Paris 24 August 1986

 

How does this sound for a set list?

I Can’t Get Next To You
Love Or $
Purple House
An Honest Man
Strange Relationship
Last Heart
Head
Anotherloverholenyohead
Soul Power
Controversy
A Love Bizarre
Jazz Jam
Do Me, Baby
17 Days
Susannah’s Blues

Looks great, doesn’t it? And played by the Parade era Revolution. Oh, and did I mention that Prince’s father plays piano in the jazz jam? It’s beginning to look like one of the greats. There’s just one thing- it’s not a great recording. In fact, it’s decidedly average- plenty of distortion through the whole show. So, where do I stand on the quality of the show versus the quality of the recording? Is the trade-off worth it? For me it’s a definite “Yes”, but this one isn’t for the faint of heart.

24 August 1986 Le New Morning, Paris

Right off, the recording is distorting. The bass has an annoying buzz to it that I just can’t shake. It is an audience recording, and I certainly have heard a lot worse, but the constant distortion on the bass is a distraction. Prince and the rest of the band can be heard quite clearly, so it’s not all bad. The recording begins with the band playing a cover of “I Can’t Get Next To You.” It has a hypnotic beat and bass line, but I have to listen carefully past the bass and its buzz to catch the nuances of the song. Prince is sounding relaxed and playful and has the crowd with him early on. The verses sound fine with Prince and the girls backing him, and the choruses have him and the male voices which have a nice strong sound. Prince calls for Miko to play a lead break, and he plays a break that I enjoy. On a better recording, I would be raving about this, but it is what it is. Miko always has a great tone to his guitar, and here it’s a clean sound which I like. For I long time I underestimated Miko, but now I have come to admire his sound. The song returns to its steady blues sound, and Prince and the rest of the band blend in well together. I had expected this song to go on and on, so I’m caught off guard as it finishes at this point.

“♥ Or $” next and any reservations I had about the quality of the recording are forgotten. The band hits their straps on this one, and I get swept up along with it. They settle into the steady groove, and even with the distortion, they sound sharp. There is plenty of horns and sax, and I can hear the crowd cheer, as I am doing here at home. The band sounds tight, and yet Prince and the horns sound nice and loose, and there is an air of anticipation that is heightened when Prince threatens “we about to get funky in here”. He is as good as his word as he unleashes Eric Leeds, and as a lifelong fan of Eric, I am deliriously happy. There is a funky little guitar line too, you have to listen hard to hear it, and it adds a little more funk to Eric’s horn. There is very little in the way of singing, just plenty of Eric and groove. The song ends with the girls giving a sharp “love” as the crowd shows its appreciation.

 

 

The first live performance of Jimi Hendrix’s “Red House” (appropriately re-titled as Purple House) follows next as we swing back to the blues. Prince claims the song in the first line as he sings “There’s a Purple house yonder” The distortion isn’t too bad, it’s unfortunate that it does hide some of Prince's vocals. The song isn’t as guitar-heavy as I thought it may have been, Prince gives the singing plenty of attention before he begins his guitar playing about mid-song. There are some horn swells that round out Prince's guitar playing, and he doesn’t linger too long with his playing. I am two minds about this, I do love it when he plays, however, the song has a nice balanced sound as it’s played here, so I am more than happy with what I am hearing. Again it’s not stretched out or jammed on, and the band is still pretty uptight.

What attracted me most to this recording is the setlist, and what we have next is another treat with Prince playing “An Honest Man.” With just him and the piano, he catches just the right side of vulnerable. I love hearing tracks like this, and this one is made even better by the fact that the distortion is absent now that the bass isn’t playing. Prince gives it some flourishes on the piano before he calls Eric and the two of them play together. I close my eyes and enjoy the moment. The recording isn’t perfect, but this is the reason I listen to bootlegs, rare moments that only happen once. The song ends with Prince crooning and a gentle twinkle on the piano before another special moment begins.

Next up is a steady beat that sounds very familiar, yet not quite as I know it. This is the first airing of one of my most beloved songs – “Strange Relationship.” It’s played slower, and is missing some of the energy of the finished product, and yet is fully formed pretty much as we know it. The intro is long and elastic before Prince starts singing the “do do do do” lines. Unfortunately, the distortion also makes a return, but I refuse to let that ruin this moment for me. At the slower pace, it lacks the funky dancing vibe, however, my head still bobs along with it as it plays. This is very much a highlight for me, I love hearing this version and the horn lines give it an extra touch of class. There is a piano break that I am guessing is Prince, and at this point, I am cranking the volume way past 11, it’s just the sort of thing I want to hear, and it’s a real treat for me. Prince calls to Miko, but I can’t make out what he is saying, and I don’t hear Miko contributing anything sonically either. I give up trying the pick all the pieces and instead focus on Prince's piano and singing before Eric Leeds plays again and demands my attention. His solo here adds a lot to the song, and it does give it a completely different feel. The song stretches out past the seven-minute mark, and Prince begins to sing “Last Heart.” Oh boy, what a treat this is. The piano is prominent and after a few lines, Prince jams on it some more. As the song ends I am in heaven, despite the distortion this is amazing to listen to, I don’t know why I haven’t had this on constant rotation.

 

“Head” starts very quietly and builds to a steady groove.  There is no synth early on as the bass and the guitar build-up, the bass bobbing along while the guitar picks out a string of funky lines. The horns finally hit a stab and the snare cracks as the song suddenly comes into focus. There is a loud shout from the crowd, especially in my left ear, which both excites and irritates me. There is an interesting mix on this one, it's normal, bare the guitar which is playing a funky line that is very clear throughout. I enjoy it in this way and appreciate the different sound it brings. This is a favorite with the crowd, there is a lot of yelling and cheering as the song progresses. Prince asks if the crowd is having a good time as Atlanta Bliss plays a trumpet break, thus adding a further interesting dimension to the song. The song takes its usual twists and turns, and it’s the horns and the piano lines that I get the most satisfaction from. Prince has the crowd doing soul clap as Bobby puts a harder beat on it and the piano gets funkier and funkier. The song ends here with a final horn flourish and an appreciative audience.

The opening sound of “Anotherloveholeinyohead” has a very thin shaky sound, and the song picks up when the band comes on board. The distortion is again a distraction, and I am grateful that I can hear Prince and the band singing loudly which takes my attention from it. The crowd sings loudly and the funky levels certainly go up a notch, and that’s saying something coming on the heels of Head. The horn solos punch over the top of the distortion, and I am more pleased as just after this things briefly quieten and I can for a short time hear the band clearly. The recording fades out at this point, which is almost a relief after the distortion.

Next, we hear Price say “and for my next trick” as the band strikes up “Soul Power.”  This band is well suited to this James Brown groove, and the song is led by the guitar and an organ groove. I love grooving along to it here at home, and I am dangerously close to getting off my seat and dancing along to it. It’s given even more of a James Brown sound as Eric Leeds puts his trademark horn to it. His playing is quite frenetic, and it’s a shame that it’s kept relatively short. It’s not so bad as Prince leads the band through some chanting of ‘soul power’ before encouraging them to play faster. Later in the song, the bass becomes more loose and wild, and it’s something I would love to sing the praises of, if not for the distortion that comes with it. I start to grin as Prince gets the crowd singing “oohhhhhhh, shit!” I guess there is still a bit of a teenager in me. Prince plays with the crowd further by having them bark and meow for the last minute of the song. A lot of fun is had, and even though not much is happening musically it’s still good to listen to.

 

A very Parade era sounding “Controversy” follows next. There is that great pounding beat that starts it, while a funky rhythm guitar plays. The horns blast in, and I am immediately transported back. Prince runs through his lines easily enough, but as always it’s the music that I am listening closely to here. The song is kept short as per the Parade tour before a natural segue into “Love Bizarre.”

“A, B, A B C D!” is followed by a fantastic horn riff and a massive shout from the crowd. Excitement and energy levels are very high in the room, and this song goes over very well. The distortion levels also rise, which is disappointing. It’s not too bad in the choruses, but it does ruin the verses somewhat. The horns are nice and airy, and they come across well in the recording. Prince’s vocals are deep in the sound of the song, and I have to listen pretty hard to hear them. There is a respite from the extra noise when the band drops out as Prince and the ladies sing “Love Bizarre” before a glorious-sounding Eric Leeds plays with the organ behind him. Wendy also gets some shine next as Prince sings “whose house, Wendy’s house” over her rhythm. There is a break for Brown Mark to play, unfortunately, as it’s the bass that’s causing the distortion it’s not an easy listen. The band rumble at this point, the bass, and the drum hit that beautiful groove, and the band all fall in. This gives Prince a chance to do his best James Brown, and he gives plenty of screams, before working the band through a series of stops and starts.

When the song ends there is a loud cheer from the crowd before the recording takes a sudden cut to the middle of another song. It’s listed as “Jazzy Jam,” and that is a very apt title. It is only half a minute here, we are only catching the end of a song, but it is heavy on the sax and trumpet and does indeed have a Jazz sound to it.

“Do Me, Baby” is far more recognizable, and the arrangement played here is gorgeous. Prince elects not to sing, instead choosing to play the vocal melody on his guitar. It’s just as good as you might imagine, even with the quality of the recording. The melody is only the start point as Prince stretches it more and more out, before beginning to branch out on the guitar. The horns come in and ground it, and everything seems to click together just right. There is a breakdown mid-song when everything strips back, and it’s a nice opportunity to catch our breath. The horns again play a nice fat sound and fill the song out nicely. I rate this version highly, there is plenty here that I haven’t heard before. It is not until the six-minute mark do we finally hear Prince's voice, as he sings a series of “Do me baby, all night long”, before again playing some delicate guitar.

 

The tempo and mood are again uplifted as the band play “17 Days.”  Prince plays with the song a little, calling “bass and drums” only early on and just letting the rhythm carry it. A funky guitar is thrown into the mix, and the band plays this bare stripped sound for quite some time. Brown Mark is prominent, the song is grounded on his bass, and there is also a minute where we get to hear him play with a more loose sound. Prince does sing, later in the song, and it doesn’t sound quite as catchy as it did on record. He only sings a verse and a chorus before the horns play a delicious break that leaves me wishing I could have been there. Prince does call out to the band, again due to the recording I am unable to make out what he says. However the song does strip back for the guitar, and I love hearing that.

There is one final surprise as Prince calls a change and the band segues into “Susannah’s Blues.” It’s very loose, with Prince chatting to the crowd and introducing Miko. It’s just a gentle riff, and Prince scats a little before the piano plays a jazzy-sounding break. At this point, the recording fades and leaves me to consider what I have just heard.

This show is something extraordinary. I can’t state enough how brilliant the setlist is, so many interesting arrangements and rarities in there. Likewise, I can’t dismiss the fact that the recording itself is far from ideal, and something that the average fan would generally avoid. My overall thoughts are that the good points about this show are so brilliant that they do overshadow the poor-quality recording. In even slightly better sound this would be one that all Prince fans would be talking about, and even as it is it’s still a worthy boot.