London 5 March 1995

 I promised that this week I would look at something a little funkier. I pulled the tape that had Chicken Grease written on it, but on closer inspection, it was a compilation tape of various concerts, so I selected something else. I pulled a CD called 2 Funky, I assume with a title like that it would live up to its name. Turns out it was a great choice, a Gold Experience concert from 1995. An audience recording- let’s take a listen and see what we have got. 

March 5th, 1995, Wembley Arena London. 

First off, Wembley Arena is notorious for having dreadful sound. It’s just another echo-filled box. The performance here doesn’t seem to suffer from this too much; the overall sound is quite good, the only limitation being that it is an audience recording. I am going to treat myself next week and we will take a look at a nice soundboard recording. 

The gig opens with Prince’s voice “Prince is dead. Long live the New Power Generation” The crowd cheers in approval and we are into the first song, “Endorphinmachine.” Like a lot of people, I am a fan of this song, and I hope that one day I can see it live. It has all the elements of a great opener. It has a big riff and get-up-and-go energy to it. Prince and his guitar make an instant impression with this song. The band sounds into it, although I can barely hear Tommy Barbarella through the first song. The song is played as it appears on the album, and the crowd is hyped by it. 

After Prince's screams and guitar howl have faded from the song the NPG moves into a cover version, “The Jam.” It is exactly as the title says, it’s a nice funky jam. It’s hard to tell from the recording, but it sounds like one of the songs that if you were there would have a great groove to move to. It is one of those “Introduce the band” type songs, so each member of the band gets a chance to shine and a name check. Mr. Hayes provides a very tasty organ solo – in fact, all the keyboards on this recording are outstanding from both players. Tommy Barbarella follows up with an equally good piano solo. The piano and organ drive this jam while Prince plays some funky guitar underneath. There is a brief drum break for Mr. B to have his moment (no over-the-top drum solo, just a drum break) then Sonny T is introduced on the bass. There is no second guitarist to support Prince, so any guitar sound is him and him alone. Listening to this I suddenly realized what a great band these guys were. I feel they are slightly underrated- too many people get caught up in the hype about the Revolution. But this NPG configuration was an outstanding group as well and needs more recognition. 

Next, the very distinctive intro for “Shhh.” There is absolutely no mistaking it. Already I feel anticipation for it to slow down and settle into the song. And it doesn’t fail to deliver, Prince's vocals are spot on. By now the sound has improved from the opening couple of songs, and Prince’s vocals are clear and strong. A lot of the distortion on the instruments has improved by now too, and this song is sounding great. A good thing too, considering it's one of my favorites. Prince’s guitar solo has a very nice tone to it, and this song is an early highlight for me. 

This recording was labeled Funky, and it is just about to live up to its name. The band hits their straps and delivers up “Days Of Wild.” It doesn’t quite have the punch I had expected, but I put this down to the recording itself rather than the band, or the venue. The bass is outstanding, and it is just a shame I can’t hear it better here. It is all there, I just can’t hear enough of it! Prince’s flow when he raps isn’t as good as I have heard on other recordings of this song, there are better versions out there. I still get a thrill when Prince delivers the line “Oh, by the way, I play bass guitar” and the bass kicks off. A piece of musical magic. The crowd gets right behind the sing-along section “Na, na ,na” (Is it Na na na? I am not sure how to type it) 

Another thing that struck me about Prince at this stage of his career was he threw around a lot of MF’s etc. There was a lot more profanity at this point in his career. Obviously, he has renounced all that later, but even early in his career, he wasn’t cursing as much as he did mid-nineties. I wonder if it was part of his dispute with WB, was he trying to make a point? 

The band pauses and gives the crowd a chance to continue chanting a bit more.

Then we are into “Now.” Again I find myself thinking about the bass on this song. It’s killer again and I am enjoying it. Prince’s vocals are Ok, but when the band chimes it for the chorus they are very quiet, and hard to hear above the noise of the instruments. This sounds like a fun part of the concert, the crowd can be heard whooping and yelling throughout the song. It seems everyone is having a real good time. Prince says “I want somebody to scream” and the crowd is more than willing to oblige. There is a breakdown, and Prince leads the crowd through a chant of “This about the Freaks”. There is then a small chant of “go Mayte”, I can only assume she is dancing center stage at this point. The guitar drums and bass are playing quietly, with organ stabs. Prince sings a line of Sly Stones ‘Babies Makin babies’, and the groove continues. Prince calls for just the kick drum and over the solitary beat leads the crowd chanting “clap your hands somebody, somebody clap your hands” It does sound like the crowd is having a great time. Prince starts singing It takes Two. This is a classic long funky Prince jam. 

It then kicks straight into “Sex Machine.” It's a quicker tempo than the previous song and the bass is really cooking, although to be fair, so is the whole band. I said it before and I will say it again, THIS BAND IS HOT! The bass leads the song, with Prince playing some very clean crisp solos over the top. And he is playing so quickly and cleanly. My ears love this stuff. There are no vocals, just the guitar, and the tone of it for this song is just perfect. The crowd starts to cheer at something, although I couldn’t begin to guess what might be happening. It is something visual rather than audible. The crowd starts the chant “Oh we Oh” and then there is some call and response with Prince with “Get up” “Get on up” This gig is a party! But at this stage I had completely forgotten that it was just a poor audience recording, I am just loving the music. I am completely in that world. 

We change direction with the next song and move back to a pop concert when Prince plays “The Most Beautiful Girl In The World.” It sounds different to me because he doesn’t sing it in the usual falsetto. It’s his more natural-sounding voice, and it changes the whole song for me. I enjoy it more, it’s a cool version. Of course, Prince leaves the chorus for the crowd to sing, he has them in the palm of his hand by this stage. There is one very nice section when he sings “How can I get through days when I can’t get through hours” and everything stops except the ticking clock at that section. Nothing happens for about a minute, then the band picks up right where they left off. Sounds great, I have heard it done at several gigs, and the band is always right on point. They do it again later in the song, this time the stop isn’t for quite so long. Prince is just showing off, this band is something else. 

The spoken introduction to “Pussy Control” by Prince has me crying with laughter. His opening lines are “This song is about part of the female anatomy, part of the anatomy that is used to control us” Hilarious. The crowd is then instructed to please sing along with “Ahhhhh, Pussy control” He then follows up by saying “Some might not subscribe to such nastiness, but I don’t give a fuck” it is all in the delivery, but trust me, it’s funny. He also comments on his trouble with Warner Bros, he can play what he chooses at concert, but cannot choose about his albums. The song finally begins, and it’s played pretty much exactly as it sounds on the record. Again it sounds like a lot of fun at the gig. 

“Letitgo” has a very nice groove to it. It is slower and brings the party down a little. But still very danceable. I am sure if I was there I would have danced the whole night. “Letitgo” slips past very fast, but it had a good groove. 

Now things ease off as “Pink Cashmere” makes an appearance. I was somewhat surprised to hear it at this gig, it seemed like a change in direction from what had come before, but then again that is exactly what a Prince gig is about. Although I like this song, there isn’t too much interesting about it, it’s pretty inoffensive. There is a nice swing to the organ after the first verse, then it is back to standard. Actually, the organ is very prominent throughout the gig, and that’s no bad thing. It adds to the sound and fills it out. Prince addresses the crowd a lot at this gig, and he does so again here. I can’t think of a tour before or since where he has spoken directly to the crowd so much. I like to see him engage the audience directly like this, a more human side of him on display. 

“Loose” is loose and fast. It’s as you expect it would be at a gig like this. The bass bubbles along just nicely, I just wish it was more prominent, it does get overwhelmed by the other instruments in this song. This song is dominated by the keyboards, both in the verses as well as the chorus. 

After this there is a considerable break, I assume the band takes a minute to catch their breath and maybe a costume change.

We start slowly after this with Prince delivering a delicate version of “A Case Of You.” It's mostly vocal, his guitar is barely distinguishable. It’s a beautiful performance, and I would love to hear this in a pristine recording. There is not too much more to say about this, except it's great! 

“I Love You In Me” follows this, in keeping with the quiet mood. The band enters gently, again Prince’s vocals are very much the centerpiece. He sounds great; it’s just a shame about the lyrics. I like the song, but the lyrics always make me cringe. The crowd is slowly clapping along throughout, and when Prince says “I love you, do you love me?” it elicits a loud cheer from the crowd. There is some sweet guitar near the end of the song, and it fits perfectly with the music. 

I am not sure about “Proud Mary.” Obviously it’s a Prince favorite; I have several recordings of him playing it. I like the playing on it, but the sampled horns are too much for me, and I think maybe it would be better without them. The straight piano and organ sound great, and the band moves away from a straight performance and into a jam with it, and it sounds better than when he plays it straight. 

Keeping with the Mary theme, the next song is “Mary Don’t You Weep.” Phew, a blues jam, Prince is giving us a little bit of everything at this gig! It’s not the greatest version of this I have heard, but I am very glad it made an appearance. This gig is eventful. I want to say the guitar playing is very good, but I find myself thinking that at every gig I listen to! So, suffice to say, the guitar playing is up to his usual standard. And as it is for this whole recording, he gets the crowd to sing along with “Mary don’t you weep” One of the things I have enjoyed most about this gig, and it came as a surprise to me, is how good Tommy Barbarella's piano playing is. Again, in this song, it shines. Prince plays guitar around the piano, and again it sounds very tight. The song ends with Prince talking more about his war with Warners, and saying he trying to work it out as he goes. 

“Get Wild” is introduced, but there is a long pause before it starts. Prince speaks to the crowd about the song for some time. Then he kicks it off with “In England tonight we are going to Get Wild” Halfway through the song Mayte speaks/sings a little. It doesn’t add much, but it’s a nice touch. The audience gets another opportunity to join in, and again it sounds like a party. There is a sax solo played on the keyboard by Tommy Barbarella, and it had my jaw hitting the floor. It sounded awesome. I had to check twice to see if it was really him or not. Definitely, it is worth checking out. The song is broken down again and the crowd chants “Get wild, play the M-Fing bass. Each band member is given another chance to shine before the song ends. 

“Billy Jack Bitch” is played straight. The bass is a little more swinging, but overall it sounds exactly as it does on record. The audience is again in on it right through. I wouldn’t be surprised if they all went home with no voice left. 

The gig closes with Prince thanking the crowd and playing “Gold.” There is no denying that “Gold” is a great song, but it’s just not for me. It sounds good here, but there is something too polished about it for my taste. There is a very loud explosion to be heard at the end of the first verse, I can only assume that it was some sort of explosion to shower gold confetti over everyone. It sounded loud on the recording, it must have been massive at the gig! At this point, “Gold” is the perfect way to close the gig. I am sure that everyone at the gig was buzzing as the final notes faded away. 

I was wondering about this gig as I pulled it out to listen to. The setlist looked very intriguing, but I was slightly put off by it being an audience recording. I needn’t have worried, it more than delivered. It wasn’t until later that I realized that he played none of his 80’s hits at this gig, and yet it was a real pleasure to listen to. And I was only listening at home, to my mind, the people at the concert sounded like they were having a great party. This one was buried at the back of my vault, unloved, and barely listened to, but now I think I will keep it out for a while and give it a few more listens. Overall a lot of fun. 

London 3 March 1995

 I feel that a visit to The Ultimate Live Experience is long overdue. I have listened to several after-shows from 1995, but the main shows from 1995 have been largely neglected by me. So to right this wrong, today I will take a listen to the first concert of the tour, the first of five nights at the Wembley Arena in London. It is the perfect place to begin, not only is it the first concert of the tour, but it is also the longest performance of the tour, clocking in at just over two hours fifteen. A lengthy listen, we get the full gamut of Prince’s oeuvre at the time, drawing from all the genres he was experimenting with as he strove to find a new direction after symbolically killing off “Prince”. 

3rd March 1995, Wembley Arena, London 

The opening “Endorphinmachine” could be taken as a statement of intent, although nothing else in the setlist comes close to the introductory razor guitar lines and impassioned howls from Prince in this opening number. A vibrant performance, it fails to fully fire as Prince’s sharp guitar is later lost as he solos, sounding like a loose rubber band than an inflamed rock guitar. I like the performance far more than the recording in this case, and this song gains a lot from my nostalgic memory rather than the bootleg itself. 

 

The bootleg takes on a fat sound as Prince and the NPG tackle a cover of  Graham Central Station’s “The Jam.” The funk hangs and drips from the bass lines of Sonny T. and although this song is a staple of the time, to the point of almost being stale, at this first concert of the tour it still has a freshness and the band hangs plenty of their own style of funk on the song. The song is further galvanized by the guitar line that Prince brings to the party, an inner steel that provides strength to the otherwise slippery greasy sound. 

The recording picks up the lower end very well, and thus the opening drum rolls of “Shhh” carry an extra depth and the sense of an impending storm. Prince’s opening verse betrays no trace of what is to come, it is the quiet before the storm that blows up in the following few minutes. It is a satin and steel performance, Prince’s vocals glistening with a pop sheen before the guitar muscles its way into the song, firstly intertwining with the soundscape Prince is painting, and then forcefully bringing a quiet fury of its own into the music, the guitar seemingly taking on a life of its own as it pulls down the pillars of the song upon itself it a Samsonesque performance. 

The quality of the recording overshadows the performance of “Days Of Wild” that follows. On the bootleg, there is some distortion on Prince’s vocals, and although it is slight, it is enough to break the previously woven spell. The song would in normal circumstances be a tour de force of Prince's reinvented funk, and the hard-nosed performance style of this iteration of the NPG, unfortunately, all that is lost as the recording fails to truly capture the all-crushing power of the performance. It’s enjoyable enough, but after hearing many other versions in circulation I know that it could be a whole lot better. 

 

“Now” brings a lightness to the concert following the skull-crushing “Days Of Wild.” There is a sense of fun to Prince’s performance, and the humor of the lyrics is reflected in his vocal delivery. The true power behind the throne though is Morris Hayes and Tommy Barbarella, their twin keyboard assault carrying both rhythm and melody in a combination that fills out the otherwise thin sound. The coda with Mayte dancing only highlights this further as the keyboard wheezes over the sparse drum beat. 

The NPG becomes a well-drilled funk machine for ”Get Up (I Feel Like Being A) Sex Machine,” Prince drawing obvious inspiration from James Brown both in song selection and in the performance he draws from his band. It’s a faultless performance (at least to my ears) and it doesn’t outstay its welcome, coming after the previous four blockbusters it is instead a mere pop song length of three minutes thirty seconds. 

“Johnny” was only played at a handful of shows throughout this 1995 tour, and its appearance on this bootleg is most welcome. A song that has appeared at countless after shows, and it is refreshing to hear it in this case getting a wider audience at an arena show. The NPG effortlessly morphs from a funk band to a blues band, filling the arena with a purposeful groove that lets Prince do whatever he wants over the top of, in this case having the crowd chant and sing him through the final minute. 

It had been barely two weeks since the release of “The Most Beautiful Girl In The World,” yet the crowd welcome the song with a warm cheer that suggests it had already planted itself in their collection consciousness.  Prince breaks the song up, undermining some of the sweet pop it is normally dusted in, and instead takes it firmly into his realm as he draws an extra level of musicality and an element of fun from it. It stands on its own two feet as a solid performance that fits in well with the surrounding songs of gravitas and unfettered emotion. 

 

There is no gravitas at all about “Pussy Control,” it is raw and unadulterated, Prince saying and playing exactly how he wants as he makes a statement about feminism in a way that only Prince could. There is an innate power in Prince's performance, his vocals have panache and the story he spins could be understood even if you didn’t catch every word. On the downside, the recording is a touch on the thin side, Prince sounds well enough, but there is no knockout punch as one might expect from such a song. 

I rejoice in hearing “Letitgo,” although in truth the performance isn’t as exciting as the thought of the song itself.  Prince’s pop hooks lure me in, but it is Tommy Barbarella who provides the most nourishing moment with a keyboard solo that is the understated core of the song. 

A coolness breezes through the recording with a frictionless performance of “Pink Cashmere.” It’s all silk as Prince provides a scented candle vocal performance to match the luxurious sound of the NPG. In a setlist full of heavy hitters, this comes as the most surprising moment, a delicate rose surrounded by denser and more demanding material. 

The following  “(Lemme See Your Body) Get Loose!” comes in a hurried frenzy, there is no time to find your feet or feel your way into the song, everything is upfront and in your face from the opening barrage of music and lyrics until the last notes fade from the keyboard. It is breathtaking, and even more so again the backdrop of the previous “Pink Cashmere,” although I find it doesn’t have the same bite and sense of importance as some of the earlier songs. Despite its fast pace, the concert lags at this point, and there is a definite lull as there comes a long pause between songs. 

Prince pushes the right buttons as he introduces “I Love U In Me” with lacy guitar work, before giving a vocal performance that matches it for delicate intricacy. The song stays with this low-lit feel, even as the band adds the occasion blow, it's all about Prince’s soft vocals and feather-light guitar. This is easily the most tender moment on the bootleg, and even my stone heart softens a little as I listen. 

 

The sound of Vegas is in the air for “Proud Mary,” this is the sound of Prince the showman as he gives a lively performance of the much-loved classic. It is a great burst of energy, although I find it rather empty and it doesn’t add a lot to the show. A more prolonged performance may have delivered more nuances, but this is a short sharp shock that quickly burns out. 

The oriental introduction of “7” is the only part of the show that pulls directly from Prince and some of his material from 1992. It is grating to see it shoulder to shoulder with his current material, I do appreciate its appearance but it does highlight the divide between Prince’s old work and his current state of mind. “7” plays with an easy shuffle, the quality of the bootleg adding to its loose and easy way. For a few minutes, it feels as if we are listening to another show entirely as Prince takes us down the wormhole to his former self, a few minutes where the crowd has a chance to celebrate his history as a musical artist. 

I was prepared to give all of my love to “Dolphin,” and despite a bright start, I find the shrill guitar sound too much for my tastes. My ear isn’t good enough to say what is wrong, but the guitar is too much for the song, and in this case, it derails what would otherwise be a warm performance. The sound gets worse as the song goes on, the mix is not even and leaves the song unpleasant and a disappointment. There is redemption in the final singing of the chorus and coda that brings it to an end, but overall it leaves me feeling flat. 

“Get Wild” spins and revolutions, but there is almost too much going on, despite the best intentions of the band it sounds like a collection of performances that have little cohesion. Listening to each individual is revealing, but never once does it sound like a song with an overarching theme or message. I digest it piece by piece, but I never fully engage with the core of the song that lays tantalizingly out of reach. 

 

The recording changes with “Race,” it immediately sounds distant and the quality is a lot lower than what has been previously heard. As the second song of the encore, it displays an extra push towards the finish line, which makes the downgraded sound all the more disappointing. The horn sound does cut through with their polished brightness, and as always the keyboards steam on with a battleship sound that rides over all the rest of the band. The keyboard remains the hero, and in the proceeding “Super Hero” it remains the mainstay. “Super Hero” stays with the upbeat sound, adding an extra sense of adventure as Prince and the band draw on a classic 70’s funk sound for the song. The lively performance makes up for the disappointing “Race” and this portion of the show ends on a high as the NPG swing and funk into the night, the final appearance of Billy Preston’s “Outta Space” sounding like the future itself. 

Prince’s vocals are the best thing about “Billy Jack Bitch,” the rest of the song is lost to the quality of the tape. It’s not recorded badly, it is just that the band is barely heard behind Prince’s vocals. With the horn lines sun-bleached and distant, the song loses some of its incisiveness, and although I enjoy Prince’s lyrics, the song remains just as elusive as some of the previous few numbers. 

“Eye Hate U” promises much, but actually delivers little. The start flatters to deceive, Prince’s crisp opening verse and first sparkling chorus rapidly disappear from view as the song vanishes with the recording cutting out and “319” emerging as the next song. 

After the snippet of “Eye Hate U” I had hoped for more from “319,” but Prince keeps it brief with a one-inch punch performance that gives us one verse and one chorus before we head into the glory of the final song of the bootleg. 

“Gold” sounds every inch like the triumphant finale that it is, uplifting, warm, and building to a powerful climax that has Prince striking guitar-god poses while the sound from his instrument gives credence to the pose. The mix is slightly out, but there is no denying the performance, this is Prince emerging from the wideness and reclaiming his spot at the top of the pop pantheon with a spirited rendition that plays to all his strengths, a spiritual vocal delivered paired with a guitar solo delivered from heaven itself. If only the recording could match the moment, instead I mentally remix it as I listen, restoring Prince's guitar sound from a shrill whine to a full-blooded roar, while mentally beefing up the band's sound. As so often seems to be the way, we have a great performance with a less-than-average recording. 

And so ends the longest concert of this brief tour. The bootleg is in places very good, but mostly it is average, there is only so much you can do with the source material after all. The concert itself though is a knockout. The crowd is muted throughout most of the show, most of this material was unreleased and unfamiliar at the time, but Prince and the NPG give an all-encompassing show that takes in all their talents and genre-expanding music they were dabbling in at the time. This is one of the classic Prince shows, as he for the first time unveils his new sound and look to a wider audience, and although uncomfortable at the time, it has become one of the highly regarded eras of his career. Much like his One Night Alone Tour, it gives us not what we want, but rather what we need. Not perfect, but highly recommended.