I’d post a link to a Youtube video, but apparently The Purple One is a bit touchy about having his songs on Youtube, so there are none.
Anyway, about five seconds into the song, there is a weird sound that goes on for a few seconds. You can pick it up right away. It cycles in and out, and sounds like a high-pitched growl (sort-of). Anyway, if you’ve heard the song, you know what I’m talking about.
What is that?
AOL Music has it.
Sounds a bit like an electric motor, like in a shaver or something. But I don’t know.
I always thought it was Prince “singing” that noise.
I’m pretty sure it’s Prince’s voice, manipulated by sound effects. The movie Purple Rain alluded to his interest in experimenting with manipulating tape loops and such.
About 14 seconds in, not five? I also would WAG that it is his voice through some weird electronic voodoo.
Anybody got a link to complete credits by track?
I was going to mention that (especially when the sound first starts) as a WAG, but two other people had already posted.
Hmmm. I always wondered (perhaps naively) if it wasn’t the sound an actual dove makes when upset or threatened.
When you listen to the song, Prince’s voice* often has that kind of sound, though not as extreme. e.g., the “How can you just leave me standing.” part.
*I assume it’s also Prince, but it’s the background voice, not the lead voice.
It’s just Prince shaving his balls. He’s fastidious like that.
Really that is definately his voice manipulated in some fashion. The beginning of that noise sounds like his voice, and then they synth it out and oscilate it. It’s oddly out of place in the song, but it is what it is.
I’ve always thought it was the Talkbox that Peter Frampton uses on “Do You Feel Like We Do” but not as distorted.
I have to agree with everyone that says this is Prince singing. Heck, I can make that sound myself. There may be a flanger in it, ala the Daleks on Doctor Who, as I can mimic those flangers.
Ring modulator? It’s an easy way to produce monster voices.