This thread is making me appreciate "High Fashion" even more, knowing how it was an original fave for many of you.

I'm amazed at how aware I was of all the Paisley Park releases at the time without the convenience of the internet today. It must have been due to constant reading of music magazines like Billboard.

[Edited 5/9/15 9:30am]

The Family aka fDeluxe will be doing 2 shows at Dakota Jazz Club on August 14th in Minneapolis, celebrating the 30th anniversary of The Family release.

[Edited 5/9/15 13:10pm]

sexton said:

I'm amazed at how aware I was of all the Paisley Park releases at the time without the convenience of the internet today. It must have been due to constant reading of music magazines like Billboard.

[Edited 5/9/15 9:30am]

That and the daily visit to the record store on the way home from school. I scanned the walls for the Paisley logo! Yes, total Prince geek.

yep, still have it on cassette and vinyl, and still remember the video. thought they were so cool back in the day

sexton said:

I'm amazed at how aware I was of all the Paisley Park releases at the time without the convenience of the internet today. It must have been due to constant reading of music magazines like Billboard.

I remember going into a record store in 1987 and seeing the Jill Jones album.I couldn't believe that it had been released.There was no promotion at all,no first single on the radio,nothing! It seems that some Paisley Park albums got more promotion/attention that others.

SoulAlive said:

sexton said:

I'm amazed at how aware I was of all the Paisley Park releases at the time without the convenience of the internet today. It must have been due to constant reading of music magazines like Billboard.

I remember going into a record store in 1987 and seeing the Jill Jones album.I couldn't believe that it had been released.There was no promotion at all,no first single on the radio,nothing! It seems that some Paisley Park albums got more promotion/attention that others.

I never heard Mia Bocca on the radio, although I did see the video on Night Tracks. Like you, I went to a record store one day and saw it.

sexton said:

I'm amazed at how aware I was of all the Paisley Park releases at the time without the convenience of the internet today. It must have been due to constant reading of music magazines like Billboard.

[Edited 5/9/15 9:30am]

.

Or by looking at the list of new and upcoming releases posted in a record store! IIRC, they used to have that info up on a big sign or even a chalkboard or something like that...

motherfunka said:

The Family aka fDeluxe will be doing 2 shows at Dakota Jazz Club on August 14th in Minneapolis, celebrating the 30th anniversary of The Family release.

[Edited 5/9/15 13:10pm]

Great to hear they still perform! Saw them in Amsterdam a few years back, I had a blast.

This is a pretty recent interview Paul and Susannah did with the Washington Times.

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2015/may/5/interview-with-fdeluxe-the-family-behind-prince-ma/

I asked Paul if he was willing to share those cassette tapes.

motherfunka said:

This is a pretty recent interview Paul and Susannah did with the Washington Times.

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2015/may/5/interview-with-fdeluxe-the-family-behind-prince-ma/

I asked Paul if he was willing to share those cassette tapes.

Everyone has those demos with Prince singing! They were on VINYL as of 1989. The only one that I haven't heard is the demo for "River Run Dry" which St Paul wrote, not Prince.

Cinny said:

motherfunka said:

This is a pretty recent interview Paul and Susannah did with the Washington Times.

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2015/may/5/interview-with-fdeluxe-the-family-behind-prince-ma/

I asked Paul if he was willing to share those cassette tapes.

Everyone has those demos with Prince singing! They were on VINYL as of 1989. The only one that I haven't heard is the demo for "River Run Dry" which St Paul wrote, not Prince.

I'm pretty sure the tapes he was given weren't some 10th generation copy. Bobby Z wrote River Run Dry.

motherfunka said:

Cinny said:

Everyone has those demos with Prince singing! They were on VINYL as of 1989. The only one that I haven't heard is the demo for "River Run Dry" which St Paul wrote, not Prince.

I'm pretty sure the tapes he was given weren't some 10th generation copy. Bobby Z wrote River Run Dry.

Correct. Which is why his rerecorded version is on his solo album.

sexton said:

motherfunka said:

I'm pretty sure the tapes he was given weren't some 10th generation copy. Bobby Z wrote River Run Dry.

Correct. Which is why his rerecorded version is on his solo album.

Oh, right.

motherfunka said:

Cinny said:

Everyone has those demos with Prince singing! They were on VINYL as of 1989. The only one that I haven't heard is the demo for "River Run Dry" which St Paul wrote, not Prince.

I'm pretty sure the tapes he was given weren't some 10th generation copy. Bobby Z wrote River Run Dry.

Yeah, my bad.

OldFriends4Sale said:

Cinny said:

Wow! Before it appeared on The Vault?

Yes, the original version

I had it recorded on a Maxwell tape, actually recorded a few times

They said it was a 'Promo' for Prince's new movie Under the Cherry Moon

So I was a bit disappointed when it wasn't on the album, then hoped it would be a b side

Wow, back in the day someone claimed they heard this track on the radio and I didn't believe them.

motherfunka said:

SoulAlive said:

I remember going into a record store in 1987 and seeing the Jill Jones album.I couldn't believe that it had been released.There was no promotion at all,no first single on the radio,nothing! It seems that some Paisley Park albums got more promotion/attention that others.

I never heard Mia Bocca on the radio, although I did see the video on Night Tracks. Like you, I went to a record store one day and saw it.

I wonder why radio was reluctant to play "Mia Bocca".It's a great song.

SoulAlive said:

motherfunka said:

I never heard Mia Bocca on the radio, although I did see the video on Night Tracks. Like you, I went to a record store one day and saw it.

I wonder why radio was reluctant to play "Mia Bocca".It's a great song.

I knew the song because some of the music video channels used to play it. Immediately loved it with the heavily processed Linn beat and the Clare Fischer orchestration. I remember wishing Prince himself would release some more Minneapolis Sound tracks on his own albums again.

The Family had zero airplay in the UK. I don't think their album or Screams of Passion single were released here.

SoulAlive said:

I wonder why radio was reluctant to play "Mia Bocca".It's a great song.

Never heard that on the radio, but the local R&B stations used to play G-Spot. I didn't know who sang the song until later when someone I knew bought the cassette of Jill's album.

I remember reading this news item in People magazine...I don't know if it's true,but....

Prince was pissed at MTV for refusing to air Jill Jones' "Mia Bocca" video,so he didn't give them a video for his own single "Sign O' The Times".MTV apparently thought that the Jill Jones song was too racy ("Mia Bocca" means "my mouth").

SoulAlive said:

MTV apparently thought that the Jill Jones song was too racy ("Mia Bocca" means "my mouth").

Is this the same MTV that played songs like Sledgehammer (Peter Gabriel), You Know I Love You (Howard Jones), She's Tight (Cheap Trick), Relax (Frankie Goes To Hollywood), Lovin' Every Minute Of It (Loverboy), Touch Me (Samantha Fox), Cherry Pie (Warrant), Mama (Genesis), I Want Your Sex (George Michael), She Bop (Cyndi Lauper), Girls Girls Girls (Motley Crue), & Dancin' With Myself (Billy Idol) as well as those Whitesnake videos with Tawny Kitaen?

MickyDolenz said:

SoulAlive said:

MTV apparently thought that the Jill Jones song was too racy ("Mia Bocca" means "my mouth").

Is this the same MTV that played songs like Sledgehammer (Peter Gabriel), You Know I Love You (Howard Jones), She's Tight (Cheap Trick), Relax (Frankie Goes To Hollywood), Lovin' Every Minute Of It (Loverboy), Touch Me (Samantha Fox), Cherry Pie (Warrant), Mama (Genesis), I Want Your Sex (George Michael), She Bop (Cyndi Lauper), Girls Girls Girls (Motley Crue), & Dancin' With Myself (Billy Idol) as well as those Whitesnake videos with Tawny Kitaen?

Yeah and to be honest,"Mia Bocca" isn't directly "nasty",is it? Or am I missing some secret meaning?? If it's nasty,I doubt most people would have figured it out,anyway.

MickyDolenz said:

SoulAlive said:

I wonder why radio was reluctant to play "Mia Bocca".It's a great song.

Never heard that on the radio, but the local R&B stations used to play G-Spot. I didn't know who sang the song until later when someone I knew bought the cassette of Jill's album.

The only time I heard Jill Jones on our local R&B station was when she released "For Love".The single was remixed a little,I guess so it would sound better on the radio? Since it's a duet with Prince,it got alot of attention,but never really became a big hit.

jtfolden said:

OldFriends4Sale said:

Yes, the original version

I had it recorded on a Maxwell tape, actually recorded a few times

They said it was a 'Promo' for Prince's new movie Under the Cherry Moon

So I was a bit disappointed when it wasn't on the album, then hoped it would be a b side

Wow, back in the day someone claimed they heard this track on the radio and I didn't believe them.

lol a purple legened, that is hard for some to grasp the reality of

He was putting out so much back then it was nothing to believe it was going to be released

I actually still have Maxwell tape copy of the Black album and I have Old Friends 4 Sale taped on there too

I purchased The Family album back in 1985, and remember "The Screams of Passion" video. As a young teenager, I didn't appreciate some of the more progressive aspects of the record back then, but I certainly do now. I really liked "High Fashion," "River Run Dry," "Susannah's Pajamas (instrumental)," "The Screams of Passion" and "Nothing Compares 2 U." The "Mutiny" rehearsal bootleg was better than the album version for sure.

When Sinead O'Connor came out with her version of "Nothing Compares" five years later, I remember being very disappointed with it. I'm glad Prince decided to add that song in his live shows.

somethinginthewater said:

When Sinead O'Connor came out with her version of "Nothing Compares" five years later, I remember being very disappointed with it.

oh WOW!!!!! I don't think I have ever heard someone explain how they loved that song first in 1985 and was disappointed five years later. Funny how those years seem so much further apart in my brain.