Have always been a fan of this song. My favorite is the studio version..always dug the "late night" feel of it. I also loved the live "Emancipation" telecast version too. P was really emotional with his guitar work....There's also a very long version (with Larry on bass) from NYC and P is raising hell on the solos.

My favoirte Prince song obviously by my handle!

paulludvig said:

Which version was intended for Crystal Ball?

The GB version, segued from "The Ball"

paulludvig said:

Which version was intended for Crystal Ball?

.

The completed, mastered version of the track is the one *without* the crescendo electronic drum pattern, *and with* the club/party atmosphere noise.

.

And that is the version that made it to the last known configuration of triple-album 'Crystal Ball' (before it was disincluded when reconfiguring the project into the SOTT double album). This incidental club atmosphere noise was used, along with some Atlanta Bliss and Eric Leeds horns, as the segue between 'The Ball' and 'Joy in Repetition' on this configuration of the 'Crystal Ball' album.

.

The officially released version on the 'Graffiti Bridge' abum is a slight edit of this 'Crystal Ball' version, using the club noise this time to segue from 'We Can Funk' into 'Joy in Repetition'.

.

[Edited 2/20/16 11:02am]

214 said:

What's the big difference between the album version and the drum intro?

The song is exactly the same except for the way it begins. The album version (from the discarded Crystal Ball where it started after "The Ball") is mixed in with the collage of dialog and sounds that was then revamped as the transition from Eye No to Alphabet st on Lovesexy.

Later, after it was a much beloved bootleg track, "Joy in Repetition" was dusted off with the segue intact but tacked onto the end of "We Can Funk" which is not where such a "swan-song" should be in my opinion.

This song is in the mold of classic epic mystical rock like Beatles, Rolling Stones, The Doors, etc. That's why I like it, plus the lyrics are so great.

warning2all said:

The original Linn drum intro: Prince underestimated the power of that intro by cutting it out on "Graffiti Bridge" coming off "We Can Funk".

Amen.

fabriziovenerandi said:

warning2all said:

The original Linn drum intro: Prince underestimated the power of that intro by cutting it out on "Graffiti Bridge" coming off "We Can Funk".

Amen.

It's difficult for me to consider that he underestimated the power of the drum intro, though you may be correct in your assumption. I imagine he is very aware of the musical choices but I do think the song lost a bit of its overall power when the drum intro was removed and the bar-room chatter was added in.

[Edited 2/22/16 18:33pm]

The chords progression is brilliant, this song is powerful. One of his best !

that guitar. that guitar.

that guitar.

IstenSzek said:

that guitar. that guitar.

that guitar.

Yes, but it sounds very buried in he mix

The same as the giutar on When Doves Cry.

214 said:

IstenSzek said:

that guitar. that guitar.

that guitar.

Yes, but it sounds very buried in he mix

Then you should listen harder.

bluegangsta said:

214 said:

Yes, but it sounds very buried in he mix

Then you should listen harder.

that last minute is pure xtc to me. i can see why some people might find this song boring or

whatever, but if you listen to it, i mean really listen and let the whole thing wash over you,
the song is actually one of his most sensual, sexy, atmospheric, haunting cuts -ever. there is
so much playful flirtation in that percussion track alone, before the real fat drum kicks lay in
and the whole thing gets a more urgent, cerebral pulse to it, including the percussion track,

which becomes more focussed and honed in and the thing just starts to ooze and drip with
longing and it...ok let me just stop there

time for a cold glass of ice tea

Wolfie87 said:

databank said:

I don't think I can explain it if u don't get it. However JIR wasn't a fave of mine for the first few years. I liked it aw'igh but not the way I liked The Question Of U for example. Then one day, probably about 6 or 7 years after I purchased the album in 90 it hit me. The song was genius. A true moment of poetry (lyrics included), a "pensieve" like in Harry Potter.

I also sang it and rehearsed it a lot for an exam in my music school at the time and it allowed me to go deeper into it.

It really got nothing to do with "the arrangement or the structure of the song". It's got to do with capturing a poetic moment/idea and making a poem out of it.

The problem is this absurd habit of pressing the "skip" button y'all have. How can a song grow on u if u skip it every time? As I just said in a recent thread I always listen to full albums and that's how most of my favorite songs or albums became my darlings, because I allowed myself to get into them. No one can truly appreciate music with this skipping habit. U only get to enjoy what you enjoyed on a first impression and that's a very superficial approach to music. And how can a song possibly be SO irritating that one feels the need to skip it anyway? This is weird.

It took me 20 years to fall madly in love with Cool though, so take your time with JIR

[Edited 2/19/16 19:26pm]

Like I said. I've tried several times to like this song before I got my habit of skipping it. And for the record, Cool is one of my favourite track by Prince/associates. Just shows the diversity of fans on this site.

Several as in how many? 10? 25? 100? What I was saying is u should maybe give it another 6 or 7 years. Now it's a free country and u listen to music the way u want to but since u came here for advice from (I assume) older people, what I was saying is I think u just shouldn't skip tracks at all, ever, because I can't imagine u feel a thrill of horror everytime u hear the first notes and u feel an urge to run to ur CD player to skip it ASAP before you start having a panic attack. Just try and figure out what's happening. Just let the music happen. And ban words such as "boring" from your appreciation of music. Just ask yourself "what is the artist trying to say and do they succeed at conveying their message/mood/artmosphere?". I've sang JIR as I said, and I can assure u it's a deligtful track to interpret and nothing like droning, there's a flow and a complexity to the flow of the text that makes it quite hypnotizing. Now it's your call, and u do as u please, but u asked so I'm givin' u my 2 cents

.

Another reason why I fell in love with that song when I was in my early 20's, as well as Elephants & Flowers, was that suddenly I could relate to the lyrics. I had become this confused young man roaming at night in streets and clubs filled with drunkards, looking for an angel to give me a hug or a good talking. I felt I could have written JIR word for word because it was describing a feeling and a situation I knew all too well. Obviously this helps one to really get into a track when it describes things u've experienced.

.

Now if u don't like it u don't like it...

Joy in Repetetion is an freakin classic! Prince combines so many layers of sounds that compliment the other perfectly. The guitar, the chants (love me) and the drum beat was godtier! It's hard to say which version I like the most. I love the "Welcome to Chicago" live version, and the One Nite Alone versions...and (of course) the album version.

Ugh.......newbies.

One of his masterpieces. Pity that it's on Graffiti Bridge, it deserves a place on a great album where it would be more fully appreaciated - preferably with the Linn Drum intro!

HatrinaHaterwitz said:

smokeverbs said:

To each their own, but Joy In Repetition is one of the only times you'll see me use the word here ..... MASTERPIECE.

Definitely

214 said:

IstenSzek said:

that guitar. that guitar.

that guitar.

Yes, but it sounds very buried in he mix

If you can listen to the Crystal Ball version (irukandji), the sound is way better

Milty2 said:

Ugh.......newbies.

I don't even like Thieves In The Temple for that matter. Come at me bro

Wolfie87 said:

Milty2 said:

Ugh.......newbies.

I don't even like Thieves In The Temple for that matter. Come at me bro

Ok so what do you like, Prince-wise?

[Edited 2/23/16 12:38pm]

highcalonic said:

214 said:

Yes, but it sounds very buried in he mix

If you can listen to the Crystal Ball version (irukandji), the sound is way better

Really, 'cause i find the vocal a little drowned in the mix.

Milty2 said:

Wolfie87 said:

I don't even like Thieves In The Temple for that matter. Come at me bro

Ok so what do you like, Prince-wise?

[Edited 2/23/16 12:38pm]

Alooooooooooooooooot. Sadly, Graffiti Bridge isn't my cup of tea. Elephants & Flowers is pure bliss for me. The rest, not so much. On the other hand Pandemonium, hell yeah. And I'm not trying to get in a fight with you. I'm just messing around.

214 said:

DAV123 said:

Wolfie87.... Come on now...Joy in Rep is just the shit hands down.....then you hit me again with Thieves....really dude....ya killing me like wth the Tyson knockout 😄 I can't even put into words how many times I repeated the original version let alone ONA....WHAT!? LOVE ME......LOVE ME.....LOVE ME......NOW LET ME FUCK YOU UP WITH THIS GUITAR!!!!!!!!!!!,😱😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍

Well, I can't go back to the original now when I've heard the ONA version.

Wolfie87 said:

Milty2 said:

Ok so what do you like, Prince-wise?

[Edited 2/23/16 12:38pm]

Alooooooooooooooooot. Sadly, Graffiti Bridge isn't my cup of tea. Elephants & Flowers is pure bliss for me. The rest, not so much. On the other hand Pandemonium, hell yeah. And I'm not trying to get in a fight with you. I'm just messing around.

A lot like what?

Milty2 said:

Wolfie87 said:

Alooooooooooooooooot. Sadly, Graffiti Bridge isn't my cup of tea. Elephants & Flowers is pure bliss for me. The rest, not so much. On the other hand Pandemonium, hell yeah. And I'm not trying to get in a fight with you. I'm just messing around.

A lot like what?

Highlights:

-Guitar Solo My love Is Forever, Soft And Wet

-Almost the whole 1979 album, highlights guitar solo (again) WYWTSB, Perfect poptune in IWBYL, Horny dripping wet "Sexy Dancer", The rocking Bambi, I feel for you

-The nasty Dirty Mind the title song, Mixing it up with WYWM, Synths in DIAN, The end of Uptown when it get distorted and you just know he will fuck you up with Head right after, Head (especially the transition in the beginning from Uptown) his horny singing and the horny girl responding gets me everytime mmmm hmmmm, The Amazing album closer in Uptown with the guitar licks consistently in the background.

Do you wan't me to the go further through his discography from 1980-1990? I have no problem with that. The best is to come.