I don't know if this has been talked about on here at all, I searched but couldn't find anything. But if you listen very carefully 10 seconds into the track you can hear Prince quickly and softly say "repeat". It sounds like this is either him giving instructions to the band during recording that was left on tape or he recorded that as a quick reference for those who were cutting tape and it was left in for some reason. At least that is my guess

I never knew what it was I did think he was saying anything just a sound like "um" or clearing his throat real quick....and even now I can not really make out "repeat" but it could be.

I don't think it's "repeat". It wouldn't make sense in any regard, and he'd have certain cut out something like that. Remember, Prince rehearsed the fuck out of the band on songs, so there'd be no need to give a call out like that 10 seconds in. He knew what the song was in his head before he even put it to tape. You could almost hear him say "the beat" or "da beep" or "be-deep".


However, I have always wondered what the noise was, or what he was saying if he was saying anything at all. It could just be a vocalization in general. It does seem odd that it's there, regardless of what it might be...not sure.

TrivialPursuit said:

I don't think it's "repeat". It wouldn't make sense in any regard, and he'd have certain cut out something like that. Remember, Prince rehearsed the fuck out of the band on songs, so there'd be no need to give a call out like that 10 seconds in. He knew what the song was in his head before he even put it to tape. You could almost hear him say "the beat" or "da beep" or "be-deep".


However, I have always wondered what the noise was, or what he was saying if he was saying anything at all. It could just be a vocalization in general. It does seem odd that it's there, regardless of what it might be...not sure.

ya, it was just a prince thing, the kind only he could pull off, my best friend once played this song to point out all the subliminal, wierd shit prince did, he played walk don't walk too with this wierd goat sound he made in it, my friend said "that N/s sick" he meant it as a compliment of course. anyway it sounds like "beedeep"

Could he have recorded the instrumentation (with some occasional band directions that can be muted/masked in the finished version only to such a point; consider, 'The Ladder', 'Love or $', 'Data Bank', 'We Can Funk' '86, etc.), and occasional rough vocals first, and then the final vocal take later? Isn't this the essence of his semi-live Warehouse recording method?

.

[Edited 5/12/17 18:15pm]

imprimis said:

Could he have recorded the instrumentation (with some occasional band directions that can be muted/masked in the finished version only to such a point; consider, 'The Ladder', 'Love or $', 'Data Bank', 'We Can Funk' '86, etc.), and occasional rough vocals first, and then the final vocal take later? Isn't this the essence of his semi-live Warehouse recording method?

.

[Edited 5/12/17 18:15pm]

That is exactly what I was thinking, if you listen to Out on The Tiles by Led Zeppelin there is an identitcal instance of this happening where you can hear a voice go "Stop" that sounded exactly the same in terms of vocal delivery and subtleness and it was for diretions of where to cut the tape or something like that. So for me its very possible this is what is going on here, I honestly hear "repeat"

ForceofNature said:

imprimis said:

Could he have recorded the instrumentation (with some occasional band directions that can be muted/masked in the finished version only to such a point; consider, 'The Ladder', 'Love or $', 'Data Bank', 'We Can Funk' '86, etc.), and occasional rough vocals first, and then the final vocal take later? Isn't this the essence of his semi-live Warehouse recording method?

.

[Edited 5/12/17 18:15pm]

That is exactly what I was thinking, if you listen to Out on The Tiles by Led Zeppelin there is an identitcal instance of this happening where you can hear a voice go "Stop" that sounded exactly the same in terms of vocal delivery and subtleness and it was for diretions of where to cut the tape or something like that. So for me its very possible this is what is going on here, I honestly hear "repeat"

ya, but why would he sound so goofy? he sounds like he's running his fingers across his lips like that cosby carton character. It sounds like it's there for his own idiosyncratic reasons.

Ad lib.

I always thought he said "ready?".

imprimis said:

My vote is that it does say "repeat", however I'll throw a curveball and say it may not be Prince's voice. It could have been one of the other male musicians / band members.

.

For y'all wondering about the recording process, there's a boot of Parade rehearsals/demos/initial tracks that were recorded live. For some of the songs you can hear that the finished tracks are these live recordings with just a few overdubs.

.

The most striking example is the one continuous live take of Wendy's Parade / New Position / I Wonder U / Under The Cherry Moon. From Prince Vault:

.

"Initial tracking of the track (as Wendy's Parade) took place on 17 April 1985 at Sunset Sound, Hollywood, CA, USA, with Prince recording the drum track in sequence of Wendy's Parade, New Position, I Wonder U and Under The Cherry Moon, all in one take. He then layered other instruments over all four tracks."

.

For Girls & Boys specifically, the "demo" on that boot makes it clear it's a live band recording (it starts with drum countoff and Wendy (probably) saying clearly, "For God's sake.."), and what happens next sounds almost exactly like the finished track in the record. It's insane how good these "demo" recordings sound. They are polished and totally on point.

.

Now for the punchline: the "repeat" is present on this "demo" version, and is a little louder and easier to hear to my ears. I don't think it sounds like Prince. Could have been Leeds, Bobby, Fink.. or Prince.

thx185 said:

My vote is that it does say "repeat", however I'll throw a curveball and say it may not be Prince's voice. It could have been one of the other male musicians / band members.

.

For y'all wondering about the recording process, there's a boot of Parade rehearsals/demos/initial tracks that were recorded live. For some of the songs you can hear that the finished tracks are these live recordings with just a few overdubs.

.

The most striking example is the one continuous live take of Wendy's Parade / New Position / I Wonder U / Under The Cherry Moon. From Prince Vault:

.

"Initial tracking of the track (as Wendy's Parade) took place on 17 April 1985 at Sunset Sound, Hollywood, CA, USA, with Prince recording the drum track in sequence of Wendy's Parade, New Position, I Wonder U and Under The Cherry Moon, all in one take. He then layered other instruments over all four tracks."

.

For Girls & Boys specifically, the "demo" on that boot makes it clear it's a live band recording (it starts with drum countoff and Wendy (probably) saying clearly, "For God's sake.."), and what happens next sounds almost exactly like the finished track in the record. It's insane how good these "demo" recordings sound. They are polished and totally on point.

.

Now for the punchline: the "repeat" is present on this "demo" version, and is a little louder and easier to hear to my ears. I don't think it sounds like Prince. Could have been Leeds, Bobby, Fink.. or Prince.

HAHAHA I remember Wendy going off with "FOR GOD'S SAKE!", but I can't remember that take of the song. It's been a minute. And yeah, Prince never really made demos like that much beyond the earlier years, or a random song here and there. I'd say 99% of the time he completed a song front to back, as his engineers have testified over and over. The exception being him going back and reworking a song perhaps to use on a new project, or give to another artist. I would imagine much of the vault is completed pieces. I do need to find that "Girls and Boys" thing again. Maybe it is another musician saying something to someone else and it was just left in. I mean, he had just left the cough in "Raspberry Beret".

And I knew the "Little Girl Wendy's Parade/New Position" etc story, which I always thought was fascinating. I think Susan Rogers told that story, too. She said he came in with all these necklaces on, like costume jewelry, beads, etc. And you can hear it rattling around his neck at points in "New Position" because he was playing so hard. She talked about how he had come in with a piece of paper, with the songs laid out (how many measures for this or that, fills, etc), and taped it to his drum kit somewhere (or a mic stand). He sat down, played the drums, then the bass, then the keys, etc., all in one take at a time going through all four songs each take. I love that shit. It's a reason I love being a Prince fan - those types of stories.

You have a great point w/ the songs having (sometimes) very little overdubs. The Revolution was a machine. Bobby said they'd play an hour or two sometimes on the same groove, until they were so in sync and just knew what the other and Prince was going to do. It became part of them, like knowing the back of your hand.

thx185 said:

paulludvig said:

thx185 said:

My vote is that it does say "repeat", however I'll throw a curveball and say it may not be Prince's voice. It could have been one of the other male musicians / band members.

.

For y'all wondering about the recording process, there's a boot of Parade rehearsals/demos/initial tracks that were recorded live. For some of the songs you can hear that the finished tracks are these live recordings with just a few overdubs.

.

The most striking example is the one continuous live take of Wendy's Parade / New Position / I Wonder U / Under The Cherry Moon. From Prince Vault:

.

"Initial tracking of the track (as Wendy's Parade) took place on 17 April 1985 at Sunset Sound, Hollywood, CA, USA, with Prince recording the drum track in sequence of Wendy's Parade, New Position, I Wonder U and Under The Cherry Moon, all in one take. He then layered other instruments over all four tracks."

.

For Girls & Boys specifically, the "demo" on that boot makes it clear it's a live band recording (it starts with drum countoff and Wendy (probably) saying clearly, "For God's sake.."), and what happens next sounds almost exactly like the finished track in the record. It's insane how good these "demo" recordings sound. They are polished and totally on point.

.

Now for the punchline: the "repeat" is present on this "demo" version, and is a little louder and easier to hear to my ears. I don't think it sounds like Prince. Could have been Leeds, Bobby, Fink.. or Prince.

But the first four songs on Parade is not a live take, at least according to Susan Rogers?

Yeah, it sounds like I misinterpreted what prince vault was saying - based also on what TrivialPersuit said, Prince did them in live takes, but it was one after another (drums, bass, etc) - not a full band live take like I was thinking.

paulludvig said:

But the first four songs on Parade is not a live take, at least according to Susan Rogers?

Right, they're not a live take as in the band played all at once. I think the uniquess is that he recorded 4 songs in succession one track at a time. But no, not a "live" cut. However, you gotta admit, there is a live feel to those songs.

Ive always heard it but never gave it much thought until now. Dont think he is saying "repeat". its probably something just to keep people guessing on what it is. Prince did things with his music to keep everyone guessing all the time. Its fascinating and has a mystique to it and thats what makes Prince music stand out from the rest. Genius. Have fun arguing about this little thing that probably has no meaning. Just fun,nothing serious.

I always thought that was just a bass guitar