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Thread started 10/02/17 8:40am

3rdEyeUnlimite
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Something in the Water Influenced By Blade Runner ?

With Blade Runner 2049 coming out this week I've been revisiting the franchise and I'm always blown away by the iconic Vangelis score. It really is a character in the movie. Even the cheesy 80s sax solos don't prevent it from sounding futuristically lost in time. With Hanz Zimmer doing the score this time it will probably be more Inception-like than the original. All reviews are saying it's an instant classic so I'm guessing the new score will become one too.

I'm always felt like Prince wrote Something in the Water right after catching Blade Runner at the movies. He was a known sci-fi fan and the timing matches up. Blade Runner came out in June 1982 and SITW was recorded in November of the same year. SITW has the same eerie vibe with ice cold synth chords blending into each other as just like Blade Runner Blues and Tears in the Rain. It would be awesome if we could a 1999 sessions book like the upcoming Purple Rain sessions book this month.

The Poster Formerly Known As Elephants and Flowers
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Reply #1 posted 10/02/17 9:41am

Neversin

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3rdEyeUnlimited said:

With Blade Runner 2049 coming out this week I've been revisiting the franchise and I'm always blown away by the iconic Vangelis score. It really is a character in the movie. Even the cheesy 80s sax solos don't prevent it from sounding futuristically lost in time. With Hanz Zimmer doing the score this time it will probably be more Inception-like than the original. All reviews are saying it's an instant classic so I'm guessing the new score will become one too.

I'm always felt like Prince wrote Something in the Water right after catching Blade Runner at the movies. He was a known sci-fi fan and the timing matches up. Blade Runner came out in June 1982 and SITW was recorded in November of the same year. SITW has the same eerie vibe with ice cold synth chords blending into each other as just like Blade Runner Blues and Tears in the Rain. It would be awesome if we could a 1999 sessions book like the upcoming Purple Rain sessions book this month.

Gary Numan's "The Pleasure Principle" was his main influence for the album...

Neversin.

O(+>NIИ<+)O

“Is man merely a mistake of God's? Or God merely a mistake of man's?”

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Reply #2 posted 10/02/17 10:12am

3rdEyeUnlimite
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I've read that somewhere but I personally don't really here it. Pleasure Principle sounds more like the harsh high vibrato synths from Devo, Flock of Seagulls, etc. Really bright and loud. Blade Runner and SITW have those more spacey synths that just kind of float away into the atmosphere.

The Poster Formerly Known As Elephants and Flowers
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Reply #3 posted 10/02/17 10:19am

Revolution81

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3rdEyeUnlimited said:

With Blade Runner 2049 coming out this week I've been revisiting the franchise and I'm always blown away by the iconic Vangelis score. It really is a character in the movie. Even the cheesy 80s sax solos don't prevent it from sounding futuristically lost in time. With Hanz Zimmer doing the score this time it will probably be more Inception-like than the original. All reviews are saying it's an instant classic so I'm guessing the new score will become one too.



I'm always felt like Prince wrote Something in the Water right after catching Blade Runner at the movies. He was a known sci-fi fan and the timing matches up. Blade Runner came out in June 1982 and SITW was recorded in November of the same year. SITW has the same eerie vibe with ice cold synth chords blending into each other as just like Blade Runner Blues and Tears in the Rain. It would be awesome if we could a 1999 sessions book like the upcoming Purple Rain sessions book this month.





Something in the water was recorded in April 82, so...no
What's the use in half a story, half a dream
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Reply #4 posted 10/02/17 10:22am

jazzz

zeitgeist?
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Reply #5 posted 10/02/17 10:35am

antonb

err NO. he wrote it before BladeRunner came out. Do your homework

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Reply #6 posted 10/02/17 10:44am

OldFriends4Sal
e

probably not, but the 1999 era look and style was also leading into Purple Rain sounds

1999 was released 4 months after Blade Runner was released so no doubt the sounds and imagery influenced 1999 as a whole

listen to the piano playing in Blade Runner and Fathers Song

Blade Runner was a fav movie of Prince

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Reply #7 posted 10/02/17 11:12am

3rdEyeUnlimite
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OK sorry got my recording and release dates mixed up guys. Just thought it was an interesting comparison.

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Reply #8 posted 10/02/17 1:48pm

Darshy

It's the sax solo that makes it sound so great, otherwise it would be too similar to a John Carpenter score, which is no bad thing in itself.
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Reply #9 posted 10/02/17 3:27pm

Dandroppedadim
e

in regards to the Gary Numan influence on the 1999 album - correct me if i'm wrong (i'm sure someone will), but Gary used predominantly live drums (albeit in a stark manner) on his early albums (very Punk sounding to me), as opposed to Prince's mainly drum machines (although he did also use live drums) - Gary's live drums actually remind me of the live drumming on Dirtymind/Controversy era. But yes Prince was definitely digging on Gary Numan during the early 80s.

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Reply #10 posted 10/02/17 5:11pm

3rdEyeUnlimite
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I now stand by my original statement that Blade Runner influenced the 1999 album since the original film was put out by Warner Brothers Studios, the film branch of his label Warner Brothers Records. This would have been around the time he was negotiating with the studio for what would eventually become Purple Rain. He probably would have had access to advance industry screenings so he could have seen it a couple of months early.
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Reply #11 posted 10/02/17 7:01pm

scorp84

Can't say for sure if the Blade Runner score influenced his sound, but the visuals influenced the "1999" album photoshoot's backdrop and stage design in '82-'83. As previously stated, it was one of Prince's favorite films at the time.

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Reply #12 posted 10/02/17 7:12pm

ufoclub

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Back in the late 80’s me and my buddies would sort of mock sing that saxophone music theme from Blade Runner to be funny... come on... it’s very cheese grateable.


Like for example, someone accidentally drops their drink. Cue someone mouthing that theme.


I personally think Ridley Scott echoed the atmospheric visual style and poetry and synth score of Apocolypse Now, and also was temp tracking his rough cut with Pink Floyd’s “Wish You Were Here” moments of sax and synth.

Just watch the last section of Apocalypse Now with all the smoke, shafts of light, monologues of mystique...
[Edited 10/3/17 13:05pm]
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Reply #13 posted 10/02/17 7:33pm

Revolution81

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3rdEyeUnlimited said:

I now stand by my original statement that Blade Runner influenced the 1999 album since the original film was put out by Warner Brothers Studios, the film branch of his label Warner Brothers Records. This would have been around the time he was negotiating with the studio for what would eventually become Purple Rain. He probably would have had access to advance industry screenings so he could have seen it a couple of months early.


It's possible. There were advance previews of the film in march 82, the negative reactions prompted Scott to re-cut the film for its official release. I still find it unlikely the score influenced Something In The Water tho but who knows.

I've always felt that the film had some influence on a lot of the purple rain era tracks (purple rain, God, fathers song, katrinas paper dolls to name a few). By this time the film would have been out for a while and Prince would have undoubtably seen it at least once
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Reply #14 posted 10/03/17 5:43am

OldFriends4Sal
e

One thing that happened in the early-mid 80s was America dealing with the Cold War threat of Nuclear War. Culture infused this fear into so many WONDERFUL genre (I Don't Want This Threat To Inspire Artists Now) but back then: Blade Runner 1999(Prince Purple Music) War Games Mad Max Termnator etc

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Reply #15 posted 10/03/17 6:12am

stpaisios

Neversin said:

3rdEyeUnlimited said:

With Blade Runner 2049 coming out this week I've been revisiting the franchise and I'm always blown away by the iconic Vangelis score. It really is a character in the movie. Even the cheesy 80s sax solos don't prevent it from sounding futuristically lost in time. With Hanz Zimmer doing the score this time it will probably be more Inception-like than the original. All reviews are saying it's an instant classic so I'm guessing the new score will become one too.

I'm always felt like Prince wrote Something in the Water right after catching Blade Runner at the movies. He was a known sci-fi fan and the timing matches up. Blade Runner came out in June 1982 and SITW was recorded in November of the same year. SITW has the same eerie vibe with ice cold synth chords blending into each other as just like Blade Runner Blues and Tears in the Rain. It would be awesome if we could a 1999 sessions book like the upcoming Purple Rain sessions book this month.

Gary Numan's "The Pleasure Principle" was his main influence for the album...

Neversin.

Yes, Yes... everyone tends to forget about great Gary Numan. Automatic from '1999' album is pure Gary Numan influence.

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Reply #16 posted 10/03/17 7:24am

OldFriends4Sal
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I think the 1999-Purple Rain period

especially Prince's dressing room/bedroom in the movie

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Reply #17 posted 10/03/17 12:20pm

3rdEyeUnlimite
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It definitely inspired that spacey Yankee Doodle Dandy/Do Me Baby intro on the Purple Rain tour!

The Poster Formerly Known As Elephants and Flowers
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Reply #18 posted 10/03/17 1:56pm

paraded

Whether or not it's influenced by Blade Runner, "People Without," especially the intro, I have always wanted to listen to while watching the movie.

[Edited 10/3/17 13:57pm]

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Reply #19 posted 10/03/17 3:46pm

eyewishuheaven

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ufoclub said:

Back in the late 80’s me and my buddies would sort of mock sing that saxophone music theme from Blade Runner to be funny... come on... it’s very cheese grateable. Like for example, someone accidentally drops their drink. Cue someone mouthing that theme.


Hey now! That "cheesy" melody ain't so far off from the leadline to 'God'! lol

PRINCE: the only man who could wear high heels and makeup and STILL steal your woman!
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Reply #20 posted 10/04/17 9:06am

ufoclub

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eyewishuheaven said:



ufoclub said:


Back in the late 80’s me and my buddies would sort of mock sing that saxophone music theme from Blade Runner to be funny... come on... it’s very cheese grateable. Like for example, someone accidentally drops their drink. Cue someone mouthing that theme.


Hey now! That "cheesy" melody ain't so far off from the leadline to 'God'! lol



Well, I think Prince in some cases was the king of take cheesy and go so far with it... that it becomes art.
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Reply #21 posted 10/04/17 9:06am

Lianachan

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There's a strong hint of Vangelis about some aspects of Prince's 84/85ish music. Memories of Green from the Blade Runner soundtrack wouldn't have sounded out of place in Purple Rain. The eventually released version of Father's Song wouldn't have sounded out of place in Blade Runner, either!

"Anti-intellectualism has been a constant thread winding its way through our political and cultural life, nurtured by the false notion that democracy means that "my ignorance is just as good as your knowledge"" ~ Isaac Asimov
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Reply #22 posted 10/04/17 9:07am

ufoclub

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Lianachan said:

There's a strong hint of Vangelis about some aspects of Prince's 84/85ish music. Memories of Green from the Blade Runner soundtrack wouldn't have sounded out of place in Purple Rain. The eventually released version of Father's Song wouldn't have sounded out of place in Blade Runner, either!



Let’s not forget Tangerine Dream!
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Reply #23 posted 10/04/17 11:27am

3rdEyeUnlimite
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Lianachan said:

There's a strong hint of Vangelis about some aspects of Prince's 84/85ish music. Memories of Green from the Blade Runner soundtrack wouldn't have sounded out of place in Purple Rain. The eventually released version of Father's Song wouldn't have sounded out of place in Blade Runner, either!

A better thread title might be "1999/Purple Rain Era Influenced By Blade Runner ?" Automatic, The Beautiful Ones, God (both versions), Father's Song. This particular style definitely became a Prince staple with 1999 since no prior album featured it. TBO was much more futuristic sounding than any prior ballad. Many of the effects on these songs sound like spaceship exhaust pipes.

The Poster Formerly Known As Elephants and Flowers
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Reply #24 posted 10/05/17 6:25pm

spacedolphin

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It's definitely Gary Numan, he stated around that time that he loved Replicas and Pleasure Principle

music I'm afraid of Americans. I'm afraid of the world. music
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Reply #25 posted 10/07/17 2:45pm

rlittler81

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Prince used a sample from the film along with parts of the “Falling Down” score during the Newpower Soul tour, think It’s also used at the beginning of the Glam Slam wallpaper video.
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Reply #26 posted 10/07/17 4:18pm

eyewishuheaven

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rlittler81 said:

Prince used a sample from the film along with parts of the “Falling Down” score during the Newpower Soul tour, think It’s also used at the beginning of the Glam Slam wallpaper video.


There are also BR samples during the end credits of... what was it called... the Beautiful Experience? The TV special in '94.

PRINCE: the only man who could wear high heels and makeup and STILL steal your woman!
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Reply #27 posted 10/07/17 4:32pm

thisisreece

Didn't Prince himself admit to be influenced by Blade Runner?

Hundalasiliah!
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Reply #28 posted 10/08/17 2:27pm

OldFriends4Sal
e

this image reminds me of the 1999 - Purple Rain shudders look with the smoke etc

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Reply #29 posted 10/08/17 2:34pm

OldFriends4Sal
e

She actually reminds me of the Melvoin twins

and even the Kids basement and dressing rooms in Purple Rain

no doubt the imagery of the PR movie reflect the 1999 scene

Image may contain: 2 people, night and indoor

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