimed he adopted for For you is evident throughout. There are a handful of unreleased songs as well, with 'We can work it out' and 'Make it through the storm' being the best of the bunch and easily up to the standard of some of the otherFor you tracks. The variety of instrumentals on disc 2 showcase Prince's versatility as he takes on rock, funk, ballads etc. All in all an extremely important and essential bootleg.

soulyacolia said:

thats some serious info there Squirrel! Thankyou would still like to know exactly which tracks are from which sessions on Sound 80 there's another 2 untitled instrumentals on the 'Untitled' portion of Studio Nights and again I have no idea of which sessions they are from! Most frustrating :@

Hopefully someone with a better knowledge than me of these early years will help explain which tracks are on that boot.