Check out the solo on Possessed from the Live 1985 video and close the case

Pardon me, if your question is rhetorical. But, I've wondered the same thing and, well, have some free time on my hands.

For whatever reason, Eric's phrasing just seems more complementary to Prince's vibe. They get each other on a creative level that always results in magic, as far as I'm concerned.

Yes, other sax players have had prominent positions in Prince's band and on his projects, and they've done adequate jobs in that role. But, Eric Leeds is tha MAN when it comes to sax playin' on Prince stuff.

I think it's his timing (dig that two-note solo opener on the Mountains 12"), his way with nuance (the I Hate U disc), his ability to just blast away (the Hot Thing 12") -- not to mention his knack for finding the groove (anything funky, and his Times Squared album).

Eric is a bad, bad man. (digging out my copy of the 1985 concert video...)

I agree completely. Eric is the man. That was the point of my thread asking which was the best horn section to work with Prince.

Where is Eric? Why would Prince not play with him forever? They are so compatible musically. Eric knows how to get in where he fits in without wrecking the song. I loooooved him on I Hate U. I was just listening to the 12" of AnotherLoverHole and again, he is gettin' off!!! Speaking of concert films, I really liked the interludes he and Atlanta Bliss played between songs on the SOTT film.

ThreadBare said:

Exactly !! Eric is and always will be tha MAN, a badass mofo with a lot of style and class. Plus he´s one of the nicest people and he knows Prince´s music so well, and he knows a lot about Funk and Jazz. I saw him and Sheila.E (and Renato Neto ) in Hamburg / Germany in 1994, small talk, pictures and autograph and later met and talked with him again during the Xenophobia Celebration in 2002. He even remembered that concert from 1994 and told me that Renato was responsible for the great arrangement of classics like Love Bizarre and Noon Rendezvous ...that concert and those songs were the bomb. When I asked him why Prince doesn´t just record and release concerts without editing and changing them a 1000 times he replied that him and Sheila E suggested this loads of times and he didn´t know why ( " Ask Prince, I told him exactly the same thing !") According to Mr. Leeds the original version of LOVESEXY sounded much more interesting before getting overproduced...anyway, after years of listening to it I still discover more and more details in LOVESEXY so it´s hard to believe the former, rawer version was better.
Prince and Eric Leeds are a magic combination, even though they have their differences sometimes, but I think keeping in touch with Eric is the best thing Prince can do.
Much props to the one and only Eric Leeds....
[This message was edited Fri Apr 16 15:57:34 2004 by KoolEaze]

I agree, he's really quite approriate and empathetic. Eric directs the Greg Boyer & Maceo Parker on Live At The Alladin which is cool.

Tell me, are P and Eric the same age?

SCNDLS said:

He did recently play with him on the NEWS album. Not pop/funk songs, no, but nevertheless he played on that disc.

infinitetrio said:

Eric's an old man. He was the oldest guy on the SOTT tour at 36, which puts him in his 50s now.

Finally a topic of real merit!!!
I agree with you 100%. To me Eric and Prince are like Batman and Robin, Magic and Kareem, Jordan and Pippen, Ali and Cosell, shit Peaches and Herb. I wonder if Maceo had played with Prince back in the Atlanta Bliss Eric Leeds day instead of Eric if my concept would be different. I don't know. All I know is that when I hear Eric Leeds on the sax with Prince music behind it I feel ever so happy.
To me Eric just gets it you know? He feels it he lives the music and breathes it. Then he contributes to it in such a major way that it cannot be denied. I mean can you imagine NEWS or any of the Madhouse albums without him? I shudder to think. I guess the most telling moment for me is when Eric and Eddie M. Had their solo's on in that extended America video back in the day. Eddie was alright but Eric just nailed it and he always does.
Peace

Indeed, Eric Leeds was and still is, arguably, the best saxaphonist Prince has worked with.

NWF said:

Maybe the best for Prince, then again being the Maceo fan that I am I love hearing Maceo with Prince, and the ONA London shows with Candy and Maceo were fantastic