Paris 11 July 1992

 Last week I listened to the first concert of the Diamonds and Pearls tour and found that I greatly enjoyed it. However, it was only the first concert of the tour and the band was still warming to their work. To provide some balance, this week I will visit one of the final concerts of the tour. While the opening night in Tokyo was a bare-bones affair, for the penultimate night in Paris I am hoping to see some development in the show. Perhaps new arrangements, a little more freedom, or new songs appear in the setlists. Several memorable performances had come and gone in the four months between the two concerts and what I’m hoping for is one more to add to the canon.  

11th July 1992. Palais Omnisports de Paris-Bercy, Paris. 

The mix of “Take My Hand, Precious Lord” sadly under-powers Rosie Gaines’s vocals. Sonically it is unrealistic to expect her voice to fill the room with every performance, and in this case, she is certainly not helped by the mix. However, “Thunder” makes up for this with its powerful drive and sense of direction. It’s loud, forceful, and an uncompromising concert opener. With a setlist following closely to the first concert of the tour, there is no surprise to what is heard but there is a remarkable amount of thrilling energy to the performance. Time on the road has not jaded the band, they once again serve a fiery dish that bodes well for the rest of the concert. 

 

“Daddy Pop” maintains this frantic start and in the concert setting, it finds its rightful place. A song that never jumped out at me on record, here it is active and bounds along with joyful energy. Prince’s music needs consideration in the live setting just as much as on record, for it is in concerts like this that Prince brings his creations to life, the music dancing and singing around him as he plays. I don’t feel as generous to Tony M as I did last week, and in this case, I would be quite happy if he didn’t appear in the final minute of the song. 

The concert settles with “Diamonds and Pearls.” The first strains of the guitar sketch out what will follow – a delicate wispy rendition of this now beloved classic. The song was not immediately accessible to me but played live, and ably back by Rosie Gaines and some sweet guitar work, Prince raises it to another level where I can properly indulge myself in the music. We have six whole minutes to wallow in this extravaganza, Prince’s final guitar note stretching out across the arena as he gently lowers us into the next song. 

Prince’s guitar remains to the fore with a sleek rendition of “Let’s Go Crazy.” It is not the version we remember from Purple Rain, nor is it as heard back in April of 1992, rather it is its own beast, shortened and sharpened by Prince. The guitar is scalpel-like with its incision and Prince’s brief spoken word heightens the sense of being in the moment. This will never be my favorite version of “Let’s Go Crazy,” but right here and now I love it. 

The use of horns greatly enhances the Diamonds and Pearls version of “Kiss.” Listening almost thirty years later one can see where Prince was heading with his mid-Nineties sound clearly signposted here. The horn section is an integral part of his new toolbox of sounds, “Kiss” taking on new tones and shades – making for a fresh revamp of an otherwise familiar song. 

 

There is little new in “Jughead.” In the four months since the April concert, it has become dated and grating and I can find little pleasure in it. Rosie Gaines rights the ship briefly, but overall I would rather it sunk out of sight. In the words of Randy Jackson- “It’s a ‘no’ from me, dawg” 

“Purple Rain” is familiar but uninspiring. Maybe it is its musical surroundings, but as much as it flexes and pushes at the edges of the highly refined show it never reaches the emotional highs the crowd desires. The bare-knuckled guitar that appears at the beginning fails to bloom into anything more, leaving the song feeling like a lost opportunity. It’s sad to see an old friend so frail and tepid, yet there is hope in the new material that follows. The final singalong goes some way toward washing away some of my ill-feeling about the song. As usual, the tail of “Purple Rain” always carries hope and redemption. 

There is a great uplift in the spirit of the concert with “Live 4 Love.” It brings with it an injection of energy and guitar work that burns with a phosphorus brightness. It ticks several boxes- its message, its sing-along quality, and its intense guitar work. All three mean it should be a classic, however, Tony M dates it with his rap. While enjoyable enough, it does pull the song back to the nineties and limits future listens. Prince’s burning guitar negates some of this negative energy, but sadly the last two minutes are beyond redemption. 

 

It is at this point that the concert differs from the Tokyo concert of April that year. First a brief interlude of Rosie singing “Lively Up Yourself” lays out the landscape for Prince and his perpetually young “Delirious” Enlivened by horns, it sounds the freshest I’ve heard for years. It is amplified by the fact the band has a chance to stretch out and give some light grease to the previous heavy funk. With the interweaving work between the horns and the band, they build a spider web of sound that spindles across the following few minutes. To hear a quality band go to their work like this is truly a pleasure, and I close my eyes and immerse myself in the experience for the length of the song. With “Willing And Able” serving as the caboose to this train of music it is beautifully rounded out and made whole. 

“Damn U” was still three months from appearing on record to the general public, but here it is in all its glory, making quite an impression on both me and the audience. Soft and sensuous, it envelops the crowd with its seductive, almost dripping, warmth. Prince draws us in with his vocals, but it is the music that holds me rapt – the horns barely punctuating the womb-like quality of the rest of the band builds around me. A good match for the concert, this song arrives at just the right moment. 

The audience are well versed on when and what to sing as “Sexy M.F.” had been released as a single the previous month. Parents may not like it but it is a lot of fun, and with the horns and crowd both providing spontaneous moments it does make for another highlight. Tommy and his solo bring further lightness and musicality, the song is so much more than some dirty words and naughty singing from the crowd. 

The highlight of the show comes next with a scorching version of “Thieves In The Temple” It rushes through my blood, the music seizing the listener from the first strains of the Arabic opening until Prince’s final howl into the dark nine minutes later. In between Prince ratchets up the song’s innate tension with a series of interludes, each a pause before another rush of musical inspiration overwhelms the listener in its inventive fury. The appearance of “It” heightens the sense that the song hides a dark heart, and as Prince indulges in his raspy scream the raw blooded emotion that flows through the song is briefly exposed. This wound is tempered by some warm bass work that eventually disintegrates in the face of some equally sharp guitar playing. If there is one song at this concert that is essential listening, this is it. 

 

A genre switch sees a brief appearance of “A Night In Tunisia.” It is well measured and well-matched with “Strollin'” but both prove to be mere tasters for “Insatiable.” Well served by the epic ballad sound with “Damn U,” Prince returns to it for “Insatiable”. It is hard to resist the temptation of Prince’s sultry vocal delivery and the almost teenage yearnings of the song. Although well-trodden ground for Prince, he knows just the right way to caress each word, each syllable, so that one can’t help but be drawn into the song. 

We return to a more robust sound with “Gett Off.” The song reeks of the lyrical content and Prince’s guitar does a far better job of sketching out the debauchery of Caligula’s court than the video clip for the song ever did. Again and again, it rings out, pulling at the pillars of decency as the song becomes a temple of indulgence and excess. As the song piles on the different genres and sounds the guitar remains a constant, bold, and strident as a clarion call at the heart of the song. Never once does it sink beneath the weight of its excess as it is held in check by Prince’s humor and a lightness of touch. Prince gives it sharp pinpricks just at the right moments to keep it grounded. 

“Gett Off(Housestyle) proves the versatility of the song, as anyone with the maxi-single and all its iterations can attest to. The song comes tumbling at us at breakneck speed. There is barely time to register all the changes as the music constantly evolves, all the while staying a slave to the underlying groove. I don’t mind so much as Tony M’s moment flies by, but I wish I had more time in the company of Rosies Gaines’s impassioned delivery. The horns continue this drive towards the future and the sense that we are rapidly approaching the end of the concert. 

 

The first encore sees the appearance of a familiar B-side – “Call The Law.” It is Tony M front and center, but the real action is Prince’s guitar playing that rises between verses. The guitar erupts whenever a crack in the music appears, and the fiery lava it delivers lifts the song far above its original B-side groove. 

The intensity of the “1999” groove matches the intensity of the guitar in “Call The Law.” Aiming for a thunderous end to the show, it doesn’t quite deliver live up to its initial intensity. With its humming energy, there is much to recommend it, but I can never quite scratch through the surface of the song, it remains soulless and aloof throughout. Both “Push” and “A Love Bizarre” appear in the medley, neither bringing the spark of divine inspiration I am listening for. Tony M, Prince, and Rosie Gaines all take a turn to rap as everything is seemingly thrown into the mix. None of it comes off as genuine and the concert finishes with a plastic and cold feel. It is a tangible disappointment as all that has come before has been wonderfully put together and a bedazzling showcase for the band and music. 

I have been a Prince fan for almost forty years. I didn’t enjoy the Diamonds and Pearls concerts the first time around, and it is very hard to change my mind after all this time. However, I have endeavored to listen to these concerts with fresh ears, at least to the best of my abilities, and I have found them to be an entertaining diversion to what I otherwise regard as ‘The Serious Stuff’. This concert delivered a variety of genre-spanning material, presented in a way to reach the maximum possible audience. This I can’t deny. I may not like all of it, but it was undeniably entertaining while containing just enough of the music I love to keep my attention until the end. Glitzy glamour doesn’t resonate with me, but its powerful funk and genre-busting catalog of Prince will always hold me enthralled. Overall, this is a solid concert without ever threatening my top ten list. 

London 24 June 1992

 

With such a long and varied career, it was inevitable that were times in my life when I walked away from Prince and his music, only to return later when he had further evolved. I have written before of the early 90s and how I missed a few years after feeling disappointed with Diamonds and Pearls and a couple of albums after. Nothing wrong with the albums or the shows, I was just at a different point in my life. In recent times I have returned to these albums and shows, and it has been a revelation. I have had this show on DVD and video for some years, but it never quite seemed to play right and I struggled to watch it. However, I watched this show a couple of weeks ago for the first time in many years, and I was blown away. The performance is very smooth and slick, and Prince is playing close to his best. I watched it as if seeing it for the first time, and this time I am feeling very passionate about it.

24th June 1992 Earls Court, London

Rosie is a treasure. Her vocals on the opening “Take My Hand, Precious Lord” are divine, and I can hear the passion and depth she brings to the show. It’s a spellbinding moment in the darkness before Prince appears in the smoke to open the show.

“Thunder” plays powerfully in the live setting, it is more fleshed out than on record and the band adds a lot more weight to it here. The guitar in particular has a lot of power. There is a lot to take in with the dancers and action on stage, but it gains focus as Prince steps forward to play a great sharp solo with a glassy clean sound.

 

The guitar is gone for the next song, and we get a lot more dancing as “Daddy Pop” begins. Although I am no great fan of the song I do get a buzz from seeing Prince and the dancers performing.  He is a great showman and it’s hard to take your eyes off him here as he dances and prances around the stage. Rosie adds her voice to the mix and the last few minutes of the song seem to have a little bit of everything, both visually and musically.

The introduction to “Diamonds and Pearls” is quite lovely with some gentle guitar luring me in. On-screen Prince is dancing, but he is no match for the ballerina on stage. The song takes off as Prince plays the piano and sings. It’s too loud for my taste, and I find it’s not as beautiful as it could have been. It does settle down as it goes, and the balance is restored when Rosie sings. Prince shows his versatility, singing, dancing, playing the piano, as well as the guitar, it four minutes he shows all his gifts, especially if we throw songwriting into that mix.

I do wonder about “Let’s Go Crazy” as it begins, but Prince allays my fears with a short but fiery rendition. True, it is flashy, but Prince keeps it so short that it never loses focus.

“Kiss” is all about the show, and there is plenty of action on stage as he performs. Surprisingly I am right into this, and if I could I would stand up and dance myself. The funk is strong and Prince plays on that to the hilt. This is one of the best versions of “Kiss” that I have seen for a long time, and I am kicking myself that it has been sitting unloved on the shelf for so many years.

 

From the high of “Kiss,” we sink to a low with Tony M singing “Jughead.” Ok, so parts of it aren’t too bad at all, it’s only when he yells at the crowd that I begin to switch off. Listening closely tonight I can hear that this song has the potential to be in a similar vein to “Sexy MF” – the music is almost there, however, it’s hard to go past Tony M. I get a surprise to see Prince singing from the dressing room, and it’s at this point I relax and enjoy it for what it is. The jumping up and down and yelling near the end is a lot of fun and takes me back, and is probably what I was doing myself back in 1992.

 

“Purple Rain” comes as a real surprise next, it’s in total contrast to what we have just heard. The second surprise is how great it sounds, Prince soloing for half a minute in the beginning before addressing the crowd. He sounds sincere as he thanks them before giving us some more of that intense guitar sound. As he sings all the performance from earlier in the show seems to take a backseat and we get a sincere rendition of “Purple Rain.” I wasn’t quite at the arm-waving stage, but I was the closest I have been for a long time.

 

Prince has the crowd chanting “Live 4 Love” and it’s pretty obvious what’s coming next -one of my favorite songs off the Diamonds And Pearls album. It opens with some blistering guitar work from Prince, he is soaring at this stage. It cuts back sharply as the vocals start and the song itself maintains the intensity. Sonny T playing a brief solo is a highlight, although it is offset by another Tony M rap. My heart lifts with a dual guitar solo that stamps its authority all over the song.

 

Good times follow with a mix of Rosie singing, the crowd clapping and some horns, we are taking a funky turn. Prince is on the piano at this stage, and there is the feeling that anything might happen. What does happen is Prince leaps on the piano to give us a burst of “Delirious.” If it sounds great, that’s because it is great. The horns make it oh so much better than I expect, and I am all in. I didn’t think it could get any better, but Levi plays a solo, the horns kick up a notch and I am running out of words for it all. Breath-taking.

Everything seems to happen at once next, Rosie sings “Willing and Able,” Tony M raps, and the horns funky things up for a good minute. I like it far more than I should and I am having a great time watching this here at home.

Prince then plays what would have been a new song at that time, “Damn U.” It’s still six months away from being released, but it gets a great response from the crowd.  Prince’s vocals are exquisite, and he is very well matched by the horn section, they match him in their quality of performance.

 

The audience seems to know the words to “Sexy MF” much too well, and they take great delight in singing the chorus back to Prince. Initially, I enjoy Prince, but the horns get better and better, and they steal the performance from him as far as I am concerned. I had forgotten Tommy Barbarella was in this band, both he and Levi play their solos with plenty of heart and it’s nice to see them get their moment.

The next ten minutes are the very highlight of the show for me. Firstly, a magical Arabic introduction and dancing give it a mystical feel. Then Prince appears and we get a fantastic long version of “Thieves In The Temple.” It’s dark and dirty, then a funky guitar appears and Barbarella plays a break and we are deep into it. Prince is nowhere to be seen, but the music is powerful and irrepressible throughout. As the song slides into its breakdown Prince appears, chain hat covering his face and he sings the lyrics to It. I can’t stress enough how great this sounds, there is a very real intensity throughout the whole song. As he screams the finale of It I am in fanboy heaven. However, he’s not done yet and what comes next is one of my favorite Prince live moments of all time.  With just an acoustic guitar he plays a funky guitar break for five minutes, and when I say funky I mean it is FUNKY, he is on fire. I am speechless by the time he finishes, this is what being a Prince fan is all about.

 

I am still catching my breath as Prince and the band ease back, firstly playing an easy-sounding “Strolling” before a segue into Insatiable. It’s so smooth and alluring, it’s a fresh sound after the earlier intensity. Prince starts seated at the piano and then is soon upon it before finally settling on a shower of pearls to deliver the rest of the song. It’s clean and has a warmth to it that I find appealing. Levi plays a summery-sounding break that seals the deal for me, and I decide this is my second favorite part of the show.

 

“Gett Off” gets off to a jump start, with seemingly all the main parts playing at once- the scream, guitar riff, and Tony M rapping right away. For all its lewd lyrics, “Gett Off” sounds a little tame at this show, that is until Prince picks up the guitar and plays his solo. He doesn’t exactly set the roof on fire, but I applaud the increase in intensity. We swing quickly into “Gett Off (housestyle),” a song that has never worked for me listening at home but seeing the show I can understand how it would work in a live setting. For me, Tony M is at his best now, and the interplay between him and Prince is fun. It’s got the feeling of the last hurrah as the dancers come forward and have their moment in the spotlight.

 

A brief break before the encores begin with a crowd-pleasing “Cream.” The look and sound of it are indeed creamy, Prince looks the part and his vocals are velvety as he sings. Seeing it in this setting I am reminded of the pop landscape at the time, and it does fit well with my memories of the early 90s. Prince entertains himself, having the crowd ‘meow’ and ‘woof’ back and forth, something which I too get a lot of amusement out of. Unfortunately, the recording ends not long after this point, but not before we get a minute to enjoy Rosie singing “Chain Of Fools.” It’s a good point to check out of the show, and seeing Rosie sing means we leave on a high. Regrettably, we don’t get the final encores, but I am well satisfied with what I have got up to this point.

 

I am annoyed at myself that I haven’t made more of an effort to listen to this show over the years. It is a great show, and I have no one to blame but myself. There is just too much out there, and it’s easy to skip over this to other periods I am more interested in. The show sounded great, but more importantly, it looked great, which is a big part of a Prince show. Now I have seen this one, I will certainly be going back through the collection to see more from this year.

Rotterdam 28 May 1992

 

Today’s post comes via a rather random route. I was just thinking that I hadn’t written about anything from the Diamonds and Pearls tour when I happened upon a comment on prince.org stating that the best performance of Purple Rain was at Rotterdam 1992. The person posting then went on to say the whole gig was very good, and well worth a listen. “Well, why not?” I thought. If I am going to listen to something from about then, this sounds like the place to start. So today, a random gig recommended by a random person. The headphones are on, my laptop is humming, so let’s see just how good this is.

28 May, 1992, Rotterdam

The start isn’t terrible. I didn’t know what to expect as the recording begins, but I wasn’t surprised to hear that it is an audience recording. The show opens with some electronic noise, and a voice intoning a digital countdown. It sounds somewhat dated now, but I am sure that at the time it was pretty cool. The crowd cheers as you might expect, but they quickly quieten down as some keyboard intro music plays. There is then a woman’s voice singing “Take My Hand, Precious Lord.” I am convinced it is Rosie, and here she sounds strong and soulful. It’s only a few lines, but I would gladly pay good money to hear much more like this.

 

The show begins properly in the next minute as we hear Prince singing the start of “Thunder.” I can’t remember the last time I heard this song, it’s been many years since I last listened to Diamonds and Pearls album, but as this song gets going I am thinking I should listen to it more often. The sound is muted due to recording limitations, but asides from that it's relatively clean, there is crowd noise, but Prince's voice and the drums come out nice and strong. The other instruments are a little lost, it’s a shame, as I can hear some great guitar playing, but it’s not right out front like I would want. I very rarely mention Michael B, but he is a star here. His drumming is so strong, that it sounds like he is pounding away. I am pleased that Prince is concentrating on his singing, and only a couple of times does he yell encouragement at the crowd- a pet hate of mine as you well know. The guitars go up a notch in the latter part of the song, and I can only close my eyes and imagine what it must have been like to be there at that time. I find Princes look at this time to be thin and delicate, but his music here is very big and strong- a pleasant surprise to me.

Tony M shouting out an introduction to the crowd begins us into a long jammed rendition of “Daddy Pop.” Again, I had forgotten this song even existed until now. It begins well, the organ has me nodding in enjoyment, and Prince's vocals too have me on side. However things slide as we reach the chorus, and we have Prince and the band enthusiastically singing “Pop Daddy, Daddy Pop”. I’m just not feeling it. I thought for a second maybe the music in-between would be enough to satisfy, but sadly Tony M's appearance again derails even that for me. There is a nice little breakdown, with some cool bass runs, and as much as I enjoy them, it only highlights further the unevenness of the song. Prince and the band persevere with the song, long past the point where I would have normally listened to it. I keep hoping for some musical magic to save it, and Tony M keeps popping up his head and killing my moment. The final straw comes when he finally delivers a shouted rap, and I concede and hit the skip button. Sorry, but I just couldn’t take anymore.

 

I am so used to hearing abridged versions of “Diamonds and Pearls” nowadays, that to hear the full version here is like hearing a new song for the first time. Normally I would dismiss this song as being too syrupy and sweet for my tastes, but since it’s more than 10 years since I last heard it in full I’m going to give it a pass. Rosie nicely complements Prince throughout, and I had forgotten how well they sounded together on this. Her deep power nicely offsets Prince's delicate vocal delivery. Some of the subtleties of the song are missing in the recording, but the chorus shines and is the strongest part of the song. Michael B makes an immediate impact midsong, and some nice deep-sounding rolls come from him. Overall the second part of the song sounds much better to my ears, and Rosie is easily the star of the show. That is until the unmistakable sound of Prince's guitar begins, and then for the last minute of the song he dominates.

“Lets Go Crazy” gets the shortest of intros before the riff begins. It's an overall short version here, and the drumbeat is prominent and up-tempo. As you might expect Prince dumps most of the verses and concentrates on the guitar playing. But it is by no means a festival of guitar love, and after only a minute of guitar fireworks, Prince takes us into the next song.

 

As you might expect, the arrangement of “Kiss” is different from that heard on other tours. This one concentrates more on the rhythm guitar underneath and the horns, and all in all it comes across as some sort of “Sexy MF” bastard child. And that’s not too bad at all, I find myself listening carefully to it and enjoying the groove. The horns add a lot of brassiness to it, and it’s far from the barebones skeletal song we hear on the record. It’s never going to be my favorite arrangement, but it is good. There is even time for some call and response near the end of the song “let me hear you scream!”

I tried not to judge “Jughead” before it started, but as soon as Tony M picks up the mic and starts extolling the crowd to party it was over as far as an objective review goes. Of interest, after a minute of playing with the crowd, he does rap the first few lines of “Dead On It,” which I find interesting in itself. You can even hear some of the crowd respond with “On it” when he says “the only good rapper is one that’s dead”. Oh, if only. I feel especially sorry for Rosie when she begins to get involved in this mess. The music can barely be heard under the relentless shouting and it doesn’t leave us much to listen to and enjoy. I did like it more when Prince was rapping, and the onslaught of noise dissipated a little, but it was only a brief moment in what is a dire song.

Next, the reason why I chose this gig. “Purple Rain” begins very well, the soft guitar sounds amazing after the previous song. The difference between the two is like night and day. The crowd has been waiting for this one and commenced with the “ow ow ows” right from the start. The gentle strum gives way to a much harder lead guitar and the guitar break played is better than I could have anticipated. It’s not fast, but it does have a good loud crunch to it. A couple of howls from Prince, and he begins singing the verses properly. As with the guitar playing, the difference between this and the last song is light-years. Prince is note-perfect and is in peak form. There is just a twinkle of a piano in the background, and it nicely adds a sparkle to the verses. When the chorus rolls around, Rosie nicely adds her voice in behind Prince and gives it a little extra kick. The release when Prince opens up the guitar solo is fantastic, and a definite highlight in the song to me. He plays the start of the solo the way he always does, but when he starts it here it sounds like someone popping the cork off a bottle of bubbly, there is such a release and rush. The crowd is in fine voice and especially towards the end they sound great while the guitar goes in a few directions I haven’t heard before. Nothing too much out of the ordinary, but a couple of bars where I thought “oh, that’s cool”. I’m not sure the song reaches the heights that were promised, but I will say that it’s a very good performance.

“Live 4 Love” maintains Prince on the guitar and the opening minute of it has some more crunching guitar tone from Prince. The playing is strong, and I do like this lead guitar sound. The crowd sings along with the song, and it’s obviously well known to a lot of them. The verses don’t quite have the flow as they do on the album, but then again Prince does let the crowd do most of the singing. Sonny T gets an introduction from Prince, and plays an excellent bass line, he is one of my favorite bass players with Prince. Unfortunately, things nosedive immediately after with another rap by Tony M. I wouldn’t want to be labeled a hater, but this show would be so much better without him. Prince returns with some hot guitar work that has me pacified again, and by the end of the song, I am even prepared to concede that it’s pretty good. Except for that 40 seconds midsong, it was very strong.

 

This arrangement of “Willing and Able” is just the type of thing I like to hear from Prince. I have always found it light on the album, but I have always rated the version on the video very highly. What we get here is closer to the latter, Rosie is an excellent counterbalance to Prince. The horns are nicely in the background, filling the spots they need to fill, and overall the NPG are sounding very tight. I could give each of them a shout-out on this one, Michael B sounds great, the bass is rumbling along nicely and there are loads of different instrumentation to listen to. I hold my breath waiting for the inevitable appearance of Tony M, but even he can’t ruin the smooth groove the band is laying down. This is the surprise highlight of the gig so far, and it gets even better with some great horn runs near the end of the song to carry us out.

“Damn U” surprises and delights me even more. Still six months before its release on record, it gets a nice reception from the audience here, and once again it’s the nice horn work that draws me in. Princes vocals are seductive, but it’s the horn swells that draw me in and have me leaning in to hear more. The horn solo is delightful, without being over the top. There is something about the live version that I enjoy more than the album version, but I can’t quite put my finger on what it is. It seems to have slightly more passion and realness to it. It closes to a hearty cheer from the crowd, and here at home, I want to applaud too.

Prince tells the audience that they want to do one more new one for them, then dedicates it to “All the sexy motherfuckers” Although a new song, the crowd unsurprisingly quickly learns the chorus and is soon yelling the appropriate line back to Prince. It’s not as smooth sounding as on the album, and it loses some of its appeal to me because of this. Some songs I enjoy a little more rawness, while others like this it’s the smoothness I like. I do like the solos played by the band, Tommy Barbarella is good, and Levis's part has always been a favorite for me, he really does fly. The only dark cloud is Tony M, but mercifully he doesn’t get too long on this track. The horn that finishes the song is nice and sharp, and its shrillness stands up well next to the heavy organ. The song comes to an abrupt stop that catches me off guard.

The opening notes of “Thieves in the Temple” sound, before a suitably long atmospheric introduction featuring the beautiful sound of Rosie, and some gentle piano work. The intro has me salivating, I am hoping that we get a great version of “Thieves In The Temple.” My prayers are answered, when the song does start as we hear on the album it is nice and full sounding with a good crisp piano sound. After a low-key start, things accelerate when the full band joins, it’s played a shade faster than I am used to hearing. I don’t have a problem with it, but I feel it does detract from Prince's vocals as he goes through the verses faster to keep up with the beat. The breakdown after a couple of minutes is the best part of the whole thing, the guitar plays a sweet little loop, and the crowd begins with an “ow we ow” chant. Prince then begins to sing over the bare music, and the overall effect is very cool. He then does a couple of lines of It, as well as some lewd talk. The audience is back on board with some chants and singing and Prince reverts to “It.” At this point, it has a real concert feel, and I feel what it might have been like to be there. While the crowd chants “all right” there are some Princely runs on an acoustic guitar. He then gets a funky rhythm going on it, and I decide that this is the best song on the recording. Not perfect, but it’s the song that I feel the most.

 

The next part of the concert begins with a drum roll, and we have a short instrumental piece, led by the horn section. It’s neither here nor there, but it does give us a break and changes the pace of the concert nicely.

It morphs rather naturally into “Strolling.” Not “Strolling” sung by Prince, but “Strolling” sung by the crowd. It’s only half a minute, but the crowd knows every word.

Without missing a beat we move into “Insatiable.” I stopped writing for the first minute, it was just too good. I completely forgot it was an audience recording and just concentrated on the purity of Prince’s vocals. A cheer from the crowd brings me back, but nothing can diminish the beauty of this song, and this performance. With the stripped-back band sound, there is plenty of space for Prince's vocals. Levi places a soft, and equally beautiful solo, and for a few minutes, I am in heaven. The first half of this show was uneven, but we are into the good stuff now. There are some random cheers from the crowd, and I can only guess that Prince is giving some sort of performance on stage.

“23 positions in a one-night stand” kills the moment, as does the vocal styling’s of Tony M yelling “NPGs in the motherfucking house!” Talk about a buzz kill. Luckily “Gett Off” is strong, the guitar line and Prince’s singing have plenty of power behind it, as does the power drumming from Michael B. Prince isn’t the greatest of rappers, but he gets a pass on this one for me, mostly because there are other parts of the song that I musically enjoy. Especially the guitar line, and near the end where he plays a brief break. He does break out from the song, but it’s still good. The pace picks up as we run into “Gett Off (housestyle)”. It's fun, but not noteworthy. Prince runs through it again at a faster pace, and the horns and keyboard swing along with him. Once again Levi gets to play a quick solo before Prince gives us a selection of screams.

 

The next song is listed as “Turn This Mother Out,” but I believe it's “The Flow.” To be honest, Tony M is all over this one, and I find it very hard not to skip it. For the first minute or so he does indeed deliver his flow fast and furious, but he also yells it in such a way that I can’t make out what he’s saying. Now I am not some old guy who doesn’t appreciate rap, it’s just that Tony M’s delivery is such that he is hard to listen to.

“Cream” comes at us calmer and easier to listen to. It’s always nice to hear this one with some horns, and on this recording, it’s the guitar and horns I enjoy the most. Along with the backing vocals from Rosie, they add just a little more punch. I quite enjoyed this song, Prince sometimes sounds lazy with his delivery in cream, but on this recording, he sounds like he is giving it a little more. Just to get me more excited Prince throws in a touch of La La La he hee he. It's subtle, but it's there. Prince leading the audience into a chant of “Woof, meow” has me very amused, before a funky little guitar break from Levi.

Rosie finally gets her chance to do a full song with a rendition of “Dr. Feelgood.” Not too many surprises here, she has the right voice for the song and she sings it pretty much as you would expect her to. Musically the band is in the background except for one guitar break which has a heavy electric sound. I am going to guess it is Prince. It’s not played fast, but it does have a loud sound to it. It’s confirmed that it is Prince when Rosie says “oh Prince, you playing so good” and the guitar answers. The song ends not long after and the opening of “1999” sounds.

“1999” is up-tempo and brassy sounding. The funk guitar is buried in the mix, and it doesn’t sound as clean as I would like. But it’s not bad, it’s still sounding like a good time. It is very truncated though, and after only a minute the chant of “party” from the outro is sounding. It does go on for some time in this way, with plenty more horns and handclaps from the crowd. It sounds dated in this form, you could easily guess it's early 1990s Prince.

We segue into “Baby I’m a Star.” As another up-tempo fun song, it’s obvious now that Prince is pulling it all out for the end of the show. We get a rushed first verse and a chorus before they move on to Push.

 

“Push” seems like an odd choice to put into the show now. The band is good at melding it into the previous two songs, but the dreaded Tony M bursting onto the scene bursts my bubble somewhat. Prince does then get the crowd to sing along for a bit, before singing a new song at that time ‘My Name Is Prince’ over the music. He only sings one verse, buts it’s interesting to see it developing at this stage. The up-tempo party theme continues with a final burst of horns before it pulls back into a slow groove. Tony M thanks everyone and then we are left with the same electronic noise for an outro as what began the show. It’s a nice symmetry.

So what to make of this one? Well, there were plenty of negatives, that can’t be denied – audience recording, Tony M, setlist. But let’s be positive, there were also some great moments. I thought “Purple Rain” was very good (not great) and I was knocked out by “Insatiable.” “Damn U” and “Thieves in The Temple” were also well worth the listen. In the larger scheme of things I think I would take a couple of these for a playlist, rather than listen to the whole show. Prince was excellent, but I just couldn’t get past Tony M. This recording hasn’t dated well, but it did help put his whole career in perspective.

Yokohama 6 April 1992

 I am currently in Tokyo for a month visiting my wife’s friends and family. To celebrate this fact (and to avoid going shopping), in the next few weeks I will take a listen to some of Prince’s live recordings from Japan. Today I will start with an unusual concert from Yokohama in 1992. It is a one-off show at the Glamslam club, but what makes it unusual is the setlist which is a standard run-through of songs that we would expect at an arena show. This is an audience recording, with a slight distortion just perceivable, yet I like it for the songs and the general vibe of the show. There is a great feel to the performance that lets me temporarily forget the sound quality.

6th April, 1992. Glam Slam, Yokohama, Japan

I didn’t expect much when I saw “Daddy Pop” listed on the packaging as the first song, and the feeling doesn’t change as the quality of the recording is revealed in the opening seconds. However, it is a bright and breezy performance that wins both me and the audience over. Rosie is monumental, but there is much more to this song than just her. The band is playing with an easy touch that has the song flying along, and with the crowd lending their infectious voices to the song it most definitely has a joyous vibe.

 

There is no cherry on top, but there is “Cream” and it envelops the club and bootleg, Prince at his very smoothest as the band flow through the performance. There is no sharpness, or jagged edges, just the constant forward movement provided by the buttery guitar line, and Prince’s sticky-sweet vocals. It is easy on the ear, and I am completely prepared to overlook Tony M’s barking that comes loud across the recording. It ends with the syrupy guitar line that has carried most of the song, and I am satisfied with this sweet treat coming so early in the performance.

Rosie puts her cards on the table with “Chain Of Fools,” and comes up trumps with an ace performance. I didn’t fully appreciate Rosie when I was young, but I do now and her vocals early in the song are the exact reason I rate her as highly as I do. Strong, yet warm and inviting, it is hard to resist her sumptuous voice, and I am drawn in from the start. She does step aside as the song becomes a jam, the horns and guitar providing lines that keep the song on track with their train-like rhythm. Taking this song with the previous “Cream,” the concert already rates highly in my opinion, and we are only three songs in.

 

There are only two minutes of “Let’s Go Crazy,” but it is two minutes too many for me. It is during this song that the limitations of the recording are readily apparent, the guitar distorting at times, and an incessant buzz.  It is equally jarring to hear “Let’s Go Crazy” in this company, after several smooth funk songs (and one straight after) it feels wedged in and detracts from the show rather than adding anything to it.

The smooth funk I alluded to returns with a greasy sounding “Kiss.” With the guitar line sounding almost like “Sexy M.F.” it has a classic funk sound and is all the better for it. It may not be one for the purists but there is no denying the funk of it, and with the horns adding just a tinge of brassiness I rate it highly.

 

I like “Jughead” (I never thought I would write that) because it opens with a verse from “Dead On It.” The rest of the song I could take or leave (mostly leave). Tony M is quite forceful in his delivery, which tends to drown out everyone else. However, Rosie holds her own with the moments she is given, and as always it is the slippery rhythm guitar that I am attracted to. I have to admit, I do enjoy Prince’s rap – for no reason other than I guess it’s one of those days.

The band is back in the groove for “I Got My Mind Made Up (You Can Get it Girl). Much like many of the other songs at this performance, it is a smooth funk jam. I have heard this song at several other concerts, and this one is different from those in its easy long groove. There is very little singing as the band rides the rhythm from start to finish, unswerving in their dedication to the funk. There may be a couple of solos, but never once does the attention waver from the underlying feel and rhythm.

 

I could say the same about “Call The Law,” if not for Tony M’s heavy delivery. Rosie matches him for power with her vocals, but it is the guitar that steals the show with a burst early on that makes any vocal work irrelevant. Again, the recording is less than stellar, only the guitar stands proud among the swampy sounds of the verses. I do like the funky intentions of the band, sadly let down by the recording, and shaded by a guitar player who stands head and shoulders above all those around him.

There is a lot of swing to be heard in “Kansas City.” I have heard Boni Boyer sing this plenty of times, but for my money, Rosie Gaines does just as good a job. The recording isn’t quite good enough to contain her, there is a slight distortion on her vocals as she is at her strongest, she is just too powerful for an audience recording.

 

The highlight of the bootleg for me isn’t all these funk tunes, but the divine “Do Me, Baby.” After listening to Prince's seduction ballads for thirty-plus years, I have come to the irrefutable conclusion that this is his finest. In my opinion, and it may well be an unpopular opinion, it eclipses even “Adore.” This recording is much more sympathetic to a softer song like this, and Levi’s guitar lines are just as emotive as the vocal performance by Prince. I find myself writing every week that “Do Me, Baby,” is the highlight of whatever show I am writing about, and I’m going to say it again about this concert. It towers over all the funk jams, making them lightweight in its solemn and earnest delivery. It is yet another outstanding rendition of one of Prince’s masterpieces.

I want “Gett Off” to finish the show like a punch to the face, and although all the key elements are in place it lacks the killer blow that I desire. Prince’s gutsy guitar line elicits squeals of delight from the crowd, but this is the only moment where the song sounds dangerous and edgy. The rest of the song drifts along, even the drum beat sounds half-hearted and weak. It is still likable, but it never threatens to reach the heights of the songs earlier in the evening.

So ends this curio from 1992. I wouldn’t recommend it based on the quality of the recording, but I would recommend it based on the songs and the performance. It is a great funk workout for most of the show, and I think it nicely captures what this band was about, and lays down some of the groundwork for what will follow in the next couple of years.  Avoid if you’re a soundboard snob, otherwise, I would say give it a listen.

Thanks for reading, I better go be a tourist for a couple of hours

Tokyo 3 April 1992

 

I owe you all a large apology. I take Prince and his music far too seriously and for this I’m sorry. Yes, his music is worthy of such an investment of time and energy, but one thing that I have had to remind myself recently is that music is about emotion, feeling, and above all, fun. For all the hours I have sat and considered his music and where it fits in the cultural matrix, both my own set of cultural experiences and the wider world, at the heart of it all Prince’s music is fun and brings me pure joy when I listen to it. Sometimes I have lost sight of this fact as I listen too deeply for clues and signposts to both the past and the future, but I am constantly brought back to earth as I bang on the roof of my car and sing lustily to “Endorphinmachine” while driving to work. So with that in mind, I’m going to take a step back from listening too closely and just enjoy it for what it is rather than listening at a microscopic level.

Today I intend on enjoying a Diamonds And Pearls show, something I have rather neglected in my selective snobbery. The concerts are glossy and bright, highlighting the pop sheen of the album, and as a purist, I have disdainfully ignored them. Yet for another generation of fans, Diamonds And Pearls represents their Purple Rain, their gateway to the world of Prince. The album was hugely successful, bringing a new wave of fans eight years after the initial hysteria of Purple Rain, and the tour was a spectacle-filled showcase for the new album as well as dipping into the back catalog. So with that in mind, let’s turn it up to eleven and take a listen.

3rd April 1992. Tokyo Dome, Tokyo

The introduction music is skippable, without the visuals to back it up it is confusing and adds little to the concert. However, near the end of the introduction, Rosie Gaines is heard for the first time, and even though it’s only for a couple of lines it is worth checking out.

The first song proper is “Thunder,” a fine way to open with Prince playing new music off his new album. There is very little to be heard in the way of embellishments or enhancements, the song remaining a faithful rendition of what’s heard on record, but that’s more than good enough as the band plays with a vigor and energy that brings a smile to my face. I would have liked just a touch more punch, but I certainly can’t complain about the energy levels.

 

The school-yard pop sound of “Daddy Pop” follows a song that feels firmly rooted in the era it emerged. Just listening to it now, I am filled with nostalgic thoughts of the bright colors and endless summer days of the early 1990s, a feeling that the song seems to plug directly into. Prince loses me mid-song as it briefly pauses for his singing of “grooves and grooves,” and I am only all too happy when the groove returns and fulfills his promise. I would like to sing along with Tony M, but he’s all too fast for me, and there’s little chance of me matching his masculine bravado, so I am left merely listening as he wraps up the song.

The title track of the album and tour slows the pace of the concert, “Diamonds and Pearls” drawing Rosie Gaines into the light, her voice glistening in its surroundings, a heavenly light that lays easy on the feather bed grooves laid on by the band. Prince is still the star of the show, but at this stage, he has some serious competition beside him for my aural affections.

Six months ago I would have rolled my eyes and sighed at the appearance of “Let’s Go Crazy,” but with my new attitude, I find myself filled with excitement for its appearance. Not quite the same excitement as 1985 of course, but enough to remind me why I love this guy and his music. Previously I have been drawn to the guitar, but in this case, it is the bass guitar that has my ear, I can’t think of anything else as it walks up and down through the song. There is a tinge of funk near the end of the song, and it is a signpost of what will follow.

The funk of “Kiss” picks up the funk baton, and runs hard through its funky lines for the next four minutes. My inhibitions slip away as the song slithers into my body, and soon enough I am up and dancing, playing my computer keyboard like it’s a synthesizer – a sight you don’t want to see. If a song moves you physically it’s doing its job, and this one is working some fine magic as I listen.

 

The much-maligned “Jughead” is a lot of fun in this context, Tony M’s brief rap from “Dead On It” adding a touch of self-awareness to what could otherwise be a self-indulgent few minutes. He is neatly balanced by Rosie who once again adds some vocals that wash away some of the more shouty aspects of Tony M. I am all too happy to hear Prince’s vocal contribution to this gumbo of sounds, and his verses lead us to a bridge that straddles delicate guitar and more forceful horns. For all the different vocals and instruments, it does come across as bare-boned and one could see this getting the full treatment under different circumstances.

“Purple Rain” is out of place surrounded by these more horn-inspired and rap-filled songs, and is a throwback to a different era. Although the song is miscast, I do enjoy the opening guitar strains, however, weighed down they are by the more steady beat, as they pull and lift at the song, willing it every higher. Prince’s vocals maintain this rising tone, and the final redemption of the guitar break splits the song wide open leaving us temporarily spirited away from 1992 and back to 1985 as the song and crowd sways back and forth across its bow.

It’s tough to follow “Purple Rain,” but “Live 4 Love” is an inspired choice as it takes the loving feel of the previous few minutes and amplifies them through this crushingly intense new song. Prince introduces it with his soft “live for love” chant picking up the strands of Purple Rain’s ”oowwww, owwww” but the following beat and crackling guitar are peak 90’s in sound, and the lyrical content sees the here and now firmly in Prince’s sights. In the live context, a lot of Tony M’s lyrics are lost in the cacophony and steely sound of the music, but somehow Prince’s guitar cuts through this sound with its fury and incandescent rage. The song ends with one more angry squall of guitar before the concert collapses into a completely different genre.

From this electrifying noise comes the warm, organic sound of “Willing and Able.” It simmers quickly along on the back of some itchy and scratchy drum work. The horns and backing vocals make it the most timeless song of the concert, and of all the songs here this is the only one that has not dated and aged if we overlook Tony M’s brief appearance. His appearance adds some welcome color to the song, but he isn’t entirely necessary and the song would still be a work of art without his appearance.

There is a sweet moment as Prince offers love to Tokyo before we are swept up into the warm arms of “Nothing Compares 2 U.” Time may have aged me, but it has not aged my love of this song, and this performance is spot on in terms of the feelings it elicits. I am right back with my teenage heartbreaks as Prince and Rosie mine my pain for musical gain. I have long thought that Shelby J and Prince’s renditions were the gold standards, but I realize how wrong I am as Prince and Rosie pair up for a version that burns bright in my mind long after the last notes fade. Rosie deserves all the praise Prince gives her at the end of the song, and a whole lot more, she is truly one of a kind.

 

I have waited all night for some funk to grease my wheels, and Prince gives me plenty with his “Sexy M.F.” I would like to sing along, but my wife is in the other room, so I content myself with vigorous head nods and quickly mouthing the words. Tokyo doesn’t get into the whole singing along thing as much as I do, perhaps as the song was unreleased at this stage, but with the various solos the crowd can be heard voicing their appreciation- they haven’t been rendered totally mute by the moment.

I cannot express my joy at hearing the opening of “Thieves In The Temple,” the live version kicking just as hard as the lyrics. The darkness of the opening moments is matched by the kinetic energy of the harmonica, and the extra funk that the bass brings to it in this live arena. It isn’t quite what is heard on record, but it has its own energy and forwards propulsion that more than makes up for the unfamiliarity. Of course, the real treasure of the song lies buried in the heart of it as the music quietens for Prince’s vocal scat. With Rosie adding her talent, it becomes a moment where every word is worth hanging on to, and the moment is amplified as Prince breaks into an inflammatory few verses of “It.” All in all, it is a glorious live moment and although the song runs to six minutes it still feels all too short.

Again the pace slows with a brief instrumental of “Strollin'” serving as an introduction to the much weightier “Insatiable.” It is aptly named as I am insatiable throughout the song, no matter how much Prince gives I want more and more, each morsel leaving me hungry for more of this sexy syrup he pours over the music. With an all-enveloping warmth to his vocals, Prince draws us to the very center of his world, the music drowning us in its loving arms and the song disappearing as we sink under its spell.

The concert is up and running again with a pounding version of “Gett Off,” the drum threatening to burst the seams of the song with its relentless drive and focus. The band circles the song at first, never quite surrendering to its groove, until Prince’s scream brings everything into sharp focus and gives the song a very human heart. It doesn’t reach the same vocal heights as the preceding “Insatiable,” but it does bring sharpness back to the concert, and Prince’s shrieking guitar work is not to be denied. As the song breaks into “Gett Off (Housestyle)” new life is breathed into the concert and the fast and furious rendition gets just as much time in the sun as the album version. It’s a breakneck five minutes and is almost too much for a man of my age, but I can’t deny that is a lot of fun, a younger me would be up and dancing – if only my knees could still handle it.

 

On record “Cream” comes as a neat four-minute package, but live in concert Prince stretches it put, adding in “Chain Of Fools” as the song breaks the eight-minute mark. The opening verse and chorus are merely the jumping-off point, it is the second half of the song where all the action is, and it is notable for Prince’s patented dog bark leading into some delicious guitar work from Levi, as well as some exquisite vocals provided by Rosie. One can’t help by smile at the warmth in her voice that conceals the raw power she provides across the concert. There is light against this heavy backdrop, the horns fluttering across the music as big bumps and grinds beneath.

There is no better way to end this Prince party than with the king of all party songs -“1999.” Prince’s shout of “are you ready” reaches welcoming ears, and I am more than ready for what unfurls. Uptempo, the song soon vanishes under a dazzling string of party-infused bass, horns, and vocalizations. With the lyrics of “Baby, I’m A Star” appearing in the mix, there is no doubt that this is very much the same style as the extended jam that particular song had at the end of the Purple Rain shows. It is pleasing that Prince keeps it in the current era with “Push” driving the song forward. This medley, a mad rush to the end of the concert, isn’t quite up to the standard of other concert tours, although there is plenty here that isn’t heard elsewhere. It’s all a lot of fun, but it never amounts to much.

And so ends the first concert of the Diamonds And Pearls tour. It is far from a perfect concert, but it does bring a sense of fun and delivers the current album and a string of previous hits to a crowd that is hungry for all Prince can give, I included. It is rooted firmly in the era, and never more so than when Tony M is on the microphone. Although some of the songs have aged well, the overall feeling and production of the show have not. However, I’m not here to place the concert in context with Prince’s career, or the culture of the time, I’m just here to enjoy the music, and there is no doubt that it delivers on that front with every song brimming with fun and enthusiasm. I enjoyed it, and right now that’s all I want.