Okay, I confess. THis is a bit embarrassing but I'll have a go:
Whilst being an avid outtake collector I haven't however ever been able to confirm whether the earlier version (the shorter one that is) is the 1991 or the 1985 version. I originally got it as the 1985 version, but on certain boot collections (notably on "The Work" and "I'll Do Anything" installations) it's been listed as the 1991 version. Which one is it?

And furthermore, whatever the third version is, is that as well circulating?

hi, there r only 2 versions on circulation.

The firts is from 1991 (from the "i'll do anything" sessions) the second is from 1995.
The 1985 version exists by is not circulating

bye

The 1985 version does circulate !

Where can u find this version ?
it's the first time i heard this - but i maybe wrong

Empty room 85 is not listed in Turn it up 2.0 for example

Do u got it ? !- very interressing!!

Peace

Yes... wanna trade ??

je veux bien, doriel !

Bloody hell, people.

Dammit, I just wanted to know if the 2:01 version with the "orchestral" backing instead of the guitar solo is the 1991 or the 1985 version?

You're getting me all even more confused!

tu es qui petit ninja ??

just a member of the PABW list & a user of DC & AG

But we better answer the rabbit question B4 he gets wild

(tu peux me mailer directement si tu veux)

I really tought that the 85 version of th song did not exist
i''ll let doriel answer your question in this case

sorry 4 the confusion

Are you sure, Doriel? Do you have all the THREE different versions so you could confirm that one of these is in fact the 1985 version?

I mean, I have something that is tagged as the "1985" version too as well as the "1991" version. But alas, they are identical.

Hm, I may B wrong, but I think that the guitar-version (3'16) is the one from 1985 (some of the sound reminds me of the ATWINAD-period) and the orchestral version (2'01) is from 1991. Does someone agree?

The guitar version is the 1995 version definitely. That's a fact. Does it remind you of ATWIAD? It's so mid-90's it's scary.

hmmm...I have this version too, Novabreaker, that you're talking about and I downloaded it has an '85 version, but to me it sound rather like Prince early '90s, doesn't it? Maybe the '85 version really isn't circulating.

BTW, I think the '95 version blows the other one away, it's unbelievable. The guitar solo comes from somewhere else.
A place of fear and pain that is... that's what the solo sounds like.

Novabreaker said:

R U shure? Listen to the finger-cymbal, the harsh guitarsound and the broken voice. A little bit of "Last Christmas" mixed with "Raspberry Beret". But maybe U're right. Could B 90's as well. But what about the 1985 version? Haven't heard it yet.

the video of the '95 version is also circulating.
It's obvious that's Prince look in this video is from 1995.
More : it features Mayte :p

Pabw

I'll refer to the comment above by witness.

Fingercymbals? Do you remember Mayte? Might explain something...

Anyway, it's easy to tell that it's a mid-90's cut, because of the recorded sounds and the dynamics involved. It's definitely the "Emancipation" sound.

I've always wondered about that version circulating as the 85/91 version, because the sound is rather 80's style: squashed, not much high-end. Of course, bad sound quality has its affect on it obviously. But if it is really in fact the 1991 version then I'll have to say the sound quality is surprisingly bad compared to the other tracks circulating from the same era. Of course, songs like "Open Book" have the same fault.

calldapplwondery83 - I actually prefer the older version. Because it's so much more intimate and much more with the theme of "Empty Room". Great takes both though.

My 2 cents worth...

I have both versions of Empty Room , one from 85 and the later version . The earlier version is more orchestral and the latter guitar based and its AWESOME .

Much Love Pochacco

Yeah, I have both versions as well. But is the older version without the long guitar part actually the 85 or the 91 version? That was the whole point. Can we finally get some sort of verification on this.

Giotto? Anyone?

me again

All i can say is

-that i always find this 2 mn version with the others 'i'll do anything sessions" outtakes on differents boots.& i'ts confirmed that p reworked this song 4 the movie.

- it's musically identidical those 1991 outtakes (little pill, 1st day of my life, poor little bastard etc)

- Turn it Up 2.0 sais that even if the 1985 exists, the only circulating version r from 1991 & 1995



(there's joy in repetition )

my last message 4 this tread - i promise

Thanks Witness. The "Turn It Up 2.0" solved it all (I haven't yet ordered the book). I know about the musical resemblance, but for some reason I've always been a bit sceptical. Maybe it's just because of the fact that it's an old composition, which has been re-arranged years after that makes it sound so confusing (That is if you don't have "Turn It Up 2.0"...).

Case closed.

There is a video for Empty Room that was shown before some concerts, back in '95 I think it was.
That version is the '85 version. I actually heard Michael Bland talking about it to another fan.
One of the things I remember him saying was something like, "Just listen to the guitar. It sounds like it could of been on Purple Rain.", and it does if you think of it that way when you listen to it.

Isn't this guitar version of Empty Room played with the Symbol guitar? Sure sounds like it, doesn't it?

Really, James? Wov...

You HEARD Michael Bland say that personally? This needs to be debated further. Can you tell anything more that you would remember of the conversation?

Who knows, maybe DorothyParker might have been right?

I have that video clip.
Everyone in the clip looks like they did from the Gold era.

yamomma said:

Still the recording could be from 1985, right? Unlikely, though.

OK. Here's the deal and this is very simple:

The 2:00 version of Empty Room from 1991 was a re-recording of the entire song to be used for the I'll Do Anything movie soundtrack.

The other circulating verson of Empty Room was originally recorded in 1985 using the same instruments from that era (finger cymbals, guitars etc...) Then, these same basic tracks were used for an overdubbed version that was used as the sound track to the video shown before The Gold Experience shows in 1995. I don't know if the Symbol guitar was used on the overdubbed version, but Michael Bland's comments indicate that it wasn't.

The 1995 version showed up on the "Fate" bootleg and most likely the one being downloaded all over the net.

The 1985 mix certainly exists but doesn't widely circulate. I wonder if this Doriel person knows what he has for sure...