Stockholm 8 May 1987

 

I have recently been enjoying the latest release from Eye records that covers a couple of well-known concerts of 1987 that have been circulating for some time. It did, however, make me think that I, like many others, only listen to a small selection of shows from the Sign O The Times era. Everyone listens to “For Those of U On Valium,” the Paris concert from June of that year, and a handful of aftershow concerts. I rarely hear of anyone talking about other concerts of this tour, perhaps because with several quality soundboard recordings circulating there is little need to dig further. This week I will plunge deeper (but not too deep) and take a listen to an audience recording from the first night of the tour. It promises little, and indeed delivers little, but as a diversion from the more well-known concerts, I welcome the change.

 

May 8th 1987, Isstadion, Stockholm, Sweden

The setlist is standard as heard through the Sign O The Times tour, and the only surprise in the opening “Sign O The Times,” is the jaunty pace it comes at. It undoes the serious tone somewhat, but on this average recording there is no real depth anyway, and one doubts that even at a different pace it would sound any different on this tape. The burning fury of Prince’s guitar work also suffers from this lack of depth, the recording is just not good enough to catch the intensity of the flames that Prince is playing. As is the case of so many of these recordings, it is up to the listener to mentally fill the sound out from the memory of other concerts.

“Play In The Sunshine” also comes at a fast rate, leaving me to assume that the tape is running at the wrong speed. As a performance it is fun and colorful, as a bootleg it is average, touching on less than average as some extra sound bleeds through the right speaker. On the positive side, there is no distortion, the bane of my existence on so many of these recordings, and one can discern the music and nuances, even if it does sound two-dimensional.

 

I do like the cameo role that “Little Red Corvette” plays at these concerts, and here is no different as the concert is briefly bathed in a nostalgic glow while Prince nods to his back catalog, the song from only five years ago suddenly sounding alien among Prince’s more eclectic work. Prince pitches it just right, not dwelling on the moment, and quickly bring us to the present with a heady rush through “Housequake.”

This is one song on the recording that could do with added the depth, the distinctive beat, in this case, is flattened against the other music, everything is present as it should be, but crushed together there is little room for the song to properly breathe on the tape and again I mentally remix it in my mind as it plays.

The fanboy in me temporarily lets go of any thoughts on the quality of the recording as I wallow in, and indeed sing lustily along with, “Girls And Boys.” My singing is much louder than the recording, unfortunately, but it is a reminder of how much the listener is invested in the performance. It may be Prince singing on a thirty-year recording, but it draws from my well of inner youth, and as it plays the years fall away, and suddenly the recording sounds better on the back of my nostalgic recollections.

 

I am sure we could point to any number of recordings of “Slow Love” from this tour that sounds better than what is heard here, but it has a warmth throughout this track that I can’t help but fall for. I didn’t think I was in a romantic mood, but by the time this song finishes I certainly am, and I guess for a slow jam there is no higher recommendation. Next time I will have to make sure I listen to a better quality version.

When I first heard ” I Could Never Take The Place Of Your Man,” on Sign O The Times, I took it as a light pop/rock song. In these live performances, Prince turns it into a whole lot more, injecting it with the sense of drama and pathos that the lyrics allude to. Bestowing it with a drawn-out introduction heightens the sense of anticipation and gives the feeling that what will follow will mean something more than we would otherwise expect. When the song is finally unfurled in all its glory Prince takes the lyrics and turns them into an onstage melodrama that the bootleg has no chance of ever truly capturing. One can hear it however in Prince’s pleading lyrics as he plays out both parts, both the object of affection and the spurned lover dismissed with the line “I Could Never Take The Place Of Your Man.” This all boils over in the final volcanic eruption of a guitar solo that unleashes all the frustrations, the sense of hope and despair, in a minute that rips the song in half. The breakdown and subsequent dark cries of Prince’s instrument hint at a Hendrix sound that Prince is so often lumbered with, and here he wallows in the sound, the stripped-back band leaving Prince alone out front of the recording in a moment where we can reflect on this one man's brilliance. Immensely enjoyable, it only fuels my desire to dig out a soundboard of this tour and truly wallow in its sound.

 

Pleasingly “Hot Thing” maintains this intensity, albeit in a more funky form. Prince’s vocals sit under the music due to the quality of the recording, but for me the highlight of the song is the final few minutes as the lyrics disappear, giving way to a flurry of saxophone and horns. Futuristic yet drawing from the past, this song sees Prince tying together several strands of his musical repertoire into a four-minute funk song, no mean feat.

 

The horns remain at the forefront of my mind, and the recording, as they spin out the opening of “Now’s The Time.” I am pleasantly surprised by the recording at this stage, it sounds better here than perhaps at any other moment of the concert, and Sheila E. gets plenty of shine for her rattle around the drum kit. It is a satisfying portion of the concert, without being too demanding, and the recording reflects this nicely.

Sad to say “If I Was Your Girlfriend” sounds nowhere near as good on this recording. It is distant and hollow sounding, the song never once given the chance to breathe as the recording suffocates it in its solid block sound. There is little more to say apart from the bitter disappointment of almost having to skip one of my favorite songs.

The punch of “Let’s Go Crazy” fares better, but not a lot. Its saving grace is the crackle and fizz of the guitar which stands starker against the blandness of the recording, giving the bootleg a sliver of light with the grey. Turning it up loudly helped, and no doubt my neighbors appreciated the gesture.

“When Doves Cry” is heavily truncated, but the minute of “La, La, La, He, He, Hee” tacked on the end is a rare treat on an otherwise basic show. Not everyone would enjoy hearing it in this quality, but it does give the bootleg an added point of interest and makes it worth listening to up to this point.

Before I know it, “Purple Rain” has come and gone, with little fanfare. There is a scant introduction to the song, the verses are heavily pruned back, and the final guitar break is kept tightly in the pocket. The fact it only runs for three minutes tells you everything you need to know, Prince isn’t interested in revisiting his most purple of eras, and he glosses over the moment as the concert continues to rumble on.

 

There is far more love for “1999” from Prince than the preceding song, and one can hear the crowd indulging in plenty of fun and chanting as they blitz through one of his earlier bona fide classics. It’s a romp, but not a great one, again the recording renders even the best moments average at best.

What follows is a great version of “Forever In My Life,” the simplicity of the song matching the shortcomings of the recording. Prince’s acoustic guitar work is mesmerizing as he delivers a sack full of rhythm from his six strings. Boni Boyer is in fine fettle, and although she doesn’t bring the house down as she does on other recordings, she does add a lot of soul to what could easily be a light moment of the show. The final minute is stolen by the crowd and as they sing the song briefly becomes theirs before Prince serves up a fast-paced “Kiss”

This is how “Kiss” should sound, fast, light, and funky. The band doesn’t overwork it, they throw it out there and let the natural funk of the song do its thing. You can sing to it, you can dance to it, what more do you want? Nobody is ever going to dig out this bootleg to hear “Kiss,” but it is on here and it sparkles while it plays, and I temporarily forget where I am.

There is a deceiving start to “The Cross,” but soon enough it settles into its familiar sound. It builds to its predictable climax, and a swirl of guitar punctuated by the pound of Sheila E. cutting through the sonic storm with her heavy rhythm. On another recording it would be magnificent, on this recording, it is stripped of its sonic power by the quality and limitations of the taper. It doesn’t matter to me, I am more than happy to let the sound of Prince and his guitar wash over me, but for the more discerning listener, it may all be a little two-dimensional.

 

It is a furious “Its Gonna Be A Beautiful Night” that closes out the recording, the band well and truly warmed up and on top of their game for this final knockout punch. There is energy abound, and the music comes at a gallop, never once letting up or giving the listener a chance to draw a breath. Sheila’s rap is indistinctive from the chaos and cacophony of sound on stage, but she is undeniable there as the music briefly swirls around her. “Six” raises its head from the music, bringing a brief smile to my face before it is steamrollered by the rest of the music and becomes little more than a footnote. I can think of no more fitting way to end these Sign O The Times concerts than with the sprawling wonder of “It’s Gonna Be A Beautiful Night” and although this bootleg isn’t one of the greats, there is no denying the quality of the music and performance.

A recording I shan’t be returning to, nevertheless, I did enjoy the energy and sheer fun generated by Prince and the band. Far from perfect, this recording does ignite an interest in other concerts circulating of the era and again demonstrates the power and beauty that this band can conjure. 1987 was a stellar year for Prince, and I find any recording from the year worthwhile in its own right. I could never recommend this recording to anyone, but it is another piece of the tapestry of 1987, and will firmly remain part of my collection.