Saw this on Morris Hayes´ FB page. A very enjoyable read with some interesting tour facts.

http://www.thatsmags.com/...3/mr-hayes

Mr. Hayes on Prince and Bringing the Funk to Glam

By Andrew Chin, December 9, 2015

For over a decade, Morris Hayes was the keyboardist in Prince’s legendary NPG band. Known for their furious live sets that stretched over hours, Mr Hayes has also worked with legends like Maceo Parker, Herbie Hancock and Kanye West. He’ll be taking over the recently openedGlam for their first funk night party.

Congratulations on your upcoming show at Glam. We are very excited to see you in Shanghai. What can people expect from your show?

It’ll be all about music that makes you move. We’re going to have a party full of disco, soul funk and great vibes where everyone can get up, dance and have a good time.

Obviously you’ve performed with a lot of legends like Prince and Maceo Parker. How would you describe the Mr. Hayes sound and what makes it so unique?

The cool thing about working with Prince was that we never hung our heads on one style or one sound. It was very different to most of the others around at the time because ‘we could do them, but they couldn’t do us’.

Mr. Hayes is all about a funky sound. There’s EDM and a strong retro-futuristic current in the music. There are flavors of old school with the flavors of new school, which makes it very fresh. It’s unique because we are the only ones in this creative space at the moment.

While you’ve had a lot of success in your career, you had to struggle for a few years before getting your break. What was the key in your perseverance and what advice do you have for musicians who are going through something similar?

Never give up. If the opportunity strikes, be ready. Hopefully you’ll be ready to jump when the coach puts you in.

You moved to Minnesota in the late 1980s. What was the music scene like there and how would you describe Prince’s reputation within that city during this time?

Crazy, Minneapolis was the music Mecca at the time. Everyone wanted to go from all across the country. There was just something in the water and everyone thought, ‘Let’s go to Minneapolis’.

It was an exciting time for music and it wasn’t just coming from Prince or Jimmy Jam or Terry Lewis. There were new sounds coming from all around and there were exciting venues to play. Everyone was feeling their music, they dressed like that, they looked like that; it was just a really cool era to be in.


Interview continued here: http://www.thatsmags.com/...3/mr-hayes

I really liked Morris´s presence in the NPG and miss that old NPG lineup with him and Michael and Sonny and Barbarella. Not only is Morris one of the most underrated associates that Prince has ever worked with but he´s also a very humble and kind person.

Very down to earth and nice, and a very versatile band member.

(Interview re-edited for clarity and to respect copyright)

I agree - Morris and Dez are the two most underrated Prince sidemen ever. You have to put him right in there with Fink and Neto for all-time Prince keys.

Thanks for posting. Anyone know which show in Holland he's talking about?

LeRoy said:

Thanks for posting. Anyone know which show in Holland he's talking about?

I was wondering about that too. I was going to ask him but couldn´t due to the time difference.

Maybe later.

Thanks. Mo is cool and that was a great interview.

He's cool. I accidentally met him twice after a prince concert and an aftershow and he signed my tickets. A nice person and great musician. I also saw him performing with Maceo Parker a couple of times.

ludwig said:

He's cool. I accidentally met him twice after a prince concert and an aftershow and he signed my tickets. A nice person and great musician. I also saw him performing with Maceo Parker a couple of times.

He really is. Musicwise he rarely gets the respect in this forum that he truly deserves, and as far as personality goes, he is such a genuinely nice person, has a great heart and kind soul. I also believe it was a good thing that he was in Prince´s camp for such a long time, whether as a bandmember or friend or associate. I feel the same way about Kirk Johnson, who is often criticized or even ridiculed in this forum. Both are musically very underrated and just very nice people, and it´s good to know that there are some constant elements about Prince and his entourage or closer circle.

,

[Edited 1/9/16 19:46pm]

I remember back in 94 or 95 a fan friend told me Michael had smashed the drums in an aftershow, I wonder even if it wasn't something we had on bootleg. Looking on Pvault the only shows in Holland I can find from that time are the 2 Paradiso shows in March 95, which I remember we definitely had on boots but I'm not sure if I ever heard them and I don't think I have them. I'm sure some of u guys have them, maybe u could check if u can hear anything unusual? If it's not those it's possible Morris may have the place wrong but I'd assume even after 20 years he'd remember where it took place.

I had no clue Morris had been a member of Mazarati in 89, and The Time in 90.

databank said:

I remember back in 94 or 95 a fan friend told me Michael had smashed the drums in an aftershow, I wonder even if it wasn't something we had on bootleg. Looking on Pvault the only shows in Holland I can find from that time are the 2 Paradiso shows in March 95, which I remember we definitely had on boots but I'm not sure if I ever heard them and I don't think I have them. I'm sure some of u guys have them, maybe u could check if u can hear anything unusual? If it's not those it's possible Morris may have the place wrong but I'd assume even after 20 years he'd remember where it took place.

I had no clue Morris had been a member of Mazarati in 89, and The Time in 90.

-

Hi Databank!

I asked Morris and he said either 94 or 95 in Holland so I told him that it must have been the second Paradiso show (can´t be the first Paradiso show on March 25th because I was there and they did not smash the gear that night) but he said it definitely was NOT the Paradiso but some other place with a very unique looking background, kind of like a children´s playground.

That´s why I edited and deleted my post above (my reply to LeRoy ) because after Morris´s info (95 tour, Holland) I assumed it must have been the second Paradiso show during the Gold Experience/Ultimate Live Experience tour but when he said that it wasn´t at the Paradiso I had to change the wrong info I posted.

He does not remember the exact date or venue but maybe some orgers here who were there that night remember it.

By the way, that first night at the Paradiso was the bomb, especially the live version of 18&Over with Morris on the organ sounded so much better than the studio version (not that there´s anything wrong with the studio version but I absolutely loved that live rendition and was amazed how different and fresh it sounded).

NorthC said:

I was at the first Paradiso show as well and it certainly didn't happen there. I checked my old Uptown magazines and found this: Brussels, The Mirano 5 september 1993 "Prince took the borrowed guitar and smashed it into pieces. Michael decided to do the same with the drum kit, kicking it and pushing it all over the stage. They left at 5:45." This must be the show Morris talked about. I can't blame him for not remembering exactly where and when it happened after more than 20 years and hundreds of gigs. Thankfully we have archivists like good old Per and his mates.

No, of course not, I was there too and would have remembered that. I thought it might have been the second night because I wasn´t there and he said it was probably in the Netherlands but it´s perfectly understandable that he wasn´t 100% sure after all these years.

-

But....wasn´t that first Paradiso show just great? I´ve seen so many concerts and aftershows but that one was a very memorable one. Not necessarily the tracklist but the sheer energy of the show and that superb rendition of 18&Over. I´m not sure if he´s ever played that song anywhere else.

Did you also see any other aftershows in 1995?

That first night was great, wasn´t it?

NorthC said:

I was at the first Paradiso show as well and it certainly didn't happen there. I checked my old Uptown magazines and found this: Brussels, The Mirano 5 september 1993 "Prince took the borrowed guitar and smashed it into pieces. Michael decided to do the same with the drum kit, kicking it and pushing it all over the stage. They left at 5:45." This must be the show Morris talked about. I can't blame him for not remembering exactly where and when it happened after more than 20 years and hundreds of gigs. Thankfully we have archivists like good old Per and his mates.

Thanks for the info! According to the vault most of this show was done without Prince. And the cover photo for The Vault was taken backstage.

http://www.princevault.co...r,_1993-am

[By the way, Paradiso 1st night was also my first Aftershow, really enjoyed it as well!]

NorthC said:

I was at the first Paradiso show as well and it certainly didn't happen there. I checked my old Uptown magazines and found this: Brussels, The Mirano 5 september 1993 "Prince took the borrowed guitar and smashed it into pieces. Michael decided to do the same with the drum kit, kicking it and pushing it all over the stage. They left at 5:45." This must be the show Morris talked about. I can't blame him for not remembering exactly where and when it happened after more than 20 years and hundreds of gigs. Thankfully we have archivists like good old Per and his mates.

Must be that one indeed Thanks for clarifying. Does anyone knows if that show was ever bootleged? (not asking where to find, just if).

NorthC said:

All shows were recorded during those late 80s/early 90s tours, so I'm sure a bootleg exists. And as I understood, the Game Boyz were the opening act, so if you like the Gold Nigga album, it might actually be worth listening to.

I´m pretty sure this WAS recorded and released as a bootleg CD because I remember pretty well that I was a bit surprised back then to see an aftershow bootleg CD with very minimal playing by Prince. I don´t remember the exact title of the bootleg though, I think I saw it at a record store when they were still selling bootlegs.

Before the 1M bucks legal threat there was a board where fans posted entire archive collections of every recorded show since the beginning of P's career, i.e. nearly every show after PR, most of them never having been released on LP or CD or leaked online outside of that mass leak. Most were probably really low sound quality (I couldn't get the packages because of my low Indian connection, it was HUGE) but still, it must be an interesting dcumentation to have. I hope one day those packages surface again.

databank said:

NorthC said:

I was at the first Paradiso show as well and it certainly didn't happen there. I checked my old Uptown magazines and found this: Brussels, The Mirano 5 september 1993 "Prince took the borrowed guitar and smashed it into pieces. Michael decided to do the same with the drum kit, kicking it and pushing it all over the stage. They left at 5:45." This must be the show Morris talked about. I can't blame him for not remembering exactly where and when it happened after more than 20 years and hundreds of gigs. Thankfully we have archivists like good old Per and his mates.

Must be that one indeed Thanks for clarifying. Does anyone knows if that show was ever bootleged? (not asking where to find, just if).

A 48min audience recording circulates.