the collaborations live & studio, the rumors, the expectations, the respect & reflection, the influence, the myths, your stories ...

Crucial, Dinner Party March 24,1987 Can I Play With U? -Red Riding Hood, Madhouse, New Years Eve 1987 @ Paisley Park, -mILes At tHE pARK, tracks destined 4 Tutu & Doo-Bop, Miles Davis Plays Prince, A Couple of Miles, Sticky Wicked, ...silent track in memory of Miles

"When Miles says something about you like that, I guess it makes it all worthwhile.” -Prince

Miles Davis 1985 Prince on his Purple Reign 1985

"Oh my God. I’m hearing my saxophone and Miles’s trumpet on the same song,” -Eric Leeds

Cool

thank U..

Very.......very interesting.

Initial tracking took place on 13 September, 1986 at Prince's Galpin Blvd Home Studio in Chanhassen, MN, USA (four days after the end of the Parade Tour in Japan, the day before recording Coco Boys); this version missed the guitar solo. Eric Leeds added a saxophone part on 6 November, 1986 (the day after sequencing the Camille album), at Sunset Sound, Hollywood, CA, USA, at Prince's request, but when Prince heard it, he let Leeds know that the main saxophone solo was in the place where the guitar solo would be, so the saxophone solo was discarded when Prince recorded the guitar solo in early-to-mid November, at Sunset Sound The song was written specifically for the planned musical The Dawn, which was ultimately abandoned, and the song was never intended for any of Prince's many late-1986 album projects (although the album notes in Crystal Ball state that it was intended for Sign O' The Times and was replaced by Adore). It is believed that the version used for release on Crystal Ball was edited in 1997, although this has not been confirmed. -PrinceVault

Miles Davis did not perform on this track ... Or did he?

Crucial

Baby, U got 2 be from a different world
Cuz just one look from U could make an army surrender
Baby, U got 2 rescue me girl, girl
Prisoner in love with the opposite gender

I ain't sayin' U're better, baby
But I ain't sayin' U're not
I ain't sayin' anything until U stop
Playin' the forth and back
Cuz baby, I need a jack of all trades
And a mind and body well made, ooh

CHORUS:
Crucial
Baby, our love has got 2 be crucial
Everything from A 2 Z
Crucial
U got 2 show me everything, everything, everything

(La, la, la...)
La, la, la, la, la

Is that Old Man River knockin' at your door
Sayin' that we got 2 let more than our feelings show?
Baby, 2night don't hold nothin' back, I know U got some more
I'll give U mine if U give me yours

I ain't sayin' U're better, baby
I ain't sayin' U're not
I ain't sayin' anything until U stop
Playin' the forth and back
Cuz baby I, baby I need a jack 4 all trades
And a mind and body well made, ooh

CHORUS

(La, la, la...)
La, la, la, la, la

Is that it?

And when Davis played live, notably between 1987

and probably until he died in 1991,

Prince’s Movie Star and Penetration were included in his setlist.

Track 01. Hopscotch, A Love Bizarre (snippet) [Pescara, Italy, 1986-07-27] (2.3MB)
Track 02. Movie Star [Lugano, Switzerland, 1987-07-01] (11.0MB)
Track 03. Movie Star [Montreux, Switzerland, 1988-07-07] - Omitted*
Track 04. One Phone Call, Street Scenes, America [Munich, Germany, 1987-07-18] (17.0MB)
Track 05. Movie Star [Munich, Germany, 1987-07-18] (10.4MB)
Track 06. Movie Star [Hamburg, Germany, 1987-11-24] (9.4MB)
Track 07. Penetration [Hamburg, Germany, 1991-06-28] (12.0MB)
Track 08. Movie Star [Nice, France, 1987-07-11] (10.4MB)
Track 09. Movie Star [Miramas, France, 1988-02-16] (9.0MB)
Track 10. Penetration [Paris, France, 1991-07-10] (12.6MB)
Track 11. Full Nelson, A Love Bizarre [Oslo, Norway, 1987-10-27] (6.6MB)
Track 12. Movie Star (incomplete) [Oslo, Norway, 1987-10-27] (8.0MB)
Track 13. Movie Star [Copenhagen, Denmark, 1988-10-17]

Miles Davis discusses Prince

Prince has a,

has James Brown

...his father took him 2 C James Brown,

when he was young, he got on stage and danced with him,

he has that and Jimi Hendrix and Marvin Gaye,

...

that's 4 things,

James brown Jimi Hendrix Marvin Gaye

and he combines all that all the time that's what he is,

His concept on the stage is like Charlie Chaplin, if you look at him you'll see, U know? you can tell

...

but Prince's concept is James Brown and Jimi Hendrix and Charlie Chaplin

and can't you mess with that ...

James Brown +Jimi Hendrix + Marvin Gaye + Charlie Chaplin = Prince

OldFriends4Sale said:

Initial tracking took place on 13 September, 1986 at Prince's Galpin Blvd Home Studio in Chanhassen, MN, USA (four days after the end of the Parade Tour in Japan, the day before recording Coco Boys); this version missed the guitar solo. Eric Leeds added a saxophone part on 6 November, 1986 (the day after sequencing the Camille album), at Sunset Sound, Hollywood, CA, USA, at Prince's request, but when Prince heard it, he let Leeds know that the main saxophone solo was in the place where the guitar solo would be, so the saxophone solo was discarded when Prince recorded the guitar solo in early-to-mid November, at Sunset Sound The song was written specifically for the planned musical The Dawn, which was ultimately abandoned, and the song was never intended for any of Prince's many late-1986 album projects (although the album notes in Crystal Ball state that it was intended for Sign O' The Times and was replaced by Adore). It is believed that the version used for release on Crystal Ball was edited in 1997, although this has not been confirmed. -PrinceVault

Miles Davis did not perform on this track ... Or did he?

1		The H Man	5:13
2		Red Riding Hood	3:53
3		Fantastic	4:49
4		Crucial (Extended Version)	7:31
5		Break My Heart	3:04
6		Can't Stop	2:07
7		We Can Funk	5:30
8		Welcome	3:20
9		Witness	4:00
10		Crucial (Normal Version)	7:20
11		Sexual Suicide	3:37
12		Girl In My Dreams	1:27

The track "Red Riding Hood" is also known as "Can I Play with U?" and "The H Man" is actually the Miles Davis track "Amandla". "Can't Stop" is a shorter version of Prince's "Can't Stop This Feeling I've Got" on the album "Graffiti Bridge", issued in 1990.

What do you mean, "Or did he?" There's no trumpet on the either version.

Are you trying to ressurect old myths?

TwiliteKid said:

OldFriends4Sale said:

Miles Davis did not perform on this track ... Or did he?

1		The H Man	5:13
2		Red Riding Hood	3:53
3		Fantastic	4:49
4		Crucial (Extended Version)	7:31
5		Break My Heart	3:04
6		Can't Stop	2:07
7		We Can Funk	5:30
8		Welcome	3:20
9		Witness	4:00
10		Crucial (Normal Version)	7:20
11		Sexual Suicide	3:37
12		Girl In My Dreams	1:27

What do you mean, "Or did he?" There's no trumpet on the either version.

Are you trying to ressurect old myths?

Just having fun with it

TLM: How did Prince view Miles?

Alan Leeds: Eric joined the band in the middle of the Purple Rain tour and quickly became friends with [guitarist] Wendy Melvoin and [keyboardist] Lisa Coleman, who were familiar with jazz. Gradually they began turning Prince into this kind of music- he had little first hand knowledge of jazz.

This was during 1984/85. They made it their own project of turning Prince onto different kinds of music. Eric would give him jazz records and turned Prince on to Sketches of Spain and Kind of Blue and other stuff.

Gradually the three of them had an impact on Prince and he felt that he needed to know this music and figure out what he liked and didn't like. He had a very genuine interest in expanding his musical curiosity. Young black guys were attracted to Miles because of his politics - he was an icon. I think as Prince learnt more about Miles he started to see some of himself in Miles.

He was fascinated with Miles and used to ask Eric about stories about Miles and he'd share recordings with him. He'd show him video recordings and Prince would be fascinated and say 'look at the way Miles is standing.' - he was just studying his moves or his posture. There was a real fascination with the iconic aspect of Miles.

TLM: Can you describe the first time they met?

Alan Leeds: To my knowledge, it was at Los Angeles airport and according to my diaries it was December 7 1985. I was with Prince and we had been in San Francisco and were flying back to LA. We got off the plane and were walking to baggage airside and towards where Prince's driver was waiting. And as we were walking through baggage claim I spotted Miles Davis and I poked Prince in the ribs and pointed. I introduced myself and it ended up with Prince getting into Miles's car, which was parked a little in front of his. I didn't get in with him and they sat and chatted for twenty minutes or so and swapped phone numbers.

Prior to this, Miles had signed with Warner Bros and I'm sure there had been some conversation with Warner executives about the possibility of him doing something with Miles. We knew Miles had aspirations beyond the jazz category, and so it was a no-brainer to think 'We've got Miles and Prince under one roof, let's get them together.'

It just made perfect sense. Prince had recently discovered Miles's music and his history and had a kind of falling in love with him as an icon to the same level as James Brown. He even began with Eric's help to rearrange some of the music, putting in jazz-based segues. There was actually a break between two of Prince's song where they would do "Now Is The Time".

That led to Prince and Eric doing this Madhouse album [a jazz-influenced project]. So all of sudden Prince decided this was the music he should spend a little time on and thus began a second Madhouse album. So all of this was in the orbit when Miles intersects with the camp. The jazz radar was at its peak in the Prince camp when Miles intersected with the camp.

Miles Davis discusses Prince

Prince has a,

has James Brown

...his father took him 2 C James Brown,

when he was young, he got on stage and danced with him,

he has that and Jimi Hendrix and Marvin Gaye,

...

that's 4 things,

James brown Jimi Hendrix Marvin Gaye

and he combines all that all the time that's what he is,

His concept on the stage is like Charlie Chaplin, if you look at him you'll see, U know? you can tell

...

but Prince's concept is James Brown and Jimi Hendrix and Charlie Chaplin

and can't you mess with that ...

James Brown +Jimi Hendrix + Marvin Gaye + Charlie Chaplin = Prince

OldFriends4Sale said:

I love Prince's tribute to Miles...."Miles Not Dead"....

That's a fascinating period, and it's great to read some of the scant background to how Miles and Prince interacted. I wonder if Prince had much fan adulation as he walked through LA airport...to be able to approach Miles like that, spontaneously, sounds surprising but it's good to hear he wasn't mobbed..otherwise the meeting may not have happened.

Big Chick was a hard man to ignore, let alone Prince wearing all of his lace (presumably in Dec '85 he still was..). I sure wish people had camera phones back then.

Scotsman1999 said:

That's a fascinating period, and it's great to read some of the scant background to how Miles and Prince interacted. I wonder if Prince had much fan adulation as he walked through LA airport...to be able to approach Miles like that, spontaneously, sounds surprising but it's good to hear he wasn't mobbed..otherwise the meeting may not have happened.

Big Chick was a hard man to ignore, let alone Prince wearing all of his lace (presumably in Dec '85 he still was..). I sure wish people had camera phones back then.

There is always the more 'surface' Prince experience, then their are all these wonderful background things happening and intermediate periods, transitions from 1 era 2 another

I wish like Miles Prince at least had Clare Fischer and orchestra on stage with him once during the Parade era

Yeah the late 70's and 1980's was the best time 4 camera phone usage

Sticky Wicked is the fifth track on Chaka Khan's eighth solo studio album CK. The track was written, produced and largely performed by Prince, marking his first contribution to studio work by Chaka Khan. In 2011, it was included as the seventh track on the fifth and final disc of the Miles Davis compilation The Warner Years: 1986-1991, due to his appearance on the track.

Initial tracking took place on 11 June, 1988 at Paisley Park Studios, Chanhassen, MN, USA (two days after recording Pink Cashmere, Pickle and an entirely-unrelated instrumental, initially also called Sticky Wicked, but later released by Eric Leeds as Times Squared, and two days before Eric Leeds recorded overdubs for that same instrumental). Eric Leeds and Atlanta Bliss recorded horn overdubs onto the track before it was sent to Chaka Khan (specific recording details for their overdubs are not known). Khan then recorded vocal overdubs in June, 1988 (studio details are not known, although the album credits list multiple locations for the album's recording). She then sent the track to Miles Davis, who recorded trumpet overdubs on 29 June, 1988 at The Hit Factory, New York, NY, USA, New York, NY, USA. It was included as the 33rd track on a 2001 6CD configuration of the Warner Bros. compilation of Miles Davis work titled The Last Word, but the track was not included on the eventual 2-disc 2010 release, titled Perfect Way.

This is the only released track to feature both Prince and Miles Davis (the two had previously collaborated on the unreleased track Can I Play With U?, although the collaboration did not take place in the studio, and Prince himself may not have had any input on Davis' trumpet work).

One of the two tracks not to be produced by Russ Titelman was the funky and improvisational "Sticky Wicked", Khan's first proper collaboration with Prince after having covered his "I Feel for You" in 1984 and turning it into a million-selling hit single. CK also includes a second Prince composition, "Eternity" (produced by David Frank and Khan herself),

1) Signed, Sealed, Delivered (I'm Yours) 4:45

2) Soul Talkin' 4:16

3) It's My Party 5:11

4) Eternity 4:03

5) Sticky Wicked 6:54

Eric Leeds - saxophone Atlanta Bliss - trumpet Miles Davis - trumpet

6) The End Of A Love Affair 5:10

7) Baby Me 4:04

8) Make It Last 4:47

9) Where Are You Tonite 4:54

10) I'll Be Around 5:20

Miles Davis - trumpet

(Prince)
[Chorus:]
Carmel-coated pseudo happy
Call her sticky wicked
Will she answer agin today or pray that love'll kick it?

Kick it love, see her little baby
Hey girl, she don't remember your name
Kick it love, mama gettin' busy
Got no time 4 games

Sticky wicked
She just got a pair of tickets to the opera in her mind
No applause, no encore if she dies

[Chorus]

Kick it love, visions of her childhood
When her heart was gold
Sticky wicked
Tell me people what reason's good enough 2
Die before U're old? Kick it love, covenants of promise lay before your eyes
Stick wicked will trick U, lick U, then it kicks you aside!

[Chorus]

People crashing in the middle of the day
When U wake up sticky wicked don't go away
Sticky wicked
Pretty stick wicked

(Scenario of a mother who can't remember her daughter's name)
Hey little baby, what's your name?
Oh ain't she cute?
Mama got 2 run today
I don't have time 4 games
No don't worry about me, I'm alright
I'm alright, I'm alright

Carmel-coated pseudo happy
Call her sticky wicked
People crashing in the middle of the day
When U wake up sticky wicked don't go away
If U want it, help is here today
There's a better God, don't U wanna play?

Sticky wicked, love'll kick it
Sticky wicked, love'll kick it

TLM: Miles appears on Prince’s song “Sticky Wicked”, along with Prince Chaka Khan. But I gather the song wasn’t written with Miles in mind.

Eric Leeds: When Prince had the track up and Matt Blistan and I did the horn parts I can’t recall Prince making any mention about Miles, although he did say he’d written it for Chaka. Interestingly enough, the title “Sticky Wicked” had been applied to a different song, which was actually the title song of my first album Times Squared. I heard the track and asked Prince if I could work on it for my album and he said yes. And then a couple of weeks later, we were working on this track for Chaka and I asked what the name of it was and he said “Sticky Wicked!” Later on when we were on the road he said “Listen to this.” It was the finished track and Miles was on it. That was the song that got me officially into the Miles Davis discography! It was a much better track and much better utilisation of his horn than on “Can I Play With U?” It was a cool little song.

Miles Davis 1986 Prince 1986 (Parade tour)

missed chances

Prince in 1986 Miles in YUGOSLAVIA 1986

New Years Eve Party December 31. 1987

"Miles 2 Nowhere"
Paisley Park Chanhassen

Sheila E's New Years outfit,

1.Shela Drum solo
2.Hot Thing
3.If I Was Your Girlfriend
4.Let's Go Crazy/Land of 100 Dances
5.When Doves Cry
6.Purple Rain/Auld Lang Syne
7.1999
8.U Got The Look
9.It's Gonna Be A Beautiful Night
10.Miles Davis solo

11. 6

12. Housequake

13.Chain Of Fools/Cold Sweat/Mother Popcorn
14.Interlude/Take The A-Train

15. Housequake
16.Funky Man/Alphabet St
/Cold Sweat
/Float Like A Butterfly. Sting
Like A Life/Housequake
17.It's Gonna Be A Beautiful Night
18. Movie Star

19. Miles Is Not Dead

My two favourite artists of all time. I got into Prince partly from being a huge Miles fan and reading in his autobiography about his love for Prince. I was like "What? Miles likes that skinny mofo with the high voice??"! It made me take notice of him. And the rest is history.

OldFriends4Sale said:

1		The H Man	5:13
2		Red Riding Hood	3:53
3		Fantastic	4:49
4		Crucial (Extended Version)	7:31
5		Break My Heart	3:04
6		Can't Stop	2:07
7		We Can Funk	5:30
8		Welcome	3:20
9		Witness	4:00
10		Crucial (Normal Version)	7:20
11		Sexual Suicide	3:37
12		Girl In My Dreams	1:27

The track "Red Riding Hood" is also known as "Can I Play with U?" and "The H Man" is actually the Miles Davis track "Amandla". "Can't Stop" is a shorter version of Prince's "Can't Stop This Feeling I've Got" on the album "Graffiti Bridge", issued in 1990.

must have played this one the most

you got your boots on

love reading the stories

[Edited 12/14/12 18:44pm]

OldFriends4Sale said:

New Years Eve Party December 31. 1987

"Miles 2 Nowhere"
Paisley Park Chanhassen

1.Shela Drum solo
2.Hot Thing
3.If I Was Your Girlfriend
4.Let's Go Crazy/Land of 100 Dances
5.When Doves Cry
6.Purple Rain/Auld Lang Syne
7.1999
8.U Got The Look
9.It's Gonna Be A Beautiful Night
10.Miles Davis solo

11. 6

12. Housequake

13.Chain Of Fools/Cold Sweat/Mother Popcorn
14.Interlude/Take The A-Train

15. Housequake
16.Funky Man/Alphabet St
/Cold Sweat
/Float Like A Butterfly. Sting
Like A Life/Housequake
17.It's Gonna Be A Beautiful Night
18. Movie Star

19. Miles Is Not Dead

What do the titles in Purple signify?

Great thread, keep it coming! It would have been lovely if they had ever done and released an album together.

Off topic: that picture of Sheila E in that black one legged catsuit is just too sexy!!!

rap said:

OldFriends4Sale said:

New Years Eve Party December 31. 1987

"Miles 2 Nowhere"
Paisley Park Chanhassen

1.Shela Drum solo
2.Hot Thing
3.If I Was Your Girlfriend
4.Let's Go Crazy/Land of 100 Dances
5.When Doves Cry
6.Purple Rain/Auld Lang Syne
7.1999
8.U Got The Look
9.It's Gonna Be A Beautiful Night
10.Miles Davis solo

11. 6

12. Housequake

13.Chain Of Fools/Cold Sweat/Mother Popcorn
14.Interlude/Take The A-Train

15. Housequake
16.Funky Man/Alphabet St
/Cold Sweat
/Float Like A Butterfly. Sting
Like A Life/Housequake
17.It's Gonna Be A Beautiful Night
18. Movie Star

19. Miles Is Not Dead

What do the titles in Purple signify?

Sign of the Times album songs?

KoolEaze said:

rap said:

What do the titles in Purple signify?

Sign of the Times album songs?

Was SOTT played/filmed at that concert as I have not come accross it??

I never really understood what made the relationship between these 2 so fascinating to everyone back the and until now. Prince collaborated with many other Afro-American icons, starting with James Brown, George Clinton and Stevie Wonder, but people didn't trip on this. And Prince's musical relationship to Miles wasn't really a big thing: 2 studio collabs without even being in the studio together, a single live performance together, Miles covering 2 unreleased Prince songs live and that's pretty much it. It's not as if they'd recorded a full album or something.

So what? Where did all the hype come from in the first place?

databank said:

I never really understood what made the relationship between these 2 so fascinating to everyone back the and until now. Prince collaborated with many other Afro-American icons, starting with James Brown, George Clinton and Stevie Wonder, but people didn't trip on this. And Prince's musical relationship to Miles wasn't really a big thing: 2 studio collabs without even being in the studio together, a single live performance together, Miles covering 2 unreleased Prince songs live and that's pretty much it. It's not as if they'd recorded a full album or something.

So what? Where did all the hype come from in the first place?

So true. I guess it has more to do with the similarities between them, their mutual respect and legend status, their eccentricities, both are Geminis, both were womanizers and unpredictable etc. etc. etc.

I never understood the fascination either.

By the way, I don´t think Prince ever collaborated with James Brown, except for that little incident with MJ....which can hardly be considered a collaboration.