Let's see... Turn It Up lists 4 versions and then supposedly a fifth version appeared recently. But working through the listings in Turn It up leaves me perplexed.

They list Computer Blue #1 (12:29) and writes: The first, full-length version contains "The Righteous One" speech and the so-called "hallway speech". A part with chants of "na-na-na-nah..." appears twice in this version, and it has Prince encouraging audience response, "Wave your hands in the air!"

So far, so good. I have that version, but it only clocks in at 11:34 and sounds like it's been speeded up a bit. Is this track circulating in it's correct speed?

Next, Turn It Up lists Computer Blue #2 (12:29) and writes: Version #2 lacks all the spoken and sung parts in the mid-section of the song, being the most instrumental version of the three. A funky guitar lick is added halfway through the song.

I'm not sure, but are they possibly talking about the St. Louis warehouse version here? Although it clocks in at 13:29, it has a funky guitar lick added halfway through the song (but the guitar lick doesn't last long, though.)

So are they talking about the warehouse version (which I have), or is this a version I've never heard?

Then, Turn It Up lists Computer Blue #3 (11:33) and writes: The third version is close to the "hallway speech" version but all the spoken and sung parts, except for one "na-na-na-nah" chant, are omitted.

Now, this sounds like a (12:27) version that I've had for a few years, but then the "recently surfaced original version" shows up and it is exactly like the (12:27) version that I have, except it lasts (14:03) because the guitar feedback at the end lasts longer.

So, I've never had Computer Blue #3 (11:33), as I thought, but instead I had the "recently surfaced original version" in an incomplete cut?
[Edited 10/10/08 10:32am]

Finally, Turn It Up lists Computer Blue #4 (7:23) and writes: Version #4 is similar to version #3, but this is an edited version.

Which is all well and good, because I have that one, segued with Darling Nikki.

Oh my god, I've gone cross-eyed.

And what's this new 19 minute version that has just turned up? Haven't listened yet but it's 'around'.
[Edited 10/10/08 13:21pm]

kanoohead said:

19 minutes?! How long has this been available?

cassingle said:

A mysteriously disappearing thread from yesterday drew attention to some unreleased stuff and it was amongst that...

kanoohead said:

Vault says;

Computer Blue #1 St Louis Park warehouse version 13:28 which is a band rehearsel and is musically/vocally different from the other versions, call it a demo version

Computer Blue Sunset sound version #2 11:57 with The Righteous One and Hallway Speech
Computer Blue Sunset sound version #3 12:26 no hallway speech or vocals in the midsection
Computer Blue Sunset sound version #4 7:33 edit of nr 3
Computer Blue Sunset sound version #? 14:03 This is probably nr 2, as it seems to be an unmixed version, without embelishments like speeches, extra vocalisations of the echo sound effect on Prince's voice, except a short speech by Wendy at the end. It's longer cuz the guitar feedback stuff at the end is longer.
[Edited 10/10/08 17:03pm]

HamsterHuey said:

And isn't it nice it got out in almost near perfect cd quality?

[Edited 10/10/08 17:03pm]

Oh, and with the released album edit, that makes SIX.

PS, did I tell you that this new version is probably my favest version? Even though I love the 'hallway speech' alot, I could never abide the 'righteous one' speech or the 'nanananana' parts.

This version is raw. I like.

luv4u said:

Oh hush. There is no RULE against bumping, now is there?

We like to bump. We the bump squad.

HamsterHuey said:

I have the 7Minute version and just listening to that gives me a semi. i must track this baby down for masturbatory purposes!

Well I have one thats 35 seconds long and very very cool ! But just way 2 damn short ! Not counting that one I have a total of 5

HamsterHuey said:

YEAH!

HamsterHuey said:

YEAH!

Besides, I wanted to give people the opportunity to reply to posts about individual versions.

HamsterHuey said:

11:57? So it's only out there in a version that sounds slightly speeded up?

I thought it was just bad bootlegging, because I cant imagine it was supposed to run too fast.
[Edited 10/11/08 5:08am]

kanoohead said:

I take it back... was disappointed to find that the timing seems to be being misread by my PC... at one point it was supposedly 22 mins long.

It's just the 14.03 version. Says in the torrent file that it is previously uncirculating which is seemingly not the case.

kanoohead said:

Woah...I really wish it DID exist

kanoohead said:

The 14:03 version just leaked a year or so ago. So previously uncirculating up to a point.

It's unbelievable that so many verisons of this song exist. I felt my head spin when I heard that the album version was edited down from 12 minutes.

The first version I heard was from The Work and was 11:57. I got another version of that track a little while later and it was in better quality. Or at least it seemed that way. The version I had before was lacking some back-up vocals in the "na na na" chant and Wendy & Lisa's "you're through, Computer Blue" wasn't in the version I had.

I didnt know the 13 min version was a band rehearsal, no wonder it had a different sound and feel to it. Not to mention it really didn't go anywhere,

The 12:29 version sounds like it was recorded before the 11:57 version because it lacked a lot of the elements that the 11:57 version had and its sound was similar to the original band rehearal/demo version.

And the 7 min version is one cut away from the final album version

Either way, its still an awesome song with such a cool history

DreamyPopRoyalty said:

Well, 'rehearsel'. Maybe they just wanted to record a demo, to see how the song they'd been rehearsing would sound as a band recording. Let's call it a live studio recording.

HamsterHuey said:

have the FULL VERSION of Computer Blue. It's 14:03.

HamsterHuey said:

Yes, in its entirety (14:03), but the same version was out years before that, just cut at 12:27 without all of the guitar feedback at the end.

I got the 12:27 cut of the 14:03 version in 2004, Huey.
[Edited 10/11/08 14:37pm]

HamsterHuey said:

Well, that actually clears things up a bit for me. Thank you for posting that Huey, dear.

Now I'm just wondering if anyone actually has version #2 at its correct speed, and if version #3 is actually just the shorter cut of version #?. Are version #3 and version #? actually different in other ways than the length of the guitar feedback?
[Edited 10/11/08 14:51pm]