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Reply #60 posted 08/30/11 5:16am

OldFriends4Sal
e

This year marks the 30th anniversary of Morris Day's first album with the Time, a self-titled effort of synthesizer-driven party-funk written by Prince and members of his Revolution. It sent two singles to the upper reaches of the Billboard R&B charts - "Get It Up," which featured an explosive Prince solo, and "Cool."

Q: This year marks the 30th anniversary of the Time's first album. Was that a good experience working with Prince on that one?

Morris Day: It was a great experience. We were all young and had no idea where the whole thing was going. So all those efforts back then were just innocent creative moments where we were just doing what we do and had no idea that it was going to take off the way it did.

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Reply #61 posted 08/30/11 7:06am

DJJillMonroe

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The Controversy Era headbang

Why You Jive Turkey You....
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Reply #62 posted 08/30/11 9:21am

OldFriends4Sal
e

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Reply #63 posted 08/30/11 6:44pm

Emancipation89

Awesome thread as always... worship

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Reply #64 posted 09/07/11 9:59am

Riverman37

I have always have seen this period as kind of 'transitional', with its pro's and it's cons.

Controversy sounds like a more produced Dirty Mind, but in general Dirty Mind has better songwriting. The material on Controversy is a bit hit- and miss for me. To me its, together with Lovesexy, his most uneven album from the eighties.

Stylistically there is not any real progress to be found on the album. That came with the consequent use of electronical elements and him singing in his normal register on the 1999 album. But what i like about some songs on the album (Controversy, Sexuality and Annie Christian) is that the eerie, minimalistic sound he uses on them is actually more close to the sound of Kraftwerk, then lets say Cameo or Zapp. Its a precursor to the more 'radical' arrangements on 1999.

What annoys me about the Controversy album are the silly political references in the lyrics. A single song here and there excluded (Sign of the Times) Prince has never been good at incorporating politics in his lyrics (thats an understatement...). Controversy shows why he should keep away from that subject.. lol

In short: its a decent enough album, but not great. Prince was maybe too busy with expanding his imperium (with the Time and Vanity 6) and the development his image, to give us a real step upwards from Dirty Mind.

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Reply #65 posted 09/07/11 10:23am

OldFriends4Sal
e

Riverman37 said:

I have always have seen this period as kind of 'transitional', with its pro's and it's cons.

Controversy sounds like a more produced Dirty Mind, but in general Dirty Mind has better songwriting. The material on Controversy is a bit hit- and miss for me. To me its, together with Lovesexy, his most uneven album from the eighties.

Stylistically there is not any real progress to be found on the album. That came with the consequent use of electronical elements and him singing in his normal register on the 1999 album. But what i like about some songs on the album (Controversy, Sexuality and Annie Christian) is that the eerie, minimalistic sound he uses on them is actually more close to the sound of Kraftwerk, then lets say Cameo or Zapp. Its a precursor to the more 'radical' arrangements on 1999.

What annoys me about the Controversy album are the silly political references in the lyrics. A single song here and there excluded (Sign of the Times) Prince has never been good at incorporating politics in his lyrics (thats an understatement...). Controversy shows why he should keep away from that subject.. lol

In short: its a decent enough album, but not great. Prince was maybe too busy with expanding his imperium (with the Time and Vanity 6) and the development his image, to give us a real step upwards from Dirty Mind.

I like that. A pretty balanced review of Controversy

As a concept album w/Controversy as the center: music & artwork I believe he fell short

It was a good concept to work with just the material like Ronnie Talk 2... didn't have the edge the album artwork presented. Annie Christian works just because it sounds scary

Controversy does sound like another level of Dirty Mind not really 1999

Yeah I love that word Eerie. His look a lot during this time had that feel almost gothic punk

But overall, most of this albums music I lOvE, Ronnie Talk 2 Russia could have been a fun Bside and well as Jack U Off. But I love the furious rock of those 2 songs. Ronnie Talk... kills without even trying songs like Guitar.

If he replaced Ronnie or Jack with Tick Tick Bang, right after Sexuality or Private Joy that would have been hot.

He was moving fast during the 1979-1988 years

Prince quickly went into Dirty Mind which quickly went into Controversy

Especially once he started using the band more on songs and recordings/writing the creative flow just blew up

1.Controversy
2.Sexuality

2b. Tick Tick Bang
3.Do Me Baby
4.Private Joy
5.Ronnie, Talk To Russia
6.Let's Work
7.Annie Christian
8.Jack U Off

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Reply #66 posted 09/07/11 3:54pm

Beautifulstarr
123

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I read that he got booed off the stage when he opened for the Rolling Stones in that era.

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Reply #67 posted 09/09/11 7:27am

OldFriends4Sal
e


1981 Outtakes continued

Broken
This song was an early attempt by Prince to write a 1950s-style blues-based rock number, predating "Jack U Off" on Controversy and later "rockabilly" efforts. Even though the song sounds like a spontaneous live recording with his band, probably recorded by Prince on his own. A bluesy piano opening is followed by Prince's a cappella vocal intro before the song gets underway. The arrangement emphasizes an electric piano and a fast, fluid bassline. Sometimes called "Broken, Lonely And Crying," it was occasionally played on the Dirty Mind club tour the spring of 1981.

Broken
Till U come back 2 me
There'll be nothing left 2 say, no

Broken
My heart is broken, yeah Broken, oh baby
My heart's just broken in 2
Until U bring your sweet love, bring it on home 2 me
I'll be your broken-hearted man alone in misery

Broken, Lord
My heart is broken, Lord
Broken, yeah
My heart's just broken in 2
If U think that I'll beg 4 your sweet love, bring it on home 2 me
I'll be your broken-hearted man alone in misery

Lonely
I'm so lonely
Lonely
I don't know what do 2
Until U bring your sweet pussy, bring it on home 2 me
I'll be your broken-hearted man alone in misery

Cryin'
I'm just a-cryin'
I'm just a-cryin', baby, all night
I don't know what 2 do
Until U bring your sweet honey, bring it on home 2 me
I'll be your broken-hearted man alone in misery

Oh oh, baby
Until U, baby
Until U, baby, Lord
Until U, baby
Until U bring your sweet love, bring it on home 2 me
I'll be your broken-hearted man alone
I'll be your broken-hearted man alone
I'll be your broken-hearted man alone in misery

Cymbals!

Until U bring your sweet love, bring it on home 2 me
I'll be your broken-hearted man alone, baby
Broken-hearted man alone, baby
Broken-hearted man alone in misery

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Reply #68 posted 09/09/11 8:20am

OldFriends4Sal
e

Beautifulstarr123 said:

I read that he got booed off the stage when he opened for the Rolling Stones in that era.

Opening act for The Rolling Stones' two Los Angeles Coliseum shows in 1981,...."was infamously pelted with garbage while wearing bikini briefs, leg warmers, high-heeled boots, a necklace of raw bacon"? ... there was no bacon there. We just looked like raw meat to the crowd.
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Reply #69 posted 09/09/11 9:28am

JoeTyler

Excellent ("A" / 4.5 stars) bridge (both sonically and thematically) between DM and 1999.

If he had included the original version of Tick Tick Bang between the title-track and Sexuality the impact would have been bigger...

tinkerbell
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Reply #70 posted 09/13/11 9:59am

OldFriends4Sal
e

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Reply #71 posted 09/13/11 10:01am

OldFriends4Sal
e



Released January 6, 1982

Let's Work" was the second single from the 1981 album, Controversy by Prince.[1] The song originates from a dance called "the Rock" that local kids were doing at the time in Minneapolis. Prince responded quickly with a track called "Let's Rock", and wished to quickly release it as a single. Warner Bros. refused, and a disappointed Prince did not include the song on Controversy saying the phase had passed. The song was updated with new lyrics and possibly new music and became "Let's Work" — one of his most popular dance numbers to date. The song is based on a funky bass line and features a shouted title throughout the song and relies heavily on keyboards to create a sexy groove in the verses and quick solos for the choruses. The lyrics are a tease, equating "working" with having sex. The song was backed with "Ronnie, Talk to Russia", which precedes it on the Controversy album.

The extended remix features instrumental solos, samples from "Controversy" and "Annie Christian", two other songs from the same album, and extra, more insistent lyrics. Prince performed the extended version in concert during theControversy and 1999 tours. This is the first U.S. Prince single to include a non-album B-side (although it was previously released as a single in the UK). "Gotta Stop (Messin' About)" was written on the Dirty Mind tour, and is consistent with the minimalist demo-like quality of that album.

Let's Work

1 2 3

Let's work {x2}

I've had my eyes on U
Ever since U walked in the room
Come on and take my hand
Don't try 2 understand

Oh baby, nothing can stop us now
I'm gonna show U how
Show U how 2 work
Come on, let's have some fun
We'll work till the morning comes
I wanna see U work, come on!

I'd love 2 turn U on
And work U all night long
If I could get U in the raw
Baby, I'd make U climb the walls

Oh yeah, nothing can stop us now
I'm gonna show U how, oh yeah
Show U how 2 work
Come on, let's have some fun
We'll work till the morning comes, baby
I wanna see U work, come on!

Come on, baby
Let's work {x2}

Let's work, alright, we're gonna work all night
Everybody work, that's right, everybody
Everybody work, alright, we're gonna work all night
Everybody work, that's right, everybody
Everybody (Work)

Nothing can stop us now
I'm gonna show U how (Let's work)
I'm gonna show U how, oh baby (Work)
Come on, let's have some fun
We'll work till the morning comes (Let's work)
We'll work till the morning comes (Work)

Nothing can stop us now (Ain't nothing gonna stop us) (Let's work)
I'm gonna show U how, oh yeah (Work)
Come on, let's have some fun, oh yeah (Let's work)
We'll work till the morning comes
Ooh, everybody say (Work)

We're gonna work all night, everybody work (Let's work)
That's right, everybody
Everybody work (Let's work)

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Reply #72 posted 09/14/11 8:29am

Timmy84

OldFriends4Sale said:

Look how tough they look, like a street gang who wore designer clothes. lol

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Reply #73 posted 09/14/11 8:35am

OldFriends4Sal
e

Timmy84 said:

OldFriends4Sale said:

Look how tough they look, like a street gang who wore designer clothes. lol

lol I kknow I always loved the Times image/backdrop in Uptown

Jesse Johnson always looked like he was in a priests collar from a distance

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Reply #74 posted 09/14/11 8:37am

Timmy84

OldFriends4Sale said:

Timmy84 said:

Look how tough they look, like a street gang who wore designer clothes. lol

lol I kknow I always loved the Times image/backdrop in Uptown

Jesse Johnson always looked like he was in a priests collar from a distance

RIGHT! lol

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Reply #75 posted 09/14/11 9:10am

2elijah

Congratulations OF4S on becoming a moderator! Your threads with information of Prince music and band members/ both historical and current, is a great way for members to get their musicology 101 on.

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Reply #76 posted 09/14/11 4:12pm

purplethunder3
121

avatar

2elijah said:

Congratulations OF4S on becoming a moderator! Your threads with information of Prince music and band members/ both historical and current, is a great way for members to get their musicology 101 on.

biggrin

"Music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination and life to everything." --Plato

https://youtu.be/CVwv9LZMah0
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Reply #77 posted 09/14/11 8:54pm

rgsince81

avatar

purplethunder3121 said:

2elijah said:

Congratulations OF4S on becoming a moderator! Your threads with information of Prince music and band members/ both historical and current, is a great way for members to get their musicology 101 on.

biggrin

excited

Pray Daily!!!!! RIP AMY WINEHOUSE Keep Calm, Carry on
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Reply #78 posted 09/15/11 2:15pm

purplethunder3
121

avatar

Maybe Old Friends For Sale should take up Per Nilsen's offer of passing on his material to the next person willing to update the on-going Prince saga... wink

"Music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination and life to everything." --Plato

https://youtu.be/CVwv9LZMah0
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Reply #79 posted 09/19/11 3:48pm

OldFriends4Sal
e

OldFriends4Sale said:

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Reply #80 posted 09/23/11 2:00am

Whitnail

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A friend of mine´s older brother used to collect Newsweek magazine, needless to say this issue went missing...wink

[img:$uid]http://i215.photobucket.com/albums/cc5/level11/Clippings/newsweek1981.jpg[/img:$uid]

If it were not for insanity, I would be sane.

"True to his status as the last enigma in music, Prince crashed into London this week in a ball of confusion" The Times 2014
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Reply #81 posted 09/27/11 6:35am

OldFriends4Sal
e

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Reply #82 posted 09/27/11 6:36am

OldFriends4Sal
e

Whitnail said:

A friend of mine´s older brother used to collect Newsweek magazine, needless to say this issue went missing...wink

[img:$uid]http://i215.photobucket.com/albums/cc5/level11/Clippings/newsweek1981.jpg[/img:$uid]

A PUNK PROPHET OF SEXUAL ANARCHY

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Reply #83 posted 09/27/11 9:55am

eros

OldFriends4Sale said:

OUTTAKES [and music recorded during the Controversy period]



Feel U Up
This outtake was recorded toward the end of 1981 and was taped in sequence with "Irresistible Bitch". Both songs were later re-recorded. The lyrics are very similar to to the released song although the vocals seem to have been recorded at a low level. "Feel U Up" was re-recorded in 1986 for the shelved Camille album and finally released in 1989 as the B-side to "Partyman".

The Second Coming
This prerecorded a cappella track by Prince opened the Controversy tour set. It concerns the Second Coming of Jesus Christ and a warning to all His children to learn how to love, in addition to gun control (a similar topic in "Annie Christian"). A film concept of the same name was considered by Prince to document the Controversy Tour but was eventually canceled.

Strange Relationship
This Sign 'O' The Times track was originally recorded in 1982, but updated in 1985 by Wendy and Lisa. They added backing vocals, a sitar-like sound and other ideas to the mix. The track was going to be used on the canceled Dream Factory project. Prince later updated the track with a new vocal and other changes for the Camille LP, and that recording survived through the editing of the Crystal Ball 3 LP into Sign 'O' The Times.

Tick, Tick, Bang
Recorded in the summer of 1981 at Prince's home studio, this original is faster in arrangement and instrumentation than the Graffiti Bridge version. This Controversy outtake contains Prince's falsetto vocals, which were similar in other songs from the sessions.

Tick Tick Bang



U're such a big tease
U get me all excited, all excited
And then U go home
I like 2 say "Please"
See my candle, wanna light it, wanna light it?
U like 2 say "No"

U're just a bombshell
If I ever get it, ever get it
There's no telling, no telling how long I'll last
Before I tick, tick, tick, tick, tick, bang all over U
Tick, tick, tick, tick, tick, bang, bang all over U
Tick, tick, tick, tick, tick, bang, bang, bang, tick, bang, bang!

Oh!
Oh yeah!

I can't concentrate
When I see your bang bang tick bang bang
I just wanna bang
I wanna masturbate
Baby girl, it ain't the same, it ain't the same
As the real thing

CHORUS:
U're such a bombshell
If I ever get it, ever get it
There's no telling, no telling how long I'll last
Before I tick, tick, tick, tick, tick, bang all over U
Tick, tick, tick, tick, tick, bang, bang all over U
Tick, tick, tick, tick, tick, bang, bang, bang, tick, bang, bang!

Ooh yeah!

Bang! Bang! Bang! Ow!

U're like a wet dream
No matter how I try 2 fight it, try 2 fight it
I just tick, bang
I scream
See my candle, wanna light it, wanna light it?
I just wanna bang





Wow!.....I was just speculating on when Feel U Up was written in the Dirty Mind thread

Thanks for the validation
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Reply #84 posted 09/27/11 10:07am

eros

OldFriends4Sale said:

Enter: Vanity ie Denise Matthews



Possessed: the Rise & Fall of Prince


Chapter 4:PAWNS



Even as he struggled with the Time, Prince began planning another side project - an all female group that would, again, perform his music and adopt a persona he created. Prior to the Controversy tour, three women were selected, rather arbitrarily: girlfriend Susan Moonsie, wardrobe assistant Brenda Bennett (the wife of set designer Roy), and Jamie Shoop, an employee of Cavallo, Ruffalo & Fargnoli. Only Bennett had any singing experience. Prince planned to have the group, called the Hookers, wear lingerie onstage and sing sexually charged lyrics.



During the Controversy tour, plans shifted when Prince once evening at a club noticed an especially sexy young woman; she was copper-skinned, sultry, and had an overall appearance very much like Prince's own. "It's been said that when they met, they both stopped in their tracks; looking at each other, it was like seeing themselves, but of the opposite sex," said Alan Leeds. A scout was sent over to ask if she wanted to meet Prince, and she agreed.



The young woman, Denise Matthews, had show business aspirations and was thrilled when Prince said he wanted to contruct a band around her. Over the coming weeks, he explained to her the concept for the Hookers. She was taken aback, however, by the stage name he suggested for her: Vagina, albeit with the I pronounced as a long E. She refused, but agreed to the name Vanity.



Work on the project began immediately after the Controversy tour.



2557860420_f00fc1960b





How much does Prince look like that middle Jonas brother in this pic?
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Reply #85 posted 09/28/11 5:42am

OldFriends4Sal
e

eros said:

OldFriends4Sale said:

Enter: Vanity ie Denise Matthews

Possessed: the Rise & Fall of Prince

Chapter 4:PAWNS

Work on the project began immediately after the Controversy tour.

2557860420_f00fc1960b

How much does Prince look like that middle Jonas brother in this pic?

U mean the other way around, and I agree lol

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Reply #86 posted 09/28/11 5:54am

OldFriends4Sal
e

rudeboy4711 said:

[[img:$uid]http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e117/rudeboy4711/princewithgun_controversy_lynnegold.jpg[/img:$uid]

Controversy, home studio, summer 1981
Controversy (7:14)*
Sexuality (4:20)*
Ronnie, Talk To Russia #1
Annie Christian (4:21)*
Poppa Grooves (Instrumental) #1
There’s Something I Like About Being Your Fool #1
Tick, Tick, Bang #1 (3:16)

The first 10 shows from the Controversy Trour during the song Annie Christian, Prince would pull out a hand gun and point it towards the side of the stage. His face would be full of rage. It was reported that Prince's management told Prince that perhaps he should drop that out of his act. He did.

Annie Christian

Annie Christian wanted
2 be number one
But her kingdom never comes
Thy will be done
She couldn't stand the glory
She would be second 2 none
The way Annie tells the story
She's His only Son

Annie Christian wanted
2 be a big star
So she moved 2 Atlanta
And she bought a blue car
She killed black children
And what's fair is fair
If U try and say U're crazy
Everybody say, "Electric chair!" (Electric chair!)

CHORUS:
Annie Christian, Anti-Christ
Until U're crucified
I'll live my life in taxicabs
Annie Christian, Anti-Christ
Until U're crucified
I'll live my life in taxicabs

Annie Christian was a whore
Always lookin' 4 some fun
Being good was such a bore
So she bought a gun
She killed John Lennon
Shot him down cold
She tried 2 kill Reagan
Everybody say, "Gun control!" (Gun control!)

CHORUS

"Liar, liar, liar!"
Gotcha in a jam
Put your head on the block
Somebody say, "ABSCAM!" (ABSCAM!)

CHORUS

© 1981 Controversy Music - ASCAP

Controversy

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Reply #87 posted 09/28/11 5:58am

OldFriends4Sal
e

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Reply #88 posted 09/28/11 6:36am

OldFriends4Sal
e

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Reply #89 posted 10/02/11 1:23pm

DecaturStone

DO we have a pic of Jamie Shoop?

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