independent and unofficial
Prince fan community
Welcome! Sign up or enter username and password to remember me
Forum jump
Forums > Prince: Music and More > Prince and the Vocoder/Talk Box
« Previous topic  Next topic »
  New topic   Printable     (Log in to 'subscribe' to this topic)
Author

Tweet     Share

Message
Thread started 08/31/10 6:41am

mansep

Prince and the Vocoder/Talk Box

Helloo

I did a google search and forum search and couldn't find the answer so I thought I'd start a thread.

I was wondering if people knew which tracks Prince used either a Vocoder or a Talk Box for vocals. (I'm not asking about tracks using Auto-Tune, that's quite a different beast!)

I'll start the ball rolling with 'Too Sexy' by Sheila E

And if anyone knows what kind(s) of vocoder he uses that would be amazing. I'm guessing he at least had a Boss guitar pedal version
  - E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator
Reply #1 posted 08/31/10 6:49am

TheScouser

avatar

Welcome 2 the Dawn has a cool vocoder effect biggrin

  - E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator
Reply #2 posted 08/31/10 8:02am

ernestsewell

Just takes listening.

  - E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator
Reply #3 posted 08/31/10 8:05am

Efan

avatar

Do you mean Shortberry Strawcake? I didn't think Prince was on Too Sexy at all. But I could be wrong about that.

  - E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator
Reply #4 posted 08/31/10 10:26am

blueautumn

avatar

Efan said:

Do you mean Shortberry Strawcake? I didn't think Prince was on Too Sexy at all. But I could be wrong about that.


Really? Like.... Um, Too Sexy doesn't at all sound like prince does it?!?!?

I'm pretty sure it's all him and Sheila.
..."holding someone is truly believing"
  - E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator
Reply #5 posted 08/31/10 10:42am

Efan

avatar

blueautumn said:

Efan said:

Do you mean Shortberry Strawcake? I didn't think Prince was on Too Sexy at all. But I could be wrong about that.

Really? Like.... Um, Too Sexy doesn't at all sound like prince does it?!?!? I'm pretty sure it's all him and Sheila.

Lots of things sound like Prince, especially back then. If you read this thread (http://prince.org/msg/5/259943), for example, you'll see it's apparently Sheila, Stef B., Levi Seacer, and Benny R. doing Too Sexy.

[Edited 8/31/10 10:44am]

  - E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator
Reply #6 posted 08/31/10 10:51am

mansep

Efan said:

blueautumn said:

Efan said: Really? Like.... Um, Too Sexy doesn't at all sound like prince does it?!?!? I'm pretty sure it's all him and Sheila.

Lots of things sound like Prince, especially back then. If you read this thread (http://prince.org/msg/5/259943), for example, you'll see it's apparently Sheila, Stef B., Levi Seacer, and Benny R. doing Too Sexy.

[Edited 8/31/10 10:44am]

oh! i never realised that!

yeah i just checked the back of the 12" and it says "produced and arranged by Sheila E"

it's only Belle Of St Mark that has a Starr Company credit

good to know

  - E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator
Reply #7 posted 08/31/10 6:21pm

thesexofit

avatar

"Letitgo"

  - E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator
Reply #8 posted 08/31/10 9:13pm

DreZone

avatar

thesexofit said:

"Letitgo"

U referring to the "Come A Little Closer" during Ricky Petersons solo? May have to part company with U on that one.

Never really heard of the 'mighty' yet vertically challenged one use a talkbox nor vocoder to my knowledge...

I'm sure "Dance 2 The Music Of The World" (the final released version from 94East) uses a vocoder for the vocal halfway into the track.

Whether it's Prince or Pepe Willie tho' is totally debatable as the carrier sounds from either are usually from a synthesiser and NOT the human voice (beg forgiveness to those who know something about this already)...

I didn't think Boss make Talkboxes?confuse

Rocktron has the "banshee"

ElectroHarmonix had the "Golden Throat" (as used by the late great Roger Troutman)

Dunlop (yes Dunlop), have the "Heli"

Danelectro have the "Free Speech" (avoid)

Peter Frampton has the "Framptone"

I have a 'dreBox' talkbox that I made myself - and it ain't no 'Ghetto Talkbox' neither! mr.green

However, the only Boss Vocoder I am aware of is the SE-50 effect processor with a real good VOCODER, don't think that was realeased at the time of 94East tho'...

Possibly a Korg VC-10 which was popular around that period... hmmm

'dre

Tried many flavours - but sooner or later, always go back to the Purple Kool-aid!

http://facebook.com/thedrezoneofficial
Http://Twitter.com/thedrezone
  - E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator
Reply #9 posted 09/01/10 12:40am

mansep

Appreciate the insight DreZone! smile
Looks like I stand corrected on the Boss vocoder as well :/ haha. Sorry about that, I thought they had made one but I'm not an expert on it.

Yeah I read on the Wikipedia entry for the vocoder that Prince used one, but then couldn't actually recall which tracks he may have used one on. Hence this thread.
  - E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator
Reply #10 posted 09/01/10 5:33am

twistee

It first [as far as I know] appears on Daddy Pop (after "talk guitar, talk!").

Then - as someone said - on Letitgo.

Vocorder on "My Computer."

Talkbox later on “I’ll Never B Another Fool” (Chaka Khan ‘Come 2 My House’ 1998).

Why - what's your interest?

Strange that it took him so long to start using it.

  - E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator
Reply #11 posted 09/01/10 6:44am

Efan

avatar

So, what is he using on Erotic City?

  - E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator
Reply #12 posted 09/01/10 7:18am

twistee

Efan said:

So, what is he using on Erotic City?

I hear pitch-shifting (by speeding up tape).

Talkbox I still don't hear until Daddy Pop, but vocorder probably on Automatic (3:58).

Some interesting related effects:

1999 intro

WDC intro

  - E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator
Reply #13 posted 09/01/10 7:50am

DreZone

avatar

twistee said:

Efan said:

So, what is he using on Erotic City?

I hear pitch-shifting (by speeding up tape).

Talkbox I still don't hear until Daddy Pop, but vocorder probably on Automatic (3:58).

Some interesting related effects:

1999 intro

WDC intro

I thought that was just him scatting over his guitar licks on "Daddy pop" during said segment?

I think people are getting confused with multi-layered tape-stretched recordings of his voice.

I still declare "Dance 2 The Music Of The World" an option!

'dre

Tried many flavours - but sooner or later, always go back to the Purple Kool-aid!

http://facebook.com/thedrezoneofficial
Http://Twitter.com/thedrezone
  - E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator
Reply #14 posted 09/01/10 8:37am

cb70

You got what sounds like one around the Batman era (both released and unreleased songs). It's a heavily distorted guitar sound but you can hear the vowel sounds P is making.

  - E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator
Reply #15 posted 09/03/10 3:52pm

blueautumn

avatar

Efan said:

blueautumn said:

Efan said: Really? Like.... Um, Too Sexy doesn't at all sound like prince does it?!?!? I'm pretty sure it's all him and Sheila.

Lots of things sound like Prince, especially back then. If you read this thread (http://prince.org/msg/5/259943), for example, you'll see it's apparently Sheila, Stef B., Levi Seacer, and Benny R. doing Too Sexy.

[Edited 8/31/10 10:44am]

Well okay then... hmmm.... hmmm

..."holding someone is truly believing"
  - E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator
  New topic   Printable     (Log in to 'subscribe' to this topic)
« Previous topic  Next topic »
Forums > Prince: Music and More > Prince and the Vocoder/Talk Box