lust said:

While my guitar gently weeps
Best of you/all along the watchtower
Creep.

Only opinion...but I think, some of the appeal of these, at least, is seeing him show off his brilliance to non-fans/lesser fans in his post-80's years and witnessing their reactions. Sort of a come-back type of allure (though, of course we know he never left)

I think it's more a matter of him really loving the songs he's covering. Take "Just My Imagination," for example. That song came out in 1971 - when Prince was 13 years old. You know he listened to that on the radio and loved it. "Motherless Child" is an iconic spiritual that you know he heard in church growing up. (Go to youtube and listen to Paul Robeson's version of it. Heart-wrenching.)

These older songs, especially, stirred something in him when he heard them as a kid - and as a grown-up musician, it's only natural he'd want to put his own spin on songs that moved him.

[Edited 10/3/16 15:17pm]

Genesia said:

lust said:

Genesia said:

I think it's more a matter of him really loving the songs he's covering. Take "Just My Imagination," for example. That song came out in 1971 - when Prince was 13 years old. You know he listened to that on the radio and loved it. "Motherless Child" is an iconic spiritual that you know he heard in church growing up. (Go to youtube and listen to Paul Robeson's version of it. Heart-wrenching.)

These older songs, especially, stirred something in him when he heard them as a kid - and as a grown-up musician, it's only natural he'd want to put his own spin on songs that moved him.

[Edited 10/3/16 15:17pm]

Ah, interesting. I hadn't considered that. So maybe it's the energy HE puts into it as it's something different for him to do. Maybe not quite the point you were making but it lead me there.

Well, yeah. I mean...I don't think Prince ever thought the only great songs ever written were his own. Why wouldn't he want to interpret incredible songs written by other people?

That's why I've never understood the, "I hate it when he sings covers" crowd. Especially with those older songs, don't you want to know what he listened to as a kid, what moved him, what his influences were?

When he told us that we could know everything about him by listening to the music, that's what he meant. When he put "Betcha By Golly Wow" (1971) and "La La Means I Love You" (1968) on Emancipation, it was because those songs - which were hits when he was a kid - were what falling in love sounded like to his 10- or 13-year-old self. And they took his 30-something falling-in-love self back there.

I haven't listened most of them, but Just My Imagination is the most beautiful thing from him, i wish he had recorded a studio version.

Genesia said:

lust said:

Genesia said: Ah, interesting. I hadn't considered that. So maybe it's the energy HE puts into it as it's something different for him to do. Maybe not quite the point you were making but it lead me there.

Well, yeah. I mean...I don't think Prince ever thought the only great songs ever written were his own. Why wouldn't he want to interpret incredible songs written by other people?

That's why I've never understood the, "I hate it when he sings covers" crowd. Especially with those older songs, don't you want to know what he listened to as a kid, what moved him, what his influences were?

When he told us that we could know everything about him by listening to the music, that's what he meant. When he put "Betcha By Golly Wow" (1971) and "La La Means I Love You" (1968) on Emancipation, it was because those songs - which were hits when he was a kid - were what falling in love sounded like to his 10- or 13-year-old self. And they took his 30-something falling-in-love self back there.

Great insight Genesia!

I also really liked his Blues Covers

He made Electric Man his own

Beggin' Woman Blues/Three Handed Women

Others I like are

Miss U

Whole Lotta Love

bookwomen said:

lust said:

bookwomen said:

I also really liked his Blues Covers

He made Electric Man his own

Beggin' Woman Blues/Three Handed Women

Others I like are

Miss U

Whole Lotta Love

The first two are his own.

No

Electric Man is by Muddy Waters

Beggin Woman by Cousin Joe

Three Handed by Louis Jordan

Prince did add some of his own lyrics

bookwomen said:

lust said:

So was Cockeyed woman his own?

Yes Cockeyed was all his own