I know this is kind of a cliche thing...older rock stars doing their versions of Gershwin, Cole Porter etc. But how do you think that might have worked if Prince had decided to do. (Play along. I doubt he would have done it.) I was thinking about the some of the sensuality and subtlety of his singing when he was so inclined. ALso, the way he could make himself almost sound like he was crying (that part in One of Your tears for example--in fact much of the Truth has that kind of nuanced intimacy) reminds me of the emotion my man Sinatra used to do. I know Jazz standards are not customarily sung by falsettos. But Prince could have varied between that falsetto and his lower register. A song that made me wonder about him singing standards/torch songs was his 2002 version of Gotta A Broken Heart Again. Te Amo Corozon almost sounds like bossa nova (which can work quite well with standards) Imagine him doing his spin on songs like "I got you under my skin" or "It was Just one of those things" or "My Funny Valentine". P could be delightfully over the top with his singing sometimes but he seemed equally capable of nuance. IMagine those songs with a lovely quiet guitar solo and Clare Fischer string arrangements...Just a thought.

[Edited 5/17/18 20:36pm]

[Edited 5/17/18 20:37pm]

I think the quality and inventiveness of Prince could make this idea hum. I can imagine a Parade era Christopher Tracy Prince singing this, or perhaps the Musicology era Prince in the satorially elegant suits around this time.

As for songs, hit the standards and see what Prince does with them

Some of these songs may not be American Standards, but they are roughly around this era.

I would chose....

My Funny Valentine (yes cubbi yes, my favorite singer and one of my favorite songs)
God Bless the Child (make it raw Prince, take them to Church)

Summertime (another favourite, guitar take on the start of Janis Joplin version than all P)
Night and Day (bring the longing, give her the eyes, she wants it, YES, ask for the $ version)

Bring in some classic underappreciated songs (old friends 4 sale, I can't love u anymore, Do U Lie, Damn U, U Love me - Clare Fischer in full effect, laden those songs with lush arrangements)
The summer wind summerbreeze oops put the wrong song name down pre-edit (I love the Pope of Grenwich Village version.
When I was 17 (I had a recording contract version, Sinatra go F yourself)
Anything Goes (Fast hot and funky, better than courtin' time version)
I can't give you anything but love (Listen to his vocals, like oral ballet version)
Nature boy (piano, vocals, drums and double bass, Nat King Cole stylez)
House of the Rising Sun (I need 7 lozenges to sing this raw ass vocal scream version)
Strange Fruit (The black lives matter version)
St James Infirmary (New Orleans Jazz band version)

Since i've been loving you (jazz /big band, I clearly don't know what the American songbook since Led Zep are English but stole a lot of American music version)
Call it stormy Monday (Repping T Bone Walker as without him and Louis Jordan no chuck berry mix)

Angie (I am getting over a crush on a girl named Angie , and I really want to hear the Prince version anyway mix )
Fool to Cry (While on the subject of classic stones songs)
A change is gonna come (taking on one of the best songs ever and slaying mix)
Dream On (Prince outsinging Steven Tyler, outguitaring Joe Perry, and outjoeykramering Joey Kramer (Seinfeld?) mix)


So I may not play by the rules or give two fucks to rub together, but surely somewhere there is a great compilation with a leaning towards musicianship, clever arrangements and soulful performances with Clare Fischer, NPG Orchestra and lashings of swing, soul, funk, jazz, blues, New Orleans Jazz and PRINCE

[Edited 5/18/18 12:41pm]

The Summer Breeze is actually called "summer Wind". Some good choices..especially Summertime with guitar (Joplin style.) and the intense and incredibly sad "Strange Fruit". Strange fruit would be quite brave in fact because it is rarely done due to its content and Billie HOliday's definitive version..

Another one--Somewhere over the Rainbow..he already was doing that one on the P and M tour.

[Edited 5/18/18 3:59am]

After Dylan's triple album horror of standards, I just have to say no. I love the way he wove covers he chose into his art.

OperatingThetan said:

Purple snowflakes here would've whined and concluded Prince was 'creatively bankrupt' and 'out of ideas', so I'm glad he didn't.

"Purple Snowflakes," great Marvin Gaye song. Wish he could have covered that.

I don't know if his work would qualify as "American standards" per se, but he could have had a lot of fun with the Fats Waller, including "Ain't Misbehavin'," "The Joint Is Jumpin'," and (especially) "All That Meat and No Potatoes."

purplerabbithole said:

The Summer Breeze is actually called "summer Wind". Some good choices..especially Summertime with guitar (Joplin style.) and the intense and incredibly sad "Strange Fruit". Strange fruit would be quite brave in fact because it is rarely done due to its content and Billie HOliday's definitive version..

Another one--Somewhere over the Rainbow..he already was doing that one on the P and M tour.

[Edited 5/18/18 3:59am]

Yes I meant summer wind, I wrote too fast and was too lazy too check on it. I will edit that now.

Somewhere over the Rainbow would fit into the Prince Paisley Park world, appreciation for the Wizard of Oz that Prince had, and it has been covered by a lot of different people including Jerry Lee Lewis. I never liked the low key (big hawaian singer?) light reggae version. I think Prince could bring the vulnerability or some "in all my dreams" type Prince magic to the song.

namepeace said:

OperatingThetan said:

Purple snowflakes here would've whined and concluded Prince was 'creatively bankrupt' and 'out of ideas', so I'm glad he didn't.

"Purple Snowflakes," great Marvin Gaye song. Wish he could have covered that.

good one

namepeace said:

daingermouz2020 said:

jazzvirtuoso said:

daingermouz2020 said:

I actually like the thought of this and don't find it so odd. Imo Prince has dabbled in this type of music. Songs like Under the Cherry Moon, Do U Lie, Avalanche, Courtin Time, Damn U, Gotta Broken Heart Again (the live jazzy version ft. Maceo Parker) etc. Prince has shown he was more than capable of doing this well. Ive always loved Courtin Time. I could imagine him doing My Funny Valentine, Summertime, Strange Fruit, Stormy Weather,Pigfoot and a Bottle of Beer,Aint Nobody's Business if I Do plus my favorite I wished he had done Sugar in My Bowl.

Ah, don't look now but he did do summertime!!

And the portion we heard was amazing, but I don't think he sang one lyric as cool as the keyboard playing and bandleading was in the excerpt.

jazzvirtuoso said:

Imagine Prince doing "Wild Is The Wind" in the same style as the vocal version of "God"! He'd be scream-crying by the end. Damn, that've been amazing. Nina Simone's is amazing. I was glad when he officially recorded "A Case of You"--that is kind of a modern standard. I bet Prince could have done a great version of "'round Midnight". Ray Charles did my fav version of "Somewhere Over The Rainbow" except for the cheery backround vocals. It's easy to imagine Prince doing it in a similar piano-based bluesy style. This would go right into "Que Sera Sera"--which he's already done live.

I don't know if these are American Standards, but they're all-time classics.

I came into this thread thinking it was a terrible idea. Now I feel sad because we'll never get this album. (Or a purple mutation of it...unless it's in the vault. Wouldn't it be funny if the vault was just 1000's of hours of Prince singing Dean Martin and Frank Sinatra tunes? Plus a recorded message of Prince saying "Sorry, I erased it all. If U wanna hear more, come 2 the aftershow. Fly me 2 the moon, let me swing.........)

I would hope Prince would have avoided cheesy Sinatra knock-offs. NO big band swing (not his style overall). But I would love stripped down renditions of standards.