Thanks guys for keeping the thread alive!! It's interesting to see everyone's opinions from Bonatoc, Violetcrush, PliablyPurple on down!

This enthusiasm is just why the Estate should release all of the First Avenue shows to buy!

Peace and be wild!

williamb610 said:

Yes!!! Agreed, and you’re welcome

violetcrush said:

^^^ Agreed!! The ‘83 live version is a slow, sultry, sexy, sweaty and superbly sung performance

Love to hear live renditions of studio favorites. This one is a GEM either way. The live version reminds me of background music I think I remember hearing years ago in a porn (imagine that!).

sulls said:

I just watched the video of the 1st Ave performance again. I have to strongly disagree with the porn music comparison. The instrumental is rich and inviting - certainly not like the “bom chica wah wah” crap you get in a porn flick. Wendy and Lisa’s sultry “Electric Intercourse” vocals definitely add to it as well. Prince is fully into what the song is supposed to express, which is his desperate attraction and desire to make love to a woman he’s just seen, but does not know.
*
At the end of the song the camera zooms in for a closeup on his face and the way he leans in and then throws his head back and leans in again singing “don’t...don’t cha...don’t cha wanna...don’t cha wanna make love???” Oh my my my!!He was ALL in on that performance.
*
I don’t hear porn at all - quite the opposite

violetcrush said:

At the end of the song the camera zooms in for a closeup on his face and the way he leans in and then throws his head back and leans in again singing “don’t...don’t cha...don’t cha wanna...don’t cha wanna make love???” Oh my my my!!He was ALL in on that performance. * I don’t hear porn at all - quite the opposite

Yeah, that delivery, man. It means everything. Basically, the live version and studio version are two different songs. I may wince at "technicolor climax," but when live P immediately follows it up with "is at my fingertips" with a passion that comes from all of the right places, I am thinking thank gawd the only person on earth who could pull this shit off is singing right now. And then I am all...o, that chuckle? Nervous laughter, P, come here baby, we good. And, I love the rock star double entendre of that particular line. P ain't just gliding fingertips down your neck, shoulders, and legs. No, he is singing that while tickling the ivory and yes he knows that's just another reason why you love a man with a fireplace. That's rock star shit right there.

It should be stated/asked, and I am only going by my own recollection of seeing early Prince shows that have been available over the years, is this the first we begin to see P putting a piano front and center for a joint during a headlining set? Possibly this show, or earlier shows from the 1999 tour - though I don't remember seeing it at the Houston/Summit show on that tour? Anyway, I don't recall him breaking it out for slower, piano-based jams on earlier tours. If this is the first, it's a bit of a training ground and indication of P's headspace for how The Beautiful Ones would be presented just a short time later. If that's the case, it's another reason why this show is such an important example of P's (and the R)evolution as a stage presence.

PliablyPurple said:

Yes, this “ballad at the piano” performance was definitely the start of his inclusion of “Prince at the piano” on many of his future tours. Smart move on his part, because he was a fantastic and entertaining player.

bonatoc said:

To be clear, I love the song!

I just don't think it deserves this kind of legendary status it's been given over the years.
It's a very fine tune, but not "extraordinaire" (everything Prince does is.
I'm saying "extraordinaire for Prince" here).

If "Purple Rain" had been a double album and the movie cut differently,
I think it could have fit perfectly in the barn scene.
Maybe even in the basement crotch grabbing one.
But as it is, of course "God (Instrumental)" helps laying down (hum) a romantic layer
over an explicit scene and turns it into a passionate one, not an x-rated one.

The whole "Purple Rain" project is a big intertwining
of Prince's personal life and... a script that resembles Prince's personal struggles.
If you add to that Prince being adamant about writing songs born out of experiences,
of course, it appears "The Beautiful Ones" is very autobiographic.
But its genesis could also be very pragmatic.
We only have contradictions to mess with.
Clever Kid.

Honestly, you went way too analytical here. Electric Intercourse is a beautiful song live, its passion cannot be denied and that's what fans feel when they hear it. It's not meant to be a cerebral epiphany. Anyhoo, you haven't changed a bit.

Since the day I first saw the 1st Ave show, EI has been one of my all time favourite Prince songs.

Hearing the studio version was the biggest let down ever!

I too would love to hear a crystal clear live version, but Im content with whats out there atm.

callimnate said:

Almost all of Prince’s studio cuts were better when he played them live - with the exception of a few like SISIA, because when he played it live he could not replicate the beautiful and ethereal mixed vocals of his with Wendy and Lisa, which is such a big part of that song. Also, Adore, because he never played the full song or added the layered vocals of the studio track.