this one sort of flew under the radar. incredible, incredible track and incredible recording and arrangement here. i don't care if it's cheesy - this is more saccharine than diet coke and i'm here for it.

i love princes love songs or ballads. Even the so called cheesy ones. And I miss him not making new ones. There's a art to making em i feel.

sounds like a song for a boy band... I like it a lot!

OnlyNDaUsa said:

Exhibit 443A on how the finished "produced by Prince" versions he released on the actual protege releases are the true definitive versions, because the Clare Fisher strings are on a whoooole 'nother level on the Rosie Gaines version.

The "Prince originals" can never be more than rough demos with clearly guide vocals and questionable mixing. The strings are very understated on that one. I prefer how the strings almost take over the Rosie version.

Anyway, one of his finest ballads. D&P sucks and was like the last SDE we needed, but hey, at least I'm no longer alone in appreciating this masterstroke of Prince songwriting.


Also I'm not "lyric guy" but how 'bout that suicidal ideation? Pretty intense there, to me it effectively "sells" whatever maudlin qualities this track may or may not possess. It's not remotely cheesy or corny because I buy what he's selling completely.

dodger07 said:

OnlyNDaUsa said:

sounds like a song for a boy band... I like it a lot!

Yes, the first few seconds remind me of Boyz II Men’s End Of The Road. Would’ve been a great to get a duet version with Rosie [Edited 6/5/24 14:07pm]

The version Rosie Gaines released in 2009 on iTunes is essentially a duet. Prince on prominently mixed backing vocals throughout.

https://princevault.com/i...nder_Heart

[Edited 6/6/24 5:22am]

Me likey.

not gonna make another thread for it but also:

alice through the looking glass may be a top 3 or 5 song released posthumously, imo at least. who else could've done something like this? this has his melodic touch all over it and it has the delightfully weird and dark synth groove that only he could pull off in a psycho and fucking cool sounding way. just a shame it's not more finished

[Edited 6/8/24 18:03pm]

lustmealways said:

not gonna make another thread for it but also:

alice through the looking glass may be a top 3 or 5 song released posthumously, imo at least. who else could've done something like this? this has his melodic touch all over it and it has the delightfully weird and dark synth groove that only he could pull off in a psycho and fucking cool sounding way. just a shame it's not more finished

[Edited 6/8/24 18:03pm]

I'm wondering if there's a more finished version in the vault from a later era. Sheila sang it live in the early 2000s didn't she? And her version with horns is briliant. So i'm hoping it's based on a more finished or revisited version by Prince tucked away in the vault. Same applies to her version of Love & Sex. That with Prince on main vocals would be fantastic to hear.

erik319 said:

I'm wondering if there's a more finished version in the vault from a later era. Sheila sang it live in the early 2000s didn't she? And her version with horns is briliant. So i'm hoping it's based on a more finished or revisited version by Prince tucked away in the vault. Same applies to her version of Love & Sex. That with Prince on main vocals would be fantastic to hear.

I hope so, man. Having only ever discovered the Sheila live version a few days before P's studio version came out, it makes me kind of bummed that I was missing out on this song for so long and it was on my freaking hard drive the whole time. lol

WhisperingDandelions said:

dodger07 said:

OnlyNDaUsa said: Yes, the first few seconds remind me of Boyz II Men’s End Of The Road. Would’ve been a great to get a duet version with Rosie [Edited 6/5/24 14:07pm]

The version Rosie Gaines released in 2009 on iTunes is essentially a duet. Prince on prominently mixed backing vocals throughout.

https://princevault.com/i...nder_Heart

[Edited 6/6/24 5:22am]

Yes, I've got that. I meant a fully blown duet like NC2U and D&P.

There's a decent fan made mix on YT