Joni Mitchell once called Prince a great hybrid artist in the way he uses other people's sounds and does his own thing with them. We already have one thread comparing Prince songs that sound like other Prince songs, but what about Prince songs that sound like other artists' songs? I don't mean artists that have copied Prince, but vice versa. Remember when Prince said Lenny's "Again" was a rip-off of Prince's previously-released "Wherever U Go, Whatever U Do"? Now on the other hand, what Prince songs can you think of that sound like other artist's previously-released songs?

I'll start with:

"13 1/4" shares many similarities with funkateer George Clinton's "Atomic Dog" (the bass line, the dog-bark-sounding drum hit, and the background synths).

"Controversy" sounds like Queen "Another One Bites The Dust"
and David Bowie" Fashion"
"Strollin" sounds like a Manhattan Transfer song.
"When U Were Mine" sounds like Rick Springfield "Jesse's Girl"
"I Would Die For U" sounds like Billy Joel "Pressure"

I don't know how specific I can get, but I think Sly and Stevie remind me most of prince. Maybe Your Baby sounds a lot like the various "Camille" songs. The whole Fresh album sounds so much like Prince it scares me.

edit-actually at least one specific thing comes to mind

Forever in my life-Everday People
[Edited 11/13/04 19:57pm]

Forever In My Life & Make Your Mama Happy sounds like Sly & The Family Stone

Welcome2daRevolution said:

Are you on drugs? Controversy does NOT sound like any of those songs u named. Neither does I Would Die 4 U. I'll give your Strollin and When U Were Mine

"Wanna Be Your Lover" sounds a bit like a Michael Jackson song from his "Off The Wall" album.

"Feel U Up" & "Possessed" sound like something by Jesse Johnson

I think "3 Chains O' Gold" is a pastiche of Queen's "Innuendo" & "Bohemian Rhapsody"!
[Edited 11/15/04 14:06pm]

MackDaddy said:

I Wanna Be Your Lover came out in 1979. The Off The Wall album came out in 1980

DUHHHHH!!!!!

TheDeacon said:

Actually, both albums came out in 1979

MackDaddy said:

Yep, and it was "I Wanna Be Your Lover" that knocked the song "Off The Wall" out of the #1 position on the R&B charts.

Girls & Boys reminds me of Sheena Easton's "Strut"

"Automatic" sounds similar to Gary Numan's "Cars".

"Erotic City" sounds a lot like Laid Back's "White Horse".

"Housequake", "The Work", "Musicology", "Love Or Money", "Sexy MF", and many others sound very James Brown influenced.

The whole "The Truth" album sounds like "MTV Unplugged" which sounds like hippies sitting around a campfire playing a guitar and singing "Combe By Ya".

.
[Edited 12/1/04 21:35pm]

Pink Cashmere... well, mainly the drums, bass and keyboards sound like a Stevie Wonder tune... especially the drums

"Can't stop this feeling I got" on Graffiti Bridge sounds like that Kenny Loggins song - Footloose. Not a good Prince moment for me.

Endorphonmachine - Aerosmith
Dolphin - Boston?

i've always thought Interactive sounds like something kravitz would do

LisaRose said:

Lets go crazy" sounds the the Who's "My Generation"

Lets go crazy" sounds the the Who's "My Generation"

"The Ballad of Dorothy Parker" is very Sly Stone-influenced, IMHO.

DrWood said:

Yeah, this definitely has a There's A Riot Goin On/Fresh outtake feel to me

LisaRose said:

So I'm not the only person that thought so!

A lot of the Camille songs make me think of Sly Stone's "If You Want Me to Stay".

Prince would do an awesome job of this one if he covered it -but only if he promised not to fuck it up!

"Paisley Park"="Strawberry Fields Forever"
"Purple Rain"="Knockin' On Heaven's Door"
[Edited 12/11/04 3:42am]

wallysafford said:

Purple Rain = Knockin´on heaven´s door
[Edited 12/11/04 4:50am]

Two in particular for me:
Wherever U Go, Whatever U Do, sounded like a boyband song, like Backstreet Boys I Want It That Way;
and Money Don't Matter 2Nite, has always had something of a Steely Dan feel for me, like Hey Nineteen.

vainandy said:

Don't u get bored of saying the same thing in every post? U don't like acoustic stuff - we get it, ok?

"Pretty Man" sounds like a James Brown Song

"Adore" sounds like The Stylistics r singing it

"Another Lonely Christmas" sounds like something Lenny Kravitz wrote (or eye should say perhaps Lenny tries to sound like P not P sounding like Lenny )
[Edited 12/11/04 6:51am]