Difference between revisions of "In A Large Room With No Light"

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|introduction              = '''In A Large Room With No Light''' (a.k.a. '''Life Is Like Looking For A Penny In A Large Room With No Light''') was first available as an audio stream on [http://www.montreuxjazz.com/ the Montreux Jazz Festival website] on [[Prince_Vault:Selected_anniversaries/July 15|15 July 2009]] in conjunction with [[Prince]]’s [[18_July 2009-1|two shows]] at the festival three days later. While the recording was new, the track itself was 23 years old. In September 2020, [[Prince]]’s original version was released on one of the discs with previously unreleased tracks included with the [[Album: Sign O’ The Times Deluxe|Sign O’ The Times ''Super Deluxe'']] set.
+
|introduction              = '''In A Large Room With No Light''' (a.k.a. '''Life Is Like Looking For A Penny In A Large Room With No Light''') was first available as an audio stream on [http://www.montreuxjazz.com/ the Montreux Jazz Festival website] on [[Prince_Vault:Selected_anniversaries/July 15|15 July 2009]] in conjunction with [[Prince]]’s [[18_July 2009-1|two shows]] at the festival three days later. While the recording was new, the track itself was 23 years old. In September 2020, [[Prince]]’s original version was released on one of the discs with previously unreleased tracks included with the [[Album: Sign O’ The Times Deluxe|Sign O’ The Times ''Super Deluxe'']] set.
  
 
Basic tracking for the original version were recorded on [[Prince_Vault:Selected_anniversaries/May 4|4 May 1986]] at [[Sunset Sound]] in Hollywood, California, and was recorded with members of [[Prince and the Revolution|the Revolution]] and [[Sheila E.]]’s band. [[Eric Leeds]] confirmed in an interview with [http://www.thelastmiles.com/ The Last Miles] that the full title of the track was originally '''Life Is Like Looking For A Penny In A Large Room With No Light'''. The track was initially included as the tenth track on the first disc of the [[Prince_Vault:Selected_anniversaries/June 3|3 June 1986]] configuration of the [[Album: Dream Factory|Dream Factory]] album (and hence would have been credited to [[Prince and the Revolution]]), but was removed for the [[Prince_Vault:Selected_anniversaries/July 18|18 July 1986]] configuration.  
 
Basic tracking for the original version were recorded on [[Prince_Vault:Selected_anniversaries/May 4|4 May 1986]] at [[Sunset Sound]] in Hollywood, California, and was recorded with members of [[Prince and the Revolution|the Revolution]] and [[Sheila E.]]’s band. [[Eric Leeds]] confirmed in an interview with [http://www.thelastmiles.com/ The Last Miles] that the full title of the track was originally '''Life Is Like Looking For A Penny In A Large Room With No Light'''. The track was initially included as the tenth track on the first disc of the [[Prince_Vault:Selected_anniversaries/June 3|3 June 1986]] configuration of the [[Album: Dream Factory|Dream Factory]] album (and hence would have been credited to [[Prince and the Revolution]]), but was removed for the [[Prince_Vault:Selected_anniversaries/July 18|18 July 1986]] configuration.  

Revision as of 17:02, 23 September 2020

Immersion   < < < Non-Prince Songs All Prince Songs Unreleased Songs > > >   In A Spanish Villa
In A Large Room With No Light

Sign O’ The Times Super Deluxe
from the album Sign O’ The Times Super Deluxe
Song details
Performer: Prince (Prince and the Revolution)
First Released: 15 July 2009 - montreuxjazz.com audio stream
Album(s): Sign O’ The Times Super Deluxe
Writer(s): Prince (assumed)
Producer(s): Prince (assumed)
Live Appearances
First and last live appearance:
Performed regularly on tour:
  • none
Performed occasionally in shows:

In A Large Room With No Light (a.k.a. Life Is Like Looking For A Penny In A Large Room With No Light) was first available as an audio stream on the Montreux Jazz Festival website on 15 July 2009 in conjunction with Prince’s two shows at the festival three days later. While the recording was new, the track itself was 23 years old. In September 2020, Prince’s original version was released on one of the discs with previously unreleased tracks included with the Sign O’ The Times Super Deluxe set.

Basic tracking for the original version were recorded on 4 May 1986 at Sunset Sound in Hollywood, California, and was recorded with members of the Revolution and Sheila E.’s band. Eric Leeds confirmed in an interview with The Last Miles that the full title of the track was originally Life Is Like Looking For A Penny In A Large Room With No Light. The track was initially included as the tenth track on the first disc of the 3 June 1986 configuration of the Dream Factory album (and hence would have been credited to Prince and the Revolution), but was removed for the 18 July 1986 configuration.

UK radio station Jazz FM premiered the 2009 version, stating that it had been finished only two days prior to the premiere (on 14 July 2009), and it is assumed that this recording took place at Paisley Park Studios in Chanhassen, Minnesota, but this is not confirmed.

The track’s first live performance took place on 29 March 2009, am, almost 23 years after its initial recording.


Recording Information
Recording Sessions
Date Studio Additional info
4 May 1986 Sunset Sound,
Hollywood, CA, USA
Basic tracking
8 July 2009 Paisley Park Studios,
Chanhassen, MN, USA
Re-recording
12 July 2009 Paisley Park Studios,
Chanhassen, MN, USA
overdubbing
Recording Personnel

Studio version

2009 'streamed' version



Versions
Released Versions
Title Length Released Version Additional info
In A Large Room With No Light 3:27 Sign O’ The Times Super Deluxe Studio
In A Large Room With No Light 5:29 n/a Studio 2009 Re-recording
Broadcasts/streaming (only)
Title Length Released Version Additional info
In A Large Room With No Light 5:29 Montreux Jazz Festival website .flv audio stream Studio 2009 studio recording


 
Additional Information

See also Trivia

  • The early version of In A Large Room With No Light was in wide circulation among collectors since the end of the eighties and was wrongly believed to be titled Welcome 2 The Rat Race (after a line in the chorus). This song was included on albums and officially released by two acts before Prince released his new version in July 2009. As Ratrace it was first sung by T.M. Stevens and Marco Minnemann’s band named Illegal Aliens on their album International Telephone in 2000 (a promo release). American singer Wil Key released his own version (titled Welcome 2 The Rat Race) on his album Satisfy My Soul in January 2009 (which led to the registration of the song at the ASCAP as Welcome 2 The Rat Race). Since Prince was not associated with those acts and was not involved on these releases which were done without his consent or knowledge at that time, their versions are not listed above and are considered as cover versions although they were released before Prince’s.

References
Immersion   < < < All Songs Unreleased Songs > > >   In A Spanish Villa