Just received Madhouse 8 & 16 that I ordered online. I really don't know how this got by me, but these two projects are amazing in my opinion. Can't get enough of them. I've heard about Madhouse 24 as well. Makes me wonder if it is just as great as 8 and 16. Just wanted 2 get anyone's thoughts/opinions on these projects. Oh... and is Xpectation pretty good? I've become very interested in Prince's instrumental projects.

i love madhouse! there are 2 version of madhouses 24 but they're not as good. check out n.e.w.s, it's the best instrumental project outside madhouse in my opinion.

Shadesofpurple said:

i love madhouse! there are 2 version of madhouses 24 but they're not as good. check out n.e.w.s, it's the best instrumental project outside madhouse in my opinion.

Two versions of 24... Wow! Guess I'll have 2 hunt 4 that just 2 have it in the collection since it isn't as good, but I'm gonna go ahead and look 4 N.E.W.S and order it 2day for sure. Thanks.

The 1989 version of 24

http://princevault.com/in.../Album:_24

The 1994 version of 24

http://princevault.com/in...:_24_(1994)

Both albums are rather short

I was just giving these a listen. I say they are pretty good!

Xpectation 2003

This has update madhouse vibe, some tracks are slow

NEWS

I dont care for this. I can appreciate what he was trying to achieve, and he did, something diffrent

Some of the tracks have their moments, but then in mid song its a total change

Its kind of messy

I would hunt for this last

BTW :

both versions of 24 are bootlegs

Xpectation was only available in 320kbp mp3 format *No physical cd*

[Edited 12/29/12 9:47am]

I was pleased when I discovered those first two Madhouse "albums" which were inspiring works.

There are THREE versions of 24. The lattest, recorded around 1995 according to Eric Leeds, isn't circulating except for 2 incomplete songs that were officially released as such (one on a promo and the other on a NPG Ahdio Show). Both are jazz versions of Kamasutra tracks.

databank said:

There are THREE versions of 24. The lattest, recorded around 1995 according to Eric Leeds, isn't circulating except for 2 incomplete songs that were officially released as such (one on a promo and the other on a NPG Ahdio Show). Both are jazz versions of Kamasutra tracks.

yes i've heard 1 of these Kamasutra tracks with proper brass, sounds way better than the released version.

just noticed on my 1994 version of 24 there is a track 12 called 24, 6.47 in duration not listed on that princevault page

8 & 16 are my favorite Prince side projects ever. They capture the flavor of the SOTT/Black Album/Lovesexy era for me, very classic.

charmz33 said:

Just received Madhouse 8 & 16 that I ordered online. I really don't know how this got by me, but these two projects are amazing in my opinion. Can't get enough of them. I've heard about Madhouse 24 as well. Makes me wonder if it is just as great as 8 and 16. Just wanted 2 get anyone's thoughts/opinions on these projects. Oh... and is Xpectation pretty good? I've become very interested in Prince's instrumental projects.

If u like them u should get eric leeds-Time squared--It is great a really gem!!!

ravewithdawn said:

charmz33 said:

Just received Madhouse 8 & 16 that I ordered online. I really don't know how this got by me, but these two projects are amazing in my opinion. Can't get enough of them. I've heard about Madhouse 24 as well. Makes me wonder if it is just as great as 8 and 16. Just wanted 2 get anyone's thoughts/opinions on these projects. Oh... and is Xpectation pretty good? I've become very interested in Prince's instrumental projects.

If u like them u should get eric leeds-Time squared--It is great a really gem!!!

Not just Times Squared... Things Left Unsaid and Now & Again are essential listening as well.

Be sure to check out all 3 12" singles from this set: 6, 10 & 13. They're essential!

Hell, I even like 17, from 1-800-NEW-FUNK...

Eric leeds : Times Squared evolved from the planned third Madhouse album, 26

compiled in September 1989 from instrumental tracks recorded between 1985-1988

http://princevault.com/index.php/Album:_Times_Squared

So essentially you have the makings of another Madhouse album

Its a cool album

Handel said:

ravewithdawn said:

If u like them u should get eric leeds-Time squared--It is great a really gem!!!

Not just Times Squared... Things Left Unsaid and Now & Again are essential listening as well.

Gonna check 4 them in a few minutes. Looks like I'm gonna have 2 add these 2 the collection 4 sure.

FragileUndertow said:

Eric leeds : Times Squared evolved from the planned third Madhouse album, 26

compiled in September 1989 from instrumental tracks recorded between 1985-1988

http://princevault.com/index.php/Album:_Times_Squared

So essentially you have the makings of another Madhouse album

Its a cool album

Thanks 4 the insight. Now, I really wanna hear "Times Squared". I'm starting 2 see why a lot of people are saying that Prince and the entire camp was on a creative high at the time. Just so much material. Blows my mind.

I got to say Madhouse has been blowing me away, recently.

Madhouse 8 is the BOMB!

One, Seven, Four, And Eight just make my life right now so much easier! Damn! SO Good! I love where he wanted to go with Madhouse!

I got to check out Times Squared! It will just add to the love I have for it!

8 is one of my all time fave albums by anyone. 16 s almost as good. I haven't heard the 89 version of 24 but do have a copy of the 94 version that has really grown on me over the years. All of Eric's solo work is awesome too. I really wish he would do something like this again...I liked NEWS but its not nearly as enjoyable as Madhouse. OH and those 12"remixes!

Poplife88 said:

8 is one of my all time fave albums by anyone. 16 s almost as good. I haven't heard the 89 version of 24 but do have a copy of the 94 version that has really grown on me over the years. All of Eric's solo work is awesome too. I really wish he would do something like this again...I liked NEWS but its not nearly as enjoyable as Madhouse. OH and those 12"remixes!

Thank you!! I wasn't feeling any love on the 12" singles. They're essential!

djThunderfunk said:

Poplife88 said:

OH and those 12"remixes!

Thank you!! I wasn't feeling any love on the 12" singles. They're essential!

Of course they are!

Love 'em!

I still have 13 on 12" single

Another upsetting thing about Prince, his definative years, most interesting and colorful years of 1978-1989 and people can't view videos or performances by Madhouse...

Since he didn't want his name directly connect to the project he should let Eric have totally access to video footage, music, outtakes, videos etc and let him put it out there for people to access

duggalolly said:

8 & 16 are my favorite Prince side projects ever. They capture the flavor of the SOTT/Black Album/Lovesexy era for me, very classic.

I agree with you, he didn't really promote Madhouse during the Lovesexy period though

his kingdom was a bit to small at this time to fully promote SOTT/Lovesexy & Madhouse at the same time

rel January 21.1987
8 Madhouse
1. One
2. Two
3. Three
4. Four
5. Five
6. Six
7. Seven
8. Eight

Rehearsals began in late February 1987 with a "road version" of Madhouse for the upcomming Sign O The Times Tour.

The group featured Eric Leeds on saxaphone, Levi Seacer Jr. on bass, Dr Fink on keyboards and Leed's friend H.B Bennett on drums. Bennett was a jazz drummer from Pittsburgh who had jammed with Prince in the past.

Two weeks into the rehearsals, Bennett was replaced by Dale Alexander, a Minneapolis drummer who had auditioned for Prince's band in 1978. It is said that Prince wanted more of a funk feel to the Madhouse band and felt that Alexander was better suited than Bennett.

6

Label: (Paisley Park Records W8485 T)

12" Maxi single

Side A - 1. 6 (End of the world Mix)

Side B - 1.6
2. 6 1.2

The 12″ version of “Six” from Prince’s Madhouse project was recorded and mixed by Susan Rogers.

TLM: Madhouse was a very interesting project. How did that come about?

EL: He called me one Sunday afternoon after the Parade tour and said “Do you want to come over to my house and play some jazz?” I go over to his house and he’s already got three or four tracks done. I had no understanding what this was specifically going to be because a lot of times we’d go into the studio together and do different things that would never see the light of day. I think the entire process of the Madhouse album was done in about three days and it was only when we got about halfway through it that he explained what he was going to do. It was kind of a double-edged sword for me, because it was obviously a project he was putting together to feature me; that I was going to be the ostensible prime attraction, which was great because of the visibility that it would give me.

But to be absolutely honest with you, I was never that crazy about that album, the first one particularly – the music was not that interesting. Once again, it was a very interesting and enjoyable project because the process and the manner in trying to do what he was trying to do and the way he got things out of me. But at the end of the day, it wasn’t stuff that I was particularly interested in listening to. There were some interesting parts. On the first album, Prince wrote all the songs and played all the instruments except saxophone – it was entirely his project. It was a wonderful opportunity, but the way it was marketed, [meant] a lot of people are under the impression that it was my music and it was much more of representation of what I am as a musician and it’s just not so - it was one hundred percent a Prince project and I was just playing the role of a saxophone player.

TLM: Prince went to great pains to hide the fact that it was a Prince record.

EL: This is what he came up with and I didn’t necessarily disagree with him on this point. He said “I’m not going to go so far as to say that this is jazz. This album will never get anywhere because the critics are going to blast it. They’re going to say ‘how dare this guy think he can make a jazz album.’ And if it comes out, I don’t want it to just end up with all of the Prince fanatics. I want to distance myself from this and see if we can get some form of an honest reaction without any preconceived notions as to my involvement with it.” So what it ended up with was all of these fictitious names [of band members and recording studio] that he came up with and then the whole marketing project became silly, because I was the only person that was going to have a real face. And the whole marketing ploy was based on me going out and lying to everybody about what it was about. After a while, it really became silly and to this day, Prince is aggravated over the fact that people found out that it was really his album.

TLM: Is that so?

Oh yes. I finally said: “Prince, give it a rest. Everybody whoever interviewed me about it was like “Oh yeah, I’m supposed to really believe that this isn’t Prince?” I would try to convince them but I don’t think I was fooling anybody. It became like an inside joke, like the fact that it was supposed to have been recorded in Pittsburgh, where I came from. And the fact that I lived in Atlanta and everybody in the “band” was supposed to be part time musicians who I knew from Atlanta. We came up with name, occupations – we put a whole back story to everything about the album – it was very funny. I realised that we had had created a monster when he had given the back story to his publicist and his publicist called me to put together the initial press release and in discussing it with the publicist, I realised that the publicist didn’t realise that it was all a lie! Prince had not let the publicist in on it! I said that’s perfect Prince, because if the publicist is going to make this work, he has to believe it. Regardless, it was very successful and the idea not to give the songs any names, just numbers was his, which was cute. And we had a top ten single (“Six”) out of it.

OldFriends4Sale said:

TLM: Madhouse was a very interesting project. How did that come about?

EL: He called me one Sunday afternoon after the Parade tour and said “Do you want to come over to my house and play some jazz?” I go over to his house and he’s already got three or four tracks done. I had no understanding what this was specifically going to be because a lot of times we’d go into the studio together and do different things that would never see the light of day. I think the entire process of the Madhouse album was done in about three days and it was only when we got about halfway through it that he explained what he was going to do. It was kind of a double-edged sword for me, because it was obviously a project he was putting together to feature me; that I was going to be the ostensible prime attraction, which was great because of the visibility that it would give me.

But to be absolutely honest with you, I was never that crazy about that album, the first one particularly – the music was not that interesting. Once again, it was a very interesting and enjoyable project because the process and the manner in trying to do what he was trying to do and the way he got things out of me. But at the end of the day, it wasn’t stuff that I was particularly interested in listening to. There were some interesting parts. On the first album, Prince wrote all the songs and played all the instruments except saxophone – it was entirely his project. It was a wonderful opportunity, but the way it was marketed, [meant] a lot of people are under the impression that it was my music and it was much more of representation of what I am as a musician and it’s just not so - it was one hundred percent a Prince project and I was just playing the role of a saxophone player.

TLM: Prince went to great pains to hide the fact that it was a Prince record.

EL: This is what he came up with and I didn’t necessarily disagree with him on this point. He said “I’m not going to go so far as to say that this is jazz. This album will never get anywhere because the critics are going to blast it. They’re going to say ‘how dare this guy think he can make a jazz album.’ And if it comes out, I don’t want it to just end up with all of the Prince fanatics. I want to distance myself from this and see if we can get some form of an honest reaction without any preconceived notions as to my involvement with it.” So what it ended up with was all of these fictitious names [of band members and recording studio] that he came up with and then the whole marketing project became silly, because I was the only person that was going to have a real face. And the whole marketing ploy was based on me going out and lying to everybody about what it was about. After a while, it really became silly and to this day, Prince is aggravated over the fact that people found out that it was really his album.

TLM: Is that so?

Oh yes. I finally said: “Prince, give it a rest. Everybody whoever interviewed me about it was like “Oh yeah, I’m supposed to really believe that this isn’t Prince?” I would try to convince them but I don’t think I was fooling anybody. It became like an inside joke, like the fact that it was supposed to have been recorded in Pittsburgh, where I came from. And the fact that I lived in Atlanta and everybody in the “band” was supposed to be part time musicians who I knew from Atlanta. We came up with name, occupations – we put a whole back story to everything about the album – it was very funny. I realised that we had had created a monster when he had given the back story to his publicist and his publicist called me to put together the initial press release and in discussing it with the publicist, I realised that the publicist didn’t realise that it was all a lie! Prince had not let the publicist in on it! I said that’s perfect Prince, because if the publicist is going to make this work, he has to believe it. Regardless, it was very successful and the idea not to give the songs any names, just numbers was his, which was cute. And we had a top ten single (“Six”) out of it.

I really enjoyed that story! Very interesting to know the background of this project! I really enjoyed this!

Thats why I said eric leeds Times squared is great also--PRINCE is ALL over it!!Read the liner Notes!!It is a great LP!!!

EyeJester7 said:

OldFriends4Sale said:

TLM: Madhouse was a very interesting project. How did that come about?

EL: He called me one Sunday afternoon after the Parade tour and said “Do you want to come over to my house and play some jazz?” I go over to his house and he’s already got three or four tracks done. I had no understanding what this was specifically going to be because a lot of times we’d go into the studio together and do different things that would never see the light of day. I think the entire process of the Madhouse album was done in about three days and it was only when we got about halfway through it that he explained what he was going to do. It was kind of a double-edged sword for me, because it was obviously a project he was putting together to feature me; that I was going to be the ostensible prime attraction, which was great because of the visibility that it would give me.

But to be absolutely honest with you, I was never that crazy about that album, the first one particularly – the music was not that interesting. Once again, it was a very interesting and enjoyable project because the process and the manner in trying to do what he was trying to do and the way he got things out of me. But at the end of the day, it wasn’t stuff that I was particularly interested in listening to. There were some interesting parts. On the first album, Prince wrote all the songs and played all the instruments except saxophone – it was entirely his project. It was a wonderful opportunity, but the way it was marketed, [meant] a lot of people are under the impression that it was my music and it was much more of representation of what I am as a musician and it’s just not so - it was one hundred percent a Prince project and I was just playing the role of a saxophone player.

TLM: Prince went to great pains to hide the fact that it was a Prince record.

EL: This is what he came up with and I didn’t necessarily disagree with him on this point. He said “I’m not going to go so far as to say that this is jazz. This album will never get anywhere because the critics are going to blast it. They’re going to say ‘how dare this guy think he can make a jazz album.’ And if it comes out, I don’t want it to just end up with all of the Prince fanatics. I want to distance myself from this and see if we can get some form of an honest reaction without any preconceived notions as to my involvement with it.” So what it ended up with was all of these fictitious names [of band members and recording studio] that he came up with and then the whole marketing project became silly, because I was the only person that was going to have a real face. And the whole marketing ploy was based on me going out and lying to everybody about what it was about. After a while, it really became silly and to this day, Prince is aggravated over the fact that people found out that it was really his album.

TLM: Is that so?

Oh yes. I finally said: “Prince, give it a rest. Everybody whoever interviewed me about it was like “Oh yeah, I’m supposed to really believe that this isn’t Prince?” I would try to convince them but I don’t think I was fooling anybody. It became like an inside joke, like the fact that it was supposed to have been recorded in Pittsburgh, where I came from. And the fact that I lived in Atlanta and everybody in the “band” was supposed to be part time musicians who I knew from Atlanta. We came up with name, occupations – we put a whole back story to everything about the album – it was very funny. I realised that we had had created a monster when he had given the back story to his publicist and his publicist called me to put together the initial press release and in discussing it with the publicist, I realised that the publicist didn’t realise that it was all a lie! Prince had not let the publicist in on it! I said that’s perfect Prince, because if the publicist is going to make this work, he has to believe it. Regardless, it was very successful and the idea not to give the songs any names, just numbers was his, which was cute. And we had a top ten single (“Six”) out of it.

I really enjoyed that story! Very interesting to know the background of this project! I really enjoyed this!

OldFriends4Sale said:

duggalolly said:

8 & 16 are my favorite Prince side projects ever. They capture the flavor of the SOTT/Black Album/Lovesexy era for me, very classic.

I agree with you, he didn't really promote Madhouse during the Lovesexy period though

I liked that portions of "12" and "3" were included in the Lovesexy tour main shows though ("12" at the end of Jack U Off and "3" at the end of the piano medley I think)-- not to mention "4" was performed oftion during the '88 aftershows. Overall I felt like the vibe of Madhouse carried over to Prince's own touring band at the time.

duggalolly said:

OldFriends4Sale said:

I agree with you, he didn't really promote Madhouse during the Lovesexy period though

I liked that portions of "12" and "3" were included in the Lovesexy tour main shows though ("12" at the end of Jack U Off and "3" at the end of the piano medley I think)-- not to mention "4" was performed oftion during the '88 aftershows. Overall I felt like the vibe of Madhouse carried over to Prince's own touring band at the time.

Yeah, I think the Fine Line Cafe show the band presented themselves as Madhouse

But overall Madhouse wasn't promoted, they didn't open the show, there was no 'seperate' band performing the tracks, no videos etc