- Firm drum beat a la Pop Life and double kick drum as in Some Kind of Lover / Olivers House

- Speeded up voice (Camille). NOTE: Although not essential it helps, most of his great stuff is sung like that.

- Funky bassline

- Sexy or sensual lyrics

- Experimental / Strange or unusual sounds (think Dream Factory or that sexy uuuuh - oooh passion sound effect in Girl extended or lyrics played backwards (Darlin Nikki / Boom / Girl)

- Heartfelt Yelps and squeals, sung with REAL passion and feeling

- Strings of some sort by Clare Fisher (or if not strings funky hornz like in 'The Family')

Thinking of most of my favourite songs these seem to have pretty much all these all these items!

[Edited 2/16/11 9:17am]

[Edited 2/16/11 9:19am]

[Edited 2/16/11 9:22am]

Is this the check list Prince used for 20Ten and MPLSound?

NouveauDance said:

Is this the check list Prince used for 20Ten and MPLSound?

No comment

Although I do like his recent stuff too (liked Lotusflow3r set a lot but didnt rate 20TEN that highly apart from Act of God), I do find it strange how his music from the mid 80s seems to be more 'adult' musically and much deeper, look at the range and depth of Parade and in the Dream Factory project.

Its like the music has an inverse relationship to his age...

[Edited 2/16/11 9:26am]

NouveauDance said:

Is this the check list Prince used for 20Ten and MPLSound?

^

I like 20ten and MPLSound way better than NPS, Rave, Musicology, 3121, Planet Earth.

Step 1: Stop faking the funk

Step 2: Stop listening to so much fucking Sly Stone

Step 3: Listen to the extended version of "Girl" for an hour

Step 4: Go into the studio and keep it simple

Step 5: ???

Step 6: Profit

TheFreakerFantastic said:

Although I do like his recent stuff too (liked Lotusflow3r set a lot but didnt rate 20TEN that highly apart from Act of God), I do find it strange how his music from the mid 80s seems to be more 'adult' musically and much deeper, look at the range and depth of Parade and in the Dream Factory project.

Its like the music has an inverse relationship to his age...

[Edited 2/16/11 9:26am]

I think it's generally the opposite, if you break down his compositions from back then and now, he has more interesting and varied compositions/genres now, back then he had qite a few simple songs and structures but used a ton more effects and layered production, and also used that 80's "Prince" attitude which was good back then but would just be old for him to do now. When I first heard Parade in 1986, it sounded very rushed and simplistic, and outside of Girls and Boys and Kiss, I thought the rest kind of felt flawed on a first listen. Of course now, so many years later, I appreciate it all, but I have to go with my first impression as the true sound of it, un-colored by nostalgia or context.

If you play a song like "Girl" on the piano, it's kind of simple in a way that's boring to me with an unremarkable melody. I never liked that song, but something like "Future Baby Mama" has that 80's arrangement, but a much more accomplished melody and drama to my ears. For real. I think that on 20ten, his range of sound in the first four tracks is amazing and they all sound strong. Same for Planet Earth as well. I did not get that impression from Purple Rain or Parade. They had weak songs in the first 4 slots. I mean the melody of "Take With U" is childishly boring to me as well. Good arrangment though.

the fact that there IS no formula is what makes him Prince!

thedance said:

NouveauDance said:

Is this the check list Prince used for 20Ten and MPLSound?

I like 20ten and MPLSound way better than NPS, Rave, Musicology, 3121, Planet Earth.

S'like saying white dog poo tastes better than brown dog poo.

ufoclub said:

TheFreakerFantastic said:

Although I do like his recent stuff too (liked Lotusflow3r set a lot but didnt rate 20TEN that highly apart from Act of God), I do find it strange how his music from the mid 80s seems to be more 'adult' musically and much deeper, look at the range and depth of Parade and in the Dream Factory project.

Its like the music has an inverse relationship to his age...

[Edited 2/16/11 9:26am]

I think it's generally the opposite, if you break down his compositions from back then and now, he has more interesting and varied compositions/genres now, back then he had qite a few simple songs and structures but used a ton more effects and layered production, and also used that 80's "Prince" attitude which was good back then but would just be old for him to do now. When I first heard Parade in 1986, it sounded very rushed and simplistic, and outside of Girls and Boys and Kiss, I thought the rest kind of felt flawed on a first listen. Of course now, so many years later, I appreciate it all, but I have to go with my first impression as the true sound of it, un-colored by nostalgia or context.

If you play a song like "Girl" on the piano, it's kind of simple in a way that's boring to me with an unremarkable melody. I never liked that song, but something like "Future Baby Mama" has that 80's arrangement, but a much more accomplished melody and drama to my ears. For

real. I think that on 20ten, his range of sound in the first four tracks is amazing and they all sound strong. Same for Planet Earth as well. I did not get that impression from Purple Rain or Parade. They had weak songs in the first 4 slots. I mean the melody of "Take With U" is childishly boring to me as well. Good arrangment though.

Listen to the music he did with Wendy and Lisa: Basically the whole unreleased Dream Factory project - Splash, Power Fantastic, Crucial, Crystal Ball, Last Heart and some of Prince's own outtakes - Moonbeam Levels or Baby You're a Trip . Musically thats much more proficient and deep and much more 'real music' than some of this autotuned stuff on his more recent adventures - 3121 for example..

Not knocking him now as I liked PE and Lotusflow3r set but just an observation.

[Edited 2/17/11 8:34am]

NouveauDance said:

thedance said:

I like 20ten and MPLSound way better than NPS, Rave, Musicology, 3121, Planet Earth.

S'like saying white dog poo tastes better than brown dog poo.

You don't see white dog poo anymore... Shame, it was easier to avoid.

TheFreakerFantastic said:

ufoclub said:

I think it's generally the opposite, if you break down his compositions from back then and now, he has more interesting and varied compositions/genres now, back then he had qite a few simple songs and structures but used a ton more effects and layered production, and also used that 80's "Prince" attitude which was good back then but would just be old for him to do now. When I first heard Parade in 1986, it sounded very rushed and simplistic, and outside of Girls and Boys and Kiss, I thought the rest kind of felt flawed on a first listen. Of course now, so many years later, I appreciate it all, but I have to go with my first impression as the true sound of it, un-colored by nostalgia or context.

If you play a song like "Girl" on the piano, it's kind of simple in a way that's boring to me with an unremarkable melody. I never liked that song, but something like "Future Baby Mama" has that 80's arrangement, but a much more accomplished melody and drama to my ears. For

real. I think that on 20ten, his range of sound in the first four tracks is amazing and they all sound strong. Same for Planet Earth as well. I did not get that impression from Purple Rain or Parade. They had weak songs in the first 4 slots. I mean the melody of "Take With U" is childishly boring to me as well. Good arrangment though.

Listen to the music he did with Wendy and Lisa: Basically the whole unreleased Dream Factory project - Splash, Power Fantastic, Crucial, Crystal Ball, Last Heart and some of Prince's own outtakes - Moonbeam Levels or Baby You're a Trip . Musically thats much more proficient and deep and much more 'real music' than some of this autotuned stuff on his more recent adventures - 3121 for example..

Not knocking him now as I liked PE and Lotusflow3r set but just an observation.

[Edited 2/17/11 8:34am]

Splash, Power Fantastic, Crystal Ball are up to great standards but not Crucial or Last Heart. Moonbeam Levels is a cool melody on the verses, but the chorus isn't so great in my opinion, it's also childishly imple in a bad way. Baby I'm a Trip is great because of the slowed down cymbals and general slow feel, but the actual song isn't that remarkable, it's a fairly conventional ballad.

Also, I don't think Wendy and Lisa had much to do with more than half his tracks in the mid 80's. they had nothing but a little vocal line added onto Crystal Ball and so zero input on that one, they probably had zero input on Last Heart, Crucial, Moonbeam Levels, or Baby You're a Trip as well!

Prince has only used autotune as an effect on a backing vocal mixed in with his regular singing voice, just like he still uses speeded up or slowed down voices mixed in. He's not using it as correction on the main vocal. So I don't think that has anything to do with the qualtity of his singing or anything.

erik319 said:

NouveauDance said:

S'like saying white dog poo tastes better than brown dog poo.

You don't see white dog poo anymore... Shame, it was easier to avoid.

That is one of lifes mysteries, where the fuck did white dog shit go?

This is far more important than Prince creating a top song.

ufoclub said:

TheFreakerFantastic said:

Listen to the music he did with Wendy and Lisa: Basically the whole unreleased Dream Factory project - Splash, Power Fantastic, Crucial, Crystal Ball, Last Heart and some of Prince's own outtakes - Moonbeam Levels or Baby You're a Trip . Musically thats much more proficient and deep and much more 'real music' than some of this autotuned stuff on his more recent adventures - 3121 for example..

Not knocking him now as I liked PE and Lotusflow3r set but just an observation.

[Edited 2/17/11 8:34am]

Splash, Power Fantastic, Crystal Ball are up to great standards but not Crucial or Last Heart. Moonbeam Levels is a cool melody on the verses, but the chorus isn't so great in my opinion, it's also childishly imple in a bad way. Baby I'm a Trip is great because of the slowed down cymbals and general slow feel, but the actual song isn't that remarkable, it's a fairly conventional ballad.

Also, I don't think Wendy and Lisa had much to do with more than half his tracks in the mid 80's. they had nothing but a little vocal line added onto Crystal Ball and so zero input on that one, they probably had zero input on Last Heart, Crucial, Moonbeam Levels, or Baby You're a Trip as well!

Prince has only used autotune as an effect on a backing vocal mixed in with his regular singing voice, just like he still uses speeded up or slowed down voices mixed in. He's not using it as correction on the main vocal. So I don't think that has anything to do with the qualtity of his singing or anything.

We will have to agree to disagree..........i think his music then was more experiemental and deep, now its much more safe and formulaic.....

TheFreakerFantastic said:

- Firm drum beat a la Pop Life and double kick drum as in Some Kind of Lover / Olivers House

- Speeded up voice (Camille). NOTE: Although not essential it helps, most of his great stuff is sung like that.

- Funky bassline

- Sexy or sensual lyrics

- Experimental / Strange or unusual sounds (think Dream Factory or that sexy uuuuh - oooh passion sound effect in Girl extended or lyrics played backwards (Darlin Nikki / Boom / Girl)

- Heartfelt Yelps and squeals, sung with REAL passion and feeling

- Strings of some sort by Clare Fisher (or if not strings funky hornz like in 'The Family')

Thinking of most of my favourite songs these seem to have pretty much all these all these items!

[Edited 2/16/11 9:17am]

[Edited 2/16/11 9:19am]

[Edited 2/16/11 9:22am]

Yeah, when I saw this thread title first thing I thought of was the Linn drums and horny lyrics .

Pretty much all my favorite Prince stuff has all those things too - I'm pretty easy to please as far as my Prince music goes.

weird yet catchy song title

( i once did a prince sound alike song called BITCH FANTASTIC.....it was awesome lol)

Nvncible1 said:

weird yet catchy song title

( i once did a prince sound alike song called BITCH FANTASTIC.....it was awesome lol)

Lets hear it then LOL

I remember a while back a really funky song was going round the lyrics going 'She ain't got no underwear, she said she likes to be free / she ain't got no underwear as far as I can see"

It sounded like an outtake but apparently it was fake and by someone who does v good impersonations of Prince - don't recall the name.

[Edited 2/19/11 13:18pm]