Militant said:

Militant said:

babynoz said:

That's a good saying and I've heard other musicians say the same thing.

Militant is a young musician and I'd like to hear his take on it. Can a song be too cluttered? Sometimes a silence in the right place can have meaning.

For sure. I often say that you know you've got a good song when you've got too many good parts, and you end up having to make the tough decision of which parts to take out. This is consistent with how Prince worked in the 80's, because all the stuff he took out would end up on the extended mixes! And the extreme end of that is knowing when you just don't need a part somewhere and that whole part of the audio spectrum can be silent - like WDC not having a traditional bassline and letting the low end of the drums cover that part. That's what brings attention to the genius of the drum programming.


It's hard though. Letting the track breathe is really tough sometimes. And sometimes it's hard to tell whether you need to remove a part, or whether you can just be a bit more creative with the production and mixing so each part can breathe without getting in the way of other stuff.

But I think Prince is talking more about the songwriting than the production here. He definitely uses a lot of space in the way he constructs his songs, his chord progressions etc. I remember "Crystal Ball" was the song that made me really stand up and take notice of the way he uses silence.

Thanks. I figured you would be able to elaborate on that point better than I could.

I wonder if he will expand this open approach? It will be interesting to see if we get more songs like June, for example. I certainly felt a less is more vibe from that one.

paulludvig said:

funksterr said:

Ehh.. that's not what he said at all so keep your misinformation out of it.

Actually KCOOLMUSIQ is correct. On the second show that night he spefically said "She wrote that part. NOT the song. That part. Not. The song" I think this is word for word what he said.

You both are arguing things not in dispute.. the issue is that MURPH, has continually claimed, over like a year or two, that W&L told him on the downlow that they wrote nothing at all. Prince has OPENED UP and claimed otherwise.

laurarichardson said:

funksterr said:

That's true... except... I'm a lot closer to the facts at hand, than what a lot of you are saying. Prince is notoriously insensitive and dickish to people. Expecially when he was 22-25 years old. Even Prince said it was a story he probably shouldn't be saying. Guilty conscience.

---- Unless you were at this concert you need to shut the fuck up. You are either a troll or a complete idiot. The utter nonsense you post on this board is mind boggling.

You are the QUEEN OF LIES on this site... Don't even get me started. You never respond when you are caught neither. Just like someone else in this thread. How about you take a moment and address your claim that Prince is 'THE LARGEST LANDHOLDER IN HIS COUNTY". Still waiting on you to back that up with proof. What? Did you think I forgot???????

murph said:

funksterr said:

Ehh.. that's not what he said at all so keep your misinformation out of it.

Uh huh...lol....I'm not finished with u yet....

Don't know about KCOOL....But this is where I get MY information from....From the girls themselves....They broke it down to me....A blast from the past.....Hope u learn something...

VIBE Magazine

The Revolution duo on Prince's lost dream

By K. Murphy (2009)

When talking to keyboardist Lisa Coleman and guitarist Wendy Melvoin about their experiences working with mercurial funk-rock God Prince, the stories are seemingly endless. So much so, that we couldn’t fit the bulk of the duo’s interview into our 51 Best Albums That Never Were package, which highlighted Prince’s now mythical 1986 unreleased project Dream Factory (Paisley Park). These days Wendy and Lisa—the most celebrated members of the Purple One’s classic ‘80s backing band The Revolution—are still making uncompromising music with the release of the latest album White Flags of Winter Chimneys (wendyandlisa.com).

So what’s it like recording with a prodigious talent who can write a song as easy as “brushing his teeth” as Coleman muses? Read on.

VIBE.com: The Dream Factory album remains one of Prince's most coveted unreleased works. What do you recall about the start of the studio sessions?

Wendy: When we were working on it, it wasn’t called the Dream Factory. It wasn’t that record. The time between Parade and Prince’s Sign O’ The Times was an incredibly prolific time for me, Lisa and Prince together. There were so many songs that didn’t end up on any records that later ended up on Sign O’ The Times. At that time I remember Susannah, my sister, was doing a lot of vocals on that record.

Lisa: There also another record that people refer to called “Crystal Ball”. But I remember doing songs that were 15 minutes long and all these different sections.

Wendy: There was also “Roadhouse Garden “which was unreleased as part of that as well.

Lisa: We were traveling and working everyday.

Prince's songwriting prowess has now become legendary. What was it like to work when an artist who could write a song and record it in one day?

Lisa: Prince, he can write a song a day. I remember that whole time as being so creative. We were really exploring a lot of things. It was buying new gear.

Wendy: Lisa and I bought the Fairlight [sampling synthesizer] into the situation.

Lisa: The Fairlight was just inspiration for a writer like Prince – for all of us. There were flute sounds, wind sounds, voice samples, hand clap sounds. We would just build these songs around it.

"All My Dreams” is arguably the highlight of Dream Factory. You can hear influences from jazz to 1930's Hollywood musicals within the framework of that track. This was a pretty ambitious track.

Wendy: It reminded me of classic Kid Creole and The Coconuts. Prince had this cool sort of personality when he was singing it. One track he sang through a megaphone and the other track was a clean track and he mixed the two. And Lisa and I were doing these crazy background vocals.

Lisa: Prince would tell us when we would be doing background vocals, “Sing like you are Betty Davis.” If we weren’t in the studio we would watch old black and white films and that whole “Puttin’ On The Ritz” era.

It was during this time that the Revolution was on tour with Prince for the Hit & Run tour. How were you guys able to keep the frantic pace of touring and the marathon recording sessions Prince was known for?

Lisa: You know I got to say we were not doing drugs (laughs). If we had, it would have been bad.

Wendy: I save my wine consumption for now, as an older dame.

"Visions" seemed to be a huge curve pitch for Prince. How did he approach you (Lisa) about creating a short avant-garde jazz piano instrumental?

Lisa: Prince had being thinking of ideas of doing piano interludes on a record. He had just got a new grand piano in his house. His studio was downstairs in this basement. It was all improvisational. I played it once and that’s what that is. I haven’t played it since. We were just testing out the set up. Susan Rogers recorded it and miked the piano. He didn’t even have any inputs that day. We were just running a cable from upstairs (laughs). We were just testing out the gear. Prince wasn’t there. He just asked us to do some thing. He said, “Make them two and half minute pieces.” So I recorded a few and that’s what “Visions” is.

Then there's “Witness 4 The Prosecution." There's a very hard rocking vibe to that track, but Prince being Prince also decided to add a gospel feel to it.

Lisa: That was good stuff. That was a moment when we were all in a room and Prince pressed play and just said, “Do you like it?” [laughs] I do remember being in the room singing those background vocals and getting up really high, trying to work that vibrato. [laughs]

Can you shed light into the track “Strange Relationship," a song Prince had recorded and given to you to finish?

Wendy: We got a master tape that had Prince’s vocals, piano and drums. He said, “Take it and finish it.” So Lisa and I went back to Los Angeles and created the other parts to it. The sitar sound came from a sample from the Fairlight.

How did you feel when you heard "Strange Relationship" on Prince's landmark '87 work Sign O’ The Times, stripped of you and Lisa's contributions?

Wendy: Jealous that our name was not on it and that he took us off.

Your relationship with Prince seemed to be the closest out of anyone from '84 to '86. What do you feel was Prince's motive for letting you and Lisa go and disbanding the Revolution?

Wendy: That was the relationship he, me, and Lisa had. It became this triumvirate, a three-headed monster. And that was the main reason why he let us go. He wanted to express himself completely. We were doing so much work. That’s the way I rationalize it now. Prince may have other reasons why he let us go. He’s never really talked about that. But we were led to believe that he needed to get back his mojo.

Lisa: That was hard. After getting fired I remember two things: The morning I was blow-drying my hair thinking, “Did we just get fired?” [laughs] And then when Sign O’ The Times came out. We listened to it like, “Oh wow...we are gone.” It was like a breakup and seeing your boyfriend with another girl.

Looking back, what comes to mind thinking about your time with Prince during one of his most productive periods?

Wendy: That was a creative time for Lisa and I as well. We wanted to show Prince things he had never heard before. And we are very proud of that.

Your current album White Flags of Winter Chimneys features some of the same left field, quirky, experimental hallmarks that can be found on the Dream Factory. Are we going to see a Wendy & Lisa tour anytime soon?

Lisa: We are looking into that now. Even back when we had a big record deal it was like, “We don’t have enough money to put you in a room.” We might be in New York in the summertime so we might set up a residency.

Wendy: What would ultimately be cool because we work with so many great musicians, we have this band called Edith Funker with Questlove, Erykah badu, Doyal Bram Hall, James Poyser and Jazzy Jeff. We cut songs and we are trying to finish a record. Quest has been out on the road for about a year now and Erykah has been out for a year, but what could be great is if we could all go out as this revue. That’s my goal.

[Edited 2/18/16 5:55am]

I don't have time to read all that... Besides you claimed that you had INSIDE INFORMATION, given to you on the DOWNLOW. So obviously whatever is in that article, isn't going to be evidence of what you claimed. You said they wrote NOTHING. Prince said otherwise. Sack up and own it.

funksterr said:

paulludvig said:

Actually KCOOLMUSIQ is correct. On the second show that night he spefically said "She wrote that part. NOT the song. That part. Not. The song" I think this is word for word what he said.

You both are arguing things not in dispute.. the issue is that MURPH, has continually claimed, over like a year or two, that W&L told him on the downlow that they wrote nothing at all. Prince has OPENED UP and claimed otherwise.

Stop lying..That's the issue....No one has said that W&L told me they didn't write anything....U don't have to lie...Really...U don't....

babynoz said:

You realize that Chris Brown is a convicted felon, right?

Just when it seems you couldn't stoop any lower you resort to reckless and libelous statements by comparing Prince to Chris Brown and accusing him of domestic abuse?

Your irresponsible comments are off topic and libelous. Are you trying to get the org shut down or what?

DAAYUM... Prince said he had his bodyguard put hands on his woman... not me. wtf??

funksterr said:

murph said:

Uh huh...lol....I'm not finished with u yet....

Don't know about KCOOL....But this is where I get MY information from....From the girls themselves....They broke it down to me....A blast from the past.....Hope u learn something...

VIBE Magazine

The Revolution duo on Prince's lost dream

By K. Murphy (2009)

When talking to keyboardist Lisa Coleman and guitarist Wendy Melvoin about their experiences working with mercurial funk-rock God Prince, the stories are seemingly endless. So much so, that we couldn’t fit the bulk of the duo’s interview into our 51 Best Albums That Never Were package, which highlighted Prince’s now mythical 1986 unreleased project Dream Factory (Paisley Park). These days Wendy and Lisa—the most celebrated members of the Purple One’s classic ‘80s backing band The Revolution—are still making uncompromising music with the release of the latest album White Flags of Winter Chimneys (wendyandlisa.com).

So what’s it like recording with a prodigious talent who can write a song as easy as “brushing his teeth” as Coleman muses? Read on.

VIBE.com: The Dream Factory album remains one of Prince's most coveted unreleased works. What do you recall about the start of the studio sessions?

Wendy: When we were working on it, it wasn’t called the Dream Factory. It wasn’t that record. The time between Parade and Prince’s Sign O’ The Times was an incredibly prolific time for me, Lisa and Prince together. There were so many songs that didn’t end up on any records that later ended up on Sign O’ The Times. At that time I remember Susannah, my sister, was doing a lot of vocals on that record.

Lisa: There also another record that people refer to called “Crystal Ball”. But I remember doing songs that were 15 minutes long and all these different sections.

Wendy: There was also “Roadhouse Garden “which was unreleased as part of that as well.

Lisa: We were traveling and working everyday.

Prince's songwriting prowess has now become legendary. What was it like to work when an artist who could write a song and record it in one day?

Lisa: Prince, he can write a song a day. I remember that whole time as being so creative. We were really exploring a lot of things. It was buying new gear.

Wendy: Lisa and I bought the Fairlight [sampling synthesizer] into the situation.

Lisa: The Fairlight was just inspiration for a writer like Prince – for all of us. There were flute sounds, wind sounds, voice samples, hand clap sounds. We would just build these songs around it.

"All My Dreams” is arguably the highlight of Dream Factory. You can hear influences from jazz to 1930's Hollywood musicals within the framework of that track. This was a pretty ambitious track.

Wendy: It reminded me of classic Kid Creole and The Coconuts. Prince had this cool sort of personality when he was singing it. One track he sang through a megaphone and the other track was a clean track and he mixed the two. And Lisa and I were doing these crazy background vocals.

Lisa: Prince would tell us when we would be doing background vocals, “Sing like you are Betty Davis.” If we weren’t in the studio we would watch old black and white films and that whole “Puttin’ On The Ritz” era.

It was during this time that the Revolution was on tour with Prince for the Hit & Run tour. How were you guys able to keep the frantic pace of touring and the marathon recording sessions Prince was known for?

Lisa: You know I got to say we were not doing drugs (laughs). If we had, it would have been bad.

Wendy: I save my wine consumption for now, as an older dame.

"Visions" seemed to be a huge curve pitch for Prince. How did he approach you (Lisa) about creating a short avant-garde jazz piano instrumental?

Lisa: Prince had being thinking of ideas of doing piano interludes on a record. He had just got a new grand piano in his house. His studio was downstairs in this basement. It was all improvisational. I played it once and that’s what that is. I haven’t played it since. We were just testing out the set up. Susan Rogers recorded it and miked the piano. He didn’t even have any inputs that day. We were just running a cable from upstairs (laughs). We were just testing out the gear. Prince wasn’t there. He just asked us to do some thing. He said, “Make them two and half minute pieces.” So I recorded a few and that’s what “Visions” is.

Then there's “Witness 4 The Prosecution." There's a very hard rocking vibe to that track, but Prince being Prince also decided to add a gospel feel to it.

Lisa: That was good stuff. That was a moment when we were all in a room and Prince pressed play and just said, “Do you like it?” [laughs] I do remember being in the room singing those background vocals and getting up really high, trying to work that vibrato. [laughs]

Can you shed light into the track “Strange Relationship," a song Prince had recorded and given to you to finish?

Wendy: We got a master tape that had Prince’s vocals, piano and drums. He said, “Take it and finish it.” So Lisa and I went back to Los Angeles and created the other parts to it. The sitar sound came from a sample from the Fairlight.

How did you feel when you heard "Strange Relationship" on Prince's landmark '87 work Sign O’ The Times, stripped of you and Lisa's contributions?

Wendy: Jealous that our name was not on it and that he took us off.

Your relationship with Prince seemed to be the closest out of anyone from '84 to '86. What do you feel was Prince's motive for letting you and Lisa go and disbanding the Revolution?

Wendy: That was the relationship he, me, and Lisa had. It became this triumvirate, a three-headed monster. And that was the main reason why he let us go. He wanted to express himself completely. We were doing so much work. That’s the way I rationalize it now. Prince may have other reasons why he let us go. He’s never really talked about that. But we were led to believe that he needed to get back his mojo.

Lisa: That was hard. After getting fired I remember two things: The morning I was blow-drying my hair thinking, “Did we just get fired?” [laughs] And then when Sign O’ The Times came out. We listened to it like, “Oh wow...we are gone.” It was like a breakup and seeing your boyfriend with another girl.

Looking back, what comes to mind thinking about your time with Prince during one of his most productive periods?

Wendy: That was a creative time for Lisa and I as well. We wanted to show Prince things he had never heard before. And we are very proud of that.

Your current album White Flags of Winter Chimneys features some of the same left field, quirky, experimental hallmarks that can be found on the Dream Factory. Are we going to see a Wendy & Lisa tour anytime soon?

Lisa: We are looking into that now. Even back when we had a big record deal it was like, “We don’t have enough money to put you in a room.” We might be in New York in the summertime so we might set up a residency.

Wendy: What would ultimately be cool because we work with so many great musicians, we have this band called Edith Funker with Questlove, Erykah badu, Doyal Bram Hall, James Poyser and Jazzy Jeff. We cut songs and we are trying to finish a record. Quest has been out on the road for about a year now and Erykah has been out for a year, but what could be great is if we could all go out as this revue. That’s my goal.

[Edited 2/18/16 5:55am]

I don't have time to read all that... Besides you claimed that you had INSIDE INFORMATION, given to you on the DOWNLOW. So obviously whatever is in that article, isn't going to be evidence of what you claimed. You said they wrote NOTHING. Prince said otherwise. Sack up and own it.

No disrespect....But u r not being truthful. I said specifically I spoke to W&L AND that I have also spoken to people in P's camp over the years. What I just posted was the actual words from W&L...Abd in those words they talk about the work that they contributed to Prince's catalogue....

Now please....All I need u to do is turn down the lying...I never said W&L did not contribute to P's output...But u know that....

paulludvig said:

murph said:

No disrespect....But u r not being truthful. I said specifically I spoke to W&L AND that I have also spoken to people in P's camp over the years. What I just posted was the actual words from W&L...Abd in those words they talk about the work that they contributed to Prince's catalogue....

Now please....All I need u to do is turn down the lying...I never said W&L did not contribute to P's output...But u know that....

As long as we agree that they wrote parts that Prince developed into something more I'm good.

babynoz said:

funksterr said:

babynoz said:

You realize that Chris Brown is a convicted felon, right?

Just when it seems you couldn't stoop any lower you resort to reckless and libelous statements by comparing Prince to Chris Brown and accusing him of domestic abuse?

Your irresponsible comments are off topic and libelous. Are you trying to get the org shut down or what?

DAAYUM... Prince said he had his bodyguard put hands on his woman... not me. wtf??

He said no such thing. What he said was he'd get his bodyguard to do his dirty work for him. At no time did he say that anything was actually done. Therefore your comparison of Prince to Chris Brown, who was convicted of felonious assault is off topic and libelous.

Your manufactured lies are usually just pathetic but libel crosses the line.

NorthC said:

Guys, can you please stop the ? It's getting boring.

If people would stay on topic it would be less of an issue. I have a thing about lying....sorry.

iZsaZsa said:

babynoz said:

Thanks. I figured you would be able to elaborate on that point better than I could.

I wonder if he will expand this open approach? It will be interesting to see if we get more songs like June, for example. I certainly felt a less is more vibe from that one.

I love that song. He needs to buy a pasta pot and a cooking timer.

The song is beautiful in it's simplicity.

babynoz said:

funksterr said:

DAAYUM... Prince said he had his bodyguard put hands on his woman... not me. wtf??

He said no such thing. What he said was he'd get his bodyguard to do his dirty work for him. At no time did he say that anything was actually done. Therefore your comparison of Prince to Chris Brown, who was convicted of felonious assault is off topic and libelous.

Your manufactured lies are usually just pathetic but libel crosses the line.

I'm pretty sure that's not the quote, so I'm not even sure what you are misusing legal language for. Are you Prince's lawyer?? If so clear up his intent, so we can end the debate. If not, give it a rest.

NorthC said:

Guys, can you please stop the ? It's getting boring.

It's all good. Just don't have patience for Trolls....

funksterr said:

babynoz said:

He said no such thing. What he said was he'd get his bodyguard to do his dirty work for him. At no time did he say that anything was actually done. Therefore your comparison of Prince to Chris Brown, who was convicted of felonious assault is off topic and libelous.

Your manufactured lies are usually just pathetic but libel crosses the line.

I'm pretty sure that's not the quote, so I'm not even sure what you are misusing legal language for. Are you Prince's lawyer?? If so clear up his intent, so we can end the debate. If not, give it a rest.

Nice attempt at deflection but I'm only one of a long line of members to call you out as a serial liar.

The article says "he then asked his six foot bodyguard to do the dirty work for him."

It doesn't say anything about whether it was actually done...that's your ASSumption.

Why compare that exchange to the violent acts of a convicted felon in the first place? Only a loser makes such reckless comments.

I'll give it a rest when you stop lying.

antonb said:

funksterr said:

I was feeling bad about Vanity's passing, but reading Prince's comments... idk. I think it's a distasteful tribute to reminise on the day of a friends' passing, about the time he... domesticaly abused her. 'Called me short. I had your azz thrown in a pool. RIP Vanity'. That's Prince ghetto azz for ya'! Seems like everything in Purple Rain has an element of truth to it.

Oh wow --- that's beyond the pale in terms of gross trolling.

I guess that leaves child molester and a few other hysterical accusations for you to make in the near future.

KCOOLMUZIQ said:

BobGeorge909 said:

iZsaZsa said:

iZsaZsa said:

BobGeorge909 said:

Speaking of opening up... Didn't he just say in the deleted Ebony interview that the beautiful ones was about a fictional character and not about vanity like everyone was rumouring about?

No. He said it was about a fictional character and also about Vanity. And not about anyone else who was saying they were the subject of the song, nor anyone else like everyone was rumoring about other than the Purple Rain movies fictional character and Vanity.

true!