Hi, there. I'm wondering if anyone knows whether "Head" was performed on the 1979 "Fire It Up" tour with Rick James. Wikipedia says it was played occasionally, whereas PrinceVault (which I of course trust more) says it was first played on the DM tour.

Unless anyone has info to the effect that it was played on the Rick James tour, I would be inclined to conclude it was not.

Gayle Chapman is said to have disliked performing 'Head', allegedly enough to factor into her decision to leave the band. She wasn't present for the DM tour.

.

In the interview below, she disclaims the rumor that performing the song was problematic for her, and describes it as merely doing her job:

__________

See:

.

http://www.apurpledayinde...-with.html

.

http://prince.org/msg/7/37687

__________

This would appear to support the claim that the song was performed live, on at least a few occasions, in 1979 or 1980. (At the same time, it's worth nothing that not all Prince Tour tour dates were co-billed with or openers for Rick James.)

.

(This may open up speculation for the existence of a version of the song with an alternate female vocal by Gayle, rather than Lisa, if a proper studio version had yet been recorded, if it had even been conceived as a 'duet' of sorts in any studio version at this early point)

.

[Edited 12/13/16 16:53pm]

imprimis said:

Gayle Chapman is said to have disliked performing 'Head', allegedly enough to factor into her decision to leave the band. She wasn't present for the DM tour.

.

In the interview below, she disclaims the rumor that performing the song was problematic for her, and describes it as merely doing her job:

__________

See:

.

http://www.apurpledayinde...-with.html

.

http://prince.org/msg/7/37687

__________

This would appear to support the claim that the song was performed live, on at least a few occasions, in 1979 or 1980. (At the same time, it's worth nothing that not all Prince Tour tour dates were co-billed with or openers for Rick James.)

.

(This may open up speculation for the existence of a version of the song with an alternate female vocal by Gayle, rather than Lisa, if a proper studio version had yet been recorded, if it had even been conceived as a 'duet' of sorts in any studio version at this early point)

.

[Edited 12/13/16 16:53pm]

Thanks very much. Very helpful. As with all things Prince, a question simply leads to more questions, of course: )

.

A choice moment, featuring Gayle with Prince, possibly taken during just such an early performance of 'Head'.

.

[Edited 12/13/16 17:15pm]

Like a lot of songs in the 80s, he previewed it before the album era release for Dirty Mind during the Prince era 1979 when Gayle Chapman was in the band.