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Thread started 10/18/13 10:50am

OldFriends4Sal
e

Prince on SNL 2.21.1981

Host: Charlene Tilton
Musical Guests: Todd Rundgren
Prince
Cameos: Don King
Marc Weiner
Episode Number: 6.11 (# 117)

The word "fuck" was said twice in this episode. In Prince's performance of "Party Up", he sang the lyric "Fightin' war is such a fuckin' bore" and it went unnoticed at the time. But in the closing goodnight segment, Charles Rocket clearly said "I'd like to know who the fuck did it." Rocket and executive producer Jean Doumanian were fired after the next episode.

In 1980, Prince made his national television debut on American Bandstand. At the age of 19, the Purple One performed “I Wanna Be Your Lover” and “Why You Wanna Treat Me So Bad.” In the interview with Clark, he revealed that he did not accept anyone’s record deals, despite people wanting to sign him because he would not be allowed to produce. This appearance by Prince was at the beginning of what would become a successful career. Throughout his career, Prince would go on to win seven Grammy Awards, a Golden Globe, an Academy Awards, and be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2004.


Read more at http://thecelebritycafe.com/feature/2012/04/american-bandstands-top-10-moments#ZwvWmR4IUr5g2dUu.99

-An all-time classic. Backing Prince is Dez Dickerson (guitar), Andre Cymoné (bass), Lisa Coleman (keyboards), Doctor Fink (keyboards) and Bobby Z. (drums). Perfect ending with Prince forcefully knocking the mic stand to the ground and the band all leaving the stage.
-Prince sings “Fighting war is such a fucking bore”

http://bjdwsm.wordpress.c...ce-s06e11/

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Reply #1 posted 10/18/13 11:03am

lrn36

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Prince would have been 21 or 22 in 1980 not 19. Its crazy to think that someone that young had it all in terms of performance, presence, and musicianship. I can't think of any artist today who has the entire package in their very early twenties.

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Reply #2 posted 10/18/13 12:43pm

Bluu

lrn36 said:

Prince would have been 21 or 22 in 1980 not 19. Its crazy to think that someone that young had it all in terms of performance, presence, and musicianship. I can't think of any artist today who has the entire package in their very early twenties.

Yes, Prince would have been 22 when this episode aired. The text provided by OldFriends4Sale says 19 years because (if I recall) for a period early on in Prince's career, managers or Warner Bros. put forth his age as being two years younger than he actually was in real life. I don't remember why; to perhaps market him as a boy-prodigy (which he was anyways). I seem to remember finding out his real age around '83-'84, when his music started crossing over and Purple Rain took off.

GREAT post! I didn't realize I had seen this episode when it originally aired until I saw a re-run of it on VH1 many years later. At the time I was in 5th or 6th grade, at a sleep over birthday party. It had to have been the first time I ever saw him or The Revolution. I wasn't real focused on the performance and have no memory of the music. My main impression was that they looked kind of scruffy. Vaguely remember being in the middle of talking with one of my friends and we looked up at the TV at one point and were like "did he just say...?" cool

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Reply #3 posted 10/18/13 1:27pm

LadyZsaZsa

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Cool! lol
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Reply #4 posted 10/18/13 6:53pm

lrn36

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Bluu said:

lrn36 said:

Prince would have been 21 or 22 in 1980 not 19. Its crazy to think that someone that young had it all in terms of performance, presence, and musicianship. I can't think of any artist today who has the entire package in their very early twenties.

Yes, Prince would have been 22 when this episode aired. The text provided by OldFriends4Sale says 19 years because (if I recall) for a period early on in Prince's career, managers or Warner Bros. put forth his age as being two years younger than he actually was in real life. I don't remember why; to perhaps market him as a boy-prodigy (which he was anyways). I seem to remember finding out his real age around '83-'84, when his music started crossing over and Purple Rain took off.

GREAT post! I didn't realize I had seen this episode when it originally aired until I saw a re-run of it on VH1 many years later. At the time I was in 5th or 6th grade, at a sleep over birthday party. It had to have been the first time I ever saw him or The Revolution. I wasn't real focused on the performance and have no memory of the music. My main impression was that they looked kind of scruffy. Vaguely remember being in the middle of talking with one of my friends and we looked up at the TV at one point and were like "did he just say...?" cool

Yeah, I remember Warners knocking 2 years off his age. I thought that info would be corrected by now.

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Reply #5 posted 10/21/13 5:19am

OldFriends4Sal
e

2. February 21, 1981: The f-word made two appearances in this episode. Musical guest Prince played his song "Partyup," and included the uncensored line, "Fightin' war is such a f***in' bore."

The show also featured a Dallas parody playing off the iconic "Who Shot J.R.?" storyline, which featured SNL cast member Charles Rocket as the Texas oil baron. As the cast and crew were saying goodnight to the audience at the end of the show, the host, Dallas star Charlene Tilton, asked Rocket how it felt to be shot. He replied, "Oh, man, it's the first time I've ever been shot in my life. I'd like to know who the f*** did it." Tilton and the rest of the cast were shocked at the slip-up, but laughed it off as the credits rolled. NBC execs, however, weren't laughing, and the event influenced their decision to let Rocket go as part of a massive round of layoffs after the season.

http://mentalfloss.com/ar...nl-f-bombs

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Reply #6 posted 10/21/13 10:37am

nursev

Never saw it-very nice.
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Reply #7 posted 10/23/13 2:42pm

OldFriends4Sal
e

nursev said:

Never saw it-very nice.

Rude boy at work

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Reply #8 posted 10/23/13 10:24pm

NDRU

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And Todd Rundgren, too? That's kind of unusual to have had two musical guests, and kind of interesting that it's two very similar (in a way) artists

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Reply #9 posted 10/24/13 9:08am

OnlyNDaUsa

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In 1980, Prince made his national television debut on American Bandstand. At the age of 19, the Purple One performed “I Wanna Be Your Lover” and “Why You Wanna Treat Me So Bad.” In the interview with Clark, he revealed that he did not accept anyone’s record deals, despite people wanting to sign him because he would not be allowed to produce. This appearance by Prince was at the beginning of what would become a successful career. Throughout his career, Prince would go on to win seven Grammy Awards, a Golden Globe, an Academy Awards, and be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2004.

Wait? Wasn't he on Midnight Special first? And was 21.

The word "fuck" was said twice in this episode. In Prince's performance of "Party Up", he sang the lyric "Fightin' war is such a fuckin' bore" and it went unnoticed at the time. But in the closing goodnight segment, Charles Rocket clearly said "I'd like to know who the fuck did it." Rocket and executive producer Jean Doumanian were fired after the next episode.

Are we SURE about that? I am sure he sang "Freaking..." Why would they have bothered to edit it to freaking? (I used have a copy of the orginal with Rocket saying it unbleeped... and I SWARE Prince said Freaking"

"Keep on shilling for Big Pharm!"
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Reply #10 posted 10/24/13 9:10am

OnlyNDaUsa

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lrn36 said:

Prince would have been 21 or 22 in 1980 not 19. Its crazy to think that someone that young had it all in terms of performance, presence, and musicianship. I can't think of any artist today who has the entire package in their very early twenties.

he was 21... he had not yet had his birthday.

"Keep on shilling for Big Pharm!"
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