Ocean of Violets: Prince song by song

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by Lance LaSalle, Jul 21, 2020.

  1. Orthogonian Blues

    Orthogonian Blues A man with a fork in a world full of soup.

    Location:
    London, UK
    The released version is good - especially the strings. But can't match the original for emotional rawness.

    You can hear Prince was wounded when he wrote it. Betrayal cuts deep (I would think doubly so for a man like him who grew up without a stable home).

    Oh, and the 'cocaine becomes charming' line in the original is about Morris Day.

    3.5/5 for the 1991 version.

    5/5 for the 1985.
     
  2. thomas kozlowski jr

    thomas kozlowski jr Forum Resident

    Location:
    Pittsburgh
    Old Friends 4 Sale
    Version 1 5/5
    Version 2 3/5
     
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  3. thekid87

    thekid87 Forum Resident

    Location:
    The Netherlands
    Old Friends 4 Sale

    The original 1985 version is a masterpiece. Prince’s vocal is emotional and raw. The lyrics mean something and it’s pretty basic (almost only drums and piano). Just beautiful. (See sunspot42’s post for that version).

    After that Prince asked Clare to add his orchestra. Usually this makes the song even better, but this is a rare example where it doesn’t. It turns a perfectly fine song into a busy overproduced collage of sound.
    I do like the orchestra-only version in the movie Under The Cherry Moon, though.

    The 1991 version, as released on The Vault, takes the ‘clare fischer version’ and adds complete nonsense lyrics. Those lyrics were the main focus/joy of the song. With that gone we are left with a memory of a great song, but totally crushed and lifeless.
    Maybe without knowing the original version, I might like it a bit more, because the last minute isn’t too bad.

    That same version was performed live in 2013. I love that show, but this song is just a mess…



    Old Friends 4 Sale 1985 (original demo): 5 out of 5
    Old Friends 4 Sale 1985 (clare fischer): minor 4 out of 5
    Old Friends 4 Sale ‘91: 2 out of 5
     
  4. masswriter

    masswriter Minister At Large

    Location:
    New England
    OF4S '91 = 1/5
    OF4S'85 = 3/5
     
  5. Isaiah Tolbert

    Isaiah Tolbert Forum Resident

    Location:
    Minneapolis
    OF4S 85
    4/5
    I always loved this song. It is very sad and heartbreaking to hear him like this. Even the music is haunting. The end line "Watch out they will kiss you, until they get what you got...and they will show you the friends the are not....old friends....for sale...". Dang Prince

    OF4S 91
    2/5

    The horns and all that were not needed in my opinion. Change of lyrics too...were not that emotional as the original.
     
  6. Isaiah Tolbert

    Isaiah Tolbert Forum Resident

    Location:
    Minneapolis

    Correct. Hip hop was something to be taken seriously and Prince didn't understand that . It sound like a gimmick.
     
  7. thekid87

    thekid87 Forum Resident

    Location:
    The Netherlands
    … and

    Life ain't no fun without fantasy
    Some things are better left unsaid
    And some people are better left untrusted
    Maybe... it'll all make sense
    When I'm dead...
    Old friends for sale


    Prince: Old Friends 4 Sale (1985)
     
  8. Freek999

    Freek999 Forum Resident

    Old Friends 4 Sale
    4/5
     
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  9. Piiijiii

    Piiijiii Hundalasiliah

    Location:
    Ruhr Area, Germany
    Old Friends 4 Sale

    When people say that Prince left some of his best tracks in the vault it's normally not true, Wally proved the opposite and the 85 demo of OF4S is even better. Man, that sparse music and the haunting lyrics... truly a masterpiece. Not arranged, not produced, just let out. 5/5

    The 91 version is "only" good. 3/5
     
  10. Popmartijn

    Popmartijn Senior Member

    Location:
    The Netherlands
    With Old Friends 4 Sale we have another blues track. This time it's an after-hours smoky club we're in, though the orchestration maybe makes it too full for such a venue. I do find the track to be a bit too overstuffed. This lessens its impact.
    3/5
     
  11. luvtotha9s

    luvtotha9s Forum Resident

    Location:
    North Carolina
    Old Friends 4 Sale... kinda reminds me of a Sinatra song.
    2/5
     
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  12. YMC4

    YMC4 EVthing or Nothing

    Location:
    The Valley, CA.
    i'm one of those that don't mind the '91 version. both versions are great but i actually prefer the '91 arrangement over the original.
    it's a rare glimpse of P's personal inner-thoughts (more so on the original but '91 is still fine ~)...wish we would've had more of those as that's one (valid) critisism that gets lobbed at his catalog.

    oh btw, i finally finished reading Duane's new book last week...i don't know, maybe its the era but i kinda preffered the 1st book over this one. there's just too much Eric Leeds in this one IMHO :laugh: if Duane is planning on another voulme then i would hope he would tackle a different era (93-95 GOLD maybe ?!~) rather than continue from where this one ended. if there's a gurantee that volumes will continue through the end then chronologically is fine, but if everything hinders on how the last book has done then...it might be smarter to shake it up a bit. still an excellent book overall but tad bit dragging in places....at least, it was to me ;)
     
  13. Michael Macrone

    Michael Macrone Forum Resident

    Location:
    San Francisco, CA
    "Old Friends 4 Sale": The outtake was one of Charade's highlights for sure. 5/5

    The remake has a few major problems besides the lyrics: Too much added reverb, and too much compression. The arrangement is going for smoky nightclub, but the mix is just too loud, cavernous, and amped-up to serve the scene. Still, compared to his contemporary work in '91, let alone in '99, I'll take it. 3.8/5
     
  14. Lluvia Morada

    Lluvia Morada Forum Resident

    Location:
    California
    Old Friends 4 Sale:
    I originally heard the 1991 version first, when I got the cd. I really liked it, with its smoky bluesy vibe. Later I heard the original version, and while I initially missed the horn arrangement of the later recording, I came to love the original more. I wish it had been part of Parade, maybe if it had been a double album, as the lyrics and song are amazing. It would have been one more highlight of that album, and hope it is included as part of a SDE. But, as things are, I can live with the re-recording as well.

    1985 versión: 5/5
    1991 versión: 4.5/5
     
  15. Lance LaSalle

    Lance LaSalle Prince of Swollen Sinus Thread Starter

    Some of the lyrics stick out as being more crafted than "real", unlike the 1985 version. But the music is still really good jazz-blues number, with some stellar musicianshp. Clare Fischer's strings as always are amazing, though I'm not sure if they add to the song, really, but they are interesting in and of themselves and sure dont detract.

    4.7/5 for me marked down only a little becausae I preferred the unreleased Parade outtakes genuine sense of woundedness.
     
  16. Lance LaSalle

    Lance LaSalle Prince of Swollen Sinus Thread Starter

    Our votes for "Old Friends 4 Sale"

    1-0
    2-3
    3-5
    4-8
    5-5
    Average: 3.619
     
  17. Lance LaSalle

    Lance LaSalle Prince of Swollen Sinus Thread Starter

    Today's song is "If I Love U 2 Nite", written by Prince; produced by Andrus Levin, Camus Mare Celi, and Mica Paris. Performed by Mica Paris.

    Mica Paris – If I Love U 2 Nite Lyrics | Genius Lyrics

    This was an old outtake from Prince, dating back to an 1981 unreleased side project album called The Rebels. Prince re-recorded the track in 1987, and between 1988 and 1991, Mica Paris' version was recorded without input from Prince.

    Later Prince re-recorded the song again for Mayte, but I'll hold that one up separately, later.

    Finally, Prince's own version was accidentally released on about 200 copies of the Mica Paris single. It was recalled and is not considered official but I'll link to it below if it's on youtube.
     
  18. Lance LaSalle

    Lance LaSalle Prince of Swollen Sinus Thread Starter

    Prince's 1987 version:
     
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  19. Lance LaSalle

    Lance LaSalle Prince of Swollen Sinus Thread Starter

    The 1981 version by The Rebels (Prince's backing band)


    Lead vocals by Gayle Chapman.
     
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  20. Andrecrabtree

    Andrecrabtree Forum Resident

    Location:
    Leicester
    So many different versions of this song.

    None of them really move me.

    2.5/5
     
  21. Freek999

    Freek999 Forum Resident

    If I Love U 2 Nite
    Prince demo - 3/5
    Rebels - 3/5 (from 1979, not 1981)
    Mica Paris - 2/5
     
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  22. Tricky By Name

    Tricky By Name Forum Resident

    Location:
    London, UK
    If I Love U 2 Nite - never liked this one... every version feels undercooked and I've come to the conclusion that it's just not a very good song. Mica's version is my favourite, although it drags and outstays it's welcome. I actually quite like some of the Nellee Hooper remixes of the the Mica Paris version more. which place the song in a smoky late night club setting. I used to have the promo 12" with the Prince version 'accidentally' pressed on it, but sold it many years ago. Nice collectors curio though and not that easy to find.

    1.5/5
     
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  23. Lance LaSalle

    Lance LaSalle Prince of Swollen Sinus Thread Starter

    I don't really think its that bad, I just don't find it all that interesting. Anotehr pop/R&B song from the early 90s, (even though written in the early 80s or earlier.) Nothing special, but not horrible. I wouldnt turn it off. But I wouldn't remember it either. In fact, I own a digital copy of this and have heard it several times over the last several years, and yet didn't remember how it went at all. I'm listening to it now and still am not sure if I remember how it goes.

    2.7/5
     
  24. Piiijiii

    Piiijiii Hundalasiliah

    Location:
    Ruhr Area, Germany
    If I Love U 2Nite

    Just a weak song in any version.

    2/5
     
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  25. Joker to the thief

    Joker to the thief Forum Resident

    Location:
    London, UK
    It may be a minority opinion, but I really love if I love u 2nite. The lyrics are funny, it has bounce, the melody is light and playful as well as catchy. This is one song where I think Mayte’s version is the best because she has the lightness needed for it - a song where it helps not to belt it, which is where Mica’s version goes wrong for me (and makes it leaden). This is the type of song that would have been perfect for Vanity/Appolonia 6 if they were still a going concern by this point 5/5
     

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