As usual, I'm late... just heard the picture disk interview (Dirty Mind era) for the first time. Hearing him all those years ago just reminded me of some things I easily forget about him - the shit he went through as a kid/teenager, his attitude about how he's perceived (that he really doesn't care), his goals, how shy & uncomfortable he sounds for most of the interview, his fables (mixed race, "I don't admire any singers", etc.)... Yes, he's changed over the years but @ the core he still seems the same to me - shy @ times, manipulative @ times, very aware of himself...

Just wanted to reflect on some tidbits from it - it's old hat for most of you but it reminded me of some of the current thread topics & in light of all these years gone by, it made me smile to hear this kid who thought he might wanna be a lowly grip one day, LOL...

• Intv: (re: being perceived as gay) How long did it take you to prove to all those people that you were what you were?
  
  Prince: Hmm, I don't think they understand yet... I think if they look @ me long enough, they'll get the picture.
  
  
  
• Intv: You've been described as outrageous but how do you see yourself?
  
  Prince: Hmm, I've never had to answer that question. I don't think I really look. I don't, um... One thing I try not to do is analyze myself, I just do something that feels right whether it's music or physical or whatever. I don't plan things. I don't take time to think about things, I just do it. Sometimes I reflect afterward, sometimes I don't. I'm always looking for new outlets & new highs I guess.
  ...
  One time I saw a video tape of one of our concerts & um, I didn't believe that was really me so I don't watch them so much anymore.
  
  
  
• Intv: Did that (your parents' jazz background) affect you at all, did it affect your upbringing? You left home @ an early age too, right?
  
  Prince: It didn't effect me in any way I don't think. My father left when I was 7 & he was the only one that was really musical. My mother sang for him but... she wasn't that good, she only lasted a month with him & he got somebody else. When he left that's when I picked up the piano b/c he didn't allow anyone to play it when he lived there. I don't think it effected me too much. If anything my mother disliked the fact that I played b/c I was a lot like him & that's what broke them apart, & that's eventually what broke me & my mother apart too. I left home when I was 12, after she remarried. And that's when I started my own band.
  
  Intv: Did she perhaps imagine that you'd end up playing in some sleazy jazz bar downtown?
  
  Prince: Mmm-hmm, just like my father.
  
  
  
• Prince: I think anybody that breaks out of the norm is gonna get attacked anyway. I get attacked for the clothes I wear, so, anything different they're gonna go after you. I guess maybe to some degree I must crave that deep down.
  
  
  
• Prince (re: sexual lyrics): I've always written real explicit & I've always said what was on my mind. Sex was always most interesting to me b/c it dealt more w/ human life than anything. The reproductive process & the whole idea of it. The fact that people lose their cool behind it is enough to write about to me. When I was young I used to read my mother's dirty books that she had hidden in her bedroom, that was after my father left. I always rambled through her things. And when I got sick of reading those, when I was done with them I would write my own. So I think it sort of carried on in the rest of my writing.
  
  
  
• Intv: Do you draw anything (similarities) toward him (Jimi Hendrix)?
  
  Prince: (laughs) Uh-uh, he's dead isn't he?
  
  Intv: But I mean he was the first Black guy to not play funk or soul music... although he played it in his music... and to do what he wanted, you know?
  
  Prince: A lot has to with society, I mean there are a lot of Black musicians who play other types of music but the doors aren't open in every field like they are in R&B music. I think once society changes you'll probably find a lot of great musicians. Music is basically pretty boring now as far as... the scene here is much better. I don't know of any great bands (here) but the spirit overall is a lot stronger than it is in the States. It's relatively dead there. I think once society comes out of its bag the musicians will too.
  
  
  
• Prince: When I'm not playing music I don't listen to it. I don't like to do things in excess... The place I live in is... well, if you're a music lover, you'd die there. All it is is country & western music.
  
  
  
• Intv: Are you able to live the life that you want in Minnesota?
  
  Prince: I'll do that anywhere. It's important that one does that. That's what all our music is about - it's important that one does what he wants to do & thinks what he wants to think.
  
  
  
• Intv: So you've tasted poverty as well?
  
  Prince: Oh yea (laughs), I've definitely tasted that.
  
  Intv: So you could say poverty taught you a few things, taught you to choose your way of life?
  
  Prince: It taught me that I was gonna have to work. I think if people would have taken care of me when I was young, I think I would have just been a writer & just wrote all the time... go to college & stuff like that. For what, I don't know but I would have done something like that. But b/c I was poor it made me realize I was gonna have to work so that's what made me get into music b/c it was about the best thing I could do.
  
  
  
• Intv: Do you see this (music) as a job?
  
  Prince: Interviews, I do... (laugh)
  
  
  
• Intv: Would you like to live in Europe?
  
  Prince: I like Europe a great deal. I've only been to Amsterdam & here, I like the spirit that's here. I wish there were some things I could bring back with me, you know? Some of that spirit.
  
  
  
• Prince (on making music): I don't know how much longer I'm gonna do it. Maybe 2 or 3 more albums & I'll be done, maybe not even that many. I just wanna do something else sometime. I don't look to accomplish any one thing.
  
  Intv: What do you see yourself doing?
  
  Prince: Just something different, I don't know... Movies interest me, a lot of other things interest me, writing books & things like that. I think I'm into epic drama so, something that concerns that... maybe. But that's how I feel today, who knows how I'll feel 6 months from now.
  
  ...
  
  Intv: You've never been in a film?
  
  Prince: No. God, no. (laughs)
  
  Intv: You would like to be in a film?
  
  Prince: I dunno. I think I'd, um... that's not exactly what I'd want to be doing after I get done with this. I just said that's one of the things that interests me. I like going to movies, um, or maybe I'd like to be a grip on the set of one or something. I don't know about movies so much.

Since the disk has zero information, does anyone know where this interview took place? Was it London?

Very interesting interview. Thank you Calhoun!

bluelight said:

I hoped someone would dig reading it, I always wondered what they talked about in this interview so I finally just bought it. This is just bits & pieces of it, it's 45 minutes total...

Yes, this interview was conducted in London between May 30th and June 2nd 1981.

On his Dirty Mind mini-tour Prince flew from Minneapolis to London on the 28th, to attend glam rocker Steve Strange's 22nd birthday party in the Embassy club.
The next they he went on to Amsterdam to paly his concert there on the 29th. Three interviews were conducted before the concert: With Roberto Palombit (Oor), published July 1st, 1981, with Mick Boskamp (for Hitkrant, never published) and with reporter Tony Mitchell. (published on June 6th 1981 in Sounds). These three are not the circulating interview.
One more interview was conducted in Holland the next morning on Amsterdam Schiphol airport by Louis Du Moulin (published in 'Het Vrije Volk', November 21st 1981). Also not the interview you refer to.

In London more interviews took place, amongst others with Steve Sutherland (Melody Maker, June 6th 1981). But I believe this is also not the one that ended up on the picture disc. My records don't show who conducted this interview. However since Prince mentions: "I've only been to Amsterdam & here" it can be established this was in London.

This is where RD comes in and says Prince is a phoney.

Supernova said:

P's a trickster. He's well aware of the skill of signifyin and knows how to play the audience.

One of the areas where people really miss the boat on Prince is that they take him too seriously and ignore his sense of humor, his wordplay, his sarcasm. He pretty much is like, uh huh ask me some stupid shit that I don't want to answer and I'll fuck with you by givin you some bullshit that you can run with.
.
[This message was edited Tue Jan 21 1:34:48 PST 2003 by NuPwrSoul]

NuPwrSoul said:

Yup. It's good for marketing.

Supernova said:

Like that Coltrane dude huh?

I don't believe for A SECOND that he meant this seriously!

jooZt said:

Thanks for the clarification Wish I could read some of those other interviews...

On second thought, fuck an interview - dude needs a serious doc @ this stage of the game. Let a filmmaker follow him around for 3 - 6 months, half off time (relaxing & rehearsing) & half tour time. Nothing else will do justice @ this point. I'd even feel cheated w/ a book, I wanna SEE him. I want too much.

Thanks, pretty cool

CalhounSq said:

Good point!!!

Let's take a filmmaker to do him justice... let me think...
I know... let Kevin Smith do it (lol). He has some experience with filming P.


Just kidding,
TheKid

bumpies!

sweet innerview, calhoun!

I heard the full Interview Years back&thank goodness the Guy is a Great Musical Talent because he Bores me in His Interviews.He really Hammed it up for the White Journalists who feel for alot of His Jive.Prince Interviews don't really do anything for me.I find them Boring then&Now.

NuPwrSoul said:

Yep!

Oh wow, I haven't heard that interview for a long, long time! (someone I used to know had it)

Thanks, Calhoun! That was great to read. Very interesting.

*bump*

CalhounSq said:

and double-bump!

almost forgot 2 mention...am i the only one who misses the days when p didn't really rely on crypticism and actually spoke in a comprehendable manner?

Handclapsfingasnapz said:

LOL, no, you're not alone. He'd be great to listen to if he'd just settle down & TALK...

jooZt said:

According to Turn It Up this is the interview with Steve Sutherland (Melody Maker).


Peace,
TheKid