i was listening to the solo in computer blue the other day and it occured to me that it is remarkably similar to the piano piece 'the kid's' father plays in purple rain. does that have any significance in the song, or is it an attempt to show how he was dealing with the hate he felt for his father...some sort of purgative effect?

there are a lot of things like this in the movie pr, (like the satire on how his father believed himself to be a martyr--by saying "i would die for you" when in no way was he willing to quit drinking for them etc...and so out of that came the song...blah blah blah...) but the similarities between the guitar solo and the piano piece is one i just noticed and i was wondering if anyone else had noticed this and had some light to shed.

oh lawd!

I thought he said 'i would diet 4 u', which was a referrence to drinking bud light instead of budweiser, which he did.

Universaluv said:

Sorry that was a little rude. Think "Father's Song"...

I noticed the similarity after I grew up. In 1985, I was only 5 years old. But as I get older and really watched the movie. I noticed that they're the same song, the guitar version and a piano version. It was intentional in the movie for the two songs to be similar.

Blue
"Don't Play Me"

Well, the guitar solo is "Father's song"... that's supposed to be the Kid playing the composition he just heard.


thewar said:[quote]i was listening to the solo in computer blue the other day and it occured to me that it is remarkably similar to the piano piece 'the kid's' father plays in purple rain. does that have any significance in the song, or is it an attempt to show how he was dealing with the hate he felt for his father...some sort of purgative effect?

Can I just say...

DUH!!!

I'm sorry, I know that's rude but you people AMAZE me!

LURK

I don't have any light to shed, I wish i did but i dont. I can only apologise for this profusely.

thewar said:

Emm they are more than just similar - they are the same. That piano piece "Father's Song" is played by Prince in Computer Blue as a guitar solo. That was kinda the point you know, Prince embracing his father's music and all that.

Ah well. Life goes on.

Great solo though. When was learning guitar as a kid I used to play that solo over and over and over ...

A bit OT:
I did a search on WinMX for the long version of Computer Blue and there were two versions. One was about 8 minutes long and the other was about 11 minutes long.

Could anyone please tell me the difference because I have a slow connection and don't want to waste time downloading the wrong version.
Thanks in advance.

u know... i didn't even notice this... now that i think about it it was "Father's Song"...

P Collaberated with John L. A LOT, didn't he?

to: "thewar"

Dude... I don't know how old you are, and I don't know how long you've been a fan. But if you just recognized that "Father's Song" is the guitar solo in Computer Blue and/or any significance of including the song within Computer Blue

all I can say is that you have A WHOLE LOT of things to learn, and miles to go before you sleep!

But don't get discouraged, keep chippin away, but just understand that when you're dealing with Prince, things get much deeper - much, MUCH DEEPER.

Peace

As Annie Hall put it...
"La di da"

Oh, and anyway, PRINCE wrote 'Father's Song' not John L.
It was only a movie you know, it wasn't true.

BorisFishpaw said:

---

Prince said on Oprah Winfrey back in "96" that his home life was a lot worst then what is seen in the film and that his father had his moments!!! The movie may have some elements of his life.

laurarichardson said:

Very true, maybe my was a bit harsh.

It's strange though, that a lot of people assume that Prince's father wrote 'Father's Song', coz that's how it's portrayed in the film.

But nobody assumes that Wendy & Lisa wrote 'Purple Rain', even though that's how it's shown in the film as well.

Then why is John L. Nelson given credit for co-writing Computer Blue? I looked up "Father's Song" and it was included in the other 255 songs or so that Prince gave as collateral (or whatever) at one time for a mortgage, and in that list John L. Nelson is credited as the sole songwriter of "Father's Song." (Of course it's interesting that Prince would include someone else's song for his loan). John L. Nelson is also listed as co-writer for several other Prince songs in that list. Even if "Father's Song" was mostly written by Prince, I believe the original motif was created by his father -- the same motif that shows up in the guitar solo in "Computer Blue." Anyone else know for sure?

I've seen the ASCAP writer's credits for both songs and Father's Song is credited soley to Prince. Computer Blue, on the other hand, is credited to Prince, John L Nelson, Wendy & Lisa, so I have to assume that the 'Father's Song' part of Computer Blue isn't the bit John L contributed to.

I have the official sheet music from warner and FS is credited to Prince's father.

7salles said:

That's weird, so do I.
and it's credited to Prince

"Father's Song - Composed by Prince. Copyright 1984 Controversy Music. All rights reserved."

THIS THREAD IS REALLY A FIVE STARS !!! JUST BRILLANT.
HOW ABOUT THIS ONE:

I DIDN'T KNOW THAT PRINCE CHANGED HIS NAME TO A SYMBOL.

MeshOfFlesh said:

They are different versions. Get both.

I vote for John L., copyright search brings up:

Registration Number: PAu-617-270
Title: Father's song.
Description: on 1 sound cassette.
Note: (With God)
Claimant: Controversy Music
Created: 1984
Registered: 22May84
Author on © Application: music: John L. Nelson.


Of course I could be wrong, WTF do I know...

I think I can help...

Somewhere around the early nineties, Prince's father released a CD through his daughter, Lorna's NY based label. The disc was entitled 'Father's Song' (probably to capitalize on the popularity of Prince's father's portrayal in PR), and it included a piece of music composed by John L. called 'Father's Song'. I picked it up thinking that it would contain John L.'s version of the same song featured in Purple Rain. Unfortunately, it was a completely different piece of music, that also happened to be titled 'Father's Song'. The rest of the disc was also not very good, so I no longer have it, but I thought this info might shed some light on 'who wrote it' and 'why are there two different copyright filings for it?' debacle...

BTW, several sources have Prince as the sole writer and claimant of the 'Father's Song' heard in PR, and many of Prince's former collaborators say that Prince and his father never actually wrote any music together at all. They claim Prince only alotted his father writing credit on a few pieces of music as a way of helping him financially. Eddie Hazel (P-Funk guitarist) also did this for his mom. Anything P-Funk related written or co-written by "Grace Cook" or "G. Cook" was actually written or co-written by Eddie...

-SWANGmeat

abucah said:

No shit, I guess I just took it for granted that I knew this, but maybe people don't really listen to things as much? To me the second part or the Father's Song part really make that song a classic, especially when it comes back in with that scream.

SWANG said:

Like "scandalous" and a few others have John L Nelson. I bet with Father's Song it was "inspired" by a riff or just his father's piano playing, but Prince wrote it. God when will this be released? I love this in the movie. Any bootlegs out there? And not just from the DVD? I want the fll song with real production.

agotajonesmartha said:

This was the first Prince guitar solo I learned

mrchristian said:

lol! ha!

it'd make a great diet coke ad.