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Thread started 01/12/14 5:20am

Controversy

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The Sex of it

Great track and very underrated imo.
Not spoken about on the org much.
Discuss.
I just can't believe all the things people say !
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Reply #1 posted 01/12/14 9:44am

luvsexy4all

another tragic giveaway...

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Reply #2 posted 01/12/14 10:40am

databank

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A funny story Eric once told in an interview about The Sex Of It:

August Darnell had met Prince in a club in Europe suring the SOTT tour and asked him if he could give him a song and Prince said OK.

Eric, unaware of this, was really tripping on Kid Creole And The Coconuts' music, particularly their 1987 release I, Too, Have Seen The Woods.

One day, Eric came to Paisley Park and Prince had just recorded The Sex Of It and when the engineer let Eric listen to it, unaware of what P had in mind for that track he said "I'm gonna record horns on that, and if P doesn't like it he can leave it out I don't care", and so he did. Eric composed the horns arrangements with Kid Creole's last album in mind and he tried to make it sound like a Kid Creole song.

The next day Prince listened to that and told Eric -who didn't mention anything about Kid Creole- that he liked it and was gonna keep it and when Eric asked him "what are you going to do with that song?" he said "I'm gonna send it to Kid Creole" lol lol lol

After that Prince just... forgot to send the track for 2 years because he was too busy falloff and when he finally did in 89, Kid Creole's new album was about to be released and the record company decided to postpone the release until Darnell could add his vocals and add the song to the album, which was finally released in 1990 with the song as its lead single, which eventually became one of the band's biggest hits.

[Edited 1/12/14 10:43am]

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Reply #3 posted 01/12/14 2:47pm

theblueangel

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Absolutely love this song!!!

No confusion, no tears. No enemies, no fear. No sorrow, no pain. No ball, no chain.

Sex is not love. Love is not sex. Putting words in other people's mouths will only get you elected.

Need more sleep than coke or methamphetamine.
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Reply #4 posted 01/12/14 3:45pm

OnlyNDaUsa

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I remember reading about this song in some interview... I want to say the 85 Rolling Stone...but that seems too early. But I do know it was one of the songs I was looking forward to hearing...i wish i could remember the the other one. But I had to before summer 86. I think Princevault is mistaken...

The reason I think it was 86 was because i put that on a shirt i had to design for a class. I am pretty sure it was 86 as we moved that summer and I think that was the class of a girl named Lisa I liked.

but I guess it could have been at the new school... but where would I have heard that song title? *maybe 900 PRN 1999?

[Edited 1/12/14 15:54pm]

"Keep on shilling for Big Pharm!"
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Reply #5 posted 01/12/14 8:42pm

NoVideo

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I love this track! Prince's version is highly funky and I wish he'd used it himself.

* * *

Prince's Classic Finally Expanded
The Deluxe 'Purple Rain' Reissue

http://www.popmatters.com...n-reissue/
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Reply #6 posted 01/13/14 6:28am

databank

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OnlyNDaUsa said:

I remember reading about this song in some interview... I want to say the 85 Rolling Stone...but that seems too early. But I do know it was one of the songs I was looking forward to hearing...i wish i could remember the the other one. But I had to before summer 86. I think Princevault is mistaken...

The reason I think it was 86 was because i put that on a shirt i had to design for a class. I am pretty sure it was 86 as we moved that summer and I think that was the class of a girl named Lisa I liked.

but I guess it could have been at the new school... but where would I have heard that song title? *maybe 900 PRN 1999?

[Edited 1/12/14 15:54pm]

Eric clearly said that the song had been recorded after I, Too, Have Seen The Wood had been released, i.e. 1987. + the data from Princevault partly comes from logs Prince's musicians kept of recording sessions, including Eric Leeds IIRC, so there's very little reason to believe Princevault to be mistaken here. I think the song was unheard of before it was played live for the first (and only) time in September 1987. I don't know when the rehearsal leaked (before or after Kid Creole's version was released?) but I doubt anyone save maybe a few elite fans even knew about it before either the rehearsal leaked or Kid Creole announced it'd be on his next album in 89 or 90.

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Reply #7 posted 01/13/14 9:29am

OnlyNDaUsa

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databank said:

OnlyNDaUsa said:

I remember reading about this song in some interview... I want to say the 85 Rolling Stone...but that seems too early. But I do know it was one of the songs I was looking forward to hearing...i wish i could remember the the other one. But I had to before summer 86. I think Princevault is mistaken...

The reason I think it was 86 was because i put that on a shirt i had to design for a class. I am pretty sure it was 86 as we moved that summer and I think that was the class of a girl named Lisa I liked.

but I guess it could have been at the new school... but where would I have heard that song title? *maybe 900 PRN 1999?

[Edited 1/12/14 15:54pm]

Eric clearly said that the song had been recorded after I, Too, Have Seen The Wood had been released, i.e. 1987. + the data from Princevault partly comes from logs Prince's musicians kept of recording sessions, including Eric Leeds IIRC, so there's very little reason to believe Princevault to be mistaken here. I think the song was unheard of before it was played live for the first (and only) time in September 1987. I don't know when the rehearsal leaked (before or after Kid Creole's version was released?) but I doubt anyone save maybe a few elite fans even knew about it before either the rehearsal leaked or Kid Creole announced it'd be on his next album in 89 or 90.

I guess it could have been fall 87. I know i put that title on a tee shirt we had to make for a class. And I graduated that December. But where and how would I have heard of it. I was not even thinking about bootlegs at the time. But like I said there were those 1 -900 numbers.

"Keep on shilling for Big Pharm!"
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Reply #8 posted 01/13/14 10:44am

databank

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OnlyNDaUsa said:

databank said:

Eric clearly said that the song had been recorded after I, Too, Have Seen The Wood had been released, i.e. 1987. + the data from Princevault partly comes from logs Prince's musicians kept of recording sessions, including Eric Leeds IIRC, so there's very little reason to believe Princevault to be mistaken here. I think the song was unheard of before it was played live for the first (and only) time in September 1987. I don't know when the rehearsal leaked (before or after Kid Creole's version was released?) but I doubt anyone save maybe a few elite fans even knew about it before either the rehearsal leaked or Kid Creole announced it'd be on his next album in 89 or 90.

I guess it could have been fall 87. I know i put that title on a tee shirt we had to make for a class. And I graduated that December. But where and how would I have heard of it. I was not even thinking about bootlegs at the time. But like I said there were those 1 -900 numbers.

I'm very much intrigued by that as it didn't xist in France. What'd happen when u'd call these numbers?

A COMPREHENSIVE PRINCE DISCOGRAPHY (work in progress ^^): https://sites.google.com/...scography/
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Reply #9 posted 01/13/14 11:18am

nayroo2002

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databank said:

OnlyNDaUsa said:

I guess it could have been fall 87. I know i put that title on a tee shirt we had to make for a class. And I graduated that December. But where and how would I have heard of it. I was not even thinking about bootlegs at the time. But like I said there were those 1 -900 numbers.

I'm very much intrigued by that as it didn't xist in France. What'd happen when u'd call these numbers?

Did it just get weird in here?

"Whatever skin we're in
we all need 2 b friends"
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Reply #10 posted 01/14/14 3:02pm

BartVanHemelen

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databank said:

After that Prince just... forgot to send the track for 2 years because he was too busy falloff and when he finally did in 89, Kid Creole's new album was about to be released and the record company decided to postpone the release until Darnell could add his vocals and add the song to the album, which was finally released in 1990 with the song as its lead single, which eventually became one of the band's biggest hits.

[Edited 1/12/14 10:43am]

"One of the band's biggest hits" -- that's utter nonsense. The track barely charted.

© Bart Van Hemelen
This posting is provided AS IS with no warranties, and confers no rights.
It is not authorized by Prince or the NPG Music Club. You assume all risk for
your use. All rights reserved.
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Reply #11 posted 01/14/14 3:41pm

OnlyNDaUsa

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databank said:

OnlyNDaUsa said:

I guess it could have been fall 87. I know i put that title on a tee shirt we had to make for a class. And I graduated that December. But where and how would I have heard of it. I was not even thinking about bootlegs at the time. But like I said there were those 1 -900 numbers.

I'm very much intrigued by that as it didn't xist in France. What'd happen when u'd call these numbers?

oh... they were just rumors and news and stuff. Later one of them played the Black Album...

here is a topic on the it http://prince.org/msg/7/385437

"Keep on shilling for Big Pharm!"
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Reply #12 posted 01/14/14 11:10pm

databank

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BartVanHemelen said:

databank said:

After that Prince just... forgot to send the track for 2 years because he was too busy falloff and when he finally did in 89, Kid Creole's new album was about to be released and the record company decided to postpone the release until Darnell could add his vocals and add the song to the album, which was finally released in 1990 with the song as its lead single, which eventually became one of the band's biggest hits.

[Edited 1/12/14 10:43am]

"One of the band's biggest hits" -- that's utter nonsense. The track barely charted.

Kid Creole and The Cocunuts never had huge hits, and they were more popular in UK than in their own USA. By their standards the fact that a song would enter the Top 100 was quite an achievement. Coati Mundi expressed numerous times his frustration regarding this situation: they were famous, they were touring the world but in the end he didn't make enough money to get out of his small NY appartment and get a decent place to live. The reason was that despite critical acclaim record sales weren't too strong.

A COMPREHENSIVE PRINCE DISCOGRAPHY (work in progress ^^): https://sites.google.com/...scography/
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Reply #13 posted 01/14/14 11:11pm

databank

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OnlyNDaUsa said:

databank said:

I'm very much intrigued by that as it didn't xist in France. What'd happen when u'd call these numbers?

oh... they were just rumors and news and stuff. Later one of them played the Black Album...

here is a topic on the it http://prince.org/msg/7/385437

thx smile

A COMPREHENSIVE PRINCE DISCOGRAPHY (work in progress ^^): https://sites.google.com/...scography/
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Reply #14 posted 01/15/14 3:09am

NouveauDance

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nayroo2002 said:

databank said:

I'm very much intrigued by that as it didn't xist in France. What'd happen when u'd call these numbers?

Did it just get weird in here?

giggle Not THOSE 1-900 numbers!

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Reply #15 posted 01/15/14 3:14am

thedance

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The Sex Of It.. yeah very funky track.. I like the Kid Creole version.

And the long Prince rehearsal too. (demo?)

Prince 4Ever. heart
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Reply #16 posted 01/15/14 3:22am

thedance

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databank said:

BartVanHemelen said:

"One of the band's biggest hits" -- that's utter nonsense. The track barely charted.

Kid Creole and The Cocunuts never had huge hits, and they were more popular in UK than in their own USA. By their standards the fact that a song would enter the Top 100 was quite an achievement. Coati Mundi expressed numerous times his frustration regarding this situation: they were famous, they were touring the world but in the end he didn't make enough money to get out of his small NY appartment and get a decent place to live. The reason was that despite critical acclaim record sales weren't too strong.

^ "Oh Annie, I'm Not Your Daddy" was a big hit for Kid Creole (IIRC).

Prince 4Ever. heart
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Reply #17 posted 01/15/14 3:54am

databank

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thedance said:

databank said:

Kid Creole and The Cocunuts never had huge hits, and they were more popular in UK than in their own USA. By their standards the fact that a song would enter the Top 100 was quite an achievement. Coati Mundi expressed numerous times his frustration regarding this situation: they were famous, they were touring the world but in the end he didn't make enough money to get out of his small NY appartment and get a decent place to live. The reason was that despite critical acclaim record sales weren't too strong.

^ "Oh Annie, I'm Not Your Daddy" was a big hit for Kid Creole (IIRC).

Only in Europe and mostly in UK where that album spun 3 top-10 songs, but these singles were largely ignored in the US. I remember in France their non-album single "Pepito" had some success in 88 and a few songs got decent radio airplay thoughout the 80's but most people didn't know that band at all. By 1990 they were completely ignored and no one in France ever even heard The Sex Of It. Tropical Gangsters (titled Wise guy in America), which featured Annie, was by far their most successful album but it was more a one-hit wonder thing than anything else. Overall they were mostly a hipster thing, not a mainstream success, which is a pity because they were one of the most creative band of the era, also releasing numerous side-projects in the late 70's and early 80's. Both August Darnell and Coati Mundi were quite bitter about that (and to some extent still are to this day).

A COMPREHENSIVE PRINCE DISCOGRAPHY (work in progress ^^): https://sites.google.com/...scography/
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Reply #18 posted 01/15/14 8:16am

KCOOLMUZIQ

Eye remember seeing Prince per4rm this song live, at his legendary surprise show after the MTV Video Awards in 1987. He blew me away with it! Eye remember wanting him to release it....

eye will ALWAYS think of prince like a "ACT OF GOD"! N another realm. eye mean of all people who might of been aliens or angels.if found out that prince wasn't of this earth, eye would not have been that surprised. R.I.P. prince
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Reply #19 posted 01/16/14 7:54am

Scotsman1999

I do remember 'Stool Pigeon' being a commonly heard track on the radio when I got my own personal radio back in 1982. Kid Creole were a well known band that year. I'm surprised they didn't break the USA to any great extent for the UK were very receptive and their songs were catchy.

I do think TSOI deserved a higher chart position than it achieved - possibly because the band had been out of the limelight for some time before it's release.

"I'm much too hot to be cool"
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Reply #20 posted 01/16/14 8:34am

databank

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KCOOLMUZIQ said:

Eye remember seeing Prince per4rm this song live, at his legendary surprise show after the MTV Video Awards in 1987. He blew me away with it! Eye remember wanting him to release it....

eek eek U lucky bastard! biggrin biggrin

A COMPREHENSIVE PRINCE DISCOGRAPHY (work in progress ^^): https://sites.google.com/...scography/
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Reply #21 posted 01/16/14 8:37am

databank

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Scotsman1999 said:

I do remember 'Stool Pigeon' being a commonly heard track on the radio when I got my own personal radio back in 1982. Kid Creole were a well known band that year. I'm surprised they didn't break the USA to any great extent for the UK were very receptive and their songs were catchy.

I do think TSOI deserved a higher chart position than it achieved - possibly because the band had been out of the limelight for some time before it's release.

Well there was little room for that kinda music in the synth n drum machines dominated 80's. Wise Guy/Tropical Gangsters was more commercial than the rest, at the request of the label, and also happening in the early 80's before synths and drum machines completely took over, and that paid off to some extent, but their music was too sophisticated maybe, or too organic to seduce the masses.

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Reply #22 posted 01/16/14 9:27am

KCOOLMUZIQ

databank said:

KCOOLMUZIQ said:

Eye remember seeing Prince per4rm this song live, at his legendary surprise show after the MTV Video Awards in 1987. He blew me away with it! Eye remember wanting him to release it....

eek eek U lucky bastard! biggrin biggrin

nod

Prince was so amazing in this per4mance. So raw, energetic and fearless. It was UNBELIEVABLE!!! I will never forget it... His unveiling of "Sex of it" was so funky and sexual. Eye took a close friend with me. Prince blew them away.

eye will ALWAYS think of prince like a "ACT OF GOD"! N another realm. eye mean of all people who might of been aliens or angels.if found out that prince wasn't of this earth, eye would not have been that surprised. R.I.P. prince
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Reply #23 posted 01/16/14 1:18pm

PacManPlus

Slightly off-topic, but I liked them better when they were 'Dr. Buzzards Original Savannah Band'. THAT was a good album (the first one).

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Reply #24 posted 01/16/14 3:11pm

OnlyNDaUsa

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I guess I must have heard about it on MTV News? I guess the project i made was in the new school.

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Reply #25 posted 01/16/14 5:47pm

XNY

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I love both versions!

Funny, my mom always like Kid Creole, and I had no idea who they were

til about 1984. Then when I heard P gave them a song I totally loved it!

Especially finding a band my mom loved and I loved working together. biggrin

"Great dancers are not great because of their technique, they are great because of their passion" -- Martha Graham
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Reply #26 posted 01/17/14 12:12am

databank

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PacManPlus said:

Slightly off-topic, but I liked them better when they were 'Dr. Buzzards Original Savannah Band'. THAT was a good album (the first one).

NOT the same band. Dr. Buzzards' was the band of August Darnell's elder brother. August and Coati Mundi were in that band but they left to create Kid Creole.

Dr. Buzzard released at least one album without them after that.

There was a whole tribe in NY around these guys anyway, Dr. Buzzqrd, Kid Creole, Coati Mundi, The Coconuts, James White And The Blacks (aka. James Chance), Cory Days, Machine, Christina, Elbow Bones & The Racketeers, Aural Exciters, Don Armando, producer Bob Blank and some others I don't have in mind right now... It was a very creative posse!

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Reply #27 posted 01/17/14 9:38am

Wildboy

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I know this track was recorded WAY too late for inclusion, but would have fit in perfectly on 'Parade'

The horns, the monotone delivery of the vocals, PERFECT. Lots of time I'll put together a playlist with 'Sex of it' in with Parade, Most of 'the Family' album and some cherry picked Sheila E tracks, they all have that same something. Love this Era/style/sound

"Prince doesn't have verbal diarrhea, he has studio diarrhea...." Allen Leeds
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Reply #28 posted 01/17/14 12:59pm

nayroo2002

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Wildboy said:

I know this track was recorded WAY too late for inclusion, but would have fit in perfectly on 'Parade'

I was also thinking which album this song would fit best on!

i think 'Sign "O" The Times' is a better bed for it.

Right after "Housequake".

Prost!

"Whatever skin we're in
we all need 2 b friends"
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