NEWS question...

Anyone know what motivated Prince 2 use the title NEWS on that particular project? I know where he got the title but I don't get the connection.

I always figured it was meant to be a "new" direction, and that the music was meant to represent a collection of musical styles from all over the world, hence the song titles.

Interesting. That could very well be.

The 1st time I heard that title was 1977/1978 the group Slave used it on their 'Concept" album cover. I thought Prince was paying tribute 2 them but the music was nothing like what was on Slave's project.

I don't know the answer, but newspapers/reporters/the media have seemed to be one of the many background themes that he has built up over the years in his music and image, from Controversy on to the present.

Spreading the "good news" is another connection.

His desire to see all people come together as one. The music was pretty close to world music.

It's kind of just a general connection to a lot of themes, as far as I can tell.
[Edited 4/21/08 13:50pm]

I believe NDRU is correct - it was a way to give these instrumentals names that connected them together in an experimental album of sorts. Even the back of the CD case read "New directions in music," so naming each of the four tracks a "direction" (north, east, west, south) made it come together.

i thought it stands for North East West South?

xtraloveable said:

Whether or not it was partly motivated, I do not know, but one of the album cover by-lines already referred to above is 'New Directions In Music', a likely hark back to the line, "Directions in Music" that Miles Davis included on albums from 1969 onwards indicating his desire to explore different sounds and styles rather than be bound or typecast as a musician of one genre. (Prince had used a modified by-line on the Madhouse releases previously - "new directions in garage music").

.
[Edited 4/21/08 13:58pm]

Doozer said:

I believe NDRU is correct - it was a way to give these instrumentals names that connected them together in an experimental album of sorts. Even the back of the CD case read "New directions in music," so naming each of the four tracks a "direction" (north, east, west, south) made it come together.

N-north
E-east
W-west
S-south
he was taking it in a new direction-JAZZ

Dayclear said:

I bought it 5 years ago and have never listened to the entire thing. I'm ashamed.

Dayclear said:

I bought it 5 years ago and have never listened to the entire thing. I'm ashamed.

I'm gonna put it on tonight and listen all the way thru. (No matter what)

langebleu said:

Dayclear said: