Can anyone give me info on this track? i.e. the year it was made, any bootleg albums that the song is on, with other tracks that use the same type of sound/style.

BTW, I think the song is f*king top drawer. I really like the raw/harsh type o' sound he has here.

cheers

Originally recorded for the album of the same name 'Dream Factory' in 1986 but the album went through many changes and became Sign '0' the Times. There is also a slightly different version than the one on Crystal Ball with more Wendy & Lisa and a different ending.

Dream Factory was recorded in late December 1985. It would become the title track of the shelved fourth Revolution album of the same name. Proper recording for the Dream Factory album didn't start in earnest until mid-march 1986, just before the Parade album was released.

The Dream Factory album went through various evolutionary changes before it was finally abandoned when the Revolution disbanded. The first version was assembled in late April 1986, and consisted of the following songs;

side 1:
1. Visions
2. Dream Factory
3. It's A Wonderful Day
4. The Ballad Of Dorothy Parker
5. Big Tall Wall
6. And That Says What?
side 2:
1. Strange Relationship
2. Teacher Teacher
3. Starfish & Coffee
4. A Place In Heaven
5. Sexual Suicide

A second version of the album was assembled at the beginning of June 1986;

side 1:
1. Visions
2. Dream Factory
3. It's A Wonderful Day
4. The Ballad Of Dorothy Parker
5. It
side 2:
1. Strange Relationship
2. Teacher Teacher
3. Starfish & Coffee
. (Interlude: Wendy's Guitar)
4. In A Large Room With No Light
. (Interlude: Nevaeh Ni Ecalp A)
5. Sexual Suicide
side 3:
1. Crystal Ball
2. Power Fantastic
side 4:
1. Last Heart
2. Witness 4 The Prosecution
3. Movie Star
4. A Place In Heaven
5. All My Dreams

The final sequence for the Dream Factory was assembled on July 7 1986, and was as follows;

side 1:
1. Visions
2. Dream Factory
3. Train
4. The Ballad Of Dorothy Parker
5. It
side 2:
1. Strange Relationship
2. Starfish & Coffee
. (Interlude: Wendy's Guitar)
3. Slow Love
4. I Could Never Take The Place Of Your Man
side 3:
1. Sign O' The Times
2. A Place In Heaven
3. Crystal Ball
side 4:
1. The Cross
2. Last Heart
3. Witness 4 The Prosecution
4. Movie Star
5. All My Dreams

.

...and thank God that the live blues version of "Witness" is on there!

Nikeze said:

The "Dream Factory -Remastered" bootleg has the final configuration of the album on it, in perfect sound.

did the album 'Dream Factory' turn into 'Crystal Ball' before it turned into Sign o' The times?

estidog said:

Yes.

'Crystal Ball' would have been a mind-boggling album.


.

giotto said:

Indeed. Too bad that economic reasons got in the way.

calldapplwondery83 said:

Say WHA? Live blues version of Witness? I've heard two versions of this track - one with just him doing the backing vocals in falsetto, and a second version with a group of females doing the backing vocals.

Both versions use the same basic tracks - guitar/bass/drums/horns, I think.

Is there a LIVE blues version of this song, or are you just talking about that second version?

That's GOTTA be my favorite rocking/funk song of his.
[This message was edited Mon Feb 24 9:01:05 PST 2003 by otan]

There are 3 versions of 'Witness 4 The Prosecution'.

The first is a guitar driven rock track, with real drums. It sounds fairly 'live in the studio' and the only vocal is Prince's lead.

The second uses the same basic track as the above, but has extra backing vocals from Wendy, Lisa & Susannah. It also has additional percussion and keboard parts, and an extra Horn stab motif.

The third version is a totally different recording, more in the style of the more minimal solo 'Sign O The Times' material. This version has Prince doing all the vocal parts, and is a distinctly funkier take on the song.

.

I love that third version.


.

OH DAMN.

Never heard it or seen that third version online. Guess I gotta do me some searching.

I don`t think I have heard that 3rd version either. Anywho ther are a couple different "final" versions of Dream Factory floating around out there. My copy digitally remastered and has the following tracks:

PRINCE & The Revolution: DREAM FACTORY

Disc 1

1) Visions
2) Dream Factory
3) Train
4) Dorthy Parker
5) It
6) Strange Relationship
7) Slow Love
8- Starfish & Coffee
9) Interlude
10) I Could Never Take The Place of Your Man
11) Sign of The TImes
12) Crystal Ball
13) A Place in Heaven
14) Last Heart
15) Witness
16) Movie Star
17) The Cross
18- All my Dreams

Disc 2

1) Wonderful Day
2) Teacher Teacher
3) Sexual Suicide
4) Power Fantastic
5) In a Large Room With no Light
6) A Place in Heaven
7) Witness
8- Crystal Ball
9) Data Bank
10) Girl of my Dreams
11) Cant stop this Feeling ive Got
12) We can Funk
13) Big Tall Wall

The CD is by THUNDERBALL and was pressed in 2000. Also a note in the CD liner says that "The final configuration of Dream Factory" was mastered on July 18th 1986". Also Disc 2 are outtakes, alternate versions, and demos from the Dream factory sessions. For all the info you need on Prince boots go to www.guide2prince.org " target="_blank"> www.guide2prince.org

funkbible said:

I actually believe THUNDERBALL's is the better version, not just because of the second disc carrying the extra tracks, but also because the sound quality is superior to Sabotage's. Trust me on this.

.

Yeah, I've got that Thunderball release
And I too noticed that Crystal Ball & A Place In Heaven had been swapped round in the running order, as well as The Cross being out of place.

I haven't got the new 'remastered' version, so I don't know if it's been corrected.