CHAPTER FIVE: HEY GEORGE CLINTON… MAVIS STAPLES’ VOICE

Prince contributions to Clinton album
The veteran funk musician and singer George Clinton was signed to Prince’s Paisley Park record company and released his first album from that label, The Cinderella Theory, in 1989. Prince did not contribute any songs to that album. In 1991, the then 50-years old George Clinton was working on his second album for Paisley Park and this time, it was going to include contributions from Prince. Much like on The Cinderella Theory, Clinton let Prince work on the songs he had on tape: “I said, ‘Now don’t be shy. Put somethin’ on these motherfuckers.’ He came to me like this was so sacred. I said, ‘Fuck that. I need a hit record. You’ve got the shit, let’s put it together.’”

Prince’s level of input in the song Way Up is unknown, but in the above quoted interview, George Clinton said Prince worked on the song. Eric Leeds plays horn and The Steeles sing the chorus line. An early version of the track contained lyrics recited by Clinton that ended up in the song Martial Law and it also contained the chorus of Cookie Jar by Fuzzy Haskins sung by The Steeles.

As early as the summer of 1990, the George Clinton album Hey Man… Smell My Finger was reported to be ready for release, but it would take three more years before it eventually appeared. A tape of an early configuration appeared in 1991. It included several songs that ended up on the album, albeit in remixed and sometimes very different versions, including a new version of Way Up, Get Satisfied, Rhythm And Rhyme, The Flag Was Still There, This Beat Disrupts and High In My Hello. The sequence of the song is unknown, but according to Uptown #12 the tracks were:

George Clinton: Hey Man… Smell My Finger (5 February 1991)
Way Up (6:05) (George Clinton/Foley)
Get Satisfied (4:57) (George Clinton/William Payne/Tracey Lewis)
Rhythm And Rhyme (George Clinton/J. Pandy/D. Galea/P. Hope)
The Flag Was Still There (9:17) (George Clinton/Tracey Lewis/Steven Boyd/Phelps Collins)
This Beat Disrupts (4:27) (Tracey Lewis/samples “Housequake” by Prince)
High In My Hello (George Clinton/Steve Washington)
Booty (3:29)
My Pony (3:54) (Prince)

Most of these songs featured instrumental contributions by Prince, playing bass, guitar and keyboards while Eric Leeds plays sax on four of the tunes. Besides Prince and Eric Leeds, the horn players Maceo Parker and Fred Wesley also contributed to Get Satisfied. Eric Leeds also played sax on Booty that didn’t make it onto the final album. My Pony is a Prince and George Clinton collaboration from March 1990 that feature Prince on backing vocals. It received horn overdubs by Eric Leeds, Matt Blistan, Maceo Parker and Fred Wesley on 26 January 1991 just before the compilation of this configuration, but the song was left off the album when George Clinton began adding new tunes during 1991-92 and remain unreleased.

Another track supposedly dating back to the sessions for the Hey Man… Smell My Finger sessions is Paradigm which Prince would supposedly work on in 2000 before George Clinton finally released it on his 2005 album How Late Do U Have 2BB4UR Absent?

Photo: John Ragel

Mavis Staples cassette and new Clinton config
Mavis Staples was another veteran artist signed to Prince’s Paisley Park label who released the Prince-produced album Time Waits For No One in 1989. With Prince’s busy schedule and numerous projects, Mavis’ second Paisley Park album took a while to complete. On 25 April 1991, Prince recorded the song The Voice written with Rosie Gaines and Francis Jules and in August-September of 1991, The Voice was the first song Prince sent to the then 53-years old Mavis Staples. “When I played it for my dad, tears came to his eyes and he said, ‘Mavis, I never thought I’d find myself crying over a song Prince wrote!’”, she said.

The Voice had barely been recorded before a cassette tape was made containing the song and an edit of an extended remix of the song that featured a rap by Tony M. The Extended Remix remains unreleased.

Mavis Staples: The Voice cassette (1991)
1. The Voice (4:14)
2. The Voice (Extended Remix/Edit) (5:10)

Work continued in 1992 on George Clinton’s Hey Man… Smell My Finger album. Overdubs were made on Get Satisfied in July or September and This Beat Disrupts that sampled Prince’s song Housequake from his 1987 album Sign O’ The Times was edited for length. The Prince and George Clinton collaboration The Big Pump from March 1990 was also edited before inclusion. We Can Funk was a new remixed version of the song previously released on the 1990 Graffiti Bridge soundtrack.

George Clinton: Hey Man… Smell My Finger (1992)
1. Get Satisfied (4:44) (George Clinton/William Payne/Tracey Lewis)
2. We Can Funk (7:35) (Prince)
3. This Beat Disrupts (3:29) (Tracey Lewis/samples “Housequake” by Prince)
4. Oilspill (4:45)
5. I Need Love (3:43)
6. High In My Hello (5:16) (George Clinton/Steve Washington)
7. Way Up (5:07) (George Clinton/Foley)
8. Dope Dog (5:10)
9. Steal The P (3:16)
10. The Flag Was Still There (5:58) (George Clinton/Tracey Lewis/Steven Boyd/Phelps Collins)
11. Kickback (5:58) (George Clinton/Foley)
12. Some O’ Disc & Some O’ DAT (KYP) (5:01)
13. Rhythm And Rhyme (7:11) (George Clinton/J. Pandy/D. Galea/P. Hope)
14. The Big Pump (3:34) (Prince/George Clinton)
15. If True Love (3:57) (George Clinton/Tracey Lewis)
16. Booty (3:29)

Way Up and The Flag Was Still There had been edited for length. If True Love was a new song. The other new songs Oilspill, I Need Love, Dope Dog, Steal The P and Some O’ Disc & Some O’ DAT (KYP) only appear on this configuration. They were replaced with other new songs on the final configuration, as was Booty which became a single B-Side to Paint The White House Black in 1993.

Photo: John Ragel

Recording for Mavis’ Voice
Work on Mavis Staples’ second Paisley Park album The Voice started in earnest in August 1992 following Prince’s Diamonds And Pearls tour. Besides The Voice, Prince wrote four new songs for Mavis, House In Order, You Will Be Moved, Blood Is Thicker Than Time and The Undertaker - all pertaining to stories Mavis told Prince about her life and background. “During the six years we have been working together, we’ve been communicating, and I’ve been letting him into my life. He’s taken what I’ve said and written about it,” she said. For instance, The Undertaker which was co-credited to The New Power Generation players Tommy Barbarella, Michael Bland, Levi Seacer Jr. and Sonny Thompson was inspired by Mavis Staples telling Prince about her eight-year marriage to a mortician.

Prince updated the song The Voice for inclusion as the title track of the album, but the other four new songs were produced by Ricky Peterson and featured a wide range of musicians, including various NPG members, The Steeles and Ricky Peterson himself and his brother (St.) Paul. In addition, Prince picked three songs from his back catalogue which were reworked for the album, Melody Cool which Mavis Staples had performed in his 1990 Graffiti Bridge movie and had been included on the accompanying album, Positivity from his 1988 Lovesexy album and A Man Called Jesus.

A Man Called Jesus had originally been recorded for Cat on 21 December 1988 when she was planning a solo album. At the time, Cat didn’t really feel like doing the song. “I felt very insecure about doing it because who am I to tell people who to believe in, even though I believe in Jesus Christ,” she said. “I told Prince ‘You do it, you can get away with it, they’ll probably respect it more.’”

Mavis Staples’ version of A Man Called Jesus had been recorded during the winter of 1989-1990 during the making of the Graffiti Bridge movie. It featured saxophone by Candy Dulfer and backing vocals by Margie Cox and Sheila E. It was remixed before inclusion on the The Voice album. Paul Peterson added guitar to the existing track, while brother Ricky played bass, organ, synths and programmed the drums.

All three Vault-tracks were produced by Ricky Peterson and updated with additional drum programming by Statik to give them a contemporary hiphop/dance beat. On Melody Cool, Paul Peterson also put on bass while The Steeles added vocals. Positivity also had new backing vocals by Mavis and The Steeles added, as well as drum programming by Kirky J. from The Game Boyz and Statik and keyboards by Kirky J. and Ricky Peterson.

Mavis wanted to make a positive statement with The Voice. “When we did the first album, I wanted to let the world know that Mavis has had a love life, too,” she said. “I ain’t no angel. I’m a woman. I’ve been married, I’ve been hurt, I’ve been broken-hearted. But now the world is worse than it’s ever been. There’s so much hate and killing. Prince and I felt there was a need for some music addressing these issues.”

The final Mavis release
Motown boss Berry Gordy’s son Kerry Gordy came in to work on the George Clinton album in 1992 and he became a crucial factor in finally getting the album out. He provided the track Martial Law and came up with the idea for Paint The White House Black which spins off a phrase from Parliament’s Chocolate City.

In the autumn of 1992, Prince worked on a The Ryde Dyvine TV special that got broadcast on ABC TV in their In Concert series on 19 December 1992. Filmed at Paisley Park, the 45-minute Ryde Dyvine featured live performances by Prince and several Paisley Park Records artists, including George Clinton who performed Get Satisfied and Mavis Staples who performed You Will Be Moved backed by The Steeles. An accompanying promo cassette tape was made that included remixes of the two George Clinton songs Get Satisfied and This Beat Disrupts.

The Ryde Dyvine Sampler – (4 the ultimate RAVE) cassette (1992)
1. Prince and the Crayons: The Ryde Dyvine (4:00)
2. George Clinton: Let’s Get Satisfied (5:00)
3. George Clinton: This Beat Disrupts (4:40)
4. Carmen Electra: Everybody Get On Up – Single Edit (3:12)
5. Carmen Electra: Everybody Get On Up – Single Remix 3rd Time Funky Mix (4:07)
6. Carmen Electra: Everybody Get On Up – Wet And Juicy Dub (6:51)
7. Carmen Electra: Everybody Get On Up – Instrumental (7:00)

Prince borrowed the refrain from Get Satisfied several times on his 1993 Act I and II tours indicating that he was fond of the track. At aftershows during the Act II tour of Europe, Prince, now named O(+> performed the Mavis Staples songs House In Order and The Undertaker from her The Voice album. On 6 March 1995, a home video titled The Sacrifice Of Victor with performances from an aftershow in London on 8 September 1993 was released. It featured Mavis Staples herself singing The Undertaker and House In Order backed by The Steeles.

The Voice album was released on 24 August during the tour. On 10 August 1993, a single release of The Voice had preceded the album with a music video to accompany it.

Mavis Staples: The Voice single (10 August 1993)
1. The Voice (4:14)
2. Positivity

A promo 12” vinyl release featured the full version of the Extended Remix from the 1991 cassette.

Mavis Staples: The Voice (Prince Remix) 12” promo (1993)
1. The Voice (Extended Remix) (6:09)
2. The Voice (Album Version) (4:14)

Mavis Staples: The Voice (1993)
1. The Voice (4:14)
2. House In Order (4:44)
3. Blood Is Thicker Than Time (3:13)
4. You Will Be Moved (4:12)
5. All Because Of You (5:06)
6. The Undertaker (7:26)
7. Melody Cool (Remix) (3:46)
8. Kain’t Turn Back (4:03)
9. I’ll Be Right There (4:03)
10. A Man Called Jesus (3:56)
11. Why (4:27)
12. Positivity (4:34)

The songs All Because Of You, Kain’t Turn Back, I’ll Be Right There and Why had no involvement from Prince. A music video was also made for Blood Is Thicker Than Time.

The final George release & Mavis re-release
On 12 October 1993, George Clinton’s Hey Man… Smell My Finger album finally saw release. This Beat Disrupts sampling Housequake had been retitled Dis Beat Disrupts and Get Satisfied had been edited for length, as had Rhythm And Rhyme and Kickback.

George Clinton: Hey Man… Smell My Finger (1993)
1. Martial Law (7:13)
2. Way Up (5:07)
3. Get Satisfied (3:56)
4. Rhythm And Rhyme (5:40)
5. If True Love (3:57)
6. Maximumsiness (5:02)
7. The Flag Was Still There (5:58)
8. Paint The White House Black (7:50)
9. Dis Beat Disrupts (3:30)
10. Hollywood (5:21)
11. The Big Pump (3:34)
12. High In My Hello (5:16)
13. Kickback (3:41)
14. Martial Law (Single Version) (4:14)

Martial Law, Maximumsiness, Paint The White House Black and Hollywood were all new tracks without any involvement from Prince. Paint The White House Black was released as a single and a music video was made of the single version. Picture This is an alternate mix of Paint The White House Black.

George Clinton: Paint The White House Black CD-single (1993)
1. Paint The White House Black (Uncensored Single Version) (4:19)
2. Paint The White House Black (7:50)
3. Picture This (Street Mix) (6:48)
4. Booty (3:24)
5. Paint The White House Black (Instrumental) (5:40)

In the summer of 1994, O(+> released the 1-800 NEW FUNK compilation that featured songs from artists at his record company at the time. It included an edit of Hollywood with George Clinton, and You Will Be Moved with Mavis Staples. The Voice was also re-released as a single backed with a couple of Mavis' other Prince-penned songs.

Mavis Staples: The Voice CD-single (1994)
1. The Voice (4:14)
2. You Will Be Moved (4:12)
3. Come Home (5:28)

Come Home was taken from Mavis Staples’ first Paisley Park album Time Waits 4 No One from 1989. When her The Voice album was re-released in 1995, Come Home was added to the album. Otherwise, the album contained the same 12 songs as on the original release, but in re-shuffled order.

Mavis Staples: The Voice (1995)
1. Blood Is Thicker Than Time (3:13)
2. I’ll Be Right There (4:03)
3. Why (4:27)
4. House In Order (4:44)
5. All Because Of You (5:06)
6. A Man Called Jesus (3:56)
7. Kain’t Turn Back (4:03)
8. Come Home (5:28)
9. You Will Be Moved (4:12)
10. The Voice (4:14)
11. The Undertaker (7:26)
12. Melody Cool (Remix) (3:46)
13. Positivity (4:34)

Blood Is Thicker Than Time was released as the last single from Mavis Staples from Prince’s record company. It was backed by a couple of the other Prince-penned songs on her The Voice album.

Mavis Staples: Blood Is Thicker Than Time CD-single (1995)
Blood Is Thicker Than Time (3:13)
The Undertaker (7:24)
House In Order (4:53)