Mindbells9 said:

jaawwnn said:

Without any hard facts each version is as likely as the other, no?

I see no reason to call Susan a liar about this but maybe what we have comes directly from the tape of the original session that she said Prince made. Maybe not as well though.

This is true, and Wally has the actual tape. The version that leaked is the version that Wally played for me years ago, and he said that Prince gave him the tape when the session was done and just said "here, it's yours." and he never heard Prince speak about the song or the tape again.

I doubt my own guess as well because this version has horns doesn't it? They had to be overdubbed at some point.

[Edited 7/25/17 18:12pm]

OnlyNDaUsa said:

Bebop17 said:

.

I don't know if you'd call it hard facts but The Vault entry for Wally cites some lyrics that do not appear in this version.

I do not remember where I read it but there was more... like borrowing some money and then deciding there was no point... some say this version is missing some...but I am not sure... but yeah reports over the years had some mentions of other lyrics.

.

From The Vault (2004)

.

"I thought it was the greatest thing he had done," is Susan Rogers' assessment of "Wally," a heartfelt song which ostensibly deals with Prince's breakup with Susannah Melvoin. It was recorded in Prince's home studio on December 28th 1986, after he had returned from an almost three-month stay in Los Angeles. The song features a monologue by Prince, who is talking to Wally Safford. He asks to try on Wally's new glasses as he is planning to go out for the evening and he wants to look good for someone special. However, he changes his mind and decides to stay home instead. He returns the $50 Wally has lent him, saying that, since he is alone now, he no longer has anyone to spend it on. Sounding empty and lost, Prince speaks the words with a soft, vulnerable voice. He is accompanied only by a piano, but guitar, bass, and drums enter as the song explodes into the chorus. Prince sings a simple phrase of "o-ma-la-di-da," evoking a feeling of wistful resignation. The song ends with him thanking Wally for being his friend.

.
Although the lyrics of "Wally" do not refer directly to the breakup, the emotional statement of the music leaves no doubt as to the sincerity of Prince's pain. "There was so much pain that came out in that song," says Rogers, who is one of the few people who has heard the original recording. "It was heartrending. He was getting all this poison out of his system, all this pain. I had waited years to hear a Prince song like this. I ached to hear him be this honest. He said, 'Do you know that maladie means sickness, illness in French? It's almost like the word melody, isn't it?' It was just the two of us and I felt so privileged. I just couldn't wait for people to hear this. Then he began to change it! All of a sudden, he put on this weird percussion stuff and began to make it funky. I said, 'Don’t you think it was better before, Prince? Maybe we should stop?' I knew he was destroying it deliberately. It was just too honest. At some point, he said, 'Now put all 24 channels on record and erase it.' I said, 'No, you can't do this!' He said, 'If you don't, I will.' And he did erase it. That recording will never get heard. He was feeling deep pain and allowed it to show, but he didn't want anybody to hear that."

.
Eric Leeds believes "Wally" was "the only time that he [Prince) completely erased a song that he had just done. The only time. That was a very, very personal song to Prince, and I don't think he had any intention in the world of ever releasing it." Prince did in fact re-record "Wally" from scratch the next day, making it a less personal song by changing some of the lyrics and recording a new vocal. Eric and Matt Blistan added horns to the altered version. "I was called back from my Christmas vacation a day early to come in the studio to put horn parts on the second version of Wally,'" Eric recalls. "The first version was even too honest for him. He wiped it immediately, re-recorded it in a different form, and then had me and Blistan come in and do horns on it."

Bebop17 said:

OnlyNDaUsa said:

I do not remember where I read it but there was more... like borrowing some money and then deciding there was no point... some say this version is missing some...but I am not sure... but yeah reports over the years had some mentions of other lyrics.

.

From The Vault (2004)

.

"I thought it was the greatest thing he had done," is Susan Rogers' assessment of "Wally," a heartfelt song which ostensibly deals with Prince's breakup with Susannah Melvoin. It was recorded in Prince's home studio on December 28th 1986, after he had returned from an almost three-month stay in Los Angeles. The song features a monologue by Prince, who is talking to Wally Safford. He asks to try on Wally's new glasses as he is planning to go out for the evening and he wants to look good for someone special. However, he changes his mind and decides to stay home instead. He returns the $50 Wally has lent him, saying that, since he is alone now, he no longer has anyone to spend it on. Sounding empty and lost, Prince speaks the words with a soft, vulnerable voice. He is accompanied only by a piano, but guitar, bass, and drums enter as the song explodes into the chorus. Prince sings a simple phrase of "o-ma-la-di-da," evoking a feeling of wistful resignation. The song ends with him thanking Wally for being his friend.

.
Although the lyrics of "Wally" do not refer directly to the breakup, the emotional statement of the music leaves no doubt as to the sincerity of Prince's pain. "There was so much pain that came out in that song," says Rogers, who is one of the few people who has heard the original recording. "It was heartrending. He was getting all this poison out of his system, all this pain. I had waited years to hear a Prince song like this. I ached to hear him be this honest. He said, 'Do you know that maladie means sickness, illness in French? It's almost like the word melody, isn't it?' It was just the two of us and I felt so privileged. I just couldn't wait for people to hear this. Then he began to change it! All of a sudden, he put on this weird percussion stuff and began to make it funky. I said, 'Don’t you think it was better before, Prince? Maybe we should stop?' I knew he was destroying it deliberately. It was just too honest. At some point, he said, 'Now put all 24 channels on record and erase it.' I said, 'No, you can't do this!' He said, 'If you don't, I will.' And he did erase it. That recording will never get heard. He was feeling deep pain and allowed it to show, but he didn't want anybody to hear that."

.
Eric Leeds believes "Wally" was "the only time that he [Prince) completely erased a song that he had just done. The only time. That was a very, very personal song to Prince, and I don't think he had any intention in the world of ever releasing it." Prince did in fact re-record "Wally" from scratch the next day, making it a less personal song by changing some of the lyrics and recording a new vocal. Eric and Matt Blistan added horns to the altered version. "I was called back from my Christmas vacation a day early to come in the studio to put horn parts on the second version of Wally,'" Eric recalls. "The first version was even too honest for him. He wiped it immediately, re-recorded it in a different form, and then had me and Blistan come in and do horns on it."

Now I am going to have to analyze to see if there is a correlation between lots of horns when he is getting vulnerable in songs. I sure glad he didn't use that defense with Condition of the Heart.

The lyrics and delivery in this version alternates between being vulnerable and than pulling back with distancing moves such as humour, the Disney voice, and wanting to focus on freaky glasses. Nevertheless, with repeated listens his heart and vulnerability still registers loud and clear! It just pulls you in the way only Prince can do.

I was a bit underwhelmed when I first heard this song, I guess because of the hype. But it revealed itself to me after a few listens and now I think it's amazing. As others have pointed out, the jokiness tries to cover the pain and I think this takes it to a whole other level beyond regular break-up songs. And the instrumentation has the classic feel of this era, my favouite Prince sound. I guess it's extremely unlikely that we'll ever get a pristine version of this but it would be an incredible thing to behold in my opinion.

massing said:

I was a bit underwhelmed when I first heard this song, I guess because of the hype. But it revealed itself to me after a few listens and now I think it's amazing. As others have pointed out, the jokiness tries to cover the pain and I think this takes it to a whole other level beyond regular break-up songs. And the instrumentation has the classic feel of this era, my favouite Prince sound. I guess it's extremely unlikely that we'll ever get a pristine version of this but it would be an incredible thing to behold in my opinion.

the 5 sec sample WAS prisitine.

gandorb said:

Bebop17 said:

.

From The Vault (2004)

.

"I thought it was the greatest thing he had done," is Susan Rogers' assessment of "Wally," a heartfelt song which ostensibly deals with Prince's breakup with Susannah Melvoin. It was recorded in Prince's home studio on December 28th 1986, after he had returned from an almost three-month stay in Los Angeles. The song features a monologue by Prince, who is talking to Wally Safford. He asks to try on Wally's new glasses as he is planning to go out for the evening and he wants to look good for someone special. However, he changes his mind and decides to stay home instead. He returns the $50 Wally has lent him, saying that, since he is alone now, he no longer has anyone to spend it on. Sounding empty and lost, Prince speaks the words with a soft, vulnerable voice. He is accompanied only by a piano, but guitar, bass, and drums enter as the song explodes into the chorus. Prince sings a simple phrase of "o-ma-la-di-da," evoking a feeling of wistful resignation. The song ends with him thanking Wally for being his friend.

.
Although the lyrics of "Wally" do not refer directly to the breakup, the emotional statement of the music leaves no doubt as to the sincerity of Prince's pain. "There was so much pain that came out in that song," says Rogers, who is one of the few people who has heard the original recording. "It was heartrending. He was getting all this poison out of his system, all this pain. I had waited years to hear a Prince song like this. I ached to hear him be this honest. He said, 'Do you know that maladie means sickness, illness in French? It's almost like the word melody, isn't it?' It was just the two of us and I felt so privileged. I just couldn't wait for people to hear this. Then he began to change it! All of a sudden, he put on this weird percussion stuff and began to make it funky. I said, 'Don’t you think it was better before, Prince? Maybe we should stop?' I knew he was destroying it deliberately. It was just too honest. At some point, he said, 'Now put all 24 channels on record and erase it.' I said, 'No, you can't do this!' He said, 'If you don't, I will.' And he did erase it. That recording will never get heard. He was feeling deep pain and allowed it to show, but he didn't want anybody to hear that."

.
Eric Leeds believes "Wally" was "the only time that he [Prince) completely erased a song that he had just done. The only time. That was a very, very personal song to Prince, and I don't think he had any intention in the world of ever releasing it." Prince did in fact re-record "Wally" from scratch the next day, making it a less personal song by changing some of the lyrics and recording a new vocal. Eric and Matt Blistan added horns to the altered version. "I was called back from my Christmas vacation a day early to come in the studio to put horn parts on the second version of Wally,'" Eric recalls. "The first version was even too honest for him. He wiped it immediately, re-recorded it in a different form, and then had me and Blistan come in and do horns on it."

Now I am going to have to analyze to see if there is a correlation between lots of horns when he is getting vulnerable in songs. I sure glad he didn't use that defense with Condition of the Heart.

The lyrics and delivery in this version alternates between being vulnerable and than pulling back with distancing moves such as humour, the Disney voice, and wanting to focus on freaky glasses. Nevertheless, with repeated listens his heart and vulnerability still registers loud and clear! It just pulls you in the way only Prince can do.

Very well said, I think this is reflective of the way I feel about the song and the juxtaposition of humour and vulnerability in it. This has quickly become a real favourite for me after its leak, the fact that it isn't the 'best' or 'real' version of the song barely registers to me anymore. Hopefully we'll see it in great quality one day, whether through official or unofficial release.