Which of these versions or groups of songs do you like best and why?

I've always been a fan of Sign of the times, it was such a big hit back in the day and still is true now!

the original Crystal Ball configuration:

Rebirth Of The Flesh
Play In The Sunshine
Housequake
The Ballad Of Dorothy Parker
It
Starfish & Coffee
Slow Love
Hot Thing
Crystal Ball
If I Was Your Girlfriend
Rockhard In A Funky Place
The Ball
Joy In Repetition
Strange Relationship
I Could Never Take The Place Of Your Man
Shockadelica
Good Love
Forever In My Life
Sign O'The Times
The Cross
Adore
It's Gonna Be A Beautiful Night

...because it has the most tracks!...(Camille album has 8 tracks only)

Camille because it's evil and tight.

SupaFunkyOrgangrinderSexy said:

Here's another thing I'm trying to figure out... what exactly is evil about "Camille"?

Camille because it was the original set of music, before it filtered down to Dream Factory, then SOTT.

gamera said:

I don't think I can choose, because each one is some kind of morph of the other (beginning with Dream Factory) which also had songs that were to be on Crystal Ball but didn't make it to Sign of the Times

Sign of the Times gave us Play In the Sunshine w/Susannah, Housequake, U Got the Look, If I Was Your Girlfriend, & Adore the rest came from Dream Factory

Camille gave Sign o the Times: Housequake, If I Was Your Girlfriend

and I'm getting type tied because they are all so carry over from another especially SOTT

I like the albums as they are,

Sign O' The Times,
The Black Album,

- those are amazing albums, & I tend to agree with Warner, a 3 LP set would have been too much, and Prince would never have a chance to make another "follow up" to that, he would "over flood" the market, wasn't it so Warner expressed it?

but:

Dream Factory
Camille

- are great albums / bootlegs I agree with that.

Camille is my favourite of the DF/Camille/CB/SOTT tangle.

NouveauDance said:

I just listened to it (Camille) for the first time. It's super solid, and I feel like Return of the Flesh should have made it to release. However, I think Sign O' The Times is totally awesome the way it is. Camille is missing Dorothy Parker which is probably my favorite song out of the whole group, so it doesn't quite work for me knowing that song is out there and not on the record. I'm still undecided until I have time to digest them seperately.

I've actually been listening to Dream Factory a lot lately. SOTT was always one of my faves but I think I like Dream Factory better - it has all the best songs that eventually appeared on SOTT (the title track, Dorothy Parker, Starfish and Cofee, the Cross) plus some art-nouveau classics like "A place in Heaven" (I love Lisa's vocal version), Witness and All my Dreams. I love Wendy and Lisa's contributions to the album and Prince's drumming is so killer. My only(small) gripe is that the album doesn't feature enough guitar.

So, Camille (the 8-track version) is funky but really a throw-away, SOTT may be Prince's best released album but the Dream Factory is absolute perfection.

^^ gamera: I don't think "Ballad of Dorothy Parker" is credited to Camille.
[Edited 5/27/09 17:18pm]

thedance said:

yeah i understand that.

gamera said:

I believe Cosmic Day (Camille voice) was a possible for that album though

gamera said:

Just the whole vibe. She aint no saint

SupaFunkyOrgangrinderSexy said:

Camille is a boy.

ernestsewell said:

what

ev

er

It's my dream and that's how it is

The Camille Album by itself is KILLER! It puts the Black Album to shame in so many ways! So much more raw and funky!

I had a copy of the original test pressing for Camille on tape. Is there a cd version circulating?

SupaFunkyOrgangrinderSexy said:

What's the deal, is you gay or poppin' pills?

ernestsewell said:

I aint high!

SupaFunkyOrgangrinderSexy said:

hehe

I love each for different reasons; however when I watch SOTT, it just seems to appear Prince is having a great ball with each song. Camille is gritty and raw and DF is upbeat.