I really don´t get it! I mean, whats so funny? are these guys on drugs- there´s people laughing before morris can even tell the story (while eating that chicken).

that's not Morris

not morris day? who else could it be? prince?

by the way: here´s the lyrics

.... 1, 2, 3, 4
.... Why you big, tossed-salad, hairdo-havin', long, tall, snaggly gold-toothed,
.... funkin' habit-formed, leather-wearin', beanpole-lookin', black...

Shit! Oh! Somebody bring me a piece of chicken!

What... what Tricky say? What Tricky say? Yakety-yak?
Yakety-yak. My ass, mutha... Uh!
Oh, gimme some horns.

You can't fuck with that, look out!
We ain't gonna put no more instruments on this.
We ain't got time. We don't have ti... What time is it?
It's time for you to ... It's time for you to retire.
You're over... wait, wait, wait!

Why you, and you?
You... you old, Michelin Man, fat, black...

Break now. Yes!

When I look in the mirror. I see your ugly face.
I just wanna run, in front of...
Wait, gimme some horns.

Now you go. You, you..., wait, wait, wait.
Let me... wait. You, you, you're just old.
That's all I know, you're just old and you're fat.
You know it too, don't you?
You know it, you're just fat and old.
Hit me! Uh! Yes! Yes!
That's right, yes!

Johnny, Johnny!
Don't you wish you could get on TV? On the one!
.... My man, say: "Johnny, Johnny!"

I alwyas thought Morris did the intro lead voice then Prince took over lead voice just before the first verse kicks in. Is that right? Is that Morris playing drums? Very funky - shits all over Cloreen baconskin. Great b-side.

Sydney said:

You're right...

I've heard from a reliable source that this song was about Bootsy Collins. Mark Cardenas(formerly of The Time) lives in my city and is in local funk bands with friends of mine. It actually makes sense if you know the lyrics, "Why you big, tossed-salad, hairdo-havin', long, tall, snaggly gold-toothed,
.... funkin' habit-formed, leather-wearin', beanpole-lookin', black".

urbanfox3105 said, "I really don´t get it! I mean, whats so funny? are these guys on drugs- there´s people laughing before morris can even tell the story (while eating that chicken)".

Obviously you don't get their brand of humor. It's a black thang. These cats were just in the studio cuttin' up(having some fun). I fall out everytime I listen to it. If you pay attention you might even here "Irrestible Bitch" horns in there somewhere.

sunlite said:

thanks, that´s some good information! and about the hoens you´re right- it´s funny when he says: you won´t get more. I think at the end, they flush they whole session down the toilet, right?

From my notes, the song was recorded at Sunset Sound on Wednesday February 1, 1984 (drifting into the morning of Feb. 2), during a rare break from working on the Apollonia 6 album. The rumor was that they were returning from a George Clinton concert, but the session started at 7 PM, so that is doubtful. For 6 hours, Prince, Morris (I think you can also hear Jerome) and a few others goofed off in the studio. Prince was playing the bass (supposedly while wearing gloves) and keyboards, while Morris played the drums. They were supposedly singing about George Clinton, but since both of them respected his music, I don’t know why, other than they were still young and cocky. It is obvious that Prince and Morris were having fun, so some of the tension they had during the recording of ICE CREAM CASTLE was behind them. That album was finished (having been mixed on Jan. 18/19th).

The funny thing is they were using studio 2, so they had to take a microphone down thru the main recording area, down the hall to the bathroom where the toilet flush had to be cued for the end of the song.

A side note about this session: this was the last “new” recording of “The Time” for years. Technically, there was additional work done on the album in early May (a few tracks were edited down), but for the most part, it would be Morris’ last time recording with Prince until they got together for the unreleased Time album “Corporate World”.

madhouseman said:

that's even better information! man, I´m holding gold in my hands-

sunlite said:

I know for a FACT that it's about Bootsy. And like u said, it's HELLA obvious in the lyrics. P ADORES Bootsy, that's why he did it. It's P on lead vocal, imitating Morris. Morris is on drums. P did the same thing earlier on another even better b-side, "Grace". He does the Morris voice also on Vanity 6's "If A Girl Answers".

blackguitaristz said:

but bootsy isn´t fat. george clinton would fit much better with the lyrics...

blackguitaristz said:

go back and re-read the post by "madhouseman".
unfortunately,you have your "facts" wrong(again)...

Nah, it's just Morris on Grace....

urbanfox3105 said:

Nah, the "bean pole lookin' aludes to being thin, like Bootsy have always been. The "toss salad hair do having" is also about Bootsy's hairstyle. Besides the fact that Andre C. told me that the song was about Bootsy, I feel the description describes Bootsy to the tee, except for the "fat" part towards the end.

boyubad said:

Don't have to go back and read shit. I'm going to trust what Cymone told me than anybody's thought process on this subject on here. And that little "you have your facts wrong again" shit is unvalid. That shit doesn't fit me, player. It's very rare when I even use the word "fact" and when I do, it's cuz I personally know the folks that are being discussed and the topic at hand. Period. On this, I don't have to refer to some book some cat wrote.

HrdwcH said:

That's what I used to think, when it first came out. EVERYBODY thought that. I was told it was P imitating Morris.

boyubad said:

Too many people on here not only know that I recorded with both Andre AND Morris, but they have heard and have the session. During the course of these few sessions, we talked about certain things. The "who sung and played what" was a major part of the conversation. Andre and definately Morris would certainly know who was part of the recordings of "Grace" and "Tricky".

blackguitaristz said:

I don't claim to know if it is Bootsy or George. Both have reasonable arguments... I don't think Bootsy would have been refered to as a "michilin man" and "fat" but George wouldn't be 'beanpole looking' either. My guess is that they are talking about a bunch of them, and not just one person in particular.

I'm not the final authority on this since I wasn't there. Like Blackguitarist, I am going by 2nd hand information from others who were there.

lets shut this down now, its Morris, Prince and Jerome Benton.. Rome is on the end.

IAintTheOne said:

but who, for god´s sake, is the fuckin michelin man??!!

madhouseman said:

Exactly. Morris told me what went down, that's what I'm going to go with. Personally, I don't give a fuck if it's Scooby Doo on the track, it's not that deep to me. I'm just sharing what came from the horse's mouth; Morris's.

urbanfox3105 said:

Like mad mention, it does points toward Clinton. Granted, Clinton used to be skinny as hell in the 70's, but yeah, he did get robust by 84. To me though, besides that and the "fat" part, it sounds straight like a description of Bootsy. I don't know how many are actually familiar with what Bootsy looks like in the face. Just check out the "Ultra Wave" album. The gold teeth, all that is alluded to in the lyrics of "Tricky".

blackguitaristz said:

man, I got the "Ultra Wave"-record. and u´re right!
-leather wearin /check!
-beanpole lookin /check!
-gold toothed /nope

that´s Bootsy!!

urbanfox3105 said:

Thank u.

blackguitaristz said:

A great imitation..

Very convincing..

blackguitaristz said:

I believe U've heard it thru the horse's mouth, but R U sure he wasn't pullin' ur leg?

HrdwcH said:

Nah, simply cuz it didn't serve him any purpose. He could have easily said that it was HIM who had cut it cuz he knew that's what everyone had thought in the first place. Morris is hella low key and laid back. We talked for hours, man. About all kinds of shit. I mean, dig, he could have said that Queen Elizabeth was doing the voice, u know. But why? Both he and Andre were on the same page with shit. No matter who started talking about something first, they would either finish the other's story or they would be in unison.

blackguitaristz said:

As I said before, I don't doubt that it could be about Bootsy or Clinton. Both Blackguitaristz and I have our information 2nd hand (neither of us were there, but we've both talked to others who were). Were Bootsy and George playing together around that time? That would answer a little bit of that. Also, techically, Andre wasn't there during the recording of Tricky so information from him is 3rd hand.

Overall, it sounds like the correct response is a fine and tasty blend of Blackguitaristz's info and my post above. Any of y'all who don't believe us, can investigate it yourself! (add Morris' "haaaaahaaaaa" right about here)

madhouseman said:

Yep, I'm with ya on that, player.