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BBC Radio 6 - SOTT in full Mary Anne Hobbs celebrates Prince’s critically acclaimed album Sign o’ the Times, 33 1/3 years after it was first Our 33 1/3 celebrations explore iconic albums when they turn 33 and 1/3 years old, which also happens to be the speed that vinyl albums are played at. Sign O’ The Times was released on the 30th March 1987 by Paisley Park Records and Warner Bros. It followed Parade, Prince’s final recording with The Revolution, and the commercial breakthroughs, 1999 (released in 1982) and Purple Rain (1984). Rolling Stone described it as ‘tough and inventive and exuberantly experimental’ while the New York Times said that ‘virtually all by himself’ Prince was ‘more versatile, more eclectic than ever.’ Across the show we’ll hear from Susan Rogers, who was right at the heart of the album's creation, and Duane Tudah, senior researcher for the Prince Estate Archives, who knows many of the stories from behind the scenes. We will reflect on the incredible influence of the record across all four sides of the vinyl which embraces funk, pop, rock, gospel, dance music, slow jams and more and hear from some of the musicians who’ve been inspired by Prince. In part shaped by the reception to his previous two projects, 1986’s Parade and the film Under The Cherry Moon, the stories surrounding Sign O The Times include smashed guitars, the dissolution of The Revolution, record label battles and happy accidents in the studio with engineer Susan Rogers. Show less | |
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Thank you for pointing this out. I heard the advertisment this morning, such an amazing radio station as well!! | |
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BBC Radio... do you what the acronym BBC stands for, in America???... there's a radio station for that? pause | |
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Never heard that one before, you should do this professionally. | |
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thanks. added to my links to listen to. | |
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I damn near cracked a rib laughing! | |
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Listening live - program is so good | |
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Agreed. It was awesome [Edited 7/30/20 8:02am] | |
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that really was spectacular. Never forget how blessed we were. | |
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I'm bemused at how they left some f-bombs in place, but masked others, like the "Sure ain't fucking for no kicks" line in Adore got masked. But during IT, "fucking on your mind" was clearly audible. And I don't know what was going on during Sheila's rap on It's Gonna Be A Beautiful Night... Maybe my connection was just buffering. | |
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I loved it but Duane's comment about SOTT being his best (something to that effect) bugged me (Slightly). While I believe this album should have received all of the accolades, I don't believe it is his best work. I think it deserves celebration b/c this was a young artist that had shown consistently exponential development for 9 straight years. He showed us he could do funk, that he could do it using totally new technology (1999 and drum machines, synths), that he could pick up a guitar and do a guitar heavy album (Purple Rain), that he was courageous enough to do a left turn with ATWIAD and Parade ......then deliver SOTT which had all styles across one package. It is amazing that a young guy could do it convincingly (not like a ventiloquist as is Bruno Mars' 90s sounding Uptown FUnk and FInesse).
Susan Rogers said it best here when she described how easily Prince could write melody and hooks. I loved her description of how he could play the instruments with such skill yet, did not include a guitar solo in every track...or sing his ass off on everything. No one else could resist showing off all skillsets like he.
Truly amazing and I wonder how it is possible to get interest in his music to the new generation. I still thinkallowing his songs to be used in holloywood productions...Disney, Pixar etc will help but I also think they need to get into his vault and show off his greatness on video. I'm still impressed by James Brown videos despite him being 'over' by the time I was coming up. To see him dance and sing and control the band is still awesome. There is WAY more video available of Prince and I think the more that is released, the more the young gen may take interest. | |
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I only heard the last half of Adore. I played it over two sonos play 1's as a stereo pair and it sounded very good. Better than I remember the CD sounded. Could it be they were playing the remastered version? | |
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I was thinking the same thing. In several songs I heard little details that I had not heard before. And I've listened to this album hundreds of times since march 1987. | |
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Edance said:
I was thinking the same thing. In several songs I heard little details that I had not heard before. And I've listened to this album hundreds of times since march 1987. I streamed Adore later from Qobuz to the same speakers and I definitely think the Radio 6 version sounded better. It sounded fuller, not as thin, more like the vinyl version. Maybe they just did something there end. | |
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Romeoblu said: Edance said:
I was thinking the same thing. In several songs I heard little details that I had not heard before. And I've listened to this album hundreds of times since march 1987. I streamed Adore later from Qobuz to the same speakers and I definitely think the Radio 6 version sounded better. It sounded fuller, not as thin, more like the vinyl version. Maybe they just did something there end. The “driiiing” in Dorothy Parker sounded a million times clearer to me than it ever has before | |
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I used to work there - and my former band at one time got a lot of play on BBC Radio 1 (and still to this day on BBC Asian Network). Everything sounds better through their systems. |
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I'm wondering why that glitch at the very beginning of "Strange Relationship" wasn't fixed. Maybe that's more to do with the mix rather than the remaster? | |
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The drums in Slow Love sound reallly good "Lisa, i'm gonna give u the brush, and u're gonna paint the side of the train..." | |
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Nasalhair said:
I think Prince has the audience chanting “Can’t nobody.... fuck with us” in the background of Sheilas rap... so I presume that’s what’s being masked rather than Sheilas words (which are the poem, “The Table and The Chair” by Edward Lear - and I don’t think he used any profanities!). | |
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fearnleyp said: I think Prince has the audience chanting “Can’t nobody.... fuck with us” in the background of Sheilas rap... so I presume that’s what’s being masked rather than Sheilas words (which are the poem, “The Table and The Chair” by Edward Lear - and I don’t think he used any profanities!). How have I never noticed this before? :lol: I've just played it now. It's super-audible at the 5:50 mark. As for the overall sound of the album broadcast, I just figured it was due to the compression that most radio stations apply https://www.soundonsound....mp;t=64486 | |
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. Everything sounds uniform through their systems – and that is exactly the point of automated broadcast processors, to try to keep everything consistent. But while a lot of stuff benefits from the heavy processing, others suffer from it – for example a heavily brickwalled, really hot master will actually end up sounding even worse through radio as the automated processors will push it down in volume and mess it up some more. And of course as soon as the audio is broadcasted through FM, it is even more messed up by the frequency modulation itself. Friends don't let friends clap on 1 and 3.
The Paisley Park Vault spreadsheet: https://goo.gl/zzWHrU | |
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The world's problems like climate change can only be solved through strategic long-term thinking, not expediency. In other words all the govts. need sacking!
If you can add value to someone's life then why not. Especially if it colors their days... | |
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Thanks! In my years of being a Prince fan, I never knew that he said the F word on Adore or It! I somehow blocked it out! Weird.
Also, I haven't listened to Sign all the way through for about 20 years. Waiting anxiously for the remaster! | |
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