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Thread started 05/07/16 7:21am

nirforward

Did prince cover blues pioneer Robert Johnson?

PrinceVault says he did some sort of a cover back in townsend club, 1998

Anyone knows about it? Are there recordings? Thx
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Reply #1 posted 05/07/16 7:38am

KoolEaze

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Not that I know of. But he wanted to make a movie about Robert Johnson before he made Graffiti Bridge, and he wanted to play Robert Johnson in that movie.

After the 80s nobody ever mentioned this again.

" I´d rather be a stank ass hoe because I´m not stupid. Oh my goodness! I got more drugs! I´m always funny dude...I´m hilarious! Are we gonna smoke?"
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Reply #2 posted 05/07/16 9:02am

langebleu

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nirforward said:

PrinceVault says he did some sort of a cover back in townsend club, 1998 Anyone knows about it? Are there recordings? Thx


There is an audience recording from 23 January 1998 (am).

Larry Graham and Prince (referred to as 'The Artist') appear to be joined on stage by a harmonica player (who possibly identifies himself as Ronnie SJ - or something like this).

The guitar accompaniment starts off as 'The Ride' and then simply vamps with the harp and vocals.

The sung lyrics appear to be largely improvised blues.

At one point, ' I got things on my mind' is sung.


PrinceVault currently describes the song simply as 'blues' but references 'Ramblin' On My Mind' as sung amongst this. The above line is the only lyrical similarity with Johnson's song, and the melody sung to the lyrics (coupled with the other different lyrics) makes any link to Johnson's two recordings of the song relatively tenuous.

ALT+PLS+RTN: Pure as a pane of ice. It's a gift.
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Reply #3 posted 05/07/16 9:22am

OnlyNDaUsa

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I wondered if Lemon Crush was a nod of sorts to "Travelling Riverside Blues" but then that would be a very obscure reference.

"Keep on shilling for Big Pharm!"
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Reply #4 posted 05/07/16 10:43am

KoolEaze

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OnlyNDaUsa said:

I wondered if Lemon Crush was a nod of sorts to "Travelling Riverside Blues" but then that would be a very obscure reference.

Your post got me curious so I listened to Travelling Riverside Blues.

But I don´t see the connection or resemblance.

Were you referring to the lyrics or melody? Or the cadence?

" I´d rather be a stank ass hoe because I´m not stupid. Oh my goodness! I got more drugs! I´m always funny dude...I´m hilarious! Are we gonna smoke?"
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Reply #5 posted 05/07/16 10:46am

OnlyNDaUsa

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KoolEaze said:

OnlyNDaUsa said:

I wondered if Lemon Crush was a nod of sorts to "Travelling Riverside Blues" but then that would be a very obscure reference.

Your post got me curious so I listened to Travelling Riverside Blues.

But I don´t see the connection or resemblance.

Were you referring to the lyrics or melody? Or the cadence?

the use of the word lemon as a sexual innuendo

"Keep on shilling for Big Pharm!"
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Reply #6 posted 05/07/16 10:48am

KoolEaze

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OnlyNDaUsa said:

KoolEaze said:

Your post got me curious so I listened to Travelling Riverside Blues.

But I don´t see the connection or resemblance.

Were you referring to the lyrics or melody? Or the cadence?

the use of the word lemon as a sexual innuendo

Ah, ok, I see. wink

" I´d rather be a stank ass hoe because I´m not stupid. Oh my goodness! I got more drugs! I´m always funny dude...I´m hilarious! Are we gonna smoke?"
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Reply #7 posted 05/07/16 5:11pm

Militant

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KoolEaze said:

Not that I know of. But he wanted to make a movie about Robert Johnson before he made Graffiti Bridge, and he wanted to play Robert Johnson in that movie.


After the 80s nobody ever mentioned this again.



nod

As I recall, when Magnoli became Prince's manager, part of the justification for hiring him was that Prince would be involved in many more films, and the Robert Johnson story was said to be one of them.
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Reply #8 posted 05/07/16 5:30pm

lezama

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Militant said:

KoolEaze said:

Not that I know of. But he wanted to make a movie about Robert Johnson before he made Graffiti Bridge, and he wanted to play Robert Johnson in that movie.

After the 80s nobody ever mentioned this again.

nod As I recall, when Magnoli became Prince's manager, part of the justification for hiring him was that Prince would be involved in many more films, and the Robert Johnson story was said to be one of them.

That would have been sooo cool.

Change it one more time..
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