“The Second Coming” is an unreleased treasure that is reportedly still in the vault. Prince planned to release an album and film of the same title however,
the project was abandoned shortly after the Controversy tour ended in 1982. The unreleased track “The Second Coming” was played over the PA systems before live Controversy tour concerts. The track has a distinct gospel feel while the lyrics make a political statement about gun control. The harmony is absolutely spine tingling. The only voice listed as being featured on the track is Prince. The harmonizing done with layered recordings is similar to the technique used for the title track of the “For You” album. Prince’s vocal range is showcased in a delicious mix of harmony that blends perfectly.
“The Second Coming” is Prince’s very first film project idea.
Director Chuck Statler was brought in to shoot footage of the Controversy tour. He says “The Second Coming” was meant to be a promotional tool. Prince was excited after he saw some of the raw footage and suggested the video be turned into a theatrical film.
But as shooting continued, Statler says one day Prince changed his mind and lost interest in the project.
Statler says “At some point in the process of posting the concert footage and planning the next sequence of interstitial material, Prince came in and for whatever reason didn’t like what he saw. Then that was it. He pulled the plug and stepped away from “The Second Coming.”
Several years after the project was shelved, Statler says he turned the raw footage over to Prince including all camera originals and work prints. But Statler believes audiences would’ve warmed up to the film. Hopefully portions of “The Second Coming” will eventually be released to the public. Statler says: “It had potential. But it’s just something that’s in his vault, and that’s as far as it will ever go, most likely.”
The Second Coming Lyrics:
It won’t be long
All of God’s children must learn 2 love
It won’t be long (I said it won’t be long)
Before the Second Coming, yeah
It won’t be long, no, it won’t be longHow many more good men must die before there’s gun control
U’ve got 2 love your brother if U want 2 free your soul (Soul, soul, soul)It won’t be long (It won’t be long)
All of God’s, all of God’s children must learn 2 love.
WATCH/DOWNLOAD THE 1981 LIVE CONTROVERSY TOUR FILMED IN HOUSTON 12-9-1981.
(1Hour 12min 11.9GB Download )
HOVER AND CLICK THE ENLARGE BOX IN THE RIGHT CORNER BELOW TO WATCH/DOWNLOAD CONCERT FOOTAGE
