So one of my school friends finally asked what Prince songs were good after one and a half years of me bringing him up in conversations about music, what do you think is a good CD to try and "convert" himand bring him into the Prince fold

He listens to screamo crap, rap but mostly guitar greats like Hendrix and Page,

I'm thinking of a CD like this

Let's Go Crazy

Bambi

The Ride

Fury

Purple House

Gett Off

Thunder

When You Were Mine

My Name Is Prince

Purple Rain

if you have some live music share some of that too

OldFriends4Sale said:

if you have some live music share some of that too

I reckon the Syracause PR show would be the best one, fairly light on the pop.

There's no way of knowing what songs anybody will like or dislike; but I wouldn't recommend the song "My Name Is Prince" to anybody.. .. I would also add "Sign O The Times" to your list.. that's one song that everyone I know seems to like.. and "When Doves Cry".

..I'd recommend just playing this person all of Prince's best songs, rather than every rock song Prince has done just because your friend likes that type of music..

Give him a copy of The Hits/The B-Sides. Don't try and convert him, let him make up his own mind. If he doesn't like that then fuck 'im.

TheDigitalGardener said:

Give him a copy of The Hits/The B-Sides. Don't try and convert him, let him make up his own mind. If he doesn't like that then fuck 'im.

CrabalockerFishwife said:

..I'd recommend just playing this person all of Prince's best songs, rather than every rock song Prince has done just because your friend likes that type of music..

I don't really think Adore would go down to well

Jagar said:

OldFriends4Sale said:

if you have some live music share some of that too

I reckon the Syracause PR show would be the best one, fairly light on the pop.

Bambi (lp version)

Bambi (1982 1st Avenue live)

Computer Blue 11:46

Darling Nikki (unedit) 4:16

Sign o the Times (lp version)

Sign o the Times (SOTT concert live version)

Bob George

She's Always In My Hair

Hello

Alexa de Paris

God the Love theme

777-9311

Erotic City (edit)

Erotic City (live 1st Avenue 6.7.1984)

Free (lp)

Dirty Mind (1999 tour live)

the Cross (live)

the Ballad of Dorothy Parker

Strange Relationships

TheDigitalGardener said:

Give him a copy of The Hits/The B-Sides. Don't try and convert him, let him make up his own mind. If he doesn't like that then fuck 'im.

You really can't go wrong with. Or hell on a lower budget, as much as this will probably get ridiculed by the locals...I would even suggest just giving him the Very Best of Prince compilation.

Yes we have problems with VB of P (No Controversy, No Pop Life, No TMBGITW, No Delirious, etc.), but overall as a 1 CD stocking stuffer (which it was designed for), you have a pretty good basic setlist of not just a sampling of alot of his biggest, well-known hits...Alot of those hits are also among the cream of the crop of 80s pop. PR, Kiss, WDC, SOTT, RB, etc.

And besides that, you have his early 90s hits which were big hits for a reason in the first reason. Also included his first major hit, the immortally infectious melody of "I Wanna Be Your Lover." Plus its only 9 bucks at Wal Mart last I checked. (If you're not going to burn him your own CD.)

As much as alot of us love to point out the rich deep cuts or live shows or bootlegs or whatever, alot of us became fans simply because of his hits in the first place.

Personally I would recommend you burn your own CD based off the basic concept of VB of P, but add the obvious missing tracks (Delirious, Controversy, TMBGITW, Pop Life), some minor hits (Mountains?) at your whims, and B-sides/deep cuts that you think are representative of this crazy man's talent and awesomeness. (Erotic City, 17 Days, SAIMH, Endorphinmachine, etc.)

[Edited 5/3/12 9:11am]

Thanks guys.

TheDigitalGardener said:

Give him a copy of The Hits/The B-Sides. Don't try and convert him, let him make up his own mind. If he doesn't like that then fuck 'im.

The correct answer.

TheDigitalGardener said:

Give him a copy of The Hits/The B-Sides. Don't try and convert him, let him make up his own mind. If he doesn't like that then fuck 'im.

If you have a copy of any of the Xenophobia/Celebration material, many of the live performances there are really good, but sound quality is iffy on some of it.

For rock fans, I would recommend giving him an 'A side' of rock friendly tunes.

Then a B-side of REALLY-NOT rock tunes, just to showcase the diversity of his material.

I think stereotyping a 'rock fan' is about as strange as stereotyping a 'hip hop' fan when

you assume they'll only listen to that material. Prince is Prince for a reason--he's everything.

ROCK "A" Side:

1. Let's Go Crazy

2. Endorphine Machine

3. Little Red Corvette

4. Darlin Nikki

5. Fury

6. Dolphin

7. Colonized Mind

8. Dreamer

9. The Holy River

10. When Doves Cry

11. Loose (from Come)

12. U Got the Look

13. Peach

14. I could Never take the Place of ur Man

15. Purple Rain

Then the B-Side not-so-rock stuff

1. Raspberry Berret

2. Hot Thing

3. The Beautiful Ones

4. Kiss

5. Girls & Boys

6. Controversy

7. When U were mine

8. Life Can B So Nice

9. If I was Ur Girlfriend / if thihs wierd's him out, find a new friend or replace it with Adore

10. The Question of U

11. Theives in the Temple

12. Bob George

13. I wish U heaven

14. Joy In Repitition

15. Billy Jack Bitch

16. I Love U but I don't Trust U anymore

TheDigitalGardener said:

Don't try and convert him, let him make up his own mind. If he doesn't like that then fuck 'im.

Exactly

@ Jagar

No offence but your playlist sucks, But them are some cool songs

Remove my name is prince

Imago and OldFriends4Sale list look much better

Off the top of the dome I would add Calhoun Square, Beautiful Strange, Electric Chair, Papa, Phermone, What's My Name, Empty Room 94 version, Wasted Kisses & The War

[Edited 5/3/12 15:40pm]

[Edited 5/3/12 15:42pm]

Farfunknugin said:

Off the top of the dome I would add Beautiful Strange

This is a great song.. I'd definitely add it.

Try:

based on what you said he likes:

Boom

Colonized Mind

Days of Wild (Studio version)

Papa

Purple Rain

Joy in Repetition

Family Name

Come

and stop there!
Don't overwhelm or drift.

RRA said:

ufoclub said:

Try:

based on what you said he likes:

Boom

Colonized Mind

Days of Wild (Studio version)

Papa

Purple Rain

Joy in Repetition

Family Name

Come

and stop there!
Don't overwhelm or drift.

Such a perfect collection of songs for someone just starting out. So glad you mentioned 'Boom'!

vvluvfunk said:

hold on, hits an bsides is 9 dollars in walmart?!?!?!?!

No VB of P is $9.

FragileUndertow said:

TheDigitalGardener said:

Don't try and convert him, let him make up his own mind. If he doesn't like that then fuck 'im.

Exactly

@ Jagar

No offence but your playlist sucks, But them are some cool songs

Remove my name is prince

Imago and OldFriends4Sale list look much better

I went with imago's only with the 1st avenue erotic city and I'm Yours on it.

Jagar said:

FragileUndertow said:

Exactly

@ Jagar

No offence but your playlist sucks, But them are some cool songs

Remove my name is prince

Imago and OldFriends4Sale list look much better

I went with imago's only with the 1st avenue erotic city and I'm Yours on it.

Yes your playlist is not great for someone not that famiilar with Prince. You don't want to give them subtlety. You want to give straight up powerfuls songs.

But if loves guitar, I would perhaps put Fury on there (SNL version) and The Ride. Endorphinmachine is another good one (non cowbell version).

..just noticed you do have Fury on there...ok we are thinking the same way there.

[Edited 5/4/12 1:32am]

impossible to give 1 good advise...

But if that buddy/ friend of yours does not like The Hits/ The B-sides,

or the Ultimate "best of collections"...

then I would be surprised.

I just made this one for someone who was never really into Prince and he loved it

Interactive

Endorphine Machine

Dolphin

Peach

Chaos and Disorder

I Like It There

The Same December

Zanalee

Calhoun Square

Colonized Mind

Wall Of Berlin

Cinnamon Girl

The Morning Papers

Dreamer

Gold

CrabalockerFishwife said:

There's no way of knowing what songs anybody will like or dislike; but I wouldn't recommend the song "My Name Is Prince" to anybody.. .. I would also add "Sign O The Times" to your list.. that's one song that everyone I know seems to like.. and "When Doves Cry".

..I'd recommend just playing this person all of Prince's best songs, rather than every rock song Prince has done just because your friend likes that type of music..

That would be the advice I would give because Prince rocks on so many levels that there has to be something he will like.

Jagar said:

CrabalockerFishwife said:

..I'd recommend just playing this person all of Prince's best songs, rather than every rock song Prince has done just because your friend likes that type of music..

I don't really think Adore would go down to well

agree with CrabalockerFishwife. you have to mix it up, or he's going to get the wrong idea and be very disappointed when he realizes what a relatively small percentage of Prince's output is bonafide guitar-rock compared to the compilation you give him.

can't believe i clicked on this, uhm i am a girl.. i would say songs like adore, pink cashmere, peach. if he likes guitars and rap, c&d would be good, and p is very out spoken on it.

everyone knows that to convert a school buddy u need booze, backrubs and porn. works every time.