Listening to the soundcheck that Prince just released to the Music Club, just got me to thinking that if he made a kick-ass video to this (not too far off from the video that already exists) and really went behind it the way he did with "The Most Beautiful Girl in the World" it would rock as a single.

I know some folks say that he bought most of the TMBGITW singles in order to push it up the charts, but regardless, once it caught on, it caught on. And I believe that the same could happen with "Empty Room." It's moody enough, melancholy downbeat rock with crisp piano, soaring guitar solo. Just what's needed now.

I agree that Empty room sounds like a hit, but being a Prince release it has no chance. Also, I feel that he did most certainly buy a hit with TMBGITW. I had to laugh when they still had 20,000 copies left to give away to the people at Mill City in 1999. There were thousands and thousands of those suckers at the NPG store in Uptown.

I think this version is the best one of the three that Ive heard.His voice sounds kinda worn out,but that just adds to the sombre mood.

I wish they would play that video TMBGITW they always gotta play those "stereo type" Prince videos...
TMBGITW video shows what he is really like

lovemachine said:

yeah but once he buys it into being a hit, mob mentality among the pop music audience would take over and sustain it.

just look at how the sheep followed on Alicia Keys... and now on Norah Jones. (Alicia can't really hang with Norah but that's not the point... folks slept on Norah until the Grammy nod... and it's no coincidence that since the ballots for the Grammys went out, Norah's been topping the charts.)

NuPwrSoul said:

I dunno man... I remember quite liking the song when I first heard but now it kinda sounds to me like a cheesy 80s power ballad Not "hip" enough for the top 20 nowadays I reckon... not that Prince needs to bother with chart success nowadays of course.

ian said:

I think the cheesiness factor isn't so bad in the soundcheck version--the piano and guitar are nicely balanced. I would kill those gated drums though.

NuPwrSoul said:

Hmm... the faux drama of it all, the rising crescendo, the fake melancholy of the lyrics and the piano... don't get me wrong I like the tune but I can imagine a lot of people making fun of it The general public already thinks Prince takes himself far too seriously anyway...

Ah well, number 1 singles are usually bought and paid for nowadays aren't they? Paying for shelf-space in stores, strategic placement, radio airplay rotation, etc. I think Prince is best not to try and pander to the Britney generation, he'd just come across as a bit foolish.

ian said:

I disagree it's exactly those general public people that I hang with who was saying this about Empty Room.

NuPwrSoul said:

Well U might be right! To be honest, I bloody hated TMBGITW at the time.

ian said:

So did I. I thought it was to sugary sappy and too pretty. But as far as pop is concerned that's what seemed to work.

Chaka REAL mad!

NuPwrSoul said:

TMBGITW was designed to be number 1. I'm sure that was Price's goal, and I'm sure he could do it again if he decided to. He can write a number 1 pop song in a flash, and he could manage the promotion like he did with TMBGITW.

Sadly, the quality of a song doesn't have very much to do with its chart success (though I do like TMBGITW).

I just fucking love the souncheck version of this song. I really rate it up there with his best.

It's one song I can play end on end several times in a row.

The chorus really sticks with me, i.e "how am I ever gonna fill this empty room?"

Anyone that has ever felt heart broken can relate to this most simple of lyrics. It is a little bit of brilliance.

NuPwrSoul said:

I don't buy it.

NuPwrSoul said:

To me it's the worst single he ever recorded. The antithesis of what Prince is about. Which is why it worked when it did.

pimpytheclown said:

Chaka mad?

how am I gonna fill this empty room

I think that Prince's version of "Open Book" could still be a big hit,if it were released as a single today.

well, the soundcheck version of Empty Room we were graciously handed, in my humble opinion, is not really the best from all the versions I've heard. Let's be honest, he even didn't bother to sing here... and that's a song that, as Prince proved many times, ca be sung beautifully.

agarze said:

true, but he's not really going to go all out to strain his voice at a soundcheck.Perhaps he should have put a version from one of the shows out for download.

Marrk said:

I kind of have to agree with this. Although the vocals in the 95 version were pretty restrained, for the longest that version defined how I wanted to hear the song. So when he performed it at the Celebration I missed the wailing guitar solo. BUT his vocal wailings in that version were just PHEW! -- THAT has forever defined how I want to hear the song and I did miss that in the soundcheck version. So passionate.

The Most Beautiful Girl was a number one hit in the UK and Europe ... are you seriously suggesting that Prince purchased all those copies? I think not.

If so, why didn't he pull the same stunt with the subsequent singles he has released independently?

Prince had a massive worldwide hit. Accept it, don't try and take it away from him.

The song was a massive pop anthem. It had 'hit' written all over it.

'Empty Room' has the potential, particularly in Europe. I don't think that Prince's reputation has anything to do with his lack of commercial impact, it is simply the nature of the material he is choosing to release.

The WB released 'Best Of' was a Top 10 Album Chart hit in the UK. The general public purchased it because it had accesible, commercial material on it.

Mr7 said:

For the record TMGITW only hit number 2 in the US and it was mostly because Billboard had changed their rules where sales and airplay were equal factors in determining what was a hit. Yes, it has been clearly explained by Uptown and others that Prince indeed did have a lot to do with the sales because he PRINTED so many copies (before soundscan). This is why they were literally EVERYWHERE Prince was. They were selling singles for as low as 25 cents in the NPG store in Uptown.


The reason that Prince didn't do this for all singles is that it would be insane to lose that much money with every release. Prince was just trying to prove a point to WB.


.
[This message was edited Fri Jan 31 11:53:40 PST 2003 by lovemachine]

I hope it is better than the wack bootleg version.

Is the Beautiful Experience cd worth having? I never bought it but I hear you people talk about it all the time like it's great. I'm not too fond of the song TMBGITW, but there are some other remixes on it, right??

CalhounSq said:

The Beautiful Experience EP is horrible. The remixes are wack.

The only good verions I've heard of TMBGITW are unreleased versions (like that 97 Mustang Mix).

Definitely pass on the BE EP.

CalhounSq said:

It is very very bad thing.

BanishedBrian said:

How is that different from the Mustang Mix that's on the EP?

I actually liked the instrumental mix titled "Sexy Staxophone & Guitar" mix that was on the EP.

I only like the original version.Is it just me ,or does He hit some of the highest notes of his career on this song?