"Bridge!" "Bass" "Breakdown" "Maceo give it to me"

Kinda gets annoying after a while. I mean maybe in concert it's needed but on studio songs it's not. Is it to give a song a "live" feel to it.

if he's got his band playing backup on a track, then yes it's needed. directing yer band out loud isn't really annoying, once you understand why.

Because it's what MUSICIANS do.

Handclapsfingasnapz said:

He never did it before...at least not that I noticed.

superspaceboy said:

dude's done it as far back as the pr tour.

SexyBeautifulOne said:

that's what I was going to say. It's a Musician thing. In consert and in studio Prince doesn't NEED to state these things. No true Musicans do unless only in praticing stages. However, it seems of intrest to Prince to do so because he is a Musician interacting with Musicians. Each song is exciting, in some way.

Think of it as Children playing in a playground. A Child Screams, "tag you're it", that statement didn't need be made, the other Kid was aware of themself being tagged, but it just makes the game even that more exciting.

hes done that as long as i can remember. and ive been
around for a real long time as far as his music goes
if he didnt direct he wouldnt get the sound he wants
its ok

Don't see what the big deal is...I've always enjoyed the callouts. Makes it a bit more dynamic, imo...

Handclapsfingasnapz said:

I think I really mean on an album...not on tour. I get that during live performances call outs are necessa, but on a song? Were there call outs on PR (maybe Baby I'm a star, which is supposed to be "live")

superspaceboy said:

i love it when he does it..."Two Times"..and the horns blow two times...
"three times..."...etc....to me, it's showing how tight the band is.

purplerein said:

Heck yeah!

And I love it when he doesn't even have to say it...sometimes he'll just give a show of fingers. Tight indeed.

I never really understood him when he says, "On the one!"

ABeautifulOne said:

When you're counting beats 1,2,3,4 the hook/beat/whatever usually starts/stops on the one.

ABeautifulOne said:

Every song you hear, has a count, most commonly is the 4 count. it measures the distance between the song parts and the cycling rythem of the musical equation. Counting in music is everything.

Thus he's saying cange on the One.

superspaceboy said:

Umm, perhaps because when he's recording, he actually uses musicians instead of looped over snippets like 95% of Billboards Hot 100.

SexyBeautifulOne said:

Well DUH! I certainly don't see them all recording at once though. I take it's similar to James Browns style is all. And he probably treats many of the recordings like they were live, I guess.

I love the callouts..Prince is the best!

MickG said:

No. When he calls 'On the one' it indicates: stop on the first beat in the next bar.

langebleu said:

yes, that is what I said. If you are going, and you stop, isn't that a change?

if he was to really stop on that point wouldn't he then say good night?

I like when he does that, and who said "real musicians" don't do that, come on now please, where you been?

MickG said:

Eeeeeevrything is on the one... (c) Parliament

if ur a musician recording by urself
is it ok to call out to urself??
i do! "hit me!" slap "ouch!"
or is that schizophrenia

The other day I was listening to him while I was driving, and was thinking about how many times he announces a guitar solo, or asks if it's okay to play his guitar...
I think it's kinda cool, too. I don't even remember what song it was at the time, because he does it so often....

[new thread!]


Lynn

Personally i love this 'call outs'

Live they are used to instruct his band, but i think also to give some funky energy to the tracks, thats why he uses them on record too i think. They can give quite a 'punch' to his music, i mean listen to:

- Lovesexy: 'Dig me now'
- Get on the Boat: 'Bridge'
- Sexy Mf: calling out for the solo's of 'Tommy Barbarella' and 'Levi'

These are the kind of callouts that give some extra energy to the music.

James Brown has done it for ages. Sly has done them. And Van Morrison, one of my personal favorites, often makes 'cue's' that shows he much he is involved / going up into the music around him.

Not technically a Prince song but I've always liked...

"Lil' cute guitar player make yer momma proud!"

I love, love, LOVE all them shits

The first time I remember hearing him do call outs on an album was Parade, on Mountains.

"Guitars and drums on the 1!"

I can't remember before that, though. But yeah, he's been doing it forever.

SexyBeautifulOne said:

umm..but isnt he handling most of the instruments these days? with like the exception of 3121 and Get On The Boat? so, it does kinda sound retarded when he is playing all the musicians...

kinda like the reviewer commenting on how he shouts out to the "girls" during Lolita when in reality its his modified vocals.

TheBigBang said:

On record he was doing it before that - for example, the 12" extended version of 'I Would Die 4 U' has him cueing in the musicians:

1, 2, 3, huh! {x2}
U! {x4}
Wendy
U - I would die 4 U
Mico
U - I would die 4 U
Lisa
U!
Eddie, Mico, huh!

In live performance he was also using call-outs before this e.g. on the Syracuse video from the Purple Rain tour he cues the horn counts during 'Possessed'.


.

Listen 2 the unreleased song "Databank" (4 those of u who have access 2 it @ least)... In my opinion, the most pure & effective use of his "call outs".
It's from 1986. A fantastic fun & lively track that is driven by his use of call outs & instruction 2 his band, finally ending up with his band disobeying his orders and he calls for Suzannah 2 cut the tape.

This could perhaps be his own parody of his trademark "call outs" that we are all debating here?