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.).
Recording process
Basic tracking took place on 20 April 1985 at Sunset Sound, Hollywood, California (three days after Wendy's Parade, New Position, I Wonder U and Under The Cherry Moon, on the same day as Others Here With Us and Tibet, and the day before Life Can Be So Nice and 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, 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 eighth 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, Chanhassen, Minnesota (the original 1985 orchestration was reused, however). It is this later version that was included on The Vault... Old Friends 4 Sale.
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Recording Information
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Recording Sessions
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Date
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Studio
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Additional info
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20 April 1985
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Sunset Sound, Hollywood, CA, USA
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Basic tracking
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Mid-late 1985
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Monterey Sound Studios, Glendale, CA, USA
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Orchestra recording by Clare Fischer
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1991
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Paisley Park Studios, Chanhassen, MN, USA (assumed)
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Additional recording and vocal overdubs
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Recording Personnel
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- 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.
- Other recording personnel not known
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Versions
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Released Versions
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Broadcasts/streaming (only)
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Title
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Length
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Released
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Version
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Additional info
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Old Friends 4 Sale
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3:18
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DrFunkenberry.com audio stream
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Rehearsal
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Recorded in September 2012, Paisley Park, Chanhassen, Minnesota (assumed).
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Unreleased Versions
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Title
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Version
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Additional Info
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Old Friends 4 Sale
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Studio
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Recorded 20 April 1985
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Old Friends 4 Sale
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Studio
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1985 recording after orchestral overdubs
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