Just listening to the sequence of TGE compiled in May 1994 (Does anyone know if the versions listed are the ones used on the original sequence? I'm making educated guesses...):

Interactive (with break)
Days Of Wild (short)
NPG Operator
TMBGITW (4:37 version from The Beautiful Exp)
NPG Operator
Now
Acknowledge Me
Ripopgodazippa
NPG Operator
Shy
Billy Jack B*tch
Eye Hate U
NPG Operator
Gold

Would this have made a better release? It misses P Control, Endorphinmachine, Shhh, We March and Dolphin... It includes Days Of Wild, Acknowledge Me and Ripop, however...

This could have been a killer double album of funk, with or without the segues, and including other tracks like Mad, Funky Design, Hide The Bone etc...

I definitely think that Interactive and Days of Wild should have been included, especially considering a crappy track like We March is on there. It’s funny cuz when this album first came out I read a review where the reviewer used the song “We March” to support his opinion that Prince was ripping of Roger from Zapp. Icracked up so hard when I read that!!

What an exciting time to be a Prince fan. Prince’s musical future was uncertain and bam here comes this kick ass album on the heels of Come. I love TGE to death. Yes, it is overproduced but it still just kicks ass!!

I don't know the exact order, but i would've rather had Interactive and Days of Wild live version(and shorter) instead of 'Pussy Control' on TGE.

To me, Pussy Control sounded like a good 'Bside'(like Erotic City and Feel U Up before it) but not an opening song to a prince album.

Only a fo would miss out Shhh.

I always loved the studio version of Days of Wild over the live versions - somehow the live version was too long for my tastes.

I also like the longer version of interactive without the break (but I guess the break is kinda cool too)...

I could have done without "We March" on TGE...with DoW in its place..

.. oh and I always thought Acknowledge Me would have been a GREAT single for the time...

I've got a copy of that, the track list actually goes like this...

01. NPG Operator 0:11
02. Interactive 3:01
03. NPG Operator 0:06
04. Days Of Wild 3:44
05. NPG Operator 0:18
06. The Most Beautiful Girl In The World 4:36
07. NPG Operator 0:20
08. Now 4:30
09. Acknowledge Me 5:27
10. Ripopgodazippa 4:40
11. NPG Operator 0:16
12. 319 3:19
13. NPG Operator 0:10
14. Shy 5:03
15. Billy Jack Bitch 5:32
16. Hate U 5:54
17. NPG Operator 0:44
18. Gold 7:23

and more from me.. although it originally appeared on an early configuration of Come, I LOVE the version of Endorphinmachine without all the sirens and keyboards. That is a fucking great rock song without all the extra tinsel.
[This message was edited Thu May 23 15:15:08 PDT 2002 by BloodyMouth]

Personally I think that the Gold Experience could have easily been a double album, or if he incorporated the Come tracks with it as well (like in the Beautiful Experience video) he could have made a surprisingly strong Triple album.

SupaFunkyOrgangrinderSexy said:

Dude, I totally agree. It was an exciting time. i used to really enjoy hunting down any info i could on both Come and TGE before they were both released. My most prized possessions at the time were the "Loose" and "Now" bootlegs..

I thought that Endorphinmachine was supposed to be on the COME album I loved both versions and I think that Warners was VERY afraid of this album.
There were at least 3 major hits on this album with the right marketing,but the feud would would not let this take place.

yeah - it's actually really sad that they didn't do more with both albums! Even if Prince was feuding with them, they could have made so much money off both records - there were tons of potential singles on there!

muleFunk said:

It was; however it was a different version. The Come version is much better than the released version from TGE IMHO. It is more guitar driven and less Tommy & Morris synth driven.

BorisFishpaw said:

I got one from oktober 1994... At least that's what's stated on the german WEA tape, the US WB CD of this sais it's from august 1994... so go figure...

01. Pussy Control
02. Endorphinmachine
03. Acknowledge Me
04. We March
05. Days O' Wild
06. The Most Beautiful Girl In The World
07. Dolphin
08. Now
09. 319
10. Shy
11. Billy Jack Bitch
12. Hate U
13. Gold

This was the intended release for November 20th 1994...
And IMHO the best...
And this is also the tracklist that apeared on the first or second "The Gold Experience" flyer from the Minneapolis NPG store with the release date as "NEVER"

Neversin.

I love Acknowledge me (The one on Crystal ball is best. The NPG one wasn’t so good in my opinion). It’s one of the best songs he did under the name 0(+>. I also really like Interactive and Days o’ wild (Versions don’t matter. They’re all good)

However if I had a straight choice between the original and the release I’d have to chose the release simply for Pussy Control. It was this song that turned me into a full time fan / fam / freak / whatever you want to call me. I don’t care much for Endorphin machine

So in my opinion the best track list would be (This is my own, this was never one of Princes compilations)

Acknowledge Me
NPG Operator
Interactive
NPG Operator
Days Of Wild
P. Control
NPG Operator
The Most Beautiful Girl In The World
NPG Operator
Now
319
NPG Operator
Shy
Billy Jack Bitch
Hate U
NPG Operator
Gold

I'm glad that "Acknowledge Me" didn't make the final cut...
That rap is so toe-curlingly embarrassing.
"Gimme, gimme, gimme love I can count on"
"Gimme, gimme body I can't do without"

"Girl u know u got the crazy flava"

Gimme, gimme, gimme a break!

McFly, R U kidding. I love that bit. That was verbal funk. What R U so embarrassed about?

MCFLY said:

"...Gimme, gimme, gimme a break!"

-----

Too funny!! I didn't like the rap either. The video on the BEzperience was good, but didn't save the song.
My all time least favorite rap?
"Latest Fashion"--what was that 'abortion' crap all about??!

Ha! It's funny how some of you are saying how great TGE would have made a killer double album. Every time he does put out a double album, all I hear is how great it would have been if it was a single disc!

The rap on "Acknowledg Me" is okay...'till he gets to the line "Girl what can I say? U got the crazy flava!".
Yikes! Were people even using the "flava" slang anymore when he recorded it?

acknowledge me was like a bad pastiche of babyface/sub-teddy riley r&b. that cringey rap just drives the point further. prince sounds like someones uncle trying to be cool and do what the kids are doing. his raps suck almost universally!!!!

I read somewhere that a configuration of TGE was put out on FTP by Prince as a sort of "one-up" to WB. Is that true, and if so, did anyone out here in the org download the tunes back then?

I wasn't using a computer or the internet back in the early 90's, but it would be cool to hear these versions of the tracks if they were available.

?
[This message was edited Wed Feb 26 0:37:20 PST 2003 by IstenSzek]