Santa Monica 25 February 1985

 

Eye records are slowly winning me over. I wasn’t an immediate fan of their output, but recently I have found their releases far more enjoyable and rewarding. Despite occasional sound issues and packaging errors (the proofreading is at the same level as this blog -nil), I still find they have unearthed some great shows that we would not have otherwise heard. The realization came to me the other day that of late I have listened to far more of their releases than anyone else’s. In the last twelve months, they have had some outstanding releases and become a label worth taking notice of.

The Boston Metro concert I wrote of last week was a tidy release, and the Rainmaker release from the same week is of equal standing. The Rainmaker package brings together three complete performances (two concerts, and a full rehearsal) as well as a couple of rehearsals and jams that are incomplete, but of interest to the serious collector. Two of these performances are well-known in the bootleg community – the Minnesota Dance Theater benefit, and the rehearsal that precedes it. Both have appeared on numerous labels, and I have covered them previously in this blog. The most interesting part of Rainmaker is the third show –  a benefit concert for special needs students at the height of the Purple Rain tour. This concert has plenty to recommend it from the outset. It is a Purple Rain concert – Prince’s most popular album played at the height of his fame with his most beloved band. It is also another example of Prince’s altruism, worthy of praise and credit. What I think is best about this concert is that it is a Purple Rain concert trimmed of all the fat and excess. It clocks in at barely an hour and is a highlights package of the nightly show. There is no meandering middle section, and no time for the concert to sag and lose momentum. It is a punchy show from the first moments to the last, with the songs shorter and coming in rapid succession. The piano section is still intact, although considerably shorter, but the concert has been shorn of the shower scene and the conversation with God. If I am brutally honest; it is all the better for it as Prince delivers a high octane performance of his very best material to date.

 

25 February 1985, Santa Monica Civic Auditorium, Santa Monica

Prince sets out his stall early with a dynamic rendition of “Let’s Go Crazy.” It is crisp, both the performance and the recording, and many aspects are clearly heard on the disc. The drum machine is very prominent on one side, counterbalanced by Wendy and Prince’s equally dramatic guitar work. With little audience noise, the recording is almost sterile sounding, the instruments standing out on their own with very little other sonic decoration. With the bones of the song laid bare like this, it becomes an interesting listen for those that like to see what lies at the heart of the performance.

Similar ground is covered by “Delirious.” The drum machine remains strong, the guitar stands alone (highlighting Wendy’s playing) while the rest of the song seems to occur elsewhere. The most notable feature is Eric Leeds and his undefinable saxophone sound. Although not consistent throughout the song, it nevertheless is instantly recognizable when heard and fleshes out the song into a more organic, three-dimensional sound.

 

“Delirious” is matched by the equally frenetic “1999” that rolls in immediately after. Eric Leeds is again busying up the sound, and the keyboard refrain is oddly muted in this context. However, it is an upbeat and lively performance that captures the joie de vivre present throughout the show, and without being demanding is a nice signpost of where Prince was at the time.

It is the following “Little Red Corvette” that not only brings seriousness to the show but also pushes Eric Leeds and his saxophone further to the front. The opening minute is particularly enticing as Eric casts a shadow across the introduction with his mournful intonations. He is very quiet on the track, but he is the one part of the song that has to be heard. The spirit of the song is perfectly encapsulated in the way he plays, and his contribution is every bit as emotive as Prince and his lyrical delivery.

“Take Me With U” comes as a complete package. Every member of the band has their place, and for the first time on the recording, no one instrument stands out. It is the standard short run-through of the song, giving you all pop you ever need in the first minute before the band jam briefly on the coda. It is a finely balanced performance, delivering much more than is suggested by its three-and-a-half-minute run time.

The performance of “4 The Tears In Your Eyes” is yet another reason this concert comes highly recommended. The soundboard recording serves the moment well, Prince is crystal clear while retaining a live feel. I am sold on the performance long before Wendy and Lisa’s vocals join in unison, closing out the song on a high as their vocals build and support the foundation that Prince has built.

 

The piano section is shorter than other shows on the Purple Rain tour, I thought this might detract from the moment, yet it makes it all the more forceful and comes as another solid punch in a show full of hits. “Free” lays out the groundwork, its simplicity is underlined in this solo performance that brings out another layer of emotion. This emotion remains present for “Do Me, Baby,” and as the band joins him Prince gives another pleading performance full of both lust and raw sex.

A single piano plays the opening hook for “When Doves Cry” before the band joins for a full unadulterated performance.  There is plenty of time to appreciate the music, Prince lets the opening riff mature in the first minutes before he eventually begins to sing. Again, the recording matches the music, and Prince’s voice is stark in its emptiness on the recording, giving the song a sonic backdrop that matches the lyrical content. Wendy’s guitar break is drawn from the same well, and the song has satisfying completeness to it that is unmatched anywhere else on the recording. The final flourishes of Brown Mark and Dr. Fink put an emphatic full stop on yet another great moment.

 

The show has been concise so far, and that continues with “Baby I’m A Star.” It is ten minutes, but nowhere near as long as some of the other epic versions heard on tour. True to form (for this show at least), it is Eric Leeds who leads the band into the fray, his bright sax the flag that they rally around early on. It is a storming performance, the band condensing all the usual licks and tricks into a tight package that delivers just as much as other drawn-out jams. For my money, it is Bobby Z and Brown Mark that are the heroes of the moment, their rhythm carrying the rest of the band through “Body Heat” before neatly returning us on track for the finale of “Baby I’m A Star.” This has Prince and the band playing with a quiet fury that never once loses focus and sets us up for the epic climax of “Purple Rain.”

Keeping in context with the rest of the show, “Purple Rain” is nowhere near the drawn-out guitar-fest that we hear elsewhere. First, it is adorned with some fine playing by Eric, the opening minutes being a celebration of his saxophone as he brings sparkle to an otherwise melancholy opening. The rest of the song follows the script of the album version, Prince singing his lines before the inevitable guitar onslaught. However, he doesn’t go through the stratosphere with his playing, instead playing within the scope of what is heard on record. “Purple Rain” can run for up to half an hour on the tour, here it is eleven minutes – again completely in keeping with the momentum and energy of the rest of the show.

 

I rate this show highly. It is to the point, and not a minute of the hour it runs is wasted. Although it is a sterile-sounding soundboard, I would still take that over a scratchy audience recording any day. This is the Prince we love to hear, fire in his belly performing at the peak of his powers. When taken as a complete package with the other shows Eye records have bundled with it, it becomes even better. I am sure everyone has heard the other performances on this set, but if I was starting in the bootleg leg world this would be a great starting point. Eye records may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but there is no denying this is a nice set that holds its own in any collection.

Texas 16 January 1985

The Purple Rain album and subsequent tour cast a long shadow across the Prince world. It is an album and tour that defined him for the rest of his career, everything he did from 1984 was held up in comparison to this time. It is then surprising that I don’t listen to more Purple Rain bootlegs than I do. After all, it was the Purple Rain album that turned me from fan to fam. My first blush of love for Prince had come from the 1999 album but it is the following Purple Rain that would turn it into a lifelong passion. I can still recall the first time I heard the song “Purple Rain,” walking home from school, the opening chords of the song floating and then hanging in the air from a neighbor's open window. “When Doves Cry” in my father's car, driving past Latimer square, the opening hook stuck in my head for days after, the only part I could sing as I hadn’t been able to catch the lyrics. Yes, Purple Rain left quite a mark on me, as it did for all of us. With that in mind, I felt it necessary this week to return to the Purple Rain era, and perhaps a concert that isn’t appreciated as much as it should be. Prince played three benefit shows during his tour, one each in the first three months of 1985, and each one a matinee. Last year I did take a listen to the concert from February 1985, and this week I will be taking in a bootleg of the January 16th show. It is very similar to the setlist, and although this show isn’t a soundboard, it is still a very clean and clear audience recording. There was a previous poor-sounding release, but the 4DF release is an immense improvement and the recording of choice when listening to this show. If anything it has slightly more life to it than a soundboard recording, but I know there are people out there who don’t dabble in an audience recording, no matter how good the quality.

16 January 1985 (mat) Texas Southern University, University Auditorium

As far as the concert is concerned there are zero surprises, and the opening “Let’s Go Crazy” confirms that this concert is firmly anchored in the Purple Rain era. The spoken intro, the screaming crowds, and the ferocious guitar all mark it as 1985, and even if the guitar crunch is lacking on the recording, one can still sense the power of the performance. The sound is uneven through the first minutes, but it matters little as Prince and the band storm through this beloved power-pop number, the energy and passion carrying the moment, and the audience, through the door that the music has opened, and into the concert proper.

 

The quality of the recording settles for “Delirious” and at this point, the show does sparkle as Prince swings the concert upwards with more pop piled on top of a funky bass line and a sweaty piano solo that adds another texture to a song that is little more than a chorus and a bass hook.

There is a smoothness to “1999” that hadn’t been heard in the opening two numbers, and it leaves me with mixed feelings. I like how good it sounds, it’s crisp, clean, and easily digestible, but at the same time it lacks the urgency and energy of the “Let’s Go Crazy” and “Delirious.” The sing-a-long at the end does add to the song, as does Prince’s squeaking guitar, but it just misses that jagged raw edge that I look for in live recordings. Prince unfurls a stream of molten guitar work at the last minute that almost saves the day, but the rest of the song is too safe for my tastes.

 

The first minute of “Little Red Corvette” promises so much as it pulses slowly into life. However the chorus is flaccid, and there is the feeling that it has built itself up into nothing. The crowd is happy enough to sing with Prince through, and as always Wendy delivers with her well balance solo. The song though is barely three minutes and given a longer platform I am sure it could have delivered so much more.

The is a fantastic jangly weirdness that plays through “Take Me U,” distracting me from the vocals but giving the song much more interest. As always it is after the first minute where the song kicks off, Prince’s guitar ablaze for the final two minutes as he carves out his rock god status live on stage. The solo he plays is similar to what is seen on the “Take Me With U” live video (although shorter), no surprise at all as that was recorded in the same week in Houston.

 

There is a cuteness to the young voices chanting “we want Prince,” as the synth strains give way to a piano performance of “Free.” It’s a thoughtful introduction that slowly seduces the listener, bringing the performance to a more intimate place before Prince presents his simplistic agenda in the lyrics of “Free.” There is an immediate response from the crowd, but this doesn’t overwhelm the bootleg, and if anything it adds to the emotional pull of the song as the crowd cheer at the appropriate moments.

“God” is delivered to a silent crowd, and here the bootleg excels in capturing Prince’s emotive performance. The spirit of the song swirls around him, the mist of the music wrapping up the sound in a few minutes that sound heavenly. As much as I love this song, often it derails the concert, but in this case, it elevates it to a far more satisfying and rewarding experience.

This concert barely lasts an hour, and the final thirty minutes are given over to the most representative songs of the era: “When Doves Cry,” “Baby I’m A Star” and “Purple Rain.” It is “When Doves Cry” that opens this triumvirate, and Prince turns it into a celebration of pop perfection, the opening hook is given two minutes to weave its magic on the crowd. There is no denying this ear-worm of a hook, and even once the band brings their full weight to bear upon the song, it is still this addictive hook that remains at the forefront of my mind. The band however does have its own power, and as she does so many times, Wendy brings a classy touch of fire with her guitar and gives the song a sharper edge. The rhythm in the second part of the song is particularly alluring, and I am more than happy to hear Prince and the band stretching this out into a climatic jam that remains firmly anchored by Brown Marks bassline.

“Baby I’m Star” was consistently dragged out longer and longer as the tour went on, what we have on this bootleg is a tidy ten-minute package that does just enough to tick all the boxes of what we hear night after night on the long drawn out jams. The first half of the song is as we expected to hear, and the point where it normally steps off into another world entirely is strangely muted as the band plays a low-key rendition of what a longer jam might sound like. The solos are shorter, each given less time to cultivate and come to full fruition. Of course, it stays funky, but it never plunges to the depths of some other recordings. 

I have a couple of problems with the recording when it comes to “Purple Rain.” Firstly, there is some weird phasing effect on the guitar that spoils the delicacy of the opening moments. Further, we have a couple of people talking near the taper, making the opening couple of minutes a frustrating experience. The recording steadies though, and by the time we reach the chorus we are in a much better place, although again the recording is nowhere near as good as it had been earlier on. The song remains with a tinniness that I can’t shake, even as Prince’s climatic solo emerges from this moment with a striking boldness that was previously lacking. There are some great renditions of “Purple Rain” from this tour, this one remains par for the course. It doesn’t strike out in any new direction and comes in at a tidy ten minutes. One could wish for more, but to be fair this is a reasonable facsimile of what is heard on record, and what most would have expected to hear. And it does of course herald the end of the concert.

Not a perfect bootleg, but it does give non-fan a good overview of the Purple Rain era, and what a Purple Rain concert might feel like – a Purple Rain live greatest hits if you please. I enjoyed the brevity of it, and found the concert entirely listenable, except for perhaps the  final “Purple Rain” which did let it down.  The 2006 4DF release of this concert is a vast improvement from the previous circulating version, and although it too has faults, it is great to have a record of one of the three benefit concerts of the tour.

Atlanta 4 January 1985

 

The Purple Rain tour is very well documented in the bootleg world. There were several very good shows I could have chosen, but I plumbed for one I have a DVD of. The Purple Rain shows are standard from show to show, they didn’t deviate too much from a set formula, and listening to them is sometimes a little repetitive. I especially tend to lose interest in the mid-portion of the show when there is a lull in the proceedings. However I love watching the shows, the Purple Rain tour looked great the costumes, the dancing, and there was something exhilarating about the whole thing. It was an event, not just another gig. So with that in mind, today I will be watching a show from Atlanta 1985, Prince playing his most successful album to an adoring audience.

January 4, 1985, Omni Atlanta

I don’t mind admitting that even after 30 years I still feel a thrill of excitement when Prince says in darkness “Hello Atlanta, my name is Prince, and I’ve come to play with you.” The organ swells that we know so well, and the spoken intro of “Let’s Go Crazy” gets screams of anticipation from the crowd, and when the single spotlight hits Wendy for the main rift there is a further scream before the stage lights up and the show begins in an explosion of light, noise, and flowers raining down. I have seen it I don’t know how many times, and I still get a kick and a rush from it. The song does not do much more than what we hear on the record, there is no piano break in the middle or drawn-out solos, but it does lack any intensity or punch. And to my mind there is no greater sight in concert than seeing Prince playing the guitar lead here, leaning back, face contorted with the music, and his pink stole blowing in the wind over his shoulder. This will always be the Prince I reference when people ask me about being a fan. The song ends much as we have heard plenty of times before, Prince wailing on his guitar. He doesn’t solo too long or hard, but it’s still a perfect opener to the show.

 

There is plenty of noise from the band next as they stall while Prince hands off his guitar and removes some clothes. Things suddenly take a pop turn as with a shout from Prince of “one-two” the band strikes up “Delirious.” I often dismiss “Delirious” as it's not my cup of tea, but even my ice-cold heart enjoys it here, it's a lot of fun to watch Prince prancing and dancing around the stage. The music doesn’t do much for me, but the visuals more than carry it. As an up-tempo fun number, it does its job and keeps the show moving at a fast pace.

“1999” is next and it's performed as we see it in the video clip. Prince dons his shiny purple trench coat and we are back to the 1999 era. The vocals from the rest of the band aren’t great, but I’m going to blame the sound recording rather than them personally. Nowadays Prince often races through this one near the end of the shows, so it’s a joy here to hear it given the full treatment. And the vocals from the rest of the band do improve as it goes, and by the end of it, I have nothing negative to say. It sounds better here than it did on the 1999 tour, and it has a little more energy to it. The band seems to enjoy playing it, and again it is great to see them dancing and interacting together. Perhaps the last minute is my favorite, after the “mommy, why does everybody have a bomb” Prince plays a nice guitar break, then ramps it up as the song ends in a crescendo of sound, light, and smoke.

 

The other big hit from the 1999 album follows close behind, with the warm swells of “Little Red Corvette” beginning as the sound and fun of the last song fade. There is the sweet piano refrain played, which I know I have said before I love. Wendy does of course hand out flowers to the crowd before encouraging them to clap their hands. It’s contrived, and yet I find it very endearing. Prince begins to sing bathed in red light, and it’s obvious that this show couldn’t fail, everything seems to have a touch of class to it. Prince's vocals are getting better and better with each song, and on Little Red Corvette when he sings “oowwwww owwww owwww” it’s a great concert moment for me. He does his dance while the guitar solo plays, and while I do enjoy it, I find that it distracts my attention from Wendy. One thing I will comment on about this show is that Prince and Wendy are the centers of everything. The other band members don’t get the moments that Wendy gets, and she does have plenty of interplay with Prince. Sure, a large part of that is the fact she is the guitarist, but I would have liked to see Brown Mark and Prince more often, or perhaps Lisa given more time. “Little Red Corvette” ends with a sudden handclap, and the rolling drums from the start of “Take Me With U” begin.

Prince is right in his element for this one. Right from the start of “Take Me With U,” he stomps back and forth across the stage, guitar to the fore. I can hear Prince’s vocals very well, but unfortunately, the girl’s vocals are lost in the mix. I can hear them, but not loud and clear as I would want. However, all that is made irrelevant as after a quick verse and chorus everything just becomes a big beat and groove for Prince to play guitar god over. And play he does, the next minute is guitar playing Prince at his very best. There is no sweet delicate playing here, it comes at us fast and furious, and plenty of rock poses thrown in to boot. I should be cynical and point out how clichéd it all is, but in truth, I lap up every single moment of this. I love this arrangement and this performance. The only problem is it ends way too short for my liking.

Usually, I skip right over the “Yankee Doodle Dandy” section when listening to Purple Rain shows. It doesn’t do anything for me musically and I find it annoying. I have never properly understood what is happening on stage at this time, and even watching the DVD I’m not sure what’s going on. Mercifully it is quite short, but in the future, I think I will go back to my normal ways and skip right past it.

The next section starts with Prince sitting at the keyboard, and I am much more comfortable again. I do enjoy watching him play the piano, it’s hard to believe it’s the same man who floored us with his impassioned guitar playing just a minute ago. The piano set begins with some very soft and delicate paying from Prince, and I enjoy this just as much as any song he plays. He does settle down and begins to play “Free.” “Free” works a lot better live than it is on record. It’s not as over the top and the piano playing is much better without being drowned in the other distractions.

Prince leaves the piano next and delivers “Do Me, Baby.” This performance is very nice, he has all his moves and vocal styling down and comes across very smooth. It’s not the greatest sounding version I have heard, the instruments are too loud and Prince is fighting against them to be heard. But the showmanship more than makes up for it, this is to be seen as well as heard. It’s very short on this recording, I was expecting more from it. Not the greatest I have heard, but still a vital part of the show.

 “How Come You Don’t Call Me Anymore” has Prince back at the piano, and initially it is his piano playing that excites me the most. He does interact with the crowd to get them clapping along, but it’s the vocals and piano playing that are the most important things here. There is showmanship, but it's all in his vocals and the looks at the crowd. That changes however when he does the whole “I’m gonna stand over here until you make up your mind” The crowd shriek and yell in delight, but I have heard it too many times by now to get excited. The song progresses to the point where Prince plays with his vocals and demonstrates just how good a singer he is. Like everything it is just a few moments, but it's enough. This guy really can do everything.

Things pick up when Prince starts with a spoken intro to “Let’s Pretend We’re Married.” We now know that the spoken intro would later become the song “Temptation,” but at the time it was new to our ears. Prince teases us with the vocals, some piano playing, and at one stage throwing off his jacket. Finally, the teasing ends and Prince kicks into the song. His piano playing is very expressive and it’s a nice full sound he generates from the piano. The song played as we know it is only very short, it’s all about the tease at the start. There is good energy to it, and Prince delights me, and the crowd, by leaping off his stool and playing standing up.

“Father’s Song” gets only a minute, but it’s my favorite moment at the piano, and of the whole show. In almost complete darkness Prince plays the refrain, and it’s filled with melancholia that stays with me long after the performance. Sometimes the shortest moments are the best moments.

 

The lights come back up a little as Prince begins to play “God” alone at the piano. With smoke swirling at his feet it does have a heavenly appearance. This is tempered somewhat by his vocals early on being fuzzy on the recording. After the first few lines, this does improve, and I can better sit back and enjoy the song. The song does sound good, and Prince delivers some great screams near the end of the song. He loses me shortly after with his conversation with the audience being played out on stage and the bath sequence. Listening to the show, this part goes for too long, and even watching it I find myself just wishing it would end. Yes, it was cool the first time I saw the bath sequence, but now I just want it to end so we can get back to the music.

The purple part of the concert starts next as Lisa asks Wendy “is the water warm enough”. The next seven songs are all off the Purple Rain album and it’s quite a performance. First Prince rises from the stage to play “Computer Blue.” The song starts with plenty of keyboards. I usually associate this song with guitars, but the keys are nice and strong and form a nice thick sound for the guitars to play against. Prince starts off singing and playing well, and he gets louder and louder from there. His solos aren’t spectacular- they are as you hear on the album, but once again it’s the performance of the song that has to be seen. Firstly Wendy gives Prince simulated fellatio while he solos, then later in the song Prince puts down his guitar and dances. His dancing isn’t delicate, but he does capture the mood of the song. And visually it looks quite striking, especially when he dances next to the rest of the band.

 

In a seedy red-light Prince next sings “Darling Nikki.” An audience favorite, I am sure most of them just want a chance to sing the x-rated lyrics. There are several opportunities for the audience to sing various lines, asides from that the arrangement is as heard on record. The fun part comes later in the song when the good Dr. plays his solo and the band all look like they are having a good time. I also appreciate the end of the song when the backward music we hear on the album is played forward and we hear Princes ‘hidden message’

“The Beautiful Ones” is, well, beautiful. Up high and in softy blue and red light Prince plays piano and sings the emotional high point of the Purple Rain album (asides from the “Purple Rain” song itself) Prince’s piano playing is good, buts it is the other keyboards dong all the work, and Dr. Fink and Lisa fill out the sound with plenty of swells and swirls. Prince leaves his piano for some delicate dancing, and to concentrate on his vocals. This is his best vocal delivery of the night, there is no distracting talking to the crowd, no guitar playing, it is all pure vocal delivery. He looks suitable moved and drops to his knees to deliver some passionate screams and whoops. He eventually rolls onto his back for a final howl before the keyboards play us out with a couple more swells.

 

“When Doves Cry” gets the full treatment next. There is a brilliant long intro, with just the bare beat and the piano lead line played over it. It builds plenty of anticipation in the crowd, and for me here at home. The lead line on the piano is the key element in this song for me, and even though I have been listening to it for most of my life it’s still something I enjoy immensely. Prince begins his lines but has almost too quiet, and I don’t get the strong vibe I hear on the record. The lyrics of “When Doves Cry” is amongst the best he has written, and it’s a shame I can’t hear them better on this. I used to think that the bass line would detract from the song, but it’s quite funky to hear the song with a bit more bottom end in the mix. Prince introduces Wendy to play the guitar solo, and I must admit that I fall in love a little. She plays so well, and she looks dead cool while she is doing it. The final section of the song features a lot of dancing from Prince. He doesn’t always look cool, but I have to admire his efforts to entertain us.

There is then a very long pause as the crowd chant for more. Finally, the band return and the next song is “I Would Die 4 U.” It has a lightness and pop sound to it and is enjoyable right from the start. Wendy’s vocals sound good next to Prince, and there is a nice moment when they share the microphone before Prince engages in some enthusiastic dancing. There is some very funky guitar playing later from Wendy while Prince sings along with the crowd. It is reminiscent of the 12-inch version, and that is fine by me. However, after only a few minutes it segues into “Baby I’m A Star.”

“Baby I’m a Star” is an absolute joy to watch. Musically it’s awesome, and having the extra players on stage means there is so much to take in. Early on it's Eddie M who I enjoy the most, his saxophone playing gives the music an edge. Prince also takes the opportunity with the extended lineup to indulge in some James Brown-style dancing, and band leadership. As is par for the course there are plenty of stops and starts from the band. After such a choreographed show it’s wonderful to see the band playing here, and there is the feeling that anything might happen musically. “Baby I’m A Star” as we know it disappears and the funky jam takes over. It's Eddie who steals the show on this one, he is just killing it on the sax. There is a funny moment when Prince begins to take the band off, before stopping to the calls of the crowd. It’s staged but has me smiling. Prince gives us a little of everything, he sings, he dances, and he takes the piano for a while too, always keeping the groove and the beat going.

 

Finally, the last song begins, in what I’m sure was the high point for everyone there. I have heard many arrangements and performances of “Purple Rain” over the years, some are great, and some not so great. But for me the definitive version will always be the one played on the Purple Rain tour, starting with the beautiful chords played by Wendy. Here is no different, the song begins with Wendy alone playing the soft chords I have heard a thousand times before, and I’m not tired of it one bit. She does get a few minutes along to play and I feel the song slowly drawing me in. The appearance of Prince is understated, and he adds his lead lines into the song. Playing the Horner he plays his delicate pieces, not hurrying at all, but slowly building the song up. I think this is my favorite style of his playing when he’s softly playing lead guitar. He keeps it fairly short and begins singing early on. At first, his vocals are a little lost in the echo, but it soon sorts itself out after a few lines. He is singing here in his vulnerable voice, rather than the triumphant tone we sometimes hear in Purple Rain. After only the first verse and some softer guitar, he leaves the stage and returns with the cloud guitar. He immediately plays a more hard rock and anthemic-sounding solo before singing the next part of the song. I can’t speak highly enough of his vocal performance, it’s not the notes he hits or the strength of his voice, it’s the emotional delivery and personality in his voice. Normally I would be writing about his guitar playing, but in this case, it’s the vocals that have made the bigger impression on me. Prince does finally get to the guitar solo, but he doesn’t seem to pull anything special out for it. It’s played straight, and it’s only much later that he begins to let off some fireworks on the fretboard. I have certainly heard other solos that have left me opened-mouthed, but not this one. Despite that, my girlfriend tells me I did watch the TV transfixed while he was playing, so he must have had some sort of magic in there. He clambers to a high point to deliver one final blast before the keyboard twinkling ends the show.

Writing today’s entry was a labor of love. The show was an excellent record of Prince at the peak of his powers, and despite the material and performance being very familiar to me I still loved all of it. There was a reason that Prince became a global superstar, and this is it. If you ever needed to see him during his purple period, this would be the place to start. It's not perfect, but I couldn’t take my eyes off it.

St Paul 26 December 1984

 I don’t often listen to Purple Rain gigs. I know that’s unusual for a fan of Prince, after all, it is the Purple Rain tour, movie, and album that made him. But I find the concerts lack the intensity of the early days, the variety of the latter days and I always have that nagging feeling that I have heard it all before. Of course, a big part of this may be that in the 1980s I played everything Purple Rain over and over at the time, and I have overdosed enough to last me 30 years! For all that, Purple Rain gigs are enjoyable, fun, and still sound good today. There are points of the show that I find aren’t as strong as they could be, but that’s a small quibble. So today I am listening to the Christmas show of 26 December 1984 

26 December 1984, St Paul 

As you might guess from my first paragraph above, I was cynical about this show before I listened to it, however as soon as Prince says “My name is Prince, and I have come to play with you” any such thoughts had vanished. I was immediately transported back to the teenage me, and all those feelings of excitement and anticipation welled up inside of me. This is how to open a show! Prince delivers the opening lines of “Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to get through this thing called life” solemnly, and the crowd can’t help but react. It should sound corny, hell- it does sound corny, and yet I feel myself getting caught up in it all. I have heard the beat of “Let's Go Crazy,” and guitar too many times, but here it still sounds energy-filled and passionate. With a whoop the band all kick it, and the recording comes alive. The recording itself is very nice, an excellent soundboard recording, with not too much crowd noise, just enough to give you a feel of being there. The song is not drawn out too much, Prince doesn’t go overboard with the guitar, it follows the same arrangement I have heard throughout the tour, and ends with a flurry of noise and drum rolls.

 

A long drum roll and keyboard fill lead us into “Delirious.” This is one song I have never got. It’s pleasant but feels a little light to my ears. It is better live, I will give it that, and I enjoy Prince's keyboard break in the middle of it, then more groove and I assume dancing. It’s a shame it doesn’t sound this good on the original record. (For the record, 1999 is my favorite album, so no slight intended on it from my end) 

Another 1999 song follows (most of you could recite a Purple Rain setlist by heart, I’m sure) with the title track itself, “1999.” The guitar seems to be a lot louder on this recording, and guess what, I like it. There is the funky guitar rhythm, but also a heavy guitar occasional grinding, for the start at least. The crowd is often heard, and these songs are a crowd-pleasing opening for the show. The breakdown is great, with the crowd singing ‘Party’ over some great funky guitar. If I could sample this section, I would play it all day. 

Although I am a big fan of the modern arrangement of “Little Red Corvette,” the version played here is, for me, the definitive version. The long-drawn-out keyboard introduction, the beautiful keyboard swells drawing me in, the beat ticking away in the background, and just a touch of piano, I can’t help but love it. It’s almost a shame when it ends and the song starts properly. Prince vocals come in just right, just a touch of vulnerability, but not pitying. His delivery is spot on. The guitar also has just enough rawness, without changing the dynamic of the song. The guitar break starts with Prince saying “You need a love baby, you need Prince's love” before the guitar solo unfolds. It’s all very tidy, and I would happily add this to any Purple Rain playlist. 

 

“Uptown, my hometown,” Prince tells the crowd between songs. He plays the audience very well, informing them “Be nice to me, because I belong to you” It doesn’t take much to win them over. 

The next part of the show has always been my least favorite part of any Purple Rain show, the long instrumental break, with “Yankee Doodle Dandy.” Maybe it’s a case of “You had to be there” -unfortunately, I am not. I can’t see whatever is happening on stage (Although I have seen it on other shows), but sonically it’s nothing to write home about. In its defense though, I do like the bird noises. Mercifully, this section isn’t too long on this recording. 

The piano set begins with “Free.” “Free” is one of those guilty pleasures for me, I know many people think it should have been left off the 1999 album in favor of “Moonbeam Levels,” and I agree the lyrics are simplistic, but it does have a charm about it that I like, especially when played in the piano set like this. There is a crowd-pleasing moment when Prince sings “Be glad for what you got, I’m glad to be home”. In only a couple of words, he has the audience in the palm of his hand. 

 

“Take Me With U” follows, and although only short it still causes an impact on the crowd. It’s well suited to the piano, and just hearing the few lines whets my appetite to hear much more. Prince only sings a few lines, and then pauses to engage the audience. 

A staple of the piano set, “How Come You Don’t Call Me,” is next. As always it’s the centerpiece of the piano. Prince takes a pause mid-song to “Stand over here until you make up your mind” before returning to the piano for some very nice falsetto. As per usual there is plenty more Prince Interaction with the crowd and he runs through all the usual phrases we have heard before. Somewhat surprisingly I still enjoy it, and maybe I am just as corny as Prince. There are some fantastic vocal gymnastics by Prince near the end of the song, and these are well worth hearing. 

The introduction of “Dirty Mind” is a definite high point for me. I have always been a huge fan of this song. It’s got great inner energy that gets me every time. Prince’s spoken intro starts like this: 

“Maybe she don’t like men with motorcycles,

Maybe she don’t like men with Dirty Minds,

If you got a tambourine shake it,

If you ain’t got a tambourine clap your hands

If you ain’t got hands stomp your feet,

If you ain’t got feet shake your ass.” 

The riff sounds fresh, played on the piano by Prince, and I can’t help but feel disappointed when it ends after a minute. Such is the piano set with Prince. 

“I Wanna Be Your Lover” comes next, again it sounds great with just his voice and the piano, and yet again I am bitterly disappointed when it ends just a couple of minutes in, but not before Prince demonstrates some great vocals. 

The band return, and “Do Me, Baby” is played. I have heard some arrangements with long introductions, however here we just get a few seconds of introduction before Prince starts singing. It’s nice to finally get a fuller version of a song, and even though the previous songs had more energy they were just too short. Do Me Baby gets things back on track again and the concert picks up. 

Prince then delivers his spoken word introduction to “Temptation.” With the song yet to appear on an album, the crowd plays along to Prince’s words, but none of them know yet that they will be hearing more of it in the future.

The spoken introduction leads into “Let’s Pretend We’re Married.” It starts with Prince singing over the top of some very quiet music before it explodes at the first chorus. Wendy’s guitar sounds great, and I was hoping this song would get played out in full, but again after a minute, we take another change. 

“International Lover” was a real high point of the 1999 gigs I have heard. Here it is just a shadow of its former self. Prince sings a few lines before he goes into his monologue with God. Sure he could have played full versions of these songs, but then of course the show would run for 4 hours. I feel cheated but I understand why it is this way. 

“Fathers song” is one of those songs that I wish had gotten a real release. It’s played only briefly here, but it’s nonetheless very enjoyable. Another one of those songs I could happily listen to over and over. 

“God” is one of those songs that means a lot to Prince, and he plays it with all reverence on this recording. The first half is practically beautiful with Prince playing alone at the piano, and I can’t fault it. He does however lose me later in the song when he enters into his “who screamed?” section. I like as much Prince weirdness as the next guy, but I just can’t bring myself to enjoy this long-spoken interlude. It goes for quite a while and it's not easy listening. 

The Wendy and Lisa introduction to “Computer Blue” brings me back. The song is rowdy and harks back to Prince’s younger days, there is plenty of guitar playing and noise. The start of the first guitar break suggests we may get more for our money, but he stays faithful to the original. The song segues into the second half and here it gets a nice rhythmic feel to it. Prince plays more, and encourages the crowd to “Wave your hands in the air”. There are a couple of stops and starts, but it’s all excellent and feels very tight. 

 

The song then evolves, naturally enough, to “Darling Nikki.” The crowd takes great delight in singing along with it, and I must admit, even I know all the words. The music is very good, with plenty of nice guitar action, and Dr. Fink having his moments. I once read that he say this was his favorite song to play live, and I can see why. He has plenty of time to do his thing. The fade-out is always interesting, with the background music from the album being played forward so Prince can deliver his message of hope to us all. 

“The Beautiful Ones” gets it more full introduction here, with Prince saying “the beautiful ones, you always seem to lose”. The lapping keyboards are sublime, both live and on record, and it’s hard not to be seduced by one of Prince’s greatest songs. His singing is as per the album, but the spoken parts sound more mature and passionate, live this rivals the album version. Prince racks up the intensity near the end, as always it’s the high point of this song in every performance. His delivery is just as good as I have ever heard it, and even I feel emotionally drained by the end of the song. 

Things stay on the purple vibe with “When Doves Cry” coming quickly after. For me the definitive version of this is from his birthday gig early in the year, so anything else will always pale in comparison. That said, this is pretty good. I especially like the long-drawn-out beginning, with the drumbeat and repetitive keyboard riff. Prince sounds a little subdued when he sings, but maybe that suits the lyrics better. I have always loved these lyrics, so it’s always something I am going to listen to carefully. When Wendy comes in for her lead break the guitar begins very loud and bold but seems to fade a little later. Maybe the recording, or maybe some gremlins in the mixing desk, I don’t know, but it doesn’t detract too much from the song. The song ends, leaving me wanting more, but luckily it’s a false ending, and the song returns with some great-sounding bass. But even when it finishes a couple of minutes later I am still greedy for more. 

“I Would Die 4 U” sounds simple to me, and yet it seems to work. I often dismiss it as being too light, yet I can’t deny it’s an utterly enjoyable song. I have always loved the 12-inch single, I only wish we could have had something like that played out here. The song however is played as per the album, and although it sounds great, it does end after a few minutes. 

 

The band finally gets a chance to breathe and stretch out on “Baby I’m A Star.” The Purple Rain gigs always feel very structured and uptight, and it’s only on this song that the band gets a chance to show what they are capable of. The song has a great tempo to it, and Prince sounds very enthusiastic when he sings. The horn of Eric Leeds makes a welcome early entry, and it adds a great tone to the song. I would have liked to hear him on “I Would Die 4 U” as well, but this is Prince's show, not mine. The song is played as per the album for the first 5 minutes, but then after a pause Prince says “I’m not done yet” and the band is all in, slightly heavier and funkier. Prince stops and starts them several times, a la James Brown, and the band is just as sharp as you might expect. The horns come to the fore after this, and Eric’s playing is very hot and fast, I can’t speak highly enough of it. The rhythm guitar also seems to get a little louder now, and it sounds nice and chunky. A couple more breaks, then Prince breaks it right down for some “woof, woof” before the band jumps in again, and even the piano can be heard over it all playing. Things are swinging now, and it is a long jam. 

 

What makes this gig a little more special than some others on this tour is the song that comes next, “Another Lonely Christmas.” It’s an appropriate song given the date, and the arrangement here is spot on. It’s not as full and crowded as I expect, Prince has gone for a more gentle tone, and it sounds great. Considering this is the first, and only time, it has been performed live this is an amazing performance. The band nails it, and it sounds perfect. There is a very gentle guitar break, I presume it's Prince, and the tone is sharp and clean. It’s very nice indeed. The song is in complete contrast with what preceded it, but it does pave the way for what comes next. 

 

Purple Rain gets the full treatment here. As per other Purple Rain shows the introduction is a full five minutes before Prince even sings. He does play some very nice lead guitar in the intro before the louder cloud guitar can be heard. This was always the emotional highpoint of any Purple Rain show, and here is no exception. The song is played full, which I enjoy, I am a little tired of the abridged versions we hear nowadays. The guitar at the end seems to go on forever, and yet I don’t find myself getting too tired of it, he has a nice balance to his playing, and it's always enjoyable. There isn’t too much more that can be said about his most famous song, as it’s something we have all heard hundreds of times. 

As I said earlier, I am no big fan of Purple Rain shows. However, I can’t deny that they have great songs, performed by Prince at the time when he was on top of the world. And this is reflected in the recordings, every night Prince went out and put his best show on the stage. I find the setlists and playing quite constrictive, and it’s only near the end that the band gets to play a little looser. Despite that, Purple Rain shows are very good. This recording was thoroughly enjoyable, despite my negativity, and I rate it highly. 

Christmas Rehearsal 1984

 

The best thing about Prince and his work ethic is the huge amount of rehearsal and practice he puts into his music. And one of the spinoffs of that is there are plenty of rehearsal recordings for us to enjoy, and peek behind the curtain if you will. Rehearsals are always worth a listen, all sorts of ‘off camera’ moments happen and often they are just long jam sessions. The recording I am listening to is the Christmas rehearsal from 1984. It’s worth listening to, for the playing of Another Lonely Christmas in several variations, and some very nice casual moments between Prince and the band. I will be listening to the main show from the 26 December next, so we can get some continuity. Merry Christmas, let's begin.

Christmas Rehearsal 1984

The recording begins the best way possible with a sublime version of “Another Lonely Christmas.” It’s played as an instrumental, and to me, it sounds much better than the original. It’s not so crowded, or over the top, and without the vocals, the music gets your full attention. There is some great piano playing, and that is my main focus. Prince is heard talking at times, it sounds like he is joking with the band (I can invest your money, trust me, I’m a doctor). Just after this, there is some very low-sweet guitar playing, and I realize that this song has a lot of layers. The song comes to an abrupt halt, but I could happily listen to it over and over.
There is then some keyboard, picking out the mainline of the song for a minute. It sounds like Prince is explaining it to Brownmark, because you hear him say “You have to play that, deep notes” Then the bass plays the same line.

 

Prince then says “Alright let's have vocal rehearsal first, When The Saints Go Marching In”. There is a brief moment of Prince's humor here when he says “Did you warm your voice up before you came here, of course, you did, trust me I’m a musician”. He then begins singing, then asks if Wendy knows it, and then if she knows the Rolling Stones. He begins to play and sing, and his bare talent is on display. He sings much lower than he normally does, and it sounds great. So different from his normal sound, and yet it sounds very natural for him. This song is the highlight of the recording for me, I have never heard Prince sing like this before, and it’s a real eye-opener. It's just Prince and Lisa singing together, with a keyboard, but the sound is very authentic and has a nice homely feel to it. Again there is a funny moment later when Prince is trying to encourage Wendy to sing “Come on, sing something, anything” There is another funny moment after another few runs, when Prince turns to a preacher, asking for donations “For a new wing we gotta build, on the back of my crib”

Following this, there is another run-through of “Another Lonely Christmas,” this time just bass, keyboards, and guitar. They run through the changes and progressions several times. It's interesting, Prince playing and the others playing along with him. It takes several minutes and is an interesting insight into Prince showing the band a song.

They follow by playing a full version with the entire band, and with some vocals. Prince only sings part of it, he is often giving instructions to the band. It sounds good, but the buzzing bass does tend to dominate a lot. I do enjoy the keyboard swells, and there is some nice guitar playing by Prince. If fact, the guitar playing here is more upfront, and it does sound great. After some guitar work and singing by Prince, we are left with a minute of bare bass and keyboard, and it’s a nice break from the previous guitar work, then Prince comes back for some more work on the fretboard. He then calls come chords to the band, and the song breaks down and ends. Not much seems to happen, but then after a minute, Prince calls “verse two, E” and the band pick it up again very nicely. This time it seems a little more delicate and when Prince sings there is plenty of room to hear him. The song changes several times, and the verse is repeated, all the time the band stays with it. It’s an excellent snapshot of the band at work. The song plays on for quite a long time, and near the end, there is a lot of Prince playing guitar, no bad thing at all, he is sounding on top of his game here. The whole thing is more than twenty minutes, and worth every second of it.

 

The familiar beat of “Let’s Go Crazy” begins the next section. There is some keyboard work while Prince calls various song titles. But it all stops after a minute. After some brief chat, the band starts to jam over a beat that Prince describes as sleazy. It’s a very accurate description and sounds familiar as part of the long jam played during “I’m A Star.” Its starts and stops several times, and has a nice rubbery bass sound to it.

Then we are back to “Let’s Go Crazy,” this time in a more familiar guise. The guitar and keyboard sound is prominent, and again it stops after a minute, then resumes again after a short break. There are no vocals, only the first section played several times.

The recording then ends with several minutes of testing the Linn drum. Although interesting, there isn’t much to be said about it, and it’s certainly nowhere near approaching a song. However I do enjoy this sort of thing, I guess I am a real Prince geek.

Rehearsals are very interesting to listen to, but almost impossible to write about! I have a few rehearsal recordings and all of them are worth listening to. This one is notable for the “Another Lonely Christmas” being worked on, and then played later on December 26th. Fairly short, compared to other rehearsals, it’s still well worth listening to.

Detroit 11 November 1984

 The Purple Rain tour opened with seven sold-out concerts in Detroit. This week I will be listening to a bootleg of the sixth show in that run. The recording hasn’t aged well (I know the feeling) but it is serviceable enough and gives us a good idea of the mania surrounding the Purple Rain tour. As always, Detroit greets Prince with open arms, and although this is the most basic of Purple Rain setlists (the concert is short, there is no “Take Me With U,” “Let’s Pretend We’re Married,” or  “How Come You Don’t Call Me Anymore?”) it is still an engaging performance, at least what we can hear of it. I prefer the concert on November 5th, but that too is very incomplete, and this is the only full concert we have from this Detroit run. 

11th November 1984. Joe Louis Arena, Detroit 

The potent fury of “Let’s Go Crazy” is mostly lost in the quality of the recording. Prince’s vocals can be heard, but the mainstay of the song, the guitar, and the keyboard, is lost in the background. Even the constant audience noise is muddled, and although I enjoy what I can hear, I just can’t hear enough. Already this is shaping up to be one for the completists. 

“Delirious” fares a little better, in fact, mid-song it becomes very thin and almost everything fades from view. From what I can hear, I do appreciate the imitable style of Dr. Fink, and we can hear the mic being dropped several times, suggesting Prince is putting on a show to match. 

 

The first song that I connect to on the recording is “1999.” For the first time, the band emerges from the fog of the recording, and although it would be a stretch to say they sparkle, at least we finally get a sense of the spectacle that is unfolding. The body of the song is kept short, and Prince heads straight to the good stuff- the finale, which encompasses all the screaming, audience participation, and dry funk guitar that you could wish for. Prince’s thrilling race to the finish is completed with one last flurry of guitar that surpasses the limitations of the recording. 

The songs off 1999 continue to tent pole the concert, the following “Little Red Corvette” holds the attention just as much as the previous “1999” and in particular Prince’s vocal performance holds special interest as he plays with the lyrics, giving them a different weight and feel to what is normally hear. I dig it all the way, and this is the song that reminds me why I have to hear everything, despite the quality. 

 

Meanwhile, the interlude drags, and here even more so as the recording barely captures the music while the screams of the audience become more of an irritant than a spontaneous live moment. The wait for “Free” to begin feels longer than it is, and when “Free” does appear it fails to gain any traction with the listener, the recording is just too poor to do right by its delicate nature. On the plus side though, Prince's vocals sound at their strongest at this point, he is right in my ears, and this is the loudest part of the performance. 

Musically, “Father’s Song” is the best part of the last fifteen minutes as Prince threads his way carefully through the spidery opening section. It is all too brief, however, and the concert again stalls as he pauses before picking up the opening strands of “God” 

“God” isn’t big enough to fill the concert hall, and as much as Prince emotes and pores over the lyrics the crowd noise increases, not in warm appreciation, but rather one senses due to a lack of interest in the music. It’s a shame, as either the recording is getting better, or I have adjusted to its quality. 

 

Wendy and Lisa’s spoken introduction to “Computer Blue” roots it firmly in the Purple Rain era, as does the large chunk of Prince weirdness that comes immediately before. Of course, I lap it all up, this is my Prince. “Computer Blue” carries its ominous and threatening tone, despite some of this being undone by the recording, and in this case, it is the bass of Brown Mark that carries the day, its driving bottom end anchoring the song against Prince’s burst of fury on the guitar. On a better recording I have no doubt that this would be outstanding, and even hearing it in this form there is still enough to recognize it for what it is – one of the best. 

I can’t compare “Darling Nikki” to “Computer Blue,” the contrast only highlighting what a magician Prince was in bringing different textures and sounds to his records and live performances. It's one of the lightest moments on the recording, yet perfectly enjoyable as Prince and the Revolution play a song that in this case sounds more good-natured than dangerously sexy. 

We are on firmer ground with “The Beautiful Ones,” the band breathing new life into the concert as the song blooms. The air thickens, and the recording becomes enveloped in the sensual warmth of Prince’s performance. It may not be the best-recorded concert in history, but it captures the drama of the moment and Prince’s masterful performance. On the downside, there is a jump mid-recording, and the sound thins near the end of the song, but Prince’s throaty screams have me putting this aside and just enjoying the moment for what it is. If only Wendy’s guitar solo had sounded just as strong I would be a happy man. 

The song of the moment is “When Doves Cry,” and early on the overwhelming sound is that of the crowd screaming. There is a lot to enjoy in the performance, but only if you overlook the quality of the sound. The instrument that stands out above all is Prince’s vocals, especially the screams he lets out, and it is a shame the rest of the song doesn’t sound as good as these moments. 

 

“I Would Die 4 U” is all shimmering and light, which fares a lot better than a lot of other songs on the recording. The song has a delightful coda, threatening to burst into something close to the 12-inch version – no doubt this was a song that got the full treatment at The Revolution’s legendary rehearsals, but instead it pulls back into an easy glide into “Baby I’m A Star.” What follows isn’t an epic ‘one for the ages’ performance, it’s too early in the tour for that, and although the band does jam on the song it’s nothing like the marathon extravaganzas that will follow later in the tour. The two key moments are the bass work early on, followed by some keyboard that stands up reasonably well on the recording. The song is enjoyable enough in its way, but I would still prefer to hear the performances a couple of months later. 

There is no epic quality to “Purple Rain” either. True enough, it does have the brooding extended opening that promises so much, but after this, it is a rather standard run-through of this beloved song, and it offers not much more than what we hear on the Purple Rain album itself.  The introduction features some guitar work by Prince that sounds like rain falling, but asides from this the overwhelming sound is that of the audience, and who could blame them at the height of Purple Rain mania. It is a disappointing ending, but fitting for a concert that has been kept short and sweet, and a recording that leaves much to be desired. 

 

This isn’t the worst concert recording in the world, but it does fall on the low end of the scale for audience recordings. As is my way, I still try and stay positive and find some good in every recording, and in this case, it is the Detroit crowd and the songs themselves. The crowd adds a lot of vitality to the show (some might say too much) and with the songs at their very peak, this is certainly an exciting moment in history. Of the Detroit concerts that have been bootlegged up to this point, and the ones to follow, this would be perhaps the weakest in terms of quality. However, a Purple Rain show is a Purple Rain show, and I would take that almost any day. Not an essential part of the collection, but it is another piece of the Purple Rain legend. One for the completists rather than a casual fan. 

Detroit 5 November 1984

 I am now firmly ensconced in the bosom of the motherland, and surrounded by the books and records that I so dearly love. Now I am back in my comfort zone I thought it would be cool to revisit the Purple Rain tour, something I have been meaning to do for a while now. It might be interesting to listen to one of the earliest concerts of the tour and see how it stacks up against the final concert of the tour. Disregarding all the one-off shows Prince performed in the lead-up to the tour, the first concert we have recorded from the tour itself is on 5th November in Detroit. This is the second concert of the tour, but with the hit record and movie behind him, the sold-out audience is already well primed for the performance. The recording is unfortunately incomplete, I will be listening to only the last ten songs of the concert, but these are the Purple Rain songs so I am not too upset. There is also some confusion over the date, the recording says the 5th, but the bonus Sheila E song comes from the following night (she states it is their third night in Detroit). I am going to take the Prince songs at face value, they are tagged as the 5th, so the 5th it is. 

5th November 1984, Joe Louis Arena, Detroit 

The recording begins with the piano set coming to a close. It is an angelic “Do Me, Baby” that is the doorway to this show. I like it, some of the vocal audience members near the microphone, not so much. I have to chuckle as one guy can be heard saying “He’s good, but he gotta play more tunes and get the fuck away from this shit.” Purple Rain concerts are well known for dragging in the middle, and obviously, it’s all too much for this guy. I have to disagree, and with this only partial recording, I can fully appreciate the minute and a half of “Do Me, Baby” for what it is – graceful, delicate, and heartfelt. 

The audience doesn’t settle for “Father’s Song” and although I can hear it just fine, the crowd can be heard talking and cheering most of the way through it. It doesn’t spoil the moment, but they certainly don’t show it any respect. 

After these two shorter songs, we get something substantial with Prince’s “God.” On record I like it, in the live context, although it sounds good, it never quite works. The opening stanzas are a little too ponderous for an amped-up crowd, and in this case, even at home, I feel like I am just waiting for something, anything, to happen. The audience recording though is pretty good, and Prince’s spoken words in the midsection are well-recorded and seem to again connect with the crowd, that is if the screams are anything to go by. 

I had hoped for a longer version of “Computer Blue,” but instead Prince gives me a fiery intense four-minute version that razes everything to the ground. It is a scorched earth rendition and Prince and the band burn with an incandescent rage from start to finish, something I fully approve of. 

 

Prince concerts are often about contrasts, and “Darling Nikki” is certainly that, coming hard on the heels of “Computer Blue.” As always it is a crowd-pleaser, and even though the first twenty minutes of this recording have been full of audience screams, they still find it in themselves to scream louder. At times it does sound almost like Beatlemania, but things quieten for Dr. Fink’s off-the-wall solo, he is easily the highlight of these few minutes. 

After listening to “The Beautiful Ones” throughout Prince's career, I am always knocked out by how great it sounded in 1984/85. It is a great song, but at this time it is right for the moment, and it’s right for Prince. Afterwards, it always had too much associated with it, but here is the perfect moment in time, and it is simply glorious. The audience recording is superb, and even though the audience is with us every step of the way it still sounds divine as if Prince is channeling it from a higher plane. It is a lengthy performance, but it feels all too short as Prince howls, screams, and emotes his way through the entire six minutes. 

 

“When Doves Cry” is one of the main pillars of the show, and it is given a respectful amount of time accordingly. The recording, while good, isn’t quite good enough for my tastes. The bass, and general power of the band, are diluted. Under normal circumstances, I would say this recording is great (there is no distortion or muffle), but for these few minutes, I wish it was even better. Wendy’s impassioned guitar break snaps through any thoughts about the recording though, and at the end of the day the music wins through with Prince’s sheer willpower and conviction in the music he is playing. 

The best part of the recording is “I Would Die 4 U,” with Prince’s vocals crystal clear from the very start. The song shines in this context and after the previous intensity of “When Doves Cry” it is pure sunlight. As always it is short and bright, and it is a song that I have come to appreciate a lot more over the years. The final couple of minutes become looser as it becomes pure groove, and I can’t help but fall in love with Wendy a little more as her guitar rings out. 

 

It is only the tour's second show, but “Baby I’m A Star” is already a behemoth, The Revolution riding Prince’s energy with their own vitality and animated style. It doesn’t reach the same level as some of the unhinged jams later in the tour, but the essential elements are all in place as it twists and turns through a maze of solos, brief musical thoughts, and throw-away riffs. For all the ups and downs, it stays surprisingly focused, and there is a crispness to the performance that makes it all the more captivating. The solo bestowed upon it by Prince is noteworthy, but my player of the day award goes to Brown Mark and Wendy, who heightens the level of funkiness present with their inspired playing. 

It is still the epic high point of the show, but “Purple Rain” doesn’t scale the same heady heights heard later in the tour. The animalistic snort of guitar in the introduction bodes well, but the rest of the song is still by the numbers. I don’t say that as a negative, this is “Purple Rain” played on the Purple Rain tour, and as such it has a majestic and regal aura of purple about it as Prince guides us through his most beloved song. Thirteen minutes is short by “Purple Rain” standards, but Prince has all the key milestones in place throughout the song (you can practically check them off as the song progresses) and anyone here for the Purple Rain album experience would leave happy. Even though this concert recording is short, it feels like we have come a long way since “Do Me, Baby,” and with “Purple Rain” it does feel like the end of a journey. 

 

This audience recording was much better than I expected, and even though there was some audience talking early on, the music was still the key feature and remained at the forefront of the sound.  The Purple Rain tour is well covered in the world of bootlegs, being the breakthrough tour that it was, but not many of them are as good as the recording we have here. It is short, but that works in its favor and the concert plunges through the Purple Rain album. Don’t be put off by the audience recording, this is still worth hearing.