I've wanted to start on this 'era' for a while. I think it's over so here goes

just believe in me and trust this ride... -Here

New website, 3 cd set, an attempt at a new protege
music released via cyberspace and Target
the plan of a new vision, a man still in his prime
reaching forward while still harkening back:comparision to 1986, performance of All Day All Night, remix of In A Large Room With No Light
probably not AS active an era as 3121 or Planet Earth but ...



rel 3. 25. 2009
LotusFlowe3r
1.From The Lotus....
2.Boom
3.The Morning After*
4.4ever
5.Colonized Mind
6.Feel Good, Feel Better, Feel Wonderful
7.Love Like Jazz
8.77 Beverly Park
9.Wall of Berlin
10.$
11.Dreamer
12....Back to The Lotus




1.4.2009 New Official Site Open
snippets put up for previews Chocolate Box, All This Love[Bria Valente]





MPLSound
1.(There'll Never B) Another Like Me
2.Chocolate Box
3.Dance 4 Me
4.U're Gonna C Me
5.Here
6.Valentina
7.Better With Time
8.Ol' Skool Company
9.No More Candy 4 U


[Edited 4/1/10 7:32am]
[Edited 4/1/10 7:56am]

ROLLING STONE

MPLSoUND ***1/2 stars
PRINCE


LOtUSFLOW3R ***
PRINCE


ELIXER **
Prince featuring BRIA VALENTE


Leaving aside the Super Bowl halftime show and the assless pants, Prince is like Woody Allen: They're both reclusive, sex-obsessed gen iuses who release new material relentlessly and without any regard to the law of diminishing returns. Prince's recording career now spans 31 years: Counting fan-club records, he's averaged more than one studio album per year. His latest release actually contains three separate albums, including one he wrote and produced with his new protégée, Bria Valente. The package is excessive and uneven, of course, but it's also intermittently brilliant and a real bargain (that is, if you buy it for $11.98 at Target — not so much if you download it with a $77 membership at lotusflow3r.com).

Prince played every instrument on MPLSoUND — just like the old days, only now he gets obsessive with Pro Tools. He isn't as bawdy as he once was (becoming a Jehovah's Witness will do that), but he's still got a lot of humor and swagger. On the funky "(There'll Never B) Another Like Me," he sings about his beauty routine (it involves olive oil in his hair), and on the seven-and-a-half-minute "Ol' Skool Company," he covers issues from the TARP bailout to the state of radio ("If the White House is black/We gotta take the radio back").

Five of MPLSoUND's nine songs sound like lost B sides from assorted classic Prince albums (Dirty Mind, 1999, Controversy, etc.); these days, even a really good Prince song usually reminds the listener of a better, earlier one. What really hamstrings the album, though, is a four-song sequence in the middle: Two syrupy ballads, one overlong tribute to Valente and one Caribbean-inflected number that sounds like a Smoove B seduction.

On LOtUSFLOW3R, Prince has a specific mission: showcasing his long-underrated guitar playing. Whether it's the spare funk of "Wall of Berlin," the metal grind of "Dreamer" or the hazy cover of "Crimson and Clover," the music kicks into high gear when Prince starts soloing, delivering one epic face melter after another in a style halfway between David Gilmour's and Eddie Hazel's. The drawback is that when he isn’t playing guitar, the music on this disc is oddly muted — you keep waiting for Captain Six-String to fly in and save the day. It's OK to call a song "Love Like Jazz," but the jazz in the title shouldn't be cocktail jazz.



It’s been more than a decade since Prince successfully launched the career of a female sidekick, but he's trying again with Valente. Prince has touted Elixer as a quiet-storm album in the Sade mode, but most of it is just generic pop ballads. The lyrics are memorable only when they're clunky ("Taste the rainbow," goes one line, which sounds like it could have come from a Skittles ad). Valente has a pleasant, if thin, voice — she doesn’t have the chops to elevate this material into anything memorable. There is one gem here: The catchy dance number "2Nite," where Valente whispers over insistent disco keyboards. One day, it, along with the best tracks from MPLSoUND and LOtUSFLOW3R, will sound right at home on Prince’s inevitable box set: 2 Much of a Good Thing.

Gavin Edwards


[Edited 4/1/10 7:46am]

Bria Valente (born Brenda Fuentes)[1] is an American singer. A protégée of Prince, Valente released her debut album, Elixer, as part of a three-album set with Prince's LOtUSFLOW3R and MPLSoUND on March 29, 2009.[1] The collection debuted at #2 on the top Billboard albums chart.[2]

Valente was born and raised in Minneapolis, Minnesota. She stated in an interview with Tavis Smiley that she first met Prince at the age of 17 at Paisley Park Studios while working with keyboardist Morris Hayes.[3] She later moved to Los Angeles, California, and worked as a model and background dancer for Usher.[1] She is credited with backing vocals on Usher's 2001 album 8701.[citation needed]

Valente returned to Minneapolis, where she began her association with Prince, contributing vocals to his 2007 album, Planet Earth.[1] Valente recorded Elixer in 2009; she sang lead vocals, with Prince on guitar, and Morris Hayes providing beats.[1][4] Prince described it as a quiet storm album.[5] The music review website Metacritic rated the album 49 out of 100, labeling it as having "mixed or average reviews", based on 12 reviews. [6] The album was released through the website lotusflow3r.com, as well as exclusively through U.S. retailer Target.[7]

10.23.08 Night Of Stars N.Y.
Donatella Versace Night Of Stars N.Y.

Not that P didn't do enough in this current era but am I the only person that was wishing for more?

... scratch that, it has been discussed that "we" wanted more.

Nice post

i dug this era
dug the music and i especially liked the way he debuted the songs on steve jones radio station

A new classic era music wise.

Should of been longer or more touched upon.

OldFriends4Sale said:

Throw morris day, Jimi Hendrix and Little Richard in a blender for 30 seconds. Pour out the contents, and you have this.

PurpleLove7 said:

yeah, the hype was a bit bigger than the delivery

Wither or not people like her, he served Bria the wrong way. I was hoping 2 see something from her, outside of the video. I think it would have been intriguing to see her sing(dance) backup

I think the videos were too rushed, or nothing really into them. Not something I care 2 see a 2nd time. The Late show performances were exciting. Some of the clothing is very cool

I guess coming off of 3121-Planet Earth (even without a tour) I was expecting a bit more

WetDream said:

true...

WetDream said:

Loved the whole concept, I thought some of the artwork was nice & the LF album very good, MPLS not bad with a few gems. Bria sure looks like a younger Sade but the music was a bit too sugary to be real hardcore soul stuff. Nice voice but I would turn to Skye instead. Maybe seeing her perform live would have been different.

Lotusflower to me had some tracks that even outdo the Purple rain cd but then that because I've outgrown the older stuff and when Prince can provide perfect subsitutes it would be a waste to remain hooked on the old.

Great effort and I look forward to what will come after this....
I certainly hope the lyrics in Cause and Effect "I wouldn't change a thing but my next of kin" refers to family and not fans. There are fans who appreciate what Prince has evolved into and I think this was his message with the whole album concept. He has grown, it's been a long and ardous journey but he can still unfold and show us beauty in the form of artistic music with many tastes to suit different palettes.

Prince on his Schimmel Colani Pegasus




A collaboration between Italian designer Luigi "Allergic to Straight Lines" Colani and German piano-makers Schimmel in the late 1990s, the Pegasus grand piano looks like something you'd see on a Star Trek set.
Updates to the classic form include a slightly curved, ergonomic keyboard (eliminating any need for the player to move their body), an electrically-controlled hydraulic lid (to control projection) and a fully adjustable integrated leather stool. With over 200 strings under a total tension of 176,520 newtons and a key assembly with over 100 pieces (both standard to Schimmels), it's clearly a world-class instrument. In fact, only 14 were ever made (the likes of Eddie Murphy, Lenny Kravitz and Prince are all owners) and this one is up for a cool $110,000. Alas, the provenance is from a music store owner and not a celebrity, but that shouldn't prevent you from bidding or appreciating it.

12.6.08 Viper Room Los Angeles

Every time another boy speaks
If they catchin' feelin's and they wanna get with me
I don't hear no evil or see it, don't matter anyway
'Cause they'll never be with me

I got what I want and he's home
Waitin' on me to call him on the phone
To ask him what he wants from the store
I give him what he needs and baby so much more

Ain't another man that can make me love him
'Cause I only place God and the sky above him
He's the one that brings me joy
As long as we're together there'll never be another boy

Everywhere we go people stare
They could be jealous but I just don't care
Perception ain't really the truth
They could never ever take me away from you

Every time another boy pass
Think about how sad I was in the past
Hopin' with a knife in my back
That everythin' was cool but he was makin' plans

Just another failed romance
'Cause a one trick pony ain't got no chance
Don't need any other toy 'cause baby you're my lover
There'll never be another boy

Sister and my mother, father and my brother
This is what the difference will be
The only one that lasts through all of history

Every time another boy speaks
Kind words of praise or fantasy
To me they're just another boy
And not the coolest boy who brings me joy

'Cause I got him
(There'll never be another boy)
Yes, it's you baby like water for chocolate
(There'll never be another boy)

I'll do anythin', anythin' to make you see
(There'll never be another boy)
That you're the only, only one for me
(There'll never be another boy)

I like the smell of your sweet cologne
The I don't care style of your hair
(There'll never be another boy)
Just ask and I'll cook the things you like
When them other girls cupboard's just bare
(There'll never be another boy)

Yes, it is, you see this, you got it
(There'll never be another boy)
I said it's you babe like water for chocolate
Forever baby
(There'll never be another boy)

Every time another boy speaks
If they catchin' feelin's and they wanna get with me
I don't hear no evil or see it, don't matter anyway

© Controversy Music







[Edited 4/2/10 11:26am]

That piano is something else! At first glance without Prince, it looks like some super dupa gillete shaver.

OldFriends4Sale said:

it's too bad nobody bothered to mention that he buttoned up that jacket all crooked

Bohemian67 said:

[Edited 4/2/10 18:30pm]

Prince Unveils Plan to Release Three LPs Via Lotusflow3r Website at Private Gig


The e-mail invitation was vague but intriguing: spend Saturday night at Prince’s mansion in Beverly Hills for “a journey through the galaxy” and a live performance by the man himself.

As the first to arrive, I’m greeted by Scott Addison Clay, the bearded young developer behind Prince’s new Website, lotusflow3r.com. He wears a tweed jacket and sits behind a widescreen computer monitor to show off a bit of the new site, launched just minutes earlier. Leaning against a nearby couch is a sparkling metal cane, with Prince’s “love symbol” etched into the handle.

Clay notes that 10 years before, Prince helped revolutionize the relationship between music and the Internet by being the first major artist to debut music exclusively on the Web. And lotusflow3r.com is where Prince will release three new albums in 2009, including MPLSound, Lotus Flow3r and the unveiling of his newest female protégé Bria Valente.

Then there is a voice behind us: “Can I use my computer?” It’s Prince, smiling in a blue shirt decorated with a stylized drawing of his own image, and shoes with heels that blink colored lights. “It’s OK, I just want to check my e-mail.”

This is his home office, just one corner on a large estate in the exclusive gated community of Beverly Park, in the hills above Los Angeles. In another room is a space-age grand piano with liquid curves and framed snapshots of Chris Rock, Spike Lee, Quincy Jones and other friends. Outside on a pedestal amid the reflecting pools, recording studio and a beach volleyball court is a metal sculpture of his symbol. This is could only be one man’s house.

Downstairs in the home theater, Clay gives a deeper glimpse of what’s coming on the site, set to slowly unfold in coming months. For now, it is limited to a home page with a barren cliff beneath a night sky and three new songs: “Another Boy,” “Colonized Mind” and “Discojellyfish,” which flow from a boombox that glows purple. Fans will eventually be asked to pay a subscription fee to open up other areas of the site, with music, lyrics, animation, photographs and video (including Prince’s cover of Radiohead’s “Creep” at Coachella last year).

Guests are led down the hall, past the pool table and a pair of motorcycles that look like they just rolled off the cover of Purple Rain, toward the sound of a band tuning up in a small room. It’s a crowd of barely 30 people: three invited fans, a few journalists, soul singer Anita Baker, DJ Kat Corbett from KROQ-FM and Miss Valente, tall and elegant in a low-cut dress.

Prince is in the corner with a guitar and the first song is a shimmering cover of the Cars’ “Let’s Go,” followed by “Crimson & Clover” (by Tommy James and the Shondells), before erupting into the Troggs’ “Wild Thing” as Prince raises his guitar, singing like Hendrix himself: “Baby, I think I love you . . . sock it to me!”

He calls harmonica player Frédéric Yonnet up to blow through the Rolling Stones’ “Miss You,” following a tough, sexy groove as Prince announces: “Come on out on the dance floor, come on!” It’s just the first of two sets he’ll lead tonight, and it’s a purely musical performance, without the big production of a tour date, playing vivid originals going all the way back to 1979’s “I Feel for You” and surprising cover tunes, including several Sly Stone hits (”Everyday People,” “Stand,” etc.).

You could see when Prince was especially moved by an emotional vocal from Baker or one of his three backup singers (Marva King, Shelby Johnson and Olivia Warfield), whose solos are epic performances unto themselves. Baker joins him for several duets, including “Guitar.”

“Real music by real musicians,” Prince announces, slipping into another funky psychedelic groove, leaving room for big solos from the band and his own guitar.

Near the end of the second set, it’s nearly 3 a.m. as Prince and bassist Josh Dunham jump into a sticky groove that’s instantly recognizable as a 1976 riff from Wild Cherry. Prince points directly at Clay, his Internet guru, by now pealed out of his tweed at the edge of the dance floor. He calls him over to the microphone, and Clay immediately begins singing, reading from an ovesized lyric sheet: “Play that funky music, white boy! Play that funky music right!”

Prince leans back against drummer Cora Dunham, still slashing at his guitar, eyebrows rising, as if he can’t believe what he is witnessing. But it’s a kind of unbelievable, brilliant moment, one of many during more than three hours of live music. Clay is still dancing behind the microphone, his dress shirt soaked, and for one moment the baddest white dude on the West Coast. “That’s pretty funky, right?” he asks. With Prince and the band behind him, it could hardly be anything else.


[Edited 4/2/10 18:28pm]

From 'Rolling Stone' online:

Los Angeles’ rock radio station Indie 103 was “summoned” to go up to Prince’s home this past week to preview his new album. According to the station’s “Mr. Shovel,” Prince doesn’t have a record label and “wants nothing to do with record labels, so he’s meeting with people to figure out how to operate at his level without a record label.” Following a long conversation with the Purple Rain star, the radio reps were played the new album in Prince’s home entertainment theatre. “It’s heavy, rockin’, and our enthusiasm was immediate,” Mr. Shovel said. Prince then said the station could preview a few of the new songs on Indie 103, so that’s where were we today at 3 p.m.

The album kicks off with an explosive, four-minute instrumental before launching into the first song that was played on the radio… Prince covering Tommy James & the Shondells’ “Crimson & Clover,” with the Purple One altering the lyrics as he’s been known to do during his cover performances. Keeping with the original, the vocals sound like Prince is submerged under water. Things deviate at the chorus, however, as Prince belts out the “ooh baby, I think I love you” part of Jimi Hendrix’s “Foxy Lady.”

“Colonized Mind” was the second song played. Another laid-back guitar joint, it seems like Prince’s intention on this album is to make people stop dancing and just chill. More aquatic layering on Prince’s voice as he sings politicized lyrics with lyrics along the lines of “Did you know your record deal was another way for ‘The Man’ to steal.” Yeah, we don’t think Prince wants anything to do with record labels. The guitar solo is killer, out-guitaring the entirety of Planet Earth’s “Guitar,” before the chorus returns.

“Wall of Berlin” was the third song played. Again, more guitar virtuosity by Prince. If he’s aiming to make an album similar to Side C of Electric Ladyland, he’s off to a good start. The songs also sound more intimate, like the Artist recorded these songs without any Revolution and New Power Generation behind him. “4ever” is the ballad, with Prince busting out the piano before being joined by backup singers. It’s not “Free,” “Ballad of Dorothy Parker” or “Sometimes It Snows In April,” but it’s still a solid, latter-day Prince slow dance as he ruminates about marriage and being with someone, well, 4ever.

And that’s all we get. For now, at least. Again, according to the DJs, Prince’s new album is finished and he’s just looking for a non-record label vessel in which to release it. We’ll keep you posted in what promises to be a busy year for Prince.

Where is My Mind?: Meeting Prince

A monthly Web in Front column by KROQ Locals Only DJ Kat Corbett, Where is My Mind? features Kat’s musings about, rants on, and love letters to music–local, national, world, whatever.


By Kat Corbett




So, there I was, trapped in Prince’s bathroom while the sound of his band kicking into “I Want You Back” by The Jackson 5 pumped through the space between the door and the floor. I frantically twisted the lock and turned the knob trying to get out in time to witness the magic but the door wouldn’t budge. I checked my cell phone—no service—no chance for a 911 rescue call. What would I say anyway? “Um, yeah hi, I’m trapped in Prince’s bathroom on the bottom floor of his house and I’m going to miss him sing one of my favorite Jackson 5 songs, so could you bring a crowbar to Beverly Park?” Another minute of twisting the door handle only lead to red fingers and I pictured myself stuck in his bathroom for days surviving on gobs of cherry lip-gloss and two sticks of Juicy Fruit. I pounded my fists on the door and shouted for help but the music was too loud and I realized that no one could hear my screams. This was not a dream, this was really happening. Last Saturday night at 1am I was being held captive by Prince’s bathroom.









Let me start at the beginning and please forgive me if this entry sounds like a twelve-year writing in her diary but what do you expect after spending a night at Prince’s house?




It all started with a cryptic email inviting me to Prince’s pad to witness the launch of his new website www.lotusflow3r.com with a live performance to follow. I had heard whispers of these Prince gatherings before, but I was suspicious of the email as it wasn’t from prince.com. I replied saying, “Is this legit? If so, I’m in.” I was instructed to wait for further instructions—very hush hush. At that point, I assumed I was actually going to Prince’s house or being shipped off to Russia and sold into the sex trade—either way it was important to shave my legs.




At 9:45 pm I stood at Prince’s front door, an hour and a half late and couldn’t find the doorbell. I thought of knocking but with a house of that size, who would hear my puny knuckles hitting the glass? I took a deep breath, opened the door and walked inside. I expected everything to be purple but there wasn’t even a hint of plum in the grand space that seemed to go on for miles. I entered a spacious kitchen busy with a small group eating hors d’oeuvres and enjoying cocktails. One of the first people I met was Steve Appleford, a writer for Rolling Stone—confirmation that I was in fact in Prince’s house and not headed to the Ukraine. I ordered a whiskey and immediately locked eyes on Prince’s black Schimmel piano just steps away from the kitchen island. This gorgeous instrument was just sitting there in the middle of the room. It should have been behind a velvet rope on a revolving stage under a spotlight but there it was by the bathroom and I touched it. My hands were on the black lacquer before I could stop myself and I ran my fingers over the keys where he probably works out new songs during breakfast. The top of the grand piano was flipped open with a gold Prince symbol hood ornament. It looked like a spaceship and I didn’t know whether to play it or drive it. As the others snacked, I fantasized about eating Cheerios in the morning by the kitchen island while Prince played “When You Were Mine” and “I Want to Be Your Lover.”

(an example of the Schimmel Pegasus)









A little after ten we were instructed to go to the screening room. I was the first to leave the room and landed in the vast hallway clueless as to where to go next when out of nowhere HE appeared.




“Hi,” he said. “Are you looking for the screening room?”
“Hi,” I said. “Yes.”
Pointing, “Just go down those stairs and go left. I’ll see you in a bit,” Prince said.
“Thanks,” I said as if an usher at the Arclight had just shown me to my seat.
“Holy moly!” I said to Steve. “Prince just gave us directions!”




Prince is launching a new website in March called www.lotusflow3r.com where he will share everything including the release of three new records this year—two by Prince and one by his latest protégé, Bria Valente. This website is his new venture to deliver music, downloads, concert tickets etc. to his fans. After the website demonstration we spilled out into the hall toward a modest size rec room. Area rugs absorbed sound on the floor, a drumkit sat under the mantel where a fireplace should have been, two couches and yes, there were a few purple chairs. Female vocalists, Liv Warfield, Marva King and Shelby J stood behind their microphones ready to go, a bass player, two keyboard players, Cora Dunham on drums and no more than twenty-five people in the room (I counted) and me. I often find myself in situations and ask, “How did I get in here?” This was definitely one of those times. Prince grabbed his guitar and they kicked into “Let’s Go” by The Cars. “Crimson and Clover” followed, then Prince shouted for Frederic Yonnet to bust out his harmonica and they ripped into The Stones’ “Miss You,” and I lost my mind! Prince was ten feet away playing Rolling Stones songs. “This is really happening,” I said to myself. “This is really happening.”




Every time a new song began, a woman magically appeared with laminated lyric sheets that looked like IHOP menus and placed them on Prince’s music stand. When the band kicked into “Everyday People” we all let loose and began dancing—the small house party was in full effect. Prince put down the guitar and walked through the tiny dance floor. I felt totally high without any drugs, spinning on Prince’s carpet, under a cheapo disco ball (the kind you buy at Spencer’s) as Prince covered Sly and the Family Stone.




Then…




Out of the speakers I heard the sound of rain. “No, it can’t be,” I said, to the guy next to me.




Then…




The most identifiable first few notes of “Purple Rain” trickled out. Ah!




Then…




The room got quiet, Prince laughed, skipped past the song and went into a random jam. Ack! I was bummed for a second but then he launched into “I Feel For You,” made famous by Chaka Khan but written by Prince. How could I be mad? He was singing “I Feel For You” while we did the hustle. “Y’all done tore up my carpet!” Prince joked as we shook it. He threw out “Irresistible Bitch” and “Hot Thing” and when I thought I couldn’t handle anymore, he launched into “Controversy.” OH-MY-GOD. I was in Prince’s basement dancing to “Controversy” live. I was having my very own Co-AH-chella moment. At that point in the night I realized what a total music geek I truly am. It is a presumption to think that all of the women in the room either wanted to bag the purple one or become his new protégé but I think it’s a safe bet. Certainly, all of the men were hoping to catch a smidge of his mojo. I, however, stared at that man, watching his fingers glide effortlessly over the strings as if was an extension of his body and all I wanted was for Prince to give me a guitar lesson. Dork.




During the next jam I moved my coat from the couch so a woman could sit down. This woman turned out to be Anita Baker. I knew exactly who she was but couldn’t name one song she sang and it killed me the whole night. All I could envision was her face on a smooth jazz radio station billboard.




Sidebar: The next day I would find out from a very good source that Miss Anita was at Trashy Lingerie just hours before the Prince get together. Saucy.




The Doobie Brothers were next to get the Prince treatment and I couldn’t believe I knew most of the words to “Long Train Runnin.” Another jam session followed which was a perfect time to hit the ladies room. En route I caught sight of a motorcycle encased in glass. I was told it was THE motorcycle from Purple Rain and I giggled like a wee school girl as I sang “Take Me With U” all the way down the hall and that’s when I got trapped in Prince’s bathroom.




So, there I was, the lock was stuck, The Jackson 5 was pounding on the other side of the door and I was panicking that Prince would find me five days later in the fetal position wedged against the toilet clutching a bottle of Method hand soap. I took a moment and surveyed the room as if it was an elevator and seriously looked for an escape hatch. How does one get stuck in Prince’s bathroom? Am I the only one to get stuck in Prince’s bathroom? Why does this stuff always happen to me? I focused all of my energy on one last desperate twist and the door finally opened. After seven tense minutes, I was free and booked it past the dj booth, past the purple pool table with the gold prince symbol into the small room and caught Prince performing the last minute of the Jackson Five. Little did I know we were only halfway through the night.

While the band took a break, we retreated to the kitchen for desert. Pita chips, guacamole and raspberry torts, which I kept calling “Raspberry Beret” torts, lined the granite island in the kitchen. Prince did a wardrobe change and reappeared. His platform sneakers had blinking lights on the heels like runners use at night to avoid getting creamed by passing cars. Even with Prince buzzing around the room, the vibe of the kitchen was super friendly and mellow. There was no one telling me things like, “Don’t look him in the eye,” or “Stay five paces behind him at all times.” It was as normal as that situation gets. AGAIN, WHAT WAS I DOING THERE?




“Have you seen the pool yet?” Prince’s web guy, Scott, asked me. Before he hit “yet” I had pushed him out the backdoor and demanded a tour. A hot tub is the first thing you see in the grand backyard then a long pool that looks like something out of a Chanel N° 5 ad. It was clear that Prince was renting this house but he had personalized it in his own way. In the distance, at the very end of the pool stood a giant metal cut out of Prince’s symbol. “I must touch it,” I squealed and made a bee-line for it with tourguide in tow. A forest of trees lined the backyard, a volleyball court was just a few yards away and then Prince’s studio. We couldn’t go in but we could see inside through the giant windows. It’s not as elaborate as I imagined. A couple of computers, a flat screen and a keyboard were the only things in the room. I’m sure Paisley Park studios are a bit more elaborate.




Back inside, I cruised past shelves of his personal pictures—shots of Dave Chappelle and Salma Hayek. Pictures of Apollonia and Mariah. Then back to the kitchen when we heard Prince say something like, “Let’s hit it again. Come on!” Back in the music room the band kicked into “Love Bizarre” and I channeled Sheila E as I sang along under the soft lights.

Then…




Prince launched into “Erotic City.” NO, NO, NO, THIS CAN’T BE HAPPENING. He never does that song anymore—too many dirty words. There were only fifteen people in the room at this point.

Then…




He stopped the song just before the vocal would normally come in. My plea for him to “Do it” got a laugh but that’s all and he launched into another random jam. What a tease.




Two women emerged from behind and dramatically tossed two one-dollar bills at his feet. Prince slid off his guitar and in James Brown style got down on one knee, then another, collected the money, stood back up and said, “I haven’t seen George Washington in a long time.” Prince was totally messing around having a good time and I kept thinking, “He’s so normal right now…but he’s Prince? And he’s goofing around like a normal guy right now.”

“Anita, get up here,” Prince demanded and Anita Baker shimmied over in her very high heels and belted out an awesome jam. Prince jumped back in with a bite of “Love Rollercoaster” into The Commodores “Brick House,” into Rick James and I was “Super Freaking” out.




As we danced, Prince occasionally popped inside the group and all I kept thinking about was the security backstage at Co-AH-chella. It was Secret Service type of stuff but Saturday night he was standing in the mix with no security hovering. I’m sure his boys were there but I didn’t see or feel anyone and I am so thankful for that moment.

Prince’s web guy, Scott, was called forth and Prince pointed to the microphone. The girl came out with the lyric pages and the band busted into “Play That Funky Music” and that white boy went for it. I could tell web dude was like, “Holy shit, I am singing on Prince’s microphone and Prince is playing guitar behind me.” Holy shit, indeed.




Sometime after 3 am Prince finally called it quits and did a blow out jam. I floated out of his house and through the windy turns of Mulholland. I definitely did some damage to my hearing but I don’t care. I was at Princes’ house watching Prince play just a few feet away from me and I don’t know if anything else matters.

Prince @ Gansvoort Hotel NYC 10.10.2008
18 NINTH AVEUNE, NEW YORK, NY, United States 10014
w/ Cora Coleman-Dunham-drums Joshua Dunham-bass Morris Hayes-keyboards
Marva King & Shelby J on vocals

To celebrate the release of the Prince’s book, “21 Nights“, also by photographer Randee St. Nicholas , which has entered the New York Times top ten list at number 9, Prince gave a private intimate concert at The Hotel Ganvesoort last Friday. The concert, hosted by Atria publisher Judith Kurr, was attended by a number of VIPs.

Guest included Dave Chappelle, filmmaker Spike Lee and his wife Tonya Lewis Lee, Atria VP Malaika Adero, BET VP Stephen Hill, entertainment entreprenuer Kevin Harewood, financial expert and author Alvin Hall Jr and others who where treated to a high energy set of over two hours.




just had to throw a picture of the suites

Charity Concert
1.Colonized Mind
2.1999
3.I Feel For You
4.Controversy/Housequake
5.Sexy Dancer/Le Freak (Chic)
6.Miss You H-Frederic Yonnet
7.Satisfied H-Frederic Yonnet
8.Begging Woman Blues
/Cock Eyed Woman
10.Purple Rain
11.A Love Bizarre
12.What Is Hip? H-Frederic Yonnet
13.Stratus
14.Cream
15.U Got The Look
16.Angel (Sarah McLachlan ) Vo-Shelby
17.Nothing Compares 2 U










Aftershow
1.Crimson & Clover (Tommy James)
2.Let's Go (The Cars)
3.7
4.Come Together
5.1999
6.Controversy
7.Sexy Dancer/Le Freak
8.Long Train Running ( Doobie Brothers)
9.Shhh
10.Musicology/Prince & The Band
11.3121
12.Girls & Boys
13.Honky Tonk Woman
14.Stratus
15.Miss You
16.Red House ( Jimi Hendrix )
17.Purple Rain
18.Brown Skin (India.Arie) Vo-Shelby
19.SummerMadness (Kool & TheGang
/In The Morning Vo-Shelby
20.Can't Hide Love (Earth,Wind & Fire)
21.Love's Taken Over(Chante Moore)
22.I Want To Be Free (Ohio Player)
23.Cream
24.U Got The Look
25.What Have You Done To Me Lately?
25.Partyman
26.It's Alright
27.Alphabet St.
28.The Bird
29.Jungle Love
30.TheGlamorous LifeVo-Marva King
31.Love Bizarre/Housequake







0-+> That super-secret, impossible-to-get-into Prince show? It went down for four hours (two shows) on the rooftop loft at the Hotel Gansevoort on Friday night. The NY Times reports that audience members paid around $1,000 to get inside the intimate room, with proceeds going to charity (Love 4 One Another Charities and Urban Farming). The Purple One did give a nod to the tough times however, the paper notes that "moments into the early set he joked about the tough day, then he tweaked the lyrics of '1999' to reference the financial crisis." Howard Stern, Spike Lee and Dave Chappelle were all in attendance, and the latter even took over entertaining duties for a bit, saying, “I played tambourine tonight at a Prince show — that’s the good news. The bad news is, I flew coach.”

By Jen Carlson in Arts and Events on October 13, 2008 11:04 AM


[Edited 4/5/10 10:29am]

25th Annual Night of the Stars 10.23.08

Lotus isn't amazing, but it's the closest he's come to being the Prince I know & love since The Rainbow Children

December 25. 2008
Staples Center Los Angeles
LosAngeles Lakers-Boston Celtics





[Edited 4/8/10 16:27pm]

errant said:

omg i totally missed that!

March 26. 2009
NBC Studio Los Angeles
Night 2 of the Tonight Show
Dreamer

Prince (guitar)
Sonny Thompton (Bass)
Micheal Bland ( Drums)
Morris Hayes ( Keyboards)





I was born, raised on a slave plantation
In the United States, of the red, white and blue
Never knew that I was different, till Dr. King was on a balcony
Lyin' in a bloody pool
I expected so much more from a loving
A loving, loving society
A truthful explanation, you know what
I got another, another conspiracy

If it was just a dream, listen, call me, call me a dreamer too

With more rewards and accolades, then anyone before or after
21st century, oh what a shame, what a shame
Race, race still matters
A race to what, and where we going
We in the same boat, but I'm the only one rowing

Last time I checked, you were sleeping, but you can call me a dreamer too
(What's up with this)

Peanut butter logic, served on a bed of lies
Don't go down too easy, when you've seen your father cry
Have you ever clutched the steering wheel in your car too tight
Praying that police sirens just pass you by that night
While the helicopter circles us, this theory's getting deep
Think they're spraying chemicals over the city
While we sleep

Come on, I'm staying awake
you can call me a dreamer too
(Ahhh, I got one eye open for these devils)

(Wake up, wake up)

(I pledge allegiance, to..)
[Edited 5/12/10 14:45pm]

Nice work ...