Plain and simple: what do you think is the best protege album Prince orchestrated, from the quality of the songs down to the musicianship and lyrics?

I'm torn between the self-titled Sheila E album and "What Time Is It?".

Opinions...?

I agree with you on those two. Jill Jones' album was pretty hot; I'd have to rank that one pretty high, as well.

1) The Family

2) Jill Jones

3) Apollonia 6 - I know no one else rates her but I think it's got better tunes that Vanity's album

I only like a few inidividual Time songs and I was never that fussed on Sheila E's albums but I might give them a reappraisal listen now.

Top 3

1.) What Time Is It? -the Time

2.) the Family (self titled)

3.) the Glamorous Life - Sheila E.

Jill Jones (self titled)

Vanity 6 (self titled)

Sheila E (3rd rel self titled)

Madhouse 16 -Madhouse

Apollonia 6 (self titled)

the Time (1st album)

Madhouse 8 -Madhouse

Romance 1600 -Sheila E

I find the best way to get into a protege album even more is to do a playlist of the year

example Prince -1999, the Time -What Time Is It?, Vanity 6 and the period outtakes

it gives a different listen to what the vision and direction is

Quite difficult to choose the best. I actually like a lot of them for different reasons.

In no specific order:

Jill Jones

The Family

The Time

What Time is it?

The Glamorous Life

Romance 1600

Sheila E.

Vanity 6

Apollonia 6

Madhouse 8

Madhouse 16

Pandemonium

Goldnigga

[Edited 9/28/12 11:53am]

tobydavies said:

1) The Family

2) Jill Jones

3) Apollonia 6 - I know no one else rates her but I think it's got better tunes that Vanity's album

I only like a few inidividual Time songs and I was never that fussed on Sheila E's albums but I might give them a reappraisal listen now.

Listen 2 the Glamorous Life again it's her most cohesive,

that PR sound

high energy and soft touch,

it takes you Uptown in Erotic City

Add Erotic City and 2 Sexy to the playlist *****

MaddMaxx said:

Parade era was the last of the best of the protege eras

SOTT had the Madhouse connection, but it was mostly the SOTT + Dale Alexander on drums

and Jill Jones was not meshed into that scene

nothing after that worked together

maybe its why I have a spark of some kind of hope 4 Prince & Andy Allo because I've always enjoyed his wide music scene, but there would have 2 be some kind of vision for the music and a cohesive touch

Jill Jones

The Family

The Glamorous Life

Madhouse 8 & 16

Exodus

What Time Is It

The Time

the rest of 'em I can take or leave as albums. these are the ones that I wish were Prince albums.

funkomatic said:

Quite difficult to choose the best. I actually like a lot of them for different reasons.

In no specific order:

Jill Jones

The Family

The Time

What Time is it?

The Glamorous Life

Romance 1600

Sheila E.

Vanity 6

Apollonia 6

Madhouse 8

Madhouse 16

Pandemonium

Goldnigga

If Pandemonium counts in this case then that one is the best for me. Followed by:

What Time Is It?

Vanity 6

Apollonia 6

Jill Jones

i adore "children of the sun"

Jill Jones

Romance 1600

Vanity 6

Ice Cream Castles

Exodus

What Time is It?

Jill Jones

The Family

8

The Time

Ice Cream Castles

My Favorite songs given to other artist, no particular order.

1.Violet Blue

2.Scream of Passion

3.Cool

4.Love thy will be done

5.Open Book

6.Desire

7.Ice Cream Castles

8.Manic Monday

9.Nasty Girl

10.The Dance Electric

11.I Don't Want To Leave You

12.The Glamorours Life

13.Mutiny

14.All Day, All Night

15.Yo Mister

16.Baby, Your a Trip

17.Donald Trump (Back Version)

18.The Sex of It

19.Baby Go-Go

20.High Fashion

1. Jill Jones

2. What Time Is It?

3. The Time

4. Madhouse 8

5. Madhouse 16

6. The Family

7. Sheila E.

8. Exodus

9. Romance 1600

10. The Glamourous Life

[Edited 9/28/12 18:03pm]

i always thought it was a shame that he never got round to producing an entire

album for sheena easton.

"101" and "cool love" are among my favorit songs that he gave to others and

his style seemed to fit her very well. it just worked somehow.

as far as protege albums go. pfff, that's a tough call. i like most of them and i'm

hard pressed to name one i absolutely hate. the early ones were all very strong,

the later ones more hit and miss and lots of cheesy stuff. altho bria's album does

sound rather cohesive and ok to me personally.

i guess we don't count mavis staples albums as protege albums, right? eventho

prince wrote and produced the bulk of the material on them? because there are

some slamming songs on especially "time waits for no one".

I'm not a big fan of any of them, but The Time is probably my favorite.

The Time"What Time Is It?"

Jill Jones ' Jill Jones"

Mavis Staples "Time Waits For No One"

Madhouse "8" "16"

Eric Leeds "Times Squared"

Chaka Khan & Sheena Easton versions of "Eternity"

Sheila E "Glamorous Life" & "Love Bizarre"

fakir said:

The Time"What Time Is It?"

Jill Jones ' Jill Jones"

Mavis Staples "Time Waits For No One"

Madhouse "8" "16"

Eric Leeds "Times Squared"

Chaka Khan & Sheena Easton versions of "Eternity"

Sheila E "Glamorous Life" & "Love Bizarre"

The Family!!

No ones mentioned Mayte's album, it's got some great songs on it, one of my favourites definetely!

OldFriends4Sale said:

Top 3

1.) What Time Is It? -the Time

2.) the Family (self titled)

3.) the Glamorous Life - Sheila E.

Jill Jones (self titled)

Vanity 6 (self titled)

Sheila E (3rd rel self titled)

Madhouse 16 -Madhouse

Apollonia 6 (self titled)

the Time (1st album)

Madhouse 8 -Madhouse

Romance 1600 -Sheila E

I find the best way to get into a protege album even more is to do a playlist of the year

example Prince -1999, the Time -What Time Is It?, Vanity 6 and the period outtakes

it gives a different listen to what the vision and direction is

Agree!

My top 3

Jill Jones (fits the Prince period)

The Family (Parade part 2)

Sheila E self titled allthough it isn´t all Prince on this album

the Family

swdee said:

No ones mentioned Mayte's album, it's got some great songs on it, one of my favourites definetely!

Someone already has, and I like it too. Always have.

The one I would rate the highest though would be The Family, it's sublime despite St Paul's piss weak vocals.

I want to say Sheila, because she's awesome and she is hands down the best protegee ever in the history of everything. And if I were to go with Sheila as my answer here, it would have to be Glamorous Life, because Romance 1600 is a little too esoteric as a whole (which is what I love about it) and Sheila E. is an album I love to death, but there is nothing on it that really achieves greatness.

So I'm going to go with Mazarati. Is that allowed? Because that album holds up just as strongly today. Those drag queens were fierce, and so was their album.

Efan said:

So I'm going to go with Mazarati. Is that allowed? Because that album holds up just as strongly today. Those drag queens were fierce, and so was their album.

The Mazarati album is the only one I don't own....never have, not even a download. I heard it a couple of times back in ye olde days, but never ever wanted to own it. Good job really, as I see it's stupidly expensive.

TheDigitalGardener said:

Efan said:

So I'm going to go with Mazarati. Is that allowed? Because that album holds up just as strongly today. Those drag queens were fierce, and so was their album.

The Mazarati album is the only one I don't own....never have, not even a download. I heard it a couple of times back in ye olde days, but never ever wanted to own it. Good job really, as I see it's stupidly expensive.

Whaaat?!?!

It's amazing! Dude, you really need to get it.

Efan said:

TheDigitalGardener said:

The Mazarati album is the only one I don't own....never have, not even a download. I heard it a couple of times back in ye olde days, but never ever wanted to own it. Good job really, as I see it's stupidly expensive.

Whaaat?!?!

It's amazing! Dude, you really need to get it.

Maybe one day.

This is a good one...

I was going to say one of the Time records but I just looked at the track lists and the first 3 have 4/6 really kick ass songs on them and it's too hard for me to choose which album has the best 4 songs. Ice Cream Castles might win for me because of My Drawers. But then What Time Is It has The Walk, and The Time has Cool. Too hard.

The Sheila records have some truly great classics but I don't think any of them really hold together has albums. The one with the most good songs, to me, is Romance 1600.

The Family record might be the obvious choice here. You can't miss with those tracks, even if they are 100% better with Prince on vocals. But he's not, so maybe it doesn't win.

A lot of people love Jill's record but I just can't get with her singing.

Apollonia 6's record has a few REALLY killer songs (Sex Shooter, Blue Limousine, and Million Miles) but also some really dumb shit. Same with the Vanity 6 record.

This is hard, so I'm going with an unpopular choice. Rosie Gaines "Closer Than Close."