a previous thread regarding the "small club" event got me
thinking about this question.

what are everyone's favorite cover performances by prince?
in his twenty-six year career prince has done quite a
few cover versions by some of his heroes.
(there are a select few he's done i don't have...i'll get
to that in a second..)
anyway...if i had to select the 5 best covers he's done
these would be the ones:

1.just my imagination (i have 2 of these..one from a
paris aftershow ...really nice and the one from th SMALL
club one (the hague 1988...which is longer)
2. maybe your baby (glam-slam 1994)
3.miss you (i think this one is from london 86...with
ronnie wood of the stones)
4.sweet thing (with chaka & larry g...several versions of
this one...the best one is from the TODAY show)
5.i thought about picking a "a case of you" from 1983...
but i'll go with this one...(cuz i'm a rock n roll roots
kinda guy)
honky tonk woman (he's does this one in a power trio
outfit...sonny t and michael bland)
really COOL version

(a question. i read somewhere prince has done a version
of the ohio players "skin tight".
Is this true? if he did what year and which band did he
have then?)

peace & love (youngca)

youngca said:

Didnt he cover Skin Tight at one of The ONA Aftershows overseas?

I liked his cover versions of Bonnie Raitt's "I Can't Make You Love Me" & Joan Osborne's "One Of Us"

He does a good cover performance of Zepplin's "Whole Lotta Love" & Sly & The Family Stone's "Everyday People"

As a rule I HATE for Prince to cover other people songs ...
but I'm in love with

1. EveryDay Is a Winding Road (s. crow). Lyric changes sooo cool. Perfect song for Prince. He could have written this on a good day... I wish he had. He OWNS this song when he sings it.



2. One of Us. Oh ... My ... God. Haunting. Love Prince's version. Wonder if Prince understood the gist of the song though. He's so tenanciously religious now ... and the song subtly takes a few swipes at alleged divinity.

SynthiaRose said:

Yeah he beats the hell outta Joan and Shereyl when he sings these songs. Way better than the originals

A Case of U is probably the only one released via studio that I really like. The other studio covers he's released don't hold a candle to the original versions. Betcha by Golly Wow isn't bad imo.

Youngca , it's true Prince often play "skin tight" in 1994/95 with the newpower generation (Sonny,Michael,Tommy and Morris) and also last year in the ONA tour...

jimipaisley said:

thanks j-paisley. (and other threader who hipped me to this
fact) i heard he did the song but never could determined
when and which band.

he did it during the ONA? hmmm...i bet that sounded nice
with the current NPG. j-blackwell drumming would fit
the song just right!

What about When Will We B Paid? Absolutely astounding version by Prince, haven't heard the original though.

SynthiaRose said:

good point s-rose about ONE of US. lyrically its...
well i'm with you-did p know what it was saying?
i'm assuming he did and just dug doing the song anyway!

i like his guitar work on the tune. its melodic,well executed and has a lot of passion...i've got him doing a
couple o versions of this one video and each one he does
is beautiful.

interesting that you don't like him doing covers...i do...
but mostly because i like seeing how an artist interprets
other people's work. some people can't cover anyone's
material with any skill (to wit: micheal bolton. that clown
listened to all the right soul records but didn't learn
a damn thing about "interpreting them!

prince does a cool job with all fo the tunes he covers.
there's always a lot of HIM in them.
the only ones i don't think he changed much was betcha by golly wow & lala means i love you...two classics that are
very hard to change.

"winding road"..solid choice by you. i forgot about that one!

I'd have to go with Just My Imagination from the London 88 Aftershow - also like his version of Hendrix' Red House from Paris Aftershow, I believe (?) New Morning (?)

"Betcha By Golly WOW" and "One of Us" stand out.

Everyday is a winding road & one of us

youngca said:

Yeah I know. It has this whole wrestle between does God exist or doesn't he. The lyrics can be interpreted for either argument. At the end he concludes "He Ain't Home. Not no more!" Is that because he's moved from Heaven to earth with us or because he never existed?

Prince used to do this grappling all the time (and it was very moving and real, I might add), but of course now he thinks he knows everything about who God is and how we should respond to God.

Of course the song forces one to ponder ... if God were one of us would he realize how much agony and sorrow exists for humanity and does he regret this experiment -- and then on the flip side ... would we take God for granted if we were lifted to his realm and could see his face and have to admit Jesus existed. ... and do we want to be believe Jesus and saints are real? I love these lyrics. Prince could have written these during his 80's era.

Youngca said

Well, I like songs to be a complete extension of the artist. From the experience that gives birth to the song's concept to the penning of the lyrics and chord writing/arranging to the dynamic delivery. Covers are like stolen, faked experiences to me. But with Winding Road and ONe of Us ... the songs relate so well to Prince's essence that they really work when he delivers them...

Youngca said

I hitched a ride with a Crazy Horse show girl
This is the best opening since "I guess I should have known..."

I can't believe Sheryl got a ride with a damn vending machine repairman .

When Prince sings "She wanted to know if I could really tell the future..." That is so a throw back to when in Batman's The Future (which I dig) he said "I've seen the future and it will be..."

I can totally see a flirty chick whipping that history out for a smile.

The whole repartee he has with this stranger he meets on the highway recalls the Lady Cab Driver confessions. They go deep. Talking about life, lostness, God...

I like the end when he cops Sheryl by saying I'm wondering if all the things I've ever seen were ever real...

Kind of underscores this search period ofhis when he's revising a lot of thoughts (sometimes to my dismay).

Anyway. This song is sooo him. I always pretend Sheryl never wrote the original. I can't even listen to her version now. It's too surface, Prince's delivery totally goes underneath the lyrics and back. Very moving...
.
.
[This message was edited Sat Jun 21 10:05:54 PDT 2003 by SynthiaRose]

Although he wrote the song and Ms O'Connor did it nicely. I love the version he and Rosie Gaines do on the Hits collection. I also love the remake of Bonnie's song I can't make you love me.

He has done 'Skintight' a few times live. Often in conjunction with 'Brickhouse' by the Commodores. Would have 2 check out the bootleg collection 2 give U specific dates and venues though.

A Case of U from 1st Avenue 1983 is the definitive version that HE did - somehow, I dont feel that he does it justice anymore, it's just become yet a.n.other song in the set, which is a shame, the passions seems 2 have gone in how he sings it now.
Just My Imagination from Camden Palace aftershow 1988 - God, the sheer electricity and heart-rending emotion that he pours in2 this performance really moves me - it makes the hairs on my neck stand up.
I know there are other shows/better quality versions available etc - but 4 me, THIS is not only my fave P cover, but my fave live 'moment' - if I had 2 show anybody just ONE performance, it would be this one hands-down.
That's MY

props to s-rose (really detailed and passionate response
to my thread and opinions. you made me think about the
2 songs (winding road & one of us) in a different light.

bananacologne...props to U too.
especially with your words about "just my imagination".
man...prince tears the heart out of ya with his guitar
work...the one from paris (after show 1987) is just as
good...just shorter...he sings the hell put of this one too.

the guitar solo is totally different.
(if U have this one...you'll know what i mean)

i think is saw him do "tighten up" at the chicago theatre
around the time of the "symbol album"...he blended it
with another song (i can't recall what that was!)

he also did "jailhouse rock" in london 1993?

(who's the fool who said ...) from still would stand all time 1988

Just My Imagination (smallclub)

HonkyTonkWoman (Undertaker album)

One Of Us

Voodoo Chile (Live at Paisley Park, 9/16/95)

Hair (DNA Lounge aftershow 93... P rips the fuck outta this on bass!)

I believe in U (June 8th PaisleyPark)

Shoop (june 8th Paisley Park)

The Jam (any 94/95 NPG gigs)

A Case Of U (god damn beautiful!)

Eye Cant Make U Love Me

La la La Means Eye Love U

Brick House (House Of Brick) on the Mayte disc is pretty cool. I like One Of Us a shitload though.