Glam Slam Minneapolis 29 May 1994

 There has been a rash of great recordings popping up in the last couple of months, and I am spoilt for choice when I want to hear something new. I was unsure which one I should listen to this week, and in the end, I chose this recording from 1994. I mostly chose it before I have been listening to quite a lot from the 1990s recently, and this seemed to fit nicely. Last week was the glamour and show of a Diamonds and Pearls show, this recording is a couple of years later, and completely different in many ways. In the two years in between a great deal has changed in Prince’s world. It’s a small early morning show from the Glam Slam club in Minneapolis and showcases the strength of Prince and the band musically. All the key elements of a great show are there, and as a nice bonus, it’s a soundboard recording. 

29th May 1994 (am) Glam Slam, Minneapolis 

Things start very well indeed with a heavy insistent riff from Prince and his guitar. The scene is well and truly set as the bass and keyboard coming it, and it has a full-blooded raw sound which I always like. This cover version of Sly Stone's “Sex Machine” is well-chosen, and for those fans of Prince's guitar work there is plenty to enjoy and admire. He warms to his work, slow and steady with plenty of groove. It certainly has that aftershow vibe about it, the guitar moves in and out as the music swirls around it. 

 

We don’t move too far from the Sly Stone sound, as next the band plays “It’s Alright” by Graham Central Station. I know this song very well now, having heard Prince play it many times over the years, what makes this version good is that it is the first time that Prince and the band played it live. There is a lot of energy and enthusiasm in the performance, and Prince sounds quite young in places. I can feel this rubbing off on me, and as I listen I feel uplifted. It is truncated, but thankfully it’s not part of a medley, the band just fades it out after a couple of minutes. 

Listening to “New Power Soul” next, I am thinking here’s a song I don’t recall hearing live before. It seems I was right, this is the only live performance of it. At first, it fails to excite me, that is until a crisp bouncy guitar appears midsong, and there is plenty of interesting things to listen to from here on in. Prince mentions “Poor Goo,” the song doesn’t eventuate, he’s just talking. Morris Hayes on the keys sounds good, I would like to have him further forward in the mix though. Asides from that it’s a nice performance, and a cool oddity to have thrown in mid-set. 

I saw “Dolphin” on the setlist and I had my hopes up. Unfortunately, we don’t get a full performance, instead, Prince sings the first verse before bringing it to a halt and telling us “sorry, we can’t do that, it’s private” Again, it’s the first public airing of a song, and although it was little more than an intro, it is another tease and clue to what’s going on in Prince’s world at the time. 

 

I always associate “The Most Beautiful Girl In The World (Mustang Mix)” with this band configuration. Played this way it’s a perfect fit with their style and it works extremely well in this club setting. It has a slow-burning sound to it, and I think this is heightened by Morris Hayes's playing. Some of the glitter and sparkle are taken from the song, and we have here a darker, warmer groove. Twenty years ago I didn’t get it, but now I do and it’s a firm favorite. 

Things get funky when the band starts on a 15-minute version of “Get Wild.” It’s slow to start, then builds into a big groove. The best part is when we get to the breakdown in the middle of the song, first, there is a solo from Brian Gallagher that leaps out at me, it’s got plenty of life to it, then Prince breaks it down before the chorus and groove return with a vengeance. The horn section adds a lot to the show at this stage, there are plenty of stabs and swells as the band and crowd chant. The horns add some brightness to the groove and emphasis the main riff, giving it a real lift. 

 

I am very pleased to hear “Billy Jack Bitch” next. It’s not everyone’s cup of tea, but I am a fan. It does sound flat in places here, energy-wise, luckily the horns and the chorus bring it right back up.  There is a pause midsong, when it comes back it is heavy with the horns and organ, and it’s this part of the song that I dig most. Prince yells “release date never” which gives some insight into where he was in his battle to release material at that stage. 

The show goes out on a high with a performance of “Days Of Wild.” The start is particularly good, with Prince singing a capella for the first minute before the power of the band comes in behind him. The lyrics are crystal clear, this soundboard recording is great for highlighting his vocals, and the lyrics are fun. There is nothing new as they groove into “Hair,” although the song does seem to lose its momentum, only to gear up again into the heavy grind of “Days Of Wild” a minute later. It is Michael B and his drumming that carries us through to the end of the song, with the crowd heard chanting “Go Michael”, a fitting end to the show. 

 

Although short, this show was well worth a listen. The fact that it was a beautiful-sounding soundboard added a lot to a show that looked somewhat short on paper. It was a very nice document of a show from the string of shows such as this that he played in 1994. I will be playing it for the next few weeks in my car, and I can’t give it a higher recommendation than that.