Prince / 3121 @Koko (2CDR)

This is the release of a gig held at Koko in Camden, London, as Prince's private party during the 3121 season! It's a phantom recording, rumored to have never been recorded due to the space's limited space. This recording, originally a secret audience recording of a very small group of Prince fans, has been remastered and released. The original sound was unbalanced, with one channel biased, but this has been corrected. Prince and his band were visiting for business purposes to secure a 21 Nights London gig. Tickets were suddenly planned to promote the gig, going on sale at 10:00 AM on May 10th for £31.21 on Ticketmaster, selling out immediately. Koko is the historic Camden Palace, which was previously the venue for the Lovesexy tour aftershow (where they also celebrated Cat's birthday), and Prince was thrilled! Starting with a mesmerizing keyboard intro and Maceo's "Pass the Peas" chant, Pass the Peas kicks off! The opening track, which lasts just under five minutes, features an outstanding piano solo in the second half! The next track is Satisfied, with Prince and Maceo's horns piercing the heart, followed by Down By the Riverside. The first half of the set is dominated by horns, emphasizing a dark, lively performance! "I Like Funky Music" and "Girls & Boys" feature choppy bass. Shelby J's London debut is Aretha's "I Never Loved A Man." Compared to London Nights, her singing seems a little more tense. Then there's a long version of Lolita, Black Sweat, with its long intro interweaving loving MCing and funky bass playing, and "Kiss," which begins with Prince's "What's My Name?" call and leads into a thrilling riff. The track then unfolds with a swift, sizzling Shhh sound, delivering a truly impressive performance! "Musicology" is a version that teases the audience with no vocals, and in a way, it's like an instrumental version of "Musicology" that emphasizes the horns and bass. "Funky London!" Prince hypes up the crowd as he suddenly launches into vocals. The track progresses in a somewhat subdued style, but Prince & The Band joins in and the horns gradually heat up, creating a cool development. After the break, Cora gradually begins to take the rhythm with unconventional drumming, creating a funky jam with unusual keyboard phrases! A total of 16 minutes, this development is something I've never heard before! Shelby and the others play Do-Re-Mi-Fa-So-La-Si-Do! Sly's version of "Sing A Simple Song" is more passionate than the original, with the chorus, "I'm Not Here," but he tries to get the audience to sing along, but they can't, resulting in Prince's guitar exploding. Then there's "Play That Funky Music," a long version of "What A Wonderful World" with Mike and Renato sparking off. Then there's "Love Is A Losing Game," which begins with elegant piano and Prince's guitar. Shelby J sings, but the audience gradually recognizes it as the Amy Winehouse song, a track he incorporated for London. Prince's short, but exquisite guitar interjections are outstanding in this version! The song runs for just over five minutes, followed by another slow "Gotta A Broken Heart Again," a very simple, piano-driven version, like a piano set. Mike's sax solo in the second half is a highlight, all the more because of its simplicity! After playing two hits here, slightly exciting the audience, Shelby returns for "Crazy," singing a slightly nervous tune, but the audience erupts in cheers! This song was also a huge hit in London! Amidst the excitement, Prince launched into Nothing Compares 2 U, featuring a stunning Mike solo that drew even more cheers! But there was no sign of it ending... That church organ intro and Let's Go Crazy were the finale! A devastating version with Prince's guitar at the forefront! Finally, Prince reappeared onstage and closed with a comment about London's 21 Nights. This set serves as a prelude and warm-up for the Earth Tour, but be sure to get your hands on it and compare how the fresh arrangements at this time changed compared to the later London performances! It also comes with rare bonus features! First up is a new mix by DJ Rashida! A very danceable DJ mix featuring Prince's "Sexy Dancer"! And finally, a rare remix of Stevie Wonder's 1995 single, Cold Chili, actually done by Prince! This rare version is included! With synth bass that's unmistakably Prince and guitar chops reminiscent of What's The Fuss, this incredible mix, which he worked so hard on for Stevie, is being unveiled for the first time! It's a private gig at Koko, a venue Prince chose as the most memorable in the UK! Naturally, this is a must-have!

Disc 1
Intro - Pass The Peas - Satisfied - Down By The Riverside - Girls And Boys (Including Cutie Pie) - I Never Loved A Man (The Way I Love You) - Lolita - Black Sweat - Kiss - Shhh - Musicology (Including Prince And The Band) - Funky London Jam - Sing A Simple Song - Play That Funky Music

Disc 2
What A Wonderful World (Instrumental) - Love Is A Losing Game - Gotta Broken Heart Again - Cream - U Got The Look - Crazy (Including One Nation Under A Groove) - Nothing Compares 2 U - Let's Go Crazy - Outro Speech

Live at Koko, London May 10, 2007