Any members of the Controversy Magazine on here ... and greiving

mattj said:

Any members of the Controversy Magazine on here ... and greiving

yep
(if you meant members of the Controversy fanclub)

[Edited 4/28/16 5:45am]

Yes I was a member of Controversy for a number of years and even still have my membership cards. We had front row tickets a number of times through their ticket order forms that you filled in and sent back in the post. The good old days.

Yes, I was. Can't remember which issue I started at, but I was a member to the end. Don't have them any more, but I do still have (somewhere) a long, hand-written letter from Eileen, the woman who edited it. Remember on the "Act II" tour he asked Controversy to nominate their favourite songs of his and he'd play them at the shows. No.1 was "The Beautiful Ones" I think, and no.2 was "When Doves Cry". Can't remember no.3. I saw him at the NIA in Birmingham and they had sound issues, so when he sang those you couldn't hear his vocals much, apart from the screams in "The Beautiful Ones".

Yes still have my Controversy fanclub membership card and used to get front row tickets by post via Eileen Murton.. remember getting a flier for the club/mag at the parade concert (i think) and joined ..no emails or texts just good old royal mail !! first front row (stage in the round) was Lovesexy at Wembley .. remember the car came right over us and I high fived Sheila E .... still have all the mags and the book that Eileen got together

Yup - still got an Issue 1 somewhere. What a fanzine. Never met Eileen, but had a couple of notes from her - she seemed lovely.

Was also a member of the Crystal Ball for a while - went to the party/celebration that Chris Dawson organised at the Astoria 2 (I think) - must have been around 1988/89.

Met Eileen a couple of times at concerts .. I remember twins girls (Dutch I think) who we used to see at all the concerts..we were asked to stay behind after a concert and P came on stage dressed casually in converse trainers and was filming us for crowd scenes (he was playing i feel for u i think?) I can now been seen in the the "Live 4 Love " video .. my claim to fame

mattj said:

Met Eileen a couple of times at concerts .. I remember twins girls (Dutch I think) who we used to see at all the concerts..we were asked to stay behind after a concert and P came on stage dressed casually in converse trainers and was filming us for crowd scenes (he was playing i feel for u i think?) I can now been seen in the the "Live 4 Love " video .. my claim to fame

Me too Maybe we met.

Did anyone else go the first Controversy Party? It was at the Ambassadors hotel in Bloomsbury if I recall (Early 87?). There was a quiz and load of people got annoyed about the Terry Lewis question. My mum sewed buttons on my trouser before I went.

Happy days.

Yes

OH MAN

when those magazines came in the mailbox.. it was like CHRISTMAS !!!

Best day ever.....

I think i have my stache of them at my parents house.... I have GOT to get my hands on them!

I was a Controversy member and want to shout out Edwena "Blue" (RIP) who was my US representative and helped me to convert my Lovesexy VHS tapes that I had purchased from Controversy to be able to play them in America. I had no idea about different VHS systems so I was so disappointed when they wouldn't play. But "Blue" helped me locate someone in my area who converted VHS tapes, and I enjoyed the remainder of my membership with Controversy. In fact, I still have the little care package of photos and whatnot that Controversy sent when they ended. On a similar note, I still remember the Prince Tape Lending Library that Edwena had in which you could send her a blank cassette and she would copy Boots for free. Man, that was wonderful. God, I loved that library. I've always been more into live boots than studio, and she had her full of each. So, thanks to Controvery and Edwena "Blue."

Yes, it was being a member that got me into the aftershow after the wembley stadium concert in 1993. A night that will never ever be forgotten.

I was a member from the early days. I think I still have pretty much a complete set of all the magazines. In the late 80's I was living in a remote part of Devon and the postman used to deliver late in the afternoon, oh the excitement when I would see that white envelope with "Controversy" stamped on it!

Eileen worked very hard for Prince and the fans. I think it got quite stressful for her in the end, I think she gave it up around the time of the Bagley's Warehouse gig?

MissMarySharon said:

I was a member from the early days. I think I still have pretty much a complete set of all the magazines. In the late 80's I was living in a remote part of Devon and the postman used to deliver late in the afternoon, oh the excitement when I would see that white envelope with "Controversy" stamped on it!

Eileen worked very hard for Prince and the fans. I think it got quite stressful for her in the end, I think she gave it up around the time of the Bagley's Warehouse gig?

Thats right. Prince wanted Controversy to stop, as he was launching his own mag.

Yes. Still trying to understand all this. So sad, so bad

Yep - I have fond memories of Eileen. I met a lovely woman who worked with her at one of the Manchester 2014 Prince concerts and we were chatting about how great a magazine it was. That's what I'll miss - I met some great people at Prince concerts.

malaguita23 said:

jaypotton said:

Yes I Was there from almost the beginning. Eileen did a great job. Shame it all went a bit wrong. Chris Dawson too and the Crystal Ball magazines which were beautiful.

Chris actually started Controversy magazine, then Eileen came on board, then they went different ways and Chris did Crystal Ball.

Another Controversy reader/member here. Started quite early - around issue #6 - and used to get them from the Virgin Megastore on Oxford Street before I was able to subscribe directly.

.

I never got to meet Eileen but I would often send in questions and she would always reply. A little later I remember getting tickets through the club - first for the ill-fated Blenheim Palace gig and then later scoring 2nd row tickets for one of the D&P shows at Earls Court.

.

There was one story from the magazine that I always remember - the tale of how Eileen got to hear about a secret soundcheck prior to the Lovesexy shows and frantically scrabbled to try getting hold of those members she had a 'phone number for and then only a few of those being able to find the location of the rehearsal. (Youngsters don't appreciate how difficult things were before the internet & technology saved us!). I haven't done badly in my many years of Prince gig attendance but I always dreamed of seeing Prince play in such an intimate setting as that...

.

.

[Edited 4/28/16 15:15pm]

Yes I was. I remember it so well. I also have a full set of magazines. Chris Dawson sourced soem great stuff for me also. Remember seeing him at so many record fairs (especially Electric Ballroom in Camden)

Good times

mattj said:

Yes.

I started getting issues somewhere in the late teens or twenty. I remember one time I was diggin through the shelves and lucked out and found issue 8 still there!

Back than that was the only connection to what was going on in Prince's world. One couldn't turn on the computer. I was young and thought that magazine would last forever.

I remember getting them I think it was Sam Goody near Woodland Hills.

I know I still have my member card.

MissMarySharon said:

In the late 80's I was living in a remote part of Devon and the postman used to deliver late in the afternoon, oh the excitement when I would see that white envelope with "Controversy" stamped on it!

Yes !

The white envelope, I remember it well. Great memories of younger days