I forgot about the Tamar album... also seemed very half-hearted. Only about 3 good tracks on it. The rest were blah. So he's going in the right direction again with the last two. Not sure why he does good albums for some and others they're C efforts at best. It may have to do with how much the other person interferes with his songwriting and track development. With Bria we know she didn't contribute anything so Prince had free reign. Tamar may have tried to "co-write" things and weakened the end result.
I forgot about the Tamar album... also seemed very half-hearted. Only about 3 good tracks on it. The rest were blah. So he's going in the right direction again with the last two. Not sure why he does good albums for some and others they're C efforts at best. It may have to do with how much the other person interferes with his songwriting and track development. With Bria we know she didn't contribute anything so Prince had free reign. Tamar may have tried to "co-write" things and weakened the end result.
Reportedly Tamar told an orger that P did everything and just gave her writing credits as a gift, so she could get royalties, as he did with Sheila on R1600 and Carmen, so it seems it's all him and this is corroborated by the fact (IIRC) that Kept Woman was copyrighted twice: once in 2006 as a P/Tamar composition and once again in 2009 as a P composition (!).
For some reason Tamar's album was praised by the very same majority of people here who flamed Elixer, while I agree that M&H is a much weaker effort than Bria's joint.
So if a majority of fans thinks M&H was a strong effort why not Prince? On the other hand he didn't fight hard for the album when Universal dropped it. He could easily have found an independent distributor to release it the way he'd done with TRC and NEWS, but obviously he just shrugged, which is quite sad for Tamar who in the end was a collateral damage (and for us as well: even though we do have the album anyway, I'd rather have had it released officially even though it's not one of my fave P efforts).
I forgot about the Tamar album... also seemed very half-hearted. Only about 3 good tracks on it. The rest were blah. So he's going in the right direction again with the last two. Not sure why he does good albums for some and others they're C efforts at best. It may have to do with how much the other person interferes with his songwriting and track development. With Bria we know she didn't contribute anything so Prince had free reign. Tamar may have tried to "co-write" things and weakened the end result.
Reportedly Tamar told an orger that P did everything and just gave her writing credits as a gift, so she could get royalties, as he did with Sheila on R1600 and Carmen, so it seems it's all him and this is corroborated by the fact (IIRC) that Kept Woman was copyrighted twice: once in 2006 as a P/Tamar composition and once again in 2009 as a P composition (!).
For some reason Tamar's album was praised by the very same majority of people here who flamed Elixer, while I agree that M&H is a much weaker effort than Bria's joint.
So if a majority of fans thinks M&H was a strong effort why not Prince? On the other hand he didn't fight hard for the album when Universal dropped it. He could easily have found an independent distributor to release it the way he'd done with TRC and NEWS, but obviously he just shrugged, which is quite sad for Tamar who in the end was a collateral damage (and for us as well: even though we do have the album anyway, I'd rather have had it released officially even though it's not one of my fave P efforts).
The reason, I'm guessing, is that Elixer was released and Milk & Honey was not.
I thought M&H was a nice enough companion to 3121, and would have liked it to have been released. I remain surprised that he just let it drop, especially after touring and doing "supporting" roles in public for as long as he did with Tamar. Which I guess might not bode well for the 3rdEyeGirl album, now that I think about it.
She can object all she want's but given Prince essentially wrote, performed and produced her first 2 albums and (the good) half of her third before her solo career - how shall we put this - entered a more niche phase I'd have to disagree with her objection!
I'm not saying Sheila's not a great percussionist, I'm not saying she didn't bring something special to the SOTT/Lovesexy era, but she's hardly the John to his Paul, the Mick to his Keef (or even the Liam to his Noel!).
I agree, we didn't "know" Sheila Escovedo until Prince dubbed her Sheila E. and we wondered who was that singing with Prince on Erotic City. Prince pulled out of her character but gave her the direction and vision that we see in GL Romance1600 Sheila E (SOTT/Lovesexy) and there should be nothing wrong with that. She is not a protege now, but that is what she was and nothing wrong with it. If it wasn't for 1983-1988 we wouldn't know Sheila E the way she is. Prince put her out as a frontman, even she said singing lead was not really her thing.
That's the thing that helped make the 1980s great as far as Uptown is concerned: the characters, the colorful mysterious worlds thru the music, that may or may not have been real, but beautifully excecuted via the Time, Vanity 6, Sheila E, the Family, Mazarati, Madhouse
Reportedly Tamar told an orger that P did everything and just gave her writing credits as a gift, so she could get royalties, as he did with Sheila on R1600 and Carmen, so it seems it's all him and this is corroborated by the fact (IIRC) that Kept Woman was copyrighted twice: once in 2006 as a P/Tamar composition and once again in 2009 as a P composition (!).
For some reason Tamar's album was praised by the very same majority of people here who flamed Elixer, while I agree that M&H is a much weaker effort than Bria's joint.
So if a majority of fans thinks M&H was a strong effort why not Prince? On the other hand he didn't fight hard for the album when Universal dropped it. He could easily have found an independent distributor to release it the way he'd done with TRC and NEWS, but obviously he just shrugged, which is quite sad for Tamar who in the end was a collateral damage (and for us as well: even though we do have the album anyway, I'd rather have had it released officially even though it's not one of my fave P efforts).
The reason, I'm guessing, is that Elixer was released and Milk & Honey was not.
I thought M&H was a nice enough companion to 3121, and would have liked it to have been released. I remain surprised that he just let it drop, especially after touring and doing "supporting" roles in public for as long as he did with Tamar. Which I guess might not bode well for the 3rdEyeGirl album, now that I think about it.
I always suspected as well that its unreleased status gave it a lot of advantage (the cult aspect). On the other hand yeah it woulda been a perfect companion to 3121, the 2 albums after all are twins.
I forgot about the Tamar album... also seemed very half-hearted. Only about 3 good tracks on it. The rest were blah. So he's going in the right direction again with the last two. Not sure why he does good albums for some and others they're C efforts at best. It may have to do with how much the other person interferes with his songwriting and track development. With Bria we know she didn't contribute anything so Prince had free reign. Tamar may have tried to "co-write" things and weakened the end result.
Reportedly Tamar told an orger that P did everything and just gave her writing credits as a gift, so she could get royalties, as he did with Sheila on R1600 and Carmen, so it seems it's all him and this is corroborated by the fact (IIRC) that Kept Woman was copyrighted twice: once in 2006 as a P/Tamar composition and once again in 2009 as a P composition (!).
For some reason Tamar's album was praised by the very same majority of people here who flamed Elixer, while I agree that M&H is a much weaker effort than Bria's joint.
So if a majority of fans thinks M&H was a strong effort why not Prince? On the other hand he didn't fight hard for the album when Universal dropped it. He could easily have found an independent distributor to release it the way he'd done with TRC and NEWS, but obviously he just shrugged, which is quite sad for Tamar who in the end was a collateral damage (and for us as well: even though we do have the album anyway, I'd rather have had it released officially even though it's not one of my fave P efforts).
The Jill Jones album is far out the best protege album he ever did !!!
"The whole problem with the world is that fools and fanatics are always so certain of themselves. And wiser people so full of doubts" (Bertrand Russell 1872-1972)
I loved Elixer and I'm really enjoying Liv's work. It seems like Prince has improved when it comes to helping out his protegees the music has definitely gotten better. What cha think?
Were you around in the 80s? There was Sheila E, Jill Jones, Taja Seville, The Times, The Family, Sex Shooter... ... And songs he was somehow involved in with the Bangles, Madonna, ...
I can't believe no one is mentioning her..... here.
Sheila E. her 3 first albums..
Apollonia 6 and Vanity 6.
The Time... all 4 albums..
I agree the Mayte & Carmen albums were not that good,
Did I forget to mention any really great Prince-related artist now..
As much as I have cult love for some of the songs they recorded, it was obvious then as it's obvious now) that it wasn't all primo material. The thing that sets it apart is how damn good the best songs were -- a sprawling best of Prince Protégés would be something truly special.
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the music has definitely gotten better. What cha think?
