As I listen to many of his outtakes, I wonder if any of them have hit potential. I am not talking about demos for released songs, but actual outtakes... songs that haven't been released for one reason or another. I'm not talking about being a great tune for fans/collectors... I am talking about real hit potential.

Can you name any that have a chance at being as big as something like Cream?

I love The Grand Progression and Moonbeam Levels, but I don't know if I can imagine either of them making it to #1. I am going through the list of outtakes in my head and I can't think of one that I could see taking him to the top of the charts.

Many of them are interesting experiments (In A Large Room With No Light, All My Dreams) or just songs that he did to fill studio time (Lisa, Turn It Up, If I had a Harem) or just songs that I can't imagine being released as a single (Purple Music, Neon Telephone, Adonis & Bathsheba). There are some great songs in Prince's vault, but most of them are more accurately placed on albums and not as singles.

So... are there any unreleased songs that come to mind that you can honestly say would be a #1 hit?

Possessed

Electric Intercourse

His version of "Mutiny" could have been pretty big in 84/85.

Wonderful Ass and I Wonder could be a hit any time between the days they were recorded and now.

NouveauDance said:

Wonderful Ass and I Wonder could be a hit any time between the days they were recorded and now.

So true.

NouveauDance said:

Wonderful Ass and I Wonder could be a hit any time between the days they were recorded and now.

So true, but Wonderful Ass would probably get bleeped.

If the rape line were edited out, as it should be anyway, I think Extraloveable could have been--and could be now--a hit.

NouveauDance said:

Wonderful Ass and I Wonder could be a hit any time between the days they were recorded and now.

I think stuff like Chocolate Box and Black Sweat are commercial and fit the time of their release, but they're also very much what other people are doing. No one does these simple, quirky and somewhat undefinable pop songs like Prince. Obviously promo and airplay is important, these days more than ever - but so is a really good fucking song to begin with, and that goes a really long way to getting the media, and then the public, behind a new track/album.

CallMeCarrie said:

Possessed

Electric Intercourse

Definitely

Many of my friends who are absolutely not familiar with Prince really LOVE Prince´s version of Open Book. I think that song could have been a hit for him in the early to mid 90s.

And, of course, Electric Intercourse and Extraloveable, maybe Possessed, too.

NouveauDance said:

Wonderful Ass and I Wonder could be a hit any time between the days they were recorded and now.

Yes - to Wonderful Ass

NouveauDance said:

Wonderful Ass and I Wonder could be a hit any time between the days they were recorded and now.

No they couldn't.

Make It Through The Storm

smoothcriminal12 said:

NouveauDance said:

Wonderful Ass and I Wonder could be a hit any time between the days they were recorded and now.

No they couldn't.

If Prince released and properly promoted something like 'I Wonder' as a single and had a really simple video - like him just pushing a button on a Linn then singing into a mike - people would go APE SHIT.

NouveauDance said:

smoothcriminal12 said:

No they couldn't.

If Prince released and properly promoted something like 'I Wonder' as a single and had a really simple video - like him just pushing a button on a Linn then singing into a mike - people would go APE SHIT.

Well it depends on when it was released. At the time it was made it might've been. Probably not. It definately wouldn't be a hit in the 90's or now.

Hide The Bone,Ripopgodazippa,Interactive,and Days Of Wild could have been hits in the 90s.

smoothcriminal12 said:

NouveauDance said:

If Prince released and properly promoted something like 'I Wonder' as a single and had a really simple video - like him just pushing a button on a Linn then singing into a mike - people would go APE SHIT.

Well it depends on when it was released. At the time it was made it might've been. Probably not. It definately wouldn't be a hit in the 90's or now.

Well, I'm putting it out as a single next week, so we'll see won't we.

KoolEaze said:

Many of my friends who are absolutely not familiar with Prince really LOVE Prince´s version of Open Book. I think that song could have been a hit for him in the early to mid 90s.

I agree He should have kept this song for himself,put it on one of his 90s albums,released it as a single and watched it climb up the Top 10.

i honestly think I wonder could be a hit in the 80's and even the 90's

And Prince's version of dance electric would be a hit too IMO

And i think Open book would have been a pretty good hit (atleast top 20 IMO)

NouveauDance said:

smoothcriminal12 said:

Well it depends on when it was released. At the time it was made it might've been. Probably not. It definately wouldn't be a hit in the 90's or now.

Well, I'm putting it out as a single next week, so we'll see won't we.

You go right on ahead.

Moonbeam Levels prehaps? Class Track.

"Acknowledge Me" sounds like it could have been a big hit in 1994.

I think there are a lot of songs that could have been big hits.

Even from other protege acts.

To me it was just about marketing and exposure, not rushing to the next thing

working with what was there.

For example the Family could have been huge... Jill Jones album could have been bigger

I think the Dream Factory project could have been bigger than SOTT

back then the music like Power Fantastic Last Heart and other could have been hits

Extraloveable and Electric Intercourse would have killed had they come out in 85 or 86. Both songs were exactly what people were craving (and not getting) from Prince at the time.

SoulAlive said:

"Acknowledge Me" sounds like it could have been a big hit in 1994.

I think Interactive was a missed '94 single too.

SoulAlive said:

"Acknowledge Me" sounds like it could have been a big hit in 1994.

That's a good one! But I like it more with the whole rap. Back on Soul Train, it didn't have that did it? Or on the "Platinum" bootleg in 1994.

KoolEaze said:

Many of my friends who are absolutely not familiar with Prince really LOVE Prince´s version of Open Book. I think that song could have been a hit for him in the early to mid 90s.

And, of course, Electric Intercourse and Extraloveable, maybe Possessed, too.

Yeah that one. Truly a hidden gem with hit potential. Not so much the others tho' except maybe for extraloveable.

NouveauDance said:

SoulAlive said:

"Acknowledge Me" sounds like it could have been a big hit in 1994.

I think Interactive was a missed '94 single too.

They are ok, but I also think both would have failed miserably.

OldFriends4Sale said:

I think there are a lot of songs that could have been big hits.

Even from other protege acts.

I disagree.

Prince gave away quite a few hits to others. I feel for you, Love Bizarre, Nothing compares 2 u, a.o.

But I don't think there's a lot left in the vault, that is known, that would have had the same hit potential.