I was listening to Summer Lawns" last night and it hit me that with her love of GREAT musicians and an ability to get them together and on the same (her) page musically--think Jaco, Metheny, Mays, etc.--that duet would jave been one for the history books. They hung out a lot together so I wonder if they ever played anything.

Never heard of 1, but who knows. Emotional Pump was written 4 her, I know.

no, never did, she doesn't seem the type to put up with any of his hijinx either so i don't see how it would work.

"Emotional Pump"

Rev said:

PeteSilas said:

no, never did, she doesn't seem the type to put up with any of his hijinx either so i don't see how it would work.

But they were great friends from the mid 80s to the end of his life

He wrote Emotional Pump for her, so we never know what kind of studio playing around they did

She was at all his parties, a part of the ATWIAD -WB preview entourage, dressed similar to Prince, at the UTCM premier, performed with Prince & the Revolution on the PR tour and Parade tour, he hung out at Joni's house she was in the studio with him and during rehearsals etc

i'm sure he loved her and i'm sure she appreciated that but joni was noteworthy in the seventies as criticizing what she called the "starmaking machinery" I don't think she'd be mesmerized by prince like most of his female artists were.

OldFriends4Sale said:

PeteSilas said:

no, never did, she doesn't seem the type to put up with any of his hijinx either so i don't see how it would work.

But they were great friends from the mid 80s to the end of his life

He wrote Emotional Pump for her, so we never know what kind of studio playing around they did

She was at all his parties, a part of the ATWIAD -WB preview entourage, dressed similar to Prince, at the UTCM premier, performed with Prince & the Revolution on the PR tour and Parade tour, he hung out at Joni's house she was in the studio with him and during rehearsals etc

If they'd ever done anything then I think she would have talked about it at some point. She talked about turning down Emotional Pump.

She *did* end up working with Wendy & Lisa, though.

jtfolden said:

If they'd ever done anything then I think she would have talked about it at some point. She talked about turning down Emotional Pump.

She *did* end up working with Wendy & Lisa, though.

When was it that first heard of emotional Pump?

thisisreece said:

thisisreece said:

Prince offering Joni Mitchell 'Emotional Pump' has got to be one of the biggest examples of his occasional boneheadedness. What was he thinking? That song is not for her. And he should know that, after all, he's a huge fan.

hahaha, just the word pump sounds like something she wouldn't want to sing, prince is a goof.

this is the same guy who gave another of his heroes, mavis staple, the lyric "god is coming like a dog in heat" to sing. makes you wonder if maybe the guy really did have a touch of autism, for him to not see how that might be offensive makes me wonder.

PeteSilas said:

erik319 said:

PeteSilas said:

this is the same guy who gave another of his heroes, mavis staple, the lyric "god is coming like a dog in heat" to sing. makes you wonder if maybe the guy really did have a touch of autism, for him to not see how that might be offensive makes me wonder.

That line never made it into the finished song though & Prince sang the changed lyric. So he didn't exactly force her to sing a line she was uncomfortable with.

i thought the outtake circulating of "God is Alive" is the finished version,is there a version circulating without the "Dog in heat" line?

[Edited 4/30/18 0:46am]

I'm very familiar with Joni's music. The vocal melody of Emotional Pump has Joni written all over it. I think it was the overt funkiness of the track that she couldn't see herself performig. There are many songs Prince could have offered Joni that would have fit stylistically, but he was trying to challenge her to do something out her musical comfort zone. She wasn't up to the challenge, but they remained lifelong friends.

[Edited 4/30/18 9:16am]

dance4me3121 said:

erik319 said:

PeteSilas said: That line never made it into the finished song though & Prince sang the changed lyric. So he didn't exactly force her to sing a line she was uncomfortable with.

i thought the outtake circulating of "God is Alive" is the finished version,is there a version circulating without the "Dog in heat" line?

[Edited 4/30/18 0:46am]

No. I doubt that it was re-recorded.

sunlite said:

I'm very familiar with Joni's music. The vocal melody of Emotional Pump has Joni written all over it. I think it was the overt funkiness of the track that she couldn't see herself performig. There are many songs Prince could have offered Joni that would have fit stylistically, but he was trying to challenge her to do something out her musical comfort zone. She wasn't up to the challenge, but they remained lifelong friends.

[Edited 4/30/18 9:16am]

LOL That's some cute spin but the song was just wrong for her, imo. Saying she wasn't up to the challenge given her career and output is folly.