Jio's HoF :NOW:WEEKLY PICKS (19/03/2024)

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  • jio
    Legend
    • 15 Jul 2009
    • 16693

    #41
    I think the digital version substitutes "Crimson & Clover" with another song but I am not aware of any version without "Boom". Do you have the single-cd edition (which basically is only "MPLSound"?
    jio CHARTS NOW:05/03/2024: https://www.ukmix.org/forum/chart-di...8#post11345288

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    • NothingFails
      Legend
      • 09 Jan 2004
      • 44392

      #42
      Originally posted by jio
      Why you avoid the protege songs?
      Some of them like Sheila, Vanity 6, Jill Jones, The Time I like, but some of them I never invested any time in getting into. Like with Madhouse, I'm not a fan of jazz (I listened to NEWS just once) so I doubt I'd be into it.
      My top 100 artists (2018 edition)

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      • jio
        Legend
        • 15 Jul 2009
        • 16693

        #43
        Originally posted by NothingFails
        Originally posted by jio
        Why you avoid the protege songs?
        Some of them like Sheila, Vanity 6, Jill Jones, The Time I like, but some of them I never invested any time in getting into. Like with Madhouse, I'm not a fan of jazz (I listened to NEWS just once) so I doubt I'd be into it.
        Other than Madhouse there is no other instrumental protege song. And the Andre Cymone song exists in bootleg by Prince, Prince performed it numerous times in concert and it's very Prince/Time-like. You ought to listen to it if you don't know it.
        jio CHARTS NOW:05/03/2024: https://www.ukmix.org/forum/chart-di...8#post11345288

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        • ShayLaB
          Manager
          • 30 May 2008
          • 4246

          #44
          Girls and Boys is a fantastic track. This is the kind of thing that makes me like him so much as an artist...deeply funky and unlike anything else that would pop up on the radio. Fabtastic.
          101 Albums | 501 Songs

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          • Blondini
            Site Supporter
            • 01 Nov 2005
            • 67075

            #45
            Cymone was co-writer/producer of Jody Watley's Looking For A New Love - fantastic track!

            His track here is pretty good - rather weak voice.

            Love Girls and Boys and Why You Wanna...
            And the 3121 track is a highlight of the album.

            Comment

            • NothingFails
              Legend
              • 09 Jan 2004
              • 44392

              #46
              Originally posted by Blondini
              Cymone was co-writer/producer of Jody Watley's Looking For A New Love - fantastic track!
              He was married to Jody for a number of years also.
              My top 100 artists (2018 edition)

              Comment

              • jio
                Legend
                • 15 Jul 2009
                • 16693

                #47
                ____________________________________________________________
                75.MY NAME IS PRINCE (with the New Power Generation) (1992)
                album "SYMBOL"



                ..."In the beginning God made the sea
                But on the 7th day he made me
                He was tryin' to rest y'all
                When he heard the sound
                Sound like guitar, cold gettin' down"...


                This was the song which finally persuaded me to buy my first ever Prince album. Looking back at it now it may not be quite the masterpiece I thought it was then, but it is still full of energy and I consider it Prince's most hip-hop-influenced single ever. Released as the second single from his 1992 "Symbol" album, it peaked at #36 on the BB Hot 100, #25 on R&B and #7 on the UK Singles Chart giving Prince his first back-to-back Top 10 hits in the UK since his "Purple Rain" peak way back in 1984/1985. The video of the song (which fortunately exists on youtube) is notorious for Prince hiding his face throughout, a trick he pulled on the previous video ("Sexy MF") as well and is part of the video-album/musical "3 Chains O' Gold".
                ____________________________________________________________

                74.COME ON (with/credited to New Power Generation) (1998)
                album "NEWPOWER SOUL"



                ..."20 days in London and U ain't gimme no love
                could it be another brotha man that u're thinking of
                or could it be your girlfriend
                who never ever been straight"...


                This was the only single taken from New Power Generation's third (and final) album to be credited solely to them. "Newpower Soul" however is effectively a Prince album, he sings the lead (or only) vocals on all songs and he is featured all by himself on the cover. The album did poorly on the charts peaking at a mere #22 UK and #38 US and remains one of the most disliked Prince albums among fans. It's true, the album does include some of Prince's worst songs ever but it includes a number of good songs as well, including this one which I rate as one of Prince's finest '90s R&B tracks. Just notice the bass on this song. It charted at #65 on the UK Singles Chart.
                ____________________________________________________________
                73.THE WORD (2006)
                album "3121" (album track)



                ..."How am I gonna sleep with this feeling
                rushing all through my veins
                Get up, come on let's do something
                Don't you wanna get saved?"...


                Another one of the highlights of Prince's 2006 album "3121", this one is more pop than R&B. Most Prince albums include at least one message-sending song and this is the one from "3121". It was definitely more single-worthy than the album's first single "Te Amo Corazon", but perhaps its religious undertones played some role in keeping it as just an album track.
                ____________________________________________________________
                72.WILD AND LOOSE (performed by The Time) (1982)
                album "WHAT TIME IS IT?" (album track)



                ..."Universal freak delight, where'd you get those thighs?
                Where did you get the nerve to wear that miniskirt so high?
                Don't worry, baby, I can keep a secret for as long as snow is white
                Hey Jesse? Yeah, come here man, guess what I did last night?"...


                The Time (Morris Day, Jellybean Johnson, Jerome Berton, and the famous from their later work on Janet Jackson among others duo of Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis), were the most successful Prince protege act. In fact, they were so good that Prince himself said that he would be scared to perform against them. Prince composed their three first albums and donated several songs for the fourth. They were also featured in both "Purple Rain" and its horrid sequel "Graffiti Bridge". This funky album track is just the first of plenty of their songs in the countdown
                ____________________________________________________________
                71.LITTLE RED CORVETTE (1983)
                album "1999"



                ..."A body like yours oughta be in jail
                'Cause it's on the verge of bein' obscene
                Move over, baby, gimme the keys
                I'm gonna try to tame your little red love machine"...


                This song was a turning point in Prince's career as it became both his first US Top 10 hit (by making it to #6) and his first single to fair better on pop rather than on R&B chart (where it charted at #15). It also made it to #2 on the UK Singles Chart as a double a-side single with "1999". The subject matter is a bit controversial as it talks about an one-night stand and goes as far as comparing sex with a limousine ride. That didn't stop the song becoming a classic though, a status proven by cover versions by Sandra Bernhard among others and the role it played at prompting Stevie Nicks (of Fleetwood Mac) to work with Prince.
                ____________________________________________________________

                (you can click on the song titles to listen to the songs or see the videos)
                jio CHARTS NOW:05/03/2024: https://www.ukmix.org/forum/chart-di...8#post11345288

                Comment

                • NothingFails
                  Legend
                  • 09 Jan 2004
                  • 44392

                  #48
                  75.MY NAME IS PRINCE (with the New Power Generation) (1992)
                  album "SYMBOL"

                  Good opening track to O+>. I always thought some of the lines about being a Prince before being a King were thinly veiled jabs at MJ because it was right after he started calling himself the "King of Pop".

                  74.COME ON (with/credited to New Power Generation) (1998)
                  album "NEWPOWER SOUL" (album track)

                  Not bad. "The One" was also a US airplay/video single for that album.

                  73.THE WORD (2006)
                  album "3121" (album track)

                  Even though I don't share Prince's Jehovah's Witness beliefs, which was a big reason I'm not a big fan of The Rainbow Children, this is a good song and I think the message can be taken for any religion or walk of life

                  72.WILD AND LOOSE (performed by The Time) (1982)
                  album "WHAT TIME IS IT?" (album track)

                  Good track. What Time Is It? is my fave of their albums even though Ice Cream Castles was the one that had all the hits.

                  71.LITTLE RED CORVETTE (1983)
                  album "1999"

                  Certainly an all-time classic, albeit overplayed. I think this was the track that really took him beyond being a critic darling cult artist and made him a bonafide star in the US (since "I Wanna Be Your Lover" had been his only US top 40 prior to this four years earlier). I prefer the Extended version.
                  My top 100 artists (2018 edition)

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                  • Blondini
                    Site Supporter
                    • 01 Nov 2005
                    • 67075

                    #49
                    Originally posted by NothingFails
                    73.THE WORD (2006)
                    album "3121" (album track)

                    Even though I don't share Prince's Jehovah's Witness beliefs, which was a big reason I'm not a big fan of The Rainbow Children, this is a good song and I think the message can be taken for any religion or walk of life
                    This. MNIP is mad but good.

                    Corvette is another astonishingly low song.

                    Comment

                    • jio
                      Legend
                      • 15 Jul 2009
                      • 16693

                      #50
                      "Purple Rain" hasn't even charted. So "Little Red Corvette" hasn't done bad lol
                      jio CHARTS NOW:05/03/2024: https://www.ukmix.org/forum/chart-di...8#post11345288

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                      • jio
                        Legend
                        • 15 Jul 2009
                        • 16693

                        #51
                        ____________________________________________________________
                        70.ANNA STESIA (1988)
                        album "LOVESEXY" (album track)



                        ..."Have you ever been so lonely
                        that you felt like you were the only one in this world?
                        Have you ever wanted to play with someone so much
                        you take any one boy or girl?"...


                        In 1988 Prince scrapped the release of his planned "Black Album" to release an album called "Lovesexy" with spirituality (and its connections to sexuality) as its main theme. Prince said that the album should be listened as a solid body of work instead of a collection of individual songs, which is why its initial cd release featured all the songs in sequence as a single track. Prince's turn into spirituality was received differently at the two sides of the Atlantic. In the USA the album peaked at #11 on the BB 200 and is considered by many the beginning of Prince's commercial decline. In Europe (where the "Lovesexy" world tour focused) the album did well. It became his first UK #1 album and marked the beginning of a six years' period during which every Prince studio release charted in the top 2. Although I am not quite sure if the absence of "Glam Slam" from my Top 100 is a proper thing, in the end just one track from this album appears in my countdown and that's this gorgeous album track which finishes in the rhythmic chant "Love is God, God is Love, girls and boys love God above".
                        ____________________________________________________________

                        69.THE BIRD (performed by The Time) (1984)
                        album "ICE CREAM CASTLE"



                        ..."Brothers, don't be cool
                        Women like it sometimes when U act a fool
                        Sisters, don't be shy
                        Let your body get loose, U ain't 2 fat 2 fly
                        Come on now! "...


                        The title "The Bird" refers here to a dance in which you have to flap your arms mimicking the motions of a bird's wings when flying. The song was featured in the movie (but not album) "Purple Rain" and became a hit (despite its ugly cover art) by peaking at #36 on BB Hot 100, #33 on R&B and #6 on Dance/Club Play. The performance of this single by the Time was one of the most memorable moments of Prince's 1999 concert "Rave Un2 The Year 2000"
                        ____________________________________________________________
                        68.THIEVES IN THE TEMPLE (1990)
                        album "GRAFFITI BRIDGE"



                        ..."Voices from the sky say
                        Rely on your best friend to pull you through
                        But even if I wanted to
                        I couldn't really truly 'cause my only friend is you"...


                        This was the first single taken from the soundtrack to Prince's 1990 sequel to "Purple Rain" called "Graffiti Bridge". It was also one of the few new songs composed specifically for the movie (most of the songs were already existing as Prince's '80s outtakes) and in fact, the absolute last one composed for it. The single peaked at #6 on the BB Hot 100, #1 on R&B (which is kind of weird considering its pop nature), #9 on Dance/Club Play and #7 on the UK Singles Chart. The video included here is the 8 mins extended version of the song
                        ____________________________________________________________
                        67.NOTHING COMPARES 2 U (performed by Sinead O' Connor) (1990)
                        album "I DO NOT WANT WHAT I HAVEN'T GOT"



                        ..."All the flowers that you planted, mama, in the back yard
                        all died when you went away
                        I know that living with you baby was sometimes hard
                        but I'm willing to give it another try "...


                        This amazing ballad was originally composed by Prince and recorded by the Family in their 1985 self-titled album. Prince composed the whole of that album, and even though the song remained an album track, it was the only song on the whole album that Prince actually took credit of composing. Clever move. Five years on, Irish singer/composer Sinead O' Connor records a cover version and the song becomes the biggest hit single of 1990 internationally by reaching #1 in USA, UK, Austria, Netherlands, Germany, Ireland, Italy, New Zealand, Norway, Sweden and Switzerland. Sinead would never return to either the UK Top 10 or the US Top 40. Credit due where is due though, Sinead O' Connor's version is far better than the Family original and the video shines in its simplicity. Prince recorded his own live version (closely following the Family original) for his 1993 compilation album "Hits".
                        ____________________________________________________________
                        66.SHY (1995)
                        album "THE GOLD EXPERIENCE" (album track)



                        ..."After a look much louder than words she said, "I passed my initiation
                        A friend of mine, he got killed and in retaliation
                        I shot the boy, huh, twice in the head
                        No regrets, no sorrow, I'm going back tomorrow to make sure he's dead
                        'Cuz if I don't, they'll call me a chicken"...


                        "The Gold Experience" was definitely Prince's quality peak in the '90s. Unfortunately, it was also an album that had all the wrong single choices. How else can one explain the release of "Eye Hate U" and "Gold" instead of this fab soft rock song? "Shy" definitely remains one of my favourite Prince songs of all time
                        ____________________________________________________________

                        (you can click on the song titles to listen to the songs or see the videos)
                        jio CHARTS NOW:05/03/2024: https://www.ukmix.org/forum/chart-di...8#post11345288

                        Comment

                        • Blondini
                          Site Supporter
                          • 01 Nov 2005
                          • 67075

                          #52
                          Thieves was dull. Anna Stesia is nice Glam Slam amazing. Gold was a brilliant single - that track you posted was good but hardly single material.

                          I will say that i only got into him through 93's Hits/ B-Sides set and bought all of his major albums from Prince to Lovesexy but only then bought 3121 and the two free Daily Mail releases. I have a taped copy of Diamonds and Pearls and Batman. Never saw the need to buy any other albums - MPLSound is far too expensive in UK.

                          Sinead stunning of course though it looks a bit out of place seeing as he had no involvement in the actual record.

                          Comment

                          • jio
                            Legend
                            • 15 Jul 2009
                            • 16693

                            #53
                            Well it's a Prince composition. You should really buy "Symbol", "Come", "Gold Experience", "The Vault", "Rainbow Children" and "Musicology". You can skip the rest

                            About "Glam Slam" I generally consider it a great track but when I heard it before compiling the Top 100 I discovered I am really tired of it which is why it missed the Top 100 completely.

                            And no, "Gold" has to be one of the worse Prince singles ever for me
                            jio CHARTS NOW:05/03/2024: https://www.ukmix.org/forum/chart-di...8#post11345288

                            Comment

                            • NothingFails
                              Legend
                              • 09 Jan 2004
                              • 44392

                              #54
                              70.ANNA STESIA (1988)
                              album "LOVESEXY" (album track)
                              One of the standout tracks on Lovesexy, surprised it wasn't a single

                              69.THE BIRD (performed by The Time) (1984)
                              album "ICE CREAM CASTLE"
                              Fun track but far from their best IMO

                              68.THIEVES IN THE TEMPLE (1990)
                              album "GRAFFITI BRIDGE"
                              Always loved the track

                              67.NOTHING COMPARES 2 U (performed by Sinead O' Connor) (1990)
                              album "I DO NOT WANT WHAT I HAVEN'T GOT"
                              Way too low for this gem IMO

                              66.SHY (1995)
                              album "THE GOLD EXPERIENCE" (album track)
                              Like this one also


                              I also agree with you on "Gold". I don't think the song is terrible but the song seemed like a blatant attempt at P to try and record a 90's anthem ala Purple Rain.
                              My top 100 artists (2018 edition)

                              Comment

                              • Blondini
                                Site Supporter
                                • 01 Nov 2005
                                • 67075

                                #55
                                Don't think i'll ever be paying money for The Rainbow Children and Come sounds dull from the singles.

                                Comment

                                • ShayLaB
                                  Manager
                                  • 30 May 2008
                                  • 4246

                                  #56
                                  Originally posted by Blondini
                                  Don't think i'll ever be paying money for The Rainbow Children and Come sounds dull from the singles.
                                  IMO the only later albums that come close to his purple patch are O-|>, The Gold Experience and 3121. If you have the latter I'd recommend seeking out the other two. I believe The Gold Experience is out of print and has been for a number of years...if you ever wanted a physical copy Amazon new and used have a few.

                                  The Rainbow Children is quite interesting but not fab. Come is a poor album imo...I bought it, played it a few times and left it to gather dust ever since.
                                  101 Albums | 501 Songs

                                  Comment

                                  • ShayLaB
                                    Manager
                                    • 30 May 2008
                                    • 4246

                                    #57
                                    70.ANNA STESIA (1988)
                                    OK but I think I Wish You Heaven is the best track on the album.

                                    69.THE BIRD (performed by The Time)
                                    Like this...will have to stick their albums back on my iPod.

                                    68.THIEVES IN THE TEMPLE
                                    This is where Prince and I had a falling out. An average album was to expected at some point (Lovesexy) and Batman was just music to a soundtrack. Thieves was an underwhelming lead single and Graffiti Bridge was his poorest album to date. This was the end of our love in.

                                    67.NOTHING COMPARES 2 U (performed by Sinead O' Connor)
                                    Can't stand her for all sorts of reasons.

                                    66.SHY
                                    Terrific - the best of the bunch by a country mile.
                                    101 Albums | 501 Songs

                                    Comment

                                    • jio
                                      Legend
                                      • 15 Jul 2009
                                      • 16693

                                      #58
                                      Why so much hate for "Thieves"? It's a good single, far far better than "Alphabet Street" for example. And sure the "Graffiti Bridge" album can't touch his '80s classic (and I hate the "New Power Generation song with a passion) but it is better than both "Batman" and "Diamonds And Pearls" (without including the few terrific songs the latter one included).
                                      jio CHARTS NOW:05/03/2024: https://www.ukmix.org/forum/chart-di...8#post11345288

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                                      • jio
                                        Legend
                                        • 15 Jul 2009
                                        • 16693

                                        #59
                                        ____________________________________________________________
                                        65.THE RAINBOW CHILDREN (2001)
                                        album "THE RAINBOW CHILDREN" (album track)



                                        ..."Just like the sun, the rainbow children rise
                                        flyin' upon the wings of the new translation
                                        See them fly, covenant will be kept this time
                                        Just like the sun, the rainbow children rise"...


                                        This was the opening track to Prince's 2001 religious album "The Rainbow Children". The song is basically jazz with a mechanical-sounding voice present early on the song. I have to admit that I bought "The Rainbow Children" album only because it was Prince and I thought I wouldn't like it because I wasn't much of a fan of the James Brown-wannabe single or the religious direction Prince was taking. But as soon as I heard this song, I knew I would love it. And I guess that's what's good in not being from an English-speaking country: you can enjoy the music without getting distracted by the lyrics
                                        ____________________________________________________________
                                        64.THE GLAMOROUS LIFE (performed by Sheila E.) (1984)
                                        album "THE GLAMOROUS LIFE"



                                        ..."Boys with small talk and small minds
                                        really don't impress me in bed
                                        She said, I need a man's man, baby, diamonds and furs
                                        Love would only conquer my head "...


                                        The song was originally composed for the group Apollonia 6 (which were themselves the reformed Vanity 6). However after the lead singer of the group decided to leave, Prince gave the song to his drummer Sheila E. (with whom he had just duetted on the song "Erotic City"). In fact Prince composed most of Sheila E's debut album "Glamorous Life". Both album and single were significant hits in 1984. The single reached #7 on the BB Hot 100, #9 on R&B, #1 on Dance/Club Play but only #76 on the UK Singles Chart whereas the album reached #28 on BB 200 and #7 on R&B whereas a second Prince-composed single ("The Belle Of St. Mark") would peak at #18 UK and #34 USA.
                                        ____________________________________________________________
                                        63.SEXUALITY (1982)
                                        album "CONTROVERSY"



                                        ..."Don't let your children watch television until they know how to read
                                        Or else all they'll know how to do is cuss, fight and breed
                                        No child is bad from the beginning, they only imitate their atmosphere
                                        If they're in the company of tourists, alcohol and US history
                                        What's to be expected is 3 minus 3, absolutely nothing"...


                                        This was the second single from Prince's 1982 album "Controversy". An extremely funky song which in fact is not about sex, but it rather sounds as a manifesto against prejudice, television and tourists among others.In other words it is both a socially-conscious song and a revelation of a surprisingly (at that time) conservative side of Prince. Not a hit but definitely a classic all the same. You may have noticed that the line "reproduction of a new breed, stand up, organize" is also used in the 2001 song "The Rainbow Children"
                                        ____________________________________________________________
                                        62.LETITGO (1994)
                                        album "COME"



                                        ..."Fourteen years and tears, I've longed to sing my song
                                        but a horse couldn't drag your *ss to put me on
                                        but now I've got an army and we're three million strong
                                        This song will ring in your ears when we are gone"...


                                        This was the first (and only successful) single from Prince's 1994 criminally underrated album "Come". Another funky R&B track, this one talks about Prince's major mid-'90s issue: his conflict with his label, Warner. It is relatively common knowledge that Prince re-signed with Warner straight after the commercial success of the "Diamonds And Pearls" project. The new contract provided huge benefits to Prince only if his new album would sell on the level of 5-6m copies worldwide. However Prince was no Michael Jackson. Despite the fact that "Diamonds And Pearls" had sold that much, very few other Prince albums did. The album which came after the new contract ("Symbol") certainly didn't and Prince started a struggle to gain independence from Warner mainly by releasing a vast amount of albums through Warner (in order to complete his new contract fast), as well as making sure his newly-written songs wouldn't fall under Warner's ownership by releasing those material through his own NPG label under names other than Prince (New Power Generation, Artist Formerly Known As Prince etc). At the time Prince was making clear in every possible way of his views on Warner not just with this song but also by tattooing the word "Slave" on his cheek. Back to the single though. Despite this not being the success it deserved to be, it still reached #31 on BB Hot 100, #10 on R&B and #30 on the UK Singles Chart
                                        ____________________________________________________________
                                        61.COME 2 MY HOUSE (performed by Chaka Khan) (1998)
                                        album "COME 2 MY HOUSE" (album track)



                                        ..."Come 2 my house where we can play
                                        like I'm your flower we'll hide and seek
                                        then we'll find love's highest power"...


                                        Prince's influence on pop culture is massive, including the divas. Prince has worked with most female megastars from Madonna to Celine Dion and Mariah Carey and also influenced single-handedly Janet Jackson's early sound to the biggest degree possible. One diva with a well-known connection to Prince is Chaka Khan. Chaka Khan achieved her biggest UK hit ever (and only #1) in 1984 by covering Prince's "I Feel For You". The two would work together on the track "Sticky Wicked" from Khan's 1988 album "CK" and, ten years later, Chaka Khan would sign on Prince's own label NPG. The only product of that partnership was the "Come 2 My House" album with 11 out of the 14 songs written or co-written by Prince himself. This is both a fantastic and a criminally overlooked album (it only made it to #49 on R&B) showcasing Chaka Khan as the ultimate soul/R&B legend that she really is. Despite the album launching five (largely unsuccessful) singles, the seductive title track and opening song remains my absolute favourite from this gem of an album.
                                        ____________________________________________________________

                                        (you can click on the song titles to listen to the songs or see the videos)
                                        jio CHARTS NOW:05/03/2024: https://www.ukmix.org/forum/chart-di...8#post11345288

                                        Comment

                                        • Tiger
                                          Legend
                                          • 19 Mar 2001
                                          • 50979

                                          #60
                                          67.NOTHING COMPARES 2 U (performed by Sinead O' Connor) (1990)

                                          Classic 90s song there and I like your passion abuot Prince
                                          These foolish games are tearing me apart

                                          My CHART

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