SoulAlive said:

I think "319" would have been a perfect single.It would have done well on R&B and pop stations,

Gold is monumentally better than Purple Rain even though it borrows the same structure.

.

A song doesn't have to be a hit to be considered good.

.

darkroman said:

Gold is monumentally better than Purple Rain

Here's why the "Gold" single flopped... the production was too in your face cheesy happy with the synths and pure attitude. The sounds seem straight off the keyboards with no personality. Everyone I knew didn't like it because of the production style. In a similar genre, but with cool production style and sound is "Purple Rain".

The demo of Gold is better, and then there is a live one he played at an aftershow that is really cool. I wish that came out on soundboard.

I think the song composition itself is fine. It's just the choice to produce it in such a straight off the shelf way with none of the usual Prince type twists in the productin style.

ufoclub said:

Here's why the "Gold" single flopped... the production was too in your face cheesy happy with the synths and pure attitude. The sounds seem straight off the keyboards with no personality. Everyone I knew didn't like it because of the production style. In a similar genre, but with cool production style and sound is "Purple Rain".

The demo of Gold is better, and then there is a live one he played at an aftershow that is really cool. I wish that came out on soundboard.

I think the song composition itself is fine. It's just the choice to produce it in such a straight off the shelf way with none of the usual Prince type twists in the productin style.

Even with PR production style it would have flooped for reasons leadline said. Also to wit, it was in the wrong decade. The song was more suited for the 80's era.

Iamtheorg said:

Iamtheorg said:

ufoclub said:

Here's why the "Gold" single flopped... the production was too in your face cheesy happy with the synths and pure attitude. The sounds seem straight off the keyboards with no personality. Everyone I knew didn't like it because of the production style. In a similar genre, but with cool production style and sound is "Purple Rain".

The demo of Gold is better, and then there is a live one he played at an aftershow that is really cool. I wish that came out on soundboard.

I think the song composition itself is fine. It's just the choice to produce it in such a straight off the shelf way with none of the usual Prince type twists in the productin style.

Even with PR production style it would have flooped for reasons leadline said. Also to wit, it was in the wrong decade. The song was more suited for the 80's era.

I'm just telling you what my non Prince obsessed pop music fan friends told me at the time. We would always discuss music and what was being put out, checkng out new stuff and seeing how the old favorites were faring. And that was the general reaction to the Prince song "Gold" that HAD been hyped by Prince as being something great that was supressed from release initially.

For example, U2 released "One" a year earlier (maybe 2 years) which was a similar type of power ballad, and it hit, because it had a strong sound arrangment as opposed to an off the shelf cheesy sound. But imagine taking "One" and then arrangeing it with the instrumentation style of "gold". Then it wouldn't have hit past the die hard U2 fans. I don't own a single U2 album, but when that songs used to come on the radio, I would turn it up.

There's abosolutely no way "Gold" would have hit. Another power ballad that did hit at the exact time was "Kiss from a Rose" by Seal. That had less cheesy production and even had a retro woodwind sound to it if I remember right. At the same time you had "Waterfalls" which sounded so much like a Prince production that some peeps in the general public thought he wrote it. That also had no cheesy off the shelf sounds, but more "real" instruments, and the keyboard sounds were in the lower more natural range of a real organ.

Michael Jackson had his simillar power ballad genre song "You are not Alone" hitting at that time, but it is dangerously close to that chessy production territory itself. It is really pared down though, featuring his voice, even if the music sounded generic. It hit big time.

I wish Prince had released an acoustic version of Gold (in the way he released an avoustic version of "Love"). I'm sure there is one waiting to be heard.

But the only way to prove what I think, is to go back in time, somehow influence Prince to produce the song in a different style, and then put it out the exact same way. I think he was taking a chance playing the earnest full on cheesy synth sound card, and he lost. He was always taking chances and sometimes it didn't work out. But him taking chances is why I was super invested in his every move.

ufoclub said:

Iamtheorg said:

Even with PR production style it would have flooped for reasons leadline said. Also to wit, it was in the wrong decade. The song was more suited for the 80's era.

I'm just telling you what my non Prince obsessed pop music fan friends told me at the time. We would always discuss music and what was being put out, checkng out new stuff and seeing how the old favorites were faring. And that was the general reaction to the Prince song "Gold" that HAD been hyped by Prince as being something great that was supressed from release initially.

For example, U2 released "One" a year earlier (maybe 2 years) which was a similar type of power ballad, and it hit, because it had a strong sound arrangment as opposed to an off the shelf cheesy sound. But imagine taking "One" and then arrangeing it with the instrumentation style of "gold". Then it wouldn't have hit past the die hard U2 fans. I don't own a single U2 album, but when that songs used to come on the radio, I would turn it up.

There's abosolutely no way "Gold" would have hit. Another power ballad that did hit at the exact time was "Kiss from a Rose" by Seal. That had less cheesy production and even had a retro woodwind sound to it if I remember right. At the same time you had "Waterfalls" which sounded so much like a Prince production that some peeps in the general public thought he wrote it. That also had no cheesy off the shelf sounds, but more "real" instruments, and the keyboard sounds were in the lower more natural range of a real organ.

Michael Jackson had his simillar power ballad genre song "You are not Alone" hitting at that time, but it is dangerously close to that chessy production territory itself. It is really pared down though, featuring his voice, even if the music sounded generic. It hit big time.

I wish Prince had released an acoustic version of Gold (in the way he released an avoustic version of "Love"). I'm sure there is one waiting to be heard.

But the only way to prove what I think, is to go back in time, somehow influence Prince to produce the song in a different style, and then put it out the exact same way. I think he was taking a chance playing the earnest full on cheesy synth sound card, and he lost. He was always taking chances and sometimes it didn't work out. But him taking chances is why I was super invested in his every move.

Hmmm. Starting to agree with ya. But still would be successful in the 80's with the same production. So as I said and you said..the prodction is involved and what leadline said is true too....its not ALL about the production...cause look how successful TMBGITW was and thats as lushly/cheesy prodced imho

[Edited 9/25/16 10:46am]

muleFunk said:

When Prince was sent to the R&B division of Warner Brothers it changed the way his music was marketed. It also cut his fan base.

When was that? I know they marketed singles differently to pop and R&B stations throughout his career.

I agree with those who think Gold is vastly superior to Purple Rain, I just wish the demo/ early cut of Gold had been used.

I don't think the song sounded out of place at the time, it was the WB dynamics around him. It was a hit here in the UK and I would say, when I ask my casual fan friends, Gold is most commonly chosen as a favourite song.

My Son, who has been played all of the Prince's music also puts Gold as his number 1.

ScarLett said:

IstenSzek said:

best typo ever.

Lol.. not a true typo.. it's a saying 😋 https://youtu.be/ghR6dsIZatM

i didn't realise that i thought you meant "to get it on to"

the only thing that would have done well was "dolphin", released as a single
right when they released the video.

sadly due to all the shit going on, no single.

back then it was the perfect time for that song, at least in europe. i was so
sad that it was not released officially. had to watch the video so many times
that the vhs tape broke

most of the singles from the album were just fine, especially with remixes or
edits to suit certain radio formats.

it's just that all momentum was sucked out of that album despite all the talk
about it and all the press it got in the year before it's release.

the wave that they should have ridden after TMBGITW was already gone and
forgotten by most, especially after all those other releases.

too many people were pissed off to play his stuff i guess and no one was
dishing out $ for airplay, neither warner nor prince. also, i don't remember
prince really promoting the album on tv anymore at that time. despite his
promoting the fuck out of it years prior.

etc etc etc.

still, we got a great album. who cares what the rest of the world missed out on.

It was a conspiracy. With his younger sister, her husband, Warner Brothers, his right-hand man, his personal assistant, The Queen Of England, BillBoard, Cashbox, RIAA, Big Pharm, and radio station programmers all in collusion.

Anybody who believes otherwise, will believe anything "they" tell you to believe — {whoever "they" are}

Iamtheorg said:

IstenSzek said:

the only thing that would have done well was "dolphin", released as a single
right when they released the video.

sadly due to all the shit going on, no single.

back then it was the perfect time for that song, at least in europe. i was so
sad that it was not released officially. had to watch the video so many times
that the vhs tape broke

most of the singles from the album were just fine, especially with remixes or
edits to suit certain radio formats.

it's just that all momentum was sucked out of that album despite all the talk
about it and all the press it got in the year before it's release.

the wave that they should have ridden after TMBGITW was already gone and
forgotten by most, especially after all those other releases.

too many people were pissed off to play his stuff i guess and no one was
dishing out $ for airplay, neither warner nor prince. also, i don't remember
prince really promoting the album on tv anymore at that time. despite his
promoting the fuck out of it years prior.

etc etc etc.

still, we got a great album. who cares what the rest of the world missed out on.

I love dolphin, and I always wondered what it would have done on radio with promotion. I love his voice on the song, it has a catchy melody that is radio friendly, and come on ---who doesn't want to be a dolphin !

I love it but,

the tempo and the key aren't synched up with with mainstream appeal, b/c he wasn't seeking that.

darkroman said:

Gold is monumentally better than Purple Rain even though it borrows the same structure.

.

A song doesn't have to be a hit to be considered good.

.

In what world is that?

SquirrelMeat said:

I agree with those who think Gold is vastly superior to Purple Rain, I just wish the demo/ early cut of Gold had been used.

I don't think the song sounded out of place at the time, it was the WB dynamics around him. It was a hit here in the UK and I would say, when I ask my casual fan friends, Gold is most commonly chosen as a favourite song.

My Son, who has been played all of the Prince's music also puts Gold as his number 1.

So you just agree with yourself then...

phatphuk said:

It was a conspiracy. With his younger sister, her husband, Warner Brothers, his right-hand man, his personal assistant, The Queen Of England, BillBoard, Cashbox, RIAA, Big Pharm, and radio station programmers all in collusion.

Anybody who believes otherwise, will believe anything "they" tell you to believe — {whoever "they" are}

Tell me more please...

Dolphin is much worst than Gold and those lyrics are beyond ridiculous

214 said:

"...Tell me more please..."

I can't. Unless you're a Mason.

214 said:

214 said:

Dolphin is much worst than Gold and those lyrics are beyond ridiculous

[img:$uid]http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f331/larslimburg/tumblr_inline_nejqigXOJ51reb8lg_zpszxx4eesi.gif[/img:$uid]

phatphuk said:

214 said:

"...Tell me more please..."

I can't. Unless you're a Mason.

I am, i swear

controversy99 said:

214 said:

Dolphin is much worst than Gold and those lyrics are beyond ridiculous

What?! That's absurd. Dolphin is lyrically strong.

It's stupid, comeback as a dolphin, what the hell is that?