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Thread started 07/15/18 7:33pm

donnyenglish

Strings in Aug 83 Performance of Purple Rain

The First Ave 8/83 performance of Purple Rain has strings at the end. Were they pre-recorded?
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Reply #1 posted 07/15/18 7:36pm

rdhull

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It does?

"Climb in my fur."
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Reply #2 posted 07/16/18 2:39am

Kares

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donnyenglish said:

The First Ave 8/83 performance of Purple Rain has strings at the end. Were they pre-recorded?

.

It doesn't have strings, only synthesizers.

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Reply #3 posted 07/16/18 5:11am

donnyenglish

Kares said:



donnyenglish said:


The First Ave 8/83 performance of Purple Rain has strings at the end. Were they pre-recorded?

.


It doesn't have strings, only synthesizers.



That makes sense. The very end sounds like strings but I guess it is synths.
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Reply #4 posted 07/16/18 7:31am

Genesia

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No, there are strings at the end of Purple Rain (it isn't just synths). In fact, there's a recording of just the piano and strings. It's pretty amazing.

We don’t mourn artists because we knew them. We mourn them because they helped us know ourselves.
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Reply #5 posted 07/16/18 8:04am

TheSilentMikey

Genesia said:

No, there are strings at the end of Purple Rain (it isn't just synths). In fact, there's a recording of just the piano and strings. It's pretty amazing.


This is about the First Avenue performance, not the overdubbed version.
"Don't need no Reefer. Don't need Cocaine. Purple Music does the same to my brain."
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Reply #6 posted 07/16/18 8:09am

Genesia

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TheSilentMikey said:

Genesia said:

No, there are strings at the end of Purple Rain (it isn't just synths). In fact, there's a recording of just the piano and strings. It's pretty amazing.

This is about the First Avenue performance, not the overdubbed version.


You don't think he used the already-recorded strings as a backing track - knowing he wanted to use the live performance from First Avenue on the album? Okay.

We don’t mourn artists because we knew them. We mourn them because they helped us know ourselves.
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Reply #7 posted 07/16/18 8:11am

donnyenglish

Genesia said:

TheSilentMikey said:

Genesia said: This is about the First Avenue performance, not the overdubbed version.


You don't think he used the already-recorded strings as a backing track - knowing he wanted to use the live performance from First Avenue on the album? Okay.

The actual First Avenue performance definitely has the strings. I guess you are saying that the strings were pre-recorded and played at First Avenue.

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Reply #8 posted 07/16/18 8:32am

Genesia

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donnyenglish said:

Genesia said:


You don't think he used the already-recorded strings as a backing track - knowing he wanted to use the live performance from First Avenue on the album? Okay.

The actual First Avenue performance definitely has the strings. I guess you are saying that the strings were pre-recorded and played at First Avenue.


That's exactly what I'm saying.

We don’t mourn artists because we knew them. We mourn them because they helped us know ourselves.
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Reply #9 posted 07/16/18 8:56am

BartVanHemelen

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Genesia said:

TheSilentMikey said:

Genesia said: This is about the First Avenue performance, not the overdubbed version.


You don't think he used the already-recorded strings as a backing track - knowing he wanted to use the live performance from First Avenue on the album? Okay.

.

Strings on the album were recorded afterwards: http://www.princevault.co...urple_Rain

© Bart Van Hemelen
This posting is provided AS IS with no warranties, and confers no rights.
It is not authorized by Prince or the NPG Music Club. You assume all risk for
your use. All rights reserved.
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Reply #10 posted 07/16/18 9:02am

Genesia

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BartVanHemelen said:

Genesia said:


You don't think he used the already-recorded strings as a backing track - knowing he wanted to use the live performance from First Avenue on the album? Okay.

.

Strings on the album were recorded afterwards: http://www.princevault.co...urple_Rain


Well, there ya go. Thanks.

We don’t mourn artists because we knew them. We mourn them because they helped us know ourselves.
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Reply #11 posted 07/16/18 9:30am

Kares

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Genesia said:

No, there are strings at the end of Purple Rain (it isn't just synths). In fact, there's a recording of just the piano and strings. It's pretty amazing.

.
No, there aren't any strings on the original concert recording, only synths.

.

Friends don't let friends clap on 1 and 3.

The Paisley Park Vault spreadsheet: https://goo.gl/zzWHrU
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Reply #12 posted 07/16/18 12:39pm

donnyenglish

Kares said:



Genesia said:


No, there are strings at the end of Purple Rain (it isn't just synths). In fact, there's a recording of just the piano and strings. It's pretty amazing.



.
No, there aren't any strings on the original concert recording, only synths.


.



Those synths on my video copy sound a whole lot like strings. Perhaps some of the strings were added after, but some of them were played that night.
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Reply #13 posted 07/16/18 1:27pm

Kares

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donnyenglish said:

Kares said:

.
No, there aren't any strings on the original concert recording, only synths.

.

Those synths on my video copy sound a whole lot like strings. Perhaps some of the strings were added after, but some of them were played that night.

.

Dude, there weren't any strings...
.

Friends don't let friends clap on 1 and 3.

The Paisley Park Vault spreadsheet: https://goo.gl/zzWHrU
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Reply #14 posted 07/16/18 2:14pm

PurpleMusic768
9

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donnyenglish said:

Kares said:



Genesia said:


No, there are strings at the end of Purple Rain (it isn't just synths). In fact, there's a recording of just the piano and strings. It's pretty amazing.



.
No, there aren't any strings on the original concert recording, only synths.


.



Those synths on my video copy sound a whole lot like strings. Perhaps some of the strings were added after, but some of them were played that night.


U probably got one of the shit studio version audio syncs I've seen around. People take a version with strings (one of them at least) and dub over the videos original audio. Idk why, nor do I care.
usually known as "Leaped7689"
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Reply #15 posted 07/17/18 4:26am

BartVanHemelen

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From Duane Tudahl's "Prince and the Purple Rain Era Studio Sessions: 1983 and 1984" (the relevant highlights from this entry):

.

Monday, August 15, 1983

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"Purple Rain" (overdubs and adding twenty-four tracks, string overdub)

.

Toward the end of the session, Prince decided to add strings to the live version of "Purple Rain" using the Oberheim keyboard performed during the concert as a guide track. Novi Novog was brought in to play violin and viola, and Suzie Katayama and Lisa Coleman's brother David were invited to play cello. David Coleman remembers:

.

Out of the blue, my sister calls me from Sunset Sound and said that they were doing some strings for a Prince song right now with Novi and Suzie and we think a third string player would groove better. It fills it in and the chemistry- is important. I said, 'Okay," and that I would be down there in four hours, so I washed up really quickly and practiced the cello because I'd been doing all percussion and I was only playing cello once in a while. So I ran through some scales and ran right down to the studio.

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I walked into the control booth and [Prince] said, David. Do something!' He got up from the console andI sat in his seat and they played me the track and that was it. I went in and joined Suzie and Novi and we started from there. Suzie used to call my cello playing`rock-and-roll cello.' She could play circles around me, but we grooved together. The three of us playing had good chemistry and we just sounded good together.

.

In a show of trust for those around him, Prince relied on Lisa Coleman to guide the string overdubs. 'What would happen was Lisa would come in and she'd do some things on the piano so we'd learn our parts by ear," recalled David. "So we'd go through the song and punch in our string parts. Prince was sitting next to [Lisa] and they'd decide, but I think that Lisa was taking the lead when it came to the siring arrangements."

.

[Edited 7/17/18 4:26am]

© Bart Van Hemelen
This posting is provided AS IS with no warranties, and confers no rights.
It is not authorized by Prince or the NPG Music Club. You assume all risk for
your use. All rights reserved.
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Reply #16 posted 07/17/18 5:08am

paulludvig

BartVanHemelen said:

From Duane Tudahl's "Prince and the Purple Rain Era Studio Sessions: 1983 and 1984" (the relevant highlights from this entry):


.



Monday, August 15, 1983


.


"Purple Rain" (overdubs and adding twenty-four tracks, string overdub)


.


Toward the end of the session, Prince decided to add strings to the live version of "Purple Rain" using the Oberheim keyboard performed during the concert as a guide track. Novi Novog was brought in to play violin and viola, and Suzie Katayama and Lisa Coleman's brother David were invited to play cello. David Coleman remembers:


.



Out of the blue, my sister calls me from Sunset Sound and said that they were doing some strings for a Prince song right now with Novi and Suzie and we think a third string player would groove better. It fills it in and the chemistry- is important. I said, 'Okay," and that I would be down there in four hours, so I washed up really quickly and practiced the cello because I'd been doing all percussion and I was only playing cello once in a while. So I ran through some scales and ran right down to the studio.


.


I walked into the control booth and [Prince] said, David. Do something!' He got up from the console andI sat in his seat and they played me the track and that was it. I went in and joined Suzie and Novi and we started from there. Suzie used to call my cello playing`rock-and-roll cello.' She could play circles around me, but we grooved together. The three of us playing had good chemistry and we just sounded good together.



.


In a show of trust for those around him, Prince relied on Lisa Coleman to guide the string overdubs. 'What would happen was Lisa would come in and she'd do some things on the piano so we'd learn our parts by ear," recalled David. "So we'd go through the song and punch in our string parts. Prince was sitting next to [Lisa] and they'd decide, but I think that Lisa was taking the lead when it came to the siring arrangements."



.


[Edited 7/17/18 4:26am]



Interesting that the strings weren't by Lisa alone as many have previously suggested.
The wooh is on the one!
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Reply #17 posted 07/17/18 7:40am

droppingdishes

paulludvig said:

BartVanHemelen said:

From Duane Tudahl's "Prince and the Purple Rain Era Studio Sessions: 1983 and 1984" (the relevant highlights from this entry):

.

.

[Edited 7/17/18 4:26am]

Interesting that the strings weren't by Lisa alone as many have previously suggested.

I have never seen anybody suggest that any strings would be by Lisa alone as she is not a string player.

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Reply #18 posted 07/17/18 7:45am

jaawwnn

Its on the credits for the album, "arranged by Lisa and Prince"
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Reply #19 posted 07/17/18 8:28am

coldasice

donnyenglish said:

Kares said:



Genesia said:


No, there are strings at the end of Purple Rain (it isn't just synths). In fact, there's a recording of just the piano and strings. It's pretty amazing.



.
No, there aren't any strings on the original concert recording, only synths.


.



Those synths on my video copy sound a whole lot like strings. Perhaps some of the strings were added after, but some of them were played that night.

Strings is a broad statement. What type of instruments are you thinking you’re hearing? All I hear is some synths. The actual strings on the album were recorded later.
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Reply #20 posted 07/17/18 1:13pm

donnyenglish

I listened to it again. You guys are right. No strings on original. Just synths.
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Reply #21 posted 07/18/18 1:32pm

paulludvig

droppingdishes said:



paulludvig said:


BartVanHemelen said:

From Duane Tudahl's "Prince and the Purple Rain Era Studio Sessions: 1983 and 1984" (the relevant highlights from this entry):


.


.



[Edited 7/17/18 4:26am]



Interesting that the strings weren't by Lisa alone as many have previously suggested.


I have never seen anybody suggest that any strings would be by Lisa alone as she is not a string player.



The arrangement has been credited to Lisa. On the album credits it says Lisa and Prince and that turns out to be accurate.
The wooh is on the one!
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Reply #22 posted 07/19/18 7:27pm

GaryMF

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What was the Oberheim playing in the original live performance? Just some whole notes on a "stringy" sound?.

.

.

Actual string lines like the ventual cello parts we hear over some of the verses?

.

.

I doubt the Oberheim played the string ending that plays on the album version and the piano is tinkling (when Prince runs off stage and out of the club in the monve).

rainbow
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Reply #23 posted 08/15/18 12:45pm

BartVanHemelen

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FYI the recording session described above happened 35 years ago today.

© Bart Van Hemelen
This posting is provided AS IS with no warranties, and confers no rights.
It is not authorized by Prince or the NPG Music Club. You assume all risk for
your use. All rights reserved.
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