What exactly is it? What is it about? Why is it there?

I understand the marching troops in Free, for example, but I can't think of any meaning behind that people screaming noise at the end of Pop Life...

By the way, I think it's one of his best songs, ever. I love its production, that panned echo-effect on the vocals (that's something special hardly anyone has ever done!), the bass line, the semi-delayed keyboard-melody in the chorus, the lyrics... it's brilliant.

Thought it was the riot from the Stones concert in 80.

^Nope. It seems to be from a sound fx album.

I also thought about the Stones concert for a minute and it would make a bit of sense in the context of the song, but the crowd at the Stones concert sounded different - at least on the boot I've got.

vitriol said:

^Nope. It seems to be from a sound fx album.

What kind of sound is it meant to be, you think? Simply a "crowd"?

And why did he put it there?

Dave1992 said:

vitriol said:

^Nope. It seems to be from a sound fx album.

What kind of sound is it meant to be, you think? Simply a "crowd"?

And why did he put it there?

Why would vitriol know why P used a sample? lol. Prince has never answered to what it means or what it is. It is from an SFX album though.

^^

Aah, spinlight vs. vitriol....interesting cockfight coming up! I can smell the testosterone already....

Spinlight said:

Dave1992 said:

What kind of sound is it meant to be, you think? Simply a "crowd"?

And why did he put it there?

Why would vitriol know why P used a sample? lol. Prince has never answered to what it means or what it is. It is from an SFX album though.

I was asking for his opinion, not for the definite answer and the only truth. In fact, I'm asking about your opinion too.

jazzz said:

^^

Aah, spinlight vs. vitriol....interesting cockfight coming up! I can smell the testosterone already....

Nah, he actually seemed like wanting to point out my "mistake", asking vitriol about what it was and why it was used, but I'm not down to cockfights. I prefer pussy.

it's the sound of a fairground from a warners sound effects album. many effects on prince albums are from library records, such as the traffic in lady cab driver, the screams at the start of we march, etc

jazzz said:

^^

Aah, spinlight vs. vitriol....interesting cockfight coming up! I can smell the testosterone already....

lol, What? I appreciate vitriol's posts, I wasn't questioning his intelligence/knowledge.

I'm generally snarky, it's not usually meant maliciously unless you're a complete tit.

U: On the single, "Pop Life", what is the significance of the interspersions of (what sounds like) a boxing match? (I have wondered about this for years!)

: Good ? - Me 2

SleezyG said:

Thought it was the riot from the Stones concert in 80.

Already been answered, but I just wanted to say this is another urban myth that continues to rear it's head long after the truth has been confirmed.

Dave1992 said:

jazzz said:

^^

Aah, spinlight vs. vitriol....interesting cockfight coming up! I can smell the testosterone already....

Nah, he actually seemed like wanting to point out my "mistake", asking vitriol about what it was and why it was used, but I'm not down to cockfights. I prefer pussy.

Same here.

The org is the place to find people who's really seeing things.

And some really take the cake!

No 'versus' at all here...

BTW, I don't have the slightest idea why Prince put that in there. For me, it kinda ruins an amazing song. If Prince himself even remembers why, he would never tell.

[Edited 3/17/11 16:03pm]

Maybe Prince wanted to use that as a harken back to that Stones show

You do hear someone say "throw them out or throw them off" and the sounds of things being thrown

I always thought that it shows how, at first, people used to dog Prince, and now they love him. Like how he would be booed when he opened up for the Stones - hence, "throw the bum out". Then at the end u hear people cheering which signifies how he is now a star.

The lyrics also lends itself to this interpretation. When he says, "everbody can't be on top", he's talking about people wanting to be a star like he is, but it's just not in the cards. "Don't u know straight hear ain't got no curl" - meaning don't try to be something you're not.

In a way, the noise-interlude can also be a big "fuck you" to all the people who booed him and didn't believe in him in the beginning. When the cheering happens at the end, in a sense he's saying, "look at me now, bitches!" lol

Dave1992 said:

By the way, I think it's one of his best songs, ever. I love its production, that panned echo-effect on the vocals (that's something special hardly anyone has ever done!), the bass line, the semi-delayed keyboard-melody in the chorus, the lyrics... it's brilliant.

That echo-vocal is straight out of John Lennon's play-book (see "Instant Karma", "How Do You Sleep?""Watching The Wheels", "Imagine", etc), . That's exactly how Lennon recorded his vocals on many songs. And considering the big Beatles kick Prince was on at the time he made ATWIAD I'm confident that he had Lennon in mind when he recorded the vocals like that.

If you listen closely its clear, as Unique posted, the noise interlude in "Pop Life" is the sound of a fairground - you can hear a rollercoaster ride and kids.

[Edited 3/17/11 17:49pm]

[Edited 3/17/11 19:09pm]

Dave1992 said

I also thought about the Stones concert for a minute and it would make a bit of sense in the context of the song, but the crowd at the Stones concert sounded different - at least on the boot I've got.

Bootleg? PROVE IT!

OldFriends4Sale said:

Maybe Prince wanted to use that as a harken back to that Stones show

You do hear someone say "throw them out or throw them off" and the sounds of things being thrown

Interesting...must take another listen to it

Brownmark confirmed that the noise is not from the Rolling Stones show. I thought it was up until that point.

silkylee said:

Bootleg? PROVE IT!

There's nothing to prove. That performance (in bad quality) has been out since 2008.

Dave1992 said:

Spinlight said:

Why would vitriol know why P used a sample? lol. Prince has never answered to what it means or what it is. It is from an SFX album though.

I was asking for his opinion, not for the definite answer and the only truth. In fact, I'm asking about your opinion too.

You are asking for our opinion? Not the definitive answer? Okay....let me think...

I think the sample is exactly what it sounds like when doves cry.

if you are talking about the crowd noice at the end of Pop Life,

I have always thought it was from a boxing match.

vitriol said:

BTW, I don't have the slightest idea why Prince put that in there.

Drugs?

LinnLM1 said:

If you listen closely its clear, as Unique posted, the noise interlude in "Pop Life" is the sound of a fairground - you can hear a rollercoaster ride and kids.

don't let facts get in the way of an org thread!

vitriol said:

BTW, I don't have the slightest idea why Prince put that in there. For me, it kinda ruins an amazing song. If Prince himself even remembers why, he would never tell.

have you ever listened to the lyrics of the song? it's pretty obvious

Back in highschool, some of us thought it was audio taken from the first Wrestlemania. We coulda SWORE we heard Cyndi Lauper yelling

.

[Edited 3/18/11 0:42am]

NouveauDance said:

SleezyG said:

Thought it was the riot from the Stones concert in 80.

Already been answered, but I just wanted to say this is another urban myth that continues to rear it's head long after the truth has been confirmed.

http://prince.org/msg/7/108518?pr

Neversin.

Neversin said:

NouveauDance said:

Already been answered, but I just wanted to say this is another urban myth that continues to rear it's head long after the truth has been confirmed.

http://prince.org/msg/7/108518?pr

Neversin.

Thanks for that link, Neversin!

I edited the link so it won't redirect you into that computer thread http://prince.org/msg/7/108518