Johanneshov 22 August 1986

 Was there ever a bad show on the Parade tour? Maybe, but this one certainly isn’t it. Today I return to one of my favorite tours- The Parade tour and take a listen to a recording from the Swedish concert. This is a fairly well-known recording, it is available in video and audio, and one that I know many people enjoy – myself included. My two go-to shows from this tour are the warm-up show at First Ave, and the Cobo birthday show, but this one is a close third place behind those two. So, let’s sit back and enjoy what we have here.

22 August, 1986, Johanneshov, Sweden

The classic “Please welcome Prince and The Revolution” begins the show, while the band plays the beginning of “Around The World In a Day” in darkness. There is plenty to enjoy in the music at the beginning, lots of different instruments to pick out and enjoy, and these senses are heightened by the fact the band is playing behind a curtain. I do like this song a lot and don’t really know what to expect from a live version, and the first thing that grabs me is the wonderful sound of Prince's voice. It has a well-rounded and warm sound to it and contrasts nicely with some of the instrumentation in the background. The rest of the band joins and the song starts proper, but after a minute of some great bass work and fanfares from the band, we move into “Christopher Tracey’s Parade.”

 

There is some guitar work on the left at the start of the “Christopher Tracey’s Parade” that seems a little out of place, but overall the sound and the texture of the song are just wonderful. I especially like the keyboards playing after the first verse. Lisa is playing some great stuff as well as providing backing vocals to Prince. In the second half of the song the band moves up a gear and Prince takes his first break at the organ. He doesn’t play anything mind-blowing, but the organ adds more warmth and fullness before we move without pause to the next song.

“New Position” sounds very full and colorful here in comparison to what we hear on the album. The horns play some nice wiggly lines, and the rest of the band fills out the song much more. In particular, I can hear the guitar much more on this number. The song ends naturally enough with a flourish from the horns before the tempo changes.

“I Wonder U” is quite a change from what we have just heard and the atmosphere of the recording changes with it. Here it’s again the keyboards I enjoy most, although the singing from Wendy is fine enough, it’s not a showstopper. Atlanta Bliss on the trumpet though, now that is a nice touch. He plays a break that sounds shaky but is very good. Already it’s my favorite moment of the first ten minutes of the show.

Prince asks if we are ready to rock and roll before the horns introduce “Raspberry Beret” with a flourish. Prince uses the song to encourage the audience to clap their hands and sing. He sings most of it, which has me a little surprised as I expected he would leave it mostly to the crowd. The song sounds good enough, but I find that with verses cut out it does lack the charm of the storytelling original. Again Prince teases us with just a brief moment on the organ, before the song transitions into the next part of the show.

 

Prince does some cool-sounding vocals at the start of “Delirious,” and then the band joins in and we go racing off. The vocals at the start are well worth the few seconds they get, I can imagine him doing more with it like this, especially when he stretches his voice out. The rest of the song is a fun dance-along number, with plenty of time devoted to Prince and his backup dancers.

The funkometer goes up to ten next as the classic opening riff of “Controversy” begins. Always my favorite part of the Parade gigs, this is where the show starts for me. The song starts with plenty of funky guitars but the keyboard and horns also come in heavy and it’s a great funk sound. It could have derailed when Prince goes into his cigarette smoking routine, but things are saved when the next song starts.

Prince owns “Love Bizarre” in these live performances. The sound is funk yet still there is plenty of pop in there. The band and Prince deliver it all with such intensity, not just the music but also the performance. Wendy and Lisa sound great on the backing vocals, and the guitar playing is just as good too. There is a keyboard groove that keeps me moving, and I think groove is the perfect word to describe this song. The guitar and keyboard are relentless, and the horns add just a splash of color. Eric does get a solo moment, and he sounds as good as ever. Prince does encourage the crowd with “who’s house, Wendy’s house” and I want to sing along here at home. At one point the band drop out leaving just bass and drums, and I don’t need to reiterate, it’s so funky. ‘Stop on the one’ has Prince in bandleader mode, but he doesn’t play upon it too much, content to just sit back and let the band play. The song ends with Prince on the drum riser, and I wonder how he can top that.

 

Again the tempo drops, and Prince delivers a slow-burning classic rendition of “Do Me, Baby.” As always his vocal delivery is top shelf, but on this recording, it’s the backing vocals that I notice most. They are right behind him on the chorus and it’s perfectly complementary. Prince Wendy and Lisa do sound wonderful together, I can’t deny it. This is one of the better versions I have heard, Prince's vocals are very clean sounding on the recording, and I can hear every note and inflection in his voice. The horns playing give the song an extra push near the end, and add to the seductive nature of the song. When I started writing about this show I didn’t expect “Do Me, Baby” to be one of the highlights, but it is. The end of the song is breathtaking, and I don’t say that lightly, as Prince pulls the band back and sings as the crowd claps along. His lyrics sound excellent, and he throws in some appropriate screams and yells. He finishes up with the crowd singing with him. If the show ended right here I would be happy.

I still haven’t worked out why “How Much Is That Doggie” is on the setlist, but I easily forgive them when the brief instrumental of “Lady Cab Driver” is played. It's only seconds long but it's enough to remind me how much I love that song. The band moves easily onto “Automatic,” which is no bad thing as it also is a favorite of mine from the 1999 album. It is not as dark as it sounds on the album, on this recording, it's much more of a dance song, especially with all the horns thrown in, and Prince plays up this aspect for all its worth, with plenty of dancing throughout.

We stay with “1999” with a short but cool version of “D.M.S.R.” tacked on to the end. Again, it’s a medley version, with plenty of horns, so we don’t get to enjoy the fullness of it, but I know that as soon as I finish writing this I will be pulling out the 1999 album.

The simple keyboard riff of “When Doves Cry” is enough to get the crowd screaming. It’s played true to the album here, if anything it’s got an even more stripped-down sound, the beat that Prince sings over is very sparse sounding. Part of the beauty of this song is the sound of Prince's voice out alone in front of the music, and it is true in this case. It is very melancholy sounding, and even when the bass enters that feeling remains with me. But the best part is Wendy’s solo. The guitar tone is brilliant, and it’s got the sound of a lone instrument. The beat is still barren with just the occasional bass sound as she plays, and it’s a great rock moment. The full band enters soon after this point and the horns are finally heard, and sound oddly out of place on this recording, even though I have enjoyed them plenty on other occasions. The coda has the horns playing while Prince plays at the organ, and I warm to them at this stage, it could well be another song but the sound is fantastic.

 

This show gets better and better, I can’t believe how much I have gushed over it already, but still, it keeps delivering. Next, we have Prince alone at the piano, and instead of starting straight in on a song, we have a couple of minutes of him improvising. Even if he is just warming up it sounds great, and I could happily listen to it for much longer. He does start to play “Under The Cherry Moon,” and I am even happier. Just the sound of his vocals and the piano are perfect and it seals the deal for me- this show is one of the greats. Prince and the piano are backed very well by some other keyboard work, but it's never intrusive and Prince still has plenty of time to play his piano parts.

My favorite song from the Parade album is “Anotherloverholenyohead,” and to hear it now with this band on this tour, well it doesn’t get much better. Lisa and Prince sound great, I was expecting to be writing about Eric Leeds, but it’s the girl’s voices that get my attention first. Eric Leeds and Atlanta Bliss do get their moment later in the song, and as you might expect they live up to their billing. Everybody seems to chime in for their part in this song, and Prince introduces Lisa as we get a long break of her piano playing. There are some great chords, and some fast delicate playing as well, and I can’t speak of it highly enough. In a show packed full of highlights, this is yet another one.

 

“17 Days” is another song that we need to hear more of. The bass line on this recording is nice and strong, and the full band makes for a much fuller sound than we hear on the record. Like everything it’s a compromise, we lose some of the morose feelings of the original, but there are so many more great things to listen to here. The horns take over as Prince engages with the audience, and throws bundles of flowers to the fans. The groove gets deeper and darker as the song goes along, and Prince gives us some organ play which fills out the sound a lot.

 

“I hate rock n roll, who wants some head?” and the nasty part of the show begins. “Head” has a nice intro, moving from bare rhythm guitar to dirty horn stabs. “Head” is dirty by name and dirty by nature. I can hear the guitar lines on this one very well, and they lay a nice layer over which the horns and keyboard stabs play. Any show that has “Head” in it usually has me writing that it was a highlight. I am reluctant to say that, with a show packed with highlights, but it is the moment when I most wanted to put down my laptop and enjoy the music. Dr. Finks's solo sounds great, it’s a little different sounding than I am used to but still has me listening intently. The song breaks down to a nice long jam, and Prince calls for Bobby Z who lays down a nice snare beat. I was waiting for Prince to take his time and dance for much longer but instead, he returns to the organ for another break before he starts dancing again. Head gets the full treatment, it's drawn right out, lots of audience interplay, and Prince playing band leader. He breaks into his electric man routine as he lies on the floor, which would be great if I hadn’t seen it so much already. But as he calls for Booby to hit him with the snare I’m back on board. The band is on fire and of the whole show, this is the performance I enjoy most from them. There is a little bit of everything. Prince even picks up a guitar to deliver some suitable dirty guitar to the proceedings, then walks off the stage as he finishes his guitar break and the band plays us out in the darkness.

 

The tone is lightened again as the band strikes up “Pop Life.” Live it sounds just as joyous as it does on record, and it starts with Prince singing “Life it ain’t too funky, life it ain’t too funky” The rest of the song follows as heard on record, the main difference is that Prince's vocals sound much stronger, and the keyboard riff is more to the fore. It does have a great live sound, Prince's vocals are a little ragged, but it still has that pop. It is also nice to hear Eric Leeds playing the flute solo live, a nice little touch that I didn’t expect. There aren’t any surprises musically or performance-wise in the song, it does exactly what you would expect from the title. Prince does try for an audience sing-along before the end, but it doesn’t go anywhere and the song ends at this point.

“Girls and Boys” sounds funky, but lacks the deep funky sound I associate it with. But I am in no way criticizing it, I enjoy this performance a lot. As with the last song, it seems to gain an extra emphasis from the raggedness in Prince's voice. He’s never rough sounding, but it does sound a little more throaty than earlier in the show. The best part for me is near the end when Prince lays down his spoken part. It sounds so strong and funky and for me, it’s a great way to end the song.

The band keeps up the pace with a quick segue into “Life Can Be So Nice.” There is plenty of sound on this, but it's kind of hard to pick out all the instrumentation, the mix is such that at a couple of points there is too much sound to digest. I love it for this, it’s an ambitious live song, and once again I find myself in awe of The Revolution. The second half of the song is where the groove goes, and as is so often it has that sound that The Revolution might just play on like this for days. However, the song does fade to a halt with The Revolution singing the main refrain over and over.

“1999” sounds so good, it feels that this band could sleepwalk through it and it would still sound great. There is just a touch of horns in it, rather than the full-on horn treatment it receives in later years, and it still has that synthesized 1999 sound. With all the band members and dancers from the Parade era Revolution I wonder how far they will push the party time coda, but it’s played straight and doesn’t outstay its welcome.

 

There is a break for perhaps a minute after this. A chance for us to collect our breath before “Mountains” begins. “Mountains” sounds great right from the start, there is a nice deep organ sound that can be heard underneath at the start of the song before Prince starts singing. The song doesn’t deviate too far from the original, but it’s great to hear it live. Especially Wendy’s guitar seems to sound more funky and raw live, and overall more organic sound. If I had any complaint about this song, it would be that it seemed to go by in a flash, but every moment was a joy.

The arrangement of “Kiss” on this recording is also very cool. The main riff is played on the keyboard, and the guitar only has a very low-key presence throughout the song. The horns start the solo, and they sound sharp before Wendy plays her solo, and the guitar comes to the fore for the rest of the song. As much as I love Wendy, I would have to say it was the first half of the song I preferred more, the sound of the keyboard playing the main riff was very cool to my ears. That said, the last 30 seconds with just the bare sound of Wendy’s and Mikos's guitar has me reconsidering my words. They both have different sounds, but at the end of this one, they sound great together. It is 30 seconds that I could listen to for hours.

 

A single spotlight on Wendy playing guitar takes us into “Purple Rain.” The introduction is very short, Wendy plays the opening chords only once before Prince starts singing immediately. I have heard plenty of drawn-out introductions, so this one is a nice change. Prince doesn’t push his vocals too hard, and the keyboards sound way too loud compared to everything else – at least in the first verse, but again it’s not a bad thing. Another thing I notice about the mix, the girl’s voices are very loud and clear. It’s a good thing, I can easily hear how well they work together. There are no surprises in the guitar solo, but I had a good few minutes playing air guitar along with it, so it’s just as enjoyable as any other I have heard. He does play it for all he can, so we do get a nice long rendition. There seems to be very little crowd singing along with it, but this may be a reflection on the recording, rather than the audience at the concert. There is a good 5-6 minutes of guitar to close out the show, and it’s nice to see him with his guitar again in a show that seems to have a touch of everything.

I love Parade shows. This one doesn’t offer up too much when you see the setlist, the setlist is average, but the show is anything but. The performances are what make this one so good, both musically and visually. It's well worth listening to if you want a reminder of just how great The Revolution were, they were all outstanding. This one is a great document of the Parade tour and is essential for any collection

New York 3 August 1986

 

Is the 1986 Hit N Run tour well represented by bootlegs? Are all the shows similar? Do I need to hear another one? The answer is you bet! (More importantly, should I be opening this post with rhetorical questions? All apologies to my high school English teacher). Yes, it is true that we already have several 1986 soundboard recordings, but as far as I’m concerned, too much is never enough. So it is with great joy that I am listening to the latest in our catalog of soundboard recordings, the second night of two that Prince played at Madison Square Garden in 1986. There is nothing here that we haven’t heard before but is always nice to wallow in the music of Prince when he was at the peak of his powers, a timely reminder that he was the little giant of the music world through the 1980s.

3rd August 1986, Madison Square Garden, New York

As is typical, the recording begins with a rendition of “Around The World In A Day” that gives us an indication of the quality of the recording from the start, a soundboard that has a nice stereo sound that grabs me as I listen on the headphones. The song is short. It is a bright start to the concert, but it doesn’t explode out of the gates as I have heard at other concerts.

There is a balance to “Christopher Tracy’s Parade,” with each player holding the music and song in an equilibrium. The quality of the recording is key, in this case, I rejoice in being able to pick out each part and break down the song into its constituents. The horns and guitar are the two that battle most for my attention, they are worthy contenders and each adds a different flavor to a song that pulls many ingredients together into a tasty dish.

 

The sound is almost too easy and smooth, “New Position” becomes undemanding in this light and lacks some of the funky punch that I have come to associate with it. While still being a cool moment, it doesn’t quite live up to all that it promises on record.

“I Wonder U” stands out among these early tracks, the horns in particular seem to take on a life of their own, and they add an eerily uneasiness to a song that I am perhaps overly familiar with. I want to give Wendy more praise in this case, but it is the horns that leap off the page and make this performance unique.

I can understand why Prince has the audience sing along with him, after all singing the songs you love with the performer you adore is a big part of going to a concert, but on bootlegs, it becomes a flat moment, and in this case it is no different as Prince leaves gaps throughout “Raspberry Beret” for the audience to sing, making for an uneven experience for us listening here at home. However, it is short, and the inner enthusiasm of the song itself can never be dampened.

 

There is unhinged energy to “Delirious” that picks up where “Raspberry Beret” left off, and although it is even shorter (barely a minute) it does garner a loud cheer from the crowd.

My favorite part of Parade shows is always the “Controversy/Mutiny” section, and here is no different as Wendy and Miko roll out the funky red carpet with their twin guitar strands before Jerome lives up to his role as a hype man and he does, in this case, have me hyped up. If you have a chair, now is the moment to stand on it and lose yourself in the music as Prince and the band turn everything up to eleven. “Mutiny” doesn’t quite have the deep groove that I crave so dearly, the organ doesn’t have the same juggernaut drive that I have come to expect,  but I care not one jot as I play the game and crank everything I have up as far as it goes. At this level, Eric Leeds is almost deafening as a cacophony of sound explodes from his horn, the world seemingly spinning backward as he plays. As a funky jam, things don’t get much better than this, and it's all I can do from weeping with pure unadulterated joy and love of the groove.

 

“Do Me, Baby” doesn’t put out the fire, but it does turn it into a smolder that burns with a different sort of intensity. It can’t be compared to the preceding song, but it is every bit as good and has me feeling just as hot as it plays. No doubt many women in the audience feel the same way, and the song is punctuated by howls and screams of delight. I would be the same had I been there if only I wasn’t so repressed. Make no mistake, this is just as much a pillar of the show as “Controversy/Mutiny”

I’m still coming down as Prince glides through “How Much Is That Doggie In The Window” and “Lady Cab Driver.” My interest is piqued again with the introduction of “Automatic,” although hearing it in this case only makes me wish he had played longer versions, and over more tours.

“D.M.S.R” has a rip-roaring start, the scream by Lisa cutting through everything with its sheer animistic power, and that only heightens the letdown as Prince quickly ditches the song to move onto more fertile fields.

It’s not usual for “When Doves Cry” to sound barren, in this case, it is even more so as Prince plays one of the driest versions I have heard. There is no escaping the heat he generates, the sound offering nothing soft or fluid, just the driest of drum sounds as Prince sketches out his lonely world. It is Wendy that rains on this parade as her guitar pours the emotion and colors that the song was previously lacking, her playing sounding all the more fearsome for the sparse soundscape behind her.

 

The sweet piano of “Under The Cherry Moon” has me far more enraptured than the vocal delivery of Prince. While the piano speaks of other worldliness and baroque psychedelia, Prince's vocals pull me back to Madison Square Garden and the here and now. The stereo of the recording heightens this uneasiness that I feel and the song leaves me with a raft of conflicting emotions.

The straightforwardness of “Anotherloverholenyohead” speaks to me in a way that “Under The Cherry Moon” does not. Some funk and rhythm that I can move to, Wendy still manages to insert some of the sound of the previous song in with her wonderful jazz-sounding piano solo, and as always this is the most fascinating part of the song. Here even more so as she stretches right out and fills the midsection of the song with a solo that is full of her personality and character.

The jump to “Soft And Wet” is abrupt, the ending of the previous song apparently snipped. It makes for an uncomfortable bedfellow next to “Anotherloverholenyohead,” but nevertheless is a pop moment in a concert that would have challenged a purely pop audience thus far. “I Wanna Be Your Lover” covers the same territory, its slabs of poppy chords emanating from the keyboards and hammering the audience over the head with a Top 40 sound. At this point listening to the concert again moves from a cerebral exercise to a pure celebration of music.

Prince teases with “Head,” and then fails to deliver. After hearing some outstanding versions of this at other shows, in this case, it is all talk and no trousers. Instead of an intense slow burn, we get some of the main riff, before Prince interrupts for some audience chanting. I can’t complain too much about it, this show has already given me plenty in other ways.

There is an extra spring in the step of “Pop Life,” to my (admittedly poor) ears it is a tad too fast, and the bass skips and jumps rather than bounces through the song. It still takes me to a happy place, even if I do have to sing slightly faster to keep up. And Prince’s comment “Who let that bird in” as Eric plays sums up what I have always felt about that solo, it does sound like a bird in early spring just taken flight.

 

The sass and slip of “Girls And Boys” is clearly heard in the separated stereo sound, the groove coming in one ear while Eric Leeds gives me plenty of attitude in the other.  Taking both together, the song becomes an entirely Revolution performance, Prince’s vocals almost secondary to the band. The final moments cement this thought as they come together to drive the beat home in the last minute of the song.

There is something about the live performance of “Life Can Be So Nice” that doesn’t quite gel with me. Perhaps there is too much going on for me to properly hear in this case, and listening to this live performance has me wanting to dig out the album and give it a decent listen.

There is an unusual mix to “A Love Bizarre” and in the first minute, each instrument sounds almost separate in their playing. Things improve, and soon the music is restored to a truer sound, a cohesiveness and innately funky rendition of one of Prince’s most beloved ‘jam’ songs at the time. This one is no exception, with Shelia E. onboard, Prince drives the band through a ten-minute performance that carries all the funk you could wish for. I could compare him to funkateers of the past, but there is no point, Prince is unique in his ability to squeeze every drop of funk out of a pop song and turn it into a scorching worlds-end rendition. Even his shouts of “Who’s house, Wendy’s house” can’t deflect from the fact that all the funk is emanating from one power source, himself.

 

“Sometimes It Snows In April” is about as far from this funk fiesta as you can get. It does have its place at the show though and is the emotional core that grounds it all after such flights of fancy. Prince’s vocals can be heard echoing around the arena, and there is a very real sense that he has the audience eating out of the palm of his hand as he plays. In a show full of color and spectacle, this is a real moment that touches even the most cynical of hearts.

There is almost a ponderous plod to “Purple Rain” in the opening minute, but Prince makes amends with an invested emotional delivery that matches “Sometimes It Snows In April” for pure heart. Normally the emotion of “Purple Rain” bleeds through Prince’s guitar solo, in this case, he generates that feel from his vocals, and although the guitar does shriek and howl as expected, the real tears come with Prince’s singing. After a show of so many textures and genres, “Purple Rain” plays like a unifying rally call, and one last chance for the crowd, the band, and Prince, to sing together and share the moment. Even thirty years on it sounds like an epic finish that a concert such as this deserves.

I knew what to expect from this recording, and I thought that after overdosing so heavily on 1986 Prince in the past, perhaps in this case I would be immune to the temptations within. However, I am merely human and even with my jaded outlook on bootlegs, I still found myself entranced by the spell that Prince cast in 1986. There are other soundboards of 1986 in circulation, and every single one of them is essential. This one is no different, I urge you to hunt it out, it’s just as rewarding as any other you have heard. 1986 will never grow old to me, and with shows like this in circulation Prince will forever remain young.

Thanks for reading this far, and thanks to Mace2theO for providing the first-hand account of the concert below
-Hamish

Mace2theO:

I was at this show (and the day before). One of my main memories of this evening was when exiting MSG at the end, there was a large group of teenage girls crying like banshees, screaming “The m*th*r f*ck*er didn’t play ‘Kiss'”

Detroit 7 June 1986

 

The most famous of the Detroit shows circulating is undoubtedly the 1986 birthday concert from Cobo Arena. Professionally filmed and broadcast, I feel safe in saying that it is in most people's collections. A great performance, and a fantastic recording, it is one of the most well-known concerts in circulation. Not so well known is the audience recording of this show. A typical audience recording of the mid-80s, there is nothing remarkable about it asides from the fact that it records the whole show, a show that spans two hours in comparison to the aired version that clocks in just over an hour. What is missing is significant, and hearing it in this case makes the show a more well-rounded and even experience. The quality can’t be compared, this is another rough listen, but it shines a different light on this well-known show with songs such as “Purple Rain” and “A Love Bizarre” adding some weight to the short sharp songs that make up the rest of the concert.

7th June 1986. Cobo Arena, Detroit.

Like the previous Detroit concerts I have listened to, the audience is vocal and right in our ears from the first moments. “Around The World In A Day” doesn’t make any discernible sonic statement, apart from the fact that it is here the concert has started. With an energized Detroit crowd, the song clatters and dissolves into a morass of screams and cheers for our birthday boy.

There is more to be gained from “Christopher Tracy’s Parade” as the crowd settles and the recording becomes better balanced. With its chorus soaring skyward the song bursts into the sunlight and lifts the concert from the opening hubbub. As noisy as the recording is, the music emerges with a rugged charm that keeps me listening close.

 

“New Position” is where this audience recording differs from the broadcast version. Whereas the video of  “New Position” is the briefest of hooks before a long vamp into “Raspberry Beret,” this recording reveals it to be a breezy full-length rendition that leads neatly into “I Wonder U” – a song that doesn’t appear on the broadcast at all. It’s not a great bootleg moment, the sound is too poor, but it is interesting to note how seamlessly the TV production is put together so that this moment isn’t missed at all.

With the final vamp into “Raspberry Beret,” we return to what we are familiar with from the broadcast, a crowd-pleasing bubblegum rendition of the ever joyful “Raspberry Beret.” Some of that pop and fizz is missing from the audience recording, but one can hear the Detroit crowd lapping it up and reveling in the moment.

The appearance of “Alexa De Paris” would also be a revelation for someone who has only ever experienced the broadcast. The anguished cries of the guitar are nullified by the crowd chatter, with Prince absent from stage interest is waning somewhat, but it is still likable enough, albeit a tough listen.

The arrival of “Controversy” for me is similar to the arrival of Godzilla in the movies. Everyone and everything is forgotten as this funk monster wrecks havoc across the stage for the next few minutes. Although not as visually stimulating as the DVD, there is plenty of damage inflicted by the band in this battle for the groove, and initially, it is the twin guitar attack that has me salivating. It is longer than the video would have you believe, Prince engages the crowd in the first minutes with some chanting, and you know how well a Detroit crowd responds to that.  “Mutiny” in contrast doesn’t have the crushing weight you hear on the DVD, it is somewhat frustrating knowing how much better this sounds, but there is enough funk in the song to grease my ears right through until the end.

 

After the obligatory “Happy Birthday” and a swing through 1999 with “Lady Cab Driver,” “Automatic,” and “D.M.S.R” we receive another birthday gift from Prince in the form of “The Dance Electric” – featuring Andre Cymone. The recording may be less than stellar, but the next few minutes are electrifying as the Revolution coat the song in their brand of purple funk, and with Andre Cymone in the mix, it becomes a highlight of the recording. On a better recording, I would be raving about this for days, as it is the recording can’t come close to the moment, making the song a frustrating listen with the thought “this could be so much better” bouncing around my brain. The recording only really catches the guitar solo well, the rest is what one expects from a 1980’s audience recording, just too much other noise.

Like so many other of these great songs, “Under The Cherry Moon” also failed to make it to the broadcast. A shame, as its delicate nature is preserved remarkably well on the recording. In many ways it sounds better than the preceding “Dance Electric” and Prince’s light touch across the keys is just as important as the insistent groove of the previous song.  All too short, yet just as important as anything that is heard from the evening.

We get a little extra squeezed from “Anotherloverholenyohead” with an extra piece heard after the false ending. The quality remains as per the rest of the recording, but again it is nice to hear the song as it was supposed to be heard.

“Soft And Wet” and “I Wanna Be Your Lover” glisten in nostalgia, both have a brightness to them that light up the murky recording. It is again the Detroit crowd that carries the song, making for a typical live performance with a lively response to Prince himself. Familiarity certainly helps the songs in this case, and I easily hear past any problems with the recording.

I have heard “Head” countless times, and it is still Dr. Fink’s solo that excites me. Here it is just as weird and wonderful as you might expect, but the real “ohhs” and “ahhhs” are saved for Prince’s slow-burning performance later in the song. As he smolders and smokes the music slows to a crawl, while the intensity burns brightly through the recording. The music slowly sinks into the darkness, taking Prince and the audience with it in the final minute, capping off a spectacular 10 minutes that the recording just doesn’t do justice to.

 

The extended break before “Pop Life” gives us far more time to soak in what we have just heard, rather than jumping straight in as we do on the broadcast. When “Pop Life” does arrive, the recording steals the pop from it. It’s not flat sounding, but it is close to it. For all the extras we gain from the audience recording, it can’t compare to the soundboard, and this is the perfect example. A song we know crackles and fizzes on the soundboard, instead it sounds damp and soft.

I am far more enthused for “Girls And Boys,” a song that reeks of funk from start to finish. With Eric Leeds on board, the song stretches out further sonically, and additional swirls of sound emanate from a keyboard which I daresay is Prince. It does lose its drive and energy towards the end, but by the time it has wound down, it has already delivered enough to satisfy.

This is the business end of the gig, and following on from the seven minutes of “Girls And Boys” is a five-minute rendition of “Life Can Be So Nice” that sounds much longer than it is. The pop is all loaded at the front end, and it is the back section that contains the real interest as the band transition through a series of moods and breaks. Eric’s slow drawl of a sax solo is the highlight for me, although it does make me wish for a quality recording.

There is a shaky start to “Purple Rain” as the recording briefly trembles before its majestic weight, and just as it looks like it may improve into one of the most touching moments of the recording the audience arrives with their contribution – obliterating any sense of elegance, but certainly giving it an emotional charge. Prince’s opening guitar stanza contains a restrained power, one can feel it tugging at the leash, but it is soon enough swept aside by Prince’s vocals and the shrieks of the crowd. The vocals are too much for the recording unfortunately, they do have a push it to point of distortion, and the rest of the song fares no better as it is well and truly buried until the unrestrained pleasure of the Detroit crowd.  The final release of the guitar solo does nothing to quell this passion, and we end with Prince and the crowd both in the throes of an intensely symbiotic relationship.

 

“Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On” is a quick fire romp before normal service resumes with “Mountains.”  “Mountains” is too ornate and busy for this recording and all the colors are lost to the tape. The rhythm stays strong with us though, and that drives the song for the minutes that it plays.

Sheila E’s appearance for “A Love Bizarre” is no doubt another highlight, and another lost opportunity as the recording doesn’t live up to the moment. There are several things in its favor however, the extended jam differs from the widely known performance from Sheila’s San Francisco concert. It is far more music-oriented and has an intensity that burns at its very core keeping the song a flame from start to finish. In this form, I prefer it to the more widely known video, but again with this recording, well, perhaps not so much.

 

We return to the video version with the performance of “Kiss.” Although it has a long run time, it’s not the same as the intensive workouts of the earlier songs and serves only as a smooth cruise to the finish. The final coda gets more attention in this case, there are no distracting visuals, and we can fully appreciate the music. It’s an easy finish to a concert that encapsulated all that was great in 1986, albeit not in perfect quality.

The Detroit birthday concert will always rate highly among the Prince fan community, the quality of the material, show, and broadcast all make for a spectacular bootleg. This audience recording rounds out that bootleg with the missing pieces, but in this quality, it doesn’t add much. We know what is missing, and hearing it on an audience recording doesn’t give the concert any more shine and sparkle. An interesting bootleg for the collectors, for those that prefer soundboards and visuals I recommend you stick to what you know and love.

San Francisco 23 May 1986

 

I am happy to say I have finished work for the year now, and I am looking forward to three weeks of relaxation. The summer is hot, the beer is cold, and I have more time to listen to some of the longer shows in my collection. Today I am going to take a listen to the longest show in circulation from 1986, a show from the Warfield Theatre, San Francisco. The shows from this year follow a formula, and this one differs in the inclusion of a couple of interesting moments. “♥ or $” is in the show, which is always good to hear, and we have a long version of America, something I am looking forward to hearing very much. Also, the appearance of Andre Cymone playing “Dance Electric” gives this show a buzz and adds another good reason for me to sit down and give it a listen.

23 May 1986. Warfield Theatre, San Francisco

No surprise at all as the show opens with “Around The World In A Day.” What I immediately like about it is the noise and passion of the crowd. There is a great roar as Prince is introduced, and some immediate chanting, which helps me create a virtual concert in my mind. However the recording is an OK audience recording, and at first, doesn’t sound great on my speakers. I switch to my headphones and it becomes much fuller and I am rewarded right away with the band playing up to their impeccable standards.

“Christopher Tracy’s Parade” doesn’t have me quite as enthralled. The vocals aren’t as tight as I would like, and some of the momentum of the previous song is lost. I do like the bass I hear later in the song, and Prince engages the audience with some hand waving near the end which sounds like fun. Unfortunately, the sound quality drops off a little at this stage too, which leaves me feeling disappointed and underwhelmed at the end of the song.

The drums and bass are the best things in “New Position.” The sound is still uneven on the recording, so I don’t get as much out of Prince’s vocals as I would like. The song is still very good though, and any problems I am having are definitely down to the taping rather than the show.

 

“I Wonder U” also has rather murky-sounding vocals.  I do like the vocal play between the singers, however, and the song is so short that I don’t have too much to complain about, or indeed praise.

Prince counts us off, and the band steamrolls into “Raspberry Beret.” With the crowd clapping and singing, it’s easy to overlook the sound quality. This song sounds light and easy every time, and there isn’t anything fancy required to get it across to the crowd. It does have its classic pop sound here, and Prince takes a minute near the end to do a little spiel to the crowd about a girl who is looking fine. There’s not anything more to it, and with a final fanfare, we move on.

“Alexa De Paris” is the best-sounding song so far, mostly because there are no vocals, and the recording does a far better job capturing the instruments rather than the singers. Prince always has a nice balance to his songs, and in this case, I really like how the horns offset the guitars. It’s a nice dynamic, and it's small things like this that I notice more and more as I listen to Prince.

The beat of “Controversy” begins, and as that funky guitar line starts I already know that this is going to be my favorite part of the recording. This feeling is heightened as Prince says “Frisco, tonight you’re mine” The introduction is just brilliant, with Prince telling the audience that tonight they are going to be Uptown, before having them do the Holly Rock chant. I turn the volume right up on this one and switch back to the speakers, but again I find it much better when I am listening with my headphones. The bass is great right before the breakdown, and what comes next is a highlight, as Prince stops the band as they segue into “Controversy” and introduces Miko Weaver to the crowd. He has him play just the guitar line, and this is what I have always wanted to hear most, just that great slippery guitar. Prince quietens Miko, and speaks to the crowd, asking about his suit, before Wendy starts her guitar line. Prince calls Miko to join and it’s just heavenly, it’s these spontaneous moments that make live recordings worth listening to. A few more Holly Rock chants and we kick back into “Controversy” proper.

 

The good times roll on as the band next plays “Mutiny.” Prince is feeling the funk now, and so am I here at home. I go to turn the volume up again, but I am already at maximum, and there is nothing more I can do but bob my head along with it and grin like an idiot. The groove is a monster, and Eric Leeds puts his mark all over it. I don’t know if Prince is pulling his funk face, but I certainly am as the song gets better and better. Eric’s breakdown seems to go on for an age, the band stops, and just Eric and the chanting of the backing singers are heard. It is hot, oh so HOT. Prince is in fine form, stopping the band and asking Jerome “What you wanna do” and then letting the band loose, cutting him off just as he begins to answer. It’s funny, funky, and great to listen to. Prince drops in the chorus of “Dream Factory,” giving us a little treat, especially 30 years on and we know the full story. Even the outro gets the full treatment, with the band winding down for a good minute with the horn riff. The last ten minutes have been magnificent, and if the show ended right now I would be more than satisfied.

“How Much Is That Doggie In The Window” seems a strange choice, but it segues beautifully into “Lady Cab Driver.” It’s a shame we don’t get to hear “Lady Cab Driver” in all its glory, but this show is already so crammed full that I can’t complain in the slightest.

Automatic doesn’t have the ominous cold sound I normally associate with it. In this context, the horns lighten the feel of it, and it’s a good fit for the show. The song is kept short, with some horn vamps near the end to round it out.

 

I like the horns playing the intro of “D.M.S.R” and there is a fantastic scream just before Prince speaks the opening words. The song is shaping up to be another funky jam, but things become even better than I could imagine as Prince rather simply says “Ladies and Gentlemen, Andre Cymone”  as the beginning of “The Dance Electric” begins. I don’t know what I love more, the song itself, or the fact that Andre is playing it in the middle of this wonderful show. The song surpasses its novelty value, and I can’t express enough how good it sounds to hear. There is some flaming hot guitar sound, and the bass matches its intensity. To be honest, the band plays this to the hilt, and everyone holds the groove so tightly as the guitar is let loose. It's eye-watering good, and as soon as it finishes I hit the repeat button, several times.

After the intensity of “The Dance Electric,” “Under The Cherry Moon” is a nice contrast, and also a sign of how far Prince had come in his sound in just a few years. He is clearly at the top of his game here, to have the confidence to present a song like this straight after the funkfest we have had so far, and I applaud and admire him for that. The song works well as a break in the ferocity of the show and a chance for us to collect our breath. It’s also a chance for someone near the taper to find their seat, all beautifully recorded for prosperity (seat 7 for those who are interested).

The guitar whine that introduces “Anotherloverholenyohead” has me perked up, and Prince doesn’t disappoint at all, his vocals are perfect and I get the same feeling that I get every time I hear it on record. The intensity is back in the show, and I feel the song as much as I hear it. I love Eric Leeds and Atlantic Bliss for their contribution, and just as much I find myself listening to and enjoying the keyboard of Lisa. I am not sure if I am imagining it or not, but she seems to get longer to play, and I lap it up here at home. There is a false ending that throws me, Lisa plays a keyboard run that I expect the song to end with, but then she picks up again for another minute of playing as the chant continues “You need another lover, like you need a hole in the head”

 

What follows is a kicking beat that I can’t quite place, even as Prince tells us it’s a blast from the past. He puts me out of my misery as “Soft & Wet” is heard, and I am very happy to have it on the setlist. This setlist is light on pop songs, and this and “Raspberry Beret” carry the load in that respect. Dr. Finks's solo is mind-blowingly good, only half a minute it comes out of nowhere and floors me. I wait until my partner leaves the room and then I sing along for the last minute, it’s just too catchy to resist.

You wait all day for a pop song, and then two come along at once. “I Wanna Be Your Lover” is ever-youthful, and still sounds like a sunny day. I have long since forgotten about the quality of the recording, I am just enjoying these songs and this show too much. The bass and keys hit the groove in the latter part of the song, and I find this just as enjoyable as the opening couple of minutes, and in addition, there is the realization of what song will follow- oh boy, I can’t wait.

The horns signal the beginning of “Head,” but something is missing. There doesn’t seem to be the nastiness and dirty sound to it that I expect. I may have spoken too soon, but Lisa’s vocals add the sound I am looking for, and paired with Dr. Fink they nail that old-school sound I am looking for. For the second time today, Dr. Fink delivers the goods, and I love the sound he gets out of his keyboard. The song progresses through to its “head, till you burn it” stage and Prince works the microphone like a pro with plenty of croons and squeals. Some of this good work is undone as Prince introduces the wooden leg, luckily I can’t see it and I just keep on listening to that slippery guitar sound underneath. Things get worse as I hear the word “oaktree”, but again the music is still strong and keeps things balanced. Things get very interesting as I hear Prince say “I wish Morris was here to see this, would he be mad or what” as he chops the oak tree down. I had never noticed that before, and I find it very interesting to hear.

 

There is an interlude as the keyboard plays and Prince addresses the crowd, before a very cool-sounding “Pop Life” follows. The keys sound laid back, and Prince’s delivery is equally relaxed sounding. The song still has its pop, and I enjoy hearing the girl’s voices singing with Prince. Eric’s flute solo is very good, and the sharp sound goes well with the song. The bass isn’t as strong as I have heard on other recordings, but the song doesn’t seem any worse for it.

Another favorite of mine next with “Girls & Boys,” I don’t know what it is about this song, but I think it’s the quirky keyboard sound with the deep sax of Eric rubbing up against each other. I could enthuse about every member of the band here, but there is only one star, and that’s Eric. His signature sound drives the song, and I could easily listen to him play all day. Prince gives him space to play before coming back strongly with his vocals near the end of the songs. Yet again, I find I can’t help but sing along – I guess I really am a fan.

“Life Can Be So Nice” comes in a rush after “Girls & Boys” winds down. I can’t catch Prince’s vocals very well, and neither can I pick out some of the other band members. Things sound better in the chorus, the band pulls back and the recording sounds better, it’s only during the verses that the recording can’t match all the sounds that are there to be heard.

It’s untalked about in the fan community, but I find that “Purple Rain” is the odd man out at Prince shows, especially in a show such as this. There is no other song like it in the Prince canon, and its sound is completely different from anything else we have heard at this show. I find it strange that the most well-known song of Prince’s, indeed his signature song, is also the most unrepresentative of his sound. For all that, it is a song that I still enjoy, even after hearing it thousands of times live, and the version played here is pretty darn good. There is a long intro with Prince playing the soft lead, and although the beat sounds weak and thin on the recording, his guitar playing makes up for it. There is plenty of time for the crowd to get their “ooh, oohs” in before Prince begins to sing at the four-minute mark. Again, any issues with the recording are forgiven, as Prince delivers a sublime vocal performance. In particular, when he sings “I know, I know, I know times are changing” I can feel the weight and emotion in his voice, and I am sold on it. The guitar break picks up right where his vocals left off, and there is a flurry of guitar work in the middle that captures my imagination. By the time the song ends with the cascading keyboards, I am more than satisfied, and I can’t believe how much this show has given us already.

There is no time to dwell on that thought as the driving beat of “America” comes right in over top, and some furious guitar work from Prince opens the song. This show just keeps giving and giving, the first salvo from Prince is great before he hits the main riff, and Eric and the band come and drive the beat home. I have used the word intensity many times already, but it’s entirely appropriate, the band is playing everything with intensity, and this one is no exception.  I shake my head at how good this all is, we have Atlanta Bliss in the mix and some fiery guitar work from Prince. The band gets into the groove, and there are a few stops and starts from Prince as he puts them through their paces. He throws in some funky chants as they jam on it before a drum solo appears in the mix. It does peter out at this stage and comes to a rather limp finish.

“Whole Lotta Shakin’” is short and light, and doesn’t fire my enthusiasm. What I did enjoy though is when the song abruptly stops and Prince demands of Wendy “Wendy, what’s so funny?” The crowd begins to bark and Prince picks up on it and calls for a beat to be put to it – I like the casual way he calls Bobby Z “Bob”. I hadn’t expected to hear him call on the band in such a friendly manner. The band briefly jams and it turns into Holly Rock. This gets a much fuller treatment than Whole Lotta Shakin’ and they play it for a good four minutes. The bass work is tight, and Prince has the crowd barking along all through the song.

“Love Bizarre” starts very suddenly with Prince calling “A, B, C”. We can’t see what is happening on stage, but it is eliciting plenty of cheers and shouts from the crowd. Eric Leeds is to the fore, and his playing is on point throughout. The best part for me though is when Prince starts the chant “Whose house? Wendy’s house” and Wendy obliges with some great guitar work. Prince stops the band, and as the crowd cheers, Wendy calls “Yeah, wasn’t that great!” Prince starts to talk, and at first I think he is going to diss Wendy, instead he praises her to the sky. It's fantastic to hear him speak so highly of her, and I agree with everything he says.

 

It’s a tepid-sounding “Kiss” that follows, but I think we can blame the recording for that. The actual song is an extended version and has a classic long ending with plenty of funky guitar and groove. Wendy lives up to all the praise Prince has just given her, and along with Brown Mark, their sound holds it down for the latter portion of the song. There are plenty of horns and the rest of the band, but it is Wendy and Brown Mark holding it all down.

“♥ or $” closes the show, and it’s a great demonstration of how good this band is. Every member of the band can be heard doing their part, and without being individually showcased you can still hear the valuable contribution each member is making. I love the sound of the horns in the mix of this one, they are all scrambling over each other to be heard, and it gives it a little more energy. The song comes to a sudden halt and the show ends with applause and more barking from the crowd.

With the recent appearance of the (unofficial) 1986 boxset, these concerts have been at the front of my mind. The amazing part for me is, that not only did Prince play these amazing shows, but he also recorded and laid down a fantastic catalog of songs all in a single calendar year. It’s an unmatched achievement, and listening to these shows in that broader context is mind-blowing. This show, although not the greatest recording, is just as fantastic as anything else from this era. The warm-up show is always my favorite, but this one matches it in many ways. The setlist is great, and there are plenty of interesting bits as Prince acknowledges his past with the appearance of Andre, and also in his telling comments about Morris. Musically brilliant, historically interesting, and contextually essential, I have gushed about this show, and for good reason. Every show from 1986 is a must-listen, and this is one of them.