Zurich 30 August 1993 (am)

 

“A funny thing happened to me on the way here today” begins the old joke, only in my case, those words do ring true. A funny thing DID happen to me on the way to writing today’s blog, and the show I will be listening to is not the one I originally intended. I have been meaning for some time to take a listen to the Paris Club Rex show from 1993, but I never quite get around to it. I thought that this week the time had come, and I was looking online for more information about the show when I stumbled across a forum where someone recommended this show from Zurich in the same year. Although this show is equally well known, it too remains waiting for me to write about, and since it was closer to hand than the Club Rex show it will be the one I will listen to now.  I am fooling myself that I am living life spontaneously, but it’s just more effort to find the Club Rex show in the archives.

30th August 1993, Kaufleuten Zurich

This recording has been circulating for years now, in many guises. I am running with the 4DF release, mostly because it has been cleaned up somewhat to move the audience noise back to its rightful place -the background. On first impressions I immediately like the setlist, I see “Blue Light” listed (many don’t care for it, I do), plenty of funk jams, and then what looks like a rock fuelled ending.

The recording lives up to my expectations from the opening moments, with a rising horn riff and the crowd on board from the opening seconds. They introduce themselves as The New Power Generation, and that is borne out by the following performance, it is a complete band performance with Prince being very much band orientated for the bulk of the show. “Deuce And A Quarter” is right in line with this thought, Tony M does the speaking, while it is up to Kathy J to provide the early initiative on the horns. She is of course ably assisted by Michael Nelson and his trombone solo. With the band swinging, Tony M does his best to hype the crowd, and I am most surprised to hear it’s working for him. The party is already starting in style.

 

“Deuce And A Quarter” may have started the party, but it’s the following “Black M.F. In The House” where things take off. The band plays as the first song, only more so. The horns are brighter, the band funkier, and Prince sings his lines with great relish. It’s hard not to like it, and I find I am singing loudly here at home, at least until my wife comes in to see what the heck I’m singing about. As the crowd gives a rousing cheer it feels more like a house party than a concert, the audience and the band are already connecting.

Prince keeps in theme with “Race” following naturally enough after. The recording does give a wobble at this point, but it’s no real problem, and Prince and the band are still chewing it up on stage. “Race” isn’t as intense and full-on as I sometimes hear, it’s more relaxed and flows easier. The band is playing brilliantly and keeping it in the pocket without ever pushing the song, I think I prefer it this way, and I am thankful the recording is sounding as good as it does.

 

I haven’t used the word ‘intense’ yet, but that is about to change with the introduction of “The Undertaker.” With its creeping bassline and misty horns swirling there is a feeling of impending seriousness. Prince delivers that seriousness in his lyrics and with the backing singers, it does lose that party vibe as it slips into darker territory. There is the much-admired guitar break, but what demands listening from my point of view is the Tommy Barbarella keyboard break that pulls us deep into the swampy sound. It is thick and all-enveloping, a juicy warm sound that you can lose yourself in, and that’s exactly what I do for the next ten minutes. The final coda sees some funk enter the picture, and we are left on an upbeat groove that contrasts all that has come before.

Some guitar and keyboard interplay, and before I know they are playing “Six.” What a great song to be able to pull out at a moment like this, and with the horn section on board it gets a workout in the full sound it deserves. It’s the keyboard and guitar that leads us into it but come to the chorus the horns make themselves heard, and they are the key component for the rest of the song. I can’t stress enough how good this all sounds, the song, and the band are a perfect match, and this is certainly one of the standout songs of the night.

 

The horn section stays at the front of our minds, and the sound mix, as they next tackle “Intermission.” It’s lively and sharp, something I enjoy, but at only a couple of minutes, it’s much shorter than anything else heard at the show.

I was surprised to see “Delirious” clocking in at over seven minutes, but all is explained as I listen, it’s played as a swing-time jam, with plenty of horns bouncing back and forth, and a long guitar break by Prince that keeps in this theme, and a joyful sing-along by the crowd. The mood and tempo are kept up the whole time, and it adds a lot of lightness and fun to the evening.  Prince does very little singing and instead it’s the band that gets all the shine as they play.

Typical, I was looking forward to hearing “Blue Light” then when it starts I don’t immediately recognize it. After the beat and a few seconds of lead guitar it settles into the groove I recognize, especially as the horns begin to play. It has an easy way about it and flows easily in and out as Prince and the crowd sings together. The horns give it the sunshine feel, and with the crowd singing along it seems to work much better than it does on the album.

 

“Come” gets things moving again, with its smooth sound much more driving than the previous “Blue Light.” There is a slippery guitar underneath which I always listen for, and the crowd claps and chants their way through the song. They aren’t intrusive at all, and the overall effect is one of unity between the band themselves and the crowd. All in all, it’s a very smooth and clean performance, something I could easily listen to again.

A pounding drum, a scream, and the opening riff of “Endorphin Machine” open the next part of the show in style. The guitar isn’t right to the front as perhaps most would like, but that hardly matters as Prince sings the lyrics, his guitar sawing back and forth underneath. It’s bold and energetic, and as Prince launches into the guitar break I am sold on it. He sings with a hint of venom as he spits the lines before his guitar flies, it’s captivating even on an audience recording listening here at home.

“Peach” starts slowly, before Prince turns everything up to eleven to give us a rendition to remember. His vocals are full-throated and only matched by the full-blooded guitar sound he gets out of his axe. There is some interaction with the audience, but we are all here for the guitar pyrotechnics, and Prince delivers on that front bringing out the best of his playing. I’m not always a big fan of Peach, this one has me all in.

 

“What Is Hip?” is intriguing from the start, with plenty of horn work (obviously) and a very funky guitar, it is constantly moving and evolving. Morris Haynes playing a swirling organ solo is a bonus, and without Prince singing again it highlights how much of a total band performance this show has been.

Prince is back on the microphone for a final stomp through “House In Order.” With a call of “everyone go to church y’all” there is a church vibe as the crowd claps and the band swings. The first few minutes are great, but it’s the scat and funky guitar that appears midsong that floors me, they slip between gospel-infused singing to funk in a heartbeat. Prince keeps the crowd just as involved as the band, and as you might imagine there is plenty of chanting, singing, and clapping in the final few minutes, Prince always leaves the crowd finishing the show as if they are very much a part of it.

And just like that, it’s over. I wasn’t 100% confident about this recording, but the show is yet another good representation of the aftershow experience. The real surprise was how little Tony M was heard on the microphone, and how much the audience noise had been toned down. This recording has been around for a long time now, and I’m glad I gave it another listen with fresh ears. Absence truly does make the heart grow fonder.

Vienna 25 August 1993

 

Last month someone kindly suggested that I should take a listen to some shows from Austria, with the promise that Prince always played something special when he played there. The obvious place to start would be a couple of after-shows or the main show from later in Prince’s career. Instead, I have elected to run with an Act II show from 1993, mainly because I have a DVD of the show but have never quite gotten around to watching it due to the very ’90s-looking cover. I probably have a better audio copy of the concert somewhere, but I know that during this period the look was just as important as the music (although I could probably say that about every stage of Prince’s career), and I am pretty excited to watch a full concert again.

25th August 1993, Vienna, Austria

The first minutes of the video is entirely typical for an audience recording of the era, filmed from the far left we begin with the camera out of focus and shaking. This is matched by the audio which is equally shaky and thin sounding. The visual aspect rapidly improves though, with the zoom utilized we have a nice close view of the action unfolding on stage, which is timely as the pseudo-Prince onstage strips off his clothes at the end of “My Name Is Prince” to reveal Mayte’s shapely body. However, the audio never improves, and I resign myself to the fact that it is what it is and I had better get used to it. “My Name Is Prince” is a frantic way to start with plenty of motion all over the stage, although to be honest I only have eyes for Mayte.

 

Prince makes his appearance for “Sexy M.F.”, the greasy funk of it highlighted by the person who can be seen crossing the stage with a mop.  The audience may have been agape any the bombastic opening, but they come forward for “Sexy M.F.” and can be heard all through the song with their singing and clapping. Asides from Prince and Mayte, it is Levi who gets plenty of spotlight, and I can’t deny it is his guitar sound that oils the funky cogs.

  

The soft sound of “The Beautiful Ones” is unwittingly matched by the soft focus of the camera as we temporarily have a blurry image at the song’s beginning. The look of Prince is casual/cool, and this is equaled with his low-key delivery of this normally heavy hitter, he maintains his facade of cool and never digs as deep into the song as I hope. This isn’t helped by the sound quality which stays shallow, and I am sure I would have a much better opinion of the song if I heard a better recording of the concert.

The concert is front-loaded with hits, it is “Let’s Go Crazy” that vanishes any thoughts of “The Beautiful Ones” from the stage. With an elongated keyboard opening from Tommy Barbarella, I am immediately impressed by the extra depth to it, and Prince delivers with his punchy guitar line that gives the song a steely force that I haven’t previously heard at this show. With guitar a blaze, and lights and streamers adding to the moment in a spray of color, I expect the song to go for longer than it does, but we only get a few minutes. Prince gives us plenty in that time, but it only makes me hungry for more.

 

“Kiss” is too busy for my tastes, and the stage is awash with horn players and musicians which takes away from the stripped-back funk sound that first drew me to the song. Visually Prince is looking great as he works his way back and forth across the stage, but I can’t find an entry point for me to get into the song, and it leaves me feeling ambivalent about the whole performance.

The performance of “Irresistible Bitch” isn’t a patch on the original, and with the previous “Kiss,” this becomes a flat spot in what has been otherwise a funky show.

Redemption comes with a blistering “Always in My Hair” The organ stabs come as soft punches before the Prince hits us with a jabbing guitar that leaves a burning impression. Coupled with some of his trademark showmanship, one feels that at this point the show has reignited and the next portion of the concert might be the essence of the performance.

 

From the high voltage “She’s Always In My Hair,” Prince easily transitions to the pure pop of “Raspberry Beret” It’s always too sweet, and Prince knows this as he ends it quickly before one has time to tire of its upbeat joy. “The Cross” is the polar opposite, the music is joyous and the lyrics celebrate Prince's spiritual beliefs, but it is a heavy and sincere rendition giving us a sense of how important this song is to Prince. All things considered, it is wonderfully filmed and Prince looks brilliant in the spotlight while his Cloud guitar provides a stunning contrast in its deep blue color. This is easily the part of the concert that demands watching the most, and I drown myself in the music through its entirety.

Prince stays with the heavy hitters, “Sign O The Times” just as compelling and every bit as intense as “The Cross.” They are a good match, despite the bleakness of “Sign O The Times,” it is countered by the note of hope that Prince hits in “The Cross.” Both sound weighty and deal with themes that you wouldn’t normally hear at a pop concert, and that excites me about the music even more. The music is the main focus of “Sign O The Times,” and even with Mayte being a visual supernova it is still the music that stays to the fore.

 

“Purple Rain” is lightweight in comparison, but that may well be due to the previously mentioned audio limitations. There is a lightness to Prince’s performance though, his hand in the pocket early on does indicate that he is holding back from a full-blooded performance. The guitar break more than makes up for it though, and I am most pleased to see him on top of the piano, head thrown back and guitar howling. If you’re looking for an iconic image of Prince, this would be it.

I have strong feelings about the medley of “Thunder,” “When Doves Cry,” and “Nothing Compares 2 U.” I don’t like it. The first two songs are merely throw-away hooks that introduce the slightly longer “Nothing Compares 2 U.” All are instrumental, and even with Mayte providing some sense of spectacle with her dancing, my interest begins to wane. This interlude continues with “And God Created Woman,” and “Diamonds And Pearls,” but there is no doubt that without Prince on stage this feels like a different concert entirely.

Last time Prince was on stage he was blazing with his guitar, his return sees him conquering another instrument as he delivers the intimate piano set. As is his way so often, this begins with the gentle “Venus De Milo.” With very little moving on stage, the melody is the motion that carries the performance and sketches out where Prince might go with this set.

 

If not for an annoying buzz on the recording, “Condition Of The Heart” would be one of the quietest moments on the bootleg. It is only a verse, but the audience is reverentially quiet as Prince delivers it. “Little Red Corvette” comes from the same place, and gets equal respect from the audience. It’s easy to forget how big this concert is as Prince draws the crowd in with his intimate delivery.

There is a major tape dropout for “Strollin.” The picture rapidly deteriorates into grainy static, before stopping altogether a minute into the song. When the picture resumes it is in time for us to enjoy the final portion of “Scandalous.” Prince whoops and squeals to the crowd, but without the foreplay of the first half of the song it is an unsatisfying climax.

The NPG does a fine job of taking us back to 1986 with their take on “Girls And Boys.” Eric Leeds may not be in the lineup, but Prince has the band stuffed with horn players, all of who are eager to make their mark on this song. It isn’t particularly clean sounding, but it is energetic and engaging, and that more than makes up for any audio inconsistencies.

On audio boots, the Arabic intro is enjoyable enough, on video boots it becomes much more as we witness Mayte dancing with a sword perched on her head. I’m not convinced it belongs in a Prince concert, but there is no doubt that this is just the kind of thing we expect at a Prince concert. Expecting the unexpected was always part of the anticipation of a new tour or album, and Prince certainly delivered that in the early and mid-90s.

Predictably, it is a smooth “7” that follows. The person filming is evidently in love with Mayte, and the camera follows her relentlessly for the first part of the song, Prince is only seen when she is nearby. Prince gives a highly staged performance, it is almost too slick, every note and moved planned, all rehearsed with very little sign of spontaneity in the song. I enjoy it, but it just makes me wish he would break out and give something extra at this stage of the show.

 

The encores open with another predictable song for the moment – “1999.” With the large ensemble on stage it becomes lost in the crowd, the song is there somewhere, but I can’t see it for all the bodies and different sounds emanating from the stage. It is only near the end as Prince and Levi play up with their slick guitar sound do I finally engage with the song, and just in time too for the quick transition into “Baby I’m A Star.” This is a far better song for this group, this time all the bodies and instruments make sense as they have a strong hook to play against and plenty of time to display their skills. It becomes an evolving jam at this point, and as “America” pounds out I am completely in awe of the moment, even the slightly tacky US flag made of fireworks has me excited. The horns are a fantastic addition to the song, and one can only imagine how overwhelming this musical assault must have felt in the flesh.

The funk continues to flow through “D.M.S.R,” this time the trombone becoming a key player and adding some depth to a recording that is otherwise high in treble. Morris Hayes cuts into his work, fleshing out the sound further with his muscular keyboard. Prince’s diversion into the lyrics of “Gett Off” doesn’t enthuse me, but the NPG is simply untouchable throughout, and I fall easily into their orbit. Another drop in the tape breaks me out of this moment, and when it resumes I find Prince in the middle of “Johnny,” a song so laid back it is almost comatose and a million miles away from the previous rambling medley.

 

Prince ups the pace as he closes the concert with a quickfire “It’s Gonna Be A Beautiful Night.” It comes at breakneck speed, and there is barely enough time to register what song it is before Prince ends with his traditional “thank you, good night.” The crowd reaction isn’t as vocal as I expect, and I think a lot of them find it hard to believe that it is all over.

This would not be my first choice to watch or listen to from this time. We have better videos circulating from the Act I tour, and soundboard quality audio circulating from the Act II tour (especially the Germany festival show just one week later). However, this show does have its place in the bootleg canon. It is yet another record of the NPG as they were hitting their stride and driving Prince’s music in a new direction. There are parts of this show where I felt the NPG was almost upstaging Prince, and with Mayte serving as a visual foil, there were times when Prince disappeared into the performance going on around him. With a setlist nicely balanced between old and new tracks, the concert is a marker of the two eras Prince was straddling, the slave era is almost upon us and this is a final goodbye to his back catalog for the next few years. It is difficult to recommend this bootleg, but I know how addictive this game is and I am sure most fans would want to see it anyway.

Barcelona 23 August 1993 (am)

 

Recently I have become very interested in the evolution of Prince and in particular the missing link between the Act I/Act II concerts, and the shows that we would see in 1994/1995. When I look at the recordings on hand, I can see that the clues for the sounds and songs that are to come are there in the aftershow concerts. The frequency of these after shows increase markedly in 1993, and Prince sustains this rate for a good few years afterward.  Several songs from Come and The Gold Experience can be first heard in these 1993 after shows, even though it is a couple of years before they have an official release, and there are also the Goldnigga songs in the mix too. Add in the Undertaker project and songs from the time, and 1993 begins to look like a very fertile creative period indeed. Today I am listening to an aftershow from later in the year. It wasn’t my first choice to listen to, but due to computer problems, it’s the one I have to run with.

23 August, 1993 Estàndard, Barcelona

“The Sacrifice Of Victor” didn’t get played regularly on tour, so hearing it here is a nice treat. The horns have a swagger to them as the song begins, and it’s a nice way in. A simple riff repeated over and over, it sounds too easy and it always works. Having a horn section gives it a more mature sound, and it’s much more laid back than it sounds on the record. I find that even though the recording is an audience recording, I much prefer this arrangement of the song to that on the record. The band has a swing to them, and Prince sounds very relaxed and happy as he commands the band. What is great about it is that he isn’t sounding like he is pushing them too hard, rather he is just guiding them in direction. As the song progresses I feel some regret that it wasn’t released in this form, like a fine wine it has matured at this point, and now is ready for me to digest.

Prince doesn’t mince his words as he introduces the next song “Black mother fuckers in the house!” “Black M.F In The House” from the Goldnigga album is a bit of an oddity. It’s one of the few Goldnigga album songs that I like, and this is due for the most part to the guitar line that runs through it. Here again, it's the guitar line that holds my attention. The horns are again in fine form, but it's a slippery guitar sound that I love so much. There are better live versions of this song out there, this one is good – although not the first one I would choose to listen to.

 

The lyrical meaning of “Race” is highlighted next as Prince speaks the lyrics before the song begins. It’s still a year away from this being released on the Come album, and much like the other songs here, it’s got a much more laid-back sound at this stage. Prince seems to come up with these laid-back sounding songs, then amps them up and adds extra hooks, and tightens them up for release. It’s interesting to hear it like this, and it is lacking some of the intensity in the chorus, and with the horn section playing more relaxed all over it, it has a different vibe. The slippery guitar sound is present and is giving it that same groovy sound as the horns. It takes on a different feel with the lead guitar playing a break, however, the break is only short and we soon return to a great funky sound. The last minute has a cool-sounding guitar refrain that is a great way to finish it.

Another new song next, with “The Ride.” Its public debut was only three weeks before this, so it still fresh to the audience, and I guess to the band too. It’s a little faster than what is heard in the following years, the beat is just a shade quicker. Prince doesn’t slow it right back, and this makes it more interesting for me to listen to. The recording is pretty good, and I like the sound of Prince’s guitar break, it’s nice and crisp sounding in the speakers. Sometimes I get bored of this song, here I don’t, and I find myself listening intently all the way through, the guitar has some different sounding breaks and Prince solos, and he doesn’t repeat himself, nor does he make it scream. It’s tight and well worth the attention.

The crunching guitar sounds out the beginning of “Honky Tonk Woman.” I was surprised all those years ago when I first heard him play it, but now I see it’s a good fit for this band and this sound. The guitar isn’t as in my face as I’d like, at the show, I’m sure it was plenty loud, it’s just not picked up on the recording. Prince takes a solo early on, and the song is sounding a lot more like Keith Richards than Mick Jagger. Vocals are secondary to the guitar sound, and the only negative thing about the song is that it ends much too soon.

We go back further in time with a performance of “Jailhouse Rock.” As with “Honky Tonk Woman,” one gets the feeling that Prince isn’t particularly interested in singing it, rather he’d be playing his guitar. It’s a tease of a song and ends after a couple of minutes, but not before Prince has played a couple of solos and called “Vegas!” to finish it.

“Come” is another of the songs from this time that was around for quite a while before Prince finally released it on the Come album. It’s got a jam quality to it, and the audience is very quick to pick up the “come” chant. It sounds loose and easy to listen to here, and I prefer this to the released version. I wonder if it was stale by the time Prince released it, and perhaps he has worked the life out of it in the year and a half it took to release it. Here it’s fresh, and very enjoyable to listen to.

 

The guitar introduction to “Endorphin Machine” is excellent, and not in a way you might expect. It’s not a full-sounding guitar riff at the start of the song, rather it’s a thin-sounding guitar playing the riff. I like that it’s not a full-out assault, instead, it creeps upon you, and it’s only at Prince's scream does it take off. It’s still a whole two years away from its official release, and yet all the parts are in place, and it is sounding complete. Tommy plays his solo well, and it’s a nice mix as Prince comes over the top with his guitar break. It’s a shame we had to wait so long to get the official version, but it was worth it.

With the crowd calling Mayte, Prince plays a song about her, “Peach.” There is nothing new in the guitar in it, instead, it's Prince singing in a raspy throaty voice that gives it a real rock sound here. The audience does get a chance to sing along before Prince takes over with his guitar and drives us right through to the end of the song. The song is a little light for my tastes, but I can’t deny that it sounds like a lot of fun, and I always get a buzz from hearing Prince shredding on the guitar. He gives it plenty and throws in a couple of false endings that tease me at the end.

Next, we get the first public performance of “The Undertaker.” I am very used to hearing it from The Undertaker release, this one is different, but every bit as good. The horns add a different dimension to it and Prince's guitar break is more intricate, and it’s got a fine tone to it that I like. This one is a must-listen, and in a lot of ways is the most interesting song of the show. The band gets to showcase their talents, there is a bass solo as well as the guitar solo, and the horns add just enough brassiness to make it shine. There is also a strange-sounding solo later in the song that I want to come back to and listen to again. Actually, make that two solos, this is better than I imagined.

“Sing A Simple Song” is a song we have heard many times now, but this recording is the first time it was played by Prince at a gig. It’s very much a band performance, and no one person stands out, even Prince himself is well in the mix. He is singing, but the song doesn’t seem to highlight his singing or his guitar playing, instead, it’s the song that is the thing here, and the entire band plays tightly on it as the crowd sings. Prince also sings some lines of “You Can Make It If You Try,” but it’s not worth mentioning as the song finishes at this point.

 

“Get Your House In Order” sounds good, but it seems to be a much better fit for Mavis Staples rather than Prince. However the horns sound great on this track, and the band is very sharp through it all, even if Prince's vocals don’t seem quite right. The song turns into a groove and a jam. At this point I enjoy it much more, and so does the audience from the sound of it, as they again get to sing along, as the various band members get a chance to play. Even here at home, I find myself nodding along and chanting, usually a good sign when I am listening to one of these shows. The horns shine a little brighter as the song continues and overall it’s a good representation of the whole show.

Prince leads us in “Johnny” with a “J..O..H..N..N..Y”. Like he has done a couple of other times in this show, the song is more laid back. I seem to remember it’s a little more lively on other performances, this one is only a little more laid back and I like it too. It's a casual way to finish the gig, and Prince and the audience sound very at ease as they sing and chant their way through the song. Levi has plenty of time to play before the sax break comes in, and his part is my favorite part of the song, understated yet very good. There is a hint of a Prince guitar break, I’m sure I can hear his guitar for a few seconds before he has the crowd chanting “NPG in the mother fucking house” which is the last thing we hear as the band stop and the crowd continues chanting.

The importance of these 1993 aftershows shouldn’t be underestimated. A lot of what will come in the next couple of years is laid out in these shows, and I could have picked any aftershow from this year and been well satisfied with it. Prince and the NPG are laying down the blueprint of the sound that they will follow for the next couple of years, and some of the songs that will define that period have already been written and performed regularly at these after shows. I will spend some time revisiting shows from this period, so expect plenty more blog posts relating to this period from me in the future. This show was very good, perhaps not my favorite aftershow from 1993, but it’s a fine place to start. Anyone with an interest in Prince's evolution as an artist should pay close attention to these shows.

Madrid 21 August 1993

 

1994 and 1995 were times of tremendous change for Prince, but looking back one can see that the roots for this change were planted in 1993, and the transformations of the next two years are signposted throughout the Act II shows. Prince’s concert performances of the Act II tour have evolved from the Act I portion of the tour, some of his more outrageous concepts have been reigned in, and although it remains a wild ride he has tempered the previous excesses. It becomes a tighter show, and Prince's overall story arc comes into tighter focus as he strips the fat from the show. This week I will be watching one of the better performances of the Act II tour, the concert from Madrid. It is a well-filmed show, although incomplete in the middle portion. There is a full audio recording in circulation, although at this point I feel no inclination to include it here. Even in this incomplete form, it is still essential viewing as Prince carves out a new niche for himself and his music.

August 21, 1993, Plaza de Toros de las Ventas, Madrid

One can feel the thrill of excitement in the air as the concert opens with “My Name Is Prince,” and there is a vivid rush as the lights come up and the concert takes flight. Twenty-five years on and we can join Prince with his tease of the crowd as Mayte plays his part while he sings off-stage. It’s all too obvious now, Mayte does a good impersonation but lacks the high heels, and one can hear the gasp of comprehension as Mayte strips off her disguise. Part excitement, part confusion, it is a great concert moment as she reveals her athletic dancer’s body and writhes to the music.

 

Funk is in the air as Prince finally appears, a pocket rocket at the back of the stage singing “Sexy M.F.” The bootleg isn’t perfect sounding or looking, but the performance remains one of his best, the band locked in a holy unison that makes this brand of funk a religious experience, Prince, Mayte, and the music a trinity worthy of 1993.

For the briefest of seconds, it feels as if I have stumbled across the wrong gig as the band effortlessly lifts us to the highs of “The Beautiful Ones,” the grease and funk of “Sexy M.F.” all but forgotten as Prince pitches the music at our hearts rather than our feet. Lust is replaced by pure love, and a younger Prince emerges from the music, the last 10 years shedding off him as he takes us back ten years in the blink of an eye. There is no need for the lights to bathe him in purple, the music itself wraps him in this noblest of hues, the song no mere exercise in nostalgia, but rather a fully immersive Purple Rain experience just as passionate and uplifting as the era itself.

 

Prince continues to roll back the clock with a version of “Let’s Go Crazy” that stays reasonably faithful to the original. It does have an extra layer of funk, just a little extra slip-and-slide that we didn’t hear on the record, and although the guitar heroics are downplayed, it is as fresh as I have heard it for a long time. It’s a punchy and playful few minutes and serves more than a hollow gesture and a nod to the past.

“Kiss” takes this element of funk, blows it up ten times, and plasters it right across the next five minutes of the show. Prince is entirely subservient to the music, the funk remaining to the fore, Prince doing little more than riding on the music as it flows in a never-ending stream from the stage. The horns and Levi on guitar do more than anyone in creating this whirlpool of sound and are the mainstays of the band for the next ten minutes. As sublime as this music is, the bootleg becomes a frustrating experience at this time as it zooms back, rendering much of the action on stage a mere blur to us here at home.

The previously stripped-back sound of “Irresistible Bitch” is inflated by this extended funk band Prince has on stage. The music remains the main focus, the song and performance disappearing under the layers of horns and guitar. And that is perhaps for the best as the camera work remains unfocused and heavily obstructed.

 

With guitar in hand, Prince and his instrument become the sole focus for “She’s Always in My Hair” Forget the song, forget the vocals, this performance is all about one thing – Prince’s guitar. It is not a storm, nor a hammer blow, instead, it is a weapon of finesse, Prince delicately cutting the music up with scalpel-like stokes, the guitar in hand opening up new vistas as it cuts through the night, Prince revealing new worlds through his instrument of choice. Of particular note is the final few minutes as he takes us from power chord rock into flamenco territory, much to the delight of the crowd (and me here at home). It is an extraordinary display that leaves me grasping for words to describe it. I want all my guitar gods to be like this.

 

The crowd loves “Raspberry Beret,” but the truth is it can’t compare to the previous few minutes. However, it does raise the energy levels of the crowd, before Prince again lets them down gently, the opening verse and chorus of “Sometimes It Snows In April” falling as soft as snow before the video jumps to the introduction to “The Cross.” The song lacks some of the weight I have heard in other renditions, but as the song kicks off midway through the balance is restored. The camera is in sharp focus at this stage, and that no doubt lifts my enjoyment levels immensely as Prince does his finest guitar posing of the night.

 

The video continues to frustrate as it jump cuts through the end of “The Cross,” but the following “Sign O The Times” is incendiary and is the strongest performance of Prince’s back catalog of the show. Prince laces it with a fearsome guitar line, but it is Michael B who grabs the final headlines with his apocalyptic drum sound rounding out the song.

“Purple Rain” sets the standard for the next portion of the show, the most frustrating portion, as the video drops out several times, robbing the song of any momentum or emotional weight. It is inconsistent and seems to do it at the worst possible moments, for example taking us from mid-verse to the middle of the finale.  Things don’t improve, we miss the entire instrumental interlude, before picking up at “Little Red Corvette.” It is apparently a stunning performance, with Prince alone at the piano, but we only see a minute of it, before catching 30 seconds of “Strollin” and “Scandalous,” and not much more or “Girls and Boys” before settling back in for “7.” The heart of the show is ripped out of the bootleg, leaving us to fill in the blanks from other sources.

 

The encores are much better served by the bootleg, the final 30 minutes playing like just the kind of party I’d like to attend. “1999” plays at a brisk pace, leaving the album version huffing and puffing far behind. The camera is settled firmly on the stage, and this part of the show is very easy on the eye, with Prince and Levi holding court center stage. The segue into “Baby, I’m A Star” makes the two songs practically one, but there is better to come.

The band is at boiling point as they take on “America” a song that becomes an angry funk jam at this particular concert, especially with some furious horn riffs rising from the mix midsong pushing that song far beyond the stage and out into the stratosphere. Mayte shaking her thing is a pleasant enough distraction, but for  Prince connoisseurs, the real joy comes as Prince takes a lengthy drum solo that demonstrates his mastery of another instrument. Plenty has been written about his skills with the guitar and keyboards, but to see him is a revelation, and one can see he plays with as much heart on the drums as he does with the guitar. This is an excellent bootleg (aside from the midsection) and nowhere is it better than this point here as Prince demonstrates another essential element of his musicianship.

 

With the audience clapping the rhythm the band switches it up again with “D.M.S.R.” It gives way to pure groove, the song secondary to the feel of it, in a performance suggests the lengthy, groove infused, jams that will propel Prince through 1994/1995. With Prince on bass, we have an insight into what will be a familiar sight in the coming years and although he is playing to an audience of 58,000, one could easily see this taking place in a smaller club with the groove and crowd interweaving through each other. With this laid-back bass sound dominating, Prince takes us back to the song, this time with his vocals infused with a blues sound that suits the slowed-down beast that it has become.

 

After one final frantic groove, Prince returns for the last song of the show, another low and slow version of “Johnny,” a song we will be hearing plenty of in the post-Prince landscape of the next couple of years. With the house lights on, this performance becomes an expression of love between Prince and the audience, they embrace his sound and take every opportunity to contribute. It threatens to take on an aftershow feel, especially as they take up the NPG chant, and the concert turns into a communal celebration. The show comes to a playful end as Mayte coaxes Prince off stage, or attempts to, before she finally drags him off, much to the delight of the crowd. It may be part of the act, but it creates the feeling that Prince never wants to stop playing for the crowd, something that could well be true.

 

Act II differs greatly from the Act I tour just a few months previous. The bulk of the material from the Symbol Album has been dropped, replaced with more overtly Prince material from the 1980s. Yet, watching the concert here, one can’t help but feel that Prince is looking firmly into the future with both his look and overall sound. He will push far further in this direction in the next twelve months, leaving his Prince material behind completely, yet keeping this band and their monstrous funk sound. Here we see him laying the groundwork for the slave era, we may not have known it at the time, but twenty-five years later it is plain to see. This is one of the best video boots circulating from the Act II tour and as such must be held in the highest regard, an outstanding show, with some great footage, albeit with the dropouts at the center of the show, and Prince on the cusp of the most interesting part of his career, this is a must-see.

San Francisco 12 April 1993 (am)

 

I find myself forever drawn to 1993. It is the pivot point between Prince the 1980s pop idol, and The Symbol he would become in the Nineties. A fascinating period, there are a variety of concerts and after-shows for us to sift through – looking for musical nuggets that may have been previously overlooked in the wave of creativity Prince was riding at the time. I have covered a selection of shows thus far, mostly from later in the year, but today I would like to turn my attention to a show from earlier in the year. This show from April 1993 carries a diverse range of songs. Some had been released on various projects, while others would appear a year later on Prince’s Come album. Just as interesting as the music though is Prince’s thinking at the time, and this makes his spoken introductions just as essential as the music he is playing. So, with that in mind, let’s take a listen.

12th April (am) 1993, DNA Lounge, San Francisco.

In 2009 Prince told Tavis Smiley, and his TV audience, that as a child he had epilepsy. This may have been a revelation at the time, but for those paying close attention in 1992 Prince had already told us through the lyrics of “The Sacrifice Of Victor.” At this particular concert, he spells it loud and clear in his introduction to the song, the key lines are spoken before the song starts proper. Prince’s raspy drawl suits the mood of the evening, and the song as the band picks up on the lyrical content and weaves it into music. With the horns tucked sweetly into the mix, Prince’s rasp has something to contrast against, and for this, the lyrics sound all the stronger. The horns and vocals pull back mid-song, leaving a barren scratch guitar that had been previously buried, thus revealing the funk that the music slides across. The song is a bright opening, leaving the rest of the concert full of possibilities.

 

“Race” makes an appearance, but only as spoken lyrics, and it is up to “Come” to pick up the musical baton and move the concert forward. “Come” doesn’t always sound as good in concert as it does on record. However, the song coasts on a gentle groove with the mix catching just the right balance between the instruments. It stays with a stripped-back sound after the previous all-in of “The Sacrifice Of Victor” With the bass holding the bottom down, the guitar picks its way across the top – leaving plenty of room for Prince to inject his lyrics or any other instrument he calls in. With the horns gliding in and out the song feels like it’s moving forward even as the groove remains steadfast. This is the band that Prince has put together for the Nineties, and here they are living up to their reputation as one of his best.

From the luxuriant groove of “Come,” Prince pulls the band funk band apart and reassembles them as a rock ensemble for a riff-laden “Peach” They still carry the song with a groove, but it is Prince and his guitar that holds the ear. However, Prince is betrayed by a mix that has his guitar sounding thin and brittle. It is especially disappointing as one can clearly hear that he is shredding as only Prince can. This is a pale imitation compared to the much better renditions circulation (and longer ones) and makes for one of the lesser moments of the concert.

 

“Black MF In The House” brings the smile back to my face. The interaction between Prince and Tony M is a lot of fun, and they devote plenty of time to playing with the crowd. The political message remains to the fore, played with a grin the song remains true to itself while giving the crowd plenty to dance to. In this case, Prince’s humor strengthens the message rather than detracting from it.

The “Starlight Lounge Improvisation” sounds like a wedding band that has aspirations for greatness. With the organ swirling above an upbeat groove, it certainly is one to get the crowd moving. The walking bassline and church organ hold center stage as it draws strength from the past, while the brief guitar solo Prince plays fires the song into an unknown future. Like the best Prince songs, it is this dichotomy that keeps the listener interested, and this is a great example of Prince pulling from the past and future.

Prince steps firmly back into the past with the following “I’ll Take You There.” A song he dabbled with often in the late Eighties, here it is almost too familiar. Tommy’s contribution on the keyboards is note-worthy, but Prince doesn’t have a strong female foil to play off, leaving the song one-dimensional and lacking any real punch. Even the guitar tickle in the final minutes is underwhelming and certainly not up to the standard of what was heard earlier.

 

“Sexy Dancer” is strong whereas “I’ll Take You There” was weak. Every instrument has power and purpose, they are muscular and propulsive throughout. The keyboard has a spluttering start, but soon enough is a driving force, the song disappearing under waves of keyboard bliss. Prince returns with some razor-sharp guitar that cuts the song in two, the keyboard glory lost under Prince’s six-string antics. There is a scat that nearly undoes this, but the final minutes as the organ grinds and the horns return make it all worthwhile.

Prince takes on George Clinton’s “Get Satisfied” for the first time, and it sounds like a success from the start. With the horns stepping forward the song gets a strong push. Prince is expanding his horizons and this band is with him every step of the way. A joyful fusion of rhythm guitar is a mid-song highlight, the combination sent from funk heaven. The song remains an evolving funk jam, and Tony M himself says it best with his repetition of “Fat beats and basslines” It does look like an audience chant may finish the song, but a final call of “Groove y’all” sees the band finish what they started.

 

“Papa” isn’t the party jam you might expect after such a song. It briefly wraps the concert in a darkness not previously heard, the cool groove slipping us into the dark lyrical content from Prince. As much as I like it, it doesn’t feel part of the same show. The contrast is too stark, the jump required to follow Prince and his band too great to make for a cohesive experience.

The pop and kick of “777-9311” lifts us from this murky fog, and the band moves swiftly in “Hair.” “Hair” is a recurring song throughout the Nineties, to the point where there is very little new left to hear in it. In this case, it is kept short at a couple of minutes, and as such retains a freshness that isn’t always heard.

An instrumental “What Is Hip?” is a good choice for this band. They play it with a confidence that makes it their own. With the keyboards carrying the load and the horns giving it some flash, it is a bright moment that also carries some energy and momentum as we near the end of the show.

With the full band in from the start, “When U Were Mine,” doesn’t have the same new wave charm as it did in the Eighties. Prince’s raw guitar sound is lost amidst the strong horns and busy drums. The song is still at the center of all things though, and Prince tells his story with an economy not always heard in the Nineties. Overall the positives outweigh the negatives, and the concert is all the better for it being in the setlist.

 

The concert closes with the song of the moment, “Sexy M.F.” With a fabulous long intro that features a bare guitar and horn stabs it signals what is to come. These two elements are essentially the core of the song, and even when the rest of the band joins they carry the song for the next eight minutes. Prince’s vocals don’t appear until the three-minute mark, leaving us plenty of time to bathe in the simple elegance of guitar and horn. Prince’s vocal contributions are perfectly in tune with the funk groove, his lyrics enhancing the music as he flows with ease. The “Love 2 The 9s” lyrics make an appearance, working equally well with the groove, the song continuing to wash easily from the speakers. With a final horn stab, the concert ends with this song, only fitting given how much they have been heard throughout.

So ends another worthy entry in the year 1993. It is yet another fascinating look at Prince as he is on the cusp of his great metamorphous of 1994/1995. One can hear him shedding his 1980s skin, and pushing forward in a new direction, leaving all he has created previously firmly in the rear-view mirror. With the horns locked in place and the NPG building a history with him, this is a springboard into the years that will follow. Fans of hits and short sharp pop songs may be disappointed, but this is Prince reaching for another level of creativity and delivering some of the most interesting material of his career. Better shows will follow, but this is a great place to jump into his Nineties material.