SexyBeautifulOne said:

amen...its is shocking how ignorant some of Ps fans are

Knowing that it's "what musicians do," I have felt that in recent years, IMHO, he calls out excessively.


Don't know if his musical direction habits have changed or if I've just heard more/am hearing it more, but I know that I have thought "If I hear ONE MORE call out to Maceo or Candy I'm gonna hurl."

Maybe this should be on the "unpopular opinions about Prince" thread.

Seriously, how many call outs does someone need? Cues sure...they are essential, but can it get to the point where it is intrusive to the performance?

To me, I thought that he was doing it to prove his "real music by real musicians," philosophy. He wanted to make sure that everyone in the audience KNEW who the members of the band were, and to be honest, it worked. After 5 or 10 call outs to each band member if you didn't know who they were you never were gonna know who they were.

Sometimes, he does call outs on studio tracks when it is just him recording it. Kind of like, this is where I want 2 either include their solo OR 4 when it will b done live.

Sexy M.F. was done in 1 take according 2 Michael B. and others so those call outs were important 4 the players 2 know when 2 cut in and cut out.

Other interesting tidbits if u listen closely, when "Raspberry Beret" is fading out (album version) u can hear him say "tell me when" kind of as a point 2 where it has fully faded out so him and the band can stop.

Also on "The Morning Papers", at the end, u can hear him say "OK" and then the keyboards are let up on 2 fade. He has done that a lot.

"Dinner With Delores" is an interesting 1 because I don't think "No more that's the end" was part of the lyrics, but just letting the band know it is over and 2 stop.

He liked things at that time 2 have a certain demo quality 2 them and not be so overproduced. Kind of just fresh out the oven without needing anything else added.

I am sure LB can add more 2 that.

It's a result of his being a bandleader for decades, as has been stated by others.

I think it also lends an old-school quality to the proceedings. Old jazz and soul acts often had those kinds of classy introductions of soloists.

It's awesome, really, to consider how timeless that actually is...

carmen9 said:

schizophrenics don't have multiple personalities.



common misconception though.



but anyway, i always used to put in "oh, help me now" as my catchphrase/call out...but only when i was fooling around...


.
[Edited 8/7/06 2:25am]

The history of Black music has always included call and response. We do it at concerts, good lectures/poetry readings, church. Years and years ago Prince seemed to want to "include" (some were already "there" mentally with him) white participants by including sayings such as "...all-the-white-people-clap-yo-hands-on-the-4-now..."(DMSR) and some other ones that I can't recall right now.

On the studio recording of TRC (the song) you can hear him say "John, give me a beat" - fantastic, as I fan on that album you can imagine just the two of them working on some of those tracks.

i think if he's actually recording a live performance then call outs are fine. but to put them in when most of the instruments are overdubbed by himself (hi, musicology!) is a bit self-indulgent. unless of course he's doing it knowingly with a self-parodical wink on an obvious "prince alone in the studio" cut, like face down's hilarious callouts. ORCHESTRA!!

what was my point again? oh yeah....stay outta my booze!
[Edited 8/7/06 7:25am]

For the record, I like the called out instructions, but I think the explanation is really very simple.

The call outs are the influence of James Brown on Prince's music.

AsTrAlTrAvElInHoTtiE said:

All these years Prince has been telling me to play guitar and drums on the one in Mountains, and I never have. He's gonna fine my ass thousands of dollars when he sees me.

I

LOVE

THEM.

He exudes an air of swagger and mastery when he uses them, which gets the Mistress hot.

And believe it or not, listening to Prince music and watching him in concert with the "call outs" and all, taught me a lot about music. I was really young when I got into Prince and didn't know any musical terminology or even how to identify guitar, bass, keys, etc. with my ears.

It sends me into absolute euphoria to watch those old concerts where he'd do crazy-long extended jams, getting all sweaty and calling for hit after hit with the hand signals (one! five! two!), stopping them on the one, and then...wait for it...GootGawd! GROOVE!

FunkMistress said:

Yes.

jseven said:

These so called call-outs are part of what Prince is. Complaining about it is kinda like complaining about him singing in Falsetto.
& in regard 2 the quoted post above:
I'm not sure if you have any studio experience, but bands (especially bands as tight as Prince's) never record without knowing exactly what they're doing first. They would know where they're coming in & out without his signals. They are simply added as part of the vibe. & ur comment on "Dinner With Delores" having a spontaneous ending can't be true coz the band all stop together before he say 'end'.

we should have callouts in org threads

"AFFIRMATIVE REPLY!"
"JOKE POST!"
"GIANT JPEG IMAGE!"
"POSTER WHO CANT SPEAK ENGLISH VERY WELL, WHERE YOU AT?"
"PAGE 2!"
"POST SAYING SOMETHING ABOUT 3121 SUCKING EVEN THOUGH IT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THE THREAD TOPIC, HIT ME NOW!"

Mars23 said:

u better get ur wallet ready. how many times u listened and didn't include urself, huh???

theghostoftonym said:

.

Loose is the ultimate call out song.


Hey whoop it up y'all
1-2-3-4!
1-2-3-4! 1-2-3-4!
(Loose!) Everybody wants 2 know what's wrong with U
(Loose!) They see U actin' like a crazy fool
(Loose!) When the music hits U don't know what 2 do
Push your way up 2 the front and shake your motherfuckin' 'do
Loose!
(Loose!)
Fuckin' 'do Loose! (Loose!)
(Loose!) Bangin' gangs, slangin' wangs and rock
(Loose!) Won't gain U nothin' but an angry cop
(Loose!) Get your education first then buy a pair of shoes
Push your way up 2 the front and shake your motherfuckin' 'do
Loose!
(Loose!)
Guitar solo
(Loose!)
(Loose!)
(Loose!)
(Loose!)
(Loose!) How the hell U gonna tell me what 2 do?
(Loose!) I got the clothes, I got the bank and the crew
(Loose!) If U look real close, I even got your garden tool
Push your way up 2 the front and shake your motherfuckin' 'do
Loose!
(Loose!)
C'mon everybody
Loose! (Loose!)
Tommy and Sonny
Turn around
Guitar solo
(Loose!)
(Loose!)
(Loose!)
(Loose!)
(Loose!)
Turn around again
Turn around again
On the 1
(Loose!)
Cool



I love it .