Thanks to Mr. Bland for sharing his stories, perspective and views with all of us at the org. Please use this thread to continue the discussion.


Previous thread in series: http://www.prince.org/msg...5602?&pg=1

Ohh cool what an honour

Still going Michael? Your stamina must come from all those years of drumming.

I have a vague memory of reading somewhere that you recorded with George Benson at some point...did I just imagine that? If I didn't imagine it, how was that experience? I love George, he's one the great guitar players of all time. If I did imagine it, then please ignore me for I am a fool.

Another question, did you guys ( Prince and the NPG ) do much loose jamming...you know, just playing for fun amongst yourselves? or was it always for a specific purpose - soundchecks, rehearsing etc..?

Oh yeah, when you see Prince again...tell him that you, Sonny and him need to record an album of power trio Band of Gypsies type stuff....like the undertaker only funkier and with new material....no one does that stuff anymore.
[Edited 6/15/06 21:35pm]

SDNafka said:

yeah, i recorded an album with george benson called, "that's right".
it was released on grp. tommy lipuma was the executiver producer, and ricky peterson was the producer. george absolutely blew my mind!!
we recorded it in studio B, at paisley park.

we never just casually got together. our time together was usually purpose oriented. that would have been alot of people to assemble for a casual set of circumstances, seeing ther fact that we were forced to be with each other more often than not, for six years.
i mean, we got along well, but we also cherished our precious moments away from one another. everybody needs time to decompress.. and the job gave us so little time to do much else, other than prince's bidding.

and yeah.. there's at least 10 other tracks laying around, from the night that we cut "3121".. so, that power trio album you're describing, already exists, essentially.. the question is, will it ever surface? who knows?

michael b.

Hi Michael,
thank you for taking the time to answer all these questions from us!

anyway here is mine-
Prince recentley put the video for I LIKE IT THERE (feat. yourself) up on his NPGMC site,
have u taken part in or r u aware of any other videos which we may not of yet seen?

thx


Dan - UK

ebonyrhythmbuddha said:

WOW!

Once again many thanx 4 answering our Q's Mike.

A few new ones:

1) I have a bootleg of a rehearsal from late 1991 where Levi & Rosie sing (Prince apparently wasn't there), so...
- How come the setlist is so different from the final D&P Tour, with songs such as Pop Life, Strange Relationship, Dead On It, Skin Tight... Was it the Hornheadz's inclusion which changed the tour that much or another reason?
- How come Levi & Rosie r singing? Did they really have 2 learn ALL the lyrics of EVERY song just 2 b able 2 rehearse without Prince?

2) What or who gave u the idea 2 come here & answer our neverending questions, so many years after u left the Prince camp?

3) I remember an interview by Prince from 1998 where he said "Mike always told me he dreamt 2 play with Larry, well, by sampling Billy Jack Bitch on Larry's Love 4 One Another, i made his dream come true". Have u read this then & anyway don't u find it 2 b a weird "dream come true" 4 u? Did u eventually happen 2 jam with Larry G.?

4) Have u ever discussed with Prince why he lets bootleggers make so much money on him when he could (particularly since he's "free") release all these outtakes & concerts himself?

5) How did Michel portal contact u & Sonny? Do u know what gave him the idea 2 work with u?

6) I guess that, 4 obvious reasons, Prince doesn't allow his musicians 2 keep tapes of unreleased tracks & shows they record with him. If it's indeed the case, isn't it sometimes frustrating not 2 b able 2 have a copy of songs u played on & might like a lot?

7) Can u tell us about the shooting of Graffiti Bridge? I mean, this movie seemed like a very important & personal project 4 Prince. From what i read Prince had a hard time making this movie. The movie (IMO) has great potential but is obviously kinda unfinished. In which mood was Prince during the shooting? Did Prince talk about what this project meant 2 him, what his purpose was, how he expected people 2 react 2 it? R there things he expressed he'd have wanted 2 add or do differently if he had the time or $ 2 do them, etc... & (LOL) who is Philip C. ?

Hope it's not too many questions. Thanx again Mike, u're the best
[Edited 6/16/06 15:08pm]

michael thanks 4 rapping with us,4 u to share your thoughts with us is a blessing thanks so much.
question 1 How old were u when u stated to play drums?


2 Do u read music and do u know if prince reads
music.
3. do u fell reading music is necessary to master your instrument.
4.What do u fell prince plays best piano or guitar?
5. Why do u think bands aren't signed to record companies anymore
do u feel rap has taking over the music industry
Thanks michael.

ebonyrhythmbuddha said:

Thanks Michael. I understand what you're saying about needing your time away from the band.....10 more tracks from the 3121 session! ...yeah, I guess its up to Prince to decide if we'll ever hear them...and I've given up trying to second guess him.

ebonyrhythmbuddha said:

The Diamands & Pearls engineer Michael Koppleman has posted a podcast on his blog page with Prince stories which are facinating to hear.

Link to podcast:( http://www.lolife.com/blo...00090.html )

He makes mention of the band taking time out and playing basketball at the back of Paisley from time to time. Would that have been the only leisure time you got, or did you perfer to do other things while the others played ball?

ebonyrhythmbuddha said:

AAAARRRGH! Please stop! (covers eyes with hands)



Seriously though, It would seem that Prince is a fairly intense and purposeful guy on the one hand, yet still had the ability to do some things in an impulsive, casual and almost offhanded manner. I would think that spending a lot of time in such a situation would be a heady experience to say the least.

So here's the question. What, specifically did you do during your down time to remain centered and maintain your endurance? Did you just maintain a detached perspective on the whole endeavor or are you just naturally even tempered and easygoing?

eroica29 said:

yeah.. lots, probably. however, i don't know what else prince has posted for your viewing pleasure..

michael b.

shaomi said:

1. the setlist always goes through many different mutations before it's decided on. we'd start out with a master list of songs that prince wanted us to learn, and we'd take it from there.. it depended largely on what he was sick of, what was on the latest album, what always worked, what covers might've been included, what the choreopraphy was doing, what key we would be transitioning from or to, etc.. and, partly, on the personnel. but, lastly.
what you're describing is a set we worked up, to play at warner bros. records, which kinda didn't work. so, we restructured the set again, for the jack the rapper thing in atlanta in 91', and again, after that.. it goes on, until the first 10 shows or so have been performed, and all the notes and revisions seems to be more effective. we'd keep going to prince's suite after the show, with notebooks, and watch the tape, and make notes until the show was airtight.
if you're in prince's band, you are presumed to know his catalog, words and music, in it's entirety, or learn rather quickly. rosie and levi and sonny were singing, because someone had to..

2. i couldn't believe people were saying that i played with prince on the SNL performance of "fury" and the other number they did.. i didn't realize i looked so much like a girl.. anyway, i got on to tell everyone that i, indeed, had not returned, and that it was cora playing drums on that show.
and from there, people first questioned whether it was really me on here, leaving messages, and after a while, i just decided that doing this was a constructive way to answer all valid questions about the process, and what it was like, doing what we did. and as long as people don't start getting stupid, i'll hang around. this is as close to a tell all book as i ever wanted to come, anyway..

3. yes, it was weird. yes, we did eventually jam, and record a little bit.

4. nope. but the way i understand it, some music is not necessarily made for mass consumption. sometimes, prince experiments for the sake of experimentation, alone. whether or not his music is released should be his choice. he did, however, cut into their profit margin quite a bit with the crystal ball package, i think.. even though the die hards all had most of that material, in one form or another.

5. work is work. rules are rules. people that work at bomb factories can't take the plutonium home, even if they're fascinated by it's incendiary
properties, and promise not to sell it to terrorists.

6. i dunno how personal the film was to prince. i remember someone questioning him about the quality of that film, which he edited during the nude tour by flying back and forth to los angeles from london, essentially.
he said something like, "i spent 11 million dollars of someone else's money. so, what do i care what you think?"
yeah, it's unfinished. i let my ex-wife read the original draft of the script, once. she thought the film could have been alot better, after she finished. but, too much had been taken out. however, she's not in the entertainment business, so it was just another person's opinion.

michael b.
[Edited 6/18/06 0:58am]

joelmarable said:

1. 9 years old.
2. i read a little, but i mostly rely on having perfect pitch and a strong memory. to my knowledge, prince doesn't read.
3. no.
4. he is more versatile on keys, to me. but he's no slouch on guitar, either. i prefer to hear him on keys.
5. they are.. hawthorne heights, panic! at the disco, my chemical romance, etc. maybe not any bands you like, but they have deals..
i don't feel rap has taken over the industry.. it's a well known fact.

michael b.

dnaplaya said:

i usually listened to music, or went back over whatever we learned that day, so as not to look like an idiot, later on, after leisure time.

michael b.

babynoz said:

i would love to tell you that i'm naturally even tempered and easygoing, but there are people who know the truth about me, and they would come on here and narc me out.. LOL!! the fact is, i am extremely relaxed about everything EXCEPT MUSIC. and most people who know me, know me through working with me, unfortunately.
what kept me sane, was remembering that i wasn't running anything, so my opinion meant nothing. so, i guess the answer is, i detached, to a certain degree. but, having to, made me not so pleasant to be around. i take music personally and seriously. and i didn't always agree on what was happening, in that territory. but, i hardly ever spoke out. i had seen what happened to those who chose to interject. it wasn't worth my job to speak my mind about a situation i had no control over, in the first place.
instead, i just took it out on people close to me. which, also, wasn't a good thing.
i apologize, sometimes, when people come up and say, "man, you really hurt my feelings that day when.." but, sometimes, they just needed to get cussed out. some people DO have it coming. LOL

michael b.

What's up Michael B? Let me be the hundredth person here to say thank you for your time. I have a couple questions for you...

1. What are some songs by Prince that you always wanted to play in concert but never got around to playing?

2.What other artists have you ever wanted a chance to drum for?

ebonyrhythmbuddha said:[quote]




LOL..thanks Michael. Believe it or not, I can relate even though I'm not a musician.

sitruk7 said:

i've covered this territory, before. but, i guess i'll do it again..

1. we never got to play anything from "lovesexy", except "alphabet st."
we tried to get prince to bring "anna stasia" back, but he wouldn't do it.
also, i wanted to play "joy in repetition". we never got around to it. but, the next band DID actually play it, from what i've heard.

2. sly stone. other than that, nobody living.

michael b.

what's up mike
thanks again 4 rapping
1.Who came up with the funky beat on the begining of shh Break it down on the gold cd?its way phat.
2. We all know prince is one bad dude,but mike can u share any stories of p making a mistake on stage that the audience may or may not have caught, seems like he's errorless.
3. Who are your favorite songwriters still active today and why?
4. What do u think of the Average White Band?my favorite growing up.Seems u would have been great with them.

joelmarable said:

1. it was a collaboration. prince had an idea and asked me to augment it.
2. sometimes he would forget words, but you'd never know, cause he would just let the audience sing.. other than that, everything else is out there where everyone can see.. the falling down, the mike hitting the ground, or the mike hitting him in the mouth, the sliding off the end of the stage,
etc. other than that, his whole world is designed to suit his whims.. so, how many "mistakes" can there be, if your self made universe is always cooperating? if he went a direction we didn't discuss, then that's just what happened.. he couldn't make mistakes.. if we didn't follow, we were the ones making mistakes.

3. none. almost everybody i used to dig, is putting out crap.

4. my sister had the white album with the booty.. "person to person".. i know that one, and "soul searching".. pretty funky..

michael b.

Mike, when you talked about the setlist, you mentioned a variety of reasons for what made it and didn't make it - you mentioned Prince being sick of some songs. Can you give examples of songs he was sick of, other than almost the whole "Prince" catalog when it came to the Gold Experience tour? Was Anna Stesia one of the songs he was sick of (since you mentioned this above)? Any idea how tracks like I Love U In Me and 7 made it into the set, when he was pretty much refusing to play any other "Prince" tracks?

Was the gradual transition to doing more old-school Prince jams in late-'95 and early-'96 a commercial decision, or did he miss playing the oldies?

I'm going to ask you, Mr Bland, something that doesn't really have anything to do with your music. But I think it's always interesting to know and it can say a lot about a person.

What are you proud of?

ebonyrhythmbuddha said:

Hey, Michael. I was at Butter on Friday (at his npgmc members-only gig).. It was fabulous, as I'm sure you've read elsewhere on the org.

I wanted to let you know that he and Tamar sang an extended version of Joy in Repetition. It was really great. I didn't realize it was not something he plays regularly.

Also, ?uestlove was on hand that night and played a bit. How would you compare your style to his?

Gracias!

booyah said:

it's a far shorter list to tell you what songs he never got tired of.. "purple rain" would be one in that category.. my memory is a bit spotty. it's mostly an enduring feeling, at this point. but obviously, from the 1995 touring setlist, he really wasn't interested in rehashing any of his old stuff..

he said the reason he didn't wanna play "anna stesia" was because the song gave him chills.. the wrong kind.

not sure how those songs ended up in the middle of the set..

what happened was during that time, he did two things.. 1. poll the fans via the internet, to see what songs were their favorite. and, a couple times, he let us pick the set.. so, obviously, we wanted to play some stuff we never got a chance to play... we still, mostly, got vetoed, except for "if i was your girlfriend", "vicki waiting" and a couple others..

michael b.

altavista said:

i don't think i would compare my style to ahmir's, at all.. what he is, mostly, is an archivist. he's aiming to bring back a feeling from an earlier time. my approach is mostly contemporary..

michael b.
[Edited 6/20/06 1:22am]

VenusBlingBling said:

that i circumvent conventional means to make my living.
i am a dissident. a person on the outer fringes of respectable society. and that's where i wanna be. squares bore me, and most of their priorities seem so frivolous, to me. i'm proud to say that they don't know anything about me. and, i don't wanna know anymore about them, than i already do.

michael b.

ebonyrhythmbuddha said:

What are you least proud of?

Michael,

When you record with Prince, how surprised are you when you hear final (album) versions of songs you record?

I get the impression (I may be wrong) that you often lay down your drum tracks with maybe only a bassline or minimal instruments and the rest is added later.

hello Michael B.


1. was there ever a time while you were working with Prince, that you seen him appear to be afraid of..... something/anything?

2. has Prince ever talk to you about how he feels when other people cover his muisc?

thank you.
[Edited 6/20/06 9:57am]

Sowhat said:

not visiting my parents, more often..


michael b.