There's a few tracks that Prince sort of rewrote and made better, but definitely were influenced by his earlier songs. Here's a few that I can think of:

Automatic became Darling Nikki (mainly the opening string part)
Dirty Mind became Controversy (sort of) which became 1999
Gotta Stop Messin became Jack U Off which became Delirious
Purple Rain became the Ladder
Around the World became Cristopher Tracy

Let's see what you guys can think of...

'get off' the 'new power generation' b-side later became the much improved 'gett off...'that we all know and love...
...that's really the only one i can think of...

Glam Slam 91, which was played live but never released, became the Gett Off that I know and love.

..date on the 'new power generation' single is 1990, tho...so maybe it became 'glam slam '91...which later became the 'gett off' that we all know and love...

Cloreen Baconskin.... became pretty much a whole shitload of songs better than it.

Aaron said:

Yea that one really sounds like the Irresistable Bitch beat and bass groove.

There's another one on the "Chaos and Disorder" album that sounds like "4 The tears in Your Eyes." Anybody know what I'm thinking of? (I can't find the cd right now)

DMSR said:

I Will?

Aaron said:

I got it, its the beginning of "the Same December."

rio said:

you have to try and get your hands on Glam Slam 91, it's pretty much just a combination of Glam Slam and the lyrics to Gett Off, although the words "Gett Off" are never said. I pulled it from Napster long ago, I'm sure it's on some boots out there. anyone know if it is on the work collection?

Keep in mind, I am not some kind of trained musician who can read notes or something. I just go from hearing and comparing.



"Orgasm"

The song is a mix between the guitar ending of a song on the Controversy album [I believe it's Ronnie talk 2 Russia] and Vanity 6's outtake "Vibrator".

So it didn't even really evolve, it was just copy & paste.


"2Morrow"

Don't know if this counts, but it does contain a looped sample of The Most Beautiful Girl in BG.


"One Of Us"[b]

Again, bit hard 2 count this one in. But he did use the beat 2 Love Thy Will B Done 2 lead in2 the song.


[b]"Walk Don't Walk

Clearly contains elements from the outtake "Rebirth Of The Flesh".


"Eye No"

Rumoured 2 have emerged as a new track after Prince rewrote the song "The Ball", although I hear a slight resemblance between the 2, I think a little more effort went in2 the 'rewriting' than just a change of lyrics, as some have suggested.


"Rock And Roll Is Alive"

Contains structural elements from Get Wild.


"Violet The Organ Grinder"

Clearly just furthering on the theme and sound of "Gett Off" which b-side it was. As with a lot of the "D&P" and "0(+>" albums b-sides. Like the whole Cream Remix cd with songs like '2 the wire', 'do your dance' etc etc.


"Letitgo -Sherm Stick Edit"

Sound an awful lot like the basic track 4 "Dorothy Parker".



That's all I can think of now. I need coffee first after that I'll b able 2 try n think.

1999's melody/vocal line had a later incarnation in the melody of "Manic Monday."

elements of Joint 2 Joint also showed up in 2morrow.

The horn parts of arrogant were on Tevin Campbell's Paris 1758430 (are those the right numbers? LOL)

a few others.

It's pretty amazing that for all the songs he's written very few sound the same. It seems most of them are remixes or some samples but not really the same song. The song that really stands out the most for me is Automatic and Darling Nikki. That's pretty damn close, but still both great songs. And I think the Ladder sounds so much like Purple rain is the whole sound of both songs. Same drum,vocal, piano and guitar sound but I don't think the verses or choruses are that similar.

Doesn't "America" sound a little like "Baby,I'm A Star"?

DavidEye said:

Good call. I think it's the same drum sound and that bass line that really does it.

Here's another one- "the Latest Fashion with "My Summertime Thing"

The Max from owed it's entire structure to Gett Off... Hmmmmm not sure if that's a good thing!

"Baby Knows" is reminiscent of "Peach",and more than one reviewer has noticed the similarity between "TGRES" and "TMBGITW".

dumbass said:

i'll try to locate it...thanks...

ummm... "the latest fashion" is the same music from "my summertime thang". with lyrics. as for it becoming a better song, i dunno `bout that...

Wendy once said it right: Prince tends to repeat himself(like everyone) and she was always there to tell him: I already heard that!!!!!