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Thread started 08/24/19 12:37am

funkypixie

Prince & Raphael Saadiq?

So Raphael Saadiq just dropped a new album, Jimmy Lee (which is fantastic!). A lot of the reviews talk about him being recruited by Sheila E into her band and going on to play with Prince.

What’s the truth here? Did he ever actually perform in public with Prince or do we just assume this was probably just some rehearsal jamming?

*** MODERATORS NOTE ***
Please keep the topic within the frame of Raphael's time in Sheila E's band while under Prince's Paisley Park label. If you want to discuss TTT and where they have been since, please create a thread in Non Prince Music & More
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Reply #1 posted 08/24/19 2:23am

RJOrion

he played with Prince on the Parade Tour
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Reply #2 posted 08/24/19 4:26am

databank

avatar

RJOrion said:

he played with Prince on the Parade Tour

He was primarily with Sheila's 1986 band, opening for Prince during the Japanese leg of the Parade Tour, replacing Levi on bass, who himself replaced Steph Bimbaum on guitar. Not sure what else he did since Sheila would disband her backing band and join P's band soonafter, but he definitely played a few shows with her and met Prince at the time. Boni was also part of that short-lived incarnation of her band.

I've read rumors that TTT may have been considered for a Paisley Park deal before they signed with Mercury, but never knew if there was any truth to it.

A COMPREHENSIVE PRINCE DISCOGRAPHY (work in progress ^^): https://sites.google.com/...scography/
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Reply #3 posted 08/24/19 8:44am

OldFriends4Sal
e

databank said:

RJOrion said:

he played with Prince on the Parade Tour

He was primarily with Sheila's 1986 band, opening for Prince during the Japanese leg of the Parade Tour, replacing Levi on bass, who himself replaced Steph Bimbaum on guitar. Not sure what else he did since Sheila would disband her backing band and join P's band soonafter, but he definitely played a few shows with her and met Prince at the time. Boni was also part of that short-lived incarnation of her band.

I've read rumors that TTT may have been considered for a Paisley Park deal before they signed with Mercury, but never knew if there was any truth to it.

They made a song Born Not To Know on their 1st album with a line that shortly addresses that:

And I can't relate 'cause I was born not to know
Things are getting crazy, I ain't wearing paisley
I was born not to know

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Reply #4 posted 08/24/19 8:51am

OldFriends4Sal
e

RJOrion said:

he played with Prince on the Parade Tour


He was in Sheila Es band 4 her 3rd album tour by August 1986 and the Lionell Ritchie tour.

He talked about how Prince wanted them wearing a lot of make up

He did not record on the album though

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Reply #5 posted 08/24/19 9:04am

bsk3601

He's also singing background vocals on "Love On A Blue Train" on Sheila's eponymous album. You can really hear him around the "Jerome/Mazarati upside the head" chant. 4:12 mark he shouts something. Either "speak it/sing it to me man" but it's clearly him.

[Edited 8/24/19 9:15am]

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Reply #6 posted 08/24/19 9:09am

databank

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bsk3601 said:

He's also singing background vocals on "Love On A Blue Train" on Sheila's eponymous album. You can really hear him around the "Jerome/Mazarati upside the head" chant.

True, he's even credited, I'd never noticed. Pvault says his involvement is uncertain but if he can be heard then I guess it settles it.

Retrospectively, it makes it the only Prince/Saadiq stuidio collab, quite an important moment.

[Edited 8/24/19 9:10am]

A COMPREHENSIVE PRINCE DISCOGRAPHY (work in progress ^^): https://sites.google.com/...scography/
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Reply #7 posted 08/24/19 9:19am

OldFriends4Sal
e

Raphael and Tim and other people from my band like Carl Wheeler were playing with Sheila E. I was able to introduce them to Sheila through a good friend of mine named Levi Seacer. He was a great guitarist from Richmond, California, and he was the musical director for Sheila E. He told me one day, “Hey, man. She needs a bass player. She needs someone who can move with the bass, sing a little bit, a...nd dance, too.” I replied, “Well, my little brother can.” He was eighteen or nineteen back then. Levi asked, “Can he really play?” I said, “Hell yeah! He can play.” So I took him to the tryouts, and he made it. They called and said that they needed a drummer too. So, Tim came and he made it as well. This was long before we started the group Tony! Toni! Toné!

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Reply #8 posted 08/24/19 10:27am

BartVanHemelen

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© Bart Van Hemelen
This posting is provided AS IS with no warranties, and confers no rights.
It is not authorized by Prince or the NPG Music Club. You assume all risk for
your use. All rights reserved.
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Reply #9 posted 08/24/19 11:32am

Germanegro

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Raphael S. is one of the great pool of Oakland, CA talent who wrote great music for his bands, himself, and others, and helping with production. I was a bit taken aback while watching an interview he did with Tavis Smiley at the time of his "Stone Rollin'" album touring where he paired with the Rolling Stones. He was fawning so hard for those guys. Theyr'e legends and all, but if he only stopped to think about who the Stones' influences were and the fact that he has a more direct lineage to those same influences, he could be grateful to tour with them, but keep your cool, man, like you did during your stint with Prince. He was probably mugging for potential crossover fans lol razz
I wanna check out his new album written in rememberance of his older brother.
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Reply #10 posted 08/24/19 3:19pm

SoulAlive

OldFriends4Sale said:

databank said:

I've read rumors that TTT may have been considered for a Paisley Park deal before they signed with Mercury, but never knew if there was any truth to it.

They made a song Born Not To Know on their 1st album with a line that shortly addresses that:

And I can't relate 'cause I was born not to know
Things are getting crazy, I ain't wearing paisley
I was born not to know

They also discussed it in a Vibe magazine interview.They said that Prince was planning to sign them to Paisley Park Records,but according to Saadiq,"he kept frontin" so they looked elsewhere for a deal.

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Reply #11 posted 08/24/19 3:21pm

SoulAlive

oh and by the way.....Raphael has reunited with the original members and they are already planning some shows.

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Reply #12 posted 08/24/19 6:13pm

ChocolateBox31
21

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Raphael is a COMPLETE jerk! I will NEVER support anything he does EVER again.

[Edited 8/26/19 6:10am]

"That mountain top situation is not really what it's all cracked up 2 B when eye was doing the Purple Rain tour eye had a lot of people who eye knew eye'll never c again @ the concerts.just screamin n places they thought they was suppose 2 scream."prince
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Reply #13 posted 08/24/19 7:36pm

robertgeorge

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ChocolateBox3121 said:

Raphael is a jerk! I will NEVER support anything he does EVER again.


Just curious, what did he do that was so bad?

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Reply #14 posted 08/25/19 2:05am

PURPLEIZED3121

BartVanHemelen said:

https://prince.org/msg/7/359236

.

https://prince.org/msg/7/452524

.

https://prince.org/msg/8/445158

.

https://prince.org/msg/5/375593

.

etc.

you might be a huge pain in the ass but you are very efficient!

My way of saying thanks for these great links! razz

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Reply #15 posted 08/25/19 4:28am

paisleypark4

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He is also on Koo Koo (backing vox)

Straight Jacket Funk Affair
Album plays and love for vinyl records.
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Reply #16 posted 08/25/19 7:56am

Wolfie87

Raphael spoke in a Swedish radio program P3 Soul on Prince. "Every artist has an album they have to make in their career. Dirty Mind was that album for him."

Raphael must be a hardcore fan. Everyone else, non-fans, would have said PR just because they don't know about his music. But Raphael knew what was up.
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Reply #17 posted 08/25/19 6:13pm

OldFriends4Sal
e

robertgeorge said:

ChocolateBox3121 said:

Raphael is a jerk! I will NEVER support anything he does EVER again.


Just curious, what did he do that was so bad?

take it to

Music: Non-Prince

Discuss other artists here.

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Reply #18 posted 08/27/19 8:35am

MacDaddy

Via Sheila E' twitter account:


Sheila E. Rehearsal 1986 San Francisco.

⁩ on bass, he was Ray Wiggins then. Carl wheeler keys, Tim on drums, Bonnie Boyer keys, Levi Seacer guitar, Juan Escovedo Perc. This was there first big gig.


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Reply #19 posted 08/31/19 6:35am

funksterr

OldFriends4Sale said:

databank said:

He was primarily with Sheila's 1986 band, opening for Prince during the Japanese leg of the Parade Tour, replacing Levi on bass, who himself replaced Steph Bimbaum on guitar. Not sure what else he did since Sheila would disband her backing band and join P's band soonafter, but he definitely played a few shows with her and met Prince at the time. Boni was also part of that short-lived incarnation of her band.

I've read rumors that TTT may have been considered for a Paisley Park deal before they signed with Mercury, but never knew if there was any truth to it.

They made a song Born Not To Know on their 1st album with a line that shortly addresses that:

And I can't relate 'cause I was born not to know
Things are getting crazy, I ain't wearing paisley
I was born not to know

I was dating a girl, when that album came out. She played that cassette in my car. As soon as those lyrics came up, I knew it was a Prince-diss. I was instantly offended, ejected the tape and tossed it out the car window. She made me drive back and get it though. biggrin

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Reply #20 posted 09/02/19 10:18am

OldFriends4Sal
e

funksterr said:

OldFriends4Sale said:

They made a song Born Not To Know on their 1st album with a line that shortly addresses that:

And I can't relate 'cause I was born not to know
Things are getting crazy, I ain't wearing paisley
I was born not to know

I was dating a girl, when that album came out. She played that cassette in my car. As soon as those lyrics came up, I knew it was a Prince-diss. I was instantly offended, ejected the tape and tossed it out the car window. She made me drive back and get it though. biggrin

LOL lol Only a purple soldier lol

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Reply #21 posted 09/10/19 7:08am

Cinny

avatar

bsk3601 said:

He's also singing background vocals on "Love On A Blue Train" on Sheila's eponymous album. You can really hear him around the "Jerome/Mazarati upside the head" chant. 4:12 mark he shouts something. Either "speak it/sing it to me man" but it's clearly him.

How have I never noticed this? Sick!

I am so happy someone made this thread because, yeah, it didn't make sense how he is playing bass when we knew the bassists for all the bands.

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