NPG Operator

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NPG Operator segues

from the album The Gold Experience Album segues details Performer: First Released: March, 1995 - NPG Records Sampler Experience segues 26 September, 1995 - The Gold Experience album Album(s): The Gold Experience Writer(s): Prince (as ) Producer(s): Prince (as )

NPG Operator segues are a series of segues included on Prince’s 17th album The Gold Experience, his first using the name . Spoken by Rain Ivana, a receptionist from the Los Angeles Record Plant recording studio, they are intended as a series of responses to the listener triggering certain songs being played by hitting keys on a computer keyboard (keystrokes are often hear on the segues also); the operator welcomes the listener to different "experiences". Towards the end of the album, some errors take place (intentionally), and the operator breaks down before introducing the listener to the final "experience", Gold. Recording sessions Recording of the segues took place in late 1993 and early 1994, most likely at Record Plant, Los Angeles, California, where Rain Ivana worked (although possibly at Paisley Park Studios, Chanhassen, Minnesota). The computer keystroke sounds, the confirmation "beep" and the vault door opening sounds heard throughout the segues are taken from a sound library set by the company Sound Ideas. The set is currently sold as The Series 1000 Sound Effects Library (other examples of samples used by Prince that come of sound libraries are the baby "coo" at the end of Delirious, the street noises in Lady Cab Driver, the audience/fighting sound in Pop Life, and the sped-up horn-melody in the intro and coda of Something Funky (This House Comes)). Various other segues not included on the album were also recorded; some were included in other tracks, while others were recorded with different purposes; all known NPG Operator segues are listed below. Many of the segues were triggered as pre-recorded introductions when the accompanying songs were played live, but these are not considered live performances of the segues themselves. Several segues were also used on the NPG Records Sampler Experience cassette, given to many attendees on The Ultimate Live Experience tour. Unlike those included on The Gold Experience, these are clearly more commercial in nature, introducing various musical products from NPG Records. Details are given below. Information on segues recorded for the The Versace Experience (Prelude 2 Gold) cassette is to follow. Recording Information Recording Sessions Date Studio Additional info Late 1993 - early 1994 Record Plant, Los Angeles, CA, USA or Paisley Park Studios, Chanhassen, MN, USA (unverified) Segue recordings Recording Personnel Rain Ivana - vocals Prince (as ) - all instruments and sound effects

Titles
NPG Operator # 1
NPG Operator [# 1] is the second track on Prince’s 17th album The Gold Experience, his first using the name . After a keystroke, the operator says "Welcome to the dawn; playground for the New Power Generation. There are over 500 experiences to choose from. Here’s a sample:" before the track Endorphinmachine begins. The same segue was used without changes at the beginning of Interactive, as included as a CD audio track included on Interactive CD-ROM game (but playable on regular CD players) in 1994, but not tracked separately.
Released Versions Title Length Released Version Additional info NPG Operator #1 0:10 The Gold Experience Segue
Sampled/Quoted in... Title Length Released Version Additional info Interactive 2:53 Interactive CD-ROM Studio Contains NPG Operator segues
NPG Operator # 2
NPG Operator [# 2] is the sixth track on Prince’s 17th album The Gold Experience, his first using the name . After a keystroke, the operator welcomes the listener to "the Beautiful experience" stating that it covers "courtship, sex, commitment, fetishes, loneliness, vindication, love and hate", before the track The Most Beautiful Girl In The World begins. The segue became the basis for some of the later segues on the album, which begin with the welcome to "the Beautiful experience" before errors occur.
Released Versions Title Length Released Version Additional info NPG Operator #2 0:16 The Gold Experience Segue
NPG Operator # 3
NPG Operator [# 3] is the ninth track on Prince’s 17th album The Gold Experience, his first using the name . After a keystroke, the operator welcomes the listener to "the Now experience" stating that the experience is "great for dancing, and improving self-esteem". It states that "other titles in this category include Irresistible Bitch, Housequake, and Sexy M.F.", before stating "but that was then, this is..." with the track beginning with a cry of "Now!". The same segue was used prior to most live performances of the track. Days Of Wild, as included on Crystal Ball, ends with the operator stating "Welcome to the dawn. You have just accessed..." before Last Heart begins. It is likely this was taken from the same live recording as Days Of Wild itself (9 December, 1995, Paisley Park Studios, Chanhassen, MN, USA), as Now was played following Days Of Wild at the show.
Released Versions Title Length Released Version Additional info NPG Operator #3 0:18 The Gold Experience Segue
Sampled/Quoted in... Title Length Released Version Additional info Days Of Wild 9:18 Crystal Ball Live with overdubs 9 December, 1995, Paisley Park Studios, Chanhassen, MN, USA
NPG Operator # 4
NPG Operator [# 4] is the eleventh track on Prince’s 17th album The Gold Experience, his first using the name . After a keystroke, the operator welcomes the listener to "the Beautiful experience", before various keystrokes suggest the listener is trying to change the selection. Eventually, a skit begins in which calls a hotel and asks for room 319. The receptionist, speaking in French, connects the call, beginning the track 319. In earlier configurations of the album, the NPG Operator segue ended directly after the listener changing the selection; the phone call skit was included as the opening of the track 319 (making the track time of the segue 0:17 and that of 319 3:19); this is not listed separately as there is no difference in the audio experience; simply in the tracking times.
Released Versions Title Length Released Version Additional info NPG Operator #4 0:31 The Gold Experience Segue
NPG Operator # 5
NPG Operator [# 5] is the 13th track on Prince’s 17th album The Gold Experience, his first using the name . After some sound effects of short circuiting and computer errors, the operator, in a distorted voice, repeats "Please access another experience", before the vault door sound effect leads into the track Shy.
Released Versions Title Length Released Version Additional info NPG Operator #5 0:10 The Gold Experience Segue
NPG Operator # 6
NPG Operator [# 6] is the 17th track on Prince’s 17th album The Gold Experience, his first using the name . The beginning of the segue includes the ending of the guitar solo from the previous track, Hate U, overlaid, before some sound effects lead into more repeated and distorted portions of "You have just accessed the Beautiful experience", before the operator states "Welcome to the dawn. You have just accessed the Gold experience. Press Gold to begin", before the track Gold begins.
Released Versions Title Length Released Version Additional info NPG Operator #6 0:44 The Gold Experience Segue
NPG Operator # 7
NPG Operator [# 7] is the first track on the NPG Records Sampler Experience cassette given to some attendees on The Ultimate Live Experience tour. Beginning by welcoming the listener, the operator says that the following is "just a sample of the many experiences the Dawn has to offer," before directing listeners who want to "experience more" to ’s phone service 1-800 New Funk, which offered music and other products related to .
Released Versions Title Length Released Version Additional info NPG Operator #7 0:16 NPG Records Sampler Experience Segue
NPG Operator # 8
NPG Operator [# 8] is the eighth track on the NPG Records Sampler Experience cassette given to some attendees on The Ultimate Live Experience tour. Straying more into narration than on other segues, the operator says "to find out what happens to our heroes, tune in to the full-length CD entitled Exodus, coming soon from NPG Records".
Released Versions Title Length Released Version Additional info NPG Operator #8 0:16 NPG Records Sampler Experience Segue
NPG Operator # 9
NPG Operator [# 9] is the tenth track on the NPG Records Sampler Experience cassette given to some attendees on The Ultimate Live Experience tour. The operator explains that the previous track, (Lemme See Your Body) Get Loose!, was from the soon-to-be-released Tora Tora Experience, and introduces two tracks from Madhouse’s album 24. The segue is overlaid with the track, and as the release was only on cassette, a genuine track-length isn’t known, but is listed below as the length of speech.
Released Versions Title Length Released Version Additional info NPG Operator #9 0:16 NPG Records Sampler Experience Segue
NPG Operator # 10
NPG Operator [# 10] is the 15th track on the NPG Records Sampler Experience cassette given to some attendees on The Ultimate Live Experience tour. The operator states that the tracks played were just a sample of the many experiences the Dawn has to offer, and introduces the final track as an excerpt of the full-length ballet by the NPG Orchestra, titled Kamasutra.
Released Versions Title Length Released Version Additional info NPG Operator #10 0:17 NPG Records Sampler Experience Segue
NPG Operator unreleased segues
NPG Operator [# 1] is an unreleased segue recorded for Prince’s 17th album The Gold Experience, his first using the name . Intended to precede Days Of Wild, the operator states "you have just accessed the Wild experience". The segue was included as a pre-recorded introduction in the live version of Days Of Wild (as included on Crystal Ball).
Known Unreleased Versions Title Length Released Version Additional info NPG Operator ?:?? None Segue
Sampled/Quoted in... Title Length Released Version Additional info Days Of Wild 9:18 Crystal Ball Live with overdubs 9 December, 1995, Paisley Park Studios, Chanhassen, MN, USA
NPG Operator [# 2] is an unreleased segue. Intended to precede Space, the operator states "you have just accessed the Space experience". Since Space is not known to have been included on any known configuration of The Gold Experience, it is possible this was recorded when tracks from The Gold Experience and Come were combined and included on the planned 3-disc set The Dawn. The segue was played as a pre-recorded introduction in some live versions of Space.
Known Unreleased Versions Title Length Released Version Additional info NPG Operator ?:?? None Segue
Other NPG Operator segues
NPG Operator (Interactive): the version of Interactive included on the Interactive CD-ROM contains a second NPG Operator segue mid-way through the song, in which the operator states: "That was just a sample of the many experiences the Dawn has to offer. To continue, please press Come", after which a sampled "Come" triggers the remainder of the track. NPG Operator (Billy Jack Bitch): the track Billy Jack Bitch ends with a repeated sample of the operator stating: "Please access another experience". NPG Operator ( Hate U): the beginning of Hate U, as included on The Gold Experience, contains an overlaid sample of the operator stating: "You have just accessed the Hate experience. Would you like to change your entry?" After a keystroke, the operator states "Very well. Please enjoy your experience." NPG Operator (Gold): the track Gold ends with the operator stating: "You are now an official member of the New Power Generation. Welcome to the dawn", closing the album as the song’s ending fades out. NPG Operator (Ripopgodazippa): Ripopgodazippa, as included on Crystal Ball, ends with a keystroke, as with the other NPG Operator segues, leading into the next track, Love Sign (Shock G’s Silky Remix) (both tracks were recorded in the same era as most of The Gold Experience).

Additional Information See also Trivia The Gold Experience album Crystal Ball album none. References The Vault: The Definitive Guide to the Musical World of Prince (2004)

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