Prince had a lot of music coming out of Paisley Park in this period. In so many directions.
I did notice, a lot of it sounded alike. The beats and the sounds weren't as diverse. And not much 'melody'.
That's something Sheila E said she noticed during the 88-89 period that a lot of the music didn't have melodies like before.

I think if there was some heavy follow through, it still could have been an interesting period with 'proteges' and a movie attachment.



Sheila E

Margie Cox

Anna Fantastic

Robin Power and the Uptown Dames
Elisa Fiorillo
Sheena Easton

Kahoru Kohiruimaki

.

I've put together a playist of songs from the list above,

including a few the Time piece, Brown Mark, Jill Jones, Are You My Baby(W&L)-just because and Madonna

It paints an interesting background/behind the scenes picture

Prince’s new, powerful, minimalist approach reduces his past innovations to passing (but often pivotal) references, trashes the notion that a song must address only one subject and obliterates barriers between musical styles.
(Philadelphia Inquirer, 08/19/1990)

PAISLEY PARK

FUSCIA LIGHT
GIRL POWER
GIRL POWER (instrumental)
SOUL COMPANY

STICKY WICKED
SHALL WE DANCE

Are You My Baby?
LoVe 89
MY SUMMERTIME THANG
THEIVES IN THE TEMPLE (Remix)
Act of Contrition

18 (R U LEGAL YET?)
BLISS
BED OF ROSES

BIG HOUSE

YO MISTER

LoveGalore said:

Still some bangers in this era tho. Cool Love, Love '89, Flesh and Blood, etc.

Oh definately. Like I said, I'm really enjoying a lot of these songs from the post Lovesexy 88 89 period

Can you describe more of what you mean by "less melodic"? I've seen the quote before but I don't really understand it in relation to his previous music. Always just felt like sour grapes from Sheila.

billymeade said:

LoveGalore said:

billymeade said:

Can you describe more of what you mean by "less melodic"? I've seen the quote before but I don't really understand it in relation to his previous music. Always just felt like sour grapes from Sheila.

Pretty sure she meant there weren't as many strong hooks.loke Raspberry Beret, Pop Life, Take Me With U, Kiss type strong hooks.

an arrangement of different notes in structured patterns on lead instruments, bassline, and lead vocal.

As opposed to repreating the same single note, or repetitious short note phrases like a mantra (very popular today) and emphasizing the beat.

ufoclub said:

BIG HOUSE

When I was a little bitty baby
Tell U what my mama used to say
All the little babies who loved Him
Pray to God each day

I hope that God is in the Big House
'Cause I'm taking all my friends with me
One day we going to party in glory
One day we're gonna all be free

I used to pray for candy
And the single of my favorite band
Now that I'm older
So much bolder
I just wanna shake his hand
Aaaaaa ooh!

I hope that God is in the Big House
Because Im taking all my friends with me
One day we going to party in glory
One day we're gonna all be free
Free!

Big House

.

.

.

It was included on a 27 October 1988 configuration of the Rave Un2 the Joy Fantastic album, which was later abandoned. -Prince Vault

billymeade said:

I think maybe he had his eye (and ear) on New Jack Swing which was blowing up at the time and trying to develop his own verson of that. New Jack Swing isn't super melodic and puts the focus squarely on rhythm.

FUSCHIA LIGHT

Get it
Get it

Fuchsia light, I'ma get it, I'ma get it
Fuchsia light, I'ma get it, I wanna get it
Fuchsia light, I'ma get it, I wanna get it
Fuchsia light, I'ma get it, I wanna get it
Fuchsia light, I'ma get it, I'ma get it
Fuchsia light, I'ma get it, I wanna get it
Fuchsia light, I'ma get it, I wanna get it
Fuchsia light, I'ma get it, I wanna get it

So here we r n the same position
U've had ur turn, now U want mine n addition
U r my dear, my goddess so bad
4 U something fun, something new

Over ur shoulder and over my head
Pretty fuchsia light shines n our bed
It makes me touch U better than I normally would
It makes me touch U more and that makes it good

Fuchsia light (ooh), I'ma get it, I'ma get it
Fuchsia light, I'ma get it, I wanna get it
Fuchsia light (oh), I'ma get it, I wanna get it, yeah
Fuchsia light, I'ma get it, I wanna get it

(Ooh girl) When I say I love U and that I'll always b here
Cuz when our pretty fuchsia light appears
It stands 4 the symbol of monogamy and trust
It stands 4 love, it stands 4 lust
Maybe 1 day parties will b of 1 mind
But until then I'll pretend this fuchsia light is dark

Fuchsia light, I'ma get it, I'ma get it
Fuchsia light, I'ma get it, I wanna get it

Over ur shoulder and over my head
Pretty fuchsia light shines n our bed
It makes me touch U better than I normally would
It makes me touch U more and that makes it good

Fuchsia light, I'ma get it, I'ma get it
Fuchsia light, I'ma get it, I wanna get it

U can starve 2 hearts if preserved from 2 hearts of stone
(Fuchsia) No other light of fuchsia (light) is 2 ever walk alone

Fuchsia light, I'ma get it
Fuchsia light, I wanna get it
Fuchsia light (oh), I'ma get it, I wanna get it
Fuchsia light, I'ma get it, I wanna get it
Fuchsia light, I'ma get it (yeah), I wanna get it

Over ur shoulder and over my head (Fuchsia light, I'ma get it)
Pretty fuchsia light shines n our bed (Fuchsia, fuchsia)
It makes me touch U better than I normally would (All 2gether)
It makes me touch U more and that makes it good

Fuchsia light, I'ma get it (fuchsia), I wanna get it
Fuchsia light (oh), I'ma get it, I wanna get it (Right now)
Fuchsia light, I'ma get it (yeah), I wanna get it (Oh yeah)
Fuchsia light, I'ma get it (so funky), I wanna get it (Ooh)

Unreleased track recorded on April 15, 1988 for possible use on Tony LeMans' Paisley Park album (1989). Written by Prince.

The sessions with Margie Cox I think had a good chance of making some headway in 1989-90. He should have put the effort he put on Carmen Electra into Margie. According to PrinceVault they did open for Prince a few times

MC Flash

1. R U There?

2. Brand New Boy

3. Warden in the Prison of Love

4. Bed of Roses

5. Good Man

6. Whistlin Kenny

7. We Can Hang

8. Curious Blue

9. Girls Will Be Girls

10 Good Body Every Evening

He ran out of Vitamin D and when you run out of Vitamin D you run out of melodies- what happens when you lock yourself in a studio and avoid the sun.

And at that time he was also working on The Witcher 3 soundtrack with Marcin Przybytowicz.

YO MISTER

LoveGalore said:

Still some bangers in this era tho. Cool Love, Love '89, Flesh and Blood, etc.

Love '89, Flesh and Blood are a bit rubbish by P standards. There's better music recorded in the vault around this time.

Cool Love, great pop song, was done with Prince still in his 20s, so not really New Power period.

fortuneandserendipity said:

LoveGalore said:

Still some bangers in this era tho. Cool Love, Love '89, Flesh and Blood, etc.

Love '89, Flesh and Blood are a bit rubbish by P standards. There's better music recorded in the vault around this time.

Cool Love, great pop song, was done with Prince still in his 20s, so not really New Power period.

I actually love listening to Love 89. Very high energy. If feels like it could have been a B side to Dance With the Devil (if that was released)

fortuneandserendipity said:

He ran out of Vitamin D and when you run out of Vitamin D you run out of melodies- what happens when you lock yourself in a studio and avoid the sun.

And at that time he was also working on The Witcher 3 soundtrack with Marcin Przybytowicz.

??? This is new to me. Prince is on the Witcher 3 soundtrack??? Played the game 3 times and love the soundtrack but I don't never heard any Prince on it.
Do you have an link?

JorisE73 said:

fortuneandserendipity said:

He ran out of Vitamin D and when you run out of Vitamin D you run out of melodies- what happens when you lock yourself in a studio and avoid the sun.

And at that time he was also working on The Witcher 3 soundtrack with Marcin Przybytowicz.

??? This is new to me. Prince is on the Witcher 3 soundtrack??? Played the game 3 times and love the soundtrack but I don't never heard any Prince on it.
Do you have an link?

Prince is responsible for many witchy crones. He came up with the cackles exhibited in the game. Ya know those cackling samples? Prescient too, considering this was 1989. As always, ahead of his time.

SOUL COMPANY - Sheila E

Left, right
Left, right, company dance

The company had class, the company had style
Soul company, "We're fine," with a smile
The company could dance, the company could rap
Company & "Top of the charts" all over the map
Introducing, if U please
Hard brother, sister fears soul company
Red's their favorite color cuz they like 2 bleed
Not the biggest fun but brand us soul company
If U let them touch U & adore
U will B evicted 2 the 2 & 4
Soul company, soul company

Soul company, soul company
They like the attention, they like 2 bleed
It only makes them stronger
It only makes ur dancin' feet hurt longer

Left, right, left, right
Left, right, company dance
Left, right, left, right
Left, right, company dance
Soul company, soul company
Soul company, company halt, sing!

The company had class, the company had style
Soul company, "We're fine," with a smile
The company could dance, the company could rap
Company & "Top of the charts" all over the map
Introducing, if U please
Hard brother, sister fears Sheila E.

Cry, baby, on my good name
My bad day, need 2 dance
Play ur guitar, Sonny
Se-Sergeant
Se-Sergeant, 10-hut! (Yes sir!)

Lima beans?
It's time 4 cakes

On the double
Left, right, left, right
Left, right, company dance
Left, right, left, right
Left, right, company dance
Soul company, soul company

Soul company, soul company
Soul company, oh, soul company
Left, right, left, right
Company halt
At ease

OldFriends4Sale said:

The sessions with Margie Cox I think had a good chance of making some headway in 1989-90. He should have put the effort he put on Carmen Electra into Margie. According to PrinceVault they did open for Prince a few times

MC Flash

1. R U There?

2. Brand New Boy

3. Warden in the Prison of Love

4. Bed of Roses

5. Good Man

6. Whistlin Kenny

7. We Can Hang

8. Curious Blue

9. Girls Will Be Girls

10 Good Body Every Evening

Warden in the Prison of Love!

I love this era quite a bit for some reason. I dug the new sounds he was using; while they aren't perfect, they all try something new....you can hear him searching or maybe just getting the last bit of drum machine addiction out of his system before fully immersing into the NPG.

-

There's something about the Rave Un2 The Joy Fantastic '89 project that entices me.

I imagine this period replacing Grafitti Bridge and entering him into the 90's a lil mo' betta.

-

I feel like if that album had been carefully and artistically compiled he could've build off the commercial appeal from the Batman album. Combining the best of the updated vault tracks from GB and adding some highlights from this era would've been fantastic.

-

& the '89 SNL Band was a fucking treasure and a worthy successor to the Lovesexy Band.

Margie Cox, Patrice Rushen & Candy Dulfer is just *chef's kiss

I feel like everyone is dancing around the issue with this era though... "less melodic" = the absence of Wendy & Lisa. Yeah, I said it.

eduJ said:

I feel like everyone is dancing around the issue with this era though... "less melodic" = the absence of Wendy & Lisa. Yeah, I said it.

This.

dustoff said:

eduJ said:

I feel like everyone is dancing around the issue with this era though... "less melodic" = the absence of Wendy & Lisa. Yeah, I said it.

This.

well i don't connect W and L as the melody providers. but the melodic contect got weak 1988-1990

thebanishedone said:

dustoff said:

This.

well i don't connect W and L as the melody providers. but the melodic contect got weak 1988-1990

Yeah, love W&L and the music they created with Prince, but there are tons of great melodies which predate them