With another Number One single in "Kiss", a hit album in "Parade", and his second motion picture opening in less than two months, Prince had good reason to be in high spirits in the first half of 1986. That seems to be captured in this short, but electric, near 40 minute performance at the Minnesota Music Awards, recorded May 20, 1986.
Prince's confidence in the superiority of this expanded version of The Revolution, and their ability to funk up any challenger to their throne, is obvious as he exhibits a tongue in cheek arrogance mixed with genuine cockiness in their ability to kick serious ass. With the dissolution of The Family, Prince added Eric Leeds and Jerome Benton to The Revolution, along with new guitarist Miko Weaver, trumpet player Atlanta Bliss and back-up singers and dancers Greg Brooks and Wally Safford. The Revolution was now an all-out rock, soul, jazz and funk review at the peak of their powers.
In addition to picking up three awards this night at the Carlton Celebrity Room in Bloomington, Prince And The Revolution closed the night with this set and Akashic Records has released the first soundboard recording of this show. Previously circulating in an audience recording, this soundboard tape is a vast improvement, but a few warnings need to be heeded. Despite being soundboard, the first half of the show has a noticeable buzz in the background deep in the mix as it seems a keyboard is pumping out feedback. It serves as an annoyance more than anything and is only really noticeable during quieter moments onstage. Also, the soundboard recording does not include the "extended portion" of "Kiss" so a good quality audience recording of that portion of the song has been edited in to give a complete record of the show. Overall, I'd give the sound quality a weak B, but it is still a nice release to get this show in a clear enough soundboard form.
As for the show itself, after a brief intro Prince And The Revolution go into a shortened version of "Raspberry Beret", before full length versions of "Girls & Boys" and "Life Can Be So Nice" back to back just like on "Parade". "Girls & Boys" is a rousing version, but the stuffy, non-responsive audience gets under Prince's skin as he berates them from the stage in a hilarious tirade. "Man all you tired fools get yo ass up! What the fuck you think this is, GET UP! Shit! Fuck it I'm goin' home. COME ON!" he shouts before singing the first verse. He gets flustered with the lack of audience interaction a few other times during the set, and it's damn funny.
Next the band segues into "Controversy" incorporating a chant from the unreleased song "All Day, All Night" into the jam. By this point Prince now has the crowd in the palm of his hand, even if he has to implore them to "Clap your hands. CLAP YOUR HANDS! Jesus Christ!" but even they can't resist when they kick into the highlight of the show, an over seven minute version of "Mutiny", one of the many Prince penned songs for The Family. Prince turns this into a massive jam with an Eric Leeds sax solo that he brings to an end with a cheerful "Eric, shut the fuck up", the male backing singers chanting "St. Paul, Punk of the Month!", directed at the former lead singer of The Family who left the band, while Wendy and Lisa sing "This is what it's like in the Dream Factory whoa-whoa" from the unreleased song "Dream Factory". A killer performance.
The set ends with the extended version of "Kiss", performed much as it was recorded for the 12" maxi single, and that single's B-Side, "Love Or $". It's a short set, but incredibly loose and funky all the same. Prince's frustration with the crowd ("You people give me a bad attitude!") makes for highly amusing listening. "I thought Minneapolis was funky, I'm going home" he says at one point. Well, maybe this awards show audience wasn't funky, but Prince And The Revolution sure were on this night.
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