THE REAL INDIGO NIGHTS
To celebrate Prince's 21 Nights experience in LA-Reverberated Bubblegum has created an ultimate 'unofficial' account of recordings taken from two 3121 aftershow sessions back in 2007. This mix has been created not to ridicule, exploit or generate profit-this has been produced out of pure, unadulterated respect for the genius that is Prince.
The purple one truly transcends genre limitation, plays nearly every instrument, writes, arranges and produces all of his own music-this is why he is so respected by fans and musicians alike. When i first saw the billboard with Prince holding his ironic symbol guitar, something generated an excitement in my stomach. The very next day i purchased tickets for the 18th August's mainshow. What i witnessed that day I'll never forget-a true musician who drew the energy from within your soul and made you move whilst standing in awe at the talents and skills he has mastered over the years.
Little did i know that when September 21st came around-i would have experienced 5 mainshows and one aftershow. Yes this artist did a full two hour show then prepares for a jam into the early hours of the morning. The aftershow experience i experienced on September 20th however did present the negative aspects of my new found respect. Although the night was a fun alternative to the glitter and rock anthem area shows, Prince did not perform that night and of course i was hugely disappointed-but he had good reason to not attend.
The very next night he did a fantastic arena show followed by an aftershow with Amy Winehouse- who at the time i was hugely fond of as well. However over the years of collecting all of his music and trying to see him again-i have been disappointed because of his relaxed attitude to just play the hits. This artist has so many other songs that for me rival the likes of Kiss, Purple Rain, Lets Go Crazy & 1999. When considering the years Prince has been in the industry, all the trouble he has had with record labels etc-it can be understandable that he has settled for this. Regardless of what the man plays-he will give you an experience that you will likely never forget-he is a truly inspirational artist that will be never forgotten long after his life concludes.
Back in 2008 Prince released a coffee table book of photography taken around the time of the shows by Randee ST. Nicholas-a CD was included in the package entitled Indigo Nights which featured recordings from the aforementioned aftershows. Just like Prince's only live album One Night Alone (2002) Prince tends to be a perfectionist and re-edit or cut/paste cuts from a variety of different nights. In my opinion the CD included in 21 Nights was a huge disappointment considering the material he could of released. The extended monologues and rather uninspiring renditions of Girls & Boys, 3121 and others was extremely underwhelming-especially when he played rare tracks like Eye Like It There, Empty Room, Elephants & Flow3rs, Partyup & Around The World in a Day.
The unique aspect of Prince's aftershows is the unexpected nature of what he will play next. He plays music for himself not the fans in these shows, presenting a true musicianship and experimentation on guitar's, bass, piano and even drums. This is what makes going to a Prince aftershow the most unique music concert you will ever go to. Unlike the mainshows-he never plays the same songs twice or in the same arrangements.
This mix i have created i hope presents a side of Prince that non-fans will be surprised by-especially when it comes to the vast amount of jaw-dropping guitar work on display. Similar to the Band of Gypsies release & even One Nite Alone, i have chosen two aftershows and seamlessly created a near to 90 minute set-list that features covers, rarities and alternative versions to songs featured on the released Indigo Nights that surpass the versions featured on there. Here is what is featured on my version of Indigo Nights:
- Empty Room
- Stratus
- Around The World in a Day
- Beautiful Strange
- Whole Lotta Love
- Partyman
- Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Again) (Instrumental)
- When U Were Mine (Intro)
- Head (Instrumental) / Shake Everything You Got
- The Question of U-The One-Fallin
- Partyup
- Girls and Boys / Cutie Pie & Song of the Heart
- 3121 (Alexander's Ragtime Band, Music Music Music!, The Entertainer, Tom's Diner, Everybody's Free & One Nation Under A Groove)
This mix has been has not been licensed by NPG Records but i hope that they consider this has been done to showcase a side to Prince which i feel and so many others represents the true side of Prince. A free download of the mix is available at: http://www.mediafire.com/?ib9xekd9qfaxo16
If you are in the US make sure to attend 21 Nights whilst you still can, ticket information can be found at Moquake (www.moquake.com).
Peace and lots of love x
No comments:
Post a Comment