.

.

anyone know why prince put this song on the Contoversy album instead of the Dirty Mind album?

.

all his earlier albums had a similar vibe throughout. let's work stands out like a sore thumb on controversy. no big deal but it's just strange to throw it in that album. anyone have a clue?

.

.

http://www.princevault.co...Dirty_Mind
Dirty Mind, the album was recorded in May and June of 1980, and released on October 8, 1980.

http://www.princevault.co...t%27s_Work
Let's Work, the song, was recorded in 1981.

That's why.

suomynona said:

http://www.princevault.co...Dirty_Mind
Dirty Mind, the album was recorded in May and June of 1980, and released on October 8, 1980.

http://www.princevault.co...t%27s_Work
Let's Work, the song, was recorded in 1981.

That's why.

...and boom goes the dynamite.

soladeo1 said:

Supposedly Lets Work started out as a one off single Prince wanted to rush release based on a popular dance with the kids that year called The Rock. WB didn't want to release it, pissing Prince off and foreshadowing his acrimony with his label in the 90s, so it was re-recorded as Let's Work am put on Controversy. Does anyone know what the hell The Rock dance was???

You put your foot down on the one
You jump up on the two

Now you're doing the Rock

suomynona said:

http://www.princevault.co...Dirty_Mind
Dirty Mind, the album was recorded in May and June of 1980, and released on October 8, 1980.

http://www.princevault.co...t%27s_Work
Let's Work, the song, was recorded in 1981.

That's why.

.

.

ahhh. thanks.

.

.

soladeo1 said:

Supposedly Lets Work started out as a one off single Prince wanted to rush release based on a popular dance with the kids that year called The Rock. WB didn't want to release it, pissing Prince off and foreshadowing his acrimony with his label in the 90s, so it was re-recorded as Let's Work am put on Controversy. Does anyone know what the hell The Rock dance was???

It was popular for a minute around the very early 80s. I forget if MJ's "Rock With You" was a reference to that or not, but I always thought it was.

I've never thought "Let's Work" doesn't fit Controversy.

I think that's the first time I've seen anyone state such a thing on this site.

"Let's Work" pretty much is what defines the sound of the album along with the title track to me.

novabrkr said:

blacksignparade said:

novabrkr said:

I've never thought "Let's Work" doesn't fit Controversy.

I think that's the first time I've seen anyone state such a thing on this site.

"Let's Work" pretty much is what defines the sound of the album along with the title track to me.

. . C'mon man. I can't agree at all. It definitely has a dirty mind feel. To my ears anyway. . .

Dirty Mind is seen as a mixture of funk and new wave ("punk with synths" essentially). The latter aspect is far more evident on tracks like "Sexuality", "Annie Christan" or "Jack U Off" on Controversy, so I can't really agree there.

I'm not saying that your impressions of it are wrong though. Like you've mentioned, the track was indeed written earlier and the version that's included on the Controversy album is a reworked one. Your ears are just picking different things than mine.

I'm hearing something that fits perfectly on the album in any case.

blacksignparade said:

novabrkr said:

I've never thought "Let's Work" doesn't fit Controversy.

I think that's the first time I've seen anyone state such a thing on this site.

"Let's Work" pretty much is what defines the sound of the album along with the title track to me.

. . C'mon man. I can't agree at all. It definitely has a dirty mind feel. To my ears anyway. . .

I'd have to agree with Novabrkr on this one. I think what you're hearing is the heavy bass licks, like you hear on "Uptown" or "Dirty Mind", that makes "Let's Work" seem like it belongs there. Even if you compare it to something like "Partyup", well - that's a Morris Day song, so it still doesn't fit the criteria for Dirty Mind.

"Let's Work" is one of the defining songs on Controversy. That album is a transitional album, really. He had heavier R&B sounds on those first three records (with dashes of rock, yes I know). But with Controversy, he really started to unload a new level of creativity, playing with the Linn drum machine more,and using different sounds. Don't forget that Dirty Mind was just demos (there's no piano on it, etc), so next to something more glossy like Controversy, the differences in periods for him is glaring. It really was a fresh start for him. His first three records were training ground, and he aced the course. Controversy was him setting out to do something totally new and bigger and different. His experimentation on Controversy bled into 1999, as evidenced by longer tracks, stranger sounds and arrangements, etc. If anything, "Let's Work" fits more on 1999 (with similar workouts like "DMSR" and "Lady Cab Driver") than it would on Dirty Mind. I see Prince's records as trilogies. There are always 3 albums which share sensibilities. And you can pretty much divide up his albums that way through the 80s, and see the similarities.

Again, I think it's the sound of the song that makes people think it's an earlier track, but if you really listen, it's Prince reaching way beyond anything on those first three records. The bawdy synths, the fat-ass bass skipping along, the aggressive plea for sex - it's a much more bold statement overall that something on Dirty Mind, despite it being one of his more sexual records.

One could more argue that "Jack U Off", with it's rockabilly influence and high-pitched lead line would fit onto DM more, because it has more similarities to something like "When You Were Mine". "Sister" is similar to "Ronnie Talk 2 Russia", but it's also hearkens to "I'm Yours" or "Bambi". "Jack U Off" also has the same rockabilly style as "Delirious", so again - Controversy is a provisory in its approach to the mainstream. Prince had been on the side streets up to that point. Controversy at least got him to the on ramp of the highway to stardom. 1999 was him merging into traffic, and Purple Rain was him in the carpool lane going 100 mph.

Controversy is probably the first Prince record to truly define the Minneapolis sound as its own creature.

I agree with that. Even back then I thought "1999" was the 'sequel' to "Controversy". Cab drivers, taxi cabs, sex, etc.

One of the best basslines ever

blacksignparade said:

novabrkr said:

I've never thought "Let's Work" doesn't fit Controversy.

I think that's the first time I've seen anyone state such a thing on this site.

"Let's Work" pretty much is what defines the sound of the album along with the title track to me.

. . C'mon man. I can't agree at all. It definitely has a dirty mind feel. To my ears anyway. . .

Sounds nothing like the material on Dirty Mind to me. If it had been on that album -- which would be impossible due to my first reply in this thread -- others would be wondering why it was on Dirty Mind.

However, sure sounds like Private Joy to me.

One could argue about the ballads -- why aren't all of the ballads on one album? They don't sound anything else like the music on the records they are on!

TrivialPursuit said:

suomynona said:

http://www.princevault.co...Dirty_Mind
Dirty Mind, the album was recorded in May and June of 1980, and released on October 8, 1980.

http://www.princevault.co...t%27s_Work
Let's Work, the song, was recorded in 1981.

That's why.

...and boom goes the dynamite.