Whenever I hear those first guitar notes played by Prince - which by the way are so perfect it hurts - from that Small Club performance in Den Haag, I can't think but what a fucking great version of that classic this is.
Prince lifted this song up to another level. You might not agree, but this is close to heaven for me. The guitar solo in it is absolute stunning and perfect !

Why didn't he ever recorded/covered this pearl ?

After all these years It still gives me goosebumps...

Ah yes, stunning indeed. The guitar cords are riveting!!! Just love this old recording as I have it on vinyl and picked it up back in 1988 or so.

Wish he would play this at another aftershow or perhaps as a cover during future live shows...probably just my imagination running away with me. To this day, everytime I hear the original Temps song I can't help going back in my musical mind to this very version.

Thank U for appreciating this legendary recodring. Goosebumps Galore!

Beautiful.

Vocals are shit though. Is that fair?

Marrk said:

Vocals are shit though. Is that fair?

To some degree, yes! Vocals indeed were a bit choppy and had that rough unrehearsed feeling as it was an aftershow (with the recoding I have, Paris) which can sometimes be a lot like a sound check but the guitar work really captures you.

Marrk said:

Vocals are shit though. Is that fair?

I wouldn't say so. I love how distant and delicate they sound, it's hypnotic.. Beautiful delivery, beautiful music. I really wish he could have lifted the instrumentation and put it in a song of his own - with similar vocals. It really is one of the most beautiful things Prince has ever done.

[Edited 4/19/14 13:04pm]

rickyprynce said:

Marrk said:

Vocals are shit though. Is that fair?

To some degree, yes! Vocals indeed were a bit choppy and had that rough unrehearsed feeling as it was an aftershow (with the recoding I have, Paris) which can sometimes be a lot like a sound check but the guitar work really captures you.

Agreed 100%.

Just putting it out there. Nobody ever mentions it because of the guitar work being so fucking amazing.

Marrk said:

rickyprynce said:

To some degree, yes! Vocals indeed were a bit choppy and had that rough unrehearsed feeling as it was an aftershow (with the recoding I have, Paris) which can sometimes be a lot like a sound check but the guitar work really captures you.

Agreed 100%.

Just putting it out there. Nobody ever mentions it because of the guitar work being so fucking amazing.

I've often wondered if his vocals at the start are deliberately low key so that the guitar has more impact.

After the solo he really stretches out and hits those super high notes...

The vocals are just an afterthought (at an aftershow), the point is the solo and then the outro into Nonn Rendezvous, where the vocals get MUCH better.

He doesnt even stay with the original, instead ad libs "house on a hill, take no fancy pill, to go to sleep..." and just leaves it there.

The solos (all 5 of them that circulate) are sublime.

Collectively, they may be the finest spontaneous guitar improv ever played.

There are moments in his career, recorded, live etc that remind us long timers of why he is so highly regarded...unmatched. This is easily one of them. To think someone can play like he did that night, and not want it released is further testament to his confidence ...I think. Anyone else who could pull off a solo like that would want it seen, wouldn't they? I really hope they pull this one out one day. It needs to be heard by more people. He was on fire that night.

I also don't think it is a coincidence that this perfect quality recording 'slipped' out to so many. He had to have let it leak...such an amazing performance.

Stimpy said:

iZsaZsa said:

Stimpy said:

The vocals are just an afterthought (at an aftershow)

Oh? Seems to me he picked that song because of the vocals since he could guitar solo to anything else. Or just not sing. His voice is my favorite part of him so to me these vocals are definately better then none anyway.

Right but he sings all time anyway. It is the harmonies of this song that he is after, and in this case using the guitar to state them.

I agree he could solo over most anything but NOT LIKE THAT.

The 5 versions that circulate are all amazing, some with better vocals than Small Club but all with consummate solos.

Stimpy said:

iZsaZsa said:

Stimpy said:

Right but he sings all time anyway. It is the harmonies of this song that he is after, and in this case using the guitar to state them.

I agree he could solo over most anything but NOT LIKE THAT.

The 5 versions that circulate are all amazing, some with better vocals than Small Club but all with consummate solos.

No. He has background vocals assigned to band members. He wants audience participation on the chorus. No one wrote out his guitar solo so it doesn't hamonize with anything. What? Unless you mean Prince knows how to play in key? Then I agree.

Harmonies are not just vocals.

Vocals can be harmonized (or not).

Harmonies are key related, but to say his solo doesnt explore harmonies within the structure of the song is, as Hans Bentha, the physicist use to say when asked a ridiculous question about quantum mechanics, "not even wrong."

Solos are ALL ABOUT HARMONIES.

ALWAYS.

It is the relationships of modes to the background vamp (Dmaj9 Gmaj9) that Prince is exploring.

And in these versions he does it better (IMO) than anyone since Miles Davis on KOB.

No one "wrote out" harmonies for Coaltrane or Evans or Adderley.

They new where the band was and what Miles wanted the solo to "say."

Stimpy said:

iZsaZsa said:

Stimpy said: No. He has background vocals assigned to band members. He wants audience participation on the chorus. No one wrote out his guitar solo so it doesn't hamonize with anything. What? Unless you mean Prince knows how to play in key? Then I agree.

Harmonies are not just vocals.

Vocals can be harmonized (or not).

Harmonies are key related, but to say his solo doesnt explore harmonies within the structure of the song is, as Hans Bentha, the physicist use to say when asked a ridiculous question about quantum mechanics, "not even wrong."

Solos are ALL ABOUT HARMONIES.

ALWAYS.

It is the relationships of modes to the background vamp (Dmaj9 Gmaj9) that Prince is exploring.

And in these versions he does it better (IMO) than anyone since Miles Davis on KOB.

No one "wrote out" harmonies for Coaltrane or Evans or Adderley.

They new where the band was and what Miles wanted the solo to "say."

And lastly, if you want to see INTERESTING and groundbreaking harmonies, listen to him SING the guitar solo one octave higher note for note in Camden before he lets Mica have the vocals.

Small Club '88.....

Hi,

I covered the intro, even though i don't have the same guitar and amp settings..

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e5QvS43YXOI

Someday I should try the solo

This performance is so great !! I m sure the show would have been officially released if there weren't (very) few mistakes (i am thinking of "who's the fool saying will it's would" ?)

Stimpy said: