Militant said:

He'd be the number 1 session musician out there.

Listen to Stevie Wonder's "So What The Fuss" where Prince just plays guitar, or Stevie Nicks "Stand Back" where Prince just played the synths. It's primarily those parts that make those songs as fantastic as they are.

Excellent point

Militant said:

He'd be the number 1 session musician out there.

Listen to Stevie Wonder's "So What The Fuss" where Prince just plays guitar, or Stevie Nicks "Stand Back" where Prince just played the synths. It's primarily those parts that make those songs as fantastic as they are.

Just anyone can play those guitar lines or syth riffs. If we didn't know it's him, those parts would go completely ignored and unnoticed. Nothing special and noone would go "shit, who's this dude, I gotta hire him for my record!"

When you hear Pino on bass, you'd go "DAYUMMM!" even if you don't know who he is.

[Edited 2/20/15 21:33pm]

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[Edited 2/20/15 21:44pm]

Aerogram said:

I love Niles, perhaps you don't know he's absolutely in awe of Prince's guitar playing? I'm pretty sure he'd set you straight, not just for rhythm guitar but the rest of his skills. There used to be a video, fairly recent, of Niles and Prince playing Let's Dance, and jeez Niles was grinning so wide just watching Prince. They influenced each other, Niles produced a few albums heavily based on Prince's 80's sound and I think there was talk of them touring together recently. The thing is most artists you have named on this thread and others would probably tell you you are way off on just about every opinion you have, especially Niles and Stevie.

Niles always grins when he plays live. Don't you know that? It doesn't prove anything. And stop acting like you know Niles and Stevie personally

nuttynutmeg said:

nuttynutmeg said:

Aerogram said:

I love Niles, perhaps you don't know he's absolutely in awe of Prince's guitar playing? I'm pretty sure he'd set you straight, not just for rhythm guitar but the rest of his skills. There used to be a video, fairly recent, of Niles and Prince playing Let's Dance, and jeez Niles was grinning so wide just watching Prince. They influenced each other, Niles produced a few albums heavily based on Prince's 80's sound and I think there was talk of them touring together recently. The thing is most artists you have named on this thread and others would probably tell you you are way off on just about every opinion you have, especially Niles and Stevie.

Niles always grins when he plays live. Don't you know that? It doesn't prove anything. And stop acting like you know Niles and Stevie personally

You don't actually need to personally know someone to know where they stand if they went to the trouble of playing together live or on record and have shown appreciation for each other's work.

If you stated your opinions on Prince to them, you'd be ignored as a blatant provocateur or lectured over your incredibly pretentious pronouncements on music.

nuttynutmeg said:

Militant said:

He'd be the number 1 session musician out there.

Listen to Stevie Wonder's "So What The Fuss" where Prince just plays guitar, or Stevie Nicks "Stand Back" where Prince just played the synths. It's primarily those parts that make those songs as fantastic as they are.

Just anyone can play those guitar lines or syth riffs. If we didn't know it's him, those parts would go completely ignored and unnoticed. Nothing special and noone would go "shit, who's this dude, I gotta hire him for my record!"

When you hear Pino on bass, you'd go "DAYUMMM!" even if you don't know who he is.

Pino Palladino?

Good player, but I certainly didn't go "DAYUM" when I heard his unremarkable playing on the recent D'Angelo and NIN records.

And Stevie has said nobody in her band has been able to replicate what Prince did on Stand Back as well as he played it originally.

Militant said:

nuttynutmeg said:

Just anyone can play those guitar lines or syth riffs. If we didn't know it's him, those parts would go completely ignored and unnoticed. Nothing special and noone would go "shit, who's this dude, I gotta hire him for my record!"

When you hear Pino on bass, you'd go "DAYUMMM!" even if you don't know who he is.

Pino Palladino?

Good player, but I certainly didn't go "DAYUM" when I heard his unremarkable playing on the recent D'Angelo and NIN records.

And Stevie has said nobody in her band has been able to replicate what Prince did on Stand Back as well as he played it originally.

[flame snip]

in 87 or 88 my at the time girlfriend told me Prince would end up as a session musician. She also told me that Led Zeppelin was in the rock and roll hall of fame and Prince would never be... wrong on all three but she made up for that...

Prince would have a hard time if he were a no-name session musician if his reading skills are not good. From what I understand, he doesn't really read music. A musician isn't going to get far in the "session world" if they can't read. He would have to be in somebody's band or something like that. But just being a musician for hire for studio work, he probably wouldn't make it.

ozone14 said:

Prince would have a hard time if he were a no-name session musician if his reading skills are not good. From what I understand, he doesn't really read music. A musician isn't going to get far in the "session world" if they can't read. He would have to be in somebody's band or something like that. But just being a musician for hire for studio work, he probably wouldn't make it.

Respectfully, this is nonsense....

This is an extract from an interview with Jimmy Page, who (pre-Zep) was one of the most in-demand session musicians in the UK in the 60s

"It was usually myself and a drummer", he explained, "though they never mention the drummer these days, just me ... Anyone needing a guitarist either went to Big Jim [Sullivan] or myself."^[11] He stated that "In the initial stages they just said, play what you want, cos at that time I couldn't read music or anything."^[15]

JoshuaWho said:

Not one of those you named can play guitar like Prince so just as a guitar player, he would be the top session man. Nevermind what he could do on bass and keys.

what he said

Militant said:

nuttynutmeg said:

Just anyone can play those guitar lines or syth riffs. If we didn't know it's him, those parts would go completely ignored and unnoticed. Nothing special and noone would go "shit, who's this dude, I gotta hire him for my record!"

When you hear Pino on bass, you'd go "DAYUMMM!" even if you don't know who he is.

Pino Palladino?

Good player, but I certainly didn't go "DAYUM" when I heard his unremarkable playing on the recent D'Angelo and NIN records.

And Stevie has said nobody in her band has been able to replicate what Prince did on Stand Back as well as he played it originally.

Unremarkable playing by Pino Palladino on Black Messiah? Are you for real?!?!

I think Prince is a very capable musician on guitar, bass, keys and drums and IMO he would have certainly been able to become a reasonably successful session musician at the very least. But he doesn't stand out on any of his instruments the way players like Palladino do on bass or someone like Herbie Hancock or Bill Evans on the piano. Although I rate him highly as a rhythm guitar player. IMHO again of course.

That doesn't undermine the importance of Prince as a multi-instrumentalist, composer, arranger and producer. He is the complete package wrapped up in one person and extremely talented that way.

As a vocalist, Prince's versitility is nearly unrivaled. He's a truly exceptional guitar player, an excellent bassist, a creative keyboard player, and a very competent drummer. If he's working in his native genres (pop, r&b, rock) he'd be in high demand. The issue would be working with him. We all know his word is unreliable and that he's a massive control freak.

I could imagine that if Prince wanted to stay out of the limelight but still get a living off music. He would be like a Clare Fischer except with pop and rock music. Artists would give Prince a set of lyrics and tell him to put a musical instrument backing behind it and even add harmony vocals.

.

It would be hard for Prince as he would not be song writing, unless he was a ghost writer. His anomynity may last for a while, but soon someone may see similar sounding lyrics from artists perceived to be slight. Also they would see the album covers and wonder who the "Jamie Starr" or "Christopher Tracy"or "Prince" wall of sound was.

. Strictly for instruments, Prince woul most likely offer to play an instrument in a studio, but mostly guitar and keys I imagine.

hw3004 said:

ozone14 said:

Prince would have a hard time if he were a no-name session musician if his reading skills are not good. From what I understand, he doesn't really read music. A musician isn't going to get far in the "session world" if they can't read. He would have to be in somebody's band or something like that. But just being a musician for hire for studio work, he probably wouldn't make it.

Respectfully, this is nonsense....

This is an extract from an interview with Jimmy Page, who (pre-Zep) was one of the most in-demand session musicians in the UK in the 60s

"It was usually myself and a drummer", he explained, "though they never mention the drummer these days, just me ... Anyone needing a guitarist either went to Big Jim [Sullivan] or myself."^[11] He stated that "In the initial stages they just said, play what you want, cos at that time I couldn't read music or anything."^[15]

Why don't you do more research on session musicians and see. Most sessions are not "just play want you want/feel" There's always exceptions and of course depending on what kind of record it is, your conncetions, etc, but on average, a session musican who can't read will be limited in opportunities. Prince would probably make noise as a musician and people would want him on their record because they like his sound. But in that case, he's not really a session musican, he's a featured artist. Being a featured musician/in the band vs session musican for hire are two different things.

HOw funny would it be fopr an artist to have Prince play on an album but not make a substantial contribution? Read the credits and it says Prince on tamborine...and that's all.

is this really a serious question...?...he is one of the most accomplished all round musicians on the planet...if anything...people wouldnt hire him as a session musician because the guy is a monster...look at the rock n roll hall of fame performance in 2004...famous players like tom petty..jeff lynne..stevie winwood and other musicans on stage and they were blown away by his playing...come on..he would be in very high demand by recording artists...who else would you need to record an album other than the one man band from minneapolis....of course...he would take over the whole project and it would end up sounding like the bria valente album but...hey...cant have everything

[Edited 2/26/15 9:24am]

ozone14 said:

hw3004 said:

Respectfully, this is nonsense....

This is an extract from an interview with Jimmy Page, who (pre-Zep) was one of the most in-demand session musicians in the UK in the 60s

"It was usually myself and a drummer", he explained, "though they never mention the drummer these days, just me ... Anyone needing a guitarist either went to Big Jim [Sullivan] or myself."^[11] He stated that "In the initial stages they just said, play what you want, cos at that time I couldn't read music or anything."^[15]

Why don't you do more research on session musicians and see. Most sessions are not "just play want you want/feel" There's always exceptions and of course depending on what kind of record it is, your conncetions, etc, but on average, a session musican who can't read will be limited in opportunities. Prince would probably make noise as a musician and people would want him on their record because they like his sound. But in that case, he's not really a session musican, he's a featured artist. Being a featured musician/in the band vs session musican for hire are two different things.

Why don't you admit you're wrong?

JoshuaWho said:

HOw funny would it be fopr an artist to have Prince play on an album but not make a substantial contribution? Read the credits and it says Prince on tamborine...and that's all.

I want Prince to play tamborine on my album.