Paris 17 November 1999

 Sadly this week Cynthia Robinson, formerly of Sly and the Family Stone, passed away. Sly is a certifiable genius, but to get where he wanted to go he needed a great band. And just as Prince had the Revolution to help him achieve greatness, Sly had his band Sly and the Family Stone featuring Cynthia Robinson on trumpet. Cynthia also played in Graham Central Station, and naturally enough played with Larry Graham and Prince late in the 1990s. 1998/1999 isn’t something I delve into too often, there is plenty of material coming from Prince, but I feel that he is regrouping and finding his way toward the next step in his evolution. He does indulge himself by playing with some of his heroes, and this brings us to where we are today, a gig from Le Bataclan Paris, with Prince playing with Larry Graham, Cynthia Robinson, and Jerry Martini, all former members of Sly and the Family Stone as well as Graham Central Station. As a rule, shows from this era generally don’t fill me with excitement, there isn’t much happening in Prince's world in 1999, however, I can’t deny that the setlist looks inviting, and I know Prince greatly enjoys playing with Larry Graham. Having Cynthia Robinson playing is something I look forward to hearing and a fitting way to remember her wonderful life. 

17 November 1999, Le Bataclan, Paris 

Things get off to a great start with a brief drum solo from Prince. The quality of the recording is surprisingly good, and Prince’s playing sounds light and playful. I know many people, myself included, like to hear him on various instruments and I always crave more whenever I hear him play drums, bass, keyboard, or whatever. The drum solo is only a cameo and after a minute he picks up his guitar for a series of runs as the crowd chant “Let’s go” – a la “Let’s Go Crazy.” After this light-hearted introduction, the funk comes on thick with the band vamping on Doing It To Death. Prince knows how to funk, and his guitar sound is all over this one. Again the band is still feeling their way into the show, and the groove only runs for a couple of minutes, but Prince has signaled his intentions, this is going to be one funky gig. 

My summation proves correct as the horn section begins to play and Prince starts singing “Bustin’ Loose.” Initially, it’s Prince and the horns that we hear most, the rest of the band has their moment later in the song as Prince leads us through a series of tempo changes as the song both speeds up and slows down. Kathy J plays a solo, and its leads rather nicely into another change as things slow again and Prince chants and sings. The whole song is saturated in funk, Prince’s vocals, the horns, and the rhythm section, all of it locked on the groove. As the song plays through I can almost feel the walls shaking and the sweat of the show. 

Things sound promising as Prince calls for the keyboards to be turned up, and the guitar to be “turned way up.”  The introduction of Larry Graham gives us “The Jam.” Larry does a great spoken introduction, and the song sounds sharp right from the beginning. Perhaps I have listened to too many poor recordings of this song, this one seems to sparkle in comparison. Normally I am effusive in my praise of Morris Hayes, but I can’t hear his performance on this one, and it's Mike Scott’s guitar break that kicks things off in great style for me. The NPG horns sound equally good, although I start to tune out later as Kip Blackshire sings, and Kirk Johnson plays a drum solo. The party mood is restored to my house as Larry plays and the crowd begins to chant and sing. 

 

“Everyday People” sounds much funkier too, with some of its pop sparkle initially replaced with a deeper groove and funk. Sure, it still sounds like pure sunshine as Larry sings, but the intro has a groove to it, and I do like that Larry does his best to reclaim it from the Toyota advertising. The horns are turned up mid-song before a trombone solo takes us off in a new direction. My mouth opens as there is a fantastic bass solo that pops along before a choppy guitar furthers the sound in this direction. It’s all tied together by some great guitar and bass work, and there is a tightness to this band’s playing that I hadn’t expected. They looked like a random selection of players, but upon hearing them I can see that they are a well-drilled band. 

I have to admit, I don’t know “Eye’magettin’” very well (Sorry, I refuse to type in Princebonics). I enjoy it immensely on this recording, with lots of bass and crowd interaction. The rest of the band takes a back seat for this one, it’s most definitely about Larry and his bass playing, and the man certainly does live up to his reputation. The song twists and turns a couple of times, and it keeps me guessing about what might come next. This is the early highlight of the show for me, and I hope there’s more like this later on. The sheering guitar sound at the end puts an exclamation mark on it, and I nod in appreciation. 

We stay with Larry Graham, and after Prince fights some feedback, it’s the crowd themselves that begins to sing “Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Again)” The band plays and the crowd instinctively sing-along for some time as Prince gets the sound right on stage. There are problems with feedback, as well as Morris Hayes's organ being absent/low in the mix. Things immediately improve, and it’s quite noticeable as I hear the organ properly for the first time.  The delivery of the song is almost casual, you can hear the familiarity of the song both with the band and the audience. There is some nice back and forth with the crowd, and it’s very much an ensemble piece, with every member playing their part, including some tight horn work. 

Prince takes his time next with a speech to the crowd. His sentiments are well placed and admire him using his position to say something. It does distract me from the music, so I find myself waiting until it’s over and we can get back to the show. 

I am rewarded with an uplifting rendition of “Purple House”. This has been played plenty of times over the years, yet this one sounds a lot better than a lot of other bootlegs I have heard. There is a nice fat organ sound behind Prince as he plays early on, and then later in the song, Larry’s bass underpins it while he lets fly on his guitar. His solo is strong and loud, he plays cleanly during the verses, but the guitar is very rock sounding for his solos. There may be better renditions of Purple House out there, but for now, this is one of my favorites. Prince stays with the guitar for a further minute after the song finishes and delivers a minute of fantastic guitar shredding. I thought he sounded good during Purple House, but this cameo of a performance is more than its equal, and a nice addendum to the song. 

“Kiss” has a very long introduction, with Prince singing a bass line as the drum begins. It’s not immediately recognizable as “Kiss,” and Prince takes some time to get some dancers up as the organ and guitar groove. A further surprise as there is a long bass intro while the band works up a head of steam. Finally, there is a release as Mike Scott hits the guitar riff, and the song emerges from the jam. The rest of the song is almost a disappointment after the build-up we had, and it follows a fairly standard script from here on in. 

The following song is “Gett Off,” and it’s a shadow of its former self, a lot of the power of the original is gone, and apart from that electrifying guitar riff, it sounds like a much more relaxed groove. I would dismiss it, but the guitar riff and accompanying solo are just too good, and I can’t turn away even for a second. The last half of the song is buried under Prince's guitar sound, and a highlight is as he holds a quivering note for some time before plunging into more guitar pyrotechnics. 

 

I almost laugh as “Gett Off (Housestyle)” begins. It is night and day compared to the guitar sound we have just heard, and there is plenty of horn all over it before Mike Scott plays a feather-light solo that gains power as it goes on. There is a fun sound to it all, and it’s hard not to smile as I listen to it, even though under normal circumstances the thought of “Gett Off (Housestyle)” would make me cringe. 

A couple of horn blasts signal the beginning of “Talkin’ Loud And Saying Nothing.” In a clever symmetry, the show is ending as it began with some James Brown and Graham Central Station. Prince can be heard on the microphone, but for me, this song is all about the band and their strength in playing together. Typically for this part of a show, things become a jam, and Prince throws a couple of songs into the mix as well as giving individual band members a chance to play. 

The bass of Larry plays us right into “Release Yourself,” which skips along at a good pace. There are the horns propelling us forward, as well as the organ of Morris Hayes and some quick guitar licks that underpin the whole thing. The standouts for me are Larry’s bass early on, and a tambourine break that seemly appears out of nowhere. A lot is going on, and instruments and sounds seem to be coming from every direction – there is no mistaking that this is the last song and the band is throwing everything into it. It’s a frenetic end to the show, and I almost feel tired by the time it’s over. A final word from Prince reminds people to be careful and to love God and it finally comes to a close. 

This is the second of the three Bataclan shows that I will be listening to, and although completely different from the others, it’s still just as every bit enjoyable. Prince and Larry are undoubtedly the key attraction here, but the rest of the band prove their worth and it’s a complete performance in my view. On paper 1999 may appear a weak year for Prince shows, yet this one shows us otherwise. A fun show at a fantastic venue, with some of Prince’s (and mine) funk heroes, this one I can safely recommend to all. 

Rest in peace Cynthia, thanks for the music.