I feel the opposite about

1, 5, 6

Yes I like the minimal "The Dance" much much much better,

and I never liked the orginal version of Extraloveable, but the new revamped one with the horns is so much more energetic for me, so much more catchy. I always skipped that track on old CD bootlegs in the early 90's. I also liked that cover version that had the video that appeared a year before Prince's revamp much better than the original. Sometimes the Linn drum back then wasn't fun to my ears. I was so grateful he moved on to other percussion sounds with SOTT and beyond.

And "The Ball" is an incredible cohesive original sound that is so powerful and impresive to me. The mix of Eye No, much like most of that album doesn't work for me in terms of arrangement, although I appreciate the concept of quick production without "tasteful" or cool arrangements in favor of spastic energy.

I like Eye No, and The Ball (but probably would prefer The Ball if it were ever released). Two different songs basically, Eye No is heavy on the religious ecstacy he was apparently experiencing at the time, and The Ball sounds like a joyful celebration.

I do enjoy Extralovable Reloaded, excellent.

I guess I would say If I Could Get Your Attention, the Taja Sevelle version sounds much better than the demo.

In most cases, I prefer unreleased versions of songs - either because they're longer and have interesting bits that were cut out, or they're less overworked and busy. I can't think of many examples where I've prefered the released version to an unreleased one (not including very rough demos). Tick, Tick, Bang and Feel U Up would be two, I suppose.

Controversy99: "Say yes..."! ooh I just loooove Eye No!

and I agree with all you wrote 1, 2, 3 & 6 Eye No, Kiss, Joy In Repetition and Extralovable... amazing songs.. and what you wrote I can agree with.

except 4 and 5: I don't recall "Cross The Line" (I only remember the interlude between Part 1 & 2 on the Lovesexy tour '88), and I don't like the song "The Dance" at all no matter what version.

(Ps before someone asks again: my username thedance is short for Danceelectric..... which was my former username at housequake.com.)

I always liked the unreleased Vanity 6 demo of "Sex Shooter" better than the Apollonia 6 released version. It has that dark, sinister funky bassline, I wish Prince hadn't taken that out. The A6 version is a bit tame in comparison.

thedance said:

controversy99 said:

There are a bunch of songs where we have an "original" unreleased version and then a later released one. Sometimes the released is worse than the original -- the butchering of Extraloveable is a prime example. But sometimes there's an improvement. What are some songs where you think the final tweaks (or sometimes major changes) made the song better? Here's my list of improvement and butchering (+/-): 1. The Ball 1986 +++ Eye Know 1988. Big improvement. Eye Know is a great expression of joy. The Ball is a bit of a muffled mess. 2. Kiss +++ after Mazarati worked Prince's demo into pretty good shape, Prince added another guitar part, the turnaround, and falsetto. This took it over the top. 3. Joy in Repetition 1986 --- Joy in Repetition 1990. The original stark opening is great. Putting the voices over the intro and burying the guitar solo in the mix took an amazing song down a notch or two. It's still great, just not stellar. Butchering is too harsh. 4. Cross the Line +++ Although it wasn't released, adding all the layers to te original bare bones song was a big improvement. Too bad it wasn't let out of vault. It would've been a nice b-side. 5. The Dance NPGMC +++ The Dance 3121. Took an ok quirking little song and made it into one of his best in the past 10 years. 6. Extraloveable 198_? --- Xtraloveable 201_? Ugh. Took an energetic sexy celebration and turned it into a boring midtempo light funk with a bad rap. What are yours?

The Line and The Dance (I love both versions of each but in both cases I like the more intimate, minimalist version of each better, a lot better).

I totally disagree on Extraloveable, too: I find the 2011 version VASTLY superior to the originql, the original has never been more than a rough demo to me, I never found it sexy, I like it but it was too agressive to fit my definition of "sexy", while the new one is by all means sexy in my book, as in "smooth". I also like the 2009 version of In A Large Room much better than the 86 cut.

JIR IDK, I don't hear so much difference between both versions...

Overall when comparing released vs; unreleased I find myself happy with the released cut, except sometimes when it was edited (BJB comes to mind).

Militant said:

I always liked the unreleased Vanity 6 demo of "Sex Shooter" better than the Apollonia 6 released version. It has that dark, sinister funky bassline, I wish Prince hadn't taken that out. The A6 version is a bit tame in comparison.

Agreed. I like both, but yeah agreed.

I always have liked the "Can't Stop This Feeling I Got" from Graffiti Bridge more than the Dream Factory one

Conversely, the "We Can Funk" from Dream Factory has such a better mood and groove to me than the one on Graffiti Bridge

1. Tick Tick Bang totally expresses the horny lust it was meant to, the released version is cool but is tame for the intent

2. Extralovable the unreleased is just high energy and wild, the reloaded version is cool, but not better

3. Old Friends 4 Sale unreleased, there is no comparison

4. In A Large Room(w No Light) unreleased captures the freedom of that creative period, the reloaded version is trying to capture the freedom of the 1986 version

5. Dance Electric(Prince) vs Dance Electric(Andre) of course the only diff is Prince on vocals/Andre on vocals. I prefer the Prince version, would have been cool if it was Prince & Andre

6. I actually prefer the Mazarati version of Jerk Out vs the Time

7. Morris generally does a very good job, but on Chocolate I prefer Prince/Wendy/Lisa on vocals

8. the released 1984 version of Let's Go Crazy is superior to the reloaded live but unreleased version

Guitar

I prefer the original version of Extra Loveable. To have that in pristine quality would be my holy grail.

sulls said:

I've never understood why there's supposedly a problem with the released version of "Joy In Repetition". I prefer the released version with the percussive intro instead of the SOTT style drum programming. It's considered one of his very best tracks by fans in any case, right?

I like both, "The Ball" and "Eye No", can't say which one is actually better.

Changing "Little Girl Wendy's Parade" to "Christoper Tracy's Parade" was a good call.

I like the earlier version of "Strange Relationship" with the sitars loud in the mix, but moving on from that ATWIAD era sound for SOTT was the right choice.

The demo versions of "Elephants & Flowers" and the early versions of "We Can Funk" with George Clinton were pants. I'm not referring to the DF era version of "We Can Funk" (I absolutely love that one), but to those early, demo-ish takes on the version that ended released officially. The released one is a big improvement over those.

Sure, "Guitar" and "The Dance" are far better as album versions, but both seem pretty much re-recorded altogether (they're not just "tweaks").

I prefer the released version of Elephants and Flowers than the Rave 89 version.

OldFriends4Sale said:

1. Tick Tick Bang totally expresses the horny lust it was meant to, the released version is cool but is tame for the intent

2. Extralovable the unreleased is just high energy and wild, the reloaded version is cool, but not better

3. Old Friends 4 Sale unreleased, there is no comparison

4. In A Large Room(w No Light) unreleased captures the freedom of that creative period, the reloaded version is trying to capture the freedom of the 1986 version

5. Dance Electric(Prince) vs Dance Electric(Andre) of course the only diff is Prince on vocals/Andre on vocals. I prefer the Prince version, would have been cool if it was Prince & Andre

6. I actually prefer the Mazarati version of Jerk Out vs the Time

7. Morris generally does a very good job, but on Chocolate I prefer Prince/Wendy/Lisa on vocals

8. the released 1984 version of Let's Go Crazy is superior to the reloaded live but unreleased version

Right about Tick Tick Bang, though as such it was unreleasable in 1990, but it oughta been a b-side in 1980 instead!

Mazarati's Jerk Out? So surprised by this! I find it too slow, without the nrg The Time gave to it;

OF4S it's a mystery to me why ppl trip on the released version like this, because I ain't no native English speaker the difference in lyrics never made much difference to me and musically it's totally identical.

Oh no way... the demo of Elephant and Flowers has so much better a muscular sound, and his raw voice (rumored to be recorded when he was sick) is so good, and the saxophone as the main bass melody. I like the sound of the name Coco too. I feel like he made a strong song weaker with the final production choices here.

The released one sounds so lightweight with it's distracting toy xylophone and synths.

I also prefer the natural drum sounds on the demo of "New Power Generation"... reportedly played by Morris Day right?

Im about 95% sure Im in the minority when I say this, but I prefer the GB version of "We Can Funk" over the original. I prefer the partying, intense vibe it gives off than the slow, sultry vibe of the original. And at the end when he does his "You can blow the candle.." verse for the last minute or so of the song, thats one of my favorite vocal performances of his ever. "Its gettin' stronger baby, open up your eyes"...awesome, chilling stuff.

kygermo said:

kygermo said:

Im about 95% sure Im in the minority when I say this, but I prefer the GB version of "We Can Funk" over the original. I prefer the partying, intense vibe it gives off than the slow, sultry vibe of the original. And at the end when he does his "You can blow the candle.." verse for the last minute or so of the song, thats one of my favorite vocal performances of his ever. "Its gettin' stronger baby, open up your eyes"...awesome, chilling stuff.

It IS, in a way, the original: the released version is based on the original 1983 recording (with Clinton's parts and other overdubs added of course), while the 1986 so-called "original" was a completely different rerecording of the song. Like most, I stronlgy prefer the 86 cut, though.

ufoclub said:

I feel the opposite about

1, 5, 6

Yes I like the minimal "The Dance" much much much better,

and I never liked the orginal version of Extraloveable, but the new revamped one with the horns is so much more energetic for me, so much more catchy. I always skipped that track on old CD bootlegs in the early 90's. I also liked that cover version that had the video that appeared a year before Prince's revamp much better than the original. Sometimes the Linn drum back then wasn't fun to my ears. I was so grateful he moved on to other percussion sounds with SOTT and beyond.

And "The Ball" is an incredible cohesive original sound that is so powerful and impresive to me. The mix of Eye No, much like most of that album doesn't work for me in terms of arrangement, although I appreciate the concept of quick production without "tasteful" or cool arrangements in favor of spastic energy.

I agree on the minimal version of The Dance but I do like his 'its just not fayar' tantrum on the 3121 version, tickles me everytime

databank said:

kygermo said:

Im about 95% sure Im in the minority when I say this, but I prefer the GB version of "We Can Funk" over the original. I prefer the partying, intense vibe it gives off than the slow, sultry vibe of the original. And at the end when he does his "You can blow the candle.." verse for the last minute or so of the song, thats one of my favorite vocal performances of his ever. "Its gettin' stronger baby, open up your eyes"...awesome, chilling stuff.

It IS, in a way, the original: the released version is based on the original 1983 recording (with Clinton's parts and other overdubs added of course), while the 1986 so-called "original" was a completely different rerecording of the song. Like most, I stronlgy prefer the 86 cut, though.

I'd probably also think I prefer the GB version to the others simply because I had heard and gotten used to it way before I came across the unreleased versions floating out there (GB was one of my first records I got of his at a super-young age, before I even knew of his bootleg universe), so hearing the 86 version was pretty foreign to me. And Ill be honest: Ive never heard the 83 version. I know, I know

databank said:

kygermo said:

Im about 95% sure Im in the minority when I say this, but I prefer the GB version of "We Can Funk" over the original. I prefer the partying, intense vibe it gives off than the slow, sultry vibe of the original. And at the end when he does his "You can blow the candle.." verse for the last minute or so of the song, thats one of my favorite vocal performances of his ever. "Its gettin' stronger baby, open up your eyes"...awesome, chilling stuff.

It IS, in a way, the original: the released version is based on the original 1983 recording (with Clinton's parts and other overdubs added of course), while the 1986 so-called "original" was a completely different rerecording of the song. Like most, I stronlgy prefer the 86 cut, though.

The 86 cut is the one with Miko on guitar?

And which one is the extended with a long, moody instrumental part?

[Edited 2/12/15 9:07am]

paulludvig said:

databank said:

It IS, in a way, the original: the released version is based on the original 1983 recording (with Clinton's parts and other overdubs added of course), while the 1986 so-called "original" was a completely different rerecording of the song. Like most, I stronlgy prefer the 86 cut, though.

The 86 cut is the one with Miko on guitar?

And which one is the extended with a long, moody instrumental part?

[Edited 2/12/15 9:07am]

You're asking the wrong person with that question! Lol but if I had to take an educated guess, considering Miko was very much a contributor at the time with Sheila's stuff and the expanded Revolution, I'd imagine its him playing or perhaps Prince himself. Maybe even Wendy, I honestly dont know. And by long, moody instrumental part? The version I have is over 6 minutes long, but I cant recall a prolonged instrumental section in the song. Im sure somebody on here with way more knowledge will answer your question very soon.

Can't stop This Feeling I Got

The unreleased one is a tour de force, if you reassemble it with "Girl O' My Dreams" and "We Can Funk".
Skipper does not get any closer to Chuck Berry and Jerry Lee Lewis, stays funny and makes it look so easy all along.

The GB version? Here's Prince left alone in Paisley Park's studio A, 64 channels, without supervision.
Talk about train wreck.


Endorphinmachine

I hear the mucus-gathering-and-spit much better in the unreleased version.

[Edited 2/12/15 14:11pm]

paulludvig said:

databank said:

It IS, in a way, the original: the released version is based on the original 1983 recording (with Clinton's parts and other overdubs added of course), while the 1986 so-called "original" was a completely different rerecording of the song. Like most, I stronlgy prefer the 86 cut, though.

The 86 cut is the one with Miko on guitar?

And which one is the extended with a long, moody instrumental part?

[Edited 2/12/15 9:07am]

There are only 2 basic recordings of that song. The 83 one which ended on GB and the 86 one which is... the other one.

kygermo said:

databank said:

It IS, in a way, the original: the released version is based on the original 1983 recording (with Clinton's parts and other overdubs added of course), while the 1986 so-called "original" was a completely different rerecording of the song. Like most, I stronlgy prefer the 86 cut, though.

I'd probably also think I prefer the GB version to the others simply because I had heard and gotten used to it way before I came across the unreleased versions floating out there (GB was one of my first records I got of his at a super-young age, before I even knew of his bootleg universe), so hearing the 86 version was pretty foreign to me. And Ill be honest: Ive never heard the 83 version. I know, I know

No one has save "elite" collectors, save for a one minute long snippet with an awful sound quality, it is isn't circulating.