Stevie. Hands down. I think even His Royal Badness would say so himself.

Out of curiosity when has Prince worked with Stevie? I know that they're friends and that Prince looks up to him and that Stevie admires Prince, but If there is some colloboration out there I'd like to know about it.

Secondly, my understanding of Prince and Michael Jackson is that they really don't have much of a relationship one way or the other. Prince was asked to duet on Bad and offered to contribute a song to the album instead, which Michael didn't feel sounded like him and he thus ended up giving to Jevetta Steele. The whole rivalry thing was just a rumor that Michael leaked to the press deliberately to raise publicity about their potential duet on Bad. As to why Prince didn't want to perform on "We Are the World", maybe he just thought it was too damn cheesy of a song.

well, I don't have access to any of the album notes from after the seventies, in fact I downloaded a great deal of the Stevie stuff I have from the seventies too. I could post the picture I found of Stevie playing bass but you more or less admitted that you wouldn't accept that as proof. If any one else has any other evidence one way or the other I'd like to hear it (first hand accounts, interviews with stevie etc..)

jacktheimprovident said:

yeah, there's always a difference between a downloader and a real records collector. but at least now u got my point. THERE'S NO RECORD EVIDENCE OF STEVIE PLAYING ELECTRIC BASS OR ELECTRIC GUITAR. thanks. case closed.

Okay, I didnt even fully read what vainandy wrote nor did I read what everyone else wrote All I know is THERE IS NO POSSIBLE WAY YOU COULD PICK ONE!! I mean, Stevie and Prince are two completely different types of genuises. I adooooore Stevie and looooove Prince and could listen to each one's music all day and night and still want more. Its just two completely different sytles of singing, playing, lyrics, meanings and feelings of music to me!

Okay, I didnt even fully read what vainandy wrote nor did I read what everyone else wrote All I know is THERE IS NO POSSIBLE WAY YOU COULD PICK ONE!! I mean, Stevie and Prince are two completely different types of genuises. I adooooore Stevie and looooove Prince and could listen to each one's music all day and night and still want more. Its just two completely different sytles of singing, playing, lyrics, meanings and feelings of music to me!

CherrieMoonKisses said:

Hotlegs said:

Did I make myself clear ? ;}

elmariachi said:

Stevie playing Electric Bass- Spinners - It's A Shame - 1970
Stevie playing Electric Guitar - Jermaine Jackson - Let's Get Serious- 1980

Also there was a clip of Stevie palying Stevie Ray Vaughn's guitar on MTV back in 1988 as part of his Characters special.

Stevie doesn't always list the instruments that he plays on his cds. For instance, how many people know that Stevie plays Violin!!.

EL Mariachi, keep going through life thinking Stevie doesn't play Electric Bass or Guitar. Your ignorance will be your undoing!!

jacktheimprovi
dent said:

I'm pretty sure I say guitar and bass credits on jungle fever and conversation peace and maybe some others. someone who has all the credits handy should help us outl. Once again though, I've seen pictures of Stevie playing a bass.

MrTation said:
A simple look at the CD booklets of any of Stevie's CDs should clear this up for you. Fanaticism has nothing to do with it.

=====

to prove a point for both JACK THE IMPROVEDMENT and MR.TATION...
I'VE CHECKED both JUNGLE FEVER and CONVERSATION PEACE CD BOOKLET to search for any info or credit of stevie playing ELECTRIC GUITAR OR ELECTRIC BASS (after browsing all the other stevie's albums with no results) AND THE RESULT IS:

NO ELECTRIC BASS OR ELECTRIC GUITAR PLAYED BY STEVIE.as usual it only states KEYBOARD GUITAR by stevie or GUITAR (SYNTHS) and BASS (Synths) by STEVIE,whilst the electric bass played by for example...NATHAN WATTS.
so i guess i've proven my point that:THERE'S NO RECORDING EVIDENCE of STEVIE PLAYING ELECTRIC GUITAR NEITHER ELECTRIC BASS. or maybe jack wants to post pics of stevie with a bass?, but it doesnt prove that stevie can play it anyway.i've seen pictures of sting with a violin,but there's no record of sting playing violin on his albums,so?

Here's the image I've been referring to. I'm not gonna say anything more, I think me and thether stevie fans' points have been made.


[Edited 9/9/04 18:49pm]

jacktheimprovident said:

Yeah, but it looks like Stevie needs a helping hand...

Here's the image I've been referring to. I'm not gonna say anything more, I think me and thether stevie fans' points have been made.


[Edited 9/9/04 18:49pm]

This shows me nothing, there are also pictures of Stevie Wonder driving a car and taking a parachute jump, staged and funny but hell it ain't real!

yodahendrix said:

whodknee said:

I understand your point but I will have to disagree with your statement about Prince not having a wide array of songs that are good for the soul. Good for the soul can be much larger than talking about social ills, being kind etc. The Darling Nikki's, Let's Pretend We're Married and Head's of the world are important because they give voice to feelings that all humans have. Moreover, they voice that physical gratification is a human emotion as well. Songs that challenge gender roles are important in a society with rigid gender lines like the U.S and they also help the two sexes relate better to one another. Prince challenges ideas of masculinity and he delves into the complexities of male/female relationships on a deeper level than romanticized fantasies of love. If I Was Your Girlfriend is arguably one of the most complex relationship songs ever written because he focuses on the reality of a realtionship; intimacy through communication, sharing day-to-day activities and truly understanding your partner. (Prince's songs are often written from blurred gender/sex perspectives. I think most people overlook the importance of an artist looking at love/relationships from both sides of the coin) Prince has a male vulnerability that is rarely heard in music, ie. The Ballad of Dorothy Parker, Forever In My Life, Empty Room, Train, Open Book, The Beautiful Ones, If I Was Your Girlfriend, I Hate U etc. Moreover, Prince has sensuality and his primal descriptions of the sexual act are both liberating and expressive. The aforementioned traits show his depth as a songwriter/lyricist because his execution can evoke a wide range of listener emotions.

I personally love both Prince and Stevie, I think it's pointless to rank musicians because what one person deems important may be irrelevant to another. I think Stevie Wonder is a true genius of modern music, but I also think Sly Stone was just as important because he merged rock and funk together to create a new sound. Prince has my utmost respect because of his versatility and the complexity in his music. IMHO, Prince is more non-traditional than Stevie because many of his ideas come out of left field. (And yes I own and have heard Journey Through The Secret Life of Plants, the album is an anamoly in Wonder's Catalog) Someone stated earlier in the thread that Prince was nothing more than a hybrid of his influences and that they show through his music. I don't agree with that statment at all. If anything Prince synthesizes his influences into what is known as Prince. He takes elements from all forms of music and shapes it into a singular sound that is uniquely his. Songs like Three Chains of Gold are an anamoly in Prince's catalog. Prince is defined by combining completely different worlds. Dirty Mind is a prime example of his abilities. Who would dare sing falsetto over a punk/rock/funk track? The Dirty Mind album is so creative because it is essentially punk/funk/rock with a falsetto lead vocalist. Who else would come up with something as daring/creative as When Dove's Cry? The creativity of the intro to If I Was Your Girlfriend where sound effects, spoken words and music clips cover the span of a relationship. Prince made drum programming sound human, giving the complex programmed beat prominence in the music (Something In The Water, Dorothy P, It, If I Was Your Girlfriend, Hell the 1999 album). Most people focus on Prince's current jazz fascination because it is more explicit, however Prince's music has always shown a jazz sensibility. His piano work, guitar work and time keeping have a jazz foundation. Prince is also important because he gave an avant-garde perspective to black music, which is something that is not usually found in popular black culture; Prince is an alternative. (see Crystal Ball, Other's Hear With Us, Moonbeamlevels, Joy In Repetition, Sign 'O The Times/Parade Albums) Also, Prince's versatility is something that should not be understated. His albums have shown so much stylistic growth and each album usually sounds completely different from it's predecessor. Look at the changes and growth Prince made from For You through Lovesexy,contrast it with his sound today and you will notice that he is constantly evolving. Most important is Prince's self defining trait, an idea/expression that is sorely missing in non-white America or America as a whole for that matter.

In the end its apples and oranges, I love and respect them both equally, but in completely different ways.
[Edited 9/3/04 8:54am]

Here's the image I've been referring to. I'm not gonna say anything more, I think me and thether stevie fans' points have been made.


[Edited 9/9/04 18:49pm]

who has the best links, the most fans, and money?
I hope Prince wins this battle in the long run.