Old Friends 4 Sale

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Old Friends 4 Sale

from the album The Vault... Old Friends 4 Sale
Song details
Performer: Prince
First Released: 24 August 1999 - The Vault... Old Friends 4 Sale album
Album(s): The Vault... Old Friends 4 Sale
Writer(s): Prince
Producer(s): Prince
Live Appearances
First and last live appearance:
Performed regularly on tour:
  • none
Performed occasionally in shows:

Old Friends 4 Sale is the eighth track on Prince’s 22nd album The Vault... Old Friends 4 Sale.

On 24 September 2012, in anticipation of the "Welcome 2 Chicago" three-date residency, a 3:18 rehearsal version of Old Friends 4 Sale by Prince and the New Power Generation was streamed on DrFunkenberry blog, using the 1991 lyrics, with a minor change to the main subject of the song being female; this may have been in reference to Sheila E., who had tweeted vague references to a fallout with Prince a week earlier.

The same day as the rehearsal’s stream, Prince performed the song live for the first time, more than 27 years after its initial recording (the performance immediately followed a performance of The Glamorous Life, furthering the theory about the revised lyrics referring to Sheila E.).

Basic tracking took place on 20 April 1985 at Sunset Sound in Hollywood, California (three days after Wendy’s Parade, New Position, I Wonder U and Under The Cherry Moon, the day after Evolsidog, Others Here With Us and Tibet, and the day before Sometimes It Snows In April).

Clare Fischer arranged and recorded orchestration for the song at some point in mid-late 1985 at Monterey Sound Studios in Glendale, California. The lyrics of this original version mention several personal details of changes in Prince’s band and his relationships with bandmembers and staff.

The song (without orchestration) was included as the tenth track on a 1 May 1985 configuration of Parade (and would therefore have been credited to Prince and the Revolution), but was removed before the album’s release.

The track was reworked with less personal lyrics in 1991, most likely at Paisley Park Studios in Chanhassen, Minnesota (the original 1985 orchestration was reused, however). Old Friends 4 Sale was included as the tenth track on a 2 February 1991 configuration of Diamonds And Pearls but was removed from later configurations. Prince offered the song to Joe Cocker for his 1991 Night Calls album (along with Five Women), but he turned it down. This 1991 version was included and ultimately released on The Vault... Old Friends 4 Sale.


Recording Information
Recording Sessions
Date Studio Additional info
20 April 1985 Sunset Sound - Studio 3,
Hollywood, CA, USA 		Tracking, overdubs, mix
3 July 1985 Monterey Sound Studios,
Glendale, CA, USA 		Orchestra recording by Clare Fischer
31 July 1985 Washington Avenue Warehouse,
Edina, MN, USA 		Mix with orchestra and Instrumental mix
14 July 1986 Sunset Sound - Studio 3,
Hollywood, CA, USA 		Mix
30 July 1986 Sunset Sound - Studio 3,
Hollywood, CA, USA 		Mix (strings only, for use in Under The Cherry Moon film)
Early 1991 (assumed) Paisley Park Studios,
Chanhassen, MN, USA (assumed) 		Additional recording and vocal overdubs
Recording Personnel
  • Prince - all vocals and instruments, except where noted
Orchestral Players:
  • Violins - Isabelle Daskoff, Francine Walsh, Mari Botnik, Pam Gates, Janice Gower, Karen Jones, Betty Moor, Irma Neumann, Assa Drori, Bill Hymanson, Oscar Chasow, Ron Clark, Henry Ferber, Erne Granat, Ed Green, Bill Hybel, Reggie Hill, Pat Johnson, Don Palmer, Sheldon Sanov, Joe Schonbrun, Terry Schonbrun and Harold Wolf.
  • Violas - Pam Goldsmith, Margot Maclaine, Carol Mukagawa, Myer Bello, Alan Deverich, Norman Forrest, Alan Harshman, Jorge Moraga and David Stock.
  • Cellos - Jim Arkatoff, Ray Kelley, Ray Kramer and Fred Seykora.
  • Basses - Chuck Dominico and Arni Egilsson.
  • Woodwinds - Gene Cipriano, Don Ashworth, John Clarke, Dave Edwards, Gary Foster, Jim Kanter, John Lowe, Dick Mitchell, Jack Nimitz, Joe Soldo and Bob Tricarico.
  • Trumpets - Ray Brown, Rich Cooper, Bob Findley, Larry Ford, Bob O’Donnell and Al Vizutti.
  • Trombones - Garnett Brown, Charles Loper, Morris Repass and Bill Watrous.
  • French Horns - Marni Johnson, David Duke, Joe Myer, Brian O’Connor, Calvin Smith and Jim Thatcher.
  • Tuba - Tommy Johnson.
  • Tympani and percussion - Brent Fischer.

Versions
Released Versions
Title Length Released Version Additional info
Old Friends 4 Sale 3:27 The Vault... Old Friends 4 Sale Studio
Video Versions
Title Length Released Version Additional info
Chris And Tricky Argue 1:27 Under The Cherry Moon film Studio See Under The Cherry Moon cues for details
Broadcasts/streaming (only)
Title Length Released Version Additional info
Old Friends 4 Sale 3:18 DrFunkenberry.com audio stream Rehearsal Recorded in September 2012, Paisley Park, Chanhassen, Minnesota (assumed).
Unreleased Versions
Title Version Additional Info
Old Friends 4 Sale Studio Recorded 20 April 1985
Old Friends 4 Sale Studio 1985 recording after orchestral overdubs
Old Friends 4 Sale Studio 1985 instrumental mix
 
Additional Information
See also Trivia
  • The early versions of Old Friends 4 Sale were in wide circulation on bootlegs since the end of the eighties. The song was officially released by the band Desert Eagle Discs on their 1998 album The Eagle Has Landed (on Arista Records), preceding the release by Warner Bros. of Prince’s version on The Vault... Old Friends 4 Sale. Since Prince was not associated with this band and was not involved on that release, Desert Eagle Discs' version is not listed above and is considered as a cover version although it was released before Prince’s.
References
Ol' Skool Company   < < < All Songs Unreleased Songs > > >   Oliver’s House
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