I would have to say, this aspect of Princes genius is the reason he is so great. Listen to any Prince song, especially the older stuff, and hear amazing background vocal editing. He does this choir thing with his own voice that is wonderful; and the playful way that he layers different voices is ground breaking. If you notice, so many artists copy his ideas on this theme. Just his use of backing vocals should have earned him producer grammys years ago.

Forever In My Life is the perfect example of Prince's genius when it comes to backing vocals.

r1ghteousone said:

i was just listening to that.
also, Honest Man.
wow.

Milty said:

Honest Man's vocals -

God is another great example.
I preferred the vocal to the instrumental version for a long time.

What about Adore goofs..lol

2freaky4church1 said:

Sorry, we have to mention 'Adore'...wouldn't be a Prince thread without an 'Adore' mention.

What Prince does with BGs that is so cool is that he doesn't just layer the same vocal over and over to make a fuller sound, or use anonymous vocalists, he sings the lyrics in a different style, layers them all together, and you can hear the different tempo's, different ranges within the harmony.

It's really nice.

Wasn't there a thing from 1992 where Levi was showing this, he was at a soundboard and playing with the switches on 7.

I sometimes like his backing vocals more than his lead, strangely.

Finally some ppl who no wut they r talkin bout!!! Where do u suppose he comes up with all these ideas in regaurds to background vocals? Forever in My Life, the background vocals r actually lead if u really break it down. Genius! Prince is 2 deep. By the way... I dont mean to change the subject, but have u noticed that Angie doen not post here anymore? He has stayed true to his last words!
Klick2me

Yeah , I agree that's definetly part of his genius. His vocal range is what makes his background so powerful. He's singing Baritone and Tenor in the background, and his falsetto (sometimes, other times alto or tenor leads) leads. Giving a beautiful background effect only he can do. The man can sing from Bass to soprano in 2 beats!

He's the man, can't doubt it, only shout it.

Blue

klick2me said:

If you mean Anji, he posted a load of flying horseshit two days ago. So I guess that's staying true to your last words.

But back on something more meaningful ... Prince's BG's are invariably very impressive and imaginative in arrangement

Romance1600 said:

ya, levi was filmed talking about this. and he also said that Prince just comes in and lays the other vocals down without listening 2 any other vocal tracks. and he lays it down in the key that Prince wants. (most artists need 2 listen 2 the other vocal track 2 help them lay down that vocal track in the right key, harmony etc. etc.) i really dug that when i saw levi in that interview. it was too cool. that is one of the many things i dig about prince's music. the lyrics, and the way they R sung. with his voice being the background vocals. 2 cool, way 2 cool.


PEACE N B WiLD!!!

His vocals R one of the things I love most about his tunes. There are some tunes where they totally make it! I was listening to the Batman soundtrack (cuz I just recently caved and picked it up) and that part of "Batdance" where he sings "Batdance" with all those backups...man, that melts my butta! It's the best part of the tune!

I once had this shitty stereo that lost half of the track when you played a CD. What it would do was to completely delete the top layer of vocals and instruments and leave the background. I first discovered "Come" this way and it allowed me to understand how he makes all the great sounds.

In that song when he sings "Like a strawberry, chocolate fender jazz mash potato fuzz toad...etc etc" he backs it up with this sleazy quite harsh vocal which is very hard to pick up when listening in the normal mode.

I love listening to the music this way sometimes so I have never fixed that stereo.

If you listen to a lot of Prince's vocal stylings you can hear a lot that he's borrowed from Marvin Gaye. Specifically, if you listen to stuff like 'The Ballad Of Dorothy Parker', 'When 2 R In Love', or 'Adore' and then go and listen to Gaye's 'Come Get To This', 'Distant Lover' or 'Just To Keep You Satisfied', it becomes instantly apparent.

cloreensbrother said:

Mine does that too when the RCA plugs aren't all the way in. Listened to One Nite Alone (piano) for the first time like this and could only hear the piano!

I like the Forever in My Life thing, a good mistake.

Today is his studio digital to where he is not really limited to how many tracks he can do on one song?
In the past, at one time, was he limited to 24 tracks? Did he do vocal tracks, then submix them down, in order to achieve a layering effect?

I was just thinking of this the other day! You beat me to the thread. It really is quite amazing. The songs that really struck me recently in that respect were:


It's Gonna Be Lonely - amazing!
Love Thy Will Be Done
Pink Cashmere

...and a bunch of others that are no longer at the top of my brain. Really stunning stuff, all of it.

charlottegelin said:[quote]

Mine does that too when the RCA plugs aren't all the way in. Listened to One Nite Alone (piano) for the first time like this and could only hear the piano!
[quote]

I've had the same experience when a headphone jack is not plugged all the way in. Someone it splits the signal in some weird way, but it does yield some interesting results. And Prince's layering of his voice really do make some of his songs so great, especially "7".

TonyC said:

Another one!

I've always thought that his vocals on Thunder are pretty amazing. The way that they're layered is awesome...

phunkymunky said:

I remember posting something way back in the days of the black-and-purple org, that if you listen to the wordless vocals in Thunder right after he says, "don't do it like that - do it like this" - the sound and feeling just sums up the way Prince music makes me feel... :swoon:

FunkMistress said:

oh man, yes! that little breakdown part...it always makes me wanna jump up and be like "you go, boy!!!"

Handclapsfingasnapz said:

It's gonna bee-hee-hee...LONE-layy!


This song makes me think of you for some reason, Dansa.

FunkMistress said:

awww...

cloreensbrother said:

i was able to do this same thing with my portable CD player. if i would only plug my headphones in a little bit - it would only pick up the background. VERY COOL STUFF - i too started listening to Prince this way. just to hear all the cool stuff that was covered up!!!

to many examples of his greatness at this but a few that come to mind are;
when doves cry
scandalous( the first time i hear this i just new that he'd hired a chours to do the backing vox)
thieves in the temple
love to the 9's
when i lay my hands on you
for you
drama (chaka khan)
tick tick bang
thunder
dark
and the ultimate, condition of the heart.

2freaky4church1 said:

Think back to Curtis Mayfield & Stevie Wonder!

eldog98 said:

Also Marvin Gaye!