I mean I think every one will agree to say that it's a classic, a brilliant song that deserved better that 2 be lost on a Jevetta Steele album no one except us fans bought. + I'd have loved 2 hear it with Martika's voice (did she even record it)? Even if, for some reason, Martika felt it didn't belong to the album, she at the very least have made it a b-side!

Was Martika ever asked bout it? Why she didn't keep it? I remember P's version was already circulating when Steele's version was released.

databank said:

He did kind of drop kick the Steeles, didn't he?

"Open Book" is such an amazing song I wish that Prince had given it to a high-profile artist (Mariah Carey? Gladys Knight?) so that it would have gotten the airplay and attention that it deserved.

SoulAlive said:

"Open Book" is such an amazing song I wish that Prince had given it to a high-profile artist (Mariah Carey? Gladys Knight?) so that it would have gotten the airplay and attention that it deserved.

There was a track on Martika's album called Safe in the Arms (or something like that) that have very similar lyrics to Open Book. There has to be some story here....

Prince should pull that one out, as wel as his version of Get Blue and a few other gems to remind eveyrone of his greatness. This rather than some of the stuff he's doing now. Honestly, I think he's going through another late 90s (NewpowerSoul) period where he is obviously not inspired...

JoeyCococo said:

SoulAlive said:

"Open Book" is such an amazing song I wish that Prince had given it to a high-profile artist (Mariah Carey? Gladys Knight?) so that it would have gotten the airplay and attention that it deserved.

There was a track on Martika's album called Safe in the Arms (or something like that) that have very similar lyrics to Open Book. There has to be some story here....

Prince should pull that one out, as wel as his version of Get Blue and a few other gems to remind eveyrone of his greatness. This rather than some of the stuff he's doing now. Honestly, I think he's going through another late 90s (NewpowerSoul) period where he is obviously not inspired...

U r correct, she have had to choose between the 2 songs because of their similarities. Why she chose SITAOL instead is a mystery to me, though. Interestingly, Princevault says "Open Book was intended for the Martika's Kitchen album (where the other four songs recorded during the sessions were released), and was written as a response to Martika's song Safe In The Arms Of Love, which also appears on the album. Open Book quotes passages from this song - it is likely that Martika's writing input in the song is limited to those passages." I wonder about the "response" thing, though, since wrote the Martika songs from a lyrics notebook she gave him and probably didn't hear the other songs from the album b4 it was released. Way I c it the lyrics to SITAOL were in that notebook and used some of it not knowing she had already recorded that one, or maybe she did it later after she chose to discard Open Book?

.

I'm not even sure he can release his own versions of those songs. The masters to Open Book belong to Sony and those of Get Blue belong to WB (I doubt he got any of the masters of the songs given to other WB acts back besides his own side projects). It's an open question whether the original producer of a track could release his own rendition of a song if the basic tracks are similar to the previously released track. It's likely the original label would have to give their approval or maybe licence the intrumental tracks as a sample. Not that I think Sony or WB would sue over obscure Jevetta Steele or Louie Louie tracks, it's likely they wouldn't even bother and it's not like Prince is the kind to care either, but it's worth wondering. With higher profile tracks such as Sugar Walls or Manic Monday, for example, it's very possible that Universal and Sony wouldn't let him get away with it if he was to release his original demos. But of course I totally wish him to do it if he can (or even if he can't )