so, does Prince go to Maceo and say..Maceo, I need the sax to go like this..bah bah dum do bah bah...or does he say, Maceo, fill in the next two stanzas....

same with the bass line, etc...
I know he doesn't read music, but perhaps with software these days, he can play it on keyboards, bass, or guitar and it's transcribed into how the support musicians are supposed to play?


have you read anything about this?

BlackAdder7 said:

I would guess that Prince is more specific in his directions when concerning instruments that he can/has played. For example: Whomever is in the band playing bass line in "Let's Work" is probably ordered by Prince to sound like how he would/did play it.

I think that Prince is not as particular when it comes to instruments he doesn't play---sax, strings, etc.

skywalker said:

I don't feel that's entirely true...I feel that Prince knows exactly how he wants each instrument to sound....

Anybody remember those cool Michael Bland threads from last year ? Michael kinda explained how Prince came up with the drum intro for Shhhh.....recorded on a tape deck, with human beat box, if I recall correctly. Look up those threads, they should still be accessible.

dont yall know you u can play almostt ANY insturments with synth first ? P himself said this in interviews before

KoolEaze said:

Think u hit the nail on the head here. If you have ever heard any rehersal boots u often hear Prince giving direction to eric leeds using his voice. Their is a particular instance when he can be heard on a parade rehearsal boot asking eric to fill with a horn line.. Prince replicates the type of horn riff he wants to hear from his head using his voice. Sure enough eric recreates it.
[Edited 7/24/07 13:34pm]

There was also an instance where a member of the Hornheadz described their contribution to some Prince songs as writing horn arrangements, which they later rephrased, explaining that they worked collaboratrively with Prince who would often provide horn lead lines (but no indication of the methodology used), with the horn players then providing arrangements for those lines.

This appears to be the same as described above by 3121.

However, there's also indications that Prince gave Wendy and Lisa greater creative freedom in some of the arrangements they provided. He appears to do the same when providing mnaterial to Clare Fischer.

That said, he calls the tune on what stays in and what goes out e.g. Clare Fischer has provided arrangements that Prince has chosen not to use.

Yes, he usually either sings the part he's hearing in his head, or he plays it. With horn lines, it's just as described above.

Going back 2 the Michael Bland threads, and "Shhhh...", Michael said Prince laid down the drums on the album version, so I don't know why Prince wouldn't just show him on the kit, although he does the beatbox alot 2 show drummers what he wants, possibly because he doesn't want 2 break away from whatever instrument is in his hands.
[Edited 7/25/07 14:18pm]