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So so Prince Songs that Could be Great if Reworked or Covered I am sure a list like this has done the rounds before.
ANYWHOO,  I thought it might be worth putting this through the wringer again since someone in another post said that they loved the original 'The Flow' but that the album version was crap.
Here is my top 17 in no particular order: a. Billy Jack Bitch -- the horns are so damn funky they should have been reworked as the 'glue' in the song rather than as an afterthought b. Dolphin - The live, David Letterman version kicked ass. Dunno what happened with the album version. c. My Name is Prince - the middle eastern flavoured 'na na na' was excellent and deserved better -a booming bass for starters- than hoarse shouts and ego driven lyrics from Prince.. Tony M's rap is not so bad but it lacked rhythmic creativity and sophistication. d. Come - Again live version rocked...overworked and over instrumentalised on the album version. e. Sex in the Summer- This one has a great feel and vibe, the verses are great but the lumbering lyrical rhythm of the chorus just doesn't do the song justice. A little reworking with new chorus lyrics and a more adventureous instrumentation and its got hit written all over it. f. White Mansion - There's a great song lurking in here somewhere..the annoying yelping keyboard at the chorus and the lack of bridge or rythmic variety doesn't do the song any favours. g. Pink Cashmere - this one should've been a smash but something's missing. A counter weight perhaps in a lower register? h. Thunder - there is something incredibly funky about this song...the guitar licks are damned cool...but the whole thing is over worked... i. Sexy MF - Rework the rap into late 90s instead of early 80s Sugar Hill Gang and then we're talking! To be fair it does a little but not enough. j. In this Bed I Scream - There's definitely a great song in here. Take away the annoying yelping organ/keyboard and replace with oboe (and a few more notes) or something a bit more earthy and it might do the trick... k. Last Heart - I actually really like this song but it is too light weight... a bit more gravitas in the background track...a few extra more ambitious swirls with the saxophone and who knows? l. If Eye Was the Man in Your Life - This one lumbers along, verses are a bit melodically weak and nondescript, the coda is hit and miss, the chorus needs a twist and we could do without the keyboard sticking out like a sore thumb again. Fix those and we got ourselves a hit again. m. We March - It sounds at first like it will be really poppy and fun and then the weak chorus comes in and you just go...bummer. n. Love 2 the Nines- This one is a bit more controversial. The song is excellent until we get to the rap. It sounds ok now but back when it came out i just thought...'that's gone and ruined it'. I am still not completely convinced it works. o. The Ladder - Cut the saxophone crap and the prolonged philosophising..just sit at the piano with a bit of acoustic guitar and finish it in 3 mins max, real quiet like. p. Damned if I Do - This one suffers from the same disease as Billy Jack Bitch but worse. The song itself lacks any imagination but wait until it ends and the latin guitar, brass and latin rythm breaks in and its a subtle rock back and forth subtle joy (until the drum kinda goes berserk but even then it beats the crap out of the singing part) q. Somebody's Somebody - Almost a good little song but something goes a bit awry. I think its the chorus...it doesn't know how to end properly so it fudges it instead. [Edited 1/24/06 15:36pm] [Edited 1/24/06 15:38pm] | |
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Buttox said: I am sure a list like this has done the rounds before.
ANYWHOO, I thought it might be worth putting this through the wringer again since someone in another post said that they loved the original 'The Flow' but that the album version was crap.
Here is my top 17 in no particular order: a. Billy Jack Bitch -- the horns are so damn funky they should have been reworked as the 'glue' in the song rather than as an afterthought b. Dolphin - The live, David Letterman version kicked ass. Dunno what happened with the album version. c. My Name is Prince - the middle eastern flavoured 'na na na' was excellent and deserved better -a booming bass for starters- than hoarse shouts and ego driven lyrics from Prince.. Tony M's rap is not so bad but it lacked rhythmic creativity and sophistication. d. Come - Again live version rocked...overworked and over instrumentalised on the album version. e. Sex in the Summer- This one has a great feel and vibe, the verses are great but the lumbering lyrical rhythm of the chorus just doesn't do the song justice. A little reworking with new chorus lyrics and a more adventureous instrumentation and its got hit written all over it. f. White Mansion - There's a great song lurking in here somewhere..the annoying yelping keyboard at the chorus and the lack of bridge or rythmic variety doesn't do the song any favours. g. Pink Cashmere - this one should've been a smash but something's missing. A counter weight perhaps in a lower register? h. Thunder - there is something incredibly funky about this song...the guitar licks are damned cool...but the whole thing is over worked... i. Sexy MF - Rework the rap into late 90s instead of early 80s Sugar Hill Gang and then we're talking! To be fair it does a little but not enough. j. In this Bed I Scream - There's definitely a great song in here. Take away the annoying yelping organ/keyboard and replace with oboe (and a few more notes) or something a bit more earthy and it might do the trick... k. Last Heart - I actually really like this song but it is too light weight... a bit more gravitas in the background track...a few extra more ambitious swirls with the saxophone and who knows? l. If Eye Was the Man in Your Life - This one lumbers along, verses are a bit melodically weak and nondescript, the coda is hit and miss, the chorus needs a twist and we could do without the keyboard sticking out like a sore thumb again. Fix those and we got ourselves a hit again. m. We March - It sounds at first like it will be really poppy and fun and then the weak chorus comes in and you just go...bummer. n. Love 2 the Nines- This one is a bit more controversial. The song is excellent until we get to the rap. It sounds ok now but back when it came out i just thought...'that's gone and ruined it'. I am still not completely convinced it works. o. The Ladder - Cut the saxophone crap and the prolonged philosophising..just sit at the piano with a bit of acoustic guitar and finish it in 3 mins max, real quiet like. p. Damned if I Do - This one suffers from the same disease as Billy Jack Bitch but worse. The song itself lacks any imagination but wait until it ends and the latin guitar, brass and latin rythm breaks in and its a subtle rock back and forth subtle joy (until the drum kinda goes berserk but even then it beats the crap out of the singing part) q. Somebody's Somebody - Almost a good little song but something goes a bit awry. I think its the chorus...it doesn't know how to end properly so it fudges it instead. [Edited 1/24/06 15:36pm]
[Edited 1/24/06 15:38pm] a) - Leave alone. It's just fine. Maybe released the longer version cuz there is way more horns. b) - Not sure. I hear there are different versions that are better c) - Leave alone. It is what it is and it's fine. If you took away the rap you take away the song and the rap is part of the story. d) - An edit was needed. Shorter is all. e -g - No comment...not really a fan of those songs. Pink cashmere should have been just a b-side and not included on the hits. h) - It's fine. Almost the best song on the album. i) - Again it's fine. j) - no comment k) - It's fine. Great guitars..W&L. Pop craft perfection l & m - No comment n) - The rap is a bit hokey. It's also too breathy....jazzy somethin. o) - too whiny. I really don't like this song. p&q - No comment. Christian Zombie Vampires | |
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Great topic.
The songs to me that could have been better had Prince spend a little more creative time on them? Sexuality - with a little restructuring, it was a power hit in the making! International Lover - With a "1999 aka bed" video and an additional chorus, it was the hit that never was! Temptation - Imagine the sax dropped and a 7" version as the first single off the album? What would have happened to his career then? Circle Of Amour - Give me three choruses and we would have the best Prince ballad ever! Damned If I do - Tweak the base and the lack of dance beat, you are left with a pop classic. We gets up - What I hear you say!? Exactly. Take the instrumental section at the end and repeat. The basics for one funky track! . |
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Endorphin Machine without the cowbell. Christian Zombie Vampires | |
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Thanks for the great replies guys. Pity so few find this topic interesting!
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Hmm...lots of songs from 96-2000....the melodies are cool, but the production sometimes made them don´t sound so great. I have this feeling everytime I listen to ´The Sun the moon and the stars´ (although Clare Fischer makes some beautiful orchestration there) |
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Buttox said: a. Billy Jack Bitch -- the horns are so damn funky they should have been reworked as the 'glue' in the song rather than as an afterthought - The extended version rocks...maybe it´s the change u need... d. Come - Again live version rocked...overworked and over instrumentalised on the album version. - I know lots of people dislike it, but I love the album version. The unreleased mix is superb also. Should be released on Crystal Ball instead of that Dark remix. e. Sex in the Summer- This one has a great feel and vibe, the verses are great but the lumbering lyrical rhythm of the chorus just doesn't do the song justice. A little reworking with new chorus lyrics and a more adventureous instrumentation and its got hit written all over it. f. White Mansion - There's a great song lurking in here somewhere..the annoying yelping keyboard at the chorus and the lack of bridge or rythmic variety doesn't do the song any favours. - Again, the plastic production... g. Pink Cashmere - this one should've been a smash but something's missing. A counter weight perhaps in a lower register? h. Thunder - there is something incredibly funky about this song...the guitar licks are damned cool...but the whole thing is over worked... i. Sexy MF - Rework the rap into late 90s instead of early 80s Sugar Hill Gang and then we're talking! To be fair it does a little but not enough. j. In this Bed I Scream - There's definitely a great song in here. Take away the annoying yelping organ/keyboard and replace with oboe (and a few more notes) or something a bit more earthy and it might do the trick... k. Last Heart - I actually really like this song but it is too light weight... a bit more gravitas in the background track...a few extra more ambitious swirls with the saxophone and who knows? l. If Eye Was the Man in Your Life - This one lumbers along, verses are a bit melodically weak and nondescript, the coda is hit and miss, the chorus needs a twist and we could do without the keyboard sticking out like a sore thumb again. Fix those and we got ourselves a hit again. - Hmm...I think they are nice as they are. m. We March - It sounds at first like it will be really poppy and fun and then the weak chorus comes in and you just go...bummer. - Nah..this one is a lost case...I wouldn´t waste time touching it...one of the worst Prince songs IMO... n. Love 2 the Nines- This one is a bit more controversial. The song is excellent until we get to the rap. It sounds ok now but back when it came out i just thought...'that's gone and ruined it'. I am still not completely convinced it works. - Great song. Ok, the rapping isn´t great, but I love the song. p. Damned if I Do - This one suffers from the same disease as Billy Jack Bitch but worse. The song itself lacks any imagination but wait until it ends and the latin guitar, brass and latin rythm breaks in and its a subtle rock back and forth subtle joy (until the drum kinda goes berserk but even then it beats the crap out of the singing part) - Agreed q. Somebody's Somebody - Almost a good little song but something goes a bit awry. I think its the chorus...it doesn't know how to end properly so it fudges it instead. - The ´Live Studio Mix´ is a lot better  |
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Well, personally, I LOVE the album version of "Come", but then i guess i like it when P sits on the edge of jazz. Not necessarily real jazz, the smooth jazz type is fine with me. In fact, i think P could have had some smooth jazz hits with "And God Created Woman", "What Do U Want Me 2 Do" & an instrumental version of "Come". And yes, i know most of you hate the 2nd song. But also, i don't think "Come" is "over instrumentalised. In fact, it's the opposite and one of his simplest tunes. He seemed to have attempted to fool some people by making the horn chart the most complicated thing. Strip away the horn section and there's really not much else to the song musically. | |
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