It just hit me!

I mean, the voice may not be sped up as in "Good Love", but come on!
This is not Prince's natural tone.

Whaddayathink?

Nah, any slight vocal affection does not Camille make. That's Prince. Cheeky Prince, perhaps, but by no stretch of the imagination Camille. Camille is a whole otherwordly concept that goes beyond mere vocals.

According to this statement, "Erotic City" would be the first appearance of Camille.
But it isn't.

The only legit Camille tracks are the 8 of the album, "U Got The Look" and "Scarlet Pussy".

The Black Album is Camille, too

BEAUGARDE said:

The Black Album is Camille, too

Not exactly.

Camille is the "dark muse" for TBA, but the only Camille vocal is obviously "Rockhard in A Funky Place" lifted from the original Camille album.

I see what you mean. From a character's perspective, you're right "Girls & Boys" isn't a Camille song.

But it's like he's getting there. And the eras match.

I prefer to think that Erotic City is the first Camille song. Very bare, but it's taking form in the vocal inflexions.

And what about " or $ "?

After all, "credited to" isn't some sort of official stamp, borders move...

According to the Lovesexy tour book, The Black Album is Camille

bonatoc said:

After all, "credited to" isn't some sort of official stamp, borders move...

Well, in this way there are only "Prince" recordingw, no matter if they are credited to "Camille" or "T.A.F.K.A.P." or "Tora Tora" or "___________" (put in the alter ego you prefer).

BEAUGARDE said:

According to the Lovesexy tour book, The Black Album is Camille

I don't think we have to take this statement as a proper credit for the record.

TBA was conceived to be a "No-Name" credit. Neither Prince nor Camille.

I talked of "Dark Muse" because to me the story (not so linear, to be honest) told in the Lovesexy Tour Book seems to imply that a dark inspiration coming from Camille took Prince to conceive The Black Album.

It sounds absolutely more like a fantasy tale than a biopic.
"Lovesexy" is the light side of what was dark with the TBA, so this is the meaning.

If we wanna credit an entire record to "Camille" only because of the "fantasy" tale on the Lovesexy Tour Book, well we can.

But at the same extent we have simply to credit Prince because it is the "Creator" of Camille who created "The Black Album".

[Edited 3/23/16 9:01am]

I still remember reading the credits of the vinyl of Sign O' the Times and being disappointed that he had someone else sing vocals on songs, then when I was listening I got it.

ufoclub said:

I still remember reading the credits of the vinyl of Sign O' the Times and being disappointed that he had someone else sing vocals on songs, then when I was listening I got it.

For real?

214 said:

ufoclub said:

I still remember reading the credits of the vinyl of Sign O' the Times and being disappointed that he had someone else sing vocals on songs, then when I was listening I got it.

For real?

Yeah, before I actually listened closely. I was reading the packaging.

airth said:

Nah, any slight vocal affection does not Camille make. That's Prince. Cheeky Prince, perhaps, but by no stretch of the imagination Camille. Camille is a whole otherwordly concept that goes beyond mere vocals.

Exactly! Camille was not merely a change in Prince's natural "tone"!

Agree, the character is more than just sped-up tape.

paulludvig said:

So what is it? Describe Camille!

Prince's unabashed personification of the convergence that once was his acceptance of the duality that is his male/female persona.

ufoclub said:

I still remember reading the credits of the vinyl of Sign O' the Times and being disappointed that he had someone else sing vocals on songs, then when I was listening I got it.

in Rolling Stone magazine's review of SOTT,they seriously listed Camille as one of the guest vocalists "....and a new vocalist named Camille",wrote Kurt Loder

bonatoc said:

Agree, the character is more than just sped-up tape.

Yes, it's deeper than that.

paulludvig said:

So what is it? Describe Camille!

"Snare drum pounds on 2 and 4", "My baby licked me fast", "Nasty Bitch, get up!", "Soaked in banana cologne", Gustav Mahler's fourth symphony and the nuptial march come to mind.

"Feel U Up" is maybe the best his "improved over original version" ever.
I like the neurotics in 1982, but Eric's hiccups brought to the table something cosmic, during the instrumental bridge. And that soft Hammond chords... and you never see that coming, here we land again on the chorus: "Lemme touch your body!".

I stand firm on the fact that, if only by its subject and title, "Girls & Boys" is an important step towards the Camille character. The whole song revolves around androgyny. During the second part, Prince sounds like a female vocal lead on top of female background vocals.
I agree that, sung by Camille, we would have a dirtier, kinda cynical, tongue-in-cheek vocal lead.

Plus, Camille needs that hi-fi/lo-fi production, with Susan Rogers doing her best Geoff Emerich, and Clare Fisher perfecting the post-apocalyptic drama.

Camille is really the other twin, something Prince needed not to ravel too much into the bleak "Sign 'O' The Times" or "The Cross" realization of the state of the world.
Camille is what's left of the "1999" spirit, the "let's party y'all" brave spirit in the face of dark times (possibly The Revolution coming to an end, Susannah's departure, and an ecstasy pill).

BoraBora said:

According to this statement, "Erotic City" would be the first appearance of Camille.
But it isn't.

The only legit Camille tracks are the 8 of the album, "U Got The Look" and "Scarlet Pussy".

Backing vocals on Automatic!

I think Camille is also singing on the unreleased "Rebirth of the Flesh."

jaawwnn said:

BoraBora said:

According to this statement, "Erotic City" would be the first appearance of Camille.
But it isn't.

The only legit Camille tracks are the 8 of the album, "U Got The Look" and "Scarlet Pussy".

Backing vocals on Automatic!

Damn, you're right.
Just that musical phrase, sounds more Camillesque than "Girls & Boys", no doubt.

I still do think "Love Or Money" is debatable, though.
I think it qualifies as an early sketch.

RedKite said:

I think Camille is also singing on the unreleased "Rebirth of the Flesh."

Yes, it belong to Camille album isn't?