San Francisco 14 February 1982

 There have been two new releases recently and both of them are covering the same show. It always gives me a warm feeling when new soundboards surface, and this week has been a very good week for me. I have not heard the Eye records release, it is more complete than the 4DF release, but I have to say the 4DF release has a great cover, even if the show itself is not complete. I was going to wait for the Eye records release before I blogged about it, but to be honest, patience is not one of my virtues, so I am going to give the 4DF release a listen in meantime. The show itself is not new to me, I have heard an audience recording, but nothing can beat that pristine sound of a soundboard recording as we have here. I am looking forward to a heavy dose of nostalgia and plenty of energy from this show. It’s a beautiful summer's evening here, all the doors and windows are open, a cold drink in my hand, and the stereo cranked up, I am definitely in the right mood for this one. 

14 February 1982, San Francisco Auditorium 

This particular recording is missing the opening with “The Second Coming,” but that doesn’t concern me too much as we get right down to it from the start. The setlists from the Controversy tour don’t vary too much, so there aren’t any surprises when the first song is “Uptown.” I was wondering if I would feel jaded listening to a recording from a tour I know so well, but any reservations are well and truly laid to rest when that glorious clean soundboard recording is heard.  The sound leaps out of the speakers, and Prince's youthful enthusiasm is evident for all to hear. “Uptown” sounds great, and one of the things that strikes me most is the bass sound. It’s not deep and heavy, but it has a fantastic popping sound to it, and the recording captures it perfectly. I like that the sound is much more even on this recording, and no one instrument dominates as you often hear on audience recordings. 

 

After a short Uptown Prince calls “Are you ready” in his full sounding, deeper speaking voice and we spin off into “Why You Wanna Treat Me So Bad.” The guitars seesaw behind him, and again I am struck by the balance of the recording, they are well behind his voice, and never too loud. I must say, Prince is sounding on top of his game, and his voice is playful and strong. As the guitars start their soloing there are some excellent bass pops that the recording picks up, and I am thankful I can hear this as it was meant to be heard. Prince calls “John!” right before the second section of the solos, I don’t know who it is directed at, or what it is about, but after listening to hundreds of bootlegs like this I sometimes find myself wondering about little moments like this. The song ends with a coda from Prince, and for me this is the real highlight. It’s not a howling guitar solo, just some fun licks on his guitar for a minute, but it adds to the sense of youth and playfulness. 

“When You Were Mine” elicits no surprise from me, and again I rejoice in the quality of the recording, especially when I hear Prince’s vocals and every inflection in his voice. He sings, he speaks, he pouts, he emotes, and I can feel the whole performance through the recording. There is more playfulness near the end of the song as Prince plays guitar runs and speaks during the breakdown. He draws it out, and I almost find myself screaming along with the ladies in the crowd. His voice is teasing and fun, and he backs it with guitar playing that sounds similar in nature. We are three songs in, and already I have decided that this is my ‘go to’ recording for the Controversy tour. 

 

This thought continues as “I Wanna Be Your Lover” begins, it sparkles and shines, and it too has a youthfulness to it. The vocals of Prince and Lisa are bold and loud, the whole song sounding very strong throughout. I appreciate it for what it is, but being the fan I am, I am already anticipating the song that will follow. 

“Head” is the centerpiece of the concert, it runs for 13 minutes, and is everything you could wish for.  The guitar is slippery, the keyboards heaving, and the bass and vocals are both dirty sounding. Like everything else on this recording, the balance is perfect, and there are many small details for me to enjoy as I listen close. I love the vocals of Lisa, as well as Prince. The energy of the show is very apparent, and as I said earlier, it does jump out of the speakers at me. I don’t get the nostalgic feeling at all, it still sounds fresh and new to me, and I feel younger just for listening to it. I decide not to bother writing anything at all as the singing stops and the bass and guitar take over, it’s all too good and I want to wallow in the sound of it. Needless to say, it doesn’t disappoint at all. 

The keyboards of “Annie Christian” gain a lot on this soundboard recording, they sound brighter and louder, while the guitar is more in the background. Prince’s vocal performance is energetic and the song itself gathers a lot of momentum as it goes, and there is a great release when Prince starts his guitar break. It’s only the last minute of the song when the guitar is more to the front than the keyboards, and I am enjoying the mix of this recording just as much as the performance itself. 

I wonder how “Dirty Mind” is going to go, on some other Controversy shows it is the highlight for me, here we have had many highlights already and I wonder how it will compete. It gets off to a good start with a slightly longer intro, and Prince sounds more relaxed as he begins to sing. I don’t have to tell you, it’s energetic and lives up to my expectations. Prince’s “Somebody say yeah” shouts add a sense of urgency and energy to it all, and I get a kick out of it when Prince asks “Does the groove feel alright?” I like that I can clearly hear Bobby Z play on this, and indeed I can everyone very well, it gives me a lot of new things to listen for. 

It’s game over as “Do Me, Baby” begins, seriously I am just about to turn off the lights and start some ‘night maneuvers’ as it plays. It doesn’t have a long intro, but Prince's vocals more than makeup for it. It’s easy to forget that he is playing for 8000 people at the show, his vocals are dripping with lust and emotion, and the crowd is feeling it too as he stops and lets them sing a few lines for themselves. I would love to see this performance as well as hear it. Prince ad-libs mid-song, using his “Do you believe in love at first sight, do you believe in making love on the first night” -lines that I normally associate with Dirty Mind. The song runs for nigh on eight minutes, and I have already mentally filed it as a song I must revisit soon. 

“Controversy” lacks the intensity of the previous half-hour. The song is tight so I can’t fault it in any way, however, it does feel like a step down from what we have just heard. I think it’s because I can’t hear the guitar as strongly as I like, and it’s very much a keyboard-driven affair. I do hear the funky guitar later, and its sharpness adds some shape that I was missing earlier. It gets even better for me at the five-minute mark when the guitars come right to the fore. Prince still sounds like he’s having a great time with his vocals, and the song ends on a high. 

The 4DF recording ends with “Let’s Work.” Prince works the crowd, and there is lots of interaction between Prince and the band, as well as the audience. It’s a difficult song to sit and listen to, I feel the music just as much as I hear it, and when I listen to this I have a strong urge to get up and dance. The bass and drum combination is tight as you might expect, and the wonderful thing is you can hear their interaction and togetherness clearly on this recording. There is a long breakdown in particular where they hold the groove down, and there is plenty of time to enjoy their talents. Listening to it here you can also hear how much of a horn line the keyboards are playing, it’s very easy to imagine those lines as horns playing, and you can see Prince is making the most of what he has available to him in terms of instruments and personnel. 

 

My very first bootleg was a recording from the Controversy tour, and it’s still a favorite to this day. I never thought I would hear another show from that period that filled me with the same sense of enjoyment and energy, but this recording proved me wrong. This is an outstanding recording, the songs may not be new to my ears, but the quality of the show is very high, and a lot of things gain an extra dimension when I listen to them in soundboard quality. I have heard many shows, and now when I listen to bootlegs I find it’s the little things I notice and enjoy most, and having a show of this quality there are many little things that I pick up and enjoy. 33 years after the fact this recording is just as exciting as anything I heard when I was a teenager. I am hoping the full show on Eye records is every bit as good as what we have here. 

New Orleans 28 February 1982

 After my last post, my good friend Viv suggested that rather than choosing a random gig from the collection, I should select something that I recommend or one that is special to me. Great idea Viv, I have just the very thing. Today’s gig more than covers both of those options. This recording is special to me in many ways and is the most played in my collection. It was the first bootleg I ever bought and is still played regularly at my house. 

February 28TH 1982, New Orleans. 

WOW! This is it for me, ground zero. It is the point where I went from being a fan to a fanatic. This gig blew my mind when I first heard it, and I am not exaggerating when I say it changed my life (my music listening at least). I had been a fan of Prince since I first heard 1999, but I had never bothered to go back through his back catalog. One day when I was 16 I skipped school for the day and went into town to visit my favorite record store (I hope my mother doesn’t read this). It would have been 1989. I was looking through the Prince CDs, not expecting anything new, just from habit. And there, with all the regular albums I knew so well, was another CD, with a strange cover I had never seen before. I had heard of bootlegs, but I had never seen one before. I was a little shocked by the price, it was twice as much as the regular CDs, but the song-list was full of early songs which I had never heard before. I went home and got all my money together, and the next day after school I rushed into town and bought it. Because I had never heard a bootleg before I was unaware that they vary in quality, but I got lucky with this one, an excellent soundboard recording of an excellent gig. 

We used to have one stereo in the house, it was in the lounge. I wasn’t allowed to play Prince, my parents thought I shouldn’t be listening to this sort of thing, so I had to wait until later that night when everyone was asleep, then put it on quietly and listen in the dark. The sound that came out of the speakers that night was so energetic, so real, so raw, I couldn’t help but be transported away by it. I felt a million miles from small-town New Zealand. 

25 years on and I still love to play this one. I listened to it three times while writing this, and will probably listen to it another couple of times before I finish. 

 

The recording begins with a long drum roll. You cannot imagine the excitement that fills me every time I hear this. Prince hits us with a few good “Awwws” then BANG the guitars and keyboards jump into “Uptown.” The music is instantly lively and accessible. Looking at the Controversy tour schedule, Prince and the band were playing almost every single night. This gig falls near the end of the tour, but they don’t sound the least bit tired or jaded. The music just leaps out of the speakers at me. The guitars and keyboard propel the song forward, as with most of the songs on this recording the music has a real feeling of moving forward. Prince himself seems caught up in it all and yells out “What’s up New Orleans”. It adds an urgency when he yells out between his singing, I especially like when he sings “are you gay?” then a couple of lines later yells “NO, is yo mamma!” It’s so raw compared to the recorded version. I have to give a special mention to the drums, they have a great electronic crash to them, it livens every song when Bobby Z comes in with his crash. 

Prince yells “Are you all ready!” and we are into “Why You Wanna Treat Me So Bad.” Again we have the crash drum from Bobby Z and grinding guitar. The riff repeats a few times, and it’s very uplifting. The guitars and keyboard pull back for the verses and give Prince room to sing. It seems so quiet after the first five minutes we have heard. Prince speaks rather than sings the line “Ain’t that enough” and you can hear that it’s a real person singing the song, it adds just enough touch of emotion to it. It was songs like this that made me choose Prince over other music that was available in the 1980s. Prince sings like he means every single word. This is another song I would like to hear make a comeback on his setlists. I think it would still work well today. The guitar solos begin at the three-minute mark, and at four minutes there is a very nice piece where one phrase is repeated over and over then the second guitar joins in. My ears love this sort of thing. There is a brief bridge, a bit of a drum roll then Prince screams “that’s right, I’m crazy”, “Why you wanna treat me so bad -bitch!” and lurches into another guitar solo, this time a litter lower, and less frenetic. The song ends with Prince singing a capella “If I really did it to you good, if I really did it to you good, why you wanna treat me so bad” before all the band jump in for squealing guitars and drum finish. 

The next song starts simply with a basic beat and Prince implores the crowd with “Hey” “New Orleans” “Hey”, then the classic new wave guitar and keyboard sound take over, and “When You Were Mine” begins. I have always been a fan of these lyrics, I think here Prince nailed the perfect pop song. There is a very nice contrast between this song and the previous two. There is a lot more keyboard in this song, and it feels like a nice rest. In fact, there is more keyboard here than in the modern version. which is strange, because nowadays this is played as one of his more guitar-driven songs. The guitars and keyboard play in sync a lot during this song, and indeed through the whole gig. It gives a nice strong sound and is one of the distinctive sounds of his songs at this period. and for the record- I love it! It’s very hard for me to write anything about these songs, I keep putting my pen down and just sit listening to the music. The song winds down with Prince quietly singing with just his guitar “All I ever wanted to do”……pause…..”Now I spend my time”…pause….” Following him where ever he goes” then the band joins in while he yelps ” When you were my babe, my babe, my babe”. I feel his pain. 

The next song begins with a long synthesizer twinkle, spacey type sound. Prince dedicates this one to all the ladies – “I Wanna Be Your Lover.” The keyboard hook comes in, and it’s just too damn catchy, it’s going to be rattling around my head for the rest of the day. The backing singers chime in on the chorus with “Lover” and it just sounds so joyful and uplifting. I can’t even imagine being in a bad mood listening to this song. The crowd sings a few lines from the versus and Prince gives them space to sing the chorus with the backing singers. Lisa plays a very nice synth solo, it has got an electric feel to it as well as an electric sound. The song transitions here, and feels a little darker and slower, it begins to slip into a nice groove with more bass and some funky guitar playing. A sudden synth stab and we enter new territory with “Head.” 

I knew the reputation of the song head before I actually heard it. Hearing it here on this recording was the first time for me, and it's one of my ‘moments’ when growing up! The beat of this song is sublime, and the synth is deliciously sharp and electric. This song is F U N K Y! The keyboard is everywhere, over and under the music, and the funky guitar is prominent. The whole song just reeks of dirtiness, griminess, and filth, it's so dark and slinky. Just everything locks into the overall sound of it. The guitar, bass, keyboard, and drums all sound just as dirty as the lyrical content. Dr. Finks's work on this song is legendary, and rightly so. Nobody plays the solo quite like that, and it’s one of the distinctive sounds of this song. Here, as always, he is brilliant and frantic. Prince encourages the crowd to chant “Head” and it sounds like they don’t need much encouragement to join along. There is some amazing funky guitar, I just find myself shaking my head and saying “wow”. Now, that wouldn’t be much of a review, would it! 

There is an filthy guitar break, it's just so dirty. And then another great stabbing solo. In the background the cymbals keep ringing along, it all contributes to the atmosphere of the song. This song is the centerpiece of the gig. It runs for 12 minutes, and for me, it is everything I love about Prince, the funkiness, the guitar playing, and the naughtiness. The song cuts back to just bass and cymbals, then some more solo Prince work on the guitar. There is squealing and grinding guitar noise, and I guess at this point he is simulating masturbation with his guitar, The song ends with a long prolonged guitar howl. 

With a steady sound of cymbals and synths, “Annie Christian” takes half a minute before Dez and his chugging guitar are heard. Cymbals are very prominent in the whole gig, and no more so than here. I always associate Prince with the sharp snare drum, but in this period, especially live, the cymbals are right at the front. The guitar is very raw, and rock sounding, however it doesn’t overwhelm the song, the mix is just the right balance. With a yell of “Turn it up!” there are the obligatory guitar solos. They seem to play back and forth between the two of them before it comes to an end of keyboard and guitar noise. 

Catch your breath, there is a second's silence before the drumbeat starts and the keyboard hits the pulsating groove that is “Dirty Mind.” Again the guitar plays along with the keyboard lines. It pushes it forward through the whole song and gives it all a fantastic energy. The rhythm guitar on every track here is outstanding. Several times Prince strips the song back to just the beat for a few bars, then back into it. Each time it builds the song up and takes us back to the chorus. The chorus itself is great, with the female voices backing Prince well. Again it’s all sung with a lot of energy. 

When I was a teenager, Prince singing “I don’t want to hurt you, baby, I only want to lay you down” really spoke to me. I still find myself singing this at inappropriate moments 25 years on! There is a quick rhythm guitar break, then that is matched by an equally impressive keyboard freak out. Five minutes and all the guitars drop out. The first five minutes passed by so quickly, that it doesn’t feel like a long song at all, and I put that down to the sheer energy of it all. With just the keyboards and beat underneath Prince goes into a long spoken/quasi sung section. It is typical of one of the seduction scenes that frequently appear in his songs. He begins by singing “New Orleans, do you feel alright” a couple of times, before he changes to a more smutty theme. He asks if she is wearing any underwear, and then comes back with “neither am I” 

I said that “Head” was the centerpiece of this gig, but I take that all back. This is the centerpiece of it all, and the standout highlight for me. Prince continues his seduction, telling us he has” a big ole bed, just me and you, tell you what I wanna do” But the best part of it all for me is when he says ” Excuse me, baby, do you believe in love at first sight?’ “Excuse me, baby, do you believe in making love on the first night?”, the at a call of “Turn it up!” all the guitars reenter the song, the keyboard returns to the main riff, and the song is again driven forward. Unfortunately, the song fades here, so I don’t know where they take it next. But it was sounding pretty hot about the time the fade came. 

 

“Controversy” begins with Dez calling “party in here tonight, everyone on your feet.” It is played faster than on the album but is still very funky. There are some very fast and funky guitars and keyboards battling it out during the song. There is a breakdown with calls for people to raise their hands, and it turns into a call and response sing-along along the lines of “New Orleans, we know how to party” The guitar playing is very sharp here, it gets me moving. There is a great scream by Prince after his “people call me rude” lines. The song itself lasts for seven minutes, but it seemed to go by in a flash. A great song, and it feels a little lighter after the extended dramas of the previous couple of songs. The song closes with another long synthesizer-led crescendo. 

A quick “Thank you and Good night” ends the set. 

The band returns with “Let’s Work.” You know right away this is going to be a long dance workout, and it delivers. Dez affirms this when he calls out “It's officially party time, I want you to get up and party!” There is very little guitar in this one, it is all bass and keyboard as you might expect. It's a long groove of a song, with plenty of time to dance to it. Several times Prince chants “Work it, alright, work it, all night” and I get the feeling that this is exactly what the crowd is doing. 

Prince introduces the next song with “You know you can’t leave until I Jack U off”, a quick count of 1,2,3,4, and then a frenetic burst of the guitar. I am not a fan of this on record, and only like it slightly more live. It does highlight some very fine and fast guitar work, but beyond that, there is not much more. It’s fast and furious and does sound like fun. The song has a false ending, then Prince asks “If you anyone asks you, who you belong to? Who?” then another burst of sound and it ends. 

 

Phew, there it is. My most favorite live recording, although I do of course reserve the right to change my mind on any given day. I am not sure how I can best explain why I enjoy this one above all others. Maybe because the music on this one hasn’t been overplayed in a million different ways, like a “Purple Rain” or “Raspberry Beret.” Or maybe it's because the whole thing is played with energy and a feeling and belief in the music. When I listen to this one I do not doubt that Prince means every word he sings, every note he plays. Or maybe, and perhaps most realistically, I enjoy this one the most because it takes me back to when I was young and this whole journey of Prince fandom began. 

This is one gig that shows off all the aspects of Prince I love so much- his guitar playing, his funkiness, some dirty songs, some throw-away songs, all played with maximum power and pleasure. The only thing missing is one of his slower songs, but I think this is not the whole gig we have here- I find it hard to believe that Do Me baby wasn’t played at this time. That said, this recording is a MUST HAVE for any Prince fan 

I have a few other favorites that I will be covering in the next few weeks, so I hope you find a thing or two you enjoy. As always I am open to ideas of what I should listen to. 

Passaic 30 January 1982

 I am very excited about today’s recording. I am going to be listening to Prince playing Passaic in 1982. What is getting me excited though is I am watching this on a pro-shot DVD. Prince shows from this era are always very intense and enjoyable to listen to, but being able to see them as well as hear them adds so much more to the experience. I love the music, but I want to see the performance, see the dancing, see the funk face, see the band, see the moves, see the interaction on stage, and see the audience reaction. Today I get all of that - let's go! 

30 January 1982, Capitol Theatre, Passaic 

The show opens, as they did on this tour, with the sounds of Second Coming while the stage is in darkness. A soulful a capella number, it acts as a nice counterbalance for what is to follow. 

The band explodes after this with a very fast drum roll from Bobby Z, and plenty of Prince “Awws”. The first song is “Uptown,” which I suppose could be taken as Prince's agenda at the time. The band has a raw sound and with Dez on guitar a real rock presence. Asides from Prince, Dez seems to be the focus of a lot of what is happening on stage, and it’s great to see the interaction between him and Prince. 

 

“Why You Wanna Treat Me So Bad” has an introduction that seems to ramp up the energy levels in the building. The crowd can be seen with hands in the air right from the go. The song pulls back, and Prince delivers the first verse, looking dead cool in his trench coat. The chorus sees Prince hamming it up with the crowd, pulling faces to the side of the stage. He seems to be putting a lot into this performance, pulling faces, and eyes at the crowd one moment, then closing his eyes and singing passionately the next. The guitar break is the highlight of the song and sees plenty of play back and forth with Prince and Dez. The playing is great, and as he starts playing Prince gives an expression that says he knows how good he is, and he’s about to kill it. Prince dominates this song with his playing and it's just as good as anything else I have heard on the tour, but Dez and Brownmark aren’t forgotten- they move plenty around the stage, and they make themselves heard on the recording. The song ends with Prince playing guitar and accompanying himself on the keyboard, it’s hard to describe but he does do it- playing his guitar one-handed before the band comes on board for a final crash and the finale of the song. 

 

The nice electronic sounds of the keyboards introduce the next song, “I Wanna Be Your Lover.” It’s always a favorite of mine, and here is a very good version, the crowd is clearly enjoying it too. Prince loses his trench coat and guitar for it and gives a nice performance. The song only lasts a few minutes, but Prince works the stage very well, giving plenty of attention to everyone. I have heard heavier more energetic versions, but this one isn’t bad. I was expecting the latter part to be played out longer, but there is only a minute of the groove before Prince picks up his guitar and the band segues into “Head.” 

“Head” sounds suitably nasty right from the start. The drums seem a little quieter compared to other recordings from the tour, but the sound of the band playing this great. It’s particularly good to hear Lisa’s vocals are nice and clear on here. There are plenty of cheers from the crowd, they are enjoying it as much as I am. Do I need to mention Dr. Fink’s solo? You know I love it! It’s so good to be able to watch him bobbing and twitching as he plays. Right after the solo, there is a breakdown and Prince encourages the crowd to sing along. It doesn’t take much, they are more than happy to yell “head!” The best is yet to come, and there is another breakdown and some great bass sound from Brownmark. Then over just the bass and cymbals, Prince indulges in some very good guitar work. Not fast at all, but very loud and clear. The song then lives up to its name, and Prince his reputation, when he engages in some very sexual acts with his guitar. It sounds crass, but I love it, and I know that this is why the teenage me became a fan. The guitar sound here is sometimes whiny, sometimes rhythmic, and yet always interesting. Although it goes on for some time, I just don’t have the words to describe it. But watching this was the highlight of the whole DVD for me. It ends with an orgasm, both visually and sonically. 

 

“Dirty Mind” bounces along very nicely. I like the sound of Dez’s guitar on this one, nice and rhythmic. Watching it, it’s apparent that Bobby Z is putting a lot into his playing, and seems to be pounding the drums. Prince too is giving it plenty and can be seen sweating. There is a lot of motion, but the music is always first, and it sounds just as good as it does on record. Prince plays a little keyboard himself, which is always great to see. There is an interlude mid-song, but it is not as long or drawn out as I like, nor does it have the intensity I have heard elsewhere. 

 

The more I write about these shows, the more I fall in love with some songs. “Do Me, Baby” is one of those songs. It’s gone from being a song that I like to be a song I love. There is a nice introduction to it on this recording, and Dez plays some very nice guitar with Prince looking over his shoulder. The song is a great showcase for Prince, and his vocal delivery is fantastic. I love every minute of this recording. His shrieks and yells are what make it for me, and they sound crystal clear. The spoken parts get the ladies in the crowd excited, but it doesn’t do anything for me. The song ends with him shirtless and sweaty, and the crowds are lapping it up. It’s not my sort of thing, but I must admit he’s in pretty good shape! 

 

Prince dons the trench coat again as the throb of “Controversy” begins. The band plays faithfully to what is heard on record, but that’s no bad thing, the song is pretty well perfect to me already. Brownmark gets plenty of shine on this one, and it’s nice to see him get some spotlight and play. Prince is back on the guitar by now and playing with plenty of vigor. Again his showmanship is outstanding, and the performance is mesmerizing. I have heard this song hundreds of times, but I find myself watching this performance transfixed. The crowd is enjoying it just as much as I am, there is a lot of very energetic dancing to be seen, and people losing themselves in the music. For a bit, I think the song may turn into a long jam, but it finishes up in good time. 

 

“Lets Work” begins with Prince dancing on the raised section of the stage before sliding down his fireman’s pole to deliver the opening lines. The trench coat is gone now, and the gig seems to change gear somewhat. The song gives Prince plenty of opportunities to dance, and he dutifully obliges. At this stage, he was no great dancer, and often he looks like he is doing calisthenics rather than dancing, but he is passionate about it, and the music does seem to genuinely move him. The song is played for fun, and the band seems to enjoy playing this one. The crowd picks up on this vibe, and there is plenty of dancing and singing along with them also. There is a fun moment mid-song when Dez sings “Let's Work” several times from the central microphone before Prince pushes him aside to take up the singing. The song ends in darkness as Prince says thank you and good night. 

 

Half a minute of chanting “we want Prince” and the lights come back on. Prince delivers a sly “Do you want some more” and the band career into “Jack U Off.” For me, “Jack U Off” was a quirky little song, that didn’t quite seem to fit on Controversy, but here in the live setting, it is brilliant. Prince doesn’t play guitar, all the furious playing is coming from Dez. . Dez sounded impressive on the recording, but seeing him play – he is even more so. Prince himself seems to love singing this one, he has a big grin on his face throughout the song. The song is very short, as it is on the album, but a lot is happening in those couple of minutes. I love seeing the interaction between the band, and the end of this is great, Prince gives five to a couple of people in the crowd, before heading over to Dez for some more skin. Then he is back to the mic for his “If anyone asks you, who you belong to?” He has such a big grin by now, and the crowd yells and screams his name. In a final crescendo, Prince waves bye and the show comes to an end. 

 

My final thoughts on the recording are very short. I loved it from the first second until the last. Not very objective, I know, but that’s the truth. I have heard plenty Controversy recordings where the energy and intensity could be heard in the music, but in the show that energy and intensity can be seen in all aspects of the show. As far as Controversy shows go, this one is a must-have. 

Carolina Coliseum 12 December 1981

 Although I have a great love for many of the peaks and troughs of Prince’s career, the Controversy tour will always have a special place in my still teenage heart. Not only was my first bootleg drawn from this period, but as a young punk more attracted to unbridled energy and raw power these concerts spoke to me in a far stronger voice than the funk and jazz-influenced sounds that I would later be ensnared by. While my ears often guide my hand to pulling a 1995 or 2002 concert from the shelf, my heart always sides with the electro-rock performances that are colored by time and place as much as the musical influence of the era. 

There are a variety of excellent soundboard recordings of this tour circulating thanks to the well-known City Lights series, and for today’s concert, I have decided to listen to the superb 4DF remaster of the December 12th concert from 1981. The 4DF recording expertly patches the five-second gap that had previously blighted other releases and makes for a crisp clean listen of this already well-known performance. The concert itself is one of the longest of the tour, clocking in at 78 minutes, and falls neatly between the equally well-known bootlegs of 21 November (Washington) and 20 December (Houston). 

12th December 1981, Carolina Coliseum, Columbia 

The bootleg is missing the opening “Second Coming,” but that matter little to me as “Uptown” bursts out of the speakers with a freshness that belies the age of this now almost 40-year-old recording. The energy of the music is equated with the vibrancy of the recording, and to my great delight, I can hear every yelp and breath of Prince with great clarity, along with the pop of the bass. The guitar is written in a smaller scrawl, it’s in the mix but sits just behind the rest of the music, adding texture and color rather than being a driving force. All in all, this opening number sets a high standard in both performance and recording quality, a standard that will be met consistently through the rest of the bootleg. 

“Why You Wanna Treat Me So Bad” is more than a match for this opening salvo, and everything I enjoyed in that first song is here again, and better in every way possible. Prince’s vocals are stronger, his yelps becoming shouts, his guitar turned up and becoming the steel that sits at the center of the song. The keyboards are playing with bolder strokes, and the song itself is bulletproof in its intent to both rock and funk the watching audience. It has been quite some time since I listened to one of these shows and I had forgotten the fire and brimstone that Prince brings to his guitar solo’s here, and by the time his guitar ends in a final squall I am practically frothing at the mouth. Take that as a recommendation. 

 

Next, we have somewhat of a rarity for this tour, a live performance of “Sexy Dancer,” a performance that sees it freed of its dancefloor roots and upended with a jagged guitar line from Dez turning it into a raw and bloody battle for the soul of the song. Dez plays with a harder sound than Prince, his guitar work a blunt axe in comparison to Prince’s scalpel. It moves me, as all good music should, and it falls to Dr. Fink to pull the song from this unruliness and back to the dance floor with his electro-fused solo. 

The first lines of “I Wanna Be Your Lover,” are given to the crowd, who are captured surprisingly well by the recording, before Prince and the band return for the chorus. I expect Prince to take control at this stage, but he leaves it as it is – the crowd taking the vocals for the rest of the verse, and most of the chorus. It is in the final minutes of the song that its true intent is revealed as the dark clouds gather within the music and we tumble into the centerpiece of these shows – “Head.” 

 

A deep wave of funk carries us for the first minute, the slip and groove of the bass only highlighted by the bright stabs of synth that appear like shafts of light through the clouds. At times “Head” can sound like a single dark entity, but listening closely it is a many-layered beast, and I wallow in every sound as it continues to sprawl out over the next twelve minutes. As the singing subsides and we drop into the heart of the song it is Prince’s guitar that commands all the attention, sometimes scratching, sometimes whining, sometimes coming as a rhythmic chop, it always remains at the center of what is happening and always remains the musical essence of the song. I only wish I could see it as well as hear it. 

After the slow descent of “Head,” we are suddenly thrust upwards on the back of the tireless “Dirty Mind.” The lyrics may live up to the title, but the music has an innocent exuberance that injects energy into the recording that will carry it for the next few songs. This performance of “Dirty Mind,” isn’t as long as others I have heard on tour (Saenger Theatre, New Orleans springs to mind) but it delivers all it has to it in its allotted time. 

It is during “Do Me, Baby,” that 4DF’s work on the recording becomes apparent, the previous five-second gap repaired (I’m not sure if the same work has been done on the recent PGA release, I don’t have a copy on hand to check). The song itself is soaked in Prince’s sultry tone, although this version is more restrained than heard elsewhere, Prince’s vocals are not as pleading and desperate as I expect. Some of this emotion is lacking from the opening introduction, which although long, isn’t quite as drawn out and invested with feeling as is sometimes heard. Prince does deliver a smooth professional vocal performance though, and the song sounds pleasing on the ear. 

 

We return to some funk with the title track to the album and subsequent tour, “Controversy.” It is as dry as it’s heard on record, and although Prince and the band threaten to stretch it out, we don’t get much more than what is expected. I had hoped for a lot more of Prince’s trademark scratch guitar work but it fails to materialize. I am consoled by the fact that the quality of the bootleg remains of an impressively high standard. 

“Let’s Work” is the long funk jam that I had hoped “Controversy” would be. With its rollicking bassline and waves of synths, it keeps the dance floor moving under Prince’s steady command of “Let’s Work.” There is no drama to the song, Prince just keeps it moving under its own energy, letting the music and good times flow on their own accord. It is not the greatest song on this recording, but more than another song it captures the spirit of the times and the vibe that Prince was playing to. 

From the remains of “Let’s Work,” Prince once again sweeps the crowd into a party, this time with a message attached, as he drives the band into an infectious rendition of “Party Up,” so infectious in fact that I spend the first couple of minutes playing air bass rather than writing about it. The keyboards sprinkle their color all over this, while the bass and drums keep us locked on the groove, but for me, the real buzz comes with the blitzkrieg guitar break that Prince lavishes on the song as it reaches its climax. All the previous energy and power suddenly bubbling over with Prince’s hands ablaze the guitar. The final minutes are a steady comedown with Bobby Z stripping us back to just his sound, the bedrock of the song all along finally revealed. 

As with the other concerts of the Controversy tour, it is a blazing “Jack U Off,” that closes the show, an uncontrolled ball of music and dirty lyrics crashing across the end of the bootleg. Sometimes it comes across as silly, but I can’t help but like it, for its youthfulness and the feeling that anything works if you believe in it (and play it fast enough.) It is its standard three and a half minutes, but I am still in shock as it suddenly disappears just as quickly as it came, those three and a half minutes seemingly compressed into two. 

 

The Controversy tour is not the greatest tour of Prince’s career, nor is it a signpost of what’s to come (who could have predicted Parade based on what is heard here?), however, it is a great snapshot of his career up to this point, and an excellent marker before he steps up to the next and bigger stage. Energetic performance and a crystal-clear recording make this yet another outstanding bootleg of this tour, and for those who like their Prince unfiltered (and quite frankly, who doesn’t?) this is a recording that should always be near to hand. The funk is funkier, the rock is rockier, and this is one last untempered look at Prince before he trades away some of his wilder aspects in search of a wider audience. I followed him to this wider vision, but for me, this is where it all started, and as such will always have a special place in my heart. 

Pittsburgh 20 November 1981

 A funny thing happened on the way here tonight…… 

I had every intention of taking in another concert from Austria, as I have done the last couple of weeks, but when I turned on the computer this morning I was surprised to find a soundboard recording from 1981 waiting in my inbox. There are several things you should know about me at this point:

1. I love concerts from the Controversy tour

2. Especially soundboard recordings

3. I am not one to be patient and wait. 

So although I know this is a premature leak with a complete recording and artwork to come, I can’t help myself. All thoughts of the Austria concert are gone, and here I am with this 1981 soundboard recording blasting in my ears already. Oh, the joy. 

There is much more to it than being a simple soundboard recording. It is the first concert of the Controversy tour, and a mere four weeks after Prince opened for the Rolling Stones (we all know how well that went). So when we look at it in a historical context it becomes far more interesting than it might at first appear. With the typical Controversy setlist, and one of Prince’s more rock-orientated bands, this is one show where I know exactly what to expect, and quite frankly I can’t wait! 

20th November 1981, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 

Part of the trade-off of not waiting for the full release is that we don’t get to experience “The Second Coming” in way of an introduction.  Any thoughts of this are tossed aside as the band burst out of the speakers with “Sexuality.” My first thoughts are "My God, is this a 36-year-old recording.” It is so clear and fresh; I could swear I was on stage with the band. It doesn’t have the ragged glory of some of the other soundboards of the tour, Prince and the band are calm and measured at this stage, and the guitar especially sounds as if it is in the studio and someone has simply turned it up in the mix. We have several other soundboards from this tour already in circulation, and from the first song I can already say that this is perhaps the best sounding. With Prince right in my ear, it is a wild ride and a spectacular start to the recording. 

 

The phrase la petite mort bursts into reality with “Why You Wanna Treat Me So Bad?” With guitar in hand, Prince is a gentle lover, and as he reaches orgasmic heights he remains focused on the others in the room, pleasuring without overstepping into the realm of overindulgence and self-pleasure. It may be a guitar solo, but the moment belongs to all, and even if six minutes is disappointing by his standards (especially compared to some unhinged renditions later in the tour) it is still a satisfying experience that leaves me feeling like a post-coital cigarette. 

“Jack U Off” is the complete opposite. Not only is it a song about onanism, but Prince performs it in a manner that complements the material. It is an exercise in oneism, everything is about Prince as he pushes himself forward. His vocals and guitar fill the air, and although I know his tongue is placed firmly in cheek, it is just too much for me. I seek redemption in his final guitar solo, and I find it both in the quality of his playing and the quality of the recording. 

On other recordings, “When You Were Mine” leaves me giddy with its teenage energy and spunk. In this case, it is the recording that shines brightest, the out-of-control guitar lines reined in and Prince’s pristine vocals sitting at the center of the recording. It doesn’t lessen the moment at all, and I am just as enraptured by this version as I am by any other on the tour. 

The same can be said of the proceeding “I Wanna Be Your Lover.” All instruments are secondary to the vocals of Prince. That’s not by design, merely that the recording is so clean that Prince sounds much more in the heart of the moment. With the pristine recording, one can hear the precision of his delivery, and indeed of all the performers on stage. It is in the last minute when the guitar raises its head from its slumber, and it is with the guitar’s slippery funk that the band segues into the inevitable “Head” 

There are longer versions and there are dirtier versions, but the rendition of “Head” on this recording is a perfect fit with all that has come before. With a performance so tight that it is almost suffocating, Prince and the band leave no room for error and sound faultless and they turn the normally greasy funk of “Head” into something creamy. This can be heard nowhere more so than in the final minutes as the guitar again lights up the darkness. It is neither heavy nor forceful, but it takes the song apart with a scalpel-like precision that cuts but does not tear the song apart. 

The recording has brightened every song heard so far, yet “Annie Christian” seems to suffer in this case. It sounds strangely neutered throughout, the anger of the band and lyrics betrayed by the gentleness and crispness of the recording. There is some rage to be heard, especially Prince’s line about John Lennon being shot (only 11 months previous at this time), but it never becomes threatening or dangerous. 

Later in the tour “Dirty Mind” will become an epic centerpiece. The first night of the tour and here we have a standard rendition that gives no hint at what will come later. The payoff of this neat package of a performance is we can hear Lisa in all her glory as she sings with Prince. It is easy to forget all else as she appears on the recording, and even though Prince turns up the energy later in the song, it is the vocals of Lisa that linger longest once the song has finished. 

“Do Me, Baby” has a beauty that is infused into the heart. It may be a song of lust, but it retains its dignity through the reverential vocal delivery of Prince. Paired with equally seductive music, the song reaches out from the speakers, no longer just a song but instead taking on a life of its own and becoming an emotional experience. I have gushed over this song repeatedly in this blog, but here it is in its infancy and already one can hear that Prince has written his first great seduction ballad. Others may come in the future, but this will always remain the first. 

There is a snap, crackle, and pop to the bass line of “Let’s Work” that makes my heart skip a beat. Again, I can’t help but compare it to other renditions on tour. It is not as forceful or driven as some later concerts, but it does retain its groove and easy flow. Prince hasn’t turned it into a stomping party song just yet, but we can hear all the key components and they have never sounded as clear as they are here. 

The following “Controversy” is of a similar ilk. The song sounds great, there is no denying it, but it lacks the energy and impulsiveness that is heard later. There is still plenty to enjoy, the dry guitar line by Prince has me salivating as it wraps me up in its funk. Brown Mark carries a lot of the load through the song, and for me, it is just as enjoyable to listen to his contribution as anything else. 

I am surprised to hear the guitar so low in the mix for “Uptown.” The band plays with plenty of passion though, and although Prince remains the epicenter of all that happening on stage, this is the song where it feels like a complete band performance. Like everything else on this recording, it is faultless. Everything comes together in a holistic performance, and the only wiry moment that stands out to me is the final guitar solo which appears both spontaneous and fueled by a deeper emotion. 

“Party Up” takes “Uptown” and turns it up to 11. At this point, the band throws caution to the wind, and for the first time it feels as if they are playing with an inner freedom that seeps through the music. With choppy guitar lines, keyboards dropping in unexpectedly, and some wild-sounding yelps from Prince, this is a song I can instantly relate to as it seems to capture the inner workings of my mind.  The moment that sums up Prince’s performance most is when he tells the band to quieten as the crowd can’t hear themselves. He draws the room in at this moment and from here on in it is about performers and the crowd together in the spirit of the song.  It’s not a mind-crushing finale, but it is perfect for this recording, and as the final notes recede I sit back, still trying to digest this wonderful recording. 

There will never be another first time. This was my first time hearing this concert, and as such I will always remember this day. It was a day when I heard one of the best soundboards to appear in recent times, a recording that takes in another significant concert in Prince's career as he turns his back on the Rolling Stones debacle and begins his Controversy tour.  You may think I have been over the top with my praise for this recording, but it is another keystone bootleg in the discography and one that you need to hear. No controversy about this one, go out and get it.