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Thread started 04/10/15 11:40am

donnyenglish

Should Prince Perform an Entire Album like Stevie Wonder?

I saw Stevie Wonder's live performance of Songs in the Key of Life yesterday and I was blown away. It is difficult for artists like Prince and Stevie to satisfy an audience because they have so many hits and can't play them all and hard core fans want to hear other songs. Playing an album from start to finish is a good compromise because people know what they are getting.

What are some of the album candidates for Prince? He already did SOTT. Dirty Mind is my choice but probably too dirty for him now. Purple Rain is probably the popular choice, but I seriously doubt that he would want to go back to that period. Perhaps, he would do his next new CD, which would be fine with me but wouldn't be good for the masses. Parade, TRC, 1999 and Lovesexy come to mind for me.

Another observation from the Stevie concert is that Stevie used first class musicians and background singers in his band and it made a huge difference. Prince generally likes to take average musicians and lead them to another level, but Stevie clearly demands quality. I hate comparing the two, but I can see why people consider Stevie to be the gold standard.

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Reply #1 posted 04/10/15 11:59am

SoulAlive

I like the idea of a tour focused on one album,performed in its entirety.Since Prince never gave the US fans a SOTT tour,now is his chance to make it up to us lol A tour focused on SOTT would be great!

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Reply #2 posted 04/10/15 12:01pm

SoulAlive

donnyenglish said:

Another observation from the Stevie concert is that Stevie used first class musicians and background singers in his band and it made a huge difference. Prince generally likes to take average musicians and lead them to another level, but Stevie clearly demands quality. I hate comparing the two, but I can see why people consider Stevie to be the gold standard.

I agree.3rdEyeGirl is more of a gimmick than a genuine band.

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Reply #3 posted 04/10/15 5:53pm

warning2all

The way Prince thinks today, the only album he would consider would probably be "Plectrun Electrum".

He would never play "Parade", "Lovesexy", or any album that would delight his longtime core fans.
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Reply #4 posted 04/10/15 7:09pm

OldFriends4Sal
e

I forget the band at the moment

But there is a 1970s 1980s band that is going to do a bunch of shows performing only, one of the classic album

I'll find the name in a bit

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Reply #5 posted 04/10/15 7:53pm

terrig

SoulAlive said:

I like the idea of a tour focused on one album,performed in its entirety.Since Prince never gave the US fans a SOTT tour,now is his chance to make it up to us lol A tour focused on SOTT would be great!



Yes, I think this would be a great idea too, and it would focus him in a way that I think would be a relief to all of us right? lololol

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Reply #6 posted 04/11/15 5:11am

callimnate

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Would be the GREATEST idea ever.

Unfortunately the only album which has enough credibility (mass wide), is PR.
To ask for any other album would be a miracle.

Mind you. Watching P playing PR in its entirety with B-sides included would be master baiting material. cool
[Edited 4/11/15 5:14am]
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Reply #7 posted 04/11/15 5:42am

Se7en

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He performed quite a bit of Purple Rain at the Detroit concert a few days ago.

.

Let's Go Crazy - all live

Take Me With U - all live

The Beautiful Ones - I believe partially sampler

Darling Nikki - sampler snippet only - no vocals

When Doves Cry - partially sampler

I Would Die For You - partially sampler

Purple Rain - all live

.

If he removed the sampler bits/songs, and fleshed all of the songs out a bit, I think that would still only take up about an hour. He'd have to do more than one album to fill up an entire concert.

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Reply #8 posted 04/11/15 7:59am

NorthC

The only way for this to be a full-length show would be to not play Purple Rain the album, but Purple Rain the movie with Morris Day and an Apollonia-like actress; a bit like the Sign O' the Times film where the album was acted out on stage. And a combination of Time and Revolution members as the backup band. This would go together with the Purple Rain remastered album plus director's cut of the film. I'm sure this could make some good money. Of course it won't happen, but now that we're dreaming anyway, how about this band:
Drums: Jellybean (I heared Bobby Z's health is not so good)
Bass: Terry Lewis (sorry Brownmark)
Guitar: Jesse/Wendy
Keys: Fink/Lisa/Jimmy Jam (three! Hell yea!)

[Edited 4/11/15 8:02am]
[Edited 4/11/15 8:10am]
[Edited 4/11/15 8:11am]
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Reply #9 posted 04/11/15 8:43am

SPYZFAN1

I agree a SOTT show would be great. And I would hope Shelia and Dr. Fink would be with him.

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Reply #10 posted 04/11/15 8:50am

2freaky4church
1

avatar

Yes, Emancipation. All 3 disks. For the haterz.

All you others say Hell Yea!! woot!
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Reply #11 posted 04/11/15 9:01am

leonche64

This is a great idea. Let's not forget that some of the early records are around 30 to 45 minutes. He could do 2 albums per show. Book 2 nights, play 4 albums. Choose your favorite and attend that night. I am sure that would make things interesting for the band as well.

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Reply #12 posted 04/11/15 10:36am

deebee

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Tbh, I'm not much into this idea. It always seems slightly depressing when he talks about his 'hits' and milks Purple Rain yet further. It's nice to see him playing with old bandmates and reconnecting ties that that sometimes get carelessly severed. But I'd still prefer to see him get his groove back with making new material and explore the full extent of his back catalogue in live shows, rather than fall into doing nostalgia gigs, which never live up to seeing it at the time.

"Not everything that is faced can be changed; but nothing can be changed until it is faced." - James Baldwin
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Reply #13 posted 04/11/15 10:39am

SchlomoThaHomo

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He was toying with doing Lovesexy start to finish at one point during the early 00's. I'd love to seem do something like this, at the level Stevie is doing his right now. However, he would need a fully legit band/orchestra, which he does not currently have, and he would also need to be interested. Prince can barely play certain songs from start to finish every night, let alone an entire album night after night. He gets way too bored too easily.

"That's when stars collide. When there's space for what u want, and ur heart is open wide."
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Reply #14 posted 04/11/15 11:24am

luvsexy4all

Se7en said:

He performed quite a bit of Purple Rain at the Detroit concert a few days ago.

.

Let's Go Crazy - all live

Take Me With U - all live

The Beautiful Ones - I believe partially sampler

Darling Nikki - sampler snippet only - no vocals

When Doves Cry - partially sampler

I Would Die For You - partially sampler

Purple Rain - all live

.

If he removed the sampler bits/songs, and fleshed all of the songs out a bit, I think that would still only take up about an hour. He'd have to do more than one album to fill up an entire concert.

u still think he aint warmin people up for the remaster????

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Reply #15 posted 04/11/15 2:11pm

donnyenglish

leonche64 said:

This is a great idea. Let's not forget that some of the early records are around 30 to 45 minutes. He could do 2 albums per show. Book 2 nights, play 4 albums. Choose your favorite and attend that night. I am sure that would make things interesting for the band as well.



This!
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Reply #16 posted 04/11/15 2:12pm

donnyenglish

SchlomoThaHomo said:

He was toying with doing Lovesexy start to finish at one point during the early 00's. I'd love to seem do something like this, at the level Stevie is doing his right now. However, he would need a fully legit band/orchestra, which he does not currently have, and he would also need to be interested. Prince can barely play certain songs from start to finish every night, let alone an entire album night after night. He gets way too bored too easily.



This too!
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Reply #17 posted 04/11/15 2:25pm

CharismaDove

Hell yes. I used to love Sign until I saw the live film... now I replaced all the album versions with their movie versions, that's how badly it kicked ass.

I would love for him to do Batman (he could give it a fuller, lively feeling) or Parade

Maybe eye do, just not like eye did before pimp2
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Reply #18 posted 04/11/15 2:26pm

CharismaDove

donnyenglish said:

SchlomoThaHomo said:

He was toying with doing Lovesexy start to finish at one point during the early 00's. I'd love to seem do something like this, at the level Stevie is doing his right now. However, he would need a fully legit band/orchestra, which he does not currently have, and he would also need to be interested. Prince can barely play certain songs from start to finish every night, let alone an entire album night after night. He gets way too bored too easily.

This too!


Lovesexy live headbang

Maybe eye do, just not like eye did before pimp2
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Reply #19 posted 04/12/15 9:51am

lovesexy68

Maxwell did this a couple of years back and I'm sure it worked. It would be so cool if Prince did this, different album different city. Still love to hear more new music in its entirty. Enough of the same set list of hits.
lovesexyisthe1
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Reply #20 posted 04/13/15 12:14am

Yggor

Bruce Springsteen did this on his recent tours. On some nights he played in full Born in the USA, Born to run, Darkness on the edge of town and once even The Wild, the Innocent and the E Street Shuffle. But you know, with his shows being 3-4 hours playing an album in full is still like a third of the show wink
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Reply #21 posted 04/13/15 1:01am

jaawwnn

Nah.

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Reply #22 posted 04/13/15 3:12am

SquirrelMeat

avatar

Its probably no coincidence that some of my favourite tours were ones where the current album got the full live treatment. Even now, I would rather Prince play all of AOA than drag out Take Mr With U and Raspberry Beret.

If he were to promote the remasters, I would like him to approach live shows like Gary Numan or A-ha, where the first half could be the whole classic album, and the second half of the hits.
.
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Reply #23 posted 04/13/15 5:06am

OldFriends4Sal
e

For You

.

Around the World In A Day

.

the Black Album

.

the Truth

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Reply #24 posted 04/13/15 8:25am

donnyenglish

As great as Prince is, does he have an album of the magnitude and importance of Songs in the Key of Life? I have always listened to Stevie Wonder box sets, but never really took the time to listen to Songs in the Key of Life until after I saw the concert. That album was true masterpiece in every way. Prince has some great albums, but I feel like Key of Life is on a different level and that is why it works so well for this tour.

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Reply #25 posted 04/13/15 8:44am

herb4

This topic came up before and it's not a bad idea. I'd vote for SOTT since we never got a proper U.S. Tour or 1999 simply because it's my favorite Prince album. But probably the only record that would be commercially viable would be Purple Rain except A: we already got that in 1984 B: It would be boring as shit and C: It's not long enough.

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Reply #26 posted 04/13/15 9:02am

2freaky4church
1

avatar

Goldnigga. giggle

All you others say Hell Yea!! woot!
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Reply #27 posted 04/13/15 10:05am

blackwell1

donnyenglish said:

leonche64 said:

This is a great idea. Let's not forget that some of the early records are around 30 to 45 minutes. He could do 2 albums per show. Book 2 nights, play 4 albums. Choose your favorite and attend that night. I am sure that would make things interesting for the band as well.

This!

That!

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Reply #28 posted 04/14/15 8:56am

Blixical

avatar

I really REALLY miss the days when he performed themed concerts. SOTT, LoveSexy, etc.
The stage changed, the music changed, and he would constantly slip new tracks into the mix.


I've seen several clips of his concerts (since the Aladin shows), and the stage tends to be the same, the music is always a hits show, etc.

This is strange because even as recent as Lotusflow3r, he had created a look and feel to support the albums, and some of these backdrops made it to his live shows--but, the shows were still hits medleys.

I honestly wouldn't be surprised if he's only doing the shows for money these days.

[Edited 4/14/15 8:59am]

มีเพียงความว่างเปล่า rose 只有空虚 rose Dim ond gwacter rose 만 공허함이있다 rose 唯一の虚しさがあります wilted There is only the void.
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Reply #29 posted 04/14/15 9:50am

databank

avatar

donnyenglish said:

I saw Stevie Wonder's live performance of Songs in the Key of Life yesterday and I was blown away. It is difficult for artists like Prince and Stevie to satisfy an audience because they have so many hits and can't play them all and hard core fans want to hear other songs. Playing an album from start to finish is a good compromise because people know what they are getting.

What are some of the album candidates for Prince? He already did SOTT. Dirty Mind is my choice but probably too dirty for him now. Purple Rain is probably the popular choice, but I seriously doubt that he would want to go back to that period. Perhaps, he would do his next new CD, which would be fine with me but wouldn't be good for the masses. Parade, TRC, 1999 and Lovesexy come to mind for me.

Another observation from the Stevie concert is that Stevie used first class musicians and background singers in his band and it made a huge difference. Prince generally likes to take average musicians and lead them to another level, but Stevie clearly demands quality. I hate comparing the two, but I can see why people consider Stevie to be the gold standard.

Excuse me??? eek eek eek

A COMPREHENSIVE PRINCE DISCOGRAPHY (work in progress ^^): https://sites.google.com/...scography/
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