Hey all, Duane Tudahl, longtime orger and Prince maven, has his new book out, "Prince and the Purple Rain Era Studio Sessions: 1983 and 1984". We've been reading a preview copy and there's some really great stuff in it! We asked Duane if he'd do a Q&A with the Org & orgers, so if you've got questions -- add them to this thread and we'll try to get answers to everything over the next few days.

Our "favorite" question(s) might even end up with free signed copies of his book! So... make 'em good!

Please add your questions to this thread by 11:59P Thursday PT, and we'll start working with Duane on Friday to get answers, and hopefully post them over the weekend!

What's the most surprising thing you learned about Prince & his studio habits during this time?

Hi Duane, Thanks for taking questions. I have not had a chance to purchase your book yet, so forgive me if you answer these questions in the book. I am interested in knowing more about the songs "Wonderful Ass" and "We Can F**k" which Warner Brothers released on Purple Rain Deluxe.

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1. Why did these two songs not make the cut for Purple Rain?

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2. What was Warner Brothers's reaction to "We Can F**k"?

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3. Whose decision was it to keep "We Can F**k" unreleased for 30+ years? Did Prince want to put "We Can F**k" on Purple Rain, but Warner Brothers disagreed? I believe that "We Can Fuck" is an absolute masterpeice, and certainly of a high enough caliber to be on Purple Rain. However, I suspect that "We Can F**k" was too far outside of the boundaries of social acceptability for release on a major music record in 1984 (although my suspicion could be totally wrong because I wasn't even born until 1986). I would be most interested in any information that you can share about discussions surrounding "We Can F**k"

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4. Who performs the awesome guitar solo at the end of "Wonderful Ass"? (I think it's Prince, but I'd like to know for sure whether or not it's him playing the guitar.)

I haven't yet purchased the ebook but I will as soon as I'm done with the novel I'm currently reading.

Duane you've know for many years how I was excited about this project and when I asked once if you planned to cover the whole of P's career in the same manner as you did with 1983-84, you replied that it was very unlikely and that you were planning to stay focused on the 80's. While I understand that we're talking about an insane amount of work and that you'd have to spend the rest of your life researching those books if you were to cover 40 years of Prince's career, I would obviously love to see his whole recording career covered in such details.

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So here are my 2 questions:

1/ I understand that sales of the first book may impact your decision, but at this stage how many more books would you be interested in writing, and which years would they cover?

2/ Do you think there's a chance anyone you've worked with would be willing to try and complete the series by covering the years you'll have chosen not to cover with similar books, and if someone volunteered at some point, would you share your methodology and endorse any such project?

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Thx

Hi Duane,

you mentioned that this book was mostly ready before Prince's unfortunate passing. Do you think/have you noticed that people that were around Prince are now more willing to share their stories? Your book is more a less a look into the sausage factory, as you mentioned, and Prince was notoriously protective of his privacy. What impact do you think this will have on a possible next book? (assuming you need to do a lot of follow up interviews)

Hello Duane,

Firstly a big THANK YOU for all your hard work and dedication in putting this book together, I am really looking forward to getting a copy and to reading the fruit of your labor.

Here are my questions:

I know you have directly met many of the people who have worked with Prince, but did you ever meet the man in person?

Also, in case the answer to the above question was no: You have said that the first draft of the book was finished in March 2016. Have you ever sought to meet Prince to show him or discuss the content of your book, interview him directly or to perhaps get his support - by speaking to him or anyone around him - whilst you were preparing the book?

Thanks!

[Edited 11/21/17 2:31am]

Hello Duane,

During your 20 years of research, did you get to hear any prince recordings that us mere mortals don't even know exist? I can imagine you can't disclose what/how/who etc for not wanting to expose your "sources", but still i'm curious.

Looking forward to the book!

Ronald

CherryMoon57 said:

Hello Duane,

Firstly a big THANK YOU for all your hard work and dedication in putting this book together, I am really looking forward to getting a copy and to reading the fruit of your labor.

Here are my questions:

I know you have directly met many of the people who have worked with Prince, but did you ever meet the man in person?

Also, in case the answer to the above question was no: You have said that the first draft of the book was finished in March 2016. Have you ever sought to meet Prince to show him or discuss the content of your book, interview him directly or to perhaps get his support - by speaking to him or anyone around him - whilst you were preparing the book?

Thanks!

[Edited 11/21/17 2:31am]

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All of this is already answered in the preface to his book, and that preface (as well as plenty of sample pages) can be read by going to https://www.amazon.com/Pr...538105497/ and clicking on "look inside".

BartVanHemelen said:

CherryMoon57 said:

Hello Duane,

Firstly a big THANK YOU for all your hard work and dedication in putting this book together, I am really looking forward to getting a copy and to reading the fruit of your labor.

Here are my questions:

I know you have directly met many of the people who have worked with Prince, but did you ever meet the man in person?

Also, in case the answer to the above question was no: You have said that the first draft of the book was finished in March 2016. Have you ever sought to meet Prince to show him or discuss the content of your book, interview him directly or to perhaps get his support - by speaking to him or anyone around him - whilst you were preparing the book?

Thanks!

[Edited 11/21/17 2:31am]

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All of this is already answered in the preface to his book, and that preface (as well as plenty of sample pages) can be read by going to https://www.amazon.com/Pr...538105497/ and clicking on "look inside".

Thanks for the link BartVanHemelen. It does answer my question, though only partly.

[Edited 11/21/17 6:31am]

Hi Duane! Stuff I'd like to know, if possible (apologies if this info is in the book; Amazon hasn't shipped my copy yet):

1. Did Prince ever use any kind of alternate tuning for guitar work? Or a capo?

2. Was there any process by which Prince chose the key(s) for his songs?

3. Were his guitar solos constructed over time, or were they mainly thought up on the fly?

4. Did he ever write a song by starting with the bass guitar?


Thanks, can't wait to read your book!

Morris Hayes mentioned in a recent interview that Prince pulled him aside to play 5 unreleased tracks from the Purple Rain era, and that they were better than than what was on Purple Rain. Were you able to find any information on what those tracks might be?

We need a book about the 90s.

1. Is the When Doves Cry with the orignal baseline lurking around somewhere? How hard of a decision was it for Prince to delete out the bassline? How close was the orignal version to making it on the album?

2. Was Prince legitimately concerned that Purple Rain had a similarity to Faithfully by Journey? I have heard that he called up Journey to make sure it was OK... any truth to that?

2freaky4church1 said:

We need a book about the 90s.

Technically we need five books about the 90's.

itsjustaroundthecorner said:

2. Was Prince legitimately concerned that Purple Rain had a similarity to Faithfully by Journey? I have heard that he called up Journey to make sure it was OK... any truth to that?

It's been confirmed by the Journey members themselves.
Hard to believe they made it up...

Here's one

When Prince focused his recording at Paisley Park and other residences, there are no longer records of his studio bookings etc. From what date does it get difficult to track his recording activities, and are there sources that you can use to track his recording activities in his later career?

What do the sound engineers think about his chops on the mixing board?
Did Prince just need them to work faster by avoiding going back and forth on the mixing desk?
Or did they actually influence or change his approach to sound?

Why can't I buy your book? Release date on Amazon.co.uk says 15th November but its not in stock anywhere.

Hello Duane,

every time, for the past 30+ years, whenever I hear the song Sex Shooter, it makes me wonder if this was originally meant as a song from a man's perspective. You know, shooting the love, kiss my gun, and even the lyrics sound like "come on play with my erection".

So since you are the number one 83/84 expert and this song is from almost exactly the middle of this period: my question is: is there a Prince version out there? Or was that ever the plan?

Thnx.

It is probably in the book and I should have that soon but I have always wondered about the guitar solo intro and the solo deep in the mix on the latter part of WHen Doves Cry. The song is so startling that your attention goes from that killer solo to the booming drum beat and skeletal instrumentation. Then you refocus on his deep voice...then the screams..then the music again etc. What is forgotten is that INCREDIBLE opening guitar line and the ending guitar is buried in the mix and covered up with all that awesome screaming.

After his passing, Billy Gibbons (ZZ Top) was interviewed who marvelled on the guitar parts. I never in all these years saw Prince play those solos nor have I heard much talk about them. Do you have any info on the recording of those guitar parts?

Like so much, it is yet another reminder of how talented he was that he could play like that, and purposely bury it in the mix.

Hi Duane,

Looking forward to your book. I would like to know, based on all the information you have gathered for writing your book, which (song) recording session would you have wanted to witness the most and what would be the main reason?

Thanks in advance!

rwielink said:

Hello Duane,

every time, for the past 30+ years, whenever I hear the song Sex Shooter, it makes me wonder if this was originally meant as a song from a man's perspective. You know, shooting the love, kiss my gun, and even the lyrics sound like "come on play with my erection".

So since you are the number one 83/84 expert and this song is from almost exactly the middle of this period: my question is: is there a Prince version out there? Or was that ever the plan?

Thnx.

Yuck.

Let's leave it with "affection" please.
And girls can shoot too, you know.

[Edited 11/22/17 17:49pm]