Has these leaks gone viral among celebrities or music journalists? I mean Nothing Compares 2 U and 17 Days is as big as finding the Dead Sea Scrolls.

[Edited 12/5/17 0:44am]

novabrkr said:

This version of "Nothing Compares 2 U" sounds more like a rehearsal take with overdubs to me. I know that it doesn't disqualify the version from being classified as "a studio version", but I wouldn't jump into calling it "Prince's original version of the song" either. It's comparable to some of the other recent leaks in that sense ("Dear Michaelangelo", comes to mind as the first example).

It took a few listens from me to start liking this version in any case. I prefer my Prince "raw", but with this one a more polished take would work better.

To me it is not wrong to call it "Prince's original version of the song" because I think there are many chances this is the first (and maybe only) Prince studio rendition.

From this version we can go directly to the alternate "The Family" mix that it is pretty similar.

I think the final version is the fruit of a research of a softer sound (inspired by Claire Fischer contribution, I guess), givin "NC2U" and "Desire" a more lushing and somewhat evocative quality.

BoraBora said:

novabrkr said:

This version of "Nothing Compares 2 U" sounds more like a rehearsal take with overdubs to me. I know that it doesn't disqualify the version from being classified as "a studio version", but I wouldn't jump into calling it "Prince's original version of the song" either. It's comparable to some of the other recent leaks in that sense ("Dear Michaelangelo", comes to mind as the first example).

It took a few listens from me to start liking this version in any case. I prefer my Prince "raw", but with this one a more polished take would work better.

To me it is not wrong to call it "Prince's original version of the song" because I think there are many chances this is the first (and maybe only) Prince studio rendition.

From this version we can go directly to the alternate "The Family" mix that it is pretty similar.

I think the final version is the fruit of a research of a softer sound (inspired by Claire Fischer contribution, I guess), givin "NC2U" and "Desire" a more lushing and somewhat evocative quality.

Good argumentation.

Yeah, it might be indeed the case that we never get to hear anything else that sounds more finished than this version. It does have the "a work in progress" feel all over it in any case.

novabrkr said:

love2thenines2003 said:

Just a wish...but maybe with this big leak of outtakes ...there will be another leaks with unknown material from some (ANGRY) collectors?

I'd love that but it seems doubtful. I think these have only been released to stop people buying the Eye release. We don't seem to get anything which hasn't been sold to a boot label by someone. The elites will always sit on their treasure until it loses its value.

No offense to Auntie Patti but ummm....Prince really should have released Yo Mister himself. OMG...yes!

I'm enjoying the hell out of Shoulda Coulda Woulda and it's a LG joint. Damn! Damn! Damn!

Playtime is fun.

I like and I don't like New Position. The strings are great but just a bit over powering and too competing with Prince's vocals.

Damn y'all, I like Tony M's rap on Love 2 the 9's, the song just doesn't flow right without it.

Anna Stesia with different lyrics...

There is just so much goodness here, I'm going to savor it nice and slowly. Thanks and much love to the leakers.

[Edited 12/5/17 2:09am]

TheEnglishGent said:

ISaidLifeIsJustAGame said:

paulludvig said:

novabrkr said:

This version of "Nothing Compares 2 U" sounds more like a rehearsal take with overdubs to me. I know that it doesn't disqualify the version from being classified as "a studio version", but I wouldn't jump into calling it "Prince's original version of the song" either. It's comparable to some of the other recent leaks in that sense ("Dear Michaelangelo", comes to mind as the first example).

It took a few listens from me to start liking this version in any case. I prefer my Prince "raw", but with this one a more polished take would work better.

I disagree on this one. I think it sounds like a solo version. And to me this has become the definite version of the song.

You don't hear the other people singing the backing vocals on it? It sounds like the members of The Revolution and The Family are playing the instruments too. Prince's own overdubs do not really appear until the 2-minute mark, from what I can tell based on having listened to it several times myself.

novabrkr said:

paulludvig said:

novabrkr said: I disagree on this one. I think it sounds like a solo version. And to me this has become the definite version of the song.

You don't hear the other people singing the backing vocals on it? It sounds like the members of The Revolution and The Family are playing the instruments too. Prince's own overdubs do not really appear until the 2-minute mark, from what I can tell based on having listened to it several times myself.

No, I don't here that. Will listen again. How can you tell that The Family are playing the instruments? Did they even play the instruments on their own version? (There's Eric of course)

Interesting to hear the horns/strings from the Clare Fischer version of 'New Position' were later sampled in 'Rave Un2 The Joy Fantastic'.

paulludvig said:

novabrkr said:

You don't hear the other people singing the backing vocals on it? It sounds like the members of The Revolution and The Family are playing the instruments too. Prince's own overdubs do not really appear until the 2-minute mark, from what I can tell based on having listened to it several times myself.

No, I don't here that. Will listen again. How can you tell that The Family are playing the instruments? Did they even play the instruments on their own version? (There's Eric of course)

After a several re-listens I think there's a good chance you might be right. Prince's layered falsetto vocals during the second verse sounded like Wendy or Susannah to me at first, but it could be all him in the end. I'm now questioning what I initially heard on the track.

However, some parts like "I know that living with me, baby, was sometimes hard" towards the end continue to provide me with the impression that female voices are involved, but sure, multitracking can do wonders.

I should be working right now and not analyzing this track though.

[Edited 12/5/17 3:17am]

^ If I'm not mistaken, this version of Nothing Compares 2 U is more or less exactly the same as the original The Family version that Paul had posted on his website in 2002 (widely bootlegged ever since), except with P's vocals instead of Paul's.

Therefore, if it was overdubbed with Paul's vocals before it was stripped down to the ambient-like released version, it definitely qualifies as the original studio version. Besides, until Duane's book reveals otherwise, the song so far was always assumed to be entirely recorded by Prince save for sax, orchestral and vocals overdubs, and I see no reason, while listening to it, to doubt that.

So yeah, it's the original studio version. At least as far as I can tell.

Now that we have Bang Bang, I wish Shall We Dance would leak

The whole Parade album with the whole Fisher orchestration would be awesome to hear, too

Yeah, I know, I just got a treat and I already want more

Bnah, I did a phase cancellation test and I'm pretty sure there are plenty of other voices in the background. There are more layered vocals by Prince on the track than what it initially seemed to be the case to me though. Somebody prove me wrong here if I'm way off, please.

"Phase cancellation" is a process that allows the cancellation of what's placed in the middle on a stereo recording. Typically, the lead vocal is placed in the middle, so when that is toned down, the background vocals that are typically panned left and right in the mixes become more audible.

novabrkr said:

Bnah, I did a phase cancellation test and I'm pretty sure there are plenty of other voices in the background. There are more layered vocals by Prince on the track than what it initially seemed to be the case to me though. Somebody prove me wrong here if I'm way off, please.

"Phase cancellation" is a process that allows the cancellation of what's placed in the middle on a stereo recording. Typically, the lead vocal is placed in the middle, so when that is toned down, the background vocals that are typically panned left and right in the mixes become more audible.

I definitely hear Prince in the background vocals but I think I hear some female voice/s in there too.

My white whale, 17 DAYS (EXTENDED VERSION), has arrived. It's perfect.

Reading these responses, I'm starting to feel bad that I don't like Prince's version of "Nothing Compares 2 U". This version or the live version. I never cared for the Family's version either. What am I missing? (I know I'm really putting myself out there saying this). I like that I now have it in my collection but it was far from a holy grail song for me. I think "Wally" and "17 days (full length)" were the two holy grails finally set free. I haven't listened to them all yet but I really like "Love 89" and "Yo Mister". I don't mind having alternate versions of songs but I really like hearing songs I never heard by Prince.

BoraBora said:

The P original version is in the same league with the "The Family" Version, and about 20 times better (if not 30 times better) than the P & Rosie Gaines "Las Vegas" rendition included in "The Hits".

.

Exactly. One of the major disappointments of TH/TBS was that godawful version.

djdaffy1227 said:

Reading these responses, I'm starting to feel bad that I don't like Prince's version of "Nothing Compares 2 U". This version or the live version. I never cared for the Family's version either. What am I missing?

Arguably, Sinead drastically changed the fate of that song. Independently of its qualities, if she hadn't turned it into a major hit in 90, it's likely Prince wouldn't ever have played it live again, it wouldn't have been on The Hits and it would be little more than a little forgotten song on an album that's become a cult-classic for us, but that most people don't even know exist.

djdaffy1227 said:

Reading these responses, I'm starting to feel bad that I don't like Prince's version of "Nothing Compares 2 U". This version or the live version. I never cared for the Family's version either. What am I missing? (I know I'm really putting myself out there saying this). I like that I now have it in my collection but it was far from a holy grail song for me. I think "Wally" and "17 days (full length)" were the two holy grails finally set free. I haven't listened to them all yet but I really like "Love 89" and "Yo Mister". I don't mind having alternate versions of songs but I really like hearing songs I never heard by Prince.

umm, do you like the Sinead O'Connor version?

Cos otherwise we're out of versions.

jaawwnn said:

djdaffy1227 said:

Reading these responses, I'm starting to feel bad that I don't like Prince's version of "Nothing Compares 2 U". This version or the live version. I never cared for the Family's version either. What am I missing? (I know I'm really putting myself out there saying this). I like that I now have it in my collection but it was far from a holy grail song for me. I think "Wally" and "17 days (full length)" were the two holy grails finally set free. I haven't listened to them all yet but I really like "Love 89" and "Yo Mister". I don't mind having alternate versions of songs but I really like hearing songs I never heard by Prince.

umm, do you like the Sinead O'Connor version?

Cos otherwise we're out of versions.

LOVE her version! Although there were more versions, I liked Chris Stapleton's version too

[Edited 12/5/17 5:02am]

TheEnglishGent said:

novabrkr said:

Bnah, I did a phase cancellation test and I'm pretty sure there are plenty of other voices in the background. There are more layered vocals by Prince on the track than what it initially seemed to be the case to me though. Somebody prove me wrong here if I'm way off, please.

"Phase cancellation" is a process that allows the cancellation of what's placed in the middle on a stereo recording. Typically, the lead vocal is placed in the middle, so when that is toned down, the background vocals that are typically panned left and right in the mixes become more audible.

I definitely hear Prince in the background vocals but I think I hear some female voice/s in there too.

I think it's just Prince in his softest falsetto.

djdaffy1227 said:

jaawwnn said:

umm, do you like the Sinead O'Connor version?

Cos otherwise we're out of versions.

LOVE her version! Although there were more versions, I liked Chris Stapleton's version too

[Edited 12/5/17 5:02am]

Ah, I kind of consider everything after hers a cover of the big hit, they're always in the shadow of it.

I'd say I still think hers is the best version but this 'new' outtake with Prince on vocals is a very, very close second. I also like the oddness of the released Family version, it's got its own vibe.

[Edited 12/5/17 5:10am]

jaawwnn said:

djdaffy1227 said:

LOVE her version! Although there were more versions, I liked Chris Stapleton's version too

[Edited 12/5/17 5:02am]

Ah, I kind of consider everything after hers a cover of the big hit, they're always in the shadow of it.

I'd say I still think hers is the best version but this 'new' outtake with Prince on vocals is a very, very close second. I also like the oddness of the released Family version, it's got its own vibe.

[Edited 12/5/17 5:10am]

I'm so used to Facebook that I tried to like your answer

databank said:

djdaffy1227 said:

Reading these responses, I'm starting to feel bad that I don't like Prince's version of "Nothing Compares 2 U". This version or the live version. I never cared for the Family's version either. What am I missing?

Arguably, Sinead drastically changed the fate of that song. Independently of its qualities, if she hadn't turned it into a major hit in 90, it's likely Prince wouldn't ever have played it live again, it wouldn't have been on The Hits and it would be little more than a little forgotten song on an album that's become a cult-classic for us, but that most people don't even know exist.

There's no argument about it in my mind, I would say it's a stone cold fact.

databank said:

djdaffy1227 said:

Reading these responses, I'm starting to feel bad that I don't like Prince's version of "Nothing Compares 2 U". This version or the live version. I never cared for the Family's version either. What am I missing?

Arguably, Sinead drastically changed the fate of that song. Independently of its qualities, if she hadn't turned it into a major hit in 90, it's likely Prince wouldn't ever have played it live again, it wouldn't have been on The Hits and it would be little more than a little forgotten song on an album that's become a cult-classic for us, but that most people don't even know exist.

no doubt. I had the Family album and I listened to it quite a bit and I was not all that impressed with NC2U. When I first saw the video, I caught it at the end, and as soon as I saw the "2U" I knew it was a Prince song... and I thought it was on the Family but I was not even sure.

But yes She MADE this song. If not for her version, no way it would have been on the hits, and no way it would have been an iconic song and NO way would it have been seen in the same light as the other Family songs with Prince on vocals.

I find songs like Pangea the hardest to listen to... how is Prince hear it? What could the full track have possibly sounded like? How would be have switched things around and played with it for the final released version? All we know is that he loved the strings that he was sent.

So much unfulfilled potential.

A much harder listen than Sometimes is Snows etc which are a completed piece of Prince history.