Or at least, he is referencing the background keyboard line from "La La La, Hee Hee Hee".

Listen! You can hear that line all over NIN's The Downward Spiral!

Trent's a fan. He's worked with him before.

UndercovaBrotha said:

Trent Reznor has worked with Prince? Recorded at Paisley Park is what I heard.

UndercovaBrotha said:

Yeah, he's definitely a fan... but they've never worked together. It almost happened on a remix of "Loose" but Prince was apparently stand-offish towards Trent so nada.

Seriously though... Trent's ripped or quoted a backing keyboard line from that song wholesale.

I can't believe no one's mentioned this before... at least I'd never heard it said.

skywalker said:

Well, maybe "worked" wasn't the right word. He was in the same studio with him at Paisley, I guess.

He was told not to look at Prince in the eyes or speak unless spoken to by his bodyguards before he came in. I don't think Prince even spoke to him during the whole session, or whatever it was. This was around 94-95

It miffed Trent for a few years, but I think he's gotten over it.

If ever a thread called out for Spookymuffin's expertise...

UndercovaBrotha said:

I hate hearing that

u2prnce said:

I'm glad you called Ian, because I'm here.

Trent Reznor and Prince, ah - what a tale - gather round kiddies..

Trent Reznor is a Prince fan. Although, only of Prince's music.
Prince, saw what Trent was doing both musically and productively during the TDS era and decided he wanted to remix "Loose" with Trent. Trent agreed, was quite excited and arranged to meet Prince.

On the fateful day, Prince came to the studio. Trent left the room and started walking up the corridor to meet Prince. Prince was walking down the corridor. Trent stuck out his hand and said "Prince!" - Prince gave him a strange look, frowned and walked on down the corridor looking for Trent Reznor. Apparently, Trent Reznor is so normal looking that Prince didn't recognise him and went looking for someone famous, not some nutjob engineer looking for an autograph. - I take Trent's side this time, Prince was a bit of an arsehole. Also, becuase Trent remixing Loose = my juices all over the floor.

As for this La, La, La, Hee, Hee, Hee - I don't hear it. Give me the songs it's present in. Tbh, I'm a bit scepticle considering the minor differences in sound of La La La Hee Hee Hee and TDS in general. I mean, one has a slap bass and horns, the other makes heavy use of static and screaming women.

Spookymuffin said:

listen to the organ used in closer

This story is hilarious.

Actually one of the mixes of Head-like-a-hole uses the drum track to "Release It!" from Graffiti Bridge too.

Actually no--I think it was Tamborine.

Shit, now I'm gonna need to look it up.
[Edited 4/19/06 20:24pm]

Razed in Black (TR) did a storming goth version of 1999

JPW said:

that is a s t r e t c h !

I am a huge fan of that single, and have heard it live a few times...

ufoclub said:

there are other songs, i think on the fragile as well as downward spiral, which approximate or pay homage to this sound and keyboard line. i'd need to listen to the nin album's but listening to la la today, i definitely think i'm hearing something very similar to what trent has played.

Spookymuffin said:

Was he not wearing his celebrity sunglasses? I was under the impression that Bono hands those out when you offically become a celebrity.

Imago said:

Tambourine. That pissed me off, because it doesn't sound nice. Trent could've done better!

ufoclub said:

I agree. A real stretch...I'm afraid I'm not hearing it. The biggest kudos Trent has given to Prince was to use tambourine's drumbeat on a song.

Interview transcript circa late nineties:
"I'll tell you a funny story about Prince. I was in this studio and I heard Prince was coming in. There was a time I thought he was awesome, but what a fucking creep! The rules were, you were never to say the word 'Prince', you had to write down that symbol. You were never to look at him, or talk to him unless he approached you first, shit like that. So he shows up in a limo, wearing a fluorescent pink jumpsuit, giant hair, a cane, huge heels and a lollipop."

(He imitates Prince in heels trying to jive walk a four foot frame. It's funny).

"...and he's wearing the worst women's perfume you've ever smelt. So he's got two giant bodyguards with him and there was nobody there who was gonna fuck with him! It turns out he wanted us to remix a track and make it harder - apparently he had Broken in his car for a long time. So then I see him at the other end of this hundred yard corridor, and there's only me and him walking towards each other. So we're getting closer, closer and...he walks right past me. I couldn't believe it, I don't care who you are, that's bullshit."


Yahoo.com chat, Dec. 1999:
Trent, who has your favorite artist to work with over the years been, and who would you like to work with in the future?

snguest_trent_reznor:
Prince, very much. Coil. I'd love to work with them again. Lou Reed, David Bowie, I've worked with him. I'd love to be challenged by, there are a lot of people smarter than me, I realize. David Gilmour, Roger Waters . . . I'm ready to be challenged.

and finally...
The 'Head Like A Hole' remix (the 'Opal' mix) had nothing to do with Prince directly, it just simply used samples of 'Release It' (backbeat of the song) and 'Tamborine' (intro of the song) and was only ever released in the UK in 1991 and Australia in 1990.

Trent has also said in the past (i'm paraphrasing here as I don't have the interview to hand) that he owed a lot to Prince's Batdance, which influenced him with regards utilising movie samples in later works like the 'Natural Born Killers' OST and 'Lost highway' OST.

Trent also attends Prince's live shows as and when he gets the chance.

[/NIN geek mode off]

BananaCologne said:

Thanks!

*is dwarved*

I'm amazed Prince had "broken" in the car - that seems way to hardcore for our camp prince of pop...however, a lot of people have surprised me coming out as nin fans. Especially when they like the hard stuff. I think that's really cool, and my respect for Prince has doubled...I always thought he'd be intolerant of that kind of music. I wonder what he thought of Heresy?
I wish they had remixed Loose.
They never will, but I wish they'll work again in the future. Trouble is that Prince is totally different now, and I bet you he's not interested anymore.

BananaCologne said:

Thanks, this story is priceless! I saw NIN last year and it was a good show, even though I didn't know most of the songs. I missed Queens of the Stone Age though, and that was the reason I went to the show.

I have a question for the NIN fans. Does Trent have something against "Perfect Drug"? That's one of the only songs I knew and one of his biggest hits, but he didn't do it. Is it like Radiohead with "Creep"? Is it uncool because it was such a pop hit?

u2prnce said:

It's my favourite NIN song. Trent has gone on record as recently as the last year by saying that they were considering doing a number of songs rarely played before on the 2nd leg of the tour. However, with regard 'TPD' I seem to remember him saying as the song is so structurally complex, that it would probably do it an injustice by attempting to play it live. That's not a quote by the way, just what I can remember - I know a lot about NIN, but my buddy Neversin would know far more.

I guess it's like Queen trying to do 'Bohemian Rhapsody' live - there's only so far you can take such a song, and as such it would be a vast undertaking. But I live in hope...

BananaCologne said:

Fantastic video, too. It's on the Mark Romanek DVD with "Closer".

UndercovaBrotha said:

It wasn't Paisley Park, it was The Record Plant in Los Angeles.

BananaCologne said:

I read on nin.com that it's that drum solo that prevents them from playing it live right now.

Spookymuffin said:

Isn't Dave Grohl friends with Trent? Just take him on tour--he can pretty much do any drumming possible.

u2prnce said:

that's true.