Difference between revisions of "Album: 24 (1994)"

• May 1995 configuration

1. 17
2. Rootie Kazootie
3. Space
4. Guitar Segue
5. Asswoop
6. Ethereal Segue
7. Parlour Games
8. Michael Segue
9. Overture #5
10. Overture #6
11. 18 And Over
12. (Got 2) Give It Up (edit)
13. Sonny Segue

• Late(r) 1995 configuration

1. 17
2. Rootie Kazootie
3. Space
4. Guitar Segue
5. Asswoop
6. Ethereal Segue
7. Parlour Games
8. Drum Segue
9. Overture #5
10. Overture #6
11. 18 And Over
12. Bass Segue

Unlike Madhouse’s first two album, 8 and 16, only the first track, 17, is given a numerical title; the rest receive names to give them more individual character. Unusually, two of the album’s tracks also contain vocals, and also contains a cover version, (Got 2) Give It Up (a cover version of Marvin Gaye’s track (titled Got To Give It Up) from his 1977 album Live At The London Palladium).

The album’s six full tracks were recorded during a single five-hour session on 7 July 1993, at Paisley Park Studios, Chanhassen, MN, USA. Ricky Peterson added post-production work on the tracks in late August and September 1993, before Prince added more production and recorded musical segues with the band members.

The album was rejected by Warner Bros., but some tracks were later made available. 17 was released in 1994 on the album 1-800 New Funk (a compilation of mostly-unreleased music largely written and produced by Prince/, recorded by other Paisley Park Records artists). Space was released in 1994 on Come, although in its original vocal form rather than the jazzy mostly-instrumental version recorded for 24.

Clips of Asswoop (using the title Asswhuppin’ In A Trunk) and Parlor Games, as well as the full Ethereal Segue, were included on the NPG Records Sampler Experience cassette given to some concertgoers on The Ultimate Live Experience tour; text on the cassette cover stated that 24 was an upcoming release (although no release was confirmed at the time). Sonny Segue and a portion of Rootie Kazootie were included on the The Versace Experience (Prelude 2 Gold) promotional cassette in 1995. Asswoop was available in 2001 as part of NPG Ahdio Show # 6 (using the title Asswhuppin’ In A Trunk).

After being rejected, the album was revised in 1995 for unknown reasons. This new configuration ran largely the same as the previous version, but had three tracks added following the Michael Segue: Overture #5, Overture #6 (both of which were later released on the The NPG Orchestra’s Kamastura album in February 1997, albeit with drastically different arrangements) and a mostly instrumental version of 18 & Over with a prominent horn line of the (sung) chorus, but omitting the rap lyrics. The next track (Got 2) Give It Up was now edited down to a bit over half its original length. The three new tracks were all presumably recorded in May 1995.

Artwork was subsequently made (later in 1995) for a version that now omitted (Got 2) Give It Up altogether and had slightly alternate titles for some tracks. Michael Segue was titled Drum Segue now, while Sonny Segue was now featured as Bass Segue. 18 & Over was listed as 18 And Over while Parlor Games was titled Parlour Games.

1. 17
2. Rootie Kazootie
3. Space¹
4. Guitar Segue
5. Asswoop
6. Ethereal Segue
7. Parlor Games
8. Michael Segue
9. (Got 2) Give It Up²
10. Sonny Segue

All tracks written by Prince (as ), Eric Leeds, Michael Bland, Sonny Thompson and Levi Seacer, Jr. except where noted.

¹ Written by Prince
² Written by Marvin Gaye

• Eric Leeds – tenor saxophone, baritone saxophone and flute
• Prince (as ) – all other instruments, except where noted
• Michael B. - drums
• Sonny T. - bass guitar
• Levi Seacer, Jr. - guitar
• Nona Gaye - vox on (Got 2) Give It Up
• Tommy Barbarella - keyboards on Overture #6 and 18 & Over (1995 version only)

• Prince (as ) - producer
• Ricky Peterson - post-production
• Other production details unknown

• There were numerous attempts to record and/or release a third Madhouse album between 1988 and 1995: Four tracks were recorded during a one-day session between Prince, Sheila E. and Eric Leeds on 26 June 1988: Uno, Dos, Tres and an instrumental. That project was quickly abandoned, and only one track from this session was kept for a future release (on Times Squared). An entire album titled 24 was recorded in 1988 but was rejected by Warner Bros. in 1989. Only one track from this album (The Dopamine Rush) was kept for a future release (on Times Squared). Three other tracks 17 (Penetration), Jailbait and 20 (A Girl And Her Puppy) were submitted to Miles Davis in 1991. His studio versions remain unreleased but live versions of Penetration and Jailbait were released in 2021 on the posthumous Merci Miles!, Live At Vienne. Eric Leeds’s Times Squared was initially planned as the third Madhouse album and titled 26. It included tracks recorded in 1987 during sessions for 16, the instrumental recorded on 26 June 1988 (titled Cape Horn after additional work) and The Dopamine Rush from the 24 unreleased 1989 album. New tracks were recorded in 1993 and planned to be released in 1994 (also on an album titled 24). That project was slightly revised in 1995 but canceled altogether. Most of the tracks from the 1994/1995 configurations of 24 were released however (see above).

• A Madhouse Greatest Hits was announced in 1999 but never materialized. In 2003, two instrumental albums were released by Prince under his own name: Xpectation (with John Blackwell, Rhonda Smith, Candy Dulfer and Vanessa Mae) and N.E.W.S. (with John Blackwell, Renato Neto, Rhonda Smith and Eric Leeds). These instrumental albums with saxophone as one of the main instruments brought comparisons with Madhouse albums but the structures and feels of the albums are very different. N.E.W.S., recorded during a one-day session in 2003 contains the last known studio recordings by Prince with Eric Leeds. A third (live and mostly instrumental) album, C-Note, recorded during shoundchecks in 2002 was released in 2004 also features Leeds on saxophone.

• The Vault: The Definitive Guide to the Musical World of Prince (2004)