Would ya add or take certain bandmembers out and who? Or should he incorporate more dancers like the past?

Zelaira said:

I like his current NPG lineup they seem to have more of a personality than the Emancipation era incarnation. I think it is good that Prince is doinhg w/o dancers lately. It's been done over and over so lets give it a break.

I'm sick of the Vegas sound so If I were to make a band consisting of the current players I would keep, Renato, John, Rhonda, and make Mike Scott permanent. Rad, Chance, and the 40 horn players are OUT (alhtough I would invite Eric to the OCCASIONAL show).

skywalker said:

I said this on another thread but I think Prince should break up his shows into different segments. An all acoustic portion, a stripped down rock portion and a portion with the horns and multiple keyboardists. More variety would definitely be welcome!

Larry Graham on bass all the time; Dez Dickerson back on guitar all the time
[This message was edited Thu Mar 4 11:14:45 2004 by NPGLOVER]

rialb said:

That's actually not a bad idea. I'm glad Mike (or any of his guitarists) is back -- hearing the additional rhythm guitar is a part of Prince's sound and I was missing it, though I agree it wasn't necessary in the ONA conception, and that tour had the added benefit of sharpening Prince's own guitar skills even further. There's too many keyboard players in the new lineup -- they're starting to look like Bell Biv Devoe's band up there, lol. The horns aren't knocking me out, either, 'cause I don't think the charts are that interesting. I like and respect Maceo, Candy, and Greg, but none of them are really jazz musicians. He should take Eric or Brian Gallagher on the road and be done with it. I heard Eric play BY HIMSELF with The Revolution at Family Jamm and he sounded like a whole section.

i say bring back the real NPG

Michael B
Sonny T
Mr Hayes
Tommy B

oh yeah!

Lovemachine,Get rid of the horn section, ARE you nuts/ yOU CAN'T BE FUNKY WITHOUT a horn section.Come on man,all of the funkyest bands have horn sections.No horns is like a milkshake without the milk.

Crosspost from another thread:

Renato's abilities with Prince's songmaterial had me amazed a lot on the One Nite Alone tour, and I was surely disappointed
that Prince desired to hire not just one, but two extra keyboardists. Also, the horn-section gets more and more in the way of
my enjoyment, this band oozes a kind of tiresome richness lately. If it were my call, I'd lose two horns and the two keyboardists.
The rhythm-guitarist definately gets to stay. The remaining horn-player would be a multi-instrumentalist, like Eric Leeds,
playing all horns and flutes, but only where the song substantially benefits --- Candy's role in 'Nothing compares 2 u'
yesterday being a prime example.

That about sums it up

Bull said:

Prince wasn't funky around '81? He did not have the money and the show to have actual horns, but he certainly
wrote songs with horns in mind. He would simply replace the horn-lines with synthesizer-stabs.

Now he is rich and famous, he wants 'm both...

Prince kicked alot of ass in 81, but you have to admit that he is alot funkier now.Come on now,smell the funk.

deMatthijs said:

P's always been funky...with or without horns.
Personally, I think the Controversy tour was one of his funkiest of the 80's.

Still saying that, I have no problem with the extra horns...it's good to sometimes hear older tracks with slightly varied arrangements, makes everything a little more interesting.

I would replace Mike Scott on rhythm/co-lead guitar.

MashedPotatoKid said:

The "real" NPG? I thought that was Tony M, Damon D, and Kirky J, Sonny T,Tommy Barbarella, Michael B, Rosie, and Levi.

skywalker said:

Rosie wasn't in the "real" NPG - at least not according to the liner notes on GoldNigga.
Bring back the NPG Power Trio and do a nasty small club tour.
You know it makes sense.
[This message was edited Thu Mar 4 16:23:03 2004 by gsh]

Bring back


Dez Dickerson, Andre Cymone, Dr. Fink. Lisa and Wendy, Brown Mark and John Blackwell stays. ----the new band is an old band.

Then we'll get some really great music and truly happy fans.

Heeelllooo...Rosie was in the NPG before it was even called the NPG (check Graffiti Bridge...New Power Generation. The Nude Tour...shall I go on.) Don't Forget Diamonds & Pearls and Symbol...

As far as who I would add...Sheila E. on percussion, nuff said.

Peace, Serveitupfrankie*

i want morris hayes back

and i loved rosie

after that, i dont care what happens

MashedPotatoKid said:

oh yes.....oh yes

serveitupfrankie said:

Yeah, but she was nowhere to be found on Goldnigga, the first "real" NPG "solo"album.
I still vote for the Power Trio.
[This message was edited Thu Mar 4 23:12:32 2004 by gsh]

I like all of your suggestions, however, I like the current incarnation of the NPG. It has an old school Parliament Funkadelic feel. Clinton always had large bands and his shows were legendary. I honestly feel some people on this site want a band that has no soul. Every true funk/soul band in history has horn players. By the way if you go back to the Parade/Sign 'O' The Times Tours, Prince had large bands just like the one he's currently touring with. Why is it that the same people that beg for him to go back to that mid/late 80's concert style, complain when he incorportates a larger sound like he did back then?? There are only two more musicians now than there were on the Sign O The Times tour.

Mix the Revolution with the Lovesexy band. Get back the members from Prince's greatest years.

john blackwell and/or sheila e, wendy & lisa, renato neto, sonny t, eric leeds and atlanta bliss.

that'd do me.


[This message was edited Sun Mar 7 10:52:01 2004 by Marrk]

I'd like to see Prince do an 'unplugged' type show with an all-female backing band.

Wendy - guitars
Lisa - keyboards
Sheila - drums
Rhonda - bass
Prince - whatever

I'm pleased with the line-up he has now. Nobody gets on my nerves, they sound tight, and it's a treat to watch Mr. Blackwell flailing behind the drum set.

ThreadBare said:

I meant I would play in Mike's place. And, my contract would have a "plays right next to Rhonda Smith" clause. For the sake of the groove.

Only change I would make is I would add myself to the band.

Hey, it's wishful thinking.

MorningStar05 said:

Damnit, you beat me to the punch.

Add William Hung of course.