Ruff Enuff

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Ruff Enuff

Ruffenuff single.jpg
artwork posted with Tidal stream and download
Song details
Performer: Mono Neon
First Released: 11 January 2016 - Tidal download
Album(s): None
Writer(s): Prince (assumed)
Producer(s): Prince
Live Appearances
First and last live appearance:
Performed regularly on tour:
  • none
Performed occasionally in shows:

Ruff Enuff by Mono Neon was released as a download and the Tidal Purple Pick of the Week on 11 January, four and a half days after its recording. The instrumental track features Prince as producer and on keyboards. The following day, the track was replaced with a vocal version of the track, with lead vocals on vocoder by Adrian Crutchfield. No writing credits are given, and it is thought to have been largely-improvised by the musicians who took part in the recording.

Basic tracking took place in October 2015, most likely with lyrics as Prince sang the song during a couple of shows at Paisley Park. Ruff Enuff was re-recorded on 6 January 2016 at Paisley Park Studios in Chanhassen, Minnesota. Prince’s Twitter account announced the track early the following morning:

"JUST CUT A THE JAZZ SINGLE "RUFF ENUFF" WITH KAJ ON DRUMS, ADRIAN ON TALKINGSAXBOX & MONO NEON ON BASS! ONLY NEED A LIL' DONNA MESS &: $$$!"
It is believed, therefore, that a further session was planned for guitar overdubs by Donna Grantis. In response to a fan asking when they could hear the track, @Prince3EG replied:
"HOPEFULLY, THIS WEEKEND."

The track was released the following Monday as Tidal’s Purple Pick of the Week, without a contribution from Donna Grantis. The description of the track as provided to Tidal by NPG Records included the following information:

"You may recognize Kirk A Johnson on drums, Mono Neon on bass and Adrian Crutchfield on sax and electric woodwinds as the house band 4 Prince’s Paisley Park After Dark Jam Sessions. Well, that’s not all they do. 4 the past week they’ve been cutting basic trax 4 their as yet untitled debut album. With Prince producing and handling the keyboard & guitar duties, the set promises 2 b picking up right where Judith Hill’s BACK IN TIME left off. These brothas murder the funk! Normally they wouldn’t let a track out until it’s finished, but this one had 2 go! It was ruining everybody’s good loox. If U think U can resist the funk, check out the key change of Mono’s bass solo at near 4 oclockmark. Exactly."
During the Twitter exchange about the track, a fan asked if this was the first track to be recorded in 2016, to which @Prince3EG replied:
"YES, IT'S ALREADY GOT A SISTER: ON THE SAME ALBUM AS "FREE URSELF"...THEY SOUND GREAT 2GETHER!"

This information caused a bit of confusion as Ruff Enuff was released using the artist credit Mono Neon, while Free Urself was credited to Prince. Ruff Enuff has since be confirmed by band members MonoNeon and Adrian Crutchfield by being a song from MonoNeon’s Black Is The New Black album, so it is safe to assume that Free Urself was also planned (possibly with overdubs or a re-recording) for the same album. It has also been speculated that Free Urself is the title of an album Prince was working on, but this has not been confirmed. If so, it is possible that Ruff Enuff was also planned for this Prince album with lyrics and not as an instrumental (when performed live between late 2015 and early 2016, the track contained verses and a chorus sung by Prince).


Recording Information
Recording Sessions
Date Studio Additional info
Mid-October 2015 Paisley Park Studios,
Chanhassen, MN, USA
Tracking
6 January 2016 Paisley Park Studios,
Chanhassen, MN, USA
Re-recording
7-10 January 2016 (specific date unconfirmed) Paisley Park Studios,
Chanhassen, MN, USA
Re-recording
Recording Personnel

Initial instrumental version

Vocal version


Versions
Released Versions
Title Length Released Version Additional info
Ruff Enuff 5:39 Tidal download Studio Instrumental version offered initially
Ruff Enuff 5:39 Tidal download Studio Vocal version offered the following day


Unreleased Versions
Title Version Additional Info
Ruff Enuff Studio / rehearsal Recorded mid-October 2015
Ruff Enuff Studio Version with full lyrics
 
Additional Information

See also Trivia

  • Tidal homepage image promoting Ruff Enuff as the Purple Pick of the Week:
Ruffenuff PPotW.jpg

References

Press:

Podcast:

Rowdy Mac   < < < All Songs Unreleased Songs > > >   Rumeta