Latin said:

First preference: "Sometimes It Snows in April" Second choice: "The Beautiful Ones"

The second one would be good when P's memoir of the same title is released...IF it gets released...

Spayne said:

CherryMoon57 said:

I agree, this is a great choice and very fitting for April.

Which version are you thinking of (thinking ahead re. availability/streaming access etc)?

An edited version of the original from The Family features on Prince4Ever but is not available for streaming on Tidal. The 1992 live version with Rosie Gaines appears on The Hits/The B Sides and is on Tidal but this is not available as a download everywhere. Let's remember that streaming plays a big part in the charts.

[Edited 1/3/17 4:58am]

Hmmm, I see what you mean. I've been looking into the subscriber numbers for streaming sites worldwide.

Spotify (125 million), Deezer (16), Apple Music (10), Napster (4), Tidal (3.5)

.

If only Prince was on Spotify - THE ONE AND ONLY SONG ON SPOTIFY IS "STARE" - maybe we should go for that? But not available to download from Amazon. But is on iTunes.

.

The fact that there are multiple versions of the same track acrioss different albums means they may individually chart. The only way they will amalgamate together is if the record companies requested prior that they combine them.

.

Going on the ranks from Amazon you have found, Purple Rain would be the best bet (and I like the idea of Purple Rain getting to No. 1 in the UK at least, a position it's never been) BUT, as Purple Rain Deluxe is released it may itself push that track up (do we help it along? Yes?). PERHAPS though Purple Rain could be the song pushed in hope that PURPLE RAIN song and album do a double No 1 at the same time, meaning Prince dominates both charts (ably assisted by Prince4Everyone for the song and the record companies own efforts for the album).

.

Assuming that PR Deluxe is released around April. AND OF COURSE everyone would need to buy the Purple Rain track from the Deluxe album (however I hope, just in case people buy from an older album, that the record company have combined the sales)

.

You never know by the actual campaign live week, Prince may once again appear on Spotify as part of the plan. I miss him there, it's what I always use.

The more I look into all this, the more Purple Rain sounds like the sensible way to go, whether from the original PR album or the Deluxe if it comes out in time. Having said that, 'Sometimes It Snows In April' is a very fitting choice and it is what the majority of us want at the moment. But since many of us already downloaded it during our last campaign, it would also be a bit of a gamble with that one and I am not sure if I really want to take that risk.

I posted this on the Facebook link (Ian Renner), so please don't double count me, but I thought I'd share my thoughts here as well:

I'm going to go with "Free Urself". It was the very last single he released, and its uplifting, inspirational message is one I can get behind going forward and one I think Prince was quite passionate about. With all of the trouble in the world today, I think a song like this will help to lift our spirits from the quagmire of the world.

Moonbeam said:

I posted this on the Facebook link (Ian Renner), so please don't double count me, but I thought I'd share my thoughts here as well:

I'm going to go with "Free Urself". It was the very last single he released, and its uplifting, inspirational message is one I can get behind going forward and one I think Prince was quite passionate about. With all of the trouble in the world today, I think a song like this will help to lift our spirits from the quagmire of the world.

Yes, that's one really cool track and like you said, very uplifting too, the only thing is it's only available on iTunes in the UK, not sure if it is any different in Australia... But that means we won't be able to 'boost' the sales too much from over here.

CherryMoon57 said:

Moonbeam said:

I posted this on the Facebook link (Ian Renner), so please don't double count me, but I thought I'd share my thoughts here as well:

I'm going to go with "Free Urself". It was the very last single he released, and its uplifting, inspirational message is one I can get behind going forward and one I think Prince was quite passionate about. With all of the trouble in the world today, I think a song like this will help to lift our spirits from the quagmire of the world.

Yes, that's one really cool track and like you said, very uplifting too, the only thing is it's only available on iTunes in the UK, not sure if it is any different in Australia... But that means we won't be able to 'boost' the sales too much from over here.

Hmm. It is available on iTunes in Australia, but if it's unavailable outside of Australia and the UK, I think we should go with a different song.

Spayne said:

CherryMoon57 said:

I agree, this is a great choice and very fitting for April.

Which version are you thinking of (thinking ahead re. availability/streaming access etc)?

An edited version of the original from The Family features on Prince4Ever but is not available for streaming on Tidal. The 1992 live version with Rosie Gaines appears on The Hits/The B Sides and is on Tidal but this is not available as a download everywhere. Let's remember that streaming plays a big part in the charts.

[Edited 1/3/17 4:58am]

Hmmm, I see what you mean. I've been looking into the subscriber numbers for streaming sites worldwide.

Spotify (125 million), Deezer (16), Apple Music (10), Napster (4), Tidal (3.5)

.

If only Prince was on Spotify - THE ONE AND ONLY SONG ON SPOTIFY IS "STARE" - maybe we should go for that? But not available to download from Amazon. But is on iTunes.

.

The fact that there are multiple versions of the same track acrioss different albums means they may individually chart. The only way they will amalgamate together is if the record companies requested prior that they combine them.

.

Going on the ranks from Amazon you have found, Purple Rain would be the best bet (and I like the idea of Purple Rain getting to No. 1 in the UK at least, a position it's never been) BUT, as Purple Rain Deluxe is released it may itself push that track up (do we help it along? Yes?). PERHAPS though Purple Rain could be the song pushed in hope that PURPLE RAIN song and album do a double No 1 at the same time, meaning Prince dominates both charts (ably assisted by Prince4Everyone for the song and the record companies own efforts for the album).

.

Assuming that PR Deluxe is released around April. AND OF COURSE everyone would need to buy the Purple Rain track from the Deluxe album (however I hope, just in case people buy from an older album, that the record company have combined the sales)

.

You never know by the actual campaign live week, Prince may once again appear on Spotify as part of the plan. I miss him there, it's what I always use.

Going back to **STARE** - I agree that this is a great choice too it has been mentioned by another participant... I think we should back up this idea. It's recent, funky, great for the dance floor, available on Spotify and the references to his past songs would be a great way to commemorate and celebrate his career too. A lot of advantages to compensate for the strange fact that Hitnrun Phase Two is not available on Amazon UK (????).

CHerryMoon,

.

I congratulate you for the christmas campaign. It didn't get THE CROSS on the top 100, but it was a great ride !

Like I told you before, Christmas is an impossible period for this kind of campaign. April seems more fitting.

.

But to succeed we must learn from the mistakes in the previous campaign.

.

1) This campaign can't succeed without the full involvment of P.org, Schkopi (the french Prince site), The Orange Park (the german site), Ukmix (the forum about charts and sales), and even FunkU, a french webzine about funk.

If you can't rally these websites to your cause, I highly doubt this can work.

.

2) As streaming counts for a large part, the less the song lasts, the more we could stream it. PURPLE RAIN is way too long (8:40!) and had already charted, so nothing exciting in this. And everybody knows this song.

.

3) Nothing Compares 2 u is too confusing, too many versions. And Sinead version is the best.

.

4) SOMETIMES IT SNOWS has already been downloaded, and is too long for streaming.

.

5) THE BEAUTIFUL ONES is a great choice, because it never charted, and like THE CROSS, it could have been a huge hit. If WB releases the PR deluxe around this period (but I highly doubt it), that could make great promotion.

.

6) Personnally, I will go for WAY BACK HOME (3:05) or JUNE (3:22). These songs have special meaning, and are almost 3 times shorter than PURPLE RAIN.

WAY BACK HOME is, I think, the best choice. It is even available on youtube, so people could discover this song easily.

[Edited 1/5/17 0:06am]

RODSERLING said:

CHerryMoon,

.

I congratulate you for the christmas campaign. It didn't get THE CROSS on the top 100, but it was a great ride !

Like I told you before, Christmas is an impossible period for this kind of campaign. April seems more fitting.

.

But to succeed we must learn from the mistakes in the previous campaign.

.

1) This campaign can't succeed without the full involvment of P.org, Schkopi (the french Prince site), The Orange Park (the german site), Ukmix (the forum about charts and sales), and even FunkU, a french webzine about funk.

If you can't rally these websites to your cause, I highly doubt this can work.

.

2) As streaming counts for a large part, the less the song lasts, the more we could stream it. PURPLE RAIN is way too long (8:40!) and had already charted, so nothing exciting in this. And everybody knows this song.

.

3) Nothing Compares 2 u is too confusing, too many versions. And Sinead version is the best.

.

4) SOMETIMES IT SNOWS has already been downloaded, and is too long for streaming.

.

5) THE BEAUTIFUL ONES is a great choice, because it never charted, and like THE CROSS, it could have been a huge hit. If WB releases the PR deluxe around this period (but I highly doubt it), that could make great promotion.

.

6) Personnally, I will go for WAY BACK HOME (3:05) or JUNE (3:22). These songs have special meaning, and are almost 3 times shorter than PURPLE RAIN.

WAY BACK HOME is, I think, the best choice. It is even available on youtube, so people could discover this song easily.

[Edited 1/5/17 0:06am]

Hi Rodserling! Thank you so much for your advice! I totally agree with all these well-made points and was actually planning to target some key players as you mentioned in 1). We will include the most popular choices ('Way Back Home' currently being one of them) in the poll on 4th February and we will have to go with the majority.

CherryMoon57 said:

RODSERLING said:

CHerryMoon,

.

I congratulate you for the christmas campaign. It didn't get THE CROSS on the top 100, but it was a great ride !

Like I told you before, Christmas is an impossible period for this kind of campaign. April seems more fitting.

.

But to succeed we must learn from the mistakes in the previous campaign.

.

1) This campaign can't succeed without the full involvment of P.org, Schkopi (the french Prince site), The Orange Park (the german site), Ukmix (the forum about charts and sales), and even FunkU, a french webzine about funk.

If you can't rally these websites to your cause, I highly doubt this can work.

.

2) As streaming counts for a large part, the less the song lasts, the more we could stream it. PURPLE RAIN is way too long (8:40!) and had already charted, so nothing exciting in this. And everybody knows this song.

.

3) Nothing Compares 2 u is too confusing, too many versions. And Sinead version is the best.

.

4) SOMETIMES IT SNOWS has already been downloaded, and is too long for streaming.

.

5) THE BEAUTIFUL ONES is a great choice, because it never charted, and like THE CROSS, it could have been a huge hit. If WB releases the PR deluxe around this period (but I highly doubt it), that could make great promotion.

.

6) Personnally, I will go for WAY BACK HOME (3:05) or JUNE (3:22). These songs have special meaning, and are almost 3 times shorter than PURPLE RAIN.

WAY BACK HOME is, I think, the best choice. It is even available on youtube, so people could discover this song easily.

[Edited 1/5/17 0:06am]

Hi Rodserling! Thank you so much for your advice! I totally agree with all these well-made points and was actually planning to target some key players as you mentioned in 1). We will include the most popular choices ('Way Back Home' currently being one of them) in the poll on 4th February and we will have to go with the majority.

I personally don't think Nothing Compares 2 U is confusing. You just need to be clear which version it is that you want people to download/stream. As long as there's no ambiguity about that, then I can't see why it shouldn't work. I also think it's important that the song has appeal that goes beyond Prince's core fanbase, which is why a song like Nothing Compares is perfect, as it's a well known song, but not everybody would be aware that it is infact a Prince song. It is also a very fitting tribute lyrically to mark the anniversary of his passing. And I don't agree that Sinead's version is the best, I think Prince & Rosie own this song.

[Edited 1/5/17 5:28am]

MattyJam said:

CherryMoon57 said:

Hi Rodserling! Thank you so much for your advice! I totally agree with all these well-made points and was actually planning to target some key players as you mentioned in 1). We will include the most popular choices ('Way Back Home' currently being one of them) in the poll on 4th February and we will have to go with the majority.

I personally don't think Nothing Compares 2 U is confusing. You just need to be clear which version it is that you want people to download/stream. As long as there's no ambiguity about that, then I can't see why it shouldn't work. I also think it's important that the song has appeal that goes beyond Prince's core fanbase, which is why a song like Nothing Compares is perfect, as it's a well known song, but not everybody would be aware that it is infact a Prince song. It is also a very fitting tribute lyrically to mark the anniversary of his passing. And I don't agree that Sinead's version is the best, I think Prince & Rosie own this song.

[Edited 1/5/17 5:28am]

The version I like the best - and only heard recently - is P singing it alone at 1991's Rock in Rio concert. Shame it's not available to purchase; I much prefer it without Rosie's contribution (although I do love her). Check it out - 5.37 onwards:

https://www.youtube.com/w...pcNa_sRpkk

MattyJam said:

CherryMoon57 said:

Hi Rodserling! Thank you so much for your advice! I totally agree with all these well-made points and was actually planning to target some key players as you mentioned in 1). We will include the most popular choices ('Way Back Home' currently being one of them) in the poll on 4th February and we will have to go with the majority.

I personally don't think Nothing Compares 2 U is confusing. You just need to be clear which version it is that you want people to download/stream. As long as there's no ambiguity about that, then I can't see why it shouldn't work. I also think it's important that the song has appeal that goes beyond Prince's core fanbase, which is why a song like Nothing Compares is perfect, as it's a well known song, but not everybody would be aware that it is infact a Prince song. It is also a very fitting tribute lyrically to mark the anniversary of his passing. And I don't agree that Sinead's version is the best, I think Prince & Rosie own this song.

[Edited 1/5/17 5:28am]

As much as I like Nothing Compares 2 U (I like all versions simply because it IS a great song) I cannot help but visualise what is likely to happen... For a start it may take some time to all agree on which version to pick. Secondly, some people (as some of my non-fan friends already did) will presume Prince covered Sinead's 'original' version and say it is not as good as hers (which would have the reverse effect of what we are trying to achieve). Finally (as it happened with our last campaign) many may not have the time to read the instructions in detail and - as Rosderling said - will be confused as to which version to use, and so on... Since Prince's position in the charts is a crucial goal of this campaign, it is probably best is to put all chances on our side and stick to a straightforward strategy, learn from our past campaign and try to remove any foreseeable hicups whilst we still can.

CherryMoon57 said:

MattyJam said:

I personally don't think Nothing Compares 2 U is confusing. You just need to be clear which version it is that you want people to download/stream. As long as there's no ambiguity about that, then I can't see why it shouldn't work. I also think it's important that the song has appeal that goes beyond Prince's core fanbase, which is why a song like Nothing Compares is perfect, as it's a well known song, but not everybody would be aware that it is infact a Prince song. It is also a very fitting tribute lyrically to mark the anniversary of his passing. And I don't agree that Sinead's version is the best, I think Prince & Rosie own this song.

[Edited 1/5/17 5:28am]

As much as I like Nothing Compares 2 U (I like all versions simply because it IS a great song) I cannot help but visualise what is likely to happen... For a start it may take some time to all agree on which version to pick. Secondly, some people (as some of my non-fan friends already did) will presume Prince covered Sinead's 'original' version and say it is not as good as hers (which would have the reverse effect of what we are trying to achieve). Finally (as it happened with our last campaign) many may not have the time to read the instructions in detail and - as Rosderling said - will be confused as to which version to use, and so on... Since Prince's position in the charts is a crucial goal of this campaign, it is probably best is to put all chances on our side and stick to a straightforward strategy, learn from our past campaign and try to remove any foreseeable hicups whilst we still can.

Yeah, valid points I suppose.

I do think that going with a relatively obscure album track is a mistake though, because I think we really need to get the general public behind this, which they won't if we pick something like Way Back Home or Stare. If it's not Purple Rain, then it should be another big hit. What about Gold or Sign O The Times or The Beautiful Ones?

Dibblekins said:

MattyJam said:

I personally don't think Nothing Compares 2 U is confusing. You just need to be clear which version it is that you want people to download/stream. As long as there's no ambiguity about that, then I can't see why it shouldn't work. I also think it's important that the song has appeal that goes beyond Prince's core fanbase, which is why a song like Nothing Compares is perfect, as it's a well known song, but not everybody would be aware that it is infact a Prince song. It is also a very fitting tribute lyrically to mark the anniversary of his passing. And I don't agree that Sinead's version is the best, I think Prince & Rosie own this song.

[Edited 1/5/17 5:28am]

The version I like the best - and only heard recently - is P singing it alone at 1991's Rock in Rio concert. Shame it's not available to purchase; I much prefer it without Rosie's contribution (although I do love her). Check it out - 5.37 onwards:

https://www.youtube.com/w...pcNa_sRpkk

Simply beautiful. What a phenomenal concert that is! 💜

MattyJam said:

CherryMoon57 said:

As much as I like Nothing Compares 2 U (I like all versions simply because it IS a great song) I cannot help but visualise what is likely to happen... For a start it may take some time to all agree on which version to pick. Secondly, some people (as some of my non-fan friends already did) will presume Prince covered Sinead's 'original' version and say it is not as good as hers (which would have the reverse effect of what we are trying to achieve). Finally (as it happened with our last campaign) many may not have the time to read the instructions in detail and - as Rosderling said - will be confused as to which version to use, and so on... Since Prince's position in the charts is a crucial goal of this campaign, it is probably best is to put all chances on our side and stick to a straightforward strategy, learn from our past campaign and try to remove any foreseeable hicups whilst we still can.

Yeah, valid points I suppose.

I do think that going with a relatively obscure album track is a mistake though, because I think we really need to get the general public behind this, which they won't if we pick something like Way Back Home or Stare. If it's not Purple Rain, then it should be another big hit. What about Gold or Sign O The Times or The Beautiful Ones?

I agree that a strong known track would be an easier and perhaps safe(r) option than an obscure one. I for one have been wishing Gold was available since our last campaign (the 'golden' track!) and Sign O' The Times would probably work instantly (it hooked me at first listen when it came out!). However, the newer sound of more recent songs like 'Way Back Home' or tracks from Hitnrun could just as easily sound more familiar to younger generations and compensate for their 'unrecognisability'. And when it comes to charts music, the 'novelty' factor is more often than not an advantage. It would also showcase Prince's amazing ability to evolve with time.

[Edited 1/5/17 15:28pm]

I think it needs to be more 'hooky' than Way Back Home, tbh.

I know it's not a later one - but, if we're not going for 'Sometimes it Snows' (because it's already been done) how about 'My Name is Prince'? At least it makes it bloody obvious about whom it's talking, and it's got pretty inspirational lyrics and a good video? After all - his name IS Prince and he still is VERY funky!

Dibblekins said:

I know it's not a later one - but, if we're not going for 'Sometimes it Snows' (because it's already been done) how about 'My Name is Prince'? At least it makes it bloody obvious about whom it's talking, and it's got pretty inspirational lyrics and a good video? After all - his name IS Prince and he still is VERY funky!

I like the idea, but unfortunately, the song is very dated, and not in a good way either.

Ultimately, I think CherryMoon should be the one to pick the song and make the final decision, based on all the different factors raised in this thread. I think we should all get behind whatever she picks, because I feel confident that she will choose something that makes sense, whereas a publlic vote by fans could result in the wrong song being picked. Just my two cents.

SOTT and MY NAME IS PRINCE are not good choices I think, simply because :

1. there are two versions of the songs (album and edit). Too ambiguous.

2. These songs have already charted in the top 10

.

For the joke, the song "SISTER" is 7 times more streamable than PURPLE RAIN ! What an all time scandal in the music industry if this song could make #1 in the UK ! Something the good old Prince would have laugh at !

[Edited 1/6/17 0:34am]

[Edited 1/6/17 0:36am]

RODSERLING said:

SOTT and MY NAME IS PRINCE are not good choices I think, simply because :

1. there are two versions of the songs (album and edit). Too ambiguous.

2. These songs have already charted in the top 10

.

For the joke, the song "SISTER" is 7 times more streamable than PURPLE RAIN ! What an all time scandal in the music industry if this song could make #1 in the UK ! Something the good old Prince would have laugh at !

Lets go with Sister. Nothing like a good bit of incest to get people rallied together!

MattyJam said:

RODSERLING said:

SOTT and MY NAME IS PRINCE are not good choices I think, simply because :

1. there are two versions of the songs (album and edit). Too ambiguous.

2. These songs have already charted in the top 10

.

For the joke, the song "SISTER" is 7 times more streamable than PURPLE RAIN ! What an all time scandal in the music industry if this song could make #1 in the UK ! Something the good old Prince would have laugh at !

Lets go with Sister. Nothing like a good bit of incest to get people rallied together!

MattyJam said:

Dibblekins said:

I know it's not a later one - but, if we're not going for 'Sometimes it Snows' (because it's already been done) how about 'My Name is Prince'? At least it makes it bloody obvious about whom it's talking, and it's got pretty inspirational lyrics and a good video? After all - his name IS Prince and he still is VERY funky!

I like the idea, but unfortunately, the song is very dated, and not in a good way either.

Ultimately, I think CherryMoon should be the one to pick the song and make the final decision, based on all the different factors raised in this thread. I think we should all get behind whatever she picks, because I feel confident that she will choose something that makes sense, whereas a publlic vote by fans could result in the wrong song being picked. Just my two cents.

Thank you for trusting me MattyJam! It will be hard to please everyone, but I will try my best to ensure the 'best' songs are included in the poll.

I have a feeling 'Sister' might not make it to the final rounds though. Sorry!

CherryMoon57 said:

MattyJam said:

Lets go with Sister. Nothing like a good bit of incest to get people rallied together!

*Let's Go Crazy*

• Recognisable intro
• Was chosen for the London fireworks on New Year's Eve 2017
• Not too long a track
• Available everywhere
• Upbeat
• Timeless

The problem with LETS GO CRAZY :

.

1. 3 versions are downloadable / streamable (edit on 4EVER, album, and extented on Ultimate)

2. Already charted at #7 in the UK.

RODSERLING said:

The problem with LETS GO CRAZY :

.

1. 3 versions are downloadable / streamable (edit on 4EVER, album, and extented on Ultimate)

2. Already charted at #7 in the UK.

That's not really a problem, is it? As for the version, we wouldn't go for the Special Dance Mix (too long), like for Purple Rain, probably just the original album version or the Deluxe one if it is out in time (which would help promote the Deluxe at the same time).

MrWilson said:

I'd like to put forward Paisley Park as my choice. It's not a track the general public are aware of but it's very personal to Prince and his legacy. It was his home and where he now rests and I also think it's very catchy and instantly likeable. [Edited 1/7/17 11:43am]

Love that one!

MrWilson said:

I think 'Paisley Park' is the one I would probably endorse most wholeheartedly (although I will support whatever choice is finally made, of course). I think PP ticks all the boxes as has been outlined already - its psychadelic quality makes it quite timeless AND there is a video for it on YouTube if people care to look (albeit not one starring the man himself).
.
In fact, I like it so much I shall go and listen to it now!

.
Just out of curiosity - is there any footage out there of Prince actually playing / singing this one? It would be good to have a video with shots of him intercut with the official video!

[Edited 1/7/17 13:41pm]