Paris 25 August 1986

 

After listening to some brilliant shows from the 1990s over the last few weeks, today I am going further back to that year of years, 1986. I have listened to many shows from 1986 already, so you might think there is nothing left to listen to that would be of interest. I have listened to some fine shows, that is true, but this particular show is of great interest as it is the live debut of “Its Gonna Be A Beautiful Night,” and the fact that it was recorded at this show and with the addition of overdubs is the version we all know so well from Sign O The Times. I have heard the song hundreds of times on Sign O The Times, and it gives me a thrill to hear it here in its untouched glory, The Revolution playing at its best. There is no one recording that does this show justice, so I am going to listen to a mixture of recordings. Firstly, a nice soundboard that covers 90% of the show, then an audience recording that covers the rest. In addition, I will also watch an audience video recording of the show, which doesn’t add much as it is quite hard on the eyes, but is still worth seeing at least once, if not for seeing The Revolution chewing up “Its Gonna Be A Beautiful Night.”

25th August 1986, Le Zenith Paris

As always the opening of “Around The World In A Day” starts behind the curtain, but once that curtain opens Prince and the Revolution are on fire. The first verse calls you in, but then the music takes off as Prince is revealed and the spotlights hit the stage. Brown Mark sounds great early on, and his bass has a cool rolling quality to it mid-song.

The horns that herald the beginning of “Christopher Tracey’s Parade” sound joyful in the extreme, and as Prince and Wendy sing there is a lovely summery feel to the show, and one expects that the whole evening will be an uplifting experience. It is bright and lively sounding, and I love the drum sound to it. Prince’s showmanship is excellent with some leaps and splits right from the start that sets the tone. However, the best moment is when he jumps behind the organ and starts playing, it’s so energetic sounding.

“New Position” stays with this bright sound with Wendy playing the steel drum adding a new dimension to the live show. The Purple Rain shows feel a million miles away as I watch Prince and the band work the stage, everyone seems to have an extra spring in their step. Three songs in and I am in love with 1986 all over again.

“I Wonder U” slows things down, and aside from highlighting Wendy on vocals we also get some cool sounds from Eric Leeds and Atlanta Bliss, as well as a fantastic guitar playing in my left ear. I don’t even know what to call this music, all I know is how much I get out of listening to it. For a couple of minutes, I don’t even mind that Prince isn’t on the stage.

 

Prince is well and truly back as a flurry of horns open up “Raspberry Beret.” This was all over the radio when I was a younger man, and age has not diminished its freshness to me. It is one of the great ‘pop’ songs, and Prince plays it with the spirit and youthfulness it deserves. Like all the best moments it comes and goes before I know it, but I still enjoy every fleeting second.

Prince is all over the stage and showboating as they play “Delirious” and I wonder how can he have so much energy. The first part of the song was cool, and it looks like Prince is about to play some organ, but then they swing into my favorite part of the show.

This version of The Revolution sounds great as they play “Controversy.” With the twin rhythm guitar of Wendy and Miko, they have a wonderful slippery funky sound, one that resonates in my ears all day long. “Controversy” is very short, before the segue into “Love Bizarre,” and I am perfectly happy with that as I know this medley so well, and it is usually the part of the show I skip to.

   

“Love Bizarre,” right from that first “A, B, A, B, C’ has the funk turned up to eleven. It’s in the sound of the guitars again, and until Eric Leeds appears this is what I listen to most. Eric Leeds's solo is different from how I remember it and infinitely enjoyable. However, the best bit comes next as Wendy and Miko stand back to back funking me up while Prince encourages the crowd to chant “Who’s house, Wendy’s house” The song goes off on an interesting tangent next with a bass-heavy groove leading us into Prince and the band stomping around the stage before, ugh, “the wooden leg”. Whatever my feelings for the wooden leg, the music is everything I could ever want and more, and it takes on a James Brown edge as the song comes to a close.

 

I can lean back and relax again as “Do Me, Baby” begins, although it doesn’t have the long beautiful intro that I usually look forward to. The intro is shorter, and Prince is into his singing right from the start. The music swells and rises behind him, I can’t deny it sounds good, but for me, it’s missing the wow factor that I have heard on other recordings. The small flourishes from Eric Leeds give it some extra shine, and these moments are a real high point for me, especially the little pieces I can hear him play as the song quietens. The last few minutes of the song are what make it for me, some of Prince's soft singing as the music twinkles and sparkles behind him, it’s divine.

 

A diversion next as “How Much Is That Doggie” leads us into the brief “Lady Cab Driver” which in itself quickly becomes “Automatic.” Compared to everything else in the show it's stripped back, and that works well for this part of the medley with the sound of the guitar and bass carrying us along. The rest of the band makes themselves heard in the chorus as it spins off into uncharted territories before settling on “D.M.S.R.” Wendy and Miko’s guitar sound once again sounds glorious in my ears. It is short-lived as we finally get a longer song.

 

“When Doves Cry” gets a bonus point in my book for being longer than the previous medley, and it’s played straight without too many extras in the sound. Like the other performances on the tour, it’s Wendy’s solo that gets all my attention and all my praise, she sounds amazing as her guitar comes hard and clear. As much as I love Prince’s vocals and performance, Wendy upstages him and it’s a wonderful moment. The intensity is ramped up as Prince climbs atop his piano to encourage the audience more, and the band responds with some great intense playing of their own. The last few minutes with Prince working away at the organ while the band plays on are sublime.

We come back to earth as Prince takes his time at the piano to play something a little more laid back. That something is the heavenly “Under The Cherry Moon,” a song completely at odds with all that has come before, and all the more powerful for it. The playing is lovely as is Prince’s vocal delivery, this time restrained and beautifully interweaving with the piano. No words can properly do this moment justice, it has to be heard and savour every note.

The sweet music is forgotten in an instant as the band strikes up another favorite of mine, “Anotherloverholenyohead.” Prince and Wendy’s vocals are tightly together in this song, and I am reminded of how well they worked together, not just playing but also singing. Other band members get their moments too, Atlanta Bliss and Eric Leeds play their piece before the band begins the long playout with Prince engaging the audience in some calls. Lisa is superb, her piano playing is light and bright and adds a sheen to the heavier bass sound of the song. It’s music that I find I have to listen to, you can’t let it slide by, and I find I enjoy every moment of the few minutes Lisa plays.

 

I had forgotten that “17 Days” was coming, and I am oh so pleased to hear it next, especially as I haven’t mentioned Brown Mark yet. He is in his element, and his sticky-sounding bass sucks me in. Prince tells the audience that they are recording the show, and I am only too happy to be enjoying the fruits of that thirty years later. The horns and guitar pick it up and run with it, and it becomes a groove that goes on and on. Prince starts to chant “Head, head” and I smile with anticipation.

Nasty Prince is definitely in the house as he tells the mothers in the crowd “Cover your daughter’s eyes” at the beginning of “Head.” I know we are in for a good one, as there is a pause before the horns start and the funky guitar plays through. Even when the horns come in, and the keyboard riff plays it’s still that guitar sound that stays with me. Head plays for ten minutes and I revel in every note of it, all of it deliciously dirty and funky. Dr. Fink’s solo is best summed up by Prince himself when he says “If you ain’t gonna do that to a synthesizer, then don’t play one” The long ‘burn it up’ sequence at the end is intense as Prince hurls his top into the crowd before engaging in some slick dance moves. Prince writhing on the floor singing "Electric Man" as the song sinks even deeper into the grimy funk is a fitting end. As far as I’m concerned it doesn’t get any better than this.

 

A shimmering sound comes like a glimmer of light in the darkness, and when “Pop Life” begins it’s like a door is suddenly opened and the show becomes uplifted and pure again. The pop of the bass is excellent, as are Prince’s crisp-sounding vocals. It’s in complete contrast to what we have just heard, I can only imagine Prince making such stylistic changes in a concert like this. Pop in sound, as well as name, Eric Leeds playing the flute, is the icing on top, and we come to a soft ending with the girls singing “Pop Life”

“Girls And Boys” has the crowd involved again, with Prince encouraging them to dance as the intro runs for a couple of wonderful minutes, the guitar, bass, and keyboards all interweaving and creating a colorful yet funky tapestry. Prince on the organ is the highlight as the intro plays, and he gives us a good couple of minutes here. The vocals are simply amazing when Prince is singing, the sound quality is just right on his vocals, and I feel like I am right there when he sings. I know I have been heavy with praise throughout this recording, and this song too has me floored – Eric is wonderful, Wendy’s vocals sweet, and the band is beyond words.

 

“Oh Honey, put your shirt back on,” Prince says as “Life Can Be So Nice,” and one can only speculate about what he was seeing from the stage. “Life Can Be So Nice” is full of sound and the band injects a lot of themselves into it. Bobby Z and Wendy are the heroes for me, Bobby gets a shout for his break, and Wendy’s vocals are all over this and heavy in my left ear. There is an awkward moment in the video when the stage is invaded by an audience member who knocks Prince over, but he recovers quickly and carries on very professionally.

“1999” is nice, in that it’s a beautiful-sounding recording, and the band plays it for the most part straight. The horns are an addition to what is heard on the album, but they aren’t overbearing and add just enough color. The guitar and vocals are very faithful to the album, and they are what I enjoy most in the performance. The “Mommy, why does everybody have a bomb” is playful and a nice way to finish the main show before we fade to darkness.

Now comes the moment I have been waiting for, the genesis of “It’s Gonna Be A Beautiful Night.” The single drum that begins is so familiar, yet also new and I know what is coming next as the horns play their refrain and the “ow, wee ow” chant begins. I don’t know what I was expecting, but for the most part, it does sound like it does on record. We do get Prince playing his organ which is cool, as is seeing Wendy play that guitar riff while stomping at the front of the stage. I greatly enjoy Brown Marks playing, as well as Eric Leeds, but I think the real highlight is watching the video and seeing The Revolution at its very best creating something that we will listen to for the next thirty years. The rap is missing, and instead, we get some wonderful bass, and a lot of crowd singing- in some ways I prefer it like this, it feels so real and natural. “Confusion” and a final horn blast close out what has been a wonderful ten minutes of my life.

 

“Mountains” comes on so quick, it’s like a breath of fresh air. The band looks and sounds incredibly relaxed, and in particular, I get a laugh when Prince rolls around on the piano. The coda is when things become more intense and when it finishes it seems the song has gone by in the blink of an eye.

“Kiss” has Prince stalking the front of the stage, shirt off and looking every inch the rock star. The song is tight, and there aren’t any real flourishes added to it. Of course, we get Prince dancing the wooden leg, but on the recording, it’s Wendy who is the star for me, her solo isn’t out of the box but it is excellent. It’s her guitar alone in the final moments of the song too, and it’s a fitting end before one final encore.

That encore is of course “Purple Rain,” and I am very happy to say that although the recording of it isn’t great, the song itself is just swell. A short intro before Prince starts singing, and the crowd is very vocal as he reaches the chorus. He sings it all the way, and we get every verse before the sweeping, epic guitar solo. It builds up well, and the notes come furiously fast right before the crowds “ooww oh ooowww”, and he keeps on playing as they sing. The song ends not long after this, but we do have a couple of minutes of the strings to cushion our fall back to earth.

 

Over the last few years, I have run out of words for the shows from the Parade Tour. This one is yet another fantastic one in the canon of shows from that year, and to see “It’s Gonna Be A Beautiful Night” brought to life right on the spot was beyond words. There was something magical in the air that night, and all these recordings catch some of that in one way or another. None of them are perfect but I am pleased we have some sort of record from that night. Here’s hoping in the future something better will surface that can truly do this show justice.

Paris 24 August 1986

 

How does this sound for a set list?

I Can’t Get Next To You
Love Or $
Purple House
An Honest Man
Strange Relationship
Last Heart
Head
Anotherloverholenyohead
Soul Power
Controversy
A Love Bizarre
Jazz Jam
Do Me, Baby
17 Days
Susannah’s Blues

Looks great, doesn’t it? And played by the Parade era Revolution. Oh, and did I mention that Prince’s father plays piano in the jazz jam? It’s beginning to look like one of the greats. There’s just one thing- it’s not a great recording. In fact, it’s decidedly average- plenty of distortion through the whole show. So, where do I stand on the quality of the show versus the quality of the recording? Is the trade-off worth it? For me it’s a definite “Yes”, but this one isn’t for the faint of heart.

24 August 1986 Le New Morning, Paris

Right off, the recording is distorting. The bass has an annoying buzz to it that I just can’t shake. It is an audience recording, and I certainly have heard a lot worse, but the constant distortion on the bass is a distraction. Prince and the rest of the band can be heard quite clearly, so it’s not all bad. The recording begins with the band playing a cover of “I Can’t Get Next To You.” It has a hypnotic beat and bass line, but I have to listen carefully past the bass and its buzz to catch the nuances of the song. Prince is sounding relaxed and playful and has the crowd with him early on. The verses sound fine with Prince and the girls backing him, and the choruses have him and the male voices which have a nice strong sound. Prince calls for Miko to play a lead break, and he plays a break that I enjoy. On a better recording, I would be raving about this, but it is what it is. Miko always has a great tone to his guitar, and here it’s a clean sound which I like. For I long time I underestimated Miko, but now I have come to admire his sound. The song returns to its steady blues sound, and Prince and the rest of the band blend in well together. I had expected this song to go on and on, so I’m caught off guard as it finishes at this point.

“♥ Or $” next and any reservations I had about the quality of the recording are forgotten. The band hits their straps on this one, and I get swept up along with it. They settle into the steady groove, and even with the distortion, they sound sharp. There is plenty of horns and sax, and I can hear the crowd cheer, as I am doing here at home. The band sounds tight, and yet Prince and the horns sound nice and loose, and there is an air of anticipation that is heightened when Prince threatens “we about to get funky in here”. He is as good as his word as he unleashes Eric Leeds, and as a lifelong fan of Eric, I am deliriously happy. There is a funky little guitar line too, you have to listen hard to hear it, and it adds a little more funk to Eric’s horn. There is very little in the way of singing, just plenty of Eric and groove. The song ends with the girls giving a sharp “love” as the crowd shows its appreciation.

 

 

The first live performance of Jimi Hendrix’s “Red House” (appropriately re-titled as Purple House) follows next as we swing back to the blues. Prince claims the song in the first line as he sings “There’s a Purple house yonder” The distortion isn’t too bad, it’s unfortunate that it does hide some of Prince's vocals. The song isn’t as guitar-heavy as I thought it may have been, Prince gives the singing plenty of attention before he begins his guitar playing about mid-song. There are some horn swells that round out Prince's guitar playing, and he doesn’t linger too long with his playing. I am two minds about this, I do love it when he plays, however, the song has a nice balanced sound as it’s played here, so I am more than happy with what I am hearing. Again it’s not stretched out or jammed on, and the band is still pretty uptight.

What attracted me most to this recording is the setlist, and what we have next is another treat with Prince playing “An Honest Man.” With just him and the piano, he catches just the right side of vulnerable. I love hearing tracks like this, and this one is made even better by the fact that the distortion is absent now that the bass isn’t playing. Prince gives it some flourishes on the piano before he calls Eric and the two of them play together. I close my eyes and enjoy the moment. The recording isn’t perfect, but this is the reason I listen to bootlegs, rare moments that only happen once. The song ends with Prince crooning and a gentle twinkle on the piano before another special moment begins.

Next up is a steady beat that sounds very familiar, yet not quite as I know it. This is the first airing of one of my most beloved songs – “Strange Relationship.” It’s played slower, and is missing some of the energy of the finished product, and yet is fully formed pretty much as we know it. The intro is long and elastic before Prince starts singing the “do do do do” lines. Unfortunately, the distortion also makes a return, but I refuse to let that ruin this moment for me. At the slower pace, it lacks the funky dancing vibe, however, my head still bobs along with it as it plays. This is very much a highlight for me, I love hearing this version and the horn lines give it an extra touch of class. There is a piano break that I am guessing is Prince, and at this point, I am cranking the volume way past 11, it’s just the sort of thing I want to hear, and it’s a real treat for me. Prince calls to Miko, but I can’t make out what he is saying, and I don’t hear Miko contributing anything sonically either. I give up trying the pick all the pieces and instead focus on Prince's piano and singing before Eric Leeds plays again and demands my attention. His solo here adds a lot to the song, and it does give it a completely different feel. The song stretches out past the seven-minute mark, and Prince begins to sing “Last Heart.” Oh boy, what a treat this is. The piano is prominent and after a few lines, Prince jams on it some more. As the song ends I am in heaven, despite the distortion this is amazing to listen to, I don’t know why I haven’t had this on constant rotation.

 

“Head” starts very quietly and builds to a steady groove.  There is no synth early on as the bass and the guitar build-up, the bass bobbing along while the guitar picks out a string of funky lines. The horns finally hit a stab and the snare cracks as the song suddenly comes into focus. There is a loud shout from the crowd, especially in my left ear, which both excites and irritates me. There is an interesting mix on this one, it's normal, bare the guitar which is playing a funky line that is very clear throughout. I enjoy it in this way and appreciate the different sound it brings. This is a favorite with the crowd, there is a lot of yelling and cheering as the song progresses. Prince asks if the crowd is having a good time as Atlanta Bliss plays a trumpet break, thus adding a further interesting dimension to the song. The song takes its usual twists and turns, and it’s the horns and the piano lines that I get the most satisfaction from. Prince has the crowd doing soul clap as Bobby puts a harder beat on it and the piano gets funkier and funkier. The song ends here with a final horn flourish and an appreciative audience.

The opening sound of “Anotherloveholeinyohead” has a very thin shaky sound, and the song picks up when the band comes on board. The distortion is again a distraction, and I am grateful that I can hear Prince and the band singing loudly which takes my attention from it. The crowd sings loudly and the funky levels certainly go up a notch, and that’s saying something coming on the heels of Head. The horn solos punch over the top of the distortion, and I am more pleased as just after this things briefly quieten and I can for a short time hear the band clearly. The recording fades out at this point, which is almost a relief after the distortion.

Next, we hear Price say “and for my next trick” as the band strikes up “Soul Power.”  This band is well suited to this James Brown groove, and the song is led by the guitar and an organ groove. I love grooving along to it here at home, and I am dangerously close to getting off my seat and dancing along to it. It’s given even more of a James Brown sound as Eric Leeds puts his trademark horn to it. His playing is quite frenetic, and it’s a shame that it’s kept relatively short. It’s not so bad as Prince leads the band through some chanting of ‘soul power’ before encouraging them to play faster. Later in the song, the bass becomes more loose and wild, and it’s something I would love to sing the praises of, if not for the distortion that comes with it. I start to grin as Prince gets the crowd singing “oohhhhhhh, shit!” I guess there is still a bit of a teenager in me. Prince plays with the crowd further by having them bark and meow for the last minute of the song. A lot of fun is had, and even though not much is happening musically it’s still good to listen to.

 

A very Parade era sounding “Controversy” follows next. There is that great pounding beat that starts it, while a funky rhythm guitar plays. The horns blast in, and I am immediately transported back. Prince runs through his lines easily enough, but as always it’s the music that I am listening closely to here. The song is kept short as per the Parade tour before a natural segue into “Love Bizarre.”

“A, B, A B C D!” is followed by a fantastic horn riff and a massive shout from the crowd. Excitement and energy levels are very high in the room, and this song goes over very well. The distortion levels also rise, which is disappointing. It’s not too bad in the choruses, but it does ruin the verses somewhat. The horns are nice and airy, and they come across well in the recording. Prince’s vocals are deep in the sound of the song, and I have to listen pretty hard to hear them. There is a respite from the extra noise when the band drops out as Prince and the ladies sing “Love Bizarre” before a glorious-sounding Eric Leeds plays with the organ behind him. Wendy also gets some shine next as Prince sings “whose house, Wendy’s house” over her rhythm. There is a break for Brown Mark to play, unfortunately, as it’s the bass that’s causing the distortion it’s not an easy listen. The band rumble at this point, the bass, and the drum hit that beautiful groove, and the band all fall in. This gives Prince a chance to do his best James Brown, and he gives plenty of screams, before working the band through a series of stops and starts.

When the song ends there is a loud cheer from the crowd before the recording takes a sudden cut to the middle of another song. It’s listed as “Jazzy Jam,” and that is a very apt title. It is only half a minute here, we are only catching the end of a song, but it is heavy on the sax and trumpet and does indeed have a Jazz sound to it.

“Do Me, Baby” is far more recognizable, and the arrangement played here is gorgeous. Prince elects not to sing, instead choosing to play the vocal melody on his guitar. It’s just as good as you might imagine, even with the quality of the recording. The melody is only the start point as Prince stretches it more and more out, before beginning to branch out on the guitar. The horns come in and ground it, and everything seems to click together just right. There is a breakdown mid-song when everything strips back, and it’s a nice opportunity to catch our breath. The horns again play a nice fat sound and fill the song out nicely. I rate this version highly, there is plenty here that I haven’t heard before. It is not until the six-minute mark do we finally hear Prince's voice, as he sings a series of “Do me baby, all night long”, before again playing some delicate guitar.

 

The tempo and mood are again uplifted as the band play “17 Days.”  Prince plays with the song a little, calling “bass and drums” only early on and just letting the rhythm carry it. A funky guitar is thrown into the mix, and the band plays this bare stripped sound for quite some time. Brown Mark is prominent, the song is grounded on his bass, and there is also a minute where we get to hear him play with a more loose sound. Prince does sing, later in the song, and it doesn’t sound quite as catchy as it did on record. He only sings a verse and a chorus before the horns play a delicious break that leaves me wishing I could have been there. Prince does call out to the band, again due to the recording I am unable to make out what he says. However the song does strip back for the guitar, and I love hearing that.

There is one final surprise as Prince calls a change and the band segues into “Susannah’s Blues.” It’s very loose, with Prince chatting to the crowd and introducing Miko. It’s just a gentle riff, and Prince scats a little before the piano plays a jazzy-sounding break. At this point, the recording fades and leaves me to consider what I have just heard.

This show is something extraordinary. I can’t state enough how brilliant the setlist is, so many interesting arrangements and rarities in there. Likewise, I can’t dismiss the fact that the recording itself is far from ideal, and something that the average fan would generally avoid. My overall thoughts are that the good points about this show are so brilliant that they do overshadow the poor-quality recording. In even slightly better sound this would be one that all Prince fans would be talking about, and even as it is it’s still a worthy boot.

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'”