One of my all time fav era's in Prince history,
I want 2 focus on For You and music, event that led up to it
along with performances etc
For U & Prince are so closely meshed and moved so quickly from one 2 the other, I had 2 include these 2. plus all the scrumptous boots

For U 4.7.1978

All of this and more is for you.
With love, sincerity and deepest care,
my life with you I share



1. For You
For You #1 1976 demo 1:08
For You #2 1976 demo 0:45
For You #3 1976 demo 1:18
For You #4 1976 demo 1:21
2. In Love
"What more do I have 2 say? I really wanna play in your river."

3. Soft And Wet
Soft & Wet #1 (1976)
Soft & Wet #2 (1976)
Hey lover, All I wanna see is the love in your eyes
And all I wanna hear is your sweet love sighs
Hey lover, All I wanna feel is your burning flame

4. Crazy You
U got a strange way about cha
Kinda crazy, but I love U just the same
Cuz U, oh U make me wanna do
Oh, everything
I'm just a crazy fool
Lost in a world of love I get from crazy U
Oh, I'm so strung out thinking 'bout the crazy things U do
Crazy U

5. Just As Long As We're Together co-lead:Andre Cymone
Just as Long as We're Together #1 3:44
Just as Long as We're Together #2 5:47
Just as Long as We're Together #3 5:57
Nothin' that will break us apart
Girl, I got 2 always have U in my hair
Gotta always have U in my heart

6. Baby
Baby (alt. version) 1976 early version 3:13
Baby (Instrumental) 1976, instrumental version of released song 3:21
Baby Baby Baby 1976 For You outtake 2:52

I hope our baby has eyes just like yours

7. My Love Is Forever

U're the wind and the rain
And U've got a river that takes away my pain
U're the sky that's oh so blue

8. So Blue

Baby, don't U know?
I spend my nights all alone talking 2 myself
I am so blue

9. I'm Yours
And naughty things that we could do danced within my head

PRINCE
Warner Bros.

By Stephen Holden

Not only does Prince possess the most thrilling R&B falsetto since Smokey Robinson, but this nineteen-year-old. Minneapolis-bred Wunderkind is his own writer-producer and one-man band, playing synthesizer, guitar, drums and percussion. Whereas Prince's debut album (last year's For You) stressed his instrumental virtuosity, Prince teems with hooks that echo everyone from the Temptations to Jimi Hendrix to Todd Rundgren. But Smokey Robinson's classic Motown hits, in which the singer's falsetto signified his erotic thrall, are Prince's chief models.

The biggest difference between Robinson and Prince is the latter's blatant sexuality. Prince sings exclusively in falsetto. Instead of narrative ballads that trace the progress of relationships, Prince's songs are erotic declarations issued on the dance floor or in bed, virtually interchangeable arenas here. These compositions begin and end in sexual heat. The garish, synthesized textures of such tunes as "I Wanna Be Your Lover" and "Why You Wanna Treat Me So Bad?" don't so much imitate a band backing a singer as enclose his voice in a feverish calliope of the mind, underscoring the urgency of lyrics like "I wanna be the only one you come for," "Sexy dancer, when you rub my body/...it gets me so hot" and "I want to come inside of you." The simplicity of Prince's words, hooks and rhythms are pure pop. With a trace more sophistication, he could become a solo Bee Gees of the libido.

ROLLING STONE

Minneapolis Genius ALPHA Studio 4.1979 LA
I Wanna Be Your Lover rel 8.1979
PRINCE 10.1979
When We're Dancing Close & Slow (Joni Mitchell Coyotte Hejiia1976)
the Capri Theatre Minneapolis
Jellybean Johnson Lincoln Junior High classmate
Andre Anderson, Morris Day
Wouldn't U Love 2 Love Me
$150.00
SOUND 80
Uptown theater
Grand Central, Flyte Time,
5215 France Ave. 1978
Jamie Shoop Sue Ann Carwell David Rivkin
Gayle Chapman Tommy Vicari Kim Upsher Bobby Z
Matt Fink Dez Dickerson Lisa Coleman
Warner Brothers We Can Work It Out
Leaving 4 NY
4 U overdubbed 46 times
"I was a physical wreck when I finished that record" -Prince Musician Mag
Oberheim synthesizer
Make It Thru the Storm -Susie Stone





Leaving For New York
This is one of the most accomplished and interesting unreleased songs from the pre-For You years. Prince demoed the song on a cassette recorder in 1976 and recorded a version of it at Moonsound the same year. It is a gentle piano ballad with some very "Princely" lines, including probably what is his first use of the words "purple", "rain" and "dawn". The song is addressed to a lover, "a love extraordinaire", he is leaving behind as he is going to New York. She is in pain but he assures her that she will "overcome that misery". Oddly enough, the lyrics never specifies why Prince is going to New York.


Leaving For New York

Sitting there on the purple lawn
U've been there since dawn
Wonderin' why I've gone
And 4 just 2 long

U're sorry U gave into me
Giving up your virginity
U're so afraid that U will be
So alone away from me

Though I said I'd never leave U
This is something that I must do
But I never will forget U
Unless U forget 2 come into my dream

Leaving 4 New York in the morning
But I'm leaving behind a love extraordinaire
But I'm taking with me memories of when we made love
And all the other lovely feelings that we share

U overcome that misery
Passed up by life's complexity
Picturing your love around me
Only adds 2 your agony

U're undisturbed by the rain
Your pain must be 2 strong
And even though U wait in vain
U'll wait 4 me no matter how long

Though I said I'd never leave U
This is something that I must do
But I never will forget U
Unless U forget 2 come into my dream

CHORUS:
I'm leaving 4 New York in the morning
But I'm leaving behind a love extraordinaire
But I'm taking with me memories of when we made love
And all the other lovely feelings that we share

The time had arrived, Prince believed, to begin shopping his music to labels in the hope of getting a contract. He had essentially outgrown the need for Moon as a colaborator, and asked him instead to begin serving as a manager. The Englishman declined, however. "The piece I don't do," he responded, "is booking your hotel, making sure you're wearing the right kind of clothes. I'm not interested in that."

Showing remarkable confidence, Prince decided to approach record companies on his own. Armed with a four-song demo tape he flew to New York, where he stayed with his his half sister Sharon Nelson. Predictably, labels were unwilling to meet with an unknown teenager. Frustrated, Prince called Moon and urged him to contact record labels. Moon relented and did as asked, although no one returned his calls either.

Moon then seived on a bolder approach. He contacted Atlantic Records and claimed to a secretary that he represented Stevie Wonder; moments later, an executive called back. Summoning all of the confidence he could muster, Moon admitted that he did not handle Wonder but claimed he had something better to offer. "I'm representing Princ," Moon said "If you like Stevie Wonder, you're gonna love my artist. He's only 18, he plays all the instruments, and he's not blind."

Moon's audacity landed Prince and audience with Atlantic records, but the label came away unimpressed with the tape. The Moonsound demo was simply not slick or professional enough for presentation to major labels. Disappointed but undaunted, Prince hunkered down in his sister's apartment and pondered his next step.

Leaving 4 New York & Soft n Wet were 2 of those songs on the demo
[Edited 3/16/10 16:09pm]

Oh snap!!!!! U started it. A million thanks 2 u & Mr. Prince. Smiles 4 days.:-0,

For You is a real good debut.

I've recently started getting into "I'm Yours". Love it!

"Crazy You"...

I agree, For You is just amazing,

Really a great way to start a career.

Wow I love this album....

our introduction 2 Purple & Dawn, and this is pre album deal
Leaving 4 NY lyrically is seen in a lot of Prince love songs throught his career
one of my favorites

Leaving For New York

Sitting there on the purple lawn
U've been there since dawn

Bree8016 said:

this picture always reminds me of this song, and comes 2 represent this era for some reason

I'm Yours

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah!
Up until the other day
There remained an empty space within my bed
Then I took one look at U
And naughty things that we could do danced within my head

CHORUS:
Never have I ever made love before
Never have I wanted 2 till now
Lover, can't U see I want U more and more?
Take me baby, yeah, I'm yours!

Ah, love me any way U want
But please love me now
I'll do anything U want
U're the teacher, show me how

CHORUS

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah!

Bree8016 said:

"Eye got a box a chocolates that’ll rock the sox of any girl that wanna come my way"

skywalker said:

I agree, even though the music of For U Prince & Dirty Mind are very similar, the thing that connects Dirty Mind & Controversy outside of the look is the New Wave sound. But the songs of Dirty Mind are very similar to Prince.

U might be thinking in terms of what year the album was released.

I'm not going to bring Dirty Mind into this one, I think it deserves a thread of it's own like Controversy

It's not as much the years, because the Prince era extends into 1980

that's how I'm going by the years I put up, and album may come out in a particular year but the previous era may go into that same year. Once I recognize that the focus is now on the new material then it changes.

This goes for most of the eras. ATWIAD & Parade era are very much meshed together as far as the look and events, but ATWIAD stands on its own apart from Parade. I posted a particular interview w/Prince that focused on the UTCM movie and the ATWIAD album/music. Which kinda represents how those 2 are meshed. but they are too distinct. even 3121 & Planet Earth are almost mixed, and definately 3121 goes in2 Planet Earth time frame. ONA & Musicology too, but are very much distinct. So it's hard, but I'm trying to divide and the era's correctly

remember that the American Bandstand:Why U Wanna Treat Me So Bad performance wasn in Jan 1980 and the Prince album tour went up to March (I think kinda ending with the R.James Fire It Up Tour) Dirty Mind was released in October 1980

So Dirty Mind goes into 1981 which is when the Controversy album is released(Oct 1981)

I also wanna include music and events leading up to the record deal which would be 1976- onward
[Edited 3/17/10 6:29am]
[Edited 3/17/10 6:53am]

January 26. 1980
American Bandstand w Dick Clark:
I Wanna Be Your Lover
Why You Wanna Treat Me So Bad?





Why You Wanna Treat Me So Bad?

There's some talk going 'round town
That U really don't give a damn
They say U really put me down
When I'm doing the best I can
I gave U all of my love
I even gave U my body
Tell me baby, ain't that enough?
What more do U want me 2 do?

I play the fool when we're 2gether
But I cry when we're apart, yeah
I couldn't do U no better
Don't break what's left of my broken heart, baby

CHORUS:
Why U wanna treat me so bad when U know I love U?
How can U do this 2 me when U know I care?
Why U wanna treat me so bad when U know I love U?

U know I try so hard
2 keep U satisfied
Sometimes U play the part
Sometimes U're so full of pride
And if it's still good 2 ya
Why U wanna treat me so bad?
U used 2 love it when I'd do ya
U used 2 say I was the best U'd ever had

I play the fool when we're 2gether
I give U everything I can, yeah
And if it's still good 2 ya
There's just somethin' that I can't understand

CHORUS

© 1979 Ecnirp Music Inc. - BMI

[Edited 3/17/10 6:48am]
[Edited 3/17/10 6:49am]

Just As Long As We're Together

Released November 21, 1978
Recorded October-December 1977

The song consists of two verses and multiple repeats of the chorus before a coda at the end. The coda is actually an instrumental track originally called "Jelly Jam" that was added to "Just as Long as We're Together", and modified over time to blend into the main track. Andre Cymone co-leads on this song.

B-side:In Love

U can live your own life and I'll live mine
I will never try 2 keep U down
Even if I only see U some of the time
I'm just happy when U come around
Even if the sun don't shine
I'm warm enough when U're in these arms of mine
CHORUS:
Just as long as we're 2gether
Everything's alright (Everything's alright)
Everything's alright (Everything's alright)

There is nothin' that will overcome the love we share
Nothin' that will break us apart
Girl, I got 2 always have U in my hair
Gotta always have U in my heart
Ooh baby, your place or mine
I'll get the music baby, U bring the wine

Just as long as we're 2gether
Oh girl, there ain't nothin' better (Just as long as we're 2gether)

CHORUS

Just as long as there is U
I'll be around doing what U want me 2
Just as long as there is me
I'll be around singin' your melody, sugar
Just as long as we're 2gether (Everything's alright)
Oh baby, everything's alright
Just as long as we're 2gether (Everything's alright)
Oh girl, everything's alright
Just as long as we're 2gether (Everything's alright)
Oh girl, everything's alright
Don't U know there ain't nothin' better (Everything's alright)
I really want U baby in my life, U know
© 1978 Ecnirp Music Inc. - BMI



Ever since I met U baby,
I've been wantin' 2 lay U down
But it's so hard 2 get U baby when U never come around
Every day that U keep it away, it only makes me want it more
Ooh baby, just say the word and I'll be at your door
What more do I have 2 say?
I really wanna play in your river

CHORUS
Falling, falling, falling in love
I'm falling baby, deeper every dayIn love -
ooh baby now U're taking me awayIn love -
I'm falling baby, girl what can I do?
I just can't be without UEver since I met U baby,
there's been something inside of me
That keeps me wanting U, baby won't U set me free?
Take off these chains girl and I'll take off yours
There's no one in the world baby that I wanna love more
What else do I have 2 say?I really wanna play in your river

Taking a look at the above pic, U can tell Prince wasn't totally comfortable with being a "star".

OldFriends4Sale said:

Oh, the fun we can have adding captions to this pic.

All extremely interesting. I wonder if Prince still has "part" of him from these days. It would have been nice to know him then as a struggling artist.

When I compare some of these lyrics to what he writes around in recent years, I really see growth and depth. And to think that I wanna be yourlover is from 1979 it's quite incredible. Listening to it now, though it's still fun now and then, it sounds so honky tonky and like tin. Though it's not an era I'm very familiar with so I really appreciate the thread OFFS. You should publish a book in collaboration with Prince.

LIST of OUTTAKES & DEMOS


Baby (alt. version) 1976 early version 3:13
Baby (Instrumental) 1976, instrumental version of released song 3:21
Baby Baby Baby 1976 For You outtake 2:52
Been Down A Long Lonely Road Early outtake 1:21
Broken (AKA Broken Lonely and Cryin') Dirty Mind outtake played on tour occasionally 3:03

Do You Wanna Ride? 1976 outtake 5:14
Donna 1979 outtake 4:11
Down a Long Lonely Road 1976 demo 1:21

For You #1 1976 demo 1:08
For You #2 1976 demo 0:45
For You #3 1976 demo 1:18
For You #4 1976 demo 1:21

Just as Long as We're Together #1 3:44
Just as Long as We're Together #2 5:47
Just as Long as We're Together #3 5:57

Leaving 4 New York 1976 demo to get record contract from Warner Bros. 5:52
Lisa Dirty Mind outtake 5:49
Loving u 1976

Make it Through the Storm 1976 demo later given to SueAnn Carwell 2:45

Nadeara 1976 demo 1:53
Nightengale 1976 outtake 4:16

We Can Work It Out written 2 Warner Brothers at the start of his contract
Wouldn't U Love 2 Love Me #1 (1987)
Wouldn't U Love 2 Love Me #2 (1980) 6:03




[Edited 3/17/10 11:24am]

CENTRAL HIGH SCHOOL (1976)
What follows is a transcript of Prince's very first interview. It appeared in his high school newspaper on February 16, 1976. It is accompanied by a picture of a young afro-clad Prince sitting at a piano



Nelson Finds It "Hard To Become Known"

"I play with Grand Central Corporation. I've been playing with them for two years," Prince Nelson, senior at Central, said. Prince started playing piano at age seven and guitar when he got out of eighth grade.


Prince was born in Minneapolis. When asked, he said, "I was born here, unfortunately." Why? "I think it is very hard for a band to make it in this state, even if they're good. Mainly because there aren't any big record companies or studios in this state. I really feel that if we would have lived in Los Angeles or New York or some other big city, we would have gotten over by now."


He likes Central a great deal, because his music teachers let him work on his own. He now is working with Mr. Bickham, a music teacher at Central, but has been working with Mrs. Doepkes.


He plays several instruments, such as guitar, bass, all keyboards, and drums. He also sings sometimes, which he picked up recently. He played saxophone in seventh grade but gave it up. He regrets he did. He quit playing sax when school ended one summer. He never had time to practice sax anymore when he went back to school. He does not play in the school band. Why? "I really don't have time to make the concerts."


Prince has a brother that goes to Central whose name is Duane Nelson, who is more athletically enthusiastic. He plays on the basketball team and played on the football team. Duane is also a senior.


Prince plays by ear. "I've had about two lessons, but they didn't help much. I think you'll always be able to do what your ear tells you, so just think how great you'd be with lessons also," he said.


"I advise anyone who wants to learn guitar to get a teacher unless they are very musically inclined. One should learn all their scales too. That is very important," he continued.

Prince would also like to say that his band is in the process of recording an album containing songs they have composed. It should be released during the early part of the summer.

"Eventually I would like to go to college and start lessons again when I'm much older."


pic shared by Org.com member
[Edited 3/17/10 11:25am]

Bohemian67 said:

I think that's the beautiful part about having people in your camp who still knew you when you were trying to get there, people who knew you when you still weren't big yet

Artists and actors should always try to keep 1 foot in the world they come from, it keeps life real and tangible and make u touchable

I love a lot of what Prince is still doing especially stuff from the ONA era, but there is a lot of late 90's and 2000 stuff (lyrically) that I just can't latch on 2. I might like the music (and that's what I always here before lyrics anyway) but u loose people when they don't understand what your saying...

Thanks for the article!

We Can Work It Out
Singing in his regular voice, Prince sells himself to Warner Bros. Records as the lyrics "Making music naturally, me and WB" indicate. Ironically, 20 years later, is now free from any contract with Warner Bros. It's likely he recorded this outtake after signing a contract for his first 3 albums in June, 1977.
http://prince.org/msg/7/316353 We Can Work It Out
by theBanishedOne

But before making his final decision, Prince voiced an important concern directly to Warner Bros. officials:He didn't want to be pigeonholed as an R&B artist. "I'm an artist and I do a wide range of music," Prince insisted. "I'm not an R&B artist, I'm not a rock n roller. At a time when most labels, including Warners, had seperate "black music" departments, Prince dreaded the idea of limiting his appeal in any respect.

The executives said all the right things, and Prince signed a three-album contract with Warner Bros. on June 25, 1977, just weeks after turning nineteen. An association began that would become one of the most fruitful and lucrative-but also one of the most frustating and embarrassing - in the company's venerable history. For the moment, Ostin and Waronker felt nothing but confidence-they had an artist who might be a once-in-a-generation talent. Had they paused, however, the executives might have wondered about the darker side of Prince's passion and ambition, and they might have wondered how such a fiercely independent figure would react to the constraints that inevitable arise from working within a major U.S. corporation. For an artist like Prince, how much control would be enough?

At a celebration luncheon with company executives, he seemed shy and awkward. After the fete, though, he recorded a song that represented his own way of communicating with his new patrons. Called "We Can Work It Out," the unreleased song's lyrics can only be interpreted as an expression of hope that the Prince-Warners partnership would be a happy one. It ended, though, with the sound of an explosion.

-Possessed: the Rise & Fall of Prince

We Can Work It Out

Now that I know your name and U know mine
Ain't it just about time that we got 2gether?
We should make such beautiful music 4ever
Oh, 2gether 4ever

Put your trust in me, I'll never let U down
Cuz I know I can count on U 2 help me make it
Ain't no doubt about it
We can work it out, work it out
I know we can work it out
Work it out, work it out
Ooh wee!

CHORUS:
Hope we work it out, I hope we work it out
(Everybody sing) Hope we work it out, I hope we work it out
Hope we work it out, I hope we work it out
(Everybody sing) Hope we work it out, I hope we work it out

Makin' music naturally, me and W.B. (CHORUS)
Music 4 the young and old, music bound 2 be gold
Work it out

Hope we work it out, I hope we work it out {x2}

Hope we work it out, I hope we work it out (Can we work it out?)
Hope we work it out, I hope we work it out (I want 2 work it out)
Hope we work it out, I hope we work it out
(Everybody sing) Hope we work it out, I hope we work it out
Hope we work it out, I hope we work it out
(Everybody sing) Hope we work it out, I hope we work it out
Hope we work it out, I hope we work it out
(Everybody sing) Hope we work it out, I hope we work it out

Makin' music naturally, me and W.B.

Possessed: the Rise & Fall of Prince
p 30 chapt 2 One Man Band

The tour resumed and eventually hooked up with the popular funkster Rick James, with Prince serving as the opening act. Featuring an established veteran and an up-and-coming artist, these shows were a bonanza for fans and were billed by promoters as "The Battle of Funk," which helped generate rivalry between the two bands. Often, Prince's concise, energetic sets were more appealing than James' ponderous two-hour performances. "We were young and hungry, and we started kicking his butt." remembered Rivkin.

http://www.thedawnexperie....php?t=196



Saturday, March 29, 2008 — by Wow Jones
In an earlier post, I wrote about an interesting anecdote from the Rick James autobiography regarding Rick James’ and Prince’s rivalry.
In a post on a Prince website message board, a member wrote about his/her experiences watching Prince open up for Rick James. What he/she revealed is just as insightful as Rick James’ account.
————————————————————————————————-
PDogz (wildgoldenhoney from Prince.org) account at a Rick James concert, check it out:
1979: Attended a Rick James concert in Charlotte, NC. Prince was the opening act - Blew EVERYONE away! Rick James could not compare when he followed Prince’s act. In fact, about 20 minutes into Rick’s set, people in the audience started walking out. It wasn’t that Rick James performed poorly, it was just that after seeing Prince - there was no where else to go! Prince wore everybody out! I feel like I was a part of history that night. May Rick James be resting peacefully.
His entire set was about 45 minutes or so of complete mayhem and frenzy!
When you first entered the Coliseum, there was no curtain and everything was setup at the front edge of the stage: mic-stands, keyboards, and very few other props. The drum set was in the middle of the stage placed up on a little riser with an oval-shaped sign over it (which was first covered in canvas) that had “PRINCE” spelled out in lights, as in the logo on his 1979 “Prince” album. Everybody was just standing around, jamming to the pre-concert music that they play over the system, smoking joints, grooving, and basically waiting for Rick James.
No one really knew who Prince was yet. In fact, I thought we were about to see a band called “Prince For You” (the title of his first album). I didn’t know yet that Prince was an individual and not just the name of a band. I thought certainly that no one would be actually named “Prince”.

Then… BAMM! The lights went out, and you could make out 3 shadowy figures move onto the stage, and then stood with their backs to the audience. The rest of the band took their place, and all you could hear over the sound system was someone speaking in a low, sort of foreboding tone:

“Charlotte, are you ready for me?” — Prince

The drum roll hit, the stage lights came up, and Andre, Prince, and Dez turned and all charged about 4 or 5 steps toward the audience – and everybody freaked the Hell out! These guys looked scary as shit! The one in the middle (who I soon learned was Prince) had this spiky hairdo, full make-up, a pink leather motorcycle jacket, panties, black stockings, and pumps! The audience reaction was pure fright! Then Prince reached around to his back, pulled his guitar around to the front, then the whole band started jamming “Sexy Dancer”, and the crowd quickly got over their fright and started rocking to the music and jamming along - all hands were in the air. By the end of that first song, everybody was like: “Oh shit! This guy AIN’T playing!” The party was ON full blast!
Their play list consisted of songs from his first two albums, but the song they did that most sticks out in my mind is when they played “Why You Wanna Treat Me So Bad?”, because Prince was ad-libbing a lot. Like:
Why you wanna treat me so bad? Is it the clothes I wear?
Why you wanna treat me so mean? Is it the style of my hair?

But what completely blew people away was when they played their encore: “I Wanna Be Your Lover”.

Prince went mad, threw off that cool ass pink leather jacket, peeled off his stockings, threw them at the audience, and was running around the stage jamming to the beat with nothing but his guitar, bikini underwear, and high-heeled boots (with little stars on the side). And then once he was done jacking-off the microphone (as if he were giving it head - Prince was a real whore on stage back then), tossed his guitar to the side, reached his hand down into his panties to cover his dick, and pulled his panties all the way down to his knees, gyrating toward the audience with only his hand covering his dick! WTF!!! The audience was going crazy! At the end of his set, Prince said “Damn Charlotte, we’re gonna have to come back here again soon!”

And that was it! I was a stoned-cold Prince fan! I started telling people about Prince the next day!
At that point, everybody was standing around like they had completely forgot about Rick James. But the roadies came out and moved all of Prince’s stuff off stage, the sign over the drums came apart into two pieces and they removed that. But what really tripped me out was once all of Prince’s equipment was off stage, they removed the backdrop that was behind Prince’s set, and you could see that the stage was actually HUGE and that Prince had only been setup right up at the front. There was a giant curtain hanging behind all of that. After several more moments of getting everything set up, the lights dimmed again, the music started, the curtain opened up, and there you could see that this stage was about a mile wide and a mile deep! This was Rick James’s stage!
Rick came out, and The King of Punk Funk reminded you of what you came here for! His show was awesome, but I’ll save it for another thread. But it was interesting to note that many people in the audience started moving out, because at least initially, Rick was no comparison to what we had all just seen out there! Don’t get me wrong, Rick tore the roof off that sucker, but it was hard to stop thinking about what we had just seen Prince do out there.
Rick’s show was about 2 hours long, and the Stoned City Band succeeded in funking us to death! The show was actually exhausting! I remember thinking “How in the Hell can they do this every night, and from town to town?” Ahh, the memories!





RICK JAMES TOUR (1980)
(Prince as supporting act)

BAND: Bobby Z. (Drums) Dez Dickerson (Guitar) André Cymone (Bass) Gayle Chapman, Dr. Fink (Keyboards)
22 FEB, 1980 ::::: Fort Worth, TX, USA – Tarrant County Convention Center
23 FEB, 1980 ::::: Shreveport, LA, USA – Hirsch Memorial Coliseum
24 FEB, 1980 ::::: Houston, TX, USA – Sam Houston Coliseum
28 FEB, 1980 ::::: Chicago, IL, USA – Uptown Theatre
29 FEB, 1980 ::::: Chicago, IL, USA – Uptown Theatre
01 MAR, 1980 ::::: Pittsburgh, PA, USA – The Stanley Theater
02 MAR, 1980 ::::: Pittsburgh, PA, USA – The Stanley Theater
05 MAR, 1980 ::::: Greenville, SC, USA – Greenville Memorial Auditorium
06 MAR, 1980 ::::: Atlanta, GA, USA – The Omni
07 MAR, 1980 ::::: Jacksonville, FL, USA – Jacksonville Memorial Coliseum
08 MAR, 1980 ::::: Lakeland, FL, USA – Civic Center
09 MAR, 1980 ::::: Sunrise, FL, USA – Sunrise Musical Theatre
14 MAR, 1980 ::::: Hampton, VA, USA – Hampton Roads Coliseum
15 MAR, 1980 ::::: Raleigh, NC, USA – Dorton Arena
16 MAR, 1980 ::::: Columbia, SC, USA – Carolina Coliseum
20 MAR, 1980 ::::: Rochester, NY, USA – Rochester Community War Memorial
21 MAR, 1980 ::::: Cleveland, OH, USA – Public Hall
22 MAR, 1980 ::::: Louisville, KY, USA – Freedom Hall
23 MAR, 1980 ::::: Detroit, MI, USA – Cobo Arena
27 MAR, 1980 ::::: Columbus, GA, USA – Columbus Municipal Auditorium
28 MAR, 1980 ::::: New Orleans, LA, USA – Municipal Auditorium
29 MAR, 1980 ::::: Jackson, MS, USA – Mississippi Coliseum
30 MAR, 1980 ::::: Lake Charles, LA, USA – Lake Charles Civic Center
02 APR, 1980 ::::: Buffalo, NY, USA – Buffalo Memorial Auditorium
03 APR, 1980 ::::: Toledo, OH, USA – Toledo Sports Arena
04 APR, 1980 ::::: Saginaw, MI, USA – Saginaw Civic Center: Wendler Arena
05 APR, 1980 ::::: Indianapolis, IN, USA – Market Square Arena
06 APR, 1980 ::::: St. Louis, MO, USA – Checkerdome
07 APR, 1980 ::::: Milwaukee, WI, USA – MECCA Arena
10 APR, 1980 ::::: Savannah, GA, USA – Savannah Civic Center
11 APR, 1980 ::::: Greensboro, NC, USA – Greensboro Coliseum
12 APR, 1980 ::::: Baltimore, MD, USA – Baltimore Civic Center
13 APR, 1980 ::::: Springfield, MA, USA – Springfield Civic Center
17 APR, 1980 ::::: Birmingham, AL, USA – Birmingham-Jefferson Civic Center
18 APR, 1980 ::::: Memphis, TN, USA – Mid-South Coliseum
19 APR, 1980 ::::: Huntsville, AL, USA – Von Braun Civic Center
20 APR, 1980 ::::: Dayton, OH, USA – University of Dayton Arena
24 APR, 1980 ::::: Richmond, VA, USA – Richmond Coliseum
25 APR, 1980 ::::: Charlotte, NC, USA – Charlotte Coliseum
26 APR, 1980 ::::: Macon, GA, USA – Macon Coliseum
27 APR, 1980 ::::: Nashville, TN, USA – Nashville Municipal Auditorium
03 MAY, 1980 ::::: Landover, MD, USA – Capital Centre



The Confessions of Rick James: Memoirs of a Super Freak

Quote taken from Rick James's autbiography...

Bitter Rivals:

In the 80's, Rick James asked Prince to open up the "Fire Up Tour." James states in his book, "The Confessions Of Rick James, Memoirs Of A Super Freak," that he had yet to meet Prince. The only thing he had heard about him was that he was shy. James had hoped this was false because if he was shy, he had no business being out on the road with him.

James said he walked through the backstage entrance, Prince was sitting on his group's drums playing some bullSHYT beat. James sat down and began playing some serious stuff. He said Prince looked over at him and got his little AZZ up and walked away.

James adds, "Prince was just starting out and the first time I saw Prince and his band open for me, I felt sorry for him. Here's this little dude wearing high heels, standing there in a trench coat. Then at the end of the set, he'd take off his trench coat and he'd be wearing little girl's bloomers. The guys in the audience booed him to death."
The following weeks of the tour weren't very different from the opening date. Whenever I was on stage I'd see Prince on the side of the stage just staring and watching everything I did, like a kid in school.

One day I walked into the auditorium, getting ready to go on and I heard the crowd chanting loudly. I went to check it out. Here's Prince doing my chants. Not only was he stalking the stage like me, he was doing my trademark funk sign, flipping the microphone and everything. The boy had stolen my whole show. I was *!@$%&**!@$%&**!@$%&**!@$%&*ed and so was my band. This went on night after night, every show I'd see more of my routine. It got to the point I couldn't do the stuff I had always done because Prince was doing it before I came on. It started to look like I was copying him.

Everyone knew what was happening, his management, my management. The atmosphere backstage was not improved by the fact that Prince's band members were not on good terms with my band and my guys wanted to kick their *!@$%&**!@$%&**!@$%&*es. Prince's musicians would stick their noses in the air and not even acknowledge the Stone City Band, even if they were all standing together, waiting for the elevator. Prince's group was a bunch of egotistical AZZholes who never even played on a record. The kid did it all, they were just hired players.

One day, things blew up and management called a meeting. I told Prince's manager, that if Prince did any more of my show he was off the tour. Finally, we all met in Prince's room, Prince, me and our bands. Prince's band was afraid, very afraid. Prince sat on the bed and hardly said a word. He acted like a little BYTCH while his band and mine patched up our differences.

Soon after this episode. There was a birthday party for me. Prince came, he was sitting at a table with some people not drinking. I walked up to him, grabbed him by the back of the hair and poured cognac down his throat. He spit it out like a little BYTCH and I laughed and walked away. I loved fukking with him like that.

I always felt our competition was healthy, although I was jealous when he started getting big, more than jealous, I was *!@$%&**!@$%&**!@$%&**!@$%&*ed, because here was this little short ego'd out fukker who I had a feeling didn't like people of his own race and wanted to be white and taller. While on the road, I never saw Prince hang out with black men or black women. In fact, his demeanor was like that of a short uppity white boy.

A few years later when James was performing at the Universal Amphitheater. The second night of the show, Rod Stewart and his wife Alana came to the show. James decided to have them sit in front row seats that belonged to Prince.

From the stage, I could see Prince's attempt to throw Rod and Alana out of the seats. Alana told Prince to kiss her *!@$%&**!@$%&**!@$%&*. Then, during a performance with the Mary Jane Girls, James saw Prince being carried around the venue in his bodyguard's arms just to get attention.

After the show, when Prince saw Rick and Rod backstage, he jumped over the stairs and fled. Allegedly, Rod told Rick, "I hate that little prikk." Rick was *!@$%&**!@$%&**!@$%&**!@$%&*ed and called Prince all kinds of little *!@$%&**!@$%&**!@$%&**!@$%&**!@$%&*es. Rick said, "Had Prince not jumped over the stairs and ran, I swear I would have kicked his AZZ."

James heard later that Prince went to see Michael Jackson's concert and tried to disrupt it. When Michael allegedly found out that Prince was in the house, he came out badder than ever and Prince left the show before it was over. lol.....

Rick adds, "I always thought of Prince as a great player and a very innovative person but as far as himself as a person, he could use a good ghetto AZZ kicking."
[Edited 3/18/10 12:16pm]

OldFriends4Sale said:

I love that performance! Prince was so adorable and of course very cryptic and shy with his answers.

Bree8016 said:

cryptic maybe, but from what I remember they planned to be rude like that

In October 1979, Prince released his self-titled album PrincePrince (album)Prince is the second album by Prince, released on October 19, 1979. It was a quickly written album in reaction to his debut For You. The album needed to have hits and sell well to make up for the blown budget on his first release...
, which scored #4 on the Billboard R&B charts, and contained two R&B hits: "Why You Wanna Treat Me So Bad?Why You Wanna Treat Me So Bad?"Why You Wanna Treat Me So Bad?" is the U.S. follow-up single to Prince's first big hit, "I Wanna Be Your Lover". It is also Prince's first rock and roll-inspired single release, though it didn't make the top 40 of the charts. The lyrics are self-explanatory from the title, and deal with a cruel...
" and "I Wanna Be Your LoverI Wanna Be Your Lover"I Wanna Be Your Lover" is a song by Prince from his second album Prince . It was his first successful single, gaining radio airplay and chart success: the song scored two weeks at number one on the R&B singles chart during December 1979, and peaked at number eleven on the Billboard Hot 100.In the...
". These two R&B successes were performed on January 26, 1980, on American BandstandAmerican BandstandAmerican Bandstand was a television show that aired in various versions from 1952 to 1989, hosted from 1957 until its final season by Dick Clark, who also served as producer...
with this first backing band. Legend has it that Prince became annoyed when, during the interview segment, host Dick Clark expressed surprise that Prince and his bandmates were from Minneapolis "of all places". Prince refused to speak, instead answering a question by gesturing with his hand. It was later admitted by Dez Dickerson that it was planned from the beginning as a way to disconcert Clark. Dickerson was quoted as saying, "Great. We're illiterate, but we play well."
[Edited 3/19/10 11:56am]

Very Rare 12" promo version of "Soft & Wet" / "Just As Long As Were Together."

Both Mixes by in house producer Jim Burgess. Very different from the LP versions.

Soft & Wet contains additional vocal scats not included on the original LP version, with some vocal lines taken out,and a very different ending. Completely remixed (probably without the supervision of Prince) the sound is very bright and airy. Almost a Demo form if you ask me. I'm sure it was mixed for the Discos/Clubs back then. A must have if you can find it!

Just As Long As Were Together sounds very different. The mixed is very skeletal, open and slowed down quite a bit. When I first played it, I though I had it on the wrong speed. For a club mix, why did he slow it down?