I don't mean songs that are pretty darn good in their album state, like "Let's Go Crazy" but just add on more goodness in their extended versions.

I mean songs where you think the song proper is good or okay. But the extended takes it and goes into the stratosphere.

For me, that would be "Thieves in the Temple."

The single version is cool; it's okay.

But once the extended part kicks in it goes to another unbelievable planet; and the video only really kicks ass once the extended part begins; and about that video when he paints the wall and starts fucking the wall it's just so fucking Prince!

Y'all?

What Prince songs do you think only really work in their extended state?

honestly I never got into Computer Blue until I heard the exended version.

La la la he he he, goes from being a decent bside to my favorite song of the era.

Most of them:

Raspberry Beret with that long intro with the cat growl/moan and the coughing because Prince is so sick.

U got the Look with that funky chicken grease intro.

Erotic City with the "fuck some creamy human jive..."

...lastly....

---

Let's Go Crazy extended IS superior to the album version. It lifts that song to some next level stuff. The stomped on piano, the mumbling repeat of the intro, the funky hand/finger flicking part, and the cow bell. They all add up to mad genius stuff NO ONE else would have the guts to put in a #1 hit song. This song is the EPITOME of what separates Prince from others, and what is VASTLY missing in music today...taking risks and being adventurous even with the most commercial things....

HELLO. HELLO. hello. Hello!

The funk of it! The maniac laughter, the funky breakdowns, Prince's little kid/hurt voice. The guitar....the screams.

P at his best!

Doozer said:

I Wish U Heaven pats 1, 2 & 3. So many unexpected twists and turns. A great example of how Prince could make a song so radically different between the album and extended versions.

Totally totally totally agree. Just getting ready to post that one...Glad I am not alone in that choice.

Doozer said:

I Wish U Heaven pats 1, 2 & 3. So many unexpected twists and turns. A great example of how Prince could make a song so radically different between the album and extended versions.

ufoclub said:

honestly I never got into Computer Blue until I heard the exended version.

Me 2. I'm also impartial 2 17 Days ...

I always loved the synth bass line on latter half of the Little Red Corvette 12 inch.

Pop Life

Kiss

Shockadelica

Girl

The 9 minute version of "Pop life" from the UK 12" single. Totally incredible

Girl

Doozer said:

I Wish U Heaven pats 1, 2 & 3. So many unexpected twists and turns. A great example of how Prince could make a song so radically different between the album and extended versions.

Sorry, but I have to disagree with this.

I'm not saying that I don't like the content of Parts 2&3 -- but to me, they don't say "I Wish U Heaven". What he had on the album version is so light and ethereal, but then the extended part has the same negativity he was distancing himself from on the Black Album.

Should've saved that added stuff for another track.

Se7en said:

Doozer said:

I Wish U Heaven pats 1, 2 & 3. So many unexpected twists and turns. A great example of how Prince could make a song so radically different between the album and extended versions.

Sorry, but I have to disagree with this.

I'm not saying that I don't like the content of Parts 2&3 -- but to me, they don't say "I Wish U Heaven". What he had on the album version is so light and ethereal, but then the extended part has the same negativity he was distancing himself from on the Black Album.

Should've saved that added stuff for another track.

Thank you Se7en, I thought I was the only one who didn't like the extended version of "I wish u heaven". The album version was beautiful and perfect. All the goofy stuff added took away from the song IMO. Like you said, the added stuff would have been fine on some other song.

Mintchip said:

La la la he he he, goes from being a decent bside to my favorite song of the era.

YES!!!

djdaffy1227 said:

Se7en said:

Sorry, but I have to disagree with this.

I'm not saying that I don't like the content of Parts 2&3 -- but to me, they don't say "I Wish U Heaven". What he had on the album version is so light and ethereal, but then the extended part has the same negativity he was distancing himself from on the Black Album.

Should've saved that added stuff for another track.

Thank you Se7en, I thought I was the only one who didn't like the extended version of "I wish u heaven". The album version was beautiful and perfect. All the goofy stuff added took away from the song IMO. Like you said, the added stuff would have been fine on some other song.

I'm the same, I really don't care for the extended bit. Kiss is another one that I can take or leave.

Most extended versions are amazing though. Hello and La La La... are amongst my favourites.

I think the extended I wish U heaven is , frankly, boring. I played it perhaps twice since its existence. The album version is nailed-on perfect though.
Knowing that i played the extended America perhaps 50 times on the contrary, must underline the limitless boreness of the long I wish u heaven

An extended... which is extended? Many of those are the normal versions where the shorter are 'edits'. The one song that makes the biggest difference in extended versus edited to me, is AUTomatic. But that's not really an extended versions as that was the original. But that counts for Let's Go Crazy and many others as well.

Scandalous. Never really dug the album track but the 'Sacndalous sex suite' is awesome.

Housequake (7 Mins Mo Quake)

I Wish U Heaven (Part 1, 2 & 3)

Alphabet Street (This Is Not Music, This Is A trip)

Kiss

Doozer said:

I Wish U Heaven pats 1, 2 & 3. So many unexpected twists and turns. A great example of how Prince could make a song so radically different between the album and extended versions.

100%

evdas said:

Scandalous. Never really dug the album track but the 'Sacndalous sex suite' is awesome.

I normally don't like the really long songs (i.e. "The war", "America (long version)", etc) but the full 19 minutes of "Scandalous" are just incredible! I absolutely love it.

Pretty much all of them in my view – it’s in the extended version that he can really flex his musical muscles, and they’re often much funkier. The only exception that I can think of is the extended version of “Kiss”, which is merely okay and doesn’t really add much to the track for me.

skywalker said:

Most of them:

Raspberry Beret with that long intro with the cat growl/moan and the coughing because Prince is so sick.

U got the Look with that funky chicken grease intro.

Erotic City with the "fuck some creamy human jive..."

...lastly....

---

Let's Go Crazy extended IS superior to the album version. It lifts that song to some next level stuff. The stomped on piano, the mumbling repeat of the intro, the funky hand/finger flicking part, and the cow bell. They all add up to mad genius stuff NO ONE else would have the guts to put in a #1 hit song. This song is the EPITOME of what separates Prince from others, and what is VASTLY missing in music today...taking risks and being adventurous even with the most commercial things....

I agree with every word of this. The ext. versions of "U got the Look" and "Let's Go Crazy" should have been on the albums in my view, especially in the case of the latter - as you say, it just elevates the whole thing.

As brilliant as the extended version of “I Wish You Heaven” is, you can appreciate that it wouldn’t have worked on the album. In many cases though, I wish he’d given us the full thing and relegated the edits to the single releases. Of course, he was probably just doing his best within the limitations that he faced.