Prince version is funkier...much better than The Family version

RJOrion said:

Prince version is funkier...much better than The Family version

But the Family version is the way Prince wanted it

OldFriends4Sale said:

RJOrion said:

Prince version is funkier...much better than The Family version

But the Family version is the way Prince wanted it

But the Question the OP presented was about MY opinion...not Prince's

RJOrion said:

OldFriends4Sale said:

But the Family version is the way Prince wanted it

But the Question the OP presented was about MY opinion...not Prince's

LOL both are Prince's version

I love Prince & the Family's version on NC2U(1985) and cannot stand Sinead OConnors

OldFriends4Sale said:

RJOrion said:

But the Question the OP presented was about MY opinion...not Prince's

LOL both are Prince's version

I love Prince & the Family's version on NC2U(1985) and cannot stand Sinead OConnors

i'll slow it down since you seem to have misunderstood (again) ....

the question the OP presnted was about MY OPINION ON SCREAMS OF PASSION... not Prince's OPINION on Screams of Passion..

i know they are both Prince's version (who doesnt?)

have you been day-drinking?

OldFriends4Sale said:

RJOrion said:

Prince version is funkier...much better than The Family version

But The Family version is the way Prince wanted it

If we're being technical - that's how Prince wanted it for The Family. We don't really know how Prince would've released it had it used it for himself on something like ATWIAD or Parade (although he did seem to be in a semi-minimalist phase). I don't remember if I've heard Prince's version, but I do love his bassful versions of "High Fashion" and "Mutiny."

TrivialPursuit said:

OldFriends4Sale said:

But The Family version is the way Prince wanted it

If we're being technical - that's how Prince wanted it for The Family. We don't really know how Prince would've released it had it used it for himself on something like ATWIAD or Parade (although he did seem to be in a semi-minimalist phase). I don't remember if I've heard Prince's version, but I do love his bassful versions of "High Fashion" and "Mutiny."

Yes, but technical the Family is Prince's protege vision, his other expression. Just like the Time and Sheila E etc Many many songs he never wanted for himself or I strongly believe he would have kept it. We hav 'his' version of Make Up, but it was never for him. International Lover was initially for the Time, but he decided to keep it. So can we really say how he would have wanted it (for himself) if he released it? And why wouldn't he not release it for himself as it was just with his own vocals? Mutiny and High Fashion for the most part sound like what was released on the Family album. What other takes have we heard?
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I mean I think it's perfection or he would not have extended it to St Paul and Susannah to complete. Also remember it was Susannah who called up Clare Fischer to connect with Prince to add strings to. Without that, there would not have been Clare Fischer strings.

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Prince's version sounds very similar to the album version, just with no Clare strings/MF duet of St Paul and Susannah, and Prince's piece he sings in a falsetto and higher tenor. It's really the same song except for those pieces. I do love his YEEEAAHHH it felt Tick Tick Bangish. I'm listening to them now.
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Now the 8:50min demo I also think is extremely beautiful. If Prince decided to release that with cleaned up vocals, for his own release it also would have been perfection.

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Remembering the evolution of some of these pieces:

Initial tracking took place on 19 August, 1984 at the Flying Cloud Drive Warehouse in Eden Prairie (two days after The Dance Electric and the day before God; a year to the day before the track's release on The Family album). St. Paul Peterson and Susannah Melvoin overdubbed vocals onto the track in late 1984 - early 1985, and Clare Fischer added orchestral overdubs during the same period. PrinceVault

There is the fleshing out with the Revolution (that I love) 8:50min

the Family album version 5:26 min

the Screams of Passion extended 6:45min

For some reason I thought I had another from a sound check
.
faster than that

F

a little faster

yeah

F

just join right in anytime

organ

put the step on Mark

the lighter U touch it the more it does

C

sensitive 2 the touch

Ooooooh ooooah ooooah

Bobby the piano was 2 low last night could U C me?

Turn it up alittle bit now

Ooooooah

I'll need a little bit more voice 2night

Ooooooah

Alright just play base notes on the organ, drop out the chords

There's a gentle autumn breeze

blows
Whenever we be lyin', lyin' in my bed
.........

My clothes I quickly, I quickly shed

The curtains dance a minuet, autumn plays the music, baby
Come on, hold my hand
......

A picture that is waving, that it seems 2 be with every thrust U
Make me beg 4 more

The curtains dance a minuet, autumn plays the music, baby
Make me dance 4 more

Oh, a robin sings a masterpiece

sulls said:

I really like the rehearsal version of it on the Feline soundcheck boot. That's some good stuff, right there!

That's the definitive version for me.

I recently listened to The Family's album for the first time and this song instantly jumped out to me. The song is fantastically written and has a really smooth, flowing rhythm. It evokes such a vivid atmosphere which I just love. The bassline is killer, easily one of my fav of Prince's.

[Edited 7/24/20 12:16pm]

OldFriends4Sale said:

This is one of those songs, that informed me Prince was on a whole different level.
This like I Don't Want 2 Leave U(the Time) and Dear Michaelangelo(Romance 1600) just a few to name, the Screams of Passion, when I first heard it I could not discern what I was hearing it was so colorful. It flowed like a water color painting. The Clare Fischer strings is the thing that takes this song from hot to spicy

These are songs that set him apart from anybody else. The fact that he could/would give them away just shows that he had so many hits and confidence that the chosen artists would take care of his babies.

OldFriends4Sale said:

faster than that

F

a little faster

yeah

F

just join right in anytime

organ

put the step on Mark

the lighter U touch it the more it does

C

sensitive 2 the touch

Ooooooh ooooah ooooah

Bobby the piano was 2 low last night could U C me?

Turn it up alittle bit now

Ooooooah

I'll need a little bit more voice 2night

Ooooooah

Alright just play base notes on the organ, drop out the chords

There's a gentle autumn breeze

blows
Whenever we be lyin', lyin' in my bed

Where is this versionfrom? And who is plalying th eorgan? Lisa or Matt? (In the video Paul is palying a red, Vox Continental Organ which looked so cool and added to the Euro feel.

Screams of Passion is a great song. I love almost every song on The Family album.

I hope in the near future we will hear the Orginals in good quality.

It's a sexy song with a great beat. Prince's version is best to me.

Is it Sunday
the screams of passion
drop out the bass
organs, Stop
the Screams of Passion
the screams of Passion
Everybody
the Screams of Passion
Hold me now baby tell me that u love me
or is it passion
drop out the organ
Play some chords Wendy
organ
the Screams of Passion
the Screams of Passion
the Screams of Passion
the Screams of Passion
the Screams of Passion
oooh hold me now baby
tell me that u love me
or was it passion
baby or was it
just the keyboards and the drums
Everybody 4 Screams of Passion

GaryMF said:

OldFriends4Sale said:

faster than that

F

a little faster

yeah

F

just join right in anytime

organ

put the step on Mark

the lighter U touch it the more it does

C

sensitive 2 the touch

Ooooooh ooooah ooooah

Bobby the piano was 2 low last night could U C me?

Turn it up alittle bit now

Ooooooah

I'll need a little bit more voice 2night

Ooooooah

Alright just play base notes on the organ, drop out the chords

There's a gentle autumn breeze

blows
Whenever we be lyin', lyin' in my bed

Where is this versionfrom? And who is plalying th eorgan? Lisa or Matt? (In the video Paul is palying a red, Vox Continental Organ which looked so cool and added to the Euro feel.

It was always hard for me to get past the cheese factor with The Family's version, though tbh that was more due to the video and the image of the group, rather than the vocal performances which were totally okay. I very much prefer Prince's version of course. I think it would be better without the flanger noises.

sulls said:

I think the entire Family album was better overall than ATWIAD and succeeded in hitting the psychadelic funk tone that Prince was shooting for post Purple Rain. I played the hell out of that album. My biggest issue with it was not really feeling the lead singer.

Screams of Passion is great.

herb4 said:

I think the entire Family album was better overall than ATWIAD and succeeded in hitting the psychadelic funk tone that Prince was shooting for post Purple Rain. I played the hell out of that album. My biggest issue with it was not really feeling the lead singer.

Screams of Passion is great.

I have heard that a lot on here.

.

.

I really don't get it. To my ears, Paul has a much more resonant, richer timbre to his voice than Prince himself.

.

.

People will now start to attack me now, I'm sure, but while Prince had great vocal TECHNIQUE and RANGE, the actual sound of his voice (the timbre, richness, etc.) was not really his forte or what mad ehis voice special (he had a great falsetto, but I'm talking about his normal register).

GaryMF said:

GaryMF said:

herb4 said:

I think the entire Family album was better overall than ATWIAD and succeeded in hitting the psychadelic funk tone that Prince was shooting for post Purple Rain. I played the hell out of that album. My biggest issue with it was not really feeling the lead singer.

Screams of Passion is great.

I have heard that a lot on here.

.

.

I really don't get it. To my ears, Paul has a much more resonant, richer timbre to his voice than Prince himself.

.

.

People will now start to attack me now, I'm sure, but while Prince had great vocal TECHNIQUE and RANGE, the actual sound of his voice (the timbre, richness, etc.) was not really his forte or what mad ehis voice special (he had a great falsetto, but I'm talking about his normal register).

St Paul has strong vocals, he handled these song very well

OldFriends4Sale said:

GaryMF said:

I really don't get it. To my ears, Paul has a much more resonant, richer timbre to his voice than Prince himself.

St Paul has strong vocals, he handled these song very well

.

I guess to each their own. I never imagined that people would prefer Paul's vocals to Prince's. To me, he's an okay singer, but simply not interesting. It does nothing for me (and I even bought St Paul's first album, the one with Rich Man, his version of Hi Fashion).

.

I won't go into who's vocals are technically "better", but, for me, even if the Prince vocal versions of the Family tracks are not finished, Prince's voice lifts the tracks considerably. I only wish we could restore Prince's vocals on the released version of the tracks. (but then we'd have to fight Databank first )

mediumdry said:

RJOrion said:

OldFriends4Sale said:

St Paul has strong vocals, he handled these song very well

And to be fair, Paul can sing. But he's also mimicking Prince, per Prince's instructions. We all know about the guide vocal track and whoever having to sing it note for note, etc. "High Fashion" and "Mutiny" are bragging songs, so that swagger-sass in them are straight Paul-doing-Prince. It's nothing to shit on Paul about, either. Morris, Dez, Paul, Susannah, Vanity, Apollonia... I mean, my God, listen to Sheila's vocals on things like "Toy Box" during the dorky ad-libs about her coat or whatever. That's some Prince shit. It's fun, but let's just keep it in context.

And I agree that Paul handled his job well. If he couldn't, Prince would've done something else. Paul is from a musical family that could play anyone on the Org under the rug. I think Prince fully appreciated that Petersons as a family and their musical talents. He clearly did, because Ricky Peterson produced and worked on other stuff through the 90s.

OldFriends4Sale said:

GaryMF said:

I have heard that a lot on here.

.

.

I really don't get it. To my ears, Paul has a much more resonant, richer timbre to his voice than Prince himself.

.

.

People will now start to attack me now, I'm sure, but while Prince had great vocal TECHNIQUE and RANGE, the actual sound of his voice (the timbre, richness, etc.) was not really his forte or what mad ehis voice special (he had a great falsetto, but I'm talking about his normal register).

St Paul has strong vocals, he handled these song very well

It wasn't enough to take me entirely out of the album -which I said I liked a lit - just, to me, one of the weaker elements of it. Can't put my finger on it but just one man's opinion. Apparently some people agree.

TrivialPursuit said:

OldFriends4Sale said:

St Paul has strong vocals, he handled these song very well

And to be fair, Paul can sing. But he's also mimicking Prince, per Prince's instructions. We all know about the guide vocal track and whoever having to sing it note for note, etc. "High Fashion" and "Mutiny" are bragging songs, so that swagger-sass in them are straight Paul-doing-Prince. It's nothing to shit on Paul about, either. Morris, Dez, Paul, Susannah, Vanity, Apollonia... I mean, my God, listen to Sheila's vocals on things like "Toy Box" during the dorky ad-libs about her coat or whatever. That's some Prince shit. It's fun, but let's just keep it in context.

And I agree that Paul handled his job well. If he couldn't, Prince would've done something else. Paul is from a musical family that could play anyone on the Org under the rug. I think Prince fully appreciated that Petersons as a family and their musical talents. He clearly did, because Ricky Peterson produced and worked on other stuff through the 90s.

Right, Paul(and Susannah) have strong vocals to handle these kinds of songs. And yes we all should know about the guided vocals on certain songs with the swagger-Paul was in the Time, and they most likely rehearsed a certain type of singing for the Ice Cream Castle Time band.

I remember listening to 'Noon Rendezvous' where Prince is feeding Sheila E the vocals-words.

I never really liked Toy Box lol

great post.

herb4 said:

OldFriends4Sale said:

St Paul has strong vocals, he handled these song very well

It wasn't enough to take me entirely out of the album -which I said I liked a lit - just, to me, one of the weaker elements of it. Can't put my finger on it but just one man's opinion. Apparently some people agree.

It was a new direction I think. Even newer than ATWIAD. That could be it. I wonder what the Family album would have sounded like under the Purple Rain vibe. I think St Pauls vocals were powerful and soulful enough to render some rockier songs. I thought the same about Jill Jones.

I wish we got to see what a full Family era looked like. I think the band was a bit bloated. It could have done without Wally and Gregory.

RJOrion said:

Prince.org where certain people will try to imply that Paul Peterson had a better singing voice than Prince... LOLOLOLOL this is how history gets altered over time...certain people start expousing a false narrative and get one or two sheep to follow along, and before you know it, "Christopher Columbus DISCOVERED America.." if Paul Peterson had such a good singing voice, where are his songs? where are his albums?... smh...it never ends [Edited 7/28/20 14:41pm]

You really take things too far