Prince of Gallifrey?

Anyone that follows my other blog knows that I ventured down the long, winding rabbit hole of ubergeekdom and started experimenting with a Gallifreyan Transliterator that I found online.  Many of you are probably saying, "What the hell is that? A Gallifreyan what?" while some of you are thinking to yourself, "That is soooo cool!" Well, to make a long story short (too late?), the transliterator takes English and translates it into the imaginary language of Gallifrey or the language of the Timelords from Dr. Who.  Like I said, I explained all this on my other blog so why am I posting about it here? Well, since you asked (I know you didn't but just play along, okay?), I was playing around and threw some Prince lyrics and lines into the mix and thought I would share the Gallifreyan versions with you.  Why? I don't know other than I think they are cool looking and like I have said, I am an ubergeek to the 8th power. So, with all that said, let's get on with the show shall we? Below each phrase is the English translation.

"Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to get through this thing called life"

"Goodness will guide me when love is inside me, until then life is a parade"

"Ladies and gentlemen, you must come to your senses, there are no kings on this Earth, only princes"

As I said earlier in this post, I was just playing around and decided to share these here but don't be surprised if you see more pop up from time to time.  I really like messing around with this transliterator.

Until next time, peace and be wild!!!!!!

This is not music, this is a trip! Or at least it will be.

This is not music, this is a trip! Or at least it will be.  I know, right now you are asking yourself, "What the hell is he talking about?" All things will be revealed and all will make sense in due time.  At least I hope it will make sense.  I never know when I start writing these things where they are actually going so who knows.  So it's been months since I've posted anything here and I would love to give you a great reason why that is but I can't. To be perfectly honest, I just haven't made the time. It seems I got caught up in this thing called life and the next thing I knew, it was April.  So why post now? Well, I'm glad you asked (I know, I know. You didn't, I did but play along, damn!).  Way back in January, Prince debuted a show he was calling the Piano & A Microphone Gala Event at Paisley Park.

Now this was the same show he was going to take on a European tour last year (or at least very similar) before the Paris attacks changed his mind. No backing band, no guitar.  Just Prince, his piano, a microphone (see how he came up with the name, pretty ingenious, huh?), his vast musical catalog and that voice of his. Hearing these new, stripped down piano arrangements of these Prince songs I grew up listening to was amazing.  It was like rediscovering the songs all over again.  Huh, what's that? How did I hear them? Uh....well....you see what happened was.....uh......damn, what's with the questions?  Maybe I'll reveal that in another post at another time.  Maybe I won't.  For now can we just concentrate on the topic at hand? Thank you.  So where was I? Oh yeah, we were about to journey Down Under because in February, Prince announced an Australian Piano & A Microphone Tour. He performed 11 shows in Australia and New Zealand.

Then on his way home to Minneapolis, he stopped off in Oakland and performed three shows there.

Later, at the end of March, he would have shows in both Montreal and Toronto. 

The thing about all the North American tour dates is that they have been announced like his previous Hit 'N' Run tours with very little advance notice.  And that leads me to why I decided to post here after all this time.

Yessssss!!!! That's right!!!!! Prince is bringing his Piano & A Microphone Tour to The Fox Theatre in Atlanta and guess who has a ticket to the 7 p.m. show? ME, that's who!!!!!! I'll be headed down to the ATL to enjoy this intimate once-in-a-lifetime chance to experience Prince in a way I (and most of you) have never experienced his music. To say I am excited would be the understatement of the year. That excitement has done nothing but build over the last week since the show was originally scheduled for April 7th but was postponed just hours before the show due to Prince having the flu. Here is the original press release for the April 7th show.

Prince – Piano & A Microphone Tour

Thursday, April 7 at 7:00 & 10:00 p.m.
The Fox Theatre, Atlanta
Presented by Rival Entertainment
ON SALE WEDNESDAY, MARCH 30th AT NOON
Reserved Seats: $350, $275, $211, $175, $100
Tickets may be purchased by calling 855-285-8499 or online at foxtheatre.org.
The Fox Theatre Box Office will be open at Noon for in-person sales.

Every ticket purchased to Prince’s Piano & A Microphone concert includes a CD copy of his new album HITNRUN – Phase II, which will be distributed to ticket holders upon exiting the venue.

Prince will bring his Piano & A Microphone tour to Atlanta on Thursday, April 7th, for two exclusive and intimate shows at The Fox Theatre.

For those blessed enough to attend, everything about these exclusive performances has been carefully considered to deliver special once-in-a-lifetime experiences. The repertoire will be culled from Prince’s vast 39-album catalogue and each performance will have a unique set-list that evolves in real time, song-to-song. Fans should expect to witness special interpretations of well-known hits alongside rarely performed B-sides and new, never-before-heard material.

Prince’s Piano & A Microphone tour commenced on January 21 at his US recording studio, Paisley Park, where he stunned fans who travelled from all over the world to see him perform two very personal shows. According to a Rolling Stone review of these shows, Prince performed on a stage decorated sparsely with candles and shrouded in smoke. The show was framed by the story of how he mastered the piano and emerged from the shadow of his father, jazz pianist John L. Nelson. “The set moved chronologically (with a few exceptions) through the first decade of Prince’s career,” Rolling Stone reports, “including at least one song from each of his first 10 albums.”

In addition to classic songs from albums including 1999, Purple Rain, and Sign o’ the Times, the set-lists have also featured covers by Joni Mitchell, Paul Robeson and Ray Charles; songs Prince has written for other acts including The Time, Sheila E. and Vanity 6; and even a Thelonious Monk-style version of the theme to Batman.

SPECIAL TICKETING ARRANGEMENTS
To address ticket scalping concerns, the following procedures will be put in place to ensure that Prince fans and NOT resellers, are able to purchase tickets to these performances:

Ticket limit per customer: There is a strict limit of two (2) tickets per customer, per show. Any customer found to have purchased more than two (2) tickets per person, per show will have their additional transactions cancelled. Ticket dispatch / will-call / entry: Tickets will not be distributed in advance. Tickets may be picked up from the Fox Theatre Box Office on the day of the show. Pickup for the 7pm show will begin at 10am, and pickup for the 10pm show will begin at 1pm.

STRICTLY NO PHOTOGRAPHY OR VIDEO ALLOWED.

USE OF MOBILE PHONES WILL NOT BE PERMITTED DURING THE SHOW.

So there you have it world, that is why I am back and now that I am, I promise to post more often.  Hopefully I will be able to post my thoughts on the show if I can find the words.  Stay tuned and I will let you know. Until then, I will leave you with these pictures......

Prince drops surprise album "HITnRUN Phase 2"

Just three short months after releasing HITnRUN Phase One, the enigmatic impresario from North Minny has surprised the Purple Army with another new album.  Fans were shocked Saturday to find that HITnRun Phase Two was available on Tidal.  Released with no announcement and no fanfare, other than a blog update from the all-knowing Dr. Funkenberry, Phase Two appeared on Tidal for streaming and download but it didn't stay secret for very long.  Word quickly spread throughout the Purple Army, with 17 horns blowing the arrival of the Partyman and the news media soon trumpeting the news across all seven continents (uh....hmmmmm......I don't know how much media coverage this actually got in Antartica).  The new album featured 12 songs, six of which were new and unreleased while others had been released or leaked in one form or another over the last couple of years.  Where as Phase One seemed to be a project for Josh Welton, Phase Two is nothing if not a Prince album.  If I had to choose between the two, I would pick Phase Two any day of the week and twice on Sunday.  If you get the chance, you should definitely cop this and give it a listen or three.

I'll be back later with my attempt at a review of both Phase One and Phase Two but for now, peace and be wild!

Prince Presents American Music Award

Prince appeared on the American Music Awards show Sunday night to present the first award of the evening.  He presented the award for Favorite Soul/R&B Album to The Weeknd and like most people who have received an award from Prince, The Weeknd was taken aback.  He hesitantly approached Prince and after accepting the award and approaching the microphone he said, ""Make some noise for Prince, ladies and gentlemen." Respect!

Can U Paradigm? When I Met George Clinton

What do you know about Paradigm? That was the question that led to a wonderful conversation with Dr. Funkenstein himself, George Clinton. It was back in 2002 or 2003 and the P-Funk All-Stars were playing at the university where I work in Tennessee.  There is a tunnel that leads from outside, where the buses were parked, to the backstage area. I was standing there talking to a couple of students when George walked up.  The students thanked him for coming, asked for autographs and then quickly left. I jokingly asked George if he could slip a little Maggot Brain into the set list and he laughed.  "How do you know Maggot Brain?" I told him, "I may live here but I'm from Michigan and grew up with the funk coming out of the "D" (referring to Detroit)." He just nodded and let out a little "huh!"

I thought that would be the end of our interaction and as he started to walk away, I took a chance.  I asked if I could bother him with one more question and he turned around.  I asked, "When are you gonna drop Paradigm?" He just looked at me with this blank look and then asked, "What did you just say?" I repeated my question again, "When are you gonna drop Paradigm?" That's when he asked me, "What do you know about Paradigm?" I went on to explain how I grew up listening to funk and how I was a huge Prince fan since back in 1981.  He laughed, nodded and said, "Ok, but what do you know about Paradigm?" I replied, "I know it's too funky to sit in a vault and needed to be released." He just stood there for a minute and then, as if an epiphany had occurred, he said, "How do you know how funky it is if I haven't released it?" Now it was my turn to laugh as I told him, "I was listening to it on my way here." Startled, he blurted out "How the hell..." but I cut him off with "you don't need to know that."  He just busted out laughing and shaking his head.  He asked if I really thought it was funky and I said "hell, yeah." One of the band members, I don't remember who, walked by and George yelled at him to come over. When he got to us, George pointed at me and said, "White boy here in Nashville, Tennessee wants to know about Paradigm.  What the hell?" The band member asked the same question George asked, "What do you know about Paradigm?" So I explained it all to him just as I had George.  He just shook his head and walked away laughing as George repeated, "Damn white boy in Nashville, Tennessee asking about Paradigm!"

We spent the next few minutes talking about my favorite P-Funk songs with him giving me his perspective on my choices. I told him I loved We Can Funk with him and Prince.  He told me the finished version was a lot different than how it started out and I told him I knew that.  When I told him I had heard four or five versions of the song he just nodded and said, "I don't wanna know" and burst out laughing again.  I asked him what it was like to work with Prince and he got real contemplative.  I didn't think he was gonna answer when he finally looked me in the eyes and said, "He's a genius." That was it.  Three words. That's all he had to say.  He told me to enjoy the show, shook my hand and left to go to his green room.

I stood just off stage during the show and, even though I couldn't party like everyone else due to being at work, I was dancing my ass off on the inside.  George frequently left the stage to cool off, grab some water and relax.  Each time, he would ask, "how we doing?" I would just smile and nod my head in approval.

After the final encore, when George left the stage for the final time, he walked up and asked, "Well, what did you think?" I told him it was amazing and I enjoyed every minute of it.  I reached out to shake his hand but he gave me a hug instead, telling me to "promise to keep the funk!" I escorted him out to the Mothership, he turned on the Flashlight and he flew away.  Okay...okay....I escorted him out to the bus and then he was gone but the other way sounded more dramatic.

Fast forward to May 6, 2004 and Prince's Musicology Tour show has come to the Gaylord Entertainment Center in Nashville.  Being a member of the NPG Music Club, I am on the front row for this show and having the time of my life (like you do at every Prince concert).  We are getting to the end of the show and who do I see walking up the aisle toward me but George Clinton.  He is being escorted by security to the stage so he can accompany Prince and the NPG for a few songs.  While he's waiting to go up on the stage, I yell at him, "George!!! George!!!" My date tells me to stop because he doesn't know me.  After I yell his name a third time, he looks at me and nods.  Then he looks again and I can see the recognition in his eyes.  He walks over and shakes my hand while smiling and saying, "Damn white boy!" He then whispers in my ear that "Paradigm will be released." With that, he is escorted up to the stage where he jams with Prince and the NPG on Life of the Party, Soul Man and Kiss.  I was astounded that he actually remembered me and our conversation. 

A year later in 2005, George released the double CD How Late Do U Have 2BB4UR Absent? and the third track on the first CD was Paradigm.

Hey brother, can U paradigm?

What a month to be a fan!!!

We all have those moments of fandom when we go nuts.  Whether it's waiting for the latest season of Game of Thrones to start, wondering where Clara and The Doctor will head next or waiting to see if Rick Grimes and the crew finally found a place to stay.  We all have those special moments that we wait for and then remember. This month has been one of those months for Prince fans.  We have had an increasing number of leaked tunes that have been "freed." But to top it all, we have seen an unprecedented number of soundboard boot releases this month.

First we started out with the Rally 4 Peace livestream on TIDAL.  You had to know that it would be ripped and sent out to the masses as a boot release.  Shortly after that, the Dance Rally 4 Peace surfaced on Soundcloud in soundboard quality.  So naturally these two were combined together to make one hell of a release.  My fav being Rallies 4 Peace.

Our next little gem was a soundboard form 1987.  Prince and Madhouse live at the Park Cafe in Munich on May 21, 1987.  Just a great release with a lot of jamming. 

Needless to say, I had this on repeat.  That is until FBG dropped Hit 'N' Run from the Soundboard Volume 1 - Detroit Fox Theater.  A great show recorded on April 9, 2015. 

And just when I thought it couldn't get any better, FBG dropped Volumes 2 and 3.  Volume 2 was recorded in Louisville on March 14, 2015 (first show) while Volume 3 is from the first show on March 15, 2015. 

Though they are all great recordings, Volume 3 is probably my favorite for the simple fact I got to hear most of it live while I waited for the second show that night. 

All these releases make me wonder what is next.  Guess we will all have to wait and see.

Kevin Smith talks Prince

This is not a new video and many of you have already seen it, but I still think it's a great story and decided to share it here.

So there you go.  Hope you enjoyed.  Until next time.....

The computer’s on the verge of breakdown!

Yeah, I'm talking about Computer Blue, the fourth song off of Prince's epic Purple Rain album.  We all know it from the opening "Wendy?" to the final screams.  As great as the song is on the album, it pales in comparison to the unedited versions that weren't released.  There are actually four studio versions and a live version that were recorded.  All are different lengths and some contain additional lyrics and instrumentation.  Here is what the folks over at the Prince Vault have to say about the song:

Computer Blue is the fourth track on Prince's sixth album Purple Rain, the first album to be credited to Prince and the Revolution. The song also features in the movie Purple Rain.

Before a studio recording was made, Prince and the Revolution recorded the song live on 3 August, 1983 at First Avenue, Minneapolis, MN, USA (during the same concert where I Would Die 4 U, Baby I'm A Star and Purple Rain were also recorded).

Later in August, 1983, a studio version was recorded at The St. Louis Park Warehouse, St. Louis Park, MN, USA, with the full Revolution, before at least three other versions were recorded on 15 August, 1983 at Sunset Sound, Hollywood, CA, USA, with only Wendy Melvoin and Lisa Coleman participating (during the same set of sessions that produced Let's Go Crazy).

These versions would be edited down for the album. They are largely similar at the beginning and end of the song - differences are noticeable in the middle of the track. A longer version of the track was included as the third track on the 7 November, 1983 and 23 March, 1984 configurations of the album, but this was edited down for the final 14 April, 1984 configuration to make room for the inclusion of Take Me With U.

All recorded versions of the song contain a segment of the track Father's Song during one of the instrumental breaks. It is likely that John L. Nelson's credit on the track comes from this inclusion.

Now, most of you already know all of this so why am I wasting your time? Because it's my blog and I have been listening to the 12 minute hallway version on repeat for the last hour and I decided to write about it.  I searched the matrix and found a site that transcribed the lyrics to this version and decided I would share those here also.

Computer Blue by Prince

Wendy?

Yes Lisa

Is the water warm enough?

Yes Lisa

Shall we begin?

Yes Lisa

Ow!

Where is my love life?

Where can it be?

There must be something wrong with the machinery

Where is my love life?

Tell me, where has it gone?

Somebody please, please tell me what the hell is wrong

CHORUS:

Till I find the righteous one

Computer blue

Till I find the righteous one

Computer blue

Oh

Where is my baby?

Where can she be?

Somebody please, please tell me what is wrong with me

Where is my baby?

Where has she gone?

Somebody please, please tell me what the hell is wrong

CHORUS

Yeah

The computer’s on the verge of breakdown!

Come on

Oh baby, don’t make me

Poor lonely computer

It’s time someone programmed U

It’s time U learned love and lust

They both have 4 letters

But they’re entirely different words

Poor lonely computer

Poor, poor lonely computer

Do U really know what love is?

(Na, na, na, na, na)

Wave your hands in the air!

Now everybody sing it! (Na, na, na, na, na)

Everybody work out

Work out, work out (Na, na, na, na, na)

Everybody work out

Work out, work out (Na, na, na, na, na)

Everybody work out

 

He didn’t like living alone

The house where he lived had many hallways

It was a long walk 2 his bedroom

Because 2 him each hallway represented an emotion

Every one vastly different from the next

One day while she was with him

He decided 2 name each one

She walked by his side, one hand on his thigh

No – she was sort of half a step behind him

Yeah, the grip on his thigh intensified

As they walked slowly through the corridor

He named the hallway “Lust”

And as they passed through the next one

He named it “Fear”

The grip she now loosened

So he walked faster

Her hands now trembling

She let them drop 2 her side as he wrote the word “Insecurity”

He looked into her eyes and smiled a demon smile

And quickly walked onto the next

Corridor after corridor

He named almost all when suddenly… he stopped

He picked up the word “Hate”

She was gone

So he picked up another – “Pain”

On the verge of a breakdown

What is life without love?

It’s hell, Computer Blue!

Father, Father, the sun is gone

(Father, Father) The Dawn, the Dawn

Father, Father, where is the Dawn?

(Where is the Dawn, Father?)

(Na, na, na, na, na) {x2}

Na, na, na, na, na

Shall I go 2 church on Sundays?

Shall I stay home and pray?

Shall I try 2 make her happy?

Shall I try 2 make her stay?

Where is my love life?

Tell me, where can it be?

Narrow-minded computer
(Somebody please, please tell me…)
It’s time someone programmed U
(Somebody please, please tell me what’s wrong with me)
It’s time U learned women are not butterflies
They’re computers 2
Just like U Computer Blue
(Where is my baby?)
Chauvinistic computer
It’s time someone programmed U (Na, na, na, na, na)
U fall in love 2 fast and hate 2 soon
And take 4 granted the feeling’s mutual
(The feeling’s mutual!)
We’re computers 2
Just like U, Computer Blue

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah!

Now, I have come up with some off the wall writing in my time, but where did that hallway speech come from?  This version is so complex that it is insane.  I don't want to say I think it's genius but, well, it is.  That's the only way I can describe it. But that is just my opinion.

Well, it's time to leave this poor lonely computer.  I have a castle to head to so I can meet a girl named Nikki!!!!!