I've always appreciated how neat this song was, but yesterday I pulled out my "D&P" sheet music because I was noodling around with the bridge and had forgotten the lines.

I'd also forgotten that song has FOUR different time signatures. It's mainly in 4/4, but switches to 2/4, 3/4 and 5/4 in various parts.

Wow, that's so far over my head. Awesome.

beautiful song

RodeoSchro said:

I've always appreciated how neat this song was, but yesterday I pulled out my "D&P" sheet music because I was noodling around with the bridge and had forgotten the lines.

I'd also forgotten that song has FOUR different time signatures. It's mainly in 4/4, but switches to 2/4, 3/4 and 5/4 in various parts.

Wow, that's so far over my head. Awesome.

Lovely and Extremely Underrated

lilgraceslick313 said:

RodeoSchro said:

I've always appreciated how neat this song was, but yesterday I pulled out my "D&P" sheet music because I was noodling around with the bridge and had forgotten the lines.

I'd also forgotten that song has FOUR different time signatures. It's mainly in 4/4, but switches to 2/4, 3/4 and 5/4 in various parts.

Wow, that's so far over my head. Awesome.

Lovely and Extremely Underrated

hearing it on the ONA shows just on piano..it is very very beautifully written

One of only 3 songs i like from the album.

I've always regarded it as his weakest successful single, in part because I think it's sappy & that 'would you be a happy boy or a girl' line grates on me, but mainly because it doesn't work for me musically. I'm not a musician, so I can't comment on the technical aspects of the song, but I've always found it to be awkward. In particular, I think the way it transitions into the chorus, with that rather speedy 'if i gave you...', seems chopped & clumsy.

[Edited 8/2/10 16:48pm]

D&P is in my all-time Top 10 from Prince. Seriously.

robinhood said:

beautiful song

This has always been one of my favorites. I think Michael Bland's drum part makes this tune so strong.

damosuzuki said:

I've always regarded it as his weakest successful single, in part because I think it's sappy & that 'would you be a happy boy or a girl' line grates on me, but mainly because it doesn't work for me musically. I'm not a musician, so I can't comment on the technical aspects of the song, but I've always found it to be awkward. In particular, I think the way it transitions into the chorus, with that rather speedy 'if i gave you..' seems chopped & clumsy.

I agree with you on the chorus transition. I've always thought it was choppy, too.

But I'm still blown away by how he used four different time signatures in one song.

when this song came out i thought it sucked .. i couldnt stand the cheezy keyboard sounds and it was just too froofy.

now i love it. i think its one of his most classic songs and it is definately one of those songs that helps me look past the pop production that ruins much of his work and hear the genius contained within. its just that good of a song .. no matter how corny it seems ..

i also credit rosie gaines because i think she had a strong influence on prince at that time that really honed his ideas into something more mature .. especially in the face of the dipshits that surrounded prince at that time.

diamonds and pearls

and money dont matter 2nite both touch on the greatness of his revolution work and even tho the production is about as sugar coated as it gets the songs just shine thru no matter how much sparkly lip gloss is all over them

I like hearing Prince per4rm it on piano. It gives it a whole new sound and special meaning. Rosie on this song is what really made it work. Her voice was made for this song and it complimented Prince perfectly. She remains my favorite Prince vocalist in his bands. Since Lisa's airy breathy sexy vocals back in the eighties.....

A classic.

I grew to appreciate the song after I listened to the fadeout chorus repetition... and he changes the way he sings his part...

I think it's the oriental type pattern of vocal/keyboard notes on the verses that always bugged me. I wish it didn't do that. But when you loop the chorus and start to go lower in notes and add variations I think the power of the composition comes out.

[Edited 8/2/10 12:47pm]

Just Beautiful!

RodeoSchro said:

I've always appreciated how neat this song was, but yesterday I pulled out my "D&P" sheet music because I was noodling around with the bridge and had forgotten the lines.

I'd also forgotten that song has FOUR different time signatures. It's mainly in 4/4, but switches to 2/4, 3/4 and 5/4 in various parts.

Wow, that's so far over my head. Awesome.

Beautiful, Romantic and Sweet!!!!

lilgraceslick313 said:

RodeoSchro said:

I've always appreciated how neat this song was, but yesterday I pulled out my "D&P" sheet music because I was noodling around with the bridge and had forgotten the lines.

I'd also forgotten that song has FOUR different time signatures. It's mainly in 4/4, but switches to 2/4, 3/4 and 5/4 in various parts.

Wow, that's so far over my head. Awesome.

Lovely and Extremely Underrated

"Diamonds and Pearls" is an underrated Prince song?

It's one of his best-known tracks and is loved the world over. That's like saying "Let's Go Crazy" is underrated.

Spinlight said:

lilgraceslick313 said:

Lovely and Extremely Underrated

"Diamonds and Pearls" is an underrated Prince song?

It's one of his best-known tracks and is loved the world over. That's like saying "Let's Go Crazy" is underrated.

Exactly.

The first Prince song I heard as a kid that I truly remember. It'll always be special to me and its just a fantastic song that Rosie really helped define. I would have liked to hear Chaka or Patti sing it with Prince at the BET Awards if he had of performed.

RodeoSchro said:

But I'm still blown away by how he used four different time signatures in one song.

Although somewhat unusual in mainstream pop music, changing meters is really not that hard.

In this particular case, I'm certain it wasn't even something Prince calculated ("OK, now I'm gonna write a song that has four different time signatures in it"). The changing meters are basically just a result of him writing a melody across an "uneven" number of beats. If you could ask him about it, I suspect he wouldn't even know himself what the time signatures are. (The published sheet music, of course, has been transcribed by someone else.)

However, I also like the song, and I do think the meter changes are a part of its charm (but even more so, the melody).

I only cared for the live version he did at the 1991 Special Olympics show in MN. That was my first time hearing the song, and I was amazed at how good that shit was!

And then, I heard the studio version. Ickey damn poo. Even subsequent live versions (on piano) don't do it for me.

Spinlight said:

lilgraceslick313 said:

Lovely and Extremely Underrated

"Diamonds and Pearls" is an underrated Prince song?

It's one of his best-known tracks and is loved the world over. That's like saying "Let's Go Crazy" is underrated.

It's Underrated cause a lot of bible thumpers dont understand the meaning of it.

lilgraceslick313 said:

Spinlight said:

"Diamonds and Pearls" is an underrated Prince song?

It's one of his best-known tracks and is loved the world over. That's like saying "Let's Go Crazy" is underrated.

It's Underrated cause a lot of bible thumpers dont understand the meaning of it.

What do Bible Thumpers have to do with "Diamonds and Pearls"? Nothing. It is not an underrated song in the least; it receives plenty of admiration both in print and when performed live.

the whole album is except for jughead!!

Spinlight said:

lilgraceslick313 said:

It's Underrated cause a lot of bible thumpers dont understand the meaning of it.

What do Bible Thumpers have to do with "Diamonds and Pearls"? Nothing. It is not an underrated song in the least; it receives plenty of admiration both in print and when performed live.

Everyone is entitled to a opinion but you are just....mean

lilgraceslick313 said:

Spinlight said:

What do Bible Thumpers have to do with "Diamonds and Pearls"? Nothing. It is not an underrated song in the least; it receives plenty of admiration both in print and when performed live.

Everyone is entitled to a opinion but you are just....mean

I guess your opinion of my being mean is just that - an opinion.

Regardless, (and back on topic) the song isn't underrated and has nothing to do with religion or Bible Thumpers or whatever. Stop trippin.

dandeeland said:

the whole album is except for jughead!!

i think jughead is one of his most honest songs ever

I'm gonna be the odd guy out and say that I think it's one of his most wretched creations. It's up there with Arms of Orion and Graffiti Bridge as being one of his most ott embarrassing songs.

The whole "d to the I to the a to the m..." part is especially excruciating for me.

Interesting about the meter changes, though. What part is in 5?

o to tha n to tha d to tha pearls of love ... soo good

TrevorAyer said:

o to tha n to tha d to tha pearls of love ... soo good

That is in the top 5 CHEESIEST Prince moments ever.

JudasLChrist said:

TrevorAyer said:

o to tha n to tha d to tha pearls of love ... soo good

That is in the top 5 CHEESIEST Prince moments ever.

know what they call the captain of an aeroplane?

THE BIG CHEESE