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Thread started 12/25/16 1:14pm

donnyenglish

Singing on Breakdown (live)

Does he sound a bit off key whenever he sings The Breakdown live? He usually sounds perfect, but I have always struggled with this one. Probably a tough song to sing live.
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Reply #1 posted 12/25/16 2:58pm

FlyOnTheWall

donnyenglish said:

Does he sound a bit off key whenever he sings The Breakdown live? He usually sounds perfect, but I have always struggled with this one. Probably a tough song to sing live.

Andy Allo sang background vocals on the studio version. Perhaps he missed her during the live performances.

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Reply #2 posted 12/25/16 3:56pm

wavesofbliss

donnyenglish said:

Does he sound a bit off key whenever he sings The Breakdown live? He usually sounds perfect, but I have always struggled with this one. Probably a tough song to sing live.

i have only heard 2 live versions the montreaux and either denmark or sweden with the 3rd eye girls. i like the montreaux better for the ending, but i like the intro to the other show better. in those 2 version he sounds like he struggling with different parts of the song. which performances r u thinking about?

Prince #MUSICIANICONLEGEND
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Reply #3 posted 12/25/16 5:31pm

donnyenglish

wavesofbliss said:



donnyenglish said:


Does he sound a bit off key whenever he sings The Breakdown live? He usually sounds perfect, but I have always struggled with this one. Probably a tough song to sing live.

i have only heard 2 live versions the montreaux and either denmark or sweden with the 3rd eye girls. i like the montreaux better for the ending, but i like the intro to the other show better. in those 2 version he sounds like he struggling with different parts of the song. which performances r u thinking about?


Montreux, I heard him do it live in Vegas and the Denmark show. All 3 sound off, especially the chorus.
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Reply #4 posted 12/25/16 10:51pm

bluegangsta

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Gotta say, I really hated it when he sampled the studio vocals during live performances.

Always cry 4 love, never cry 4 pain.
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Reply #5 posted 12/26/16 3:25am

dodger

He opened a Live Out Loud show in Arizona with it - that's the best live version I've heard. Not soundboard though
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Reply #6 posted 12/26/16 5:04am

MattyJam

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Yeah, it's odd to hear Prince sound less than perfect, but the Montreux performance of Breakdown was very flat vocally. I also felt his 2009 Montreux performance of Empty Room was very off vocally.

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Reply #7 posted 12/26/16 10:45am

anangellooksdo
wn

MattyJam said:

Yeah, it's odd to hear Prince sound less than perfect, but the Montreux performance of Breakdown was very flat vocally. I also felt his 2009 Montreux performance of Empty Room was very off vocally.



Completely agree about the breakdown, but Empty Room Montreux 2009? I'm a vocalist and I didn't hear anything wrong with that at all. If it was a little flat, I think it was intentional, no?
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Reply #8 posted 12/26/16 10:58am

purplerabbitho
le

I too don't see anything wrong with Empty Room. In fact, all the commenters on youtube love that performance.

As for Breakdown, maybe its flat but I think it might be conveying emotion. I remember reading a review of Parade in which the critic stated that P's slightly off singing in Sometimes it Snows in April made it sound more raw and emotional. HIs live versions of that song are more ON, but the emotion conveyed in the recorded version is pretty obvious.

anangellooksdown said:

MattyJam said:

Yeah, it's odd to hear Prince sound less than perfect, but the Montreux performance of Breakdown was very flat vocally. I also felt his 2009 Montreux performance of Empty Room was very off vocally.

Completely agree about the breakdown, but Empty Room Montreux 2009? I'm a vocalist and I didn't hear anything wrong with that at all. If it was a little flat, I think it was intentional, no?

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Reply #9 posted 12/26/16 1:21pm

KoolEaze

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Maybe it´s just me but he looked very sad while singing The Breakdown in Montreux, and it looked like he was holding back tears.

Maybe that played a part in how he sounded ? Or was that part of the show?

" 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 #10 posted 12/26/16 1:37pm

paradise000

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This song...I see and hear pure raw emotion.

Lately I avoid listening to the Breakdown, it makes me cry sad

'cause you got to know...how I feel about you babe
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Reply #11 posted 12/27/16 9:19am

MIRvmn

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MattyJam said:

Yeah, it's odd to hear Prince sound less than perfect, but the Montreux performance of Breakdown was very flat vocally. I also felt his 2009 Montreux performance of Empty Room was very off vocally.

Yes ur right, there has been much better performance of Breakdown by Prince.

[Edited 12/27/16 9:22am]

Welcome 2 The Dawn
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Reply #12 posted 12/27/16 10:36am

anangellooksdo
wn

I think it's a more difficult song to sing.
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Reply #13 posted 12/27/16 10:50am

donnyenglish

anangellooksdown said:

I think it's a more difficult song to sing.

I agree. It requires a softer voice that is not really for live performances and more suited for the studio. Even the "better" performances of the song sound a bit off to me. That is no knock on his voice, but this is more of a studio song.

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Reply #14 posted 12/27/16 11:27am

anangellooksdo
wn

donnyenglish said:



anangellooksdown said:


I think it's a more difficult song to sing.


I agree. It requires a softer voice that is not really for live performances and more suited for the studio. Even the "better" performances of the song sound a bit off to me. That is no knock on his voice, but this is more of a studio song.



Definitely, Donny.
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Reply #15 posted 12/27/16 1:32pm

theartistirl

Oops, I prefer the live version(s). The energy from this song when he played it in Montreux was unbelievable. I was there that night and I absolutely loved it and i think most there did. After the show it was the one everyone was talking about that was there that night. Many of us who discovered this live, don't dig as much the studio version. I think it loses some of the emotion of the live version.

But, it's all good, as we don't need to have the same view. It's a pity something went wrong with the feed from the Horns. The soundboard bootleg picked them up, but that night the boys were blowing and but the auditorium speakers weren't picking them up right. I can only guess, the mix desk gog caught on the hop, as they weren't meant to be on stage at that show. P had given them the night off. Easily fixed if they realease the DVD officially.

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Reply #16 posted 12/30/16 3:38am

CalhounSq

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paradise000 said:

This song...I see and hear pure raw emotion.


Lately I avoid listening to the Breakdown, it makes me cry sad




Sometimes that song pops in my head & I have to hear it on repeat. But I mostly avoid it unless I can afford to get emotional, it always gets me right in the heart.
heart prince I never met you, but I LOVE you & I will forever!! Thank you for being YOU - my little Princey, the best to EVER do it prince heart
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Reply #17 posted 12/30/16 3:54am

aiden

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I think its a deeply personal song... I'm SO pleased I got to see him do this live. I think this was his last incredible single

"Still Crazy 4 Coco Rock"
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Reply #18 posted 12/30/16 5:11am

stpaisios

I like Montreux 2013 version, maybe his falsetto on repeating 'Breakdown' is on edge to be off but rest is beautiful...

Piano & microphone version on Aotea Centre - ASB Theatre, Auckland, New Zealand (show 1) breaks me down...

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Reply #19 posted 12/30/16 5:13am

stpaisios

aiden said:

I think its a deeply personal song... I'm SO pleased I got to see him do this live. I think this was his last incredible single

Yes it is... on the same album with 'Way Back Home' (my favorite on album) which is noting less beautiful and deeply personal.

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