It does?

donnyenglish said:

The First Ave 8/83 performance of Purple Rain has strings at the end. Were they pre-recorded?

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It doesn't have strings, only synthesizers.

Kares said:

No, there are strings at the end of Purple Rain (it isn't just synths). In fact, there's a recording of just the piano and strings. It's pretty amazing.

Genesia said:

TheSilentMikey said:

Genesia said:

No, there are strings at the end of Purple Rain (it isn't just synths). In fact, there's a recording of just the piano and strings. It's pretty amazing.

This is about the First Avenue performance, not the overdubbed version.

You don't think he used the already-recorded strings as a backing track - knowing he wanted to use the live performance from First Avenue on the album? Okay.

Genesia said:

TheSilentMikey said:

Genesia said: This is about the First Avenue performance, not the overdubbed version.

You don't think he used the already-recorded strings as a backing track - knowing he wanted to use the live performance from First Avenue on the album? Okay.

The actual First Avenue performance definitely has the strings. I guess you are saying that the strings were pre-recorded and played at First Avenue.

donnyenglish said:

Genesia said:

You don't think he used the already-recorded strings as a backing track - knowing he wanted to use the live performance from First Avenue on the album? Okay.

The actual First Avenue performance definitely has the strings. I guess you are saying that the strings were pre-recorded and played at First Avenue.

That's exactly what I'm saying.

Genesia said:

TheSilentMikey said:

Genesia said: This is about the First Avenue performance, not the overdubbed version.

You don't think he used the already-recorded strings as a backing track - knowing he wanted to use the live performance from First Avenue on the album? Okay.

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Strings on the album were recorded afterwards: http://www.princevault.co...urple_Rain

BartVanHemelen said:

Genesia said:

You don't think he used the already-recorded strings as a backing track - knowing he wanted to use the live performance from First Avenue on the album? Okay.

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Strings on the album were recorded afterwards: http://www.princevault.co...urple_Rain

Well, there ya go. Thanks.

Genesia said:

No, there are strings at the end of Purple Rain (it isn't just synths). In fact, there's a recording of just the piano and strings. It's pretty amazing.

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No, there aren't any strings on the original concert recording, only synths.

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Kares said:

donnyenglish said:

Kares said:

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No, there aren't any strings on the original concert recording, only synths.

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Those synths on my video copy sound a whole lot like strings. Perhaps some of the strings were added after, but some of them were played that night.

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Dude, there weren't any strings...
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donnyenglish said:

From Duane Tudahl's "Prince and the Purple Rain Era Studio Sessions: 1983 and 1984" (the relevant highlights from this entry):

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Monday, August 15, 1983

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"Purple Rain" (overdubs and adding twenty-four tracks, string overdub)

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Toward the end of the session, Prince decided to add strings to the live version of "Purple Rain" using the Oberheim keyboard performed during the concert as a guide track. Novi Novog was brought in to play violin and viola, and Suzie Katayama and Lisa Coleman's brother David were invited to play cello. David Coleman remembers:

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Out of the blue, my sister calls me from Sunset Sound and said that they were doing some strings for a Prince song right now with Novi and Suzie and we think a third string player would groove better. It fills it in and the chemistry- is important. I said, 'Okay," and that I would be down there in four hours, so I washed up really quickly and practiced the cello because I'd been doing all percussion and I was only playing cello once in a while. So I ran through some scales and ran right down to the studio.

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I walked into the control booth and [Prince] said, David. Do something!' He got up from the console andI sat in his seat and they played me the track and that was it. I went in and joined Suzie and Novi and we started from there. Suzie used to call my cello playing`rock-and-roll cello.' She could play circles around me, but we grooved together. The three of us playing had good chemistry and we just sounded good together.

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In a show of trust for those around him, Prince relied on Lisa Coleman to guide the string overdubs. 'What would happen was Lisa would come in and she'd do some things on the piano so we'd learn our parts by ear," recalled David. "So we'd go through the song and punch in our string parts. Prince was sitting next to [Lisa] and they'd decide, but I think that Lisa was taking the lead when it came to the siring arrangements."

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[Edited 7/17/18 4:26am]

BartVanHemelen said:

paulludvig said:

BartVanHemelen said:

From Duane Tudahl's "Prince and the Purple Rain Era Studio Sessions: 1983 and 1984" (the relevant highlights from this entry):

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[Edited 7/17/18 4:26am]

Interesting that the strings weren't by Lisa alone as many have previously suggested.

I have never seen anybody suggest that any strings would be by Lisa alone as she is not a string player.

donnyenglish said:

droppingdishes said:

What was the Oberheim playing in the original live performance? Just some whole notes on a "stringy" sound?.

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Actual string lines like the ventual cello parts we hear over some of the verses?

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I doubt the Oberheim played the string ending that plays on the album version and the piano is tinkling (when Prince runs off stage and out of the club in the monve).

FYI the recording session described above happened 35 years ago today.