Whilst some of the prince covers (I call them covers because they a vastly different from the original album versions - come to that, can you do a cover of your own work?) on ONAL are great, how much do they resemble the original?

I understand nothing about the mechanics of music I was wondering if someone could explain in lay terms, how Girls and Boys, Peach, Dorothy Parker amongst others, get to be given their original titles when to me the music is not the same? Or is it?

My opinion is that he is the creator of these songs, therefore...any rendition he does of them is up to him.

I think as the writer and performer of the song Prince CANNOT "cover" his own songs. But he can reinterpret them and that is always interesting.

I love the kind of funky rockabilly feel Alphabet Street has on ONA Live

However, when he performs a song like Nothing Compares 2 U which was written for the Family and made famous by Sinead O Conner then is that strictly a cover version.

Hmmm

Fair point, taken and well received. But I am interested to know if any of the notes/chords are even similar?

Taking the four songs you have highlighted, it is important to bear in mind that these are aftershow jams, and Prince has chosen them to feature on a disc entitled It Ain't Over as he returns to this as a recurring theme even though the choices are taken from different performances.

Peach (Xtended Jam): Only a section of this jam uses music from the original composition, with the lyrics at approximately 4m30s and the turnaround called at 5min20s. The song then just jams along again with the 'It Ain't Over' chant.

Dorothy Parker: Lyrics and chord structure faithful from almost the outset up until 1min40s when the persussion solo starts. The jam incorporates the original emphasis on the first 2 beats in the bar in the latter part of the rendition with Prince building in the chant of 'Dorothy parker' similar to the way it was repeated in the original.

Girls and Boys: simply lyric chant at the start and horn motif towards the end over a jam, which uses the 'It Ain't Over' chant and the same guitar motif Prince uses earlier on the disc on the 'It Ain't Over' (guitar solo) when George Clinton performs.

The Everlasting Now (vamp): Band play the vamp section at the end of the original song.
.
[This message was edited Fri Jan 17 10:43:41 PST 2003 by langebleu]

jaypotton said:

I have to disagree on this. Even where they were either written, or even first performed by other artists, I would still not refer to these as 'covers' when Prince performs them. I wonder if your approach is also in some way influenced by the fact that Prince has never released a definitive studio recording of each of these songs (which may be regarded by some as him in some way reclaiming them)? Would people regard 'Shhh', for example, on the Gold album as a cover of the song first officially released by another artist?

Prince very rarely sings a song as it was orinally recorded.. They are not covers. I'm glad he does this for the most part. It doesn't get boring. For him or me.

Soapstone said:

They're rearrangments not covers.