Se7en said:

OLDHATJ said:

I keep thinking that maybe Prince recorded the studio version in 2014 or 2015. Anybody else think this is possible?

When I first heard this new version, I also thought it might have newer vocals on it. So you're not alone.

But hearing the vocals next to the live boot, they sound similar too. Who knows. There could be Prince vocals from every decade layered together for effect.

I think it is an original from 83, he had a live version he did with studio overdubs, and this one.

If he did change things at a future date I thknk it would have to been around the time when Crystal Ball 2 was coming out, Electric Intercourse was a favorite picked by fans.

AnnaSantana said:

fabriziovenerandi said:

Btw in past Prince said there wasn't outtakes from Purple Rain. Electric Intercourse proves he was telling the truth about this.

What do you think "Electric Intercourse" is? IT'S AN OUTTAKE.

If you think like Prince did, I don't think he's consider any of his unused songs "outtakes" in the way we're thinking of them.

I think he just recorded and recorded, if it fit on an album, great. If it was better left unreleased, or put on the next album, great.

TrivialPursuit said:

fabriziovenerandi said:

Btw in past Prince said there wasn't outtakes from Purple Rain. Electric Intercourse proves he was telling the truth about this.

TrivialPursuit said:

Genesia said:

Plus the songs were new(er) to the band, as well - and it was Wendy's first show. Speaking as a performer who has a lot of opening nights under her belt - the first show is never the best show.

Agreed.

It wasn't the first or last time Prince used a show at First Avenue as a warm-up or rehearsal type gig.

Only Prince would use First Avenue as a venue 2 introduce his new friend...a polka dot suit.

The vocals are completely different.

2freaky4church1 said:

The vocals are completely different.

True, but it was very common for him to translate songs differently live, especially ballads. I think that is all we are seeing here, someone with the ability to re-rcreate on the spot.

ChadNPG69 said:

TrivialPursuit said:

Agreed.

It wasn't the first or last time Prince used a show at First Avenue as a warm-up or rehearsal type gig.

Only Prince would use First Avenue as a venue 2 introduce his new friend...a polka dot suit.

It wasn't polka dot if you were on valium.

plymouthavenuenorth said:

sro100 said:

Where Hwy 7 and Lake Street connected. At the "end" of Lake Street. Across the highway is a gas station. In back of the warehouse was a baseball field; aways back if I remember.

Now there's some large building; I'm not sure what it is.

Thanks! Do you mean this location on the map?

https://www.google.com/ma...93.3635088

There is a green patch below the industrial lot on the map where Hwy 7 service road turns into Lake St - could that have been the baseball field (Lions Field)?

There isn't a gas station across the highway from this spot now, but there are a bunch of soccer fields and one baseball field across the street.

Lions Field, it is.

I think on the other side of the highway there still is a gas station, but yes, basically in front of Lions Field. Next to it used to be a big junk yard. But that whole area has changed dramatically since 1983-4.

[Edited 5/2/17 14:44pm]

imprimis said:

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The production here is an inimitable 1983 Prince. His attempts at revisiting a past era of his sound in the studio tend to be distinctly workstationy cheesy or overly simplistic ('Wherever U Go,. . .').

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[Edited 5/2/17 10:12am]

Yeah, it'd sound like something off 20Ten at best if he was trying to recreate an old recording.

jaawwnn said:

imprimis said:

.

The production here is an inimitable 1983 Prince. His attempts at revisiting a past era of his sound in the studio tend to be distinctly workstationy cheesy or overly simplistic ('Wherever U Go,. . .').

.

[Edited 5/2/17 10:12am]

Yeah, it'd sound like something off 20Ten at best if he was trying to recreate an old recording.

Which could most definitely explain why this version was kept tucked away for so many years. The piano chords sound very similar on "Future Soul Song" lol

To the credit of your theory of later revision, however, I believe he laid the initial tracks down with slightly understated vocals that resemble (loosely) the live version (which you can clearly hear lower in the mix), and added what some are calling the 'yodelling' overdubbed vocals and some instrumental touches later on, to beef up the song, whether that be the same day during the same booked studio time (or at Kiowa Trail), or weeks or months later, but all definitely (to my way of thinking) in 1983.

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I'd say that some stage of completion of this official studio version had been recorded well in advance of the show-- perhaps, but not necessarily, the track in its entirety as we have it now.

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I don't believe this is a demo, if there is an absolute definition to that term. I would imagine he considered this a more-or-less completed track, but most likely was dissatisfied with the results (I wouldn't be surprised if the liner notes for PR Deluxe slightly distort/simplify the history by describing it as uncompleted or 'never finished').

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As another idea, he may have been entertaining a dressed-up live version for use in the film, and also this studio version (which ultimately fell flat) for a very early conception of the album itself. There is reasonable speculation, but no proof yet that the 8/3/83 rendition was worked on at Sunset.

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---

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This studio take is at about the same grade as a decent/good 1999 album (non-hit) track, such as 'All the Critics Love U', 'Let's Pretend We're Married' (not that this song has much in common with those two examples). In terms of contemporary ballads, it probably deserves a higher ranking than 'Free', 'God (Vocal)', and maybe a little lower one than 'International Lover'. I think the 'bulk' of the track is shorter than in many of his other ballads, and the fast build-up burns through that quicker with less suspense. But the frankness and few delays getting to the point may be truer to the title/subject matter than the melodrama of the live versions.

.

[Edited 5/2/17 20:02pm]

Prince said a lot of things. CLEARLY there were unreleased songs recorded for/at the time of recording Purple Rain. I don't understand why this would even be a point of conjecture.

I know there was a lot of unreleased songs recorded at the time of recording Purple Rain. But seems that Prince did not consider those as "outtakes" from Purple Rain. One of the most loved from fans, Electric Intercourse, often citated as *the* Purple Rain outtake, is more a 1999 outtake...

TrivialPursuit said:

fabriziovenerandi said:

Btw in past Prince said there wasn't outtakes from Purple Rain. Electric Intercourse proves he was telling the truth about this.

Ah ah, ok. But "this" in my sentence is Electric Intercourse. I do not think EI is a Purple Rain outtake, more than a 1999's one.

fabriziovenerandi said:

Prince said a lot of things. CLEARLY there were unreleased songs recorded for/at the time of recording Purple Rain. I don't understand why this would even be a point of conjecture.

I know there was a lot of unreleased songs recorded at the time of recording Purple Rain. But seems that Prince did not consider those as "outtakes" from Purple Rain. One of the most loved from fans, Electric Intercourse, often citated as *the* Purple Rain outtake, is more a 1999 outtake...

Electric Intercourse is named in the original screenplay as the song played in the same scene as The Beautiful Ones in the finished film.

What evidence do you have that it is in fact a 1999 outtake?

jaawwnn said:

fabriziovenerandi said:

I know there was a lot of unreleased songs recorded at the time of recording Purple Rain. But seems that Prince did not consider those as "outtakes" from Purple Rain. One of the most loved from fans, Electric Intercourse, often citated as *the* Purple Rain outtake, is more a 1999 outtake...

Electric Intercourse is named in the original screenplay as the song played in the same scene as The Beautiful Ones in the finished film.

What evidence do you have that it is in fact a 1999 outtake?

Nothing but the sounds

jaawwnn said:

fabriziovenerandi said:

I know there was a lot of unreleased songs recorded at the time of recording Purple Rain. But seems that Prince did not consider those as "outtakes" from Purple Rain. One of the most loved from fans, Electric Intercourse, often citated as *the* Purple Rain outtake, is more a 1999 outtake...

Electric Intercourse is named in the original screenplay as the song played in the same scene as The Beautiful Ones in the finished film.

What evidence do you have that it is in fact a 1999 outtake?

While I don't have any leaning towards which era it is an outtake from, here's a thought. Isn't it entirely possible that the studio version was recorded around the same time as the 1999 songs but it was held back because it didn't fit the album and then Prince considered the live version of it for the movie.

Didn't Albert Magnoli say Prince presented him with "hundreds" of possible songs to be included in the film?

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You have to assume those songs were recorded, some rough, some more finished. And obvioulsy many from the previous years (including songs written for previous albums and rejected).

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I'd assume all short listed songs would have studio and live versions, as it would make sense to try both and see what sounded best... but also some of the songs in the film are meant to sound live, so those songs would have favoured the live versions.

.

EI was probably just one of many we don't know about because they were done at his home studio or on his own, or with only the band present.

.

I strongly feel that many times these "facts" about when and where tracks were first recorded lack common sense.... let's face it, you have to be a little on the autistic spectrum to put together all this information (In the best possible way!)

[Edited 5/3/17 2:23am]

james said:

Didn't Albert Magnoli say Prince presented him with "hundreds" of possible songs to be included in the film?

Every time he's asked, the number increases.

I assume the "studio version" was recorded rather early during the sessions that produced Purple Rain.
That's why it still has a lot of the same vibe as the 1999 album, although the Linn programming and the way the individual drum elements have been processed sounds much heavier, like on the Purple Rain album. Prince is also using the synths (primarily the Oberheim OB-Xa, I assume) on the track in the same manner as he did on other "post-1999 session" tracks, like "Wet Dream's Cousin". The overall sound is somewhere between 1999 and Purple Rain, I'd say.

It's not the only track we've heard that sounds that way. We also have the early version of "Possessed" for comparison, just for example.

It seems that Prince didn't choose to go for the dense and heavily reverberated sound for the Purple Rain album until he started tinkering on the benefit concert recordings. The songs start getting denser as the sessions progress. For example, the first edits of "Computer Blue" sound much "lighter" and "minimalistic" than the later edits, and the overall sound of the album started to get defined as Prince's production skills took big leaps forward. The later tracks, like WDC, while not initially being cut live at all, are made to stylistically match the stuff that was cut live.

To be honest, I think the version WB just put out sounds more like a demo than anything Prince could have seen himself releasing around that time. The latter part of the recording is just too sketchy for a finished piece. For example, the handclaps are mixed rather poorly and the "double-time feel" of the latter part doesn't really work that well. It's almost like at that point Prince couldn't decide if the song was going to be a power ballad or some sort of a semi-danceable, mid-tempo track.

sro100 said:

plymouthavenuenorth said:

Thanks! Do you mean this location on the map?

https://www.google.com/ma...93.3635088

There is a green patch below the industrial lot on the map where Hwy 7 service road turns into Lake St - could that have been the baseball field (Lions Field)?

There isn't a gas station across the highway from this spot now, but there are a bunch of soccer fields and one baseball field across the street.

Lions Field, it is.

I think on the other side of the highway there still is a gas station, but yes, basically in front of Lions Field. Next to it used to be a big junk yard. But that whole area has changed dramatically since 1983-4.

[Edited 5/2/17 14:44pm]

Cool. Thanks for the info! Did I get the right location on the map? I'm guessing the warehouse would have been where we see the huge patch of dirt with the blue and red objects in this map view - do you think that was it? -

https://www.google.com/ma...93.3635088

[Edited 5/3/17 9:02am]

ChadNPG69 said:

TrivialPursuit said:

Agreed.

It wasn't the first or last time Prince used a show at First Avenue as a warm-up or rehearsal type gig.

Only Prince would use First Avenue as a venue 2 introduce his new friend...a polka dot suit.

When I listen to that show, and he's introducing the band (and himself), when he gets to Dr. Fink I always get the impression of "shit - that's right, he's still here".

plymouthavenuenorth said:

sro100 said:

Lions Field, it is.

I think on the other side of the highway there still is a gas station, but yes, basically in front of Lions Field. Next to it used to be a big junk yard. But that whole area has changed dramatically since 1983-4.

[Edited 5/2/17 14:44pm]

Cool. Thanks for the info! Did I get the right location on the map? I'm guessing the warehouse would have been where we see the huge patch of dirt with the blue and red objects in this map view - do you think that was it? -

https://www.google.com/ma...93.3635088

[Edited 5/3/17 9:02am]

I'm guessing it's in the place where now the building now listed as "ID Wholesaler"

See the Holiday Gas Station across the Hwy from it?

I'm pretty sure that's it.

From what I've gathered, Electric Intercourse (the studio version) was recorded at his home sometime between May and July 1983.

The live version was overdubbed on September 12, 1983.

Let's Go Crazy was recorded on the weekend after the August 3, 1983 show.

Hope some of this helps.

It's interesting that some fans think this sounds like it was produced more recently (even though this also matches his vocal delivery on part of "Temptation"). It should make you re-evaluate how you characterize a lot of material through psychological context of where you were at in life when you first heard older things.

sro100 said:

I'm guessing it's in the place where now the building now listed as "ID Wholesaler"

See the Holiday Gas Station across the Hwy from it?

I'm pretty sure that's it.

Yes! That must be it. Thank you!!! The power station is next to it. I made it there - just wasn't sure exactly where it was.

Here's a street view of the location you mentioned with the power station to the left of it:

https://www.google.com/ma...99!6m1!1e1

Here's an old image also showing the power station: http://www.princevault.co...ehouse.jpg

plymouthavenuenorth said:

sro100 said:

I'm guessing it's in the place where now the building now listed as "ID Wholesaler"

See the Holiday Gas Station across the Hwy from it?

I'm pretty sure that's it.

Yes! That must be it. Thank you!!! The power station is next to it. I made it there - just wasn't sure exactly where it was.

Here's a street view of the location you mentioned with the power station to the left of it:

https://www.google.com/ma...99!6m1!1e1

Here's an old image also showing the power station: http://www.princevault.co...ehouse.jpg

Yup! That' it. I'm sure there's not too many people who are aware of its history.

[Edited 5/4/17 9:23am]

sro100 said:

The St. Louis Park warehouse (aka pet food supplier) was where I really started to get into Prince.

When me and my friends used to walk home from St. Louis Park High School we walked right past this. There would always be jamming, limousines, every day.

Sometimes I'd just sit and listen from the outside. Heard so many things there, but didn't know any of the names of the songs.

That was one pretty cool thing about going to St. Louis Park High School.

That's awesome.

dustoff said:

sro100 said:

The St. Louis Park warehouse (aka pet food supplier) was where I really started to get into Prince.

When me and my friends used to walk home from St. Louis Park High School we walked right past this. There would always be jamming, limousines, every day.

Sometimes I'd just sit and listen from the outside. Heard so many things there, but didn't know any of the names of the songs.

That was one pretty cool thing about going to St. Louis Park High School.

That's awesome.

Yeah it was pretty cool.

Se7en said:

ChadNPG69 said:

Only Prince would use First Avenue as a venue 2 introduce his new friend...a polka dot suit.

When I listen to that show, and he's introducing the band (and himself), when he gets to Dr. Fink I always get the impression of "shit - that's right, he's still here".

The video of that show cracks me up when he start's yelling at Sheila 2 "shut the f*@# up" right b4 he gets up and says...."thank u good night" then points at her and says "she TOLD me 2 say that."