Paisley Park 31 December 1987

 

As far as Prince bootlegs go, 1987 is a stellar year.  Starting with the Sign O The Times warm-up show at First Ave, through the tour itself, the excellent after shows of Le New Morning, Park café, and Fineline café, there is a good variety of shows available and some of them are of outstanding quality. The year 1987 is capped off with one more legendary boot, the New Year’s Paisley Park show, where the iconic Miles Davis joins Prince and the band onstage. Prince had experimented with jazz the previous two years, and one feels that having Miles on stage with him meant a lot to him and his art.  Miles doesn’t feature through the whole show, and the show itself isn’t as jazz-infused as some of the other shows that year, but it’s still great to see his interaction with Prince and the band onstage. The show is an interesting mix, there are some standard renditions as we had heard throughout the tour, but things get more interesting near the end as the band indulges in a long jam that incorporates all sorts of songs.  The recording is missing the first few songs which is unfortunate, but what we do get more than makes up for it.

31 December, 1987, Paisley Park.

   

I have been a little hard on Shelia E and her drum solos in previous posts, but this show jumps in just as she is beginning one of her solos, and to be fair it is very good. Maybe it’s because I can see her playing, and the passion and effort she puts into it.  We hear the very end of “Jack U Off” as the recording cuts in, and I assume it’s played very much as the Fineline Café gig I previously wrote about. The drum break starts slow, it almost has a soundcheck quality to it as she works her way around the kit. But then it does pick up pace as it goes along, and I especially love the sound the snare has on it. Just as the drum solo reaches its peak the sound of “Hot Thing” cuts in, but I think this is just an error, and it quickly stops as Shelia continues. There is a very passionate moment as she crashes away on the cymbals, forgoing sticks just to smash away with her hands. I love seeing that sort of thing, and it is the peak as the band rejoins for another quick refrain of “Jack U Off” led by Eric Leeds. The song concludes rather fittingly with the band gathered around the drum riser as Shelia drums the end.

 

Immediately after we do get “Hot Thing.” If you have seen the Sign O The Times movie then this one contains no surprises for you, as it is very faithful to what we have heard throughout the Sign O The Times tour. Prince engages in plenty of dancing and even rips off Cat’s dress as seen in the Sign O The Times movie. The band is sounding tight, there is not a loose moment in the whole song. I can’t get excited about it, it is much as I have heard before,  but the onstage fun with Cat and Prince is worthwhile and does brighten it up.

 

The bass line of “If I Was Your Girlfriend” sounds fantastic as it begins. This song is a masterpiece, and like all the best Prince performances he draws it out, milking every second. The intro with the drumbeat, hypnotic bass, and organ goes for a good few minutes, and I could listen to it all night long. Prince sings it looking very casual with one hand in the pocket, but his delivery is sublime. There is a nice sound to it, a little echo which lends it the lonely sound. Prince is full of character as he speaks the lines midsong about going to the movies etc, but he returns to his excellent singing voice without skipping a beat. Again, as per the Sign Of The Times movie, he picks out Cat midsong and lures her away. With the main focus removed I find myself enjoying Eric and Dr. Finks playing until it pulls back to the bare beat and the song finishes.

 

The organ refrain that begins “Let’s Go Crazy” is one that I always associate with this tour. As one keyboard holds a long sustained note, the other plays a sound that rocks back and forth. It's something I have heard between other songs about this time, and it's something I like. Prince then picks up his guitar and we get a traditional sounding “Let's Go Crazy.” The first half of it fails to connect with me, but Prince ditches the usual song about halfway and begins a long guitar break. This also starts leaving me cold, but the second part of the break is certainly a lot better and he plays some wild-sounding licks. I don’t enjoy the “go go go” chants with the crowd, its a little tired and the audience doesn’t seem to respond very well to them either. Perhaps Prince realizes this, because he shakes his head, and says “No no” before the band picks up again and Prince gives us the classic ending to “Let's Go Crazy,” head thrown back and guitar howling.

 

Another Purple Rain era song follows with “When Doves Cry.” This one I find very satisfying, there is plenty of horn early on, before the stripped back verses. The keyboard is a little quiet for my tastes, but this is compensated by another great vocal delivery by Prince. I wouldn’t have guessed that the horns could add much to this, but they do slot in nicely to the song. There is a lot of dancing by Prince and the others later in the song, it's an abridged version played here, we get a verse and a chorus, followed by a minute or so of dancing before it finishes up. Short and sweet as they say, but still very worthwhile.

 

“Purple Rain” itself gets the full-on treatment at this show, there is plenty of Dr. Fink playing before Prince walks on stage with the cloud guitar, playing the melody of “Auld Lang Syne.” It is a great moment, and the sound of it played on Prince's guitar sits very well on the keyboards of Purple rain. Prince says “one more” and then plays it again on the guitar as the crowd waves their arms. Another call of “one more” and he gives it to us a third time, and every time is very good and worth hearing. Even as he plays it a fourth time I am not tired of it, he improvises a little, and it's the type of Prince playing that I like to see more off. The call of “Bring it down” and we strip back to the keyboards and drums softly playing. At this stage, a technician hands Prince a rope to release balloons over the crowd, but there is a malfunction and it doesn’t come off. For years I only had an audio recording of this, and I didn’t know what was going on, especially when Prince says “Matthew, come get your rope”. But after seeing it, I understand much better. Prince then attempts to sing Auld Lang Syne but its nowhere near as good as his guitar playing of it, mostly because it is apparent that he doesn’t know the words beyond the first couple of lines, fading to “la la la” after this. The crowd doesn’t save him, and when Prince sings again “Should old acquaintances be forgot” he ruefully smiles and says “(I) know that part”. There is then a few moments as the music progresses Prince goes to one side to release the balloons and there is a beautiful solo played by Miko. I always associate Miko with a slippery dirty funky sound, but this guitar break was a revelation to me, it's just great. It is not a fast rock solo, just a sharp-sounding crisp break. Prince takes command soon after this and we finally get the verses and choruses of “Purple Rain,” complete with Prince's crunching guitar. The rest of his guitar solo is standard for “Purple Rain,” but it is very enjoyable indeed, even for someone like myself who has heard “Purple Rain” hundreds of times.

“1999” seems strangely out of place. It sounds clean, but there isn’t any fire in it. Prince keeps it very short, there is the opening verse, a chorus and then have the ‘party” chanting outro. The horns riff keeps it sharp, but apart from that, there isn’t much for me.

 

We return to the rocking back and forth sound of the keyboards as the stage goes dark. This is played out for a minute, and as I said before I like it as it sets the tone for what comes next. The beat of “U Got The Look” and the rhythm guitar sound as Prince takes a minute to ham it up with the crowd. He has his guitar but as he sings he doesn’t initially play it, so we just have a less strong rhythm guitar which negates some of the rockiness that I sometimes tire of in this song. After a couple of verse-chorus, he does begin to play in a loud crunching way as he climbs atop the piano. It is a very showman moment as the dancers go through their routines as Prince plays rock god over them all. And so the song ends in this manner, with Prince waving over the band, and a “thank you, good night”

 

There is a break about now, as the band leaves the stage. It is a good few minutes they are gone, and knowing what is coming I can understand why.  What comes next is extraordinary, and I am not sure that writing about it can ever do it justice. They return to the stage for a 30-minute rendition of “Its Gonna Be A Beautiful Night,” with Miles Davis, and incorporating everything except the kitchen sink. Anyway, I shall do my best to give a brief outline. The song begins as we heard on the Sign O The Times tour, and after the first part, there is some fun dancing with Prince, before he takes to the drum stool as Shelia E delivers her rap. Her delivery is fast and accurate and I love watching the band dancing as she sings. Prince too is sounding good, and it's fantastic to see him on the drums for an extended period. Soon after Cat dances, everyone to the ground Prince steps down from the drums, and it's time for the keys to have a solo. The whole performance has a lot of joy to it, Prince sings to the crowd about his brand new dance, and Eric Leeds plays a little of “Six” before it quietens as Miles Davis enters and begins to play. How to describe this moment? To see Miles stalking across the stage and playing next to Miko is fantastic and I am a total fanboy throughout the whole time he is playing. It is not what he is playing, it's just the sound of his horn and seeing him play with that band. Prince scats against his playing for a little, but I preferred just to hear Miles play alone for some more. As Miles continues Prince throws some cues to the band and they play around him. Miles steps back into the shadows as the snare comes down hard and Prince cues the band into the next section. He directs the band through several different dances and refrains before he speaks to the crowd  “someone tell me I ain’t got the funkiest band in show business, we will take on all comers” Finally we hear Boni and she blows her way through “Chain Of Fools,” and sounding powerful all the way.  The band is seamless and I have to agree with Prince's sentiments about his band.  Boni gives way to an excellent solo by Eric Leeds before Prince indulges in some grooves on the organ. The band hit their stride at this point, Eric is killing it on sax while the band keeps the groove going. Prince stops the band to tell the crowd “we the best” before he cues them in again and they hit a faster groove. Prince does very little playing at this stage, he is in total control as a bandleader and runs the band through their paces and dancing around the stage. There are several stops and starts, and the band moves effortlessly through several different grooves. My mouth is open the whole time, it is mind-blowing to watch, this band is unstoppable. Prince has me laughing when he tells the audience they are going to be jamming 20 more minutes “..on the same song!” He then proceeds to be true to his word as the band continues on and on. Prince has me laughing again when he says “you’ll expect an awful lot for $200.” Perhaps my favorite part of the jam is what comes next, Prince takes a couple of minutes playing at the piano. Just the sharp sound of the piano over the heavy groove, it is the contrast that makes it all sound so good. In the last five minutes, Prince throws in everything you could imagine, there are lyrics and horn lines from all sorts thrown into the mix, and it all works until we return to the Beautiful night riff that started all of this. With a final call of “Confusion” Prince brings the show and this brilliant jam to an end.

 

What a great way to end the year 1987. This recording is a favorite among prince fans, and I have to go with the consensus on this one, it’s very much a must-have. The band is on top of their game, coming off a fantastic year, and this show is the icing on the cake. The fact that Miles is there gives it just a little more shine, and I feel it means a lot to Prince to have him there. This is one that I will come back to again and again. If anyone ever doubted Prince's genius just check this one out.

Minneapolis 5 December 1987

 

Following on from last week’s post about the excellent soundboard recording of the Munich Park Cafe show, I have decided to go with a similar show from later that year. The Fineline cafe show in Minneapolis shares many similarities with the Park Cafe show. Both are heavy with the sound of Eric Leeds, and both have long jazzy styled jams. Of the two, the Fineline show is a shade more conventional and a little less Madhouse sounding. Where they do differ greatly is the sound quality of the recording. Whereas the Park Cafe was a lovely warm-sounding soundboard, this one is very much an average audience recording, complete with people talking over the music. However, it’s still worth a listen. This takes place just a few weeks before the New Year’s gig with Miles Davis, and one gets the feeling that this is a live rehearsal for that show. The band is very loose and free with their playing, and there is a lot of improvisation going on.

5th December 1987, Fineline Cafe, Minneapolis

The first song isn’t a song at all. It’s a long instrumental that sounds part soundcheck, part warm-up. It begins rather shapeless, with just some keyboard sounds, and some drum rolls. The drum does settle to a steady beat, but it’s quiet, and it takes quite a while for any sort of music to take shape around it. The bass does join in and things improve at the five-minute mark when we hear the horn for the first time. The first part of this didn’t interest me, but I do enjoy the sound from here on in. The drumming becomes more intense as the song progresses, and there are some stabs from the keyboard that adds urgency to it. However, these fade back out again, and the next minute of the song is very faint and barely moving at all. The last portion has some guitar playing against the drums, but it is not enough to turn it into anything memorable. There is nothing offensive about this opening part of the show, but there’s nothing to get excited about either.

 

Madhouses “Eleven” follows next, and it’s very much in keeping with the theme of this show. Eric holds the main riff nicely, and the band chugs along behind just great. This song would benefit the most from a quality recording, and despite all the great playing, it is let down by the recording.  It’s no surprise that Eric Leeds is the main focus of this song, but there is some nice guitar underneath played by Prince, and when Atlanta Bliss gets his chance to play he adds some sharpness to the deeper sound of Eric Leeds. There is a cheer from the crowd to acknowledge this, and then there is some rather funky lead guitar played by Prince. I can’t stress enough how good this could have been on a better recording, I can hear the music is great, but it’s just let down by the recording. There are some keyboard runs that I enjoy as well but they are a little lost in the recording. I did play it louder to try and get more out of it, but all I got was more chatter from the crowd.

The band segues easily into a longer deeper groove as there is further improvisation from the keyboards and horns. The keyboard is enjoyable, and I could have done with some more of it, but the horn solo is the main dish here, and it doesn’t let me down. It’s not to everyone’s taste, as can be evidenced by the crowd talking throughout, but for me, it’s worth listening to. Prince is very subdued in this first half-hour of the show, and I have to keep reminding myself that this is a Prince show.

The band settles into another quiet bass groove and for the first time, Prince makes his presence felt with some howling electric guitar. Against the different backdrop of music, his playing seems to draw more attention and I love what he is playing here. It is a version of Jimi Hendrix’s “Villanova Junction.” And although it’s the shortest song we have heard tonight, it is the one that captures my ears the most and demands I listen to it.

 

The band then begin to play “Eleven” again, the horn riff now embedded deep in my head. However, it’s only for a minute and quickly fades to nothing.

The solo sound of Prince’s guitar playing leads us into the next song. He begins delicately, in contrast to the “Villanova Junction,” and soon the gentle croon of the horns and keyboard wrap around us for a version of “Just My Imagination.” There are several classic performances of this song, and again this is another one of my favorites. Nothing is too sharp and Prince’s guitar lures me in, and soon I am cocooned in the warm-sounding music. Prince does take his time and delivers us plenty of guitar in the first half of the song before it inexplicably fades out. Of course, it’s the recording that fades out, not the band, but it’s one of those frustrating moments we sometimes get when listening to bootlegs. The recording does pick up again, and even though Prince is playing well, the recording itself has lost momentum for me. That aside though, Prince’s playing is so good at this stage, that I still find the last few minutes of the song to be amongst my favorite recordings of all time, Prince is playing with a quiet passion and intensity that I have rarely heard on any other recording. It’s far from perfect but for me, it’s a moment of genius and something I will come back to again and again. And that is high praise indeed for a grubby-sounding audience recording. It’s pretty hard to follow a Prince solo like that, but the keyboard gives it a good go. It’s not great, but it’s just as enjoyable as anything else on this recording.

The next song is listed as “bass solo,” and although I would call the first half a bass solo in the conventional sense, the second part of the song is little more than the bass and drum playing beats off one another. The first half though is again very enjoyable without ever reaching great. The bass has a good pop to it, and I did find myself bobbing along to it. But it was only a couple of minutes, and by the time I was just getting into it, it was fading out again. Still, it shows off another side to the band and added some variety and color to the gig.

 

Next is a straightforward rendition of Miles Davis’s “Freddie Freeloader.” It’s a firm pointer to what is coming in the next few weeks when he will join the band for the New Year’s show. It’s fairly low-key and gives the audience plenty of time to carry on their conversations. The audience does briefly quieten when Prince begins his guitar runs, but soon they lose interest and return to their chatting, much to the detriment of the recording. Lucky there are a few moments when Prince leans hard on the guitar and gets some loud sound from it which drowns out the audience, although briefly. And surprisingly after Prince has finished his moment there is a piano solo and the crowd is reasonably quiet throughout. It’s a perfectly acceptable jazzy flavored solo with a couple of flourishes to color it. Eric then returns with Atlanta Bliss and it’s the two horns that take us through the second part of the song, firstly the trumpet, and then the deep honk of Eric Leeds as a full stop.

I do a double-take as I hear the melody of “Jack U Off.” But to his credit, it’s played with a twist here, there are plenty of horns on it, and it’s got a much bluesier sound. It’s still up-tempo and quick but has a more grown-up feel to it with the horns on it. The guitar is barely heard at all, and there is a horn solo instead of a guitar solo. The keyboards too play a very fast break and I am liking them a lot before Prince picks up a guitar and the more familiar electric sound returns to the song. His guitar break isn’t as furious as on record, but it does have a looser feel to it, and it is a lot more mature.

 

The drum solo that follows is almost obligatory sounding. It doesn’t in my opinion add anything to the show, and it almost seems that they are just giving the Shelia E something in payment for all the moments the rest of the band got to solo. Anyone who reads this regularly knows that I am not a great one for drum solos, and this one fails to change my standing on that. Sure, there are plenty of fine skills to admire, and I do find myself nodding along to it, but it’s not what I signed up for. So I listen appreciatively until the next song starts. Things surge again as the drum solo ends, and there is one more very fast and furious reprise of “Jack U Off,” lead by the horns. And when I say fast and furious I mean it, this one flies along at breakneck speed until the sudden end gives us all a chance to catch our breath.

“Chain Of Fools” is recognizable right from the start as the guitar plays the main melody. The horns interject with the “Cold Sweat” riff, but this song is all about that guitar. The lead guitar plays out the melody and then branches out into more interesting territory. It’s got a fantastic tone to it, and I can’t help but again wish that this was a soundboard. Oh well, it is what it is. Not to be outshone the horns then again come on board, and they too add another dimension to it. They aren’t too sharp and play along over the main groove. There is some funky guitar at this stage, but it’s just holding the groove while the horns play. It gets its moment again soon as the horns step back and some slow smokey guitar sounds are heard. What is great about this gig is how the musicians play off each other. Whenever Prince plays a solo on the guitar, the horns come up with something in the same vein that pushes it even further. There is a deep smokey guitar solo, followed by a similar sounding horn solo that by the end of it has doubled the intensity. It’s a wonder to listen to.

 

The music pulls back a little and we very gently move into “Housequake.” It’s not immediately apparent, as it’s a very gradual transition from “Chain Of Fools.” Eventually, Prince is on the mic whispering “almost there, shut up already” It’s a cool moment, but even then the song doesn’t kick into “Housequake” proper. The deep groove continues, and it’s only after another minute we hear the kicking beat of “Housequake.” There is a further horn solo while the crowd can be heard chanting “shut up already” Even with the “Housequake” beat it would be hard to describe this as a version of “Housequake.” It’s an extension of the previous song, with some more horn and the Housequake beat only features a few times, before making a much stronger appearance near the end of the song. There is a horn refrain thrown in too, and I am greatly disappointed when the recording abruptly ends.

So, what to make of this show? Last week I gushed about the Park Cafe show, for all its quality and musicality. After relistening to this one, and considering, I would have to say that this one would be its equal if it had have been recorded in the same manner. Unfortunately, it’s not, the recording is nowhere near as good. So I can only go by what I have. This is one of several shows I have that are simply amazing but recorded in poor condition. I highly rate this show, and thoroughly recommend it to anyone who enjoyed the Park Cafe show, and can stomach an audience recording. This show is one of the reasons why I don’t dismiss audience recordings, there are some fantastic shows out there if you can suffer through the dropouts and chatter. This one is not for the faint-hearted but is still highly recommended.

Next week I will finish this trilogy of shows, Park Cafe, Fineline cafe, with the New Year show with Miles Davis. These last two shows seem to point naturally enough in that direction, and an evening with Miles Davis seems a fitting way to end the year.

Utrecht 20 June 1987

 

I used to drive my mother crazy at Christmas. I’m not known for my patience, as a child I would often be loitering near the tree leading up to the event, touching and shaking every gift I could get my hands on. I just couldn’t wait until Christmas day to unwrap my gifts, I wanted to know what they were then and there. Once again I am that child as the countdown to the Sign O The Times super deluxe set is upon us. I want to hear those unreleased tracks now, I want to hear the concert now. As luck would have it we have heard some of those tracks, and we have heard the Utrecht concert before, albeit from an audience recording. And once again, instead of waiting until Christmas, I’m going to shake my gifts now. I have queued up a long-circulating audience recording of the soon to be officially released pristine quality concert, and any second now I’m about to hit play. Merry Christmas Prince fans!

 

20th June 1987, Utrecht, The Netherlands

Prince’s guitar briefly flickers before flaming into the opening of “Sign O’ The Times.” The machine sound of the drums grounds the song in brutal reality, the cold concrete and steel that Prince’s guitar work burns against. Lyrics become secondary in the live performance of the song. It is the angst-ridden guitar that carries the despair and fury of Prince’s world-weary eye, and as the song progresses the lyrics continue to lose ground to the guitar work until they are no more and there is only the electric scar of the music.

Color floods the recording with “Play In The Sunshine” bursting through the clouds with its musical rush and bright horn work. It’s a pall-mall, tumbling performance, the guitar, horns, drums, and singers all jumping over each other sonically to be a the front of the listener. It’s no contest as once again Prince’s guitar continues to be the brightest star, and even Sheila E gives way to its impulse drive.

 

The concert melts as “Little Red Corvette” slides into view. It has moved on from its sexy sports car pop origins and now stands as a tender moment in a concert that is otherwise overwhelmingly fast and funky.

Fast and funky is certainly fitting for “Housequake.” It is refreshing to hear it once again as its fully formed self after listening to a string of concerts from later in his career when the song is little more than a hollowed shell and a chant. A lot of sounds vie for attention, but it is the rhythm section that holds me enthralled, only relinquishing their grip as Eric Leeds sets upon the song with his sax.

“Girls and Boys” was only from the previous year, yet hearing it here is like welcoming an old friend from the past as its familiarity and Eric Leeds horn once again fills the speakers. Prince’s guttural call of “girls and boys” bodes well for the performance that follows, and paired with Eric’s horn it makes for a dense introduction. This is not a bare-boned band performance as the audience joins the chorus to fill out the sound with their own choir. Against this Sheila E’s vocals temporarily sound thin. However with Eric putting his mark over the song the vocals are of little importance. The song is stolen from Prince, in this performance it belongs to Eric and the audience.

Prince provided plenty of lust-driven ballads earlier in his career. “Slow Love” is titled in a similar vein but it is caramelized in love, making for a sweet sticky sound rather than a libido fueled pick up. The horns give the song a curvaceous shape, Prince’s lyrics softened by their timelessness. Like the previous “Girls and Boys” the horns dominate and stamp out a new sound for Prince, again demonstrating the importance of Eric Leeds and Atlanta Bliss to Prince’s ever-evolving sound.

 

The guitar makes a triumphant return for “I Could Never Take The Place Of Your Man.” It is ushered in by the horns and the all too familiar introduction. The tension builds with each note before Sheilia E unleashes the song behind her powerful drum beat. It becomes a musical celebration with the band falling in behind the groove and Prince taking his rightful place at the center of the stage. The guitar remains deep in the music at first, Prince letting the band build the music into a kaleidoscope of sound balanced carefully atop Sheila E’s drum. It is only with a cry of “turn me up” does he finally release the tension, the guitar searing through the song as the music folds back under its relentless sound, before finally conceding in the breakdown. It is wonderfully paced. Prince picks the quietest moments to pull back the stings and release darts of guitar shards into the night. The guitar burns brighter in the stillness, each riff blazing in the darkness as Prince toys with his instrument. It is undoubtedly a highlight, and as Prince returns the song to the pedestal after pulling it apart the crowd is in raptures.

“Hot Thing” is a complete contrast. The organic and thrilling celebratory sound of “I Could Never Take The Place Of Your Man,” is replaced with the cold electronic beat built on the back of the modernistic synth riff. With the barest of funk guitar underneath it sees Prince turn his back on the bright lights of rock for the darkened alleys of funk. It is worth the diversion as both Sheila E and Eric Leeds bring their combined forces to bear on the genre, and the next five minutes is a pure study of Prince’s brand of funk. Deceptively simple, there is plenty to pick out of the bones of the song and it stands up to repeated listens.

A Madhouse song is thrown into the mix – “Four.” It’s not unusual, but as they were the opening act one wonders why Prince didn’t run with another song for the instrumental break. A quick check of other concerts reveals he alternated between this and Charlie Parker’s “Now’s The Time,” and both would serve equally well for their place in the setlist through the tour.

As much as I enjoy Sheila E’s drum solo I can’t help but think that I’ve heard it all before. Given how heavily bootlegged Prince was, that is probably the case. It still raises a smile, and the final flourishes bring this Princeless part of the concert to a close.

The smoothness of the studio version of “If I Was Girlfriend” is rinsed away in the live setting. What replaces it is a rawness that cuts to the heart of the lyrical content. Prince no longer sings the lyrics, he emotes them, each line a flush of emotion across a barren soundscape. It is music in its purest form. Not an exercise in technical musical prowess, but instead the song is a vehicle for carrying what we all hold in our hearts. The only disappointment in the song is the ending. It is overworked and provides an unsatisfactory close. Sonically it ends with a whimper rather than the anticipated orgasmic release, the song collapsing inwards rather than bursting forth just one last time.

 

The concert accelerates through the Purple Rain section. “Let’s Go Crazy” is an untamed bundle of noise, all hurly-burly and with little direction. “When Dove’s Cry” comes heavily abridged and only the opening riff and a solitary verse-chorus survive the cull. The most satisfying part of the Purple Rain trilogy is the rendition of “Purple Rain” that comes at a faster pace than normal yet retains its regal status. It is the guitar solo that catches the ear most, Prince weaving the opening melancholy into a six-string celebration, the solo spiraling ever upwards as the crowd’s contribution lifts it to the heavens. It is pitched on just the right side of sentimental, plucking at the heartstrings without becoming entangled in the emotion it elicits.

The teflon coated “1999” that follows barely registers in a concert so deeply rooted in the organic feel of the band. Its sleekness is to be admired, yet out of place. It is a throwback from the past, and to my ears doesn’t quite fit. One can see why it is in the setlist and positioned at the end of the main part of the show it does serve the purpose of closing the set with a party atmosphere. However it doesn’t gel with the surrounding material, a point further highlighted by the acoustic “Forever In My Life” that comes as the first encore.

“Forever In My Life” begins with bright and easy acoustic guitar, a deceiving beginning for what follows. The first minutes see the guitar sparkle and fade, the audience falling in line with their rhythmic accompaniment. As Prince works his way through the vocals it becomes apparent that what is heard on the record is merely a sketch, and what we are about to hear is the real deal. Prince increases the pressure, the guitar working its way back and forth, but always increasing in intensity. From the mix Boni Boyer rises up, storming the song with her powerful contribution. It sounds full and soulful, yet is soon banished from memory as Prince continues his guitar assault. It becomes relentless a medieval battering ram on the doors of the technological music Prince has previously produced, this primitive weapon becoming all-powerful in the hands of Prince. Finally, the pressure is released, a keyboard bringing the song back to a current sound, even if it itself plays from another era. Prince dominates the song, yet gives the final minute to Sheila E for both drums and vocals. It neatly brings equilibrium to the concert and we end on a plateau, far above where we started.

After such a song, “Kiss” comes as a jab to the face. It has a sharpness to it and comes quickly through the speakers. Like most of the non-Sign O’ The Times songs in the set it belongs to the crowd more than to Prince, and one can hear them gleefully singing along for most of the song, bringing the music back to the masses.

People often compare Prince concerts to a religious experience, revelations cloaked in heavenly music. With that in mind, it is no surprise that “The Cross” takes center stage as the major set-piece of the production. Like a preacher Prince builds steadily into his work, the opening lines laying out the premise of his song before he begins the slow journey to his final rapture. The ascent is steady, Sheila joining on the drums as the guitar continues its rhythmic build to the final divine affirmation. The final blazing guitar sees Prince carving his belief in stone, the guitar no longer a musical instrument, but instead an instrument of Prince’s spiritual beliefs, a celebration of his God. The concert is awash with religious fervor, Prince willing the venue into a church of his own design.

The ultimate celebration of Prince and his music however comes in the next song. “It’s Gonna Be a Beautiful Night.” is crammed full of contributions from the band and the party begins here. It skims across multiple genres and era’s as Prince pushes the accelerator to the floor for this final hurrah. Sheila E has been heard throughout this concert on drums, here it is her vocals that take center stage. They are lost in the mix of what I am listening to and this only heightens my desire to hear the officially released recordings. I am like a man reduced to looking through the windows of a house, and I can’t wait for that moment when we can enter through the front door and indulge ourselves in Prince’s aural world. Prince’s vocals become just as rhythmic as any other instrument on stage, and it is Eric Leeds that provides an intricate and wild solo that becomes increasingly dizzy to follow. It is yet another timely reminder of the contribution Eric made to the band. He is massive in this song and throughout the concert.

 

Listening to this concert has not satiated my appetite for the Sign O’ The Times set and this particular concert. In fact, it has done quite the opposite. I am just as hungry as ever to get it in my hands and hear this concert in its full unfettered glory. It is said, “patience is its own reward.” In this case, the reward will be far greater. The release of the Sign O’ The Times deluxe will add another concert to the pantheon of Prince greats, and deservedly so. This might not be one of the great concerts of the tour, but any concert from this tour can be held up to greatness and found to process all the qualities required. With the band released to fully realize the songs Prince created in the studio, we are presented with renditions that come to life and sprawl across the stage in a ragged glory. Unfortunately, it won’t be the general public buying the Sign O’ The Times superdeluxe, priced as it is beyond many casual fans. That is a shame as the concerts from the tour deserve a wider audience. I for one will be playing this one for as many I can. All I have to do is wait just a couple more months…

Paris 17 June 1987

 This week's blog has taken much longer than usual to write. Not because I couldn’t find anything to say about this show, but rather that this show is just so good I listened to it several times before I could sit down and write a single word. I have listened to it four times in the last two days, each time playing air guitar along with it, and drumming on my desk as it played. The music is so lively and infectious, it’s been a struggle to get myself to sit still and listen, this is music that you feel as much as you hear and I have spent several good hours dancing around the room as it plays. The show itself is one of the most well-known and much-loved bootlegs in circulation, a magnificent soundboard recording from Paris during the Sign O The Times Tour. For many years I haven’t felt the need to listen to shows from this tour, after wearing out the VHS of the Sign O The Times movie when I was younger. Aftershows from this era I gave plenty of attention to without ever dipping deeper into the main shows themselves. This is generally hailed as one of his greatest tours, and listening now I can see why, everything about this show is fantastic, the music, the performance, costumes, and the songs themselves. There is not a single weak point in the whole show. And this bootleg is the best bootleg of the tour, ranking it as one of the best of the best.

17th June 1987, Palais Omnisports de Paris-Bercy, Paris

There is no better sound in the world than the throaty, guttural sound of Prince’s guitar opening to “Sign O The Times.” It completely changes the sound of the song from the record. Sure, the cold electronic beat is there, as is Prince’s headlining lyrics, but the guitar adds a new dynamic, giving a passionate response to those cold soundbites. It howls in anger, weeps with sadness, and gives a human reply to the chilling news Prince recites. Whatever I feel about those lyrics, Prince manages to capture with his guitar playing, and I spend most of the song playing air guitar before I add some air drumming to the mix as the band drums themselves in at the end of the song.

 

The band is all on-board and to the front, as we next hear “Play In The Sunshine.” The recording is beautiful, and it sounds as if the band is right here in the room with me. It’s a beautiful wall of sound, and my head spins listening to it all. Things are still coming thick and fast as Prince plays his guitar break, and listening to it thirty years on I am amazed at how tight this band is, and how well this recording has aged. There is some sax in the left speaker that is so crystal clear, that I could swear Eric Leeds is right in my ear.

We slow and I come back into the moment with “Little Red Corvette.” The band and vocals sound good, but it’s the piano sound that is unique this time, and that is what I cling to as it plays. It’s an early carrot for those that have come to hear the hits, but Prince pulls the curtain on it with a sharp “Shut up already, damn!”

“Housequake” has been heard in many forms over the years, they are all good but nothing comes close to the original arrangement such as we have here. The song is great, the band is on fire, and the recording does it all justice. I want to sit and listen, I just can’t – the song is too good, and it’s all I can do to resist the urge to get up and dance again. Eric Leeds has never sounded so good, and again the sound in the left speaker is fantastic- this time a guitar is coming in crystal clear.

Eric Leeds is all over “Girls and Boys.” After the foreplay of a couple of verses and chorus, he gets his big moment and as a funky guitar plays, Eric plays a delightful solo that has me smiling every time I think about it. One of my favorite Prince songs, and in this live setting and with Eric on top of his game it’s a thing of beauty.

 

After Eric, it’s Atlanta’s turn as his trumpet croons us into “Slow Love.” Prince may be the center of attention, but it’s the little things and the rest of the band that make this song what it is, be it Atlanta Bliss and his trumpet, the drums of Shelia that seem to accent every point, or the divine vocal of the girls in the band that provide fullness to Prince's vocal performance. It all comes together in a way that feels so natural and as if everything has its place and is as it should be. Prince’s vocals alone are worth the price of admission and feel as warm and inviting as a soft pillow.

“I Could Never Take The Place Of Your Man” is so familiar, and yet I do still get that thrill of excitement when we hear the longer intro as played on the Sign O The Times tour. That talk, a twinkling of the piano, the horns all building to that moment when Shelia drives us forward into the song, and the band is unleashed.  I am sure most people have like me seen this hundreds of times on the Sign O The Times movie, and it’s hard not to sing along with it as it plays. It’s story-telling in a song at its best, and the drama of the song unfolds with the music as well as the lyrics, culminating at that moment when words can no longer express and Prince resorts to some of his most inspired and uplifting guitar playing. He swoops, he soars, and he turns the solo into a celebration. Am I playing air guitar right now? Yes, I am. The music pulls back and Prince plays some mournful guitar that has me furrowing my brow trying to listen to it and not miss a single note. As the band comes back and drives us to the finish it feels like the song was barely a couple of minutes long, when in fact it was closer to ten.

 

I do so love the organ at the beginning of “Hot Thing.” And it just gets better from there, with firstly Levi and Prince doing their spoken interplay which sounds fun without being distracting. I must admit that having played the movie to death, it is great to hear a different variation of this chat. The mix on the song is also very good, the guitar is more forward, and I love the robotic funk of it. The song becomes fuller late in the piece when again the horn lines lift it beyond this cold, electronic sound and takes it to another level altogether.

The band comes into their own with “Now’s The Time.” At this stage, we can see this band is its own animal, and what they are capable of it. Every band member contributes something, and all of them hold down their corner well. I couldn’t say if one is better than the other, although I will say I enjoyed Levi immensely in the brief bass solo he gives us. We close out the song with several minutes of Shelia playing a solo. It gathers momentum, much as any drum solo should, and at the end, I give up my air-drumming along with it and cheer just as much as anyone else on the recording.

I should be tired of “Let’s Go Crazy,” the keyboard swell that signals the opening to it gives it a new feel, and the rest of the performance is equally uplifting and it never once feels stale. The guitar sound is neutered, with this band and this show it doesn’t matter at all, this is a different band with their own sound and they make “Let’s Go Crazy” fit with their unique personality. I could take or leave the outro with Prince and the crowd exchanging “let's go, go, go” but that’s a minor quibble that fades into memory as Prince’s last searing guitar notes are heard.

 

I have mixed emotions about “When Doves Cry.” I am glad to hear it, and I do like the arrangement. My only issue it is only a couple of minutes, and the song doesn’t have a chance to breathe and be itself. The lead line still gets my heart jump-started, and I do love the way Prince intones the lyrics, and then it's gone, just as I was beginning to feel it.

“Purple Rain” seems to be early in the setlist, and it highlights that this isn’t the full show, we are missing several songs, and the recording itself only just runs over an hour. Prince doesn’t play around with it, he heads straight for the solo after a verse and chorus. The solo is lively and energetic without ever offering up anything new. I still like it of course, and it’s the cue for me to engage in more air-guitar.

It’s always a surprise to hear “1999” after “Purple Rain,” just as I am coming down it raises me back up. Like everything at this show, it’s more horn-infused and much more colorful sounding. There is a lot more sound crammed into the song, and I can hear most of the band having some input. True to form it ends this part of the show on a high, and signals the first break before the encore.

And what an encore we get, with “The Cross” taking the concert and recording to yet another high. The comparisons between “The Cross” and Lou Reeds ‘Heroin’ are valid, but by the time “The Cross” reaches its zenith all comparisons are moot. I don’t know which is stronger, Prince’s vocals or his feverish guitar playing. He may be singing about god, but he plays guitar like a demon, and the final couple of minutes are electrifying. The way the guitar quiver and shakes and sounds in a frenzy against the more measured sound of the horns and the band, it doesn’t get any better than this.

 

With a simple call of “Encore”, we fly into “It’s Gonna Be A Beautiful Night.” This show just gets better and better, and the band chews up “It’s Gonna Be A Beautiful Night.” I listened to this with headphones, and then without, and the recording is sublime. There are some fantastic noises and sounds that I pick up that I had never noticed before. The wondrous thing about Prince, in his live shows and his recordings, is he gives you so much that even after all these years I am still hearing new things hidden away in the songs. Prince name-checks Jill Jones with “The Jill Jones crawl” which I find pretty cool, asides that it’s the music itself that I immerse myself in, it is funky, thick with sound, and has me dancing where I am, I cannot help myself. The song is in full bloom, as the show is finishing at an all-time high that even I couldn’t have predicted. There is even a chant of “I can’t get enough, of that funky stuff” and I couldn’t agree more. I am going to go out on a limb and say this is the best version of “It’s Gonna Be A Beautiful Night” that I have ever heard, and I’ve heard a lot.

What a way to finish the show, I am breathless as it finishes, and I find it takes me a couple of minutes to cool off after, I was right into it. This recording is much revered in the Prince community, and I can well see why. Although incomplete, it still delivers a knockout, the performance is unbelievable, the recording is sublime, and it is truly one of the great bootlegs and worthy of all the love and praise that it gets. I know I am preaching to the converted, but this is one that every Prince fan has to have, it’s magnificent.

Phew, I am going for a lie down

Paris 15 June 1987

 

Today’s gig is the Le New Morning aftershow from 1987. It is quite popular among fans, but I have never really got into it until recently. Even today when I was listening to it, it took me a few songs before I started to feel it. The first couple of songs left me feeling cold, but as it progressed I enjoyed it much more. I think I would best describe it as a slow burner. Anyway, I have sketched out a few thoughts about it below.

 

June 15th, 1987, Le New Morning, Paris.

The gig begins very quietly with just Prince playing guitar. The song seems to swing along just nicely, then the band joins in, and then Prince stays playing some very hot blues guitar. Some very nice piano can be heard playing under his guitar. The drums have a cool swing beat. Prince starts singing – “Red House.” He sings a verse, and then a very long guitar howl introduces the first of the inevitable solos. The song is played a little faster than the Jimi Hendrix version I am used to. There is a brief horn solo, then Prince tells Eric “Eric take over’. Eric plays a nice little solo, but I feel it’s not up to his usual standard. The song is typical of an opening song at one of his after shows, a quick solo from everyone, and a warm-up. However, this one is usually short, only just six minutes.

Between songs, Prince asks the crowd to teach him some French and they come back with “Encore”. A useful word to know at this stage of his career.

 

The next song is listed as “Charlie Parker,” but I don’t think it’s an official title. It starts fairly bass-heavy, and there is some fabulous funk guitar played. I mean, it’s just the thing I love. There are horns in the mix, but they are down low. Prince himself sings down low, I really can’t make out what he is singing. As I said before, it’s the guitar that I am listening to here. Prince calls for just the drums, then Levi comes back in, and some more of that funk guitar. The piano plays a nice mid-pace solo. The bass groove kicks in and Eric runs a great sax solo over it. The organ swell that we heard so much from this period can also be heard in the mix. There’s a deep guitar run, which is nice in that it doesn’t go for the shrill and whine that we often hear. The tempo suddenly increases and Prince goes into his classic band leader mode. He calls “give me one”, “give me three”, and the band stops in an instant. Then he commands “groove” and they pick right up. There are several lines from “Hollyrock” sung over it, but it never goes further than that. Again Prince is the band leader, we have several stop-start moments, and “Groove”. He moves back to playing some very crisp clean guitar, just softly. This jam goes for 15 minutes, but it’s very easy to listen to. Eric plays some more sax before it ends. It seems to go on and on, but it’s always pleasant on the ear.

 

“Just My Imagination” is recognizable right from the start, I don’t know how many times I have listened to this song over the years, it’s a firm favorite, and I know it is for many other fans too. The soft opening here is very easy to listen to, it features some lovely playing by Prince, followed by his whispered “Two, three” and the song begins proper with the keyboards coming in. There is recognition from the crowd and Prince responds with a mock humble “Thank you” To me, the guitar sounds like a waterfall. I don’t know how else to describe it, but it always sounds to me like water falling. The singing is excellent, but to be honest I can’t understand him. But to be fair, I think I am pretty deaf from years of going to gigs and live music. The guitar sounds like a harp, it’s a great effect, and I feel it fits the song perfectly. There is no scorching guitar solo as heard on the Small Club gig, instead, Prince leads the crowd through a beautiful sing-along of “oohhh, oohhh, ohhhh”. Very nice indeed, and a refreshing change from the Small Club gig I have heard a thousand times.

 

There is some confusion about the title of the next song. I am going to go with “Was It My Face,” although I have seen it listed as “Wasn’t My Faith.” The correct title is neither here nor there, as the song itself is outstanding, I would have to say that this is my favorite song on the album. I practically enjoy the lyrics. I can’t list them here or explain them, but trust me, they are really good. The bass is hypnotic to me; it has a nice circular motion to it. (Can I describe music like this?) Of course, the sax solo played by Eric Leeds is excellent as you might expect. I find my head bobbing along with this song; I will be playing it a few more times when I have finished writing this. Prince calls Levi out and the bass starts popping. “Mr. Levi Seacer” becomes a chant for him, and he certainly deserves it. I can’t even begin to describe the sound Prince gets out of his guitar for this one. I don’t remember him getting a sound like this before. It’s not his playing, more the way it's set up. It’s got a fantastic tone to it. His solo is very crisp- as is all his playing on this recording. The song itself feels very tight and restricted. It feels tense like it might burst out at any moment but everyone is holding it in.

“Mutiny” bursts out of the speakers as it always does. The whole pace of the gig picks up. This to me is one of my energy boost songs, it’s a real pick me up, and this recording is no different. It’s not played any differently from any other version you might have heard, the chorus and horns are where it’s at. I have always enjoyed Eric’s playing on this song, and here again, he is to the fore.

 

The song fades with just the beat and Prince starts a “Get on Up” chant. There’s no mistaking what’s coming next – “Sex Machine.” It consists mostly of Prince calling “Get on Up” “I’m a sex machine” for a couple of minutes before an Eric solo. Boy, he is getting a lot of play tonight, and that’s just fine by me. There is a fast and furious keyboard solo, my ears aren’t good enough to say who it is, but I like to think it's Prince. The bass and drums lock in very nicely, the bass picks up lots, and the horns start playing all over it. Get on up indeed! The horn stabs intensify and we get a great guitar solo. It’s feeling loose by now and sounds much better for it.

The song morphs as Prince calls ‘Oohh way ooh’, and again the funk guitar we heard earlier returns. In case you don’t know, I have a big smile on my face now. And it gets bigger when Prince sings “Ain’t no-one can fuck with us”

The band never stops as Prince introduces “Housequake” with “people people, I got a brand new dance”. To be honest it’s just a continuation of the groove from the previous song. The first minute is Prince playing some very nice funk rhythm guitar, before a brief horn interlude. I am very happy as the guitar returns, and Prince sings more “people people I got a brand new dance” The rest of the song continues like this alternating between funky guitar and horn. Prince ends it suddenly and sharply with a “Thank you”

It’s not very often I listen to this gig, but when I do I always find it very enjoyable. It is a short recording, just about an hour, and it seems to go by very fast- I’m sure that’s a sign that it’s good and I am enjoying it. Although by no means essential, this gig is still worth checking out.

Vienna 29 May 1987 (am)

 

I have been meaning to listen to a Sign O The Times main show for a long time now, and this week was going to be the week. Unfortunately, I got sidetracked by today’s recording and never quite made it to a main show. This week I am listening to a real oddity from 1987. This recording comes from a charity show played by Madhouse, with a Prince set following. What draws me to it is the songs performed – The Ball and Adore in particular have me intrigued. The set is only short, clocking in just over an hour, and it is an audience recording, asides from that I think it looks good and worthy of a closer listen

29th May (am) 1987, U4 Vienna Austria

Things start very well, and the landscape for the recording is set. A loud boisterous crowd, a scratchy recording, and then some fantastic music. The venue sounds small, on the recording at least, and we have plenty of audience talk quite clearly and frustratingly on the recording. “Housequake” starts us off, with just the drumbeat for the first minute or so. It heightens the sense of anticipation, and I do like just hearing the beat run for some time. Prince teases the start a couple of times, but we never jump right into the song, instead, it’s a slow-burning groove. It’s played as a jam, rather than what we are accustomed to on record, and that works well for me, especially with the horns adding their weight to it. Later in the song is a highlight with the horns all sorts of interesting lines, and it’s probably a blessing that I can’t understand the audience chat so I can listen past it to the music.

 

  

The most interesting part of the show comes next as the band tackles the unreleased “The Ball.” It is such a delight to have a live recording of a rarity like this, and what makes it even better is the band jam it out for a good long while. For the first few minutes, we have a nice steady groove before Prince sings and engages the audience- primarily having them chant “ball”. Asides from the beautiful groove, the other thing I must mention is the horns which again are the heroes in the song. Prince's vocals sound strong, although slightly variable on the recording. The insistent beat carries us through to Shelia E rapping out “Holly Rock,” which sounds cool even as the tape fades in and out. The crowd feeds off the performance and the chat dies down with lots of singing and clapping.

At first, I hardly notice we had segued into something else until I recognize the bassline of “Girls And Boys.” This is pretty much all that remains of that song, as the band uses the bassline as a step-off point to go all sorts of places. Horns come and go, bass drops, guitars spring up, and it keeps evolving in weird and wonderful ways. It stays groovy and funk-filled the whole while, and I have to say I am captivated by it. The last few minutes almost have me in a trance, and by this stage, I have forgiven it for being an audience recording and I’m just so happy we get to hear it.

 

“Adore” is led by a heavy organ sound before the horns lighten the tone and usher in the song I know so well. The tape hiss is very noticeable at this stage, and that’s a shame as the song itself sounds gorgeous. It’s not as smooth as the record, and I like the fact that at one point you can hear Prince call the chord change. I am less happy about the audience chatter that reappears, but some wonderful delicate guitar work on stage makes up for it. Some soulful vocals from Boni Boyer seal the deal, and the song ends at an all-time high.

“I Got My Mind Made Up” is new to me, and I take an instant liking to it, especially the keyboard solo that plays for the first few minutes. Dr. Fink is doing his thing, and he’s doing it well. It’s got another one of those steady grooves that this band seems to specialize in, and this gives a solid foundation for everyone to play off. The bass is the next to come out at us, and it adds some bottom to a show that has so far been dominated by horns and keyboard.

If a song is called “Guitar Rock Jam,” I would expect it to be a guitar rock jam. The first minute is misleading and the band grooves on sans guitar, but then it does appear and Prince plays a snake charmer-sounding solo. It picks up from here, and as the band quickens so does the guitar and the flurry of notes. It’s heating up, and Prince's fingers are ablaze by midsong. The following few minutes are Prince at his very best on guitar, I forget the rest of the band even exists and listen purely to the guitar. To say it is stellar is an understatement – interstellar would be closer to the mark.

 

It’s a comedown to have the gentle start of “Purple Rain” follow on from this, but I soon warm to its charms. It feels out of place after the loose jams that have come before, but Prince still gives his all to it, and his vocals are delivered in full effect. I can’t shake the feeling of the songs that have come before, and the structure of it feels heavy after listening to them. The guitar solo starts well and is shaping up to be more interesting, which makes the fact that the recording ends just as the guitar solo is reaching its heights all the more frustrating.

This recording deserves more coverage than perhaps it already gets. It is flawed in many ways, it’s the quality of the material and the performance that carries the day. The band is loose and stretches out across some very interesting song selections, and this is what marks it as a great one for me. I am prepared to overlook the audience recording when what I can hear from Prince is at this level. You can safely add this one to the list marked “shows I want to hear in soundboard”. As for a main show from 1987, that’ll have to wait for another time.