I really would like to know because there was really no one from the 70s doing anything close to the emotionals we heard in Computer Blue/Beautiful ones/Baby I'm a star etc. That we can point to as an influence for P. And keep in mind Axl rose was not to come around until 1987 nearly ten years into P's Career (I mention him because I honestly think only him and P pull off rock-ish screaming well tbh, people can argue me on that but yeah my thoughts) Also the fact that his technique doing it was SO GOOD. How did he come up with that? Let alone deliver it with perfect technique? is there a secret influence we are missing?

He's my favorite screamer in rock. Damn, dude had range . Axl doesn't come close, imo. I do like me some Axl, tho. Wore the fuck outta their, um, tapes back in the day. Enjoyed Cobain as a screamer, too, but Prince is the one.

Screamin' Jay Hawkins, 1950s.

The thing with Prince, is that he had phenomenal control of his screams. He could scream on key perfectly.

[Edited 4/24/19 7:25am]

Krystalkisses said:

Romar71 said:

The thing with Prince, is that he had phenomenal control of his screams. He could scream on key perfectly.

Yup - he always held a note under the scream.

it's cool how he went from saying he had "no power" to screaming, some of the best in rock history, by the 1999 album. So expressive and haunting, i remember hearing the screams in something in the water and thinking how it sounded a little Indian, definitely wild.

1999 is the album where Prince's voice really comes into its own. It's not hyperbolic for me to say that it was the scream on 'Free' that originally made me a Prince fan. The screams on that album bore inside of you. They are nothing short of awe inspiring and they feature on the record in abundance. From the 1999 album it's like some final unknown faction of the Prince persona fits into place, like he knows he's stuck lightning, and it's echoed in these dramatic vocal displays, which are just so damn powerful. The haunting screams 'Something in the Water' cut like ice. Andit's not just the screams themselves, it's how the songs are tailored around them. One of my favourite moments in Prince's entire career comes as the album bows out with impassioned roar at the end of 'International Lover', followed by a pitter of handclaps and Prince's reverb-heavy vocals ('baby do you love, do you...') drifting away in a swoop of euphoria.

Listen 2 Betty davis' "Dedicated To The Press". About 3 Minutes in, U will get one of Ur Answers...

KingSausage said:

Little Richard, yo.

yasss! and LR's inspiration -

esquerita was Little Richard's mentor but I don't recall his singing as being all that good. I think the imagery and the piano playing were what little richard got from him.

poppys said:

KingSausage said:

Little Richard, yo.

yasss! and LR's inspiration -

KingSausage said:

Little Richard, yo.

ya, for a lot of his screams but Little Richard always had Joy in his voice, Prince could unsettle you and make you wonder "is the man alright?"

PeteSilas said:

Tortured and even scary? Now we're back to Screamin' Jay Hawkins.

The bedroom

StrangeButTrue said:

The bedroom

Sometime in the early to mid 90s, Prince as doing a show somewhere in LA, and the Baka Boyz on Power 106 (radio morning show) held a contest - people had to call in and do their best impersonation of a Prince scream live over the air and whoever's was judged the best got free tickets. As is well known, there a several directions a potential free ticket winner could go in in an attempt to come out on top in a contest like this. Suffice it say, the local talent in LA is second to none, and it was some seriously funny shit. I wish that bit was on YouTube somewhere. Classic 90s LA!

[Edited 4/28/19 16:23pm]

hardwork said:

Sometime in the early to mid 90s, Prince as doing a show somewhere in LA, and the Baka Boyz on Power 106 (radio morning show) held a contest - people had to call in and do their best impersonation of a Prince scream live over the air and whoever's was judged the best got free tickets. As is well known, there a several directions a potential free ticket winner could go in in an attempt to come out on top in a contest like this. Suffice it say, the local talent in LA is second to none, and it was some seriously funny shit. I wish that bit was on YouTube somewhere. Classic 90s LA!

[Edited 4/28/19 16:23pm]

I bet that was funny. If anybody finds this on yt let us know....

woogiebear said:

Voice training.
He was able to use his natural voice and controlled screams after voice study.

His own take on James Brown's screams and grunts, perhaps combined with knowing about the theory of the primal scream.

I always say, with Prince as a performer, almost everything boils back down to his own personal synthesis of James Brown, Sly Stone and Jimi Hendrix .

Part of it is age. People don't know where James Brown's screams came from either. Some of the rockers being named all were influenced by 50's artists. Probably a natural thing.

Louis Armstrong was influenced by Buddy Bolden. Legendary artist with no known recordings. Most people don't even have a clue of that so they use Armstrong as a baseline. There is a movie coming out about Bolden so more people will make that connection. But if there was no movie he would be just as obscure and still just as much of an influence for jazz buffs because Armstrong talked about him.

God

Shockadelica9 said:

JAMES BROWN...end of thread lol

This was my immediate reaction as well, but Little Richard and Sly make sense as well. How about church services also?