Does anyone know a good place to get the line ups of Prince's bands for different bootleg recordings? I love listening to them, but I never know if Prince is playing the guitar solos or someone else... any suggestions on how to find out?

Thanks!

There are lots of sites dedicated to Prince bootlegs. Many of them have that kind of info.

I don't think I can post links to them.

Why don't you suggest some tracks, or recordings and see if people can help you?

If it's a guitar solo, it's usually Prince. Moreover, if it's someone else he usually introduces the soloist or at least namechecks them at some point.

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Thanks for the responses...

I have checked the bootleg websites I know of, but they mostly just provide the tracklistings and sound quality. I just got the small club show and was wondering how much of it is Prince and how much is Miko.

I mean, when he says "Miko, solo in here" and "Miko what kind of funk you got?" during Rave that's obviously Miko, but does that mean that Prince isn't playing the guitar at all? Or are Miko and Prince both playing and someone else playing bass? Like when it blends into Beautiful night and after Prince says, "Kick some ass" and after he counts (about 12:30 in)...is it Prince or Miko playing?

Also, during DMSR when it blends into America, I presume that is Prince but then he says, "Miko play the blues" so I wasn't sure if Miko was playing the whole time or Prince & Miko were both playing.

Finally, who's Joe Bernstein?

(It would probably help if I knew more about guitars, too. I was just hoping there was one place to look for each show. )

jone70 said:

Easy one first.

Joel Bernstein was Prince's guitar technician and occasional photographer at the time.

Interestingly, he had previously worked for the likes of Joni Mitchell and Crosby, Still, Nash and Young.

He is the recognised authority on transcribing Joni Mitchell's recordings, knowing (and possibly previously suggesting) some of her guitar tunings on song recordings.

Some of his photographic work for Prince:











He is believed to own a huge archive of transcriptions and recordings, and has very occasionally contributed following technical message board exchanges over the years.

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[Edited 9/11/05 13:19pm]

What part does Miko play?

Largely, he plays rhythm and occasionally solos. Bass is provided in the 1988 era by Levi Seacer - on 'Small Club', for example - DMSR, Prince asks Levi to 'rumble' which was a term he and Prince used for a form of muted bass playing.

But there's no precise anthology beyond, say 'The Vault' that provides details of line-ups for each session / concert / aftershow - hence the need to ask about specific performances.

There is at least one person who was in attendance at the Small Club performance who frequents prince.org, so they might be able to provide some extra detail from memory. It is knwon that Eric Leeds chose not to appaer that night through illness / tiredness, so all horns are down to Atlanta Bliss / Matt Blistan.

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[Edited 9/11/05 13:27pm]

Thanks Langebleu. That really helps. Maybe I should invest in The Vault...