So I was thinking of putting together a disc or a playlist of Prince's most Joni Mitchell-inspired songs, but it's one of those things where sometimes I hear the influence better when someone else points it out to me.

What would you say are his most Joni-ish songs?

"Ballad of Dorothy Parker" is an obvious one.

"Case of You" is of course a no-brainer, as is most of the ONA album, which I kinda consider to be his famming-out-to-Joni album.

What are some other, maybe more subtle examples? I'd be interested in some symbol-era suggestions, cuz I think he roamed from that style of songwriting during those years and I'd love to be proven wrong about that...

Thoughts?

Other than the ones already mentioned,

Reflecion maybe?

Sometimes It Snows In April?

Welcome 2 The Dawn

ive always felt Rasberry Berett was a funked out Joni song.

great question Mr. Anx.

Well, off The Truth -album: Circle Of Amour, Comeback.

There's something I sense oddly on Rave too, but can't quite pinpoint what it is.

sitruk7 said:

Yeah, SISIA.

That always seemed to me a deliberate homage to The Circle Game.

Dinner With Delores

Novabreaker said:

"Tangerine"?

Novabreaker said:

Could it be Eye Love U,But Eye Don't Trust U Anymore?

Anx said:

Not necessarily that obvious. But to me Rave has a delicate undercurrency throughout many of the songs, especially more towards the end of the album, that is in more straightforward terms more "mature". It's just the production that hides it quite effectively. Maybe it's exactly what Prince has himself said that he got from Joni - to listen to silences. The melodies and the chords on the songs on Rave have some of that. Of course the production style is greatly different, I just think I can hear some of that there.
[Edited 6/24/06 10:46am]

I always felt So Blue and I Love U But I Don't Trust U. Maybe even Power Fantastic a little.

adorable2 said:

definitely power fantastic. thanks for mentioning that! it was listening to that song that i started thinking about this thread.

Anx said:

Power Fantastic is sublime. i'd love to hear him do it live, but stripped like on the album and not with this NPG lineup.

adorable2 said:

acoustic, please.

Another Lonely Christmas
17 Days
When Doves Cry

all joni-esque in lyric imho but set to different style of music

Anx said:

Absolutely.

Condition of the Heart

So Blue
Crazy You
Don't Play Me
Power Fantastic (would be my #1 pick)
Snows In April

so many more.....

SPLASH

tricky2 said:

Yeah.

Didn't Prince give a shoutout to Joni in the thanks U's on Dirty Mind?

"The Hissing of Summer Lawns" is an absolute masterpiece! And the Rolling Stone named that one the worst album of that year?
Shows how much they knew even back then.

sosgemini said:

Yours and Gangsta's answer are, in my ears, the best comparisons. Joni's lyrics are deeply personal.

I am curious to find out if, besides A Case of You, Prince has performed other songs by her. The choice of performing A Case Of You (that 1983 live version is sublime to the ONA version, imo), the names dropping on Dorothy Parker (Help Me) and the mention that "Joni taught me to see colors" (that is from memory, not a literal quote) makes me think that to draw a good comparison between the two is to look at deeply personal lyrics in combination with introspective music.

So, the lyrics of Raspberry Beret, even though whimsical at times, come close to that description. Nicolas' desription of 'funked out' is SO right...
Lyrics like...

The rain sounds so cool when it hits the barn roof
And the horses wonder who U are
The thunder drowns out what the lightning sees
And U feel like a movie star

...are totally Joni-like.

Also, Condition Of The Heart is drawing on those colours Joni made Prince see.

Acting out a whim is only good 4 a condition of the heart

...and...

Every single day is a yellow day
I'm blinded by the daisies in your yard

Beautiful.


But of all Prince lyrics, I think one is the most *JONI*

Look at this and remember how he delivered these personal lyrics;



OLD FRIEND FOR SALE

The sun set in the west this mornin'
4 I know, I know L.A. is callin'
Bad news, Steve said, and people are talkin'
They say your kingdom is fallin', yeah
They say U lost your fire
When another musician U hired
Little do they know, U wouldn't have passed go
Unless they could take U higher, yeah

The sun set in my heart this afternoon
4 2 friends of mine got stuck in the snow
In Uptown when winter's alarmin', oh
Cocaine becomes charmin'
But U talk about things U don't know 'bout
I know, no matter how pleasant your past was
Green and white return 2 blue
U're happy as long as your last buzz
And then U think U want something new, yeah

The sun, the sun set in my mind this evening
4 someone who said they would die 4 me
Sold some, they sold some more pictures and all my little memories
Chump change is 2 unravel the mystery, ah ha
But life is no fun, life ain't no fun without fantasy
Some things are better left unsaid
And some people are better left untrusted
Maybe, maybe, maybe it'll all make sense when I'm dead
When I'm dead

Old friends 4 sale
Get'em while the gettin' is hot
Watch out, they'll kiss U until they get what U got
And they'll show U the friends that they're not
Old friends 4 sale

HamsterHuey said:

He should do many, many more.

Tori did 4 on her last tour alone and every last one of them was a show-stopper.

GangstaFam said:

I want to hear him sing Help Me for real.

HamsterHuey said:

Yes. Or "Trouble Child".

ufoclub said:

it has that rushing gush of emotion and melody that makes me think the actual song structure is like joni mitchell.

Anx said:

I could see that. Surely any accoustic efforts like that one or Circle of Amour are Joni esque

Damn! I thought this thread was going to be about songs Prince wrote for me...