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Thread started 08/08/23 7:40am

Vannormal

mixdownmag : 'Gear Rundown: Prince’s Purple Rain'

A glimpse into the gear behind The Purple One's magnum opus: Prince's Purple Rain.

https://mixdownmag.com.au/features/rig-rundown-princes-purple-rain/

for the gear freaks

"The whole problem with the world is that fools and fanatics are always so certain of themselves. And wiser people so full of doubts" (Bertrand Russell 1872-1972)
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Reply #1 posted 08/08/23 7:51am

Vannormal

Plus a few interesting articles :

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Engineering Prince: A dive into the archives with Peggy McCreary

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Something else i read, of which I think is a bizarre but possible true story:

" It’s so very different from Sinead O’Connor’s." The heartbreaking, stripped-back version that Irish singer O’Connor turned into a global smash hit in 1990 is a world away from Prince’s original 1984 take. With a heavy riff, sax by Eric Leeds and great harmonies from backing singer Susannah Melvoin lift the song from the heart-wrenching devastation of O’Connor’s work.

Prince never suffered from writers’ block. Prince left the studio in 1984 with his notebook and returned just an hour later with all the lyrics to “Nothing Compares 2 U”. “The song came out like a sneeze,” (Susan) Rogers recalls. “He would have a flash of insight. He would then take that flash of insight and he would carry it through to completion without stopping.

The demo may never have surfaced if not for Prince’s archivist. While everyone in the studio on July 15, 1984, thought “Nothing Compares 2 U” was brilliant, Prince wasn’t planning on releasing the version. Recorded in Minnesota – before Prince built his famous Paisley Park studio – the demo was found by archivist Michael Howe, who knew the world needed to hear it. “I spotted the two-inch multitrack reel,” he says. “After retrieving my jaw from the floor, we took the reel upstairs, analysed it… and digitised it. Even our ‘faders up’ rough mix was compelling enough to indicate that this was something very special indeed.”

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If this was already posted here or mentioned, skip it.

"The whole problem with the world is that fools and fanatics are always so certain of themselves. And wiser people so full of doubts" (Bertrand Russell 1872-1972)
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Reply #2 posted 08/08/23 7:55am

Vannormal

And why Prince is a Musical Genius.

"The whole problem with the world is that fools and fanatics are always so certain of themselves. And wiser people so full of doubts" (Bertrand Russell 1872-1972)
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Reply #3 posted 08/08/23 8:47am

Mackopolis44

Prince was a proper tech head apparently! I watched a chat show where the singer of Take That said Prince recommended a microphone to him!

My ear isn't that refined. I'd rather hear a good song recorded badly than an average song with top tech. Maybe that's just me?

Great article though! I'd love to explore a DX7 synth 😎✌️🎸
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Reply #4 posted 08/08/23 12:53pm

Vannormal

Mackopolis44 said:

Prince was a proper tech head apparently! I watched a chat show where the singer of Take That said Prince recommended a microphone to him! My ear isn't that refined. I'd rather hear a good song recorded badly than an average song with top tech. Maybe that's just me? Great article though! I'd love to explore a DX7 synth 😎✌️🎸

A DX7 synth is magic.

smile

Find someone and try it.

"The whole problem with the world is that fools and fanatics are always so certain of themselves. And wiser people so full of doubts" (Bertrand Russell 1872-1972)
  - E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator
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