Prince Week, Epilogue: Sheila E. - Fe

I hope you've found this week's Prince posts entertaining. To be honest, it kind of burnt me out as most of these posts are so long. Over the next week my posts will be a bit more sporadic as I'm going to relax and play around with my new turntable, but I'll be around, I'll be answering e-mails and comments, and I will still be writing posts. In particular, there will be some Prick/Lucky Pierre/Kevin McMahon posts that I'm sure fans of his and NIN will find very interesting. I'm also going to be talking about Sean Carlin from Dink and what he is up to and I just got a very kind e-mail from David Williams, so there may be more Jungle Brothers details in the near future. So, don't go anywhere, because there is a lot more to come and I promise, I'm not going anywhere, just taking a few days to relax.

Before I start my little break, I wanted to post one more Prince-related obscurity. Sheila E. was one of Prince's proteges, one of his drummers and sometimes his girlfriend. It's often glazed over how talented she is in favor of her Prince connection, which is really ridiculous when you see her credits. Visit her wikipedia page and prepare to be blown away if you doubt me! That said, Sheila had a rather tumultuous relationship with the purple one and, when it was over, she decided to continue recording as a solo artist for Warner Brothers. Her first Prince-free release was the dance/pop album Sex Cymbal, but apart from the title track, the album wasn't a big seller. It's common knowledge from there that Sheila disappeared as a pop-artist and returned to her Latin percussion roots, becoming a member of Gloria Estefan's band and performing with many others before eventually reappearing as a solo recording artist in the early 2000s, but what a lot of people don't know is that she recorded another album for Warner Brothers after Sex Cymbal.

Not much is known about Fe. People became aware of it when someone sold a Warners internal cassette of the album on ebay a few years ago. A very high quality rip of the album eventually surfaced online and has been quietly shared among fans of Sheila and Prince since. I've read criticisms that the album is far more subdued than her live shows and that some of the material was re-recorded for her early 2000s albums, but I still enjoyed Fe very much. Sheila even went so far as to re-record The Glamorous Life as a full-blown Latin percussion party jam, probably knowing that it would be her big chance at getting the album seen by the mainstream. Unfortunately, it must not have been enough for Warners, as the album was shelved and remains unreleased, but credit must be given to whomever purchased that cassette for transferring it and sharing it with the world, especially after paying the ridiculous fee of $461 in the auction!

I guess the lesson to be learned here is for proteges not to consider themselves has-beens just because their mentors don't need them anymore. Prince has a long and well documented history of being far less than kind to his proteges, attempting to control every move of their careers until they look like copycats of his style. Some people might see that as a savvy business plan on Prince's part, but very few of his artists ever benefitted from their connections to him so I have to believe it's proof of his raging ego. So, props to all of his supposed proteges who have gone on to do well for themselves in whatever fields they have chosen. And massive props to Sheila E. for being Sheila E.! Hell, even Prince asked to re-hire her eventually! Enjoy!


Sheila E. - Fe

01 Fe
02 Regalame
03 Distantes
04 Tu Para Mi
05 Rumera Mulata
06 Guantanamera
07 Soy Feliz
08 Te Nesesito
09 Amado
10 La Vida Glamarosa (The Glamorous Life)
11 Fuerza

TWO WORLDS APART 2 "MODS"

Os "Mods" e os "Rockers" (estas imagens revelam-nos os "mods" e apenas os "rockers, na primeira imagem" à distância em Brighton onde tomou lugar uma batalha campal na praia de Brighton) dominaram a vida pública dos "Working class weekends" no início dos anos 60 em Inglaterra.

p.s. Quem estiver interessado neste tema deve ver o filme "Quadrophenia"http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=19xJIedrrfA

TWO WORLDS APART 1

Estas imagens de estudantes em Oxford nos "early fifties" dão-nos uma atmosfera muito especifica ... vejam esta passagem de "Brideshead Revisisted", que ilustra o momento do primeiro contacto entre Charles e Sebastian, e revela-nos não apenas o ambiente mas também o "unheard" e "unspeakable" Anthony Blanche ...http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LIgwiKxEMI8

O VERDADEIRO CASAL ARNOLFINI

JAN VAN EYCK
1434

CHEZ MOI "regency american mirror"

Encontrei este espelho "regency" (regência de George IV mas este é de influência americana "federal" por causa da águia) e resolvi tirar uma imagem efeito "arnolfini" ... Façam "click" na imagem e vão perceber ...

Prince Week, Day Five: Unreleased Tracks

I hope you've found Prince week entertaining. There won't be any more Prince-related stuff for a while, but I'll probably compile another disc or two of unreleased tracks some time in the near future. There is so much more unreleased Prince stuff than I could ever post here, and I can't imagine one person doing it on their own. You would need a really free online community to do that, and Prince won't let that happen, at least not if it's in an obvious location. Let's think about that Prince fans. :)


Prince - More Unheard


Disc One:

01 All Day, All Night
A leftover from the Purple Rain era, this was later given to Jill Jones. Her version retains the basic tracks from this version and even credits The Revolution as the backing band in the liner notes.

02 She's Just A Baby
A beautiful number from the seventies, this doesn't really fit with anything else Prince has done, but it would have been great regardless if it had been released.

03 Wouldn't You Love To Love Me
Another seventies leftover, this song was clearly a favorite of Prince's as he recorded it several times over the years. An acoustic demo, recorded prior to his signing with Warner Brothers, circulates as does a version with his 1987 band which was later given to Taja Sevelle. Taja's version fades a little earlier than Prince's but used the same backing tracks. As for this version, it sounds like it may have been recorded during the Dirty Mind era, although it's far to sweet to ever make that album.

04 No Call U
Recorded during the 1999 era, this sounds like Delirious and Horny Toad's lost cousin. Catchy, if not kinda short.

05 Neon Telephone
This was recorded for Dream Factory and easily could have been a double A-Side with Wonderful Ass. It was later given to Paisley Park signings, The Three O' Clock. Their version, while significantly different, still used portions of Prince's original version with Wendy & Lisa being given a background vocal credit on their album.

06 Purple Music
Another 1999 era leftover, there are two versions of this track circulating. They aren't very different from each other, one featuring a brief drum machine intro. This is the version without that intro, chosen because it's a clearer recording. As for the song, it's a very minimal funk workout with a prominent bass line. It's too simple, and too long, to have been considered for 1999, but it's funky enough that it would have made a nice B-Side to a 12".

07 The Voice Inside
This was recorded between Lovesexy and the Batman album for an unfinished album a lot of people refer to as The Dawn. Whether that album would have carried that name or not, there was some excellent material recorded for it with much of it being reused on the Batman and Graffiti Bridge albums. Not to be confused with The Voice, a song Prince wrote and gave to Mavis Staples, of which Prince recorded a reference vocal which is circulating.

08 Big Tall Wall
A Dream Factory outtake about Prince's odd relationship with women. Musically, this is super simple with only a beat backing Prince's elaborately multi-tracked vocals. In the song, Prince talks about wanting to build a wall around his lover so she can't get out. He also notes to his woman that he has another girlfriend, but that won't stop him and the woman in the song from having fun. If it isn't common knowledge, Prince has problems when it comes to relationships.

09 It's A Wonderful Day
Recorded for Dream Factory, part of the backing track ended up in Under The Cherry Moon. Wendy & Lisa's presence is all over this one. Funky and psychedelic.

10 A Place In Heaven
Too many Dream Factory outtakes!!! This is the same song as featured on that album, but this is the version with Prince's vocals. It also features the segue between it and Movie Star.

11 Chocolate (Reference Vocal)
I mentioned this track in an earlier post. It was recorded during the Purple Rain era for The Time, but shelved for unknown reasons. It was eventually released on The Time's Pandemonium album, and is almost identical to this version. The biggest difference is that this version fades early, but Morris copied Prince's impersonation of him down to most of the improvisations. As great as this song is, it really speaks volumes about Prince's control freak habits with his songs and the artists he works with.

12 Computer Blue (Rough Mix)
I know it looks like I'm repeating a track from the first Prince post, but that's not the case. This is a different mix of the full-length take as featured in the first Prince post, but this version is missing a number of elements from that mix. It also features a significant blast of guitar feedback at the end that's missing from all the other versions circulating. Great stuff!

13 Extra Loveable
This one is kinda controversial. Listen to the end and you'll understand why, which also makes it clear to some degree why it remains unreleased. Otherwise, this is a funky number that may have been recorded during the Purple Rain era but also may have been done around the 1999 era. Despite calling out his band members names, this is probably all Prince at work here.


Disc Two:

01 Pop Life (Kirky J. Remix)
02 Alphabet St. (Kirky J. Remix)
03 Head (Kirky J. Remix)
04 When Doves Cry (Kirky J. Remix)
All four of these remixes were made around 1995. Some of these tracks were used in Kirky J.'s B-Sides Remix, which, oddly enough, doesn't feature many B-Sides. A remix of Housequake was also created but isn't circulating.

05 Superfunkycalifragisexy (Long Version)
This is the unedited, and slightly unpolished original version of Superfunkycalifragisexy which would later appear on The Black Album.

06 Instrumental (Sound 80)
An untitled instrumental recorded at the Sound 80 studios in the seventies. There are a large number of instrumentals from that era circulating, although most of them are rather uninteresting. This is one of the exceptions, being rather fun and funky.

07 Good Man
Recorded around the Batman era, this is another Camille vocal. It was eventually given to Margie Cox for the MC Flash album, but that also remains unreleased.

08 Trouble
Another great instrumental. If it had vocals this might have been a really kick-ass number.

09 If I Had A Harem
From the era between Lovesexy and Batman, this is a rather strange song. This was played live sometimes as a bluesy number, but this version is more of a shuffle. Sorry, I can't describe this one well at all, you're better off just listening for yourself.

10 Witness 4 The Prosecution (Version)
I mentioned this version in the Dream Factory post. It's faster than the Dream Factory versions and features steel drums. Weird to hear Prince re-work a song so elaborately. Apart from the lyrics, it's practically a new song. Easiest reason though may be the complete removal of Wendy & Lisa's presence.

11 Can I Play With U?
THE INFAMOUS MILES DAVIS TRACK!!!!! This is the only known studio collaboration between Prince and Miles. Stories circulate that Prince mailed a tape of this song with the simple message, Can I Play With U?, but this is unconfirmed. What we do know is that Prince did not collaborate directly with Miles, having recorded most of this track on his own. It was slated for Miles' aborted Rubberband album, which morphed into Tutu. It was also slated for the Last Word box, an unreleased compilation of Miles' recordings for Warner Brothers. It would have featured all of his studio albums and a number of unreleased recordings, including both Can I Play With U? and Miles' recording of 17 (Penetration), but Prince would not allow them to be released. The box then changed from six CDs to four before eventually being canceled entirely. Wish it would have been released, but at least we can hear it.

12 Housequake (Razormaid Remix)
No, Prince did not make this remix, but he did hire the Razormaid production team to create it, making it a certifiably official remix. Prince wasn't satisfied with it and did not release it, but Razormaid did give it an unofficial release on some of their remix compilations. This has sometimes been listed as an alternate version created by Prince, but now you know it isn't, and knowing is half the battle! Or half the hassle. All depends on who you ask.

13 Possessed (Vocal Version)
Recorded during the 1999 era, Prince offered this to James Brown. James turned it down, so Prince started performing it live. He also made the instrumental version which is in my first Prince post and was played in the background of Purple Rain.

14 The Dance Electric
Recorded during the Around The World In A Day era, Prince gave this to Andre Cymone whose version uses the identical backing track, albeit a bit shorter. This is the full version of the track which features some intense guitar towards the end. Also, this is another sign of Prince's paranoia about the end of the world after 1999. For more odd, end of the world references, see Horny Pony. A song about a sex dance, which Prince later said, isn't about sex, which has a line about watching the clock for the end of the world. If you didn't know it already, PRINCE IS WEIRD!!!


PS - I received some messages that a track in the second zip from this post was corrupted. Well, I've just re-uploaded that zip file but, if you don't want to re-download the whole thing, click here to download the Version of Witness 4 The Prosecution that was corrupted. Sorry for any difficulties.

Prince Week, Day Four: Unreleased Albums

It's common knowledge that Prince has unreleased albums and recordings out the ying. Most of the complete albums don't circulate but, every once in a while, we get lucky. Then again, sometimes we get enough information that the finished product can be accurately approximated. Either way, while a lot of people may look at such things as mere re-orderings of existing tracks, these albums are of great importance to fans in the Prince community. Sometimes, regardless of the availability of the recordings, a different track ordering is enough to make a world of difference.

The first of the unreleased albums I'm featuring today is Dream Factory, the last album completed with The Revolution. By looking at the track list alone you would probably assume this is an early version of Sign 'O' The Times, which is kind of accurate, but with Prince it's never that simple. What Dream Factory really is is the second to last step in Prince dissolving The Revolution completely from his image. Earlier versions of the album, none of which are circulating in a complete form, featured recordings with more involvement from musicians other than Prince in their creation than any other project Prince was ever involved in, barring the unfinished Rebels project. An excellent example of the alchemy at hand is the wonderful Power Fantastic which was featured in The Hits/The B-Sides collection and was recorded live in the studio for Dream Factory. Prince, most likely worried that he was losing control of his personal microcosm, removed most anything as inspired as this from the final cut, using recordings he was primarily responsible for.

By the time the album was finished, Wendy & Lisa, the undeniable core of The Revolution, came to Prince to let him know they were quitting. He asked them to stick around a little longer, only to dissolve the band shortly thereafter and cancel the album's release. Without The Revolution, it makes sense to cancel a project with their name on it, but that didn't mean all the material would go unused.

After the dissolution of The Revolution, Prince went to LA and started a furious work regiment, working primarily on his own. Toying with some of the Dream Factory material, Prince compiled at least two albums that never saw the light of day. The big one was Crystal Ball, a triple album that he adored. Warner Brothers didn't feel the same way though, and asked him to trim Crystal Ball down to a double album. This is the event that planted the seed for the long-standing feud between Prince and Warners, with Prince reworking most of Crystal Ball into Sign 'O' The Times, but there was another album prior to Crystal Ball's completion that was finished but not released.

Camille, a project based on a feminine alter-ego of Prince, was created when he began experimenting with sped-up vocals. The album was completed rather quickly, with estimates specifying under two weeks, and Warners even assigned it a catalog number, but Prince's affection for the project was somewhat short-lived, with him canceling the album yet releasing most of it's tracks over the next few years. It's probably safe to assume that Prince was happy with the songs, but he may have had doubts about the album's commercial viability as either a Prince album or a release under a pseudonym.

Most of the knowledge surrounding both of these albums can be attributed to a kindly fellow who went by the name T. He hasn't been seen around for a while now, but in his time online he provided an incredible, fan-remastered collection of Prince 12"s, a number of unreleased Prince recordings and music videos and a copy of Dream Factory transferred from a studio reference cassette. He also provided details of the Camille album which I've used to piece together the version presented here. It is known that T either worked with Prince in some aspect or was very close to people who did work with him, but his identity is a pretty well kept secret outside of those close to him. Unfortunately, with his leave, those who know him have said he has most likely moved on to other interests, but I find it hard to believe that anyone so dedicated to an artist less than thrilled with his fanbase's dedication to his works would completely disappear. He's probably lurking in the background, possibly under an alias, but hopefully he'll re-appear eventually. His knowledge and assistance have been extraordinary.


Prince - Dream Factory
NOTE: I re-uploaded the second part of this recently as I'd received reports that mediafire was giving people problems with the file. That re-up didn't work so I've done it again as a single archive. Please let me know if anyone has any problems with this version.

01 Visions
This is a instrumental piano piece performed by Lisa Coleman. She re-recorded it and released it on a 3" CD issued with some copies of Wendy & Lisa's Eroica album.

02 nevaeH nI ecalP A
This is a brief interlude where Wendy & Lisa play the roles of a young girl and a bouncer arguing about getting into the club. Some of the background vocals from Witness 4 The Prosecution are included here as well as Prince talking in the Camille voice.

03 Dream Factory
This is the same song that is featured on the 1999 Crystal Ball compilation (not to be confused with the unreleased 1987 album of the same name that morphed into Sign 'O' The Times) but it's been edited a little shorter.

04 Train
Great song that was later given to Mavis Staples.

05 The Ballad Of Dorothy Parker
06 IT
These two tracks are the same versions that appear on Sign 'O' The Times.

07 Strange Relationship
This is an earlier version that features sitar and Prince's regular singing voice. Wendy & Lisa can also clearly be heard on background vocals.

08 Slow Love
09 Starfish & Coffee
Same versions as on Sign 'O' The Times, although Starfish doesn't have the alarm bell at the beginning.

10 Interlude
A brief guitar solo performed by Wendy Melvoin.

11 I Could Never Take The Place Of Your Man
This is a slightly different edit, but otherwise the same song on Sign 'O' The Times.

12 Sign O' The Times
Again, same song as on Sign 'O' The Times but a shorter edit.

13 Crystal Ball
This is the same song as featured on the 99 Crystal Ball compilation, but this is a shorter edit of the earlier version. Initially, the song featured no orchestration and was a minimal funk workout. The version on the compilation is the Clare Fischer orchestrated version intended for the 87 Crystal Ball album.

14 A Place In Heaven
There are two known versions of this song. The first segues from Movie Star into a version of A Place In Heaven with Prince on lead vocals. This is the same song but features Lisa Coleman on lead vocals.

15 Last Heart
Same as the version on the 99 Crystal Ball compilation.

16 Witness 4 The Prosecution
Excellent rockin' number with horns and Wendy, Lisa and Susannah on background vocals. There are two other versions of this track, one with less processed vocals and no horns and another faster, dancier version with steel drums.

17 Movie Star
Same version as featured on the 99 Crystal Ball compilation.

18 The Cross
Same version as featured on Sign 'O' The Times.

19 All My Dreams
This was recorded for Parade and even appeared on a famously bootlegged early version of the album. This is probably the greatest example of Prince, Wendy and Lisa all working together. Some of Prince's slowed-down vocal towards the end of the song was used in another track, Acknowledge Me. Amazing stuff!


Prince - Camille

01 Rebirth Of The Flesh
This is the only track from the Camille album which has never seen official release, at least not in it's proper form. A live rehearsal from the Lovesexy tour was featured on Prince's site briefly. This song also opened the 87 Crystal Ball album.

02 Housequake
This is the same version as featured on Sign 'O' The Times, although T insinuated that the Camille version was slightly different. He never clearly specified what those differences were, but he said they were very minor.

03 Strange Relationship
This is the version that appears on Sign 'O' The Times. Interestingly enough, Wendy & Lisa appear on background vocals here, despite being almost otherwise excised from Sign 'O' The Times.

04 Feel U Up
This song dates back to 1981 when an early version was recorded with Irresistible Bitch. This was eventually released on the Partyman 12", although the complete version, as featured here, was only released on some rather difficult to find import picture singles and 3" CD singles.

05 Shockadelica
This was released as the B-Side to If I Was Your Girlfriend, with an edit on the 7" and the full version on the 12". In the liner to The Hits/The B-Sides compilation, it's noted that Prince may have written this for a "dear friend" who had an album of the same name but no song of the same name. That "dear friend" would be Jesse Johnson and his album was most certainly named Shockadelica.

06 Good Love
This saw release on the Bright Lights, Big City soundtrack, although it appeared again in slightly edited form on the 99 Crystal Ball compilation. Many fans wondered why Prince would bother featuring a short edit as a supposed unreleased track. In reality, the edit was the version for the Camille album. This is an edit of the Bright Lights version created by me to match the Camille album version.

07 If I Was Your Girlfriend
Same version as on Sign 'O' The Times, minus the wedding intro.

08 Rockhard In A Funky Place
Same version as The Black Album, outro and all.


By the way, if anyone wants a copy of the terribly generic peach cover I created for the Camille album, you can download it here. I wanted it to follow the visual theme of The Black Album. In other words, non-descript and generic as hell.