During the little Questlove competition on Jimmy Fallon in which Quest had to name a Prince song in one second, Fallon called "Mountains" a deep cut. It threw me for a loop becuase now as a more knowledgable fan, it seems like Mountains isn't a deep cut. Now, in all reality, it is a deep cut. But considering the well of deep cuts or obscure songs Prince has...I thought it would be cool to quantify them. So lets say you are diving for Prince songs. The ones floating on the top of the waves are the hits we all know. NOw maybe the mega-hits are so popular they float above the actual water of the ocean. But regardless, they are all above the water. 1 feet down are the popular songs amongst fans of Purple rain that weren't released as singles.2 feet below are popular songs written for others. 3 feet down are the other songs on his 80's albums not released as singles. 4 feet below are b-side classics. 5 feet below the surface are songs on lesser known albums (but official and still in print releases like Love Symbol) that weren't released as singles. 6 feet below=relatively obscure albums out of print for Prince (gold experience) not released as singles. 7 feet below are songs in obscure-as-fvck albums like Crystal Ball and the Truth etc. 8 feet below are songs written by Prince for more obscure artists (Deborah Allen--Telepathy for example) 9 feet below are limited release (Prince website) songs like glasscutter, 10 feet below are leaked vault songs and incomplete projects, 11 feet below are songs stuck in the vault that no one outside of Prince and his musicians have heard, and 12 feet below are Prince alone-in-the-studio non-released trapped in the vault PRince songs.

I reckon there are at least 11 or 12 levels of deep cuts...What do you all think?

I like your water analogy, but "Mountains" by its very nature CANNOT be considered a DEEP CUT.

It was the second single from Parade, and with a corresponding video! Singles can't be considered deep cuts.

From that 1-Second song challenge, I think the only "deep cut" was Under The Cherry Moon.

Se7en said:

There's a level of obscure b-sides and mixes for other artists that aren't easily available that new fans come to after bootlegs.

e.g. the Uptown Mix of 101 for Sheena Easton or even Tricky by the Time, I heard both of these songs several years after listening to all sorts of bootlegs - they just weren't easy to come across and I had never gone discography-hunting to even find out they existed.

I was talking to someone and I said "I have most of his released stuff" and she said "I have everything" and I just kind of ignored it... but I wanted to say "so which do you like more "Tricky" or "Cloreen Bacon Skin?"" But I just let it go.

OnlyNDaUsa said:

I was talking to someone and I said "I have most of his released stuff" and she said "I have everything" and I just kind of ignored it... but I wanted to say "so which do you like more "Tricky" or "Cloreen Bacon Skin?"" But I just let it go.

OMG I wish I could've seen that reaction, and I wish you would've said that. Next time, ask "which do you like more? "Sticky Wicked", or "Lust U Always"? The only person with EVERYTHING, was PRINCE himself. Our collection is a work in progress

purplerabbithole said:

Fine, they're not deeeeep cuts, but it's more fun for the audience if they have a chance of guessing the songs as well. I had fun pausing the Youtube video to see if I could get them.

Calhoun Square, bitches.

heymistermusic said:

OnlyNDaUsa said:

I was talking to someone and I said "I have most of his released stuff" and she said "I have everything" and I just kind of ignored it... but I wanted to say "so which do you like more "Tricky" or "Cloreen Bacon Skin?"" But I just let it go.

OMG I wish I could've seen that reaction, and I wish you would've said that. Next time, ask "which do you like more? "Sticky Wicked", or "Lust U Always"? The only person with EVERYTHING, was PRINCE himself. Our collection is a work in progress

Or how about "which 'talking guitar effect" do you like best? The one In "Shortberry Strawcake" or "This is not music this is a trip?""

Se7en said:

I like your water analogy, but "Mountains" by its very nature CANNOT be considered a DEEP CUT.

It was the second single from Parade, and with a corresponding video! Singles can't be considered deep cuts.

From that 1-Second song challenge, I think the only "deep cut" was Under The Cherry Moon.

you don't think so? you don't think his allusion to what sounded to me like the african slave trade is something that most pop listeners would take the time to interpret? His songs are more profound than deep when he goes that way, I loved the line "hey, we got the power, so, (in reply) we got the soul" in batdance, my first thought was how he was speaking of more than batman, he was speaking black/white, he was a subversive if not "deep" artist. no one ever mentions those lines do they? anyway, what is better? power? or Soul? tough pick.

OnlyNDaUsa said:

heymistermusic said:

OMG I wish I could've seen that reaction, and I wish you would've said that. Next time, ask "which do you like more? "Sticky Wicked", or "Lust U Always"? The only person with EVERYTHING, was PRINCE himself. Our collection is a work in progress

Or how about "which 'talking guitar effect" do you like best? The one In "Shortberry Strawcake" or "This is not music this is a trip?""

You forgot about the talking guitar effect in the Scandalous Sex Suite!!! Don't just talk about it...be about it! Whatever that means...

i was thinking about the lines:"In every man's life there will be a hang-up
A whirlwind designed 2 slow U down
It cuts like a knife and tries 2 get in U
This Spooky Electric sound
Give up if U want 2 and all is lost
Spooky Electric will be your boss"

Pretty profound and true, prince realized his own cross to bear was his height, but with every one i've known they had some cross to bear whether it was being the race they were, the sexuality, or whatever.

williamb610 said:

OnlyNDaUsa said:

Or how about "which 'talking guitar effect" do you like best? The one In "Shortberry Strawcake" or "This is not music this is a trip?""

You forgot about the talking guitar effect in the Scandalous Sex Suite!!! Don't just talk about it...be about it! Whatever that means...

I thought that was more just a distortion filter... you know like in the movie Barbarella.

On a whole 'nother level of deep is the Lovesexy program poem (Time upon a once was a boy named Camille...), or the poem on Purple Rain, or the track-poems from D&P and NPS.

..

Whomever mentioned the obscure remixes was right - once you're listening to the dub remixes of "101 (Westside Sample Dub)", you're deep in the muck

[Edited 5/8/18 13:55pm]

OnlyNDaUsa said:

williamb610 said:

You forgot about the talking guitar effect in the Scandalous Sex Suite!!! Don't just talk about it...be about it! Whatever that means...

I thought that was more just a distortion filter... you know like in the movie Barbarella.

P loved that movie, probably took inspiration from it.

Farfunknugin said:

OnlyNDaUsa said:

I thought that was more just a distortion filter... you know like in the movie Barbarella.

P loved that movie, probably took inspiration from it.

I know thus the reference

Anything from the NPG albums, NPGMC, the Vault albums (Come, C&D, and Old Friends...) and NPG Audio I conisder DEEEEEP cuts.

Mountains is FAR from a deep cut. #23 Billboard Hot 100 hit in 1986. I remember it being on the radio a lot back then. IMO best song on the album.

heymistermusic said:

OnlyNDaUsa said:

I was talking to someone and I said "I have most of his released stuff" and she said "I have everything" and I just kind of ignored it... but I wanted to say "so which do you like more "Tricky" or "Cloreen Bacon Skin?"" But I just let it go.

OMG I wish I could've seen that reaction, and I wish you would've said that. Next time, ask "which do you like more? "Sticky Wicked", or "Lust U Always"? The only person with EVERYTHING, was PRINCE himself. Our collection is a work in progress

Uh...very good question though lol. Shit....Go with Sticky Wicked I can dance to that better

PeteSilas said:

i was thinking about the lines:"In every man's life there will be a hang-up
A whirlwind designed 2 slow U down
It cuts like a knife and tries 2 get in U
This Spooky Electric sound
Give up if U want 2 and all is lost
Spooky Electric will be your boss"

Pretty profound and true, prince realized his own cross to bear was his height, but with every one i've known they had some cross to bear whether it was being the race they were, the sexuality, or whatever.

Self-projecting nonsense.

Dazza said:

HIT: Purple Rain

LESSER HIT: Lady Cab Driver

DEEP CUT: She loves me 4 me

DEEPER CUT: Rebirth of the flesh

Deeper Still: Hey Hannigan

[Edited 5/10/18 5:45am]

bonatoc said:

PeteSilas said:

i was thinking about the lines:"In every man's life there will be a hang-up
A whirlwind designed 2 slow U down
It cuts like a knife and tries 2 get in U
This Spooky Electric sound
Give up if U want 2 and all is lost
Spooky Electric will be your boss"

Pretty profound and true, prince realized his own cross to bear was his height, but with every one i've known they had some cross to bear whether it was being the race they were, the sexuality, or whatever.

Self-projecting nonsense.

i'm not short mr. freude, he was. he's singing about his own hangups, he knew he had them, anyway, it's my interpretation so buzz off mr. nonsense.

Deep cut anaology is flawed imho becasue the vault ish etc is getting the deep level treatment according to the example. That is a sideways thing to me, err an apple/orange thing, or a masturbating restriction contest that includes a woman in the bet (Jerry!).

A deep cut in reality is Positivity, Baby, Annie..nothing that needs to be from the vault per se'. The problem is that the aesthetic of Prince makes even lesser played or cosnidered songs, sometimes as powerful as the ones at the top. Or above water/the ocean.

PeteSilas said:

Se7en said:

PeteSilas said:

you don't think so? you don't think his allusion to what sounded to me like the african slave trade is something that most pop listeners would take the time to interpret? His songs are more profound than deep when he goes that way, I loved the line "hey, we got the power, so, (in reply) we got the soul" in batdance, my first thought was how he was speaking of more than batman, he was speaking black/white, he was a subversive if not "deep" artist. no one ever mentions those lines do they? anyway, what is better? power? or Soul? tough pick.

I think you’re misinterpreting which definition of “deep” we’re talking about. We are talking about how “known” vs. “obscure” these songs are. Not talking about their content. [Edited 5/11/18 17:28pm]

right on, so we're talking obscure? prince had a million great obscure songs. the man was the best. we probably ain't even heard half of them.