1. When and how did you become a Prince fan? What were the circumstances around t?

2. What album or song did it for you?


3. If you fell out of "fan-dom" which album or phase did that occur in?

Imago said:

Probably my favorite question to answer in Prince world

Nah, just kidding. I'm sick of telling the story, but I haven't told it in a while, haha. and yet, whenever this question comes up, I can't help but answer
[Edited 11/15/07 19:07pm]

OK, DPR...How old are you? I'm asking because you must be young if you never heard of Prince before and if you tell me you're like 35 and only ever saw him for the first time a few years ago, I wanna know what kind of crimes you were committin to be so damn underground as to not notice him

just when I thought I was special...

roodboi said:

You are, :mrmanwiththesexynoselipspacethingilove:

Now tell your story!

I was one of those kids, that stayed up all night dreaming about Prince Charming, writing in a diary as a girl. And calling DJ's on the phone. I would sometimes talk for hours, until the nightshift was over and the morning DJ would arrive. I won ten albums. One of the ten was Prince. I honestly fell in love before I played the record, and I laugh about that today, when Prince sings, "Boy, I was fine back in tha day." I would sincerely respect a friendship with Prince, but I couldn't hide the crush that's never gone away.

1. one of my uncles died in '82, after his funeral one of my cousins was playing lets pretend we're married in the car...I was hooked....

2. the first time I heard when doves cry, I had no idea it was Prince...I thought it was called when adults cry.....anyway, once I figured out who it was I got the single, then the album....then I got all the early albums...

3. I know this will sound shitty, but I kinda realized when ATWIAD came out, that the Prince sound I loved so much was forever gone...not saying that albums that followed weren't any good but I just knew I wasn't ever gonna hear the type of music that made me a fan ever again...I blame Lisa and Wendy...mainly Wendy

SupaFunkyOrgangrinderSexy said:

I'm only 21.
And let's just say after the 90's, I did a lot of musical soul-searching b4 Prince caught my eye. I think I knew of him, but I had no idea what he could do or nevermind what kind of talent he had. Nobody impressed him on me until the day my dad said to watch the movie when it was already halfover. That gentle push was all it took to lead me down the path of casuality which blossomed into... whatever I wanna call what I am now.
I'm nowhere near hardcore, I'm more than casual and I'm not just an enthusiast.

roodboi said:

Girl be quiet. You're one of my favorite orgers.

Well I always knew of his movies since I was a wee little lad Purple Rain being the highlight of them all of course, so I knew of Prince and always though he was handsome!

To cut a long story short..... one night I was laying in bed and decided to pop Prince in my cd player to listen to a song called "Feel U Up" and I was like I didn't know Prince was a freak like this {mind you all I was a 16 year old teenager with raging hormones} it's so freaking sexy the way he says these words and the beat was too funky!

Then I became a Prince freak, only to find out he became a JW, didn't sing his nasty songs anymore and was married but it was too late I was already hooked!

Plus that heffa is gone now so.....

]1. When and how did you become a Prince fan? What were the circumstances around t?
The popular kids in my neighborhood loved Prince. My sister also really liked Little Red Corvette. When he came to town (purple rain concert), the popular older kids got to go. I envied them. Around the same time I learned that Prince sang explicit lyrics, (I was 12 and horny like all the time), so I become interested in his music from a pornographic standpoint.

2. What album or song did it for you?
Purple Rain. It was the song "Computer Blue" that completely blew me away. I had never heard a song like it before, and there was nothing on the radio that sounded like it. Also my friend's older sister drove us to schol one morning, and played 'When Doves Cry'--not the truncated radio edit, but the version on the album, and the extended material on it blew me away.

3. If you fell out of "fan-dom" which album or phase did that occur in?

Well, I'm still a fan in the sense that I like his music. And when I watch his performances on stage I'm often blown away. Its pure porn.
But I stopped liking him as a personality when I saw the Oprah interview--it just didn't seem sincere to me. And then despised him when he sued those 7 or 8 fansites in the late 90s. Now I'm back to liking the music, but not caring for the guy. I won't go see any of his shows anymore, but if I were to ...oh, say, attain footage of a performance, I'd check it out.

Imago said:

That never happened,and it never will!

KidaDynamite said:

You know I think there's a real sexual element to most fan's devotion to Prince. He used to say things we all were thinking, even if he put a stranger spin on them.


I think most fans who claim a spiritual understanding of his music really just want to suck his dick.

Imago said:

I don't know about understanding his music on any spiritual level but that last part I will seriously consider.....

KidaDynamite said:

OMG, that was a good line huh?


That shit is going in my signature.

Imago said:

Do It!! Do It!!

Imago said:

Okay, I'm a newbie, so bear with me.
I always knew who Prince was (My dad made sure of that. He's not exactly a fan but he respects him and he knows black music. VERY WELL.)
So it was 04 that I started to get into him. Yeah, the grammies, say what you want about that performance, it captivated me. I was 12 then. So, after then, I caught EVERY tv appearance after that. I'm just realizing that I was hooked back then. So anyway, lets go to 2007, in may, I'm 16 now. despite the superbowl, he has kinda slipped out of my mind. It just so happened that I had started collecting ALOT of music then. Okay, here is the part where you all laugh at me: I saw the goddamn guitar commercial (I thought he looked so cute). It hit a switch in me and I'm like, "Why the fuck don't I have any of his music?" So I bought/downloaded some and it was all cool.
Then I heard when doves cry, it was all over. That was the song for me.

So, yeah, i know I got to the party not only late but when the house was burning down, but hey, I'm still glad to be here.

ToraToraDreams said:

I'm totally utterly shocked when anyone below the age of 30 says they like Prince. Especially anyone becoming a fan after 2000.

It. Blows. My. Mind.


Thanks for sharing. It's totally fascinating.

When I was 16, Sign of the Times was released. It blew my damned mind.

Imago said:

I'm special.
[Edited 11/15/07 20:00pm]

ToraToraDreams said:

What do other kids your age think about Prince?

ok...I got a theory just from the things I've read here from younger fans the last few years...they like his new material but some dont like or dont "get" his old stuff....this just kinda supports my thoughts that P's music as of late is no more creative or inspired than most other popular music on radio...

roodboi said:

I do think alot of album releases are just poorly timed.


If 3121 had been released just after 1999 or Purple Rain, people would have flipped out over it.

Alot of folks would call me crazy, but it's my opinion. Also if he had released Emancipation between 1999 and Purple Rain, it would be considered a 3-CD opus defining piece of work. (yall can start making fun of me, but I stand by my opinion).




.
[Edited 11/15/07 20:03pm]

1. When and how did you become a Prince fan? What were the circumstances around it?

nov 8. 2005 I only remember the date because it was storming and I wrote it down. There was a tornado watch and I was up late and a friend handed a compilation to me and said to try listening to it. I was like "This guy?" Even though I'd heard some of the singles and liked them, I wasn't sure I would dig all that music. But I did.

2. What album or song did it for you?
1999. I'd heard it before (of course), but I listened to it actively and found I actually liked it. WTF?


3. If you fell out of "fan-dom" which album or phase did that occur in?
I can't really stop enjoying and being a fan of his music, but right now I'm not a fan of Prince the man.

Imago said:

the problem with his new output, in my opinion, is the lack of more than one or two standout tracks per album...you know like I do Dan that most of those early albums can be played from beginning to end and fully enjoyed...although theres a track or two or three that I like from recent albums, aint to many of 'em getting heavy, complete rotation...

roodboi said:

Possibly... it's my belief that most people in my college don't know he's still doing stuff (think all he did was "Purple Rain" and hadn't done anything since). The music they're into is rap/hip-hop, garbage or alternative music. He's in neither of those categories, so they don't take notice or seem to appreciate him as one of the all-time greats.

I'm all the way back here, behind the majority of the fanbase. But I've taken the time to collect and digest music from many of the years he's been around. I'll always have a certain soft spot for the current material because it's where I saw his recent appearances.

But I've never, and never will exclude his older material and what made him "great" in the first place. In fact, most of my favorite albums are from the 80's (Purple Rain, 1999, Parade). His music is on a level that is not quite reached by his newest material. I just don't exclude the newest material, no matter how it comes across. I still enjoy Musicology, 3121 and Planet Earth, just for different reasons than 1999, PR and Parade.

Imago said:

1. tho i had heard a few Prince tunes before, i was really turned on to him by Khari Simmons, who is now the bass player for IndiaArie and also does his own thang. i was going through a stage in life where i would either b a gangster in the hood, or live a balanced life. the music i listened to reflected this. being introduced to Prince opened a desegregated world for me. his music crossed boundaries as far as sound and listeners was concerned. at this time, i was in grade 7 going on to 8. my 1st Prince purchase was Parade in 86 and I was hooked from them.

2. tho Parade was my first purchase, Sign of the Times did it for me. I LOVED Housequake, IT, IGBABNight. As a 16 yr old, listening to If I Was Ur Girlfriend also made me think about life in a new way...

3. i never fell out, tho i can truly say that when the Love Symbol cd came out...i started wondering. i loved lovesexy, but when I noticed rap coming into Prince's music (no diss against rap)...i wondered what agwaan.

thread appreciated

roodboi said:

I can play 3121 from beginning to end except for "get on the boat"




But I agree. Not a song released from Musicology till now can be considered a classic. Though I like "All the midnights in the world"

DreamyPopRoyalty said:

good points, all around....

I think the reason people think he hasn't done anything since Purple Rain is that for the most part, since the 90's his music hasn't stood out amongst the crowd...I simply dont understand why his music has become pigeonholed into the r&b direction that it has...minus a track here or there, his formula hasn't changed and I think thats hurt his recognition amongst non fans as an innovator...

roodboi said:

I don't see that, of the few kids who like him, they prefer the 80s output. So do I, my favorite albums are 1999 and dirty mind. Okay, i admit 3121 is also a fave, but still. I don't see that myself, not saying that you dont see what you see or that you're wrong, but still.

Imago said:

I just wish there would be that one song, that one instant classic....some shit that would resonate with everybody...like I said before, evrything was all good 'til Wendy got involved...