Princevault updated.

Basic tracking took place on 23 May 1979, at Hollywood Sound Recorders (Studio A), Los Angeles, CA, USA, during sessions which focused on overdubs and mixing the Prince album. It is unclear if the track was worked on further in 1982 (the year it was previously thought to be first recorded in), but it was re-recorded from scratch on 16 July 1986 at Sunset Sound in Hollywood, California.

LoveGalore said:

sulls said:

Pellwormer said:

I just feel those good ole new wave vibe...like the album "Look sharp" by Joe Jackson

I’ve been digging that vibe recently. Dirty Mind / Controversy. BRING IT!

I agree with Sulls! With parts of these posthumous releases we are getting whole new wave style albums that fit really well with that 1980-82 period 😆 which I am really appreciating!

andrewm7 said:

homesquid said:

It's cool. I like it but how many times will I listen to it when the 1987 version is sublime?

I like it a lot, but yes the SOTT version is sublime.

Giovanni777 said:

Just heard it on Spotify... Not a fan.

-

There's always someone.

-

Wow ! Whàt a version. And, great sound quality too.

Just love everything about it. certainly the 'other' bridge part towards the end. Sounds even better.

Could perfectly fit in with 'The Rebels' sound.

Ilagine a blade sharp solo by Dez or something.

-

I just love this version.

Again we can hear how damn good Prince was in blending all instruments ALONE at this very very young age.

Also nice to hear his young haunted vocals again.

Fade out ? is there another longer version ?

I will never get this fade out thing...

What happens to the music after the fading ?!

Dear musicians here, help me out on this one.

There always needs to be that last note somehow, no ?

-

[Edited 7/16/20 23:44pm]

SquirrelMeat said:

I just love the optimism of youth. She was damaged goods, but in 1979 he was willing to give it a try.

8 Years later, he parked her as a 'no go'.

My unasked-for interpretation of the song is that both versions end in the same way, but Prince is a lot more coy about it in 1987. If nothing had happened, how would Prince know that 'she couldn't stop crying 'cause she knew he was gone to stay'? She definitely wasn't crying at the bar ('she was looking alright'). I suppose she could have told him whilst they were flirting but, maybe it's just me, I don't really see constant, uncontrolled crying as something you're going to divulge in that context. So, I think Prince in the song went ahead and did it, but wasn't proud of having been the rebound of a distraught, pregnant woman or, worst case scenario, having perhaps taken advantage of someone in a situation of vulnerability. In that sense, the long guitar solo in 1987 could be seen as a kind of "musical sex scene" like in Do Me Baby or Lady Cab Driver -it's got those two guitar tracks interacting with each other like two lovers, as in Joy in Repetition-, but this time with no words because Prince doesn't want to "kiss and tell". Same when the refrain comes back at the very end: a short-lived triumph, but in reality there's nothing left to say.

Vannormal said:

Giovanni777 said:

Just heard it on Spotify... Not a fan.

-

There's always someone.

-

Wow ! Whàt a version. And, great sound quality too.

Just love everything about it. certainly the 'other' bridge part towards the end. Sounds even better.

Could perfectly fit in with 'The Rebels' sound.

Ilagine a blade sharp solo by Dez or something.

-

I just love this version.

Again we can hear how damn good Prince was in blending all instruments ALONE at this very very young age.

Also nice to hear his young haunted vocals again.

Fade out ? is there another longer version ?

I will never get this fade out thing...

What happens to the music after the fading ?!

Dear musicians here, help me out on this one.

There always needs to be that last note somehow, no ?

-

[Edited 7/16/20 23:44pm]

It's not complicated, really... a fade out can be for several reasons, either that someone hit a bum note in an otherwise 'perfect' (or at least preferred) performance... or an instrument went out of tune... or the song broke down but was otherwise perfectly good... or it could be that the fade was 'built in' to the song, so that the musician's plan was to simply play the refrain/chorus repeatedly at the end, in order for it to be faded out...

I don't understand people's problem with fades at the end of songs... it doesn't necessarily mean there's some amazing part of the song that we're not hearing... sometimes that can be the case, but not always...

Also, in the case of this song, if Prince was working on it while mixing the previous album ('Prince'), he may have just wanted to capture the song while he was in the mood, or may even have recorded what he considered a 'scratch' version here, to be offered to someone else... who knows?

But a fade is a perfectly legitimate way of ending a song. Not every song has a hard finish, particularly in the world of pop singles... 'repeat to fade' is a very common thing... especially as on the radio the DJ would likely be talking over the last part of the song anyway, so on a single, there's little point in saving that amazing breakdown and/or solo for the end, where no-one will hear it/it will be talked over... might as well repeat the chorus to fade and have that talked over instead....

Rimshottbob said:

It's not complicated, really... a fade out can be for several reasons, either that someone hit a bum note in an otherwise 'perfect' (or at least preferred) performance... or an instrument went out of tune... or the song broke down but was otherwise perfectly good... or it could be that the fade was 'built in' to the song, so that the musician's plan was to simply play the refrain/chorus repeatedly at the end, in order for it to be faded out...

I don't understand people's problem with fades at the end of songs... it doesn't necessarily mean there's some amazing part of the song that we're not hearing... sometimes that can be the case, but not always...

Also, in the case of this song, if Prince was working on it while mixing the previous album ('Prince'), he may have just wanted to capture the song while he was in the mood, or may even have recorded what he considered a 'scratch' version here, to be offered to someone else... who knows?

But a fade is a perfectly legitimate way of ending a song. Not every song has a hard finish, particularly in the world of pop singles... 'repeat to fade' is a very common thing... especially as on the radio the DJ would likely be talking over the last part of the song anyway, so on a single, there's little point in saving that amazing breakdown and/or solo for the end, where no-one will hear it/it will be talked over... might as well repeat the chorus to fade and have that talked over instead....

I love songs that both fade-in and out, like The Bed's Too Big Without You by the Police; it's like there's some alternate universe or radio station where this song is being jammed forever.

SanMartin said:

I am totally diggin this. Love the Dirty Mind-style sound of it. I am not a big fan of demos as its usually interesting but rarely revisit. But I can't stop listening to this... I am so damn excited for this set I can't stand it.

delirious said:

I read somewhere a long time ago that this was considered for inclusion on Dirty Mind but was too similar to "When You Were Mine" so it was excluded. You can tell Prince really liked the song as he held on to it for a long time waiting for the right project...but WYWM was the preffered track at release time for Dirty Mind.

Was thinking the same thing. This version has a few simularities to WYWM to me. I could almost here it listening to ICNTTPOYM '79

It's now available on HDTracks. 44.1kHz · 24bit.

.

Witness as well, of course.

I just listened to the track and really dig it. It's interesting but to me the voice sounds like it's from a later era than the music. Also, to me while the drums and keyboard sound like 1979-era, the guitar makes me think of Dirty Mind. The voice is very similar to the stylings he was using around the time he was working on the "Sign" material. I know what's been documented about the original recording date but my ears hear something different in this recording. It's real head trip!

funkytriton25 said:

AvocadosMax said:

RJOrion said:

AvocadosMax said:

Honestly it sounds like an early Prince realizing his ‘normal’ or chest voice. He sounds good too, but not quite there yet. When he screams during the “thats when I first saw— AH,” it sounds like his early screams. Like he hasn’t got the balls in his scream quite yet; now ik he probably could have just did that for the rough cut, but still. Idk how people are saying it sounds like Prince from ‘82. Got the new wave vibe with his early chest vocals so its gonna sound weird to us. But it’s interesting

how does one get their balls in their scream?... im intrigued

You gotta push the voice out so hard your balls vacuum up into your lungs and then are pulverived by the sheer force and they're reduced to a fine mist that sprays out whilst screaming. It's very complex, but Prince got there.

LoveGalore said:

RJOrion said:

LoveGalore said:

You gotta push the voice out so hard your balls vacuum up into your lungs and then are pulverived by the sheer force and they're reduced to a fine mist that sprays out whilst screaming. It's very complex, but Prince got there.

you sure?...that sounds like an exploding Inguinal Hernia...

LoveGalore said:

SanMartin said:

My unasked-for interpretation of the song is that both versions end in the same way, but Prince is a lot more coy about it in 1987. If nothing had happened, how would Prince know that 'she couldn't stop crying 'cause she knew he was gone to stay'? She definitely wasn't crying at the bar ('she was looking alright'). I suppose she could have told him whilst they were flirting but, maybe it's just me, I don't really see constant, uncontrolled crying as something you're going to divulge in that context. So, I think Prince in the song went ahead and did it, but wasn't proud of having been the rebound of a distraught, pregnant woman or, worst case scenario, having perhaps taken advantage of someone in a situation of vulnerability. In that sense, the long guitar solo in 1987 could be seen as a kind of "musical sex scene" like in Do Me Baby or Lady Cab Driver -it's got those two guitar tracks interacting with each other like two lovers, as in Joy in Repetition-, but this time with no words because Prince doesn't want to "kiss and tell". Same when the refrain comes back at the very end: a short-lived triumph, but in reality there's nothing left to say.

Looking alright means she was fine as hell not that she looked like she was doing alright in that moment. I'm pretty sure Prince saw her crying and wanted to fuck (cuz he was pretty much always into sexualizing crying) and she started unloading her problems on him and he's like whoa whoa whoa - all I'm good for is a fuck and that's probably not enough for you. The distinction is the wink wink nudge nudge of "...but I'll try" - which means hey fuck it, let's go. In 87, he debates it but in the end the story is that he says no and that's it.

In what songs does Prince sexualise a woman crying? That's interesting, but I can't think of examples apart from Automatic. Don't get me wrong, I know 'she was looking alright' refers to her looking hot, but I find the scenario hard to imagine if she was actually crying in that moment and not later, after sex, or at least as something she confessed to him afterwards.

LoveGalore said:

SanMartin said:

RJOrion said:

It's fascinating looking at the posted hand-written lyrics from the 1979 version. The ultimate point of the song is completely different in the demo and the released version.

The last lines in 1979 are: "I won't be satisfied with a one-night stand and I could never take the place of your man / but I'll try / but I'll sure as hell try"

In the released version it's "wouldn't be satisfied" and in the movie version it's "we wouldn't be satisfied" and in both that final part "I'll try" is cut.

Very interesting how he had the song basically in place but it must have taken several more years for him to find the darker point this ultimately has.

AvocadosMax said:

funkytriton25 said:

I just listened to the track and really dig it. It's interesting but to me the voice sounds like it's from a later era than the music. Also, to me while the drums and keyboard sound like 1979-era, the guitar makes me think of Dirty Mind. The voice is very similar to the stylings he was using around the time he was working on the "Sign" material. I know what's been documented about the original recording date but my ears hear something different in this recording. It's real head trip!

Honestly it sounds like an early Prince realizing his ‘normal’ or chest voice. He sounds good too, but not quite there yet. When he screams during the “thats when I first saw— AH,” it sounds like his early screams. Like he hasn’t got the balls in his scream quite yet; now ik he probably could have just did that for the rough cut, but still. Idk how people are saying it sounds like Prince from ‘82. Got the new wave vibe with his early chest vocals so its gonna sound weird to us. But it’s interesting

It sounds so different from what he was doing vocally at the time, especially in his lower register. It almost sounds like he took the original mix and recorded a test vocal track on top of it a few years later.

I know this sounds strange but I'm saying it this way, because we heard the 1987 version "first"! I like the "changes" in this one. The guitar isn't overpowering the track and I like the keyboard and guitar differences in this one as opposed to the Sign version. I still love the Sign o' the Times version but I like it that at least we've got 2 different versions to listen to! Love the backing vocals during the chorus...

[Edited 7/17/20 16:08pm]

funkytriton25 said:

ThirdStrike said:

LoveGalore said:

SDE: You’ve already mentioned that this is going to be a real revelation to virtually everyone. This was recorded in 1979. How much of a surprise was it to come across this? MH: It was an enormous surprise. It was found very early in our excavation and digitisation process, but the rough mix we had was not dated and we assumed it was a little bit later than it actually was. But finally we found it on a two-inch multi-track tape which was dated May 1979, which kind of blew our minds. So it was a wonderful surprise and such a treat to be able to hear one of Prince’s best known songs in a completely different way.

So, that basically answers the question, right? It’s a track recorded in 1979. We can all move on now. 👍🏼

I don't think anyone is disputing its a 79 track. But based of the vault photos, and the tape a version appears along side, it lends good evidence to a 82 version that has not made either the 1999 SDE or the SOTT SDE.