“I believe that moment [Prince's choice to go to Carlos and Charlie's nightclub instead of the 'We are the World' recording session] is what made people ambivalent about his greatness. When you get negative press going, you need twenty years for people to stop reflecting on it. And if guys like Springsteen or whoever are talking about how great he is, like they used to, it would add to the legend. But instead, everybody kind of backed off, like, ‘What the fuck kind of idiot is he that he would go to some dance club instead of just going there and singing two lines in the song?’”

“It was horrible. He had us go to Carlos and Charlie’s and have a fucking party. I remember it perfectly, thinking, ‘This is so wrong. This is so wrong.’ We were embarrassed. Everybody in the band was horrified. And that’s where it felt like, there’s something shifting here, where he’s getting nasty. The entitlement—it was almost like a kid with too much candy.” -Wendy

The only one in the history of the music industry to turn their back on Quincy Jones and every major recording artist of the time is unfortunately Prince. In my opinion, that's why Lionel Ritchie's 'Can't Slow Down' won the grammy for best album over 'Purple Rain' because every Prince turned his back on all of them. Purple Rain should have won 10 grammys (it had 10 nominations) and would have broken Michael Jackson's record of 8 grammys for 'Thriller', but Prince disrespected every other rock star with his stint after the AMAs (when they recorded We are the World). Prince was right, he should have played guitar on the song, but all he had to do was sing Michael Jackson's second verse. His head was blown up too big with the success of Purple Rain... that's why it's taken all these years to get Prince back in the music industry's good graces... it was the night his life and career as the Purple Great One ended.

"Prince did not appear in the big USA for Africa video because he was busy bailing out his bodyguards after they beat up some of his fans outside of a Hollywood restaurant.”

To read the full article:

https://medium.com/cuepoi...0babc363b9

Excerpted from:

"Let’s Go Crazy: Prince and the Making of Purple Rain" Alan Light
Published by Atria Books. Copyright © 2014

don't agree. prince has the right to choose. end of. also who the fuck wants to be up quincy jones and lionel ritchies asshole. prince is a rebel and will always buck the trends of the industry.

Those folks that blasted him for not participating should go fuck themselves. Prince gave them a song, he wrote it from his hear while on tour, and he´s not obliged to take part in phony charity events. He does his charity work very discretely.

I bet all the money that all those who took part donated in their lifetime does not even come close to the donations and good deeds that Prince has done in secret over the decades. MJ was probably the only one who did a lot for charity. It´s stupid that the press picked on Prince and to this day still mentions that event in articles about him. That whole project was a farce to begin with.

Prince´s only fault was his honesty.

Fucking hypocrites!

As far as I´m concerned, the Purple Reign never ended.

It depends on how you look at it.

KoolEaze said:

As far as I´m concerned, the Purple Reign never ended.

It depends on how you look at it.

For me too brother, for me too!!... but I'm talking about commercial success with radio airplay as the marker but then again, that can be argued...I just wish he would have won 10 grammys that year to argue the mj vs prince thing at the time...

KoolEaze said:

Those folks that blasted him for not participating should go fuck themselves. Prince gave them a song, he wrote it from his hear while on tour, and he´s not obliged to take part in phony charity events. He does his charity work very discretely.

I bet all the money that all those who took part donated in their lifetime does not even come close to the donations and good deeds that Prince has done in secret over the decades. MJ was probably the only one who did a lot for charity. It´s stupid that the press picked on Prince and to this day still mentions that event in articles about him. That whole project was a farce to begin with.

Prince´s only fault was his honesty.

Fucking hypocrites!

there is no one in the world who was more charitable than Michael Jackson...I think he donated hundreds of millions but your right, he made his donations publicly known

I remember at the time there were also alot of stories how money from these kinds of showboat charity efforts never made it to those in need, i believe reading somewhere that Prince was opposed to that kind of misappropriation, but I could be remembering it incorrectly.

I don't remember where i read an article much later on that these same musicians/artists of We Are The World that were blasting Prince, they were actually drinkin Champagne , eating Caviar & gettin high all through that session . Who can be inspired through all of that nonsense ?

kae510 said:

I don't remember where i read an article much later on that these same musicians/artists of We Are The World that were blasting Prince, they were actually drinkin Champagne , eating Caviar & gettin high all through that session . Who can be inspired through all of that nonsense ?

Prince, on the other hand, wrote his contribution (For the Tears in Your Eyes) while on tour, sipping on some warm Pepsi Cola from a can, eating a salami sandwich. Both were from the lunch boxes of the workers at the venue.

I kind of appreciate why Wendy would have thought it was unseemly to go have a lavish party on a night when everyone else was participating in a big charity event. When all the dool kids are doing something, you want to be part of that too.

But the idea that there is anything "shameful" or disrespectful about not participating in a giant celebrity circle jerk for the cameras is really laughable.

We Are The World.. we are the children..???

What an awful song, imo........ lots and lots of cheese.....

I am glad Prince wasn't in this Michael Jackson & Lionel Richie show.


Still the best song on the album is "4 The Tears In Your Eyes" by Prince & The Revolution.

The rest on the album are so poor, it sucks.

it sure backfired with a lot of negativity, towards Prince.

it sure was hurting Prince's career also, a backlash was created.

well done Mr Jackson.... yeah I think I blame the Jackson camp for this set up..

It sure did not help on the sales figures on Prince albums in the years to come (back then 85-87).

I remember a lot of people thought Prince was a huge prick for not showing up.

I thought Prince did the right thing, back then Prince could do nothing wrong imo.

Yes,Prince did experience a slight backlash over this,but it wasn't just because of this one incident.Throughout 1985,he did alot of "weird" things that people just couldn't understand.

He showed up at Elizabeth Taylor's house for dinner,but he insisted that his bodyguards inspect her house before he entered.Taylor was pissed and went to the media with this story."I asked him,did you think I hired assasins?!"

He cussed out a young fan who asked him for an autograph.

He had his bodyguards beat up a photographer who got too close to him.

Things were getting so out of hand that even The Gap Band had to comment on it Their 1985 video "Disrespect" is clearly directed at Prince.

He wouldn't be Prince if he showed up for that.

Plus if he did show up we wouldn't have Hello and it's better remix.

SoulAlive said:

Yes,Prince did experience a slight backlash over this,but it wasn't just because of this one incident.Throughout 1985,he did alot of "weird" things that people just couldn't understand.

He showed up at Elizabeth Taylor's house for dinner,but he insisted that his bodyguards inspect her house before he entered.Taylor was pissed and went to the media with this story."I asked him,did you think I hired assasins?!"

He cussed out a young fan who asked him for an autograph.

He had his bodyguards beat up a photographer who got too close to him.

Things were getting so out of hand that even The Gap Band had to comment on it Their 1985 video "Disrespect" is clearly directed at Prince.

OMG you're a star! I had never seen nor heard of this song and it's hilarrrrious how much they dog Prince in their video... when they show him as the size of people's shoe's being chased by a purple whale on the piano--amazzzing! Thanks SoulAlive! Prince did disrespect the entire industry taking the saying 'true artists don't worry about others opinions' to a whole other level.

Prince has been wise to avoid singing on any track written by or involving Michael Jackson, and as a Prince fan, I deeply from the very bottom of my stone cold black heart thank him.

We are the World was a huge, annoying joke. Prince gave them a song [4 the Tears in Ur Eyes] and was quite clear with them that he didn't not want to sing on the album's title track.

Big name stars at the time like Rick Springfield, David Lee Roth, Joan Jett, Billy Ocean, and Olivia Newton John didn't make appearances on the track, either. Although Prince was arguably the biggest name in pop at the time, I don't get why he should be chastised for not singing on thet track.

Additionally, Prince has given to numerous charities in a more low key manner, to include inner city school projects and community development projects. He just didn't need to be praised and glorified publically for doing so.

In the end, Prince has been relatively generous to various charities. He reserves his stingyness, rath, and unadulterated ire for his fans instead.


/

[Edited 6/24/15 1:04am]

One thing is for sure, Live/Band Aid made a lot of wealthy African dictators a lot more wealthy. If you want to donate to African causes, find the people working on the ground and give to them directly. These marathon donor programs and global charities dont work. The money filters through too many sticky fingers.

He made a choice which led to the great "4 the tears in your eyes" + a great performance of that song !

KoolEaze said:

Those folks that blasted him for not participating should go fuck themselves. Prince gave them a song, he wrote it from his hear while on tour, and he´s not obliged to take part in phony charity events. He does his charity work very discretely.

I bet all the money that all those who took part donated in their lifetime does not even come close to the donations and good deeds that Prince has done in secret over the decades. MJ was probably the only one who did a lot for charity. It´s stupid that the press picked on Prince and to this day still mentions that event in articles about him. That whole project was a farce to begin with.

Prince´s only fault was his honesty.

Fucking hypocrites!

http://prince.org/msg/7/371376

Neversin.

[Edited 6/24/15 3:51am]

• Did 'we are the world' really change anything? Mean anything? Solve any problem?
• Does P singing 90% hits signify anything?

If you answer those maybe you know more.

Oh goody, a rehash from October 2014.

Rebeljuice said:

Awesome excerpt, I really have to read this book!

Regarding the WATW fiasco, OK maybe going to a club wasn't the smartest thing and the bodyguard incident was really bad luck, but I always thought P had done the right thing not singing (I didn't know he'd offered to play the guitar). I mean seriously, I wouldn't have gone either, those charity songs are just embarrassing artistically speaking. P was too underground, too artyfarty -no matter how successful- to be a part of that IMHO, he would just have been outta place. And people's outrage is ridiculous, as if anyone was obligated to do such a thing. I like what Susan says about the sleepless night without food vs. champagne and caviar

Rebeljuice said:

One thing is for sure, Live/Band Aid made a lot of wealthy African dictators a lot more wealthy. If you want to donate to African causes, find the people working on the ground and give to them directly. These marathon donor programs and global charities dont work. The money filters through too many sticky fingers.

SoulAlive said:

Yes,Prince did experience a slight backlash over this,but it wasn't just because of this one incident.Throughout 1985,he did alot of "weird" things that people just couldn't understand.

He showed up at Elizabeth Taylor's house for dinner,but he insisted that his bodyguards inspect her house before he entered.Taylor was pissed and went to the media with this story."I asked him,did you think I hired assasins?!"

He cussed out a young fan who asked him for an autograph.

He had his bodyguards beat up a photographer who got too close to him.

Things were getting so out of hand that even The Gap Band had to comment on it Their 1985 video "Disrespect" is clearly directed at Prince.

Oooh that was great, Uncle Charlie and the gang were pretty funny, never seen this.