I listen to P's version of "I Can't Make U Love Me", and it's such a nice cover version. I like how Prince adds ethereal sounds to his cover versions, and how he alters his voice pitches.

Do you think P's cover versions of other songs are as nice as his original material?

SoftSkarlettLovisa said:

I listen to P's version of "I Can't Make U Love Me", and it's such a nice cover version. I like how Prince adds ethereal sounds to his cover versions, and how he alters his voice pitches.

Do you think P's cover versions of other songs are as nice as his original material?

Yes..I DO..

He makes them his own..

Princifies them...the Royal Treatment....

one bad exception, "Everyday Is A Winding Road"

(except for that "Flashlight" portion)

nayroo2002 said:

one bad exception, "Everyday Is A Winding Road"

(except for that "Flashlight" portion)

Everyday Is A Winding Road would have been just fine without the Larry Graham part.

Purple House was a nice tribute to Hendrix.

One Of Us and I Can't Make U Love Me are two of his best covers, IMO.

Betcha By Golly Wow and La La La Means I Love U . . . meh. Not really crazy about those.

Crimson & Clover (with Wild Thing): love it.

A Case Of U -- this one was obviously very important to Prince, as he played it a lot. I like the few different versions I've heard.


Of all of these, my favorite cover is One Of Us.

I don't enjoy most of Prince's covers. I do really like his versions of 'A Case Of U' though!

I generally like most of Prince's covers. My favorite ones are Creep + Crimson and Clover. I've seen some say they really dislike Prince's version of Creep, but I think it's an incredible performance...It would've been cool to see him cover other Radiohead songs, I think they suit him well.

SoftSkarlettLovisa said:

I listen to P's version of "I Can't Make U Love Me", and it's such a nice cover version. I like how Prince adds ethereal sounds to his cover versions, and how he alters his voice pitches.

Do you think P's cover versions of other songs are as nice as his original material?

As songs, they're fine. As placeholders on Prince's records - they're unnecessary. Why have a version of "I Can't Make You Love Me" when "All My Dreams" is recorded and ready for release? Etc.

*

His career and his choices, etc, but - to answer your direct question: Prince's covers are unnecessary.

I like them, in general. But I hate I Can't Make You Love Me with a white-hot passion.

His Sly covers during live shows always lacked something. Like on paper if you said Prince was going to cover Sly, you would think he'd blow the roof off the place. Even with the Family Stone themselves, it just wasn't what it could have been. It was like he never got it fully cranked up.

Generally love all of them.

My favorite is a cover he did of The Cars' "Let's Go". I think it was the perfume reveal concert. He absolutely nailed it, screaming "Let's GO!" just perfectly. There's a guy in the crowd standing next to whoever recorded this, and he nearly poops his pants when realizes what song this is. He is my hero.

Genesia said:

I like them, in general. But I hate I Can't Make You Love Me with a white-hot passion.

"Eye offer U sex-shall rah-layshuns"

Genesia said:

I like them, in general. But I hate I Can't Make You Love Me with a white-hot passion.

Oh, really! I like "I Can't Make U Love Me" - perfect background music in a cafe, just like "Betcha By Golly Wow"

Genesia said:

lavendardrummachine said:

For the most part, I'm very much on board. Interesting thread idea.

Be interesting to see a full comprehensive list of all of them but Google is failing me and all my results are backwards (artists covering Prince)

*Bart Van Hamelin posts to call me an idiot and provides a link*

Crimson and Clover, One of Us, A Case of U, Creep, Best of You, What Have U Done 4 Me Lately, the Sly Stone stuff..

Overall I'd say I like most of them quite a bit.

Anyone got a full list?

Cant forget the EPIC Waterboys Cover... Whole of the Moon..better than the original.....

Edtied for spelling

[Edited 2/8/20 16:32pm]

and Rolling Stones Miss YOU.....

when Prince sounded more like Mick than Mick...

And The Temptations~Just my Imagination..I MEAN

There are just so many....

Genesia said:

I like them, in general. But I hate I Can't Make You Love Me with a white-hot passion.

.

I despise this cover as well - it's like he simply didn't understand the meaning of the song (or didn't care). Either way, a blatant misinterpretation of the song and a stain on the album.

.

I could do without ALL four covers on 'Emancipation' - even the best (IMO) "One of Us" because of the lazy re-use of that drum track from 'thy will be done'

.

Call me crazy, I LOVE the "Everyday is a Winding Road" cover.

.

And "Crimson and Clover" is stellar, chill-inducing awesomeness!

Is there a definitive list of songs he's covered? Either live or in studio?

For once I'm actually paging Bart to the thread. It's the one thing he's good at.

herb4 said:

Is there a definitive list of songs he's covered? Either live or in studio?

For once I'm actually paging Bart to the thread. It's the one thing he's good at.

We can add

Staples Singers~Ill take you there

Rolling stones ~honkey Tonk Woman

and

Alice Smith ~Another Love ~

Many of his live covers are so off-handed and not the complete song - Whole Lotta Love another of them - Satisfaction with new protest lyrics - that, while cool sometimes, are probably best thought of in a category separate from studio covers. Just my 2 cents.

.

Even something really nice like "Just My Imagination" probably would've benefited greatly from him performing the whole song.

same answer as in the 200 earlier same topics: i hate them, as i utterly dislike 90% of covers in general. Only a few chosen covers have right of existance and some are even better than the original. But surely not in P's case; all his covers sound the same. But i did enjoy Whole lotta love just because it's a good song and not typically P.

Lovejunky said:

Cant forget the EPIC Waterboys Cover... Whole of the Moon..better than the original.....

Edtied for spelling

[Edited 2/8/20 16:32pm]

you're out of your mind.

and that's not even personal freedom of choice or preferrence; it's simply NOT better than the original in any way. And that's a FACT.

Lovejunky said:

Cant forget the EPIC Waterboys Cover... Whole of the Moon..better than the original.....

Edtied for spelling

[Edited 2/8/20 16:32pm]

And with a crucial lyric change to reflect that the song may have been partly inspired by him.

I like many of the cover versions that he performed live:

• I Believe In You '94
• Honky Tonk Women
• Miss You '86
• Best Of You
• A Case Of You '83
• The Middle
• The Whole Of The Moon
• Who Knows

But the studio-versions of coversongs he did, mainly don't touch me at all:

• Everyday Is A Winding Road
• Purple House
• A Case Of You

I don't know why...

[Edited 2/10/20 6:59am]

CAL3 said:

Genesia said:

I like them, in general. But I hate I Can't Make You Love Me with a white-hot passion.

.

I despise this cover as well - it's like he simply didn't understand the meaning of the song (or didn't care). Either way, a blatant misinterpretation of the song and a stain on the album.

.

I don't hate the cover, per se - I hate the song. "I can't make you love me, but if it's the only way I can have you - even if you don't really care about me, even if it's only for a minute - I'll sleep with you, anyway."

It's a horrible, degrading, pathetic message - no matter who sings it.

TheFman said:

Lovejunky said:

Cant forget the EPIC Waterboys Cover... Whole of the Moon..better than the original.....

Edtied for spelling

[Edited 2/8/20 16:32pm]

you're out of your mind.

and that's not even personal freedom of choice or preferrence; it's simply NOT better than the original in any way. And that's a FACT.

Can you prove this FACT you speak of ?

I have yet to hear a Prince cover that didn't surpass the original in every way imaginable.