Right, Prince was great, but....

[Funky Dunky]

......why is EVERYONE covering Purple Rain in tribute? The guy recorded 17,000 songs (maybe) and EVERYONE is doing Purple Rain. Stop it. Somebody pick another song. Please. I'm going to lose appreciation for the song. I get it. Big power ballad. Dead guy. Emotive. But please - somebody pick another song to cover.

Sorry, it's been bothering me for days now.

[RockfordStone]

because it's a song that is known universally, some of his music can be down to taste.
its the song that will get said covering act the most exposure.....

[4stringslow]

These tribute things make me smile. Why not make them while they are still alive to show real appreciation to the person concerned? Waiting until they're dead makes it more of a statement about themselves rather than the object of their supposed tribute. A bit like people making the effort to go to funerals to say how much they loved the deceased and what a great person they were - well you know what, the deceased might have preferred to hear that while they were actually alive. When they're dead is doesn't matter to them what you say or do. Bah!

[Lw.]

Because that's the song they want to cover? Let's face it, no one is being original covering the recently deceased tracks - it happens every time anyone remotely famous dies. It doesn't make their tribute any less valid just because most other people have chosen the same track.

Live & let live.

And no - neither of my bands are covering Prince songs.

[Norris]

Our tribute is not to ruin any of his songs. We just don't have the electromagical gizmos to do them justice. That's probably why most bands are doing Purple Rain - because it's the only song that might be vaguely recognisable when reproduced down the Dog & Duck by the Weekend Warriors

[Conan]

[quote name='Norris' timestamp='1461768364' post='3037466'] Purple Rain - the only song that might be vaguely recognisable when reproduced down the Dog & Duck by the Weekend Warriors
[/quote]

Christ - what a depressing (but true) scenario...

[blue]

I have show Friday night. I take a solo in an old Buddy Miles song "Them Changes"

I plan on soloing around the Purple Rain structure.

Blue

[Ghost_Bass]

My band was already covering Kiss and Purple Rain before he died. We'll keep playing them, we'll open our 2nd aniversary gig next saturday with Kiss.

[leschirons]

Never attempted Purple rain as I don't think I know a guitarist who I can trust not to turn that solo into a Gary Moore widdle-fest

Although, have been doing an acoustic guitar version of Kiss for a couple of years now since I heard Molly Marriott doing it. Works well.

[Andyjr1515]

Our old-gits-band have been covering Purple Rain for years...but for the same reason, probably need to drop it for a bit. Pity he couldn't have kept going until one of us beat him to it...can't be too long

[skankdelvar]

Possibly because the lilting, epic nature of the song lends itself to the idea of a tribute to a dead person. Expression of heartfelt admiration tinged with a bit of regret, time gone by, that sort of thing.

I mean, the funky one about f**king his girlfriend while she sits on the sideboard with her feet in the drawers lacks a certain [i]resonance[/i] under the circs.

[Tonteee]

[quote name='blue' timestamp='1461768749' post='3037472']
I take a solo in an old Buddy Miles song "Them Changes"
[/quote]

Now that's a damn good song, right there....

[lowdown]

[quote name='skankdelvar' timestamp='1461774207' post='3037556']
I mean, the funky one about f**king his girlfriend while she sits on the sideboard with her feet in the drawers lacks a certain [i]resonance[/i] under the circs.
[/quote]

My Gran loved that one.

[drTStingray]

[quote name='Norris' timestamp='1461768364' post='3037466']
Our tribute is not to ruin any of his songs. We just don't have the electromagical gizmos to do them justice. That's probably why most bands are doing Purple Rain - because it's the only song that might be vaguely recognisable when reproduced down the Dog & Duck by the Weekend Warriors
[/quote]

I've previously been involved in reproducing several of his songs including Purple Rain. The most horrific was Signs of the Times, which relies on minimalism, awesome groove and R and B feel, and an appropriate voice.

Unfortunately the average Dog and Duck lot often have too much crunch, a distinct lack of soul and groove and can often turn things into a blues rock widdle fest, be it Hard to Handle, Prince, Stevie Wonder etc etc. There are exceptions but not many!!

Oh and Prince was awesome in my book - sadly I never saw him live.

Edited April 27, 2016 by drTStingray

[drTStingray]

[quote name='blue' timestamp='1461768749' post='3037472']
I have show Friday night. I take a solo in an old Buddy Miles song "Them Changes"

I plan on soloing around the Purple Rain structure.

Blue
[/quote]

It's a good structure for soloing around - nice bass and keyboard parts as well.

[fretmeister]

The average Springsteen fan may not listen to Prince. So the Boss picked the most famous tune as even non fans would have heard it somewhere.

Replace the Boss with anyone you like.

If Bruce has done "If I was your girlfriend" some of the punters would have thought he'd gone nuts.

[fryer]

[quote name='4stringslow' timestamp='1461766935' post='3037444']
These tribute things make me smile. Why not make them while they are still alive to show real appreciation to the person concerned? Waiting until they're dead makes it more of a statement about themselves rather than the object of their supposed tribute. A bit like people making the effort to go to funerals to say how much they loved the deceased and what a great person they were - well you know what, the deceased might have preferred to hear that while they were actually alive. When they're dead is doesn't matter to them what you say or do. Bah!
[/quote]

Quite right.

Edited April 27, 2016 by fryer

[Old Man Riva]

[quote name='drTStingray' timestamp='1461780104' post='3037626']
I've previously been involved in reproducing several of his songs including Purple Rain. The most horrific was Signs of the Times, which relies on minimalism, awesome groove and R and B feel, and an appropriate voice.

Unfortunately the average Dog and Duck lot often have too much crunch, a distinct lack of soul and groove and can often turn things into a blues rock widdle fest, be it Hard to Handle, Prince, Stevie Wonder etc etc. There are exceptions but not many!!

Oh and Prince was awesome in my book - sadly I never saw him live.
[/quote]
Simple Minds set the bar so painfully low when they decided it'd be a good idea to give Sign o' the Times a bash that any band playing the Dog & Duck would sound great in comparison..

Oh man..

[JapanAxe]

[quote name='skankdelvar' timestamp='1461774207' post='3037556']
I mean, the funky one about f**king his girlfriend while she sits on the sideboard with her feet in the drawers lacks a certain [i]resonance[/i] under the circs.
[/quote]

Or indeed the one about getting it on with his sister.

[MoonBassAlpha]

[quote name='JapanAxe' timestamp='1461789254' post='3037732']


Or indeed the one about getting it on with his sister.
[/quote]I don't know either of these,but am willing to be edumacated!

[lojo]

Been doing purple rain in our 80s tribute for over 2 years now , often as the final song. It goes down a storm.

[mike 110]

[quote name='lowdown' timestamp='1461778807' post='3037612']
My Gran loved that one.
[/quote]

[timmo]

I guess Purple Rain is easy to incorporate into a solo. David Gilmour did a good tribute incorporating it into the solo of Comfortably numb

[EBS_freak]

[quote name='4stringslow' timestamp='1461766935' post='3037444']
These tribute things make me smile. Why not make them while they are still alive to show real appreciation to the person concerned? Waiting until they're dead makes it more of a statement about themselves rather than the object of their supposed tribute.
[/quote]

I suspect they may well have done...

...and Prince would have had his people take them down.

YouTube has never had so much Prince content.

[bertbass]

Could form a band just doing the hits of dead people.