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Thread started 10/02/11 10:18pm

Spanky

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Purple Rain Movie Question Re: Modernaires

Ok, so a main plot point is when Billy lays down the gauntlet to Prince (aka The Kid) with this line: "I got three acts. I don't need four. So that means one of y'all got ta go. I mean, what would you do in my position?" *cue "When Doves Cry" montage

This leads the audience to feel like Prince needs to fight for his life with his music to beat The Time and their new proteges Apollonia 6. But why doesn't Prince fire back at Billy with, "Well what about the Modernaires, motherfucker?" The movie makes it seem like it's between The Time, Apples, and The Revolution, but they never show the "4th act", The Modernaires, compete. This has always baffled me. Am I missing a clue in the film as to why they didn't have to compete? Was there a deleted scene where Dez Deckerson walks in on Billy blowing a dude and had that over him so that the Modernaires had job security?

Please to explain neutral

I wish u heaven
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Reply #1 posted 10/02/11 11:28pm

xsam2

The 3 acts Billy is referring to are: The Time, The Revolution and the Modernaires. Billy is inferring that if the Revolution doesn't shape up, they will be replaced with Apollonia 6.

[Edited 10/2/11 23:28pm]

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Reply #2 posted 10/02/11 11:56pm

electricberet

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Seems like Prince was acting like such an erratic jerk at that point that the manager would have kicked him out even if the Modernaires were mediocre, having been presented with a reasonable replacement. But of course Prince learned to treat his bandmembers with respect and embrace their contributions, so he won everyone over in the end and they all lived happily ever after.

Oh, except there was a sequel, wasn't there? lol

The Census Bureau estimates that there are 2,518 American Indians and Alaska Natives currently living in the city of Long Beach.
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Reply #3 posted 10/03/11 1:16am

NouveauDance

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The guy in the red suit secures the Modernaires place man, he's the only reason 1st Ave was packed every night!

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Reply #4 posted 10/03/11 10:06am

catpark

the Modenaires position as one of the acts was safe the crowd liked them. Billy thought Prince was f'up with keep on bringing his personal shit on stage and the crowd didn't get him, plus Wendy and Lisa were two-faced chatting behind Prince's back to people. Billy hated Prince.
FUNKNROLL! dancing jig "February 2014, wow". 'dre. nod
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Reply #5 posted 10/03/11 7:14pm

mzsadii

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xsam2 said:

The 3 acts Billy is referring to are: The Time, The Revolution and the Modernaires. Billy is inferring that if the Revolution doesn't shape up, they will be replaced with Apollonia 6.

[Edited 10/2/11 23:28pm]

Yep

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Reply #6 posted 10/03/11 7:40pm

mimi02

I always thought that The Modernaires were "weak" and why would Billy keep them.

But, as an adult, I agree with an earlier post, they were safe. The Kid had problems with separating personal from professional. If Billy was to let The Modernaires go and replace them with Apollonia 6, it would be like "history repeating itself", as Francis L messed up his future wife's music career, so would The Kid mess up Apollonia's. The Kid showed how he was going to be with his performance of "Darling Nikki" and Apollonia wasn't even performing at First Avenue, so imagine how much more of an ass would he be if she was. Now add to that the fact that The Kid was late to his own rehearsals, the drama that he had w/in his band, and his total disregard to the rules ("What's this one song shit" and "Nothing dirty...I have enough problems already").

Here's another thought, which has nothing to do with this thread, but to my above theory about "history repeating itself".....Maybe the reason why he said "no" when asked by Apollonia if he'd help her had more to do with him not wanting them to travel down the same road as his parents (career and relationship) than him not caring about anybody, but himself as Morris put it.

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Reply #7 posted 10/04/11 6:53am

Wildboy

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The Modenaires are like the Monkeys. Are they really a musical tour deforce? No. Do the kids like them, and are they a very popular act? Hell Yes.

Billy view's Prince as Amy Winehouse. Really talented if you can get him pointed in the right direction. However he keeps letting personal problems have the front seat with his work. As a promoter, it's easy to see why Billy would choose the Moderaires over Prince.

"Prince doesn't have verbal diarrhea, he has studio diarrhea...." Allen Leeds
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Reply #8 posted 10/04/11 7:09am

NouveauDance

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So many layers stoned

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Reply #9 posted 10/04/11 1:52pm

madhouseman

Agreed...so complex. The symbolism of dumping a tramp in the dumpster (Morris leaving The Time), Jill Jones' 'rain' of tears, Jerome's comments about Prince's family (forshadowing his acclaimed work with The Family the following year), Billy's and Prince's sunglasses (showing how bright their futures were going to be), Apollonia's cold nips after her dip in the lake (hard times ahead for her with Prince in act 3) all show the classic structure and subtlety of the Purple Rain.

The secrets of the movie (and how meaningless life can be) were eventually unlocked by Tevin Campbell in Graffiti Bridge when he sang that "Round and round we go. Round and round we go. Round and around and around and around and Around and around we go. Round and round (aww yeah) round and around we go (aww yeah) round and around we go (aww yeah) round and around we go (aww yeah)"

but I'm sure most of you realized that already.

The expanded version of my book PRINCE and The Purple Rain Era Studio Sessions 1983-1984 was released in November 2018. (www.amazon.com/gp/product/1538114623/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i0) or www.facebook.com/groups/1...104195943/
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Reply #10 posted 10/04/11 1:59pm

formallypickle
s

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This is a funny thread lol

You guys are a trip.

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Reply #11 posted 10/04/11 2:11pm

DoffieParker

the 1st time i saw purple rain i thought they were singing 'mountaineers! mountaineers!!

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Reply #12 posted 10/04/11 2:17pm

uuhson

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DoffieParker said:

the 1st time i saw purple rain i thought they were singing 'mountaineers! mountaineers!!


who wouldnt want to be a mountaineer?

Bogey and Bacall, peanut butter and jelly, Wall being on fucking point, is "classic" dipshit. An iphone is top shelf technology. Get it straight. This thing is 4g. -Wall the great
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Reply #13 posted 10/04/11 2:20pm

Creussonino

I never understood one thing: Billy was blind?

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Reply #14 posted 10/04/11 2:27pm

Revolution

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Creussonino said:

I never understood one thing: Billy was blind?

only to talent...

Thanks for the laughs, arguments and overall enjoyment for the last umpteen years. It's time for me to retire from Prince.org and engage in the real world...lol. Above all, I appreciated the talent Prince. You were one of a kind.
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Reply #15 posted 10/04/11 2:28pm

DoffieParker

uuhson said:

DoffieParker said:

the 1st time i saw purple rain i thought they were singing 'mountaineers! mountaineers!!


who wouldnt want to be a mountaineer?

lol & additionally i thought the choreography was emulating climbing actions.. it was all very confusing

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Reply #16 posted 10/05/11 11:01pm

Spanky

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Thank u. U have all opened my eyes. So much so that I just googled The Modernaires to see where I can scoop up their album or at least the single from the movie. You can imagine my sadness when I realized it is not available. Why? mad

I wish u heaven
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Reply #17 posted 10/05/11 11:30pm

NouveauDance

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Spanky said:

Thank u. U have all opened my eyes. So much so that I just googled The Modernaires to see where I can scoop up their album or at least the single from the movie. You can imagine my sadness when I realized it is not available. Why? mad

It is available. It was released on a Dez Dickerson 2CD set retrospective of previously unreleased music, and later as a 12" with new remixes.

http://www.thedawnexperie...k/2005.htm

http://www.discogs.com/De...se/1445683

http://www.dezdickerson.com/index.html

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Reply #18 posted 10/06/11 5:21am

OldFriends4Sal
e

NouveauDance said:

The guy in the red suit secures the Modernaires place man, he's the only reason 1st Ave was packed every night!

LOL he was doing his thang wasn't he lol

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Reply #19 posted 10/06/11 7:23am

bigd74

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$50 is steep for a 2 cd set, i would buy if it was released normally but hey ho. cool

She Believed in Fairytales and Princes, He Believed the voices coming from his stereo

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Reply #20 posted 10/06/11 9:04am

Poplife88

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Can you still download Modernaire from Dez's website? I did that years ago...I think I paid $1. Great song btw...shame it was never released at the time.

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Reply #21 posted 10/06/11 1:22pm

2020

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This was that one track that I always really liked from the movie and wanted to hear and was disappointed it never surfaced in the 80's.

I actually just finally listened to it and glad i did! It is a cool song. I would have been rocking this song all the time back in the 80s.

headbang headbang headbang

Does Prince back Dez on this track cause it sounds like it at times? It sure sounds like P on the screaming guitar.

Dez was a cool cat - miss him and Brown Mark more than W&L.

[Edited 10/6/11 13:22pm]

The greatest live performer of our times was is and always will be Prince.

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All of it. Everything. Is U.
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Reply #22 posted 10/06/11 4:52pm

7souls

DoffieParker said:

the 1st time i saw purple rain i thought they were singing 'mountaineers! mountaineers!!

Product placement by REI

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