Bloomington 15 September 1988

 

I have listened to a lot of 1988 concerts for the European leg of the Lovesexy tour, and several after shows from the US leg of the same tour. What I haven’t listened to a lot are the main shows of the US tour. To right this wrong today I will be dipping my toe into the Minneapolis concert from September 15th 1988, a concert that is well worth visiting as it features guest appearances from George Clinton, Lisa Coleman, Susannah and Wendy Melvoin, as well as The Sounds Of Blackness. I can only hope it sounds as good as it looks on paper. I was wondering why I haven’t heard more of this, and it seems that as a poor audience recording it has sat neglected in my collection for some time, but in the last couple of years some new recordings have appeared, and although they too are audience recordings (and everything that comes with that) they are an improvement. Prince playing to his home crowd with one of his greatest concert tours, and some fantastic guests, there’s no way I could not like this.

15th September 1988, Met Centre, Bloomington, MN

The opening drum sound comes like a heartbeat through the audience noise, and although someone is clapping loudly near the microphone it matters little as the music comes loud and proud, rolling and crashing over the frenzied crowd sound in the opening minutes. The funk settles in early, the bass of “Erotic City” tying down the bottom end of the recording and temporarily overriding the cheers of excitement. For the rest of the song, there is a battle between the music and the crowd noise, each one taking a turn to dominate before Prince’s vocals emerge, one final scream from the crowd with his first line, before it subsides and the song can be heard. “Erotic City” delivers no surprises, but it doesn’t have to as we can safely consider it one of Prince’s untouchable classics, and the rest of the performance delivers all that I want to hear.

The concert begins to accelerate with the punchy beat of “Housequake” bringing further frenzy to the crowd. The song does sound as lean and mean as the previous “Erotic City,” but again Prince ticks all the boxes of what we would expect from the song as it sways back and forth like a boxer before landing its own heavy blows of funk and some dirty horn lines that suggest the song has a wayward past.

 

There is exotic reliability about “It’s Gonna Be A Beautiful Night,” and this is no exception as its pulsating beginning turns into a thrilling ride of spontaneity and revving thrusts. The “Holly rock” chant lifts the curtain on a series of changes from the band as they crunch through several 1980s hooks and lead lines before turning the stage into a churning inferno of sound. The song never settles from this injection of brimming pop, the rest of the song moving and twisting with its own energy and personality for the next few minutes. The horns add to this sense of constant irritability as they loom and clatter over the song before they finally drive it into the softer “Slow Love”

“Slow Love” is the Trojan horse that ushers in much shorter and sharper songs, Prince using it to springboard into a medley of tunes. The chorus of “Slow Love” evaporates into a plush sounding “Adore,” the band and Prince coming together to build an intimacy that belies the size of the venue. There is no time to dwell though as Prince puts his foot to the floor for a headlong rush through “Delirious,” “Jack U Off,” and “Sister,” each song trying to outdo the other as they accelerate faster and faster in a collision of sound and focused fury.

Things ease back with the coda of “Adore,” but this is merely a brief comedown before we wallow further in Prince’s back catalog with a slice of pure 1979 pop in the form of “I Wanna Be Your Lover,” a song that in this context only serves to highlight how far Prince had come in the nine years since it’s release and this concert, the complexity and scope of his current music light-years beyond the purity and innocence of the “I Wanna Be Your Lover” hook. It brims with vitality, the concert soaring on its wings and it sounds good on the recording, all things considered. The building blocks of the song lift us higher and higher, each slab of pop elevating us further until things come to a head and we drop into the abyss which is “Head.”

Prince scratches at the song, slowly scraping it back to reveal its pure funk heart, a revelation that makes all the more sense with the appearance of George Clinton who brings his own “Knee Deep” to the party after Dr. Finks solo, immediately marking this concert as something special. The band is a great match for this song, and it is colored by the sound that Prince was peddling at the time. It is all undercut by George Clinton himself who extols the crowd to “get off your ass” in his chocolate deep tones. It’s playful, and undeniably funky as George and Prince tear the roof off the sucker, dropping and swapping lines from Georges's own immeasurable catalog. It exceeds expectations, and even on the audience recording one can hear the funk crawling across the stage and through the sound system

 

Anything after this would be a letdown, and “Blues In C (If I Had A Harem)” starts brightly before slowing to a crawl that undoes the previous few minutes. It is likable and fun, but almost puppy-like in its need to be loved in comparison to the rabid fierceness of the previous song. Prince’s vocals drift easily, and it is the band and music that demand all the attention, the horns off-setting the lower sway of the band with their own airy tangles of freewheeling brass.

The sudden arrival of “When You Were Mine” propels the concert forward again, the sudden thrust and pull jerking throwing the song forward and face-first into a wall of synth and the welcoming breast of “Little Red Corvette.” There isn’t enough of “Little Red Corvette” to properly draw us into Prince’s story, a mere verse, chorus, and guitar solo hitting all the highlights of the song without the need for us to dig further.

There is a further rush with “Controversy” coming at the same breakneck speed of most of these earlier songs, and the quick segue into “Dirty Mind” There is enough to appreciate of the song, but those that want to see the back catalog treated with respect would be better off looking elsewhere.

“Superfunkycalifragisexy” serves as a great introduction to “Bob George,” it brings a sense of menace and drama to the concert before Prince tips us right over the edge with his vivid and expressive performance during “Bob George” It is again well presented on the recording, and I am constantly forgetting this is an audience recording as Prince snares me in his world.

 

The raw piano sound of “Anna Stesia,” sounds with mournful loneliness before Prince’s vocals start us on a journey towards redemption. The song ceases to exist as Prince channels it into his mood, atmospheres are created beneath the music the band is playing and a new world is revealed through music. In concert one could see how this would be an almost religious experience, something Prince makes clear in his final speech, and even on the recording, we can hear the spiritual mountain Prince is climbing.

“Cross The Line,” sounds like 1988 in a brief two-minute package, before the second half of the show kicks off with an urgent and energized “Eye Know.” The concert is reborn beneath its rhythms and shining horn lines, the darkness of the finals songs of the first half banished with its gleaming positivity. The horns are an integral part of everything that has gone on thus far, and here is no different as they continue to ribbon and stream out across the music.

The rhythms and collision of sounds continue through “Lovesexy,” music that defies genre and can be asserted uniquely, Prince. The song revolves around the colorful drum sound and an unending supply of horn lines, although later in the song the bass rises up – keeping the song on an even keel and moving forward, least it get caught up in its own web of musicality.

I have always been disappointed by “Glam Slam” in concert, a song that was deemed good enough to be released as a single, in concert it is short-changed and presented as an abridged version, most of the intricacy of the song stripped in favor of a chorus and a chance to leap forward.

 

The reverence with which “The Cross” is delivered is only heightened by the spiritual aspects of the Lovesexy concerts, the song now standing shoulder to shoulder with songs drawn from a similar spiritual palette. The crowd is present with us through the song, one can’t fault them for being part of the moment, but as the musical storm intensifies they are washed away by wave after wave of sermon and righteous guitar work. It is all delivered at a furious pace, there is no room to doubt the message Prince is delivering as the song and its message floods the headphones.

There is a simplicity to “I Wish U Heaven,” which endears it to me after the sonic assault of “The Cross.” However, it carries its sting as Prince is joined onstage by The Sounds Of Blackness, a fantastic moment as Prince introduces the choir for “I Wish U Heaven (part 2)” His guitar stabbing in the darkness punctures some of the depth of the moment, the choir temporarily stepping back on the sound of the bootleg while Prince carves his own space. A hoarse rasp from Prince brings “God Is Alive” into the arena, the concert becoming his pulpit to deliver his spiritual message. Anyone else and I would say it is all too much, but this is an integral part of the show, and indeed an integral part of Prince the man, and it is one of the most fascinating and scintillating parts of the concert. Along with “The Cross,” “I Wish U Heaven” is the bedrock upon which the concert is founded.

“Kiss” is the odd man out at this concert, it doesn’t fit with his Lovesexy material, and even against his older material, it sounds jarring in its uniqueness. There is no denying the intent of the delivery, or the quality of the song, but it does sound like nothing else that is heard at this concert.

 

Prince returns to his Lovesexy material one final time for a brief “Dance On,” a song that sounds far more stripped back than the previous “Kiss.” It is little more than an opportunity for Sheila E. to give us one of her famous solos, although listening to it on this bootleg I think I would rather see it than listen to it, and her wanderings around the drum kit leave me a little cold.

The concert comes back into focus with a pointed rendition of “Let’s Go Crazy.” The crowd obviously loves it, especially the person clapping near the microphone, and Prince does serve up some tasty guitar work later in the song that belies its otherwise overly simple call and response. I am never excited by “Let’s Go Crazy” through the Sign O The Times and Lovesexy tours, but there are enough enjoyable moments here for it to earn its place in the setlist.

Like so many other songs, “When Doves Cry” is stripped of most of its length, Prince giving us the hits package – the hook, a verse and chorus, and the singalong. As with the previous “Let’s Go Crazy,” I find there is just enough there for me to enjoy, and I am glad to see it on the setlist.

 

We have one final special moment in “Purple Rain,” as Prince is joined by Wendy, Susannah, and Lisa, a moment that is preempted by an audience member screaming “Wendy!” Prince is gracious with his introduction, and the song lingers in the opening as the audience adds their voice to the song. The song doesn’t need any extra emotional weight added, it carries enough of its own, but it does take on this history and sense of moment unfolding on stage and lifts it along with its own baggage. Prince’s guitar break releases some of this emotion, the guitar channeling all the thoughts and feelings of the crowd and spinning them into golden shafts of guitar work. It is a heady moment, and the bootleg is a great record of it, capturing all we need to hear from this brief concert reunion.

After such highs, “1999” can only disappoint. To its credit, it does punch above its weight, and the energy on stage continues to carry the audience through the song. However, my mind continues to drift back to “Purple Rain,” and even as the audience continues with their “party” chant I am still stuck in the previous moment. It does end the concert on a high and serves as a better finish than “Purple Rain” would have been, leaving us with a song on our lips and hope in our hearts.

 

As a bootleg this is good, but as a concert it is exceptional. The appearance of George Clinton adds to Prince’s funk credentials, and the appearance of Wendy, Susannah, and Lisa gives the concert a real human heart that is sometimes lost at other concerts with Prince’s heavy spirituality dominating. This concert is a gem and sadly overlooked in my collection. Today has been a revelation, and I will certainly include it in my pile of concerts to listen to regularly. Not a great bootleg for those that dislike audience recordings, but for anyone else it is a must-listen.

London 26 July 1988 (am)

The Palace in Hollywood wasn’t the only “Palace”  aftershow that Prince played in 1988. Earlier in the year, he played a late-night show at the Camden Palace in London, just one month before the famous small club gig that we all know and love. This concert is well known, in a large part due to the pro-shot footage that was later aired on “Prince: Musial Portrait” and “Omnibus: Prince Rogers Nelson,” both of which provide a rare pro-shot glimpse into after shows of the era. The concert itself is notable for three things. Firstly this pro-shot footage hints that the full show remains on videotape somewhere in the vault. A tasty morsel of what could be an appetizing prospect should this whole show ever see the light of day. Then there is the guest appearance of Mica Paris, who Prince spots in the crowd and hands the microphone to for a guest spot. It is a glorious spontaneous moment that perfectly encapsulates the pure love of music and the feeling that anything might happen at the show. Lastly, the show gains further luster from the guest appearance of Ronnie Wood, and immediately after  Mavis Staples. Although neither guest is heard on the bootleg (which sadly cuts out before they come to the stage), it still adds to the mythology of the show, and Sabotage has tried their best to give us a taste of what is missing by appending 20 seconds of Ronnie Woods appearance onto the end of the bootleg. It is a pointless exercise but does serve to remind us of what we are missing from the recording. What we are left with though is a fierce performance that touches on historic as Prince lavishes a hot and sweaty, yet utterly cool, performance on one of the most famous venues in London.

26th July (am), 1988. The Camden Palace, London

It is a special gift to Cat that introduces us to the bootleg as Prince gives a unique performance of “Happy Birthday” in her honor. It is a playful rendition as he flirts with different characters in his voice, and gives a gentle ad-lip with only heightens the lighthearted feel of the song. It is far from essential listening, but it does have its simplistic charm.

 

“Forever In My Life,” is sonically far more serious, although the recording is less than ideal with its tape hiss just loud enough to catch my attention. The music that the band is cooking up is full of different flavors as Prince takes it from a campfire sing-a-long start to a song steeped in gospel and history, filtering it through a lens that colors it both with blues and funk while settling in neither camp. The guitar runs that appear midsong become the most fascinating feature as they carry the rhythm and the emotion of the song long after Prince has given up singing. Coupled with the popping bass sound, the song becomes the type of jam that contains far more rhythmic ideas than melodic ones, something for the feet rather than the ears.

 

The recording does no favors for the following “Strange Relationship.’ All the pieces are in place for a grand rendition, Prince’s guitar coupled with Eric Leeds's horn sound as if they are prepared to inflict some serious damage upon the dance floor, but the recording remains willfully thin, all the more frustrating given that what we can hear is full of shadows and echos, a highly contrasting collage of sounds for the listener to luxuriate in. Prince’s guitar does whine and cut through the recording, but it never wails and howls as it would on a more full-blooded recording, making this a neutered version of what we know would be a testosterone-fueled performance.

 

“Just My Imagination (Running Away With Me)” is undoubtedly the high point of the show for several reasons. The introduction gives no hint of what is to come, the tape hiss stealing some of the intricacies from the performance, leaving only the bold strokes for us to hear. However, it settles down after this with the music elevated above mere trivialities. The vocals don’t fare so well, but as we approach the chorus the sound lifts as the sun bursts through the clouds of the recording. It is Dr. Fink who first breaks this initial spell with his glistening and chiming solo. It does play to the divinity sound the rest of the band is weaving, with Eric Leeds following in a similar suit there is the feeling that the band is indeed taking it higher. Prince’s guitar solo is different from the small club gig, in this case, it is far more nuanced in the opening minutes, and Prince draws a slow build from his instrument, not so much playing rushing to hurricane force finish, but rather playing with the eddies and wind gusts before he finally blows us away with the gale-force crescendo that follows. There is much more to come through, and as he spots Mica Paris in the audience he casually hands her the microphone for an impromptu performance that musically is just as rewarding as all that has come before. She grounds the song with strong roots, while Prince creates something otherworldly onstage Mica brings a humanity to the song that we can all relate to. This performance alone has me salivating at the prospect of a full pro-shot ever appearing.

I find the appearance of “Colonial Bogey March” and “Under The Cherry Moon” to be nothing more but a diversion, although “Under The Cherry Moon” offers a fresh take on a familiar song with the keyboard squelching and heaving in a psychedelic way that would sit happily at home in any late 1960’s commune.

“Six” brings further interest, as Eric Leeds brings his horns and Jazz sensibilities to what would otherwise be a pop-rock concert. The opening horn refrain signals what will follow, and the song throws down a challenge from here on in as Eric wiggles and squiggles across the beat for the next few minutes in a manner that suggests the wider palette that Prince was drawing from at the time. It is a far from the furious guitar rock we heard earlier in the show, and even when Prince’s guitar is heard it remains subservient to the mood of the piece, remaining busy without ever coming into full focus.

 

  

This audience recording finishes with some funk in the form of “Dead On It” and “Housequake.” “Dead On It” is notable only for inclusion, musically it doesn’t muscle up to the other songs performed in the evening. “Housquake” is more rewarding, there is some punch to Prince’s performance, and the beat alone is reason enough to always dedicate time to this song. Unfortunately, this is where we leave the concert as the recording finishes midsong, leaving us to only guess what the following “Miss You” (with Ronnie Wood) “I’ll Take There,” “Chain OF Fools” (both with Mavis Staples) and “Rave Un2 The Joy Fantastic” offer in the way of musical treasures. Part of the “Miss You” performance with Ronnie Wood can be seen on the circulating footage, with Prince giving a fine impersonation of Mick Jagger, and the Sabotage release of this show has tacked the 20-second snippet onto the end of the recording, a waste in that it doesn’t offer much listening value, although I have to admit the video footage out there looks fantastic.

 

This is almost one of the greats. A 1988-era aftershow, a bevy of guest appearances, and some of Prince’s finest music all make for a memorable performance. On the downside, the recording is just on the rough side of good, and incomplete. In itself this would be no bad thing, but having seen parts of the video, we know that this show has so much more, and the thought that it exists on video out there makes for a frustrating listen, always there is the voice in the back of my head saying “this could be so much better” Until we do get a better recording of the show, we will just have to make do with what we’ve got. It’s not perfect, but it is definitely a show that every fan needs to hear at least once.

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…