Nothing Compares 2 U

Lol no one could even approach the original though. Almost takes the pressure off.

you could make up for the bum notes by crying by the end of the song !

Nothing Compares to Sinead

Lol yeah. I'm sure my rendition will affect me powerfully, regardless of what the crowd would make of it

I was always curious about Sinead came by that song - was she really one of the 200 people that bought that album by the Family

good question !
I found this "It was Sinéad O'Connor's manager, Fachtna O'Kelly, who came up with the idea for the Irish singer to cover the Prince song."

I briefly considered this for karaoke on Saturday night, only because I had been refusing to attempt Prince for months, because how could I even presume, so I was thinking Manic Monday or this, which is still tough but I remember getting compliments for my diva-like performance of it in 1991(!) at my 12th birthday party (yeah, the oldest I got compliments for that sort of behaviour), but I don't have that range anymore so I chickened out. I said I'd do Poplife but it wasn't on there, I got roped into backing vocals on Purple Rain, didn't do myself too proud really.

there's been very little "here's the shitty stuff Prince did" since his death; wondering when that will start to slip out. the only negative story I could remember (aside from him maybe personally being a dick to people) was that violent story Sinead recalled. Wonder what the story behind that is.

it's a weird story

it's probably true though, idk. i can't imagine those two would ever get along.

so the version on the hits cd kinda sucks yah but if you saw p perform this in the 2014/2015 tour (he sang it all himself with mellotron backing) then that would be your choice version trust me. fuck it maybe ill put up a version on youtube.

he sang this at the piano last month when I saw him and it was great. he's fully capable of doing great versions of the song, it's too bad he never officially recorded one.

there's been very little "here's the shitty stuff Prince did" since his death; wondering when that will start to slip out. the only negative story I could remember (aside from him maybe personally being a dick to people) was that violent story Sinead recalled. Wonder what the story behind that is.

― akm, Monday, April 25, 2016 5:13 PM (2 hours ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

once the details of his speed & opiate addiction start to appear i'm sure there will be all sorts of tell-alls. Surprised that this interview with his alleged dealer hasn't been posted in any thread yet: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3555292/Prince-s-former-drug-dealer-reveals-extent-addiction.html

sinead o'connor is (like prince himself) a bit of a loon and a fabulist, so i'm not sure we should take her story at face value.

Over the last few days I've been positively haunted by this song. At the time in 1990, I had a hard time engaging with it ... the song and video were absolutely everywhere, the beat was strident and a bit plodding, and it was generally difficult to see past the cult of personality around Sinead. But 26 years (gah) later, this sounds to me like an absolute gem of a gospel tune -- and is just wrenching in the wake of Prince's death and what increasingly sounds like a lonely existence.

That said, before I go and call this one of Prince's best songs, I actually wonder a bit how much of the credit for her version should go to him. The lyrics are amazing and the verses are undeniably beautiful in all the versions of the song. But the chorus on the Family original (and the live version w Rosie Gaines) is an unlistenable train wreck -- the chords are totally different and oddly mismatched with the melody. It makes me wonder what Sinead or Nellee Hooper (the original producer before he and Sinead got into a row) saw in the tune in the first place.

Have they ever said anything about it?

I assume this is one of the songs which was inspired by his love for Susannah melvoin

Still never heard the family album. It's hard to search for in the downloadosphere

xpost All very good questions! I'm not sure I've ever read, or remember reading, how this obscure Prince song made its way to a (relatively) obscure Irish singer.

I don't understand what people are hearing that would make them say the version with Rosie Gaines is an unlistenable train wreck

weird hearing the family do this song recently as a tribute while sticking to the original arrangement so faithfully. the reason their version never went anywhere, apart from the aspirationally overwrought vocal, was because it has that stupid 'oh oh ohhh ohhh ohh' part after every few lines (how did that make the final edit?). it has the same problems as the prince/gaines duet, though that was somehow even worse, as it had unnecessary NPG bombast on top of the stupid hammy melodramatics of the family version.

its actually kind of amazing that anyone would hear that song in the late 80s and think 'i know what this song needs' (or rather, i know what this song definitely does NOT need)

I don't understand what people are hearing that would make them say the version with Rosie Gaines is an unlistenable train wreck

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ZlzN0Gtpp8

In the Gaines version (not sure if it's on YouTube), the chorus comes at 1:34 -- it's less that it's jarring and more that the chords are again different (different than the Family version, actually) and chorus doesn't really land.

So I guess the question is: who re-wrote the chorus for Sinead's version?

I can't stand the Rosie version.

Not big jazz fans you two, I'd guess?

also, prince and rosie singing this as a DUET doesnt work. its a song thats meant to be solitary. not two lovers singing back to each other, like endless love or something.

That. Like the Dixie Chicks doing Landslide as a harmonizing trio. Plus, love jazz, just think Rosie version is kind of generic and cheesy, both the production and the performance, but Sinead gets at something deeper, perhaps due to the austerity of the production/arrangement?

My snark was directed more at NTI, who seemed upset at chord substitution.

I don't think he was upset. He's just saying that it doesn't sound good and he's really right. I could honestly hear the Family version working with different instrumentation or a different mix or something though.

Family version would work better with a stronger and more distinctive vocalist. Clare Fischer's string arrangement is still sublime. Altho Sinead's version is still definitive, I think the recorded Family version would likely work with an impassioned vocal. There must be a demo/guide vocal version in the vault.

Impassioned Prince vocal, that is.

impassioned, sure, but its not a song that benefits from a big fire and desire-type soul vocal IMO

Here's an interesting article about the recording of Sinead's version.

My snark was directed more at NTI, who seemed upset at chord substitution.

Wrong.

Not really interested in getting into a debate over jazz theory here but suffice it to say that since the tune in the chorus on the Family version is also completely different than Sinead's there must be "melody subs" as well.

Ok, I can't help myself. Those aren't substitutions. They're different chords. The chorus of the Family version resolves on the I chord. The Sinead version resolves on the V.

And yes, it sounds terrible in the former.

Sound on Sound is a treasure.

Agreed

ex-post: I never debate with dude who have broken ears, but you do have my sympathy.

good to know

Dixie Chicks cover is pretty faithful to the Sinead version.

Tons of other covers of this song floating around out there.

The one by Taylor Dane is not bad and also features an amusing if a wee bit hard to follow story about getting invited to and performing at a Prince aftershow.

This may leave you cold or you might find it a wee bit moving:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gt1YhpQb8go