What song would you have loved to witness as it was recorded?

My choice is "2 Nigs United 4 West Compton"

Prince the madman musician!!!

"Wally," given the emotions around the original.

"When Doves Cry" because I wanna see the struggle over the bass situation.

As far as mad man musician, I'd opt for "The Cross."

I want to have been in the studio when he laid down those 4 songs, one after another, on the same tape.

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The story was in one of Duane Tudahl's books, and forgive me for not knowing which four songs, but it sounded like the most ideal expression of Prince's genius.

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Susan Rogers said he first laid down four different rhythm/drum tracks, one after the other, each one completely different, on one piece of tape. Then he went back, and did the guitar parts. Then he did the keyboard parts. Then he did the vocals. For four different songs. Without skipping a beat (pardon the pun).

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It's like Prince was listening to an album in his head, and copied what he heard onto tape. The songs were already formed in his head... he just had to get them out.

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To me, that's the ultimate "Prince in the studio" moment.

GiggityGoo said:

When he recorded Power Fantastic with the Revolution.

GiggityGoo said:

I want to have been in the studio when he laid down those 4 songs, one after another, on the same tape.

.

The story was in one of Duane Tudahl's books, and forgive me for not knowing which four songs, but it sounded like the most ideal expression of Prince's genius.

.

Susan Rogers said he first laid down four different rhythm/drum tracks, one after the other, each one completely different, on one piece of tape. Then he went back, and did the guitar parts. Then he did the keyboard parts. Then he did the vocals. For four different songs. Without skipping a beat (pardon the pun).

.

It's like Prince was listening to an album in his head, and copied what he heard onto tape. The songs were already formed in his head... he just had to get them out.

.

To me, that's the ultimate "Prince in the studio" moment.

As @daulboot said, that was the openning of the Parade album. Christopher Tracy's Parade, New Position, I Wonder U and Under the Cherry Moon. A great choice.

Another option: Alphabet St. Specifically, the part where Ingrid is reciting the alphabet.

^you just made this family friendly thread filthy-dirty!

...and right before x-mas, too

Probably Jughead - such a slammin' track.

Poplife88 said:

When he recorded Power Fantastic with the Revolution.

"We're gonna need a bigger boat "

you do know he never said that right ? or did he? its from jaws

now a mandela effect

the only thing youre gonna find on any video is this

"you're gonna need a bigger boat"

... check youtube ... yes its strange

i remember it saying ""We're gonna need a bigger boat " also

just thought id throw that out there ... now back to prince

Steelclawz said:

GiggityGoo said:

I want to have been in the studio when he laid down those 4 songs,

Susan Rogers said he first laid down four different rhythm/drum tracks, one after the other, each one completely different, on one piece of tape. Then he went back, and did the guitar parts. Then he did the keyboard parts. Then he did the vocals. For four different songs.

I don't have the book with me here, but as I recall those were Christopher Tracy's Parade, New Position, I Wonder U, and Under the Cherry Moon. The flow on the album is jaw-dropping, it hit me way back in April 87 as a work of stupendous genius. I remember rushing back to school with the cassette, and putting it on for some classmates in a sound studio (I was studying Communications Studies at Concordia University in Montreal). We listened to Under the Cherry Moon. "How can I stand to... [THUMP] stay where I am.... [THUMP]." The bass drum or Linn LM-1 coming off the studio monitors almost made the clothes on your body ripple with each beat. One of my classmates would become my girlfriend, and we were both obsessed with Prince. She used to dream about him, and once on June 6, 1997 she (Christine Atallah, RIP) was invited on stage and sang and danced with him. (A decade and a half later, she died shortly following a bad fall from a horse during the shooting of a music video.) Anyway, the flow of the opening of Parade is so perfect I was delighted but not surprised when I read that in Tudahl's excellent book.

Can´t think of a single song, but I would love to have been a fly on the wall to witness all the process of creation of The Rainbow Children. Basically only Prince and John Blackwell in the studio, creating that music trip.

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Girl (b-side)

cb70 said:

Girl (b-side)

Completely deranged song. Good answer.