Everytime I think about Prince, I go back to the first time I truly got what he was about; Listening to "Let's Pretend We're Married".

Whatever you heard about me is true
I change the rules and do what I wanna do
I'm in love with God, he's the only way
'Cuz you and I know we gotta die some day
If you think I'm crazy, you're probably right
But I'm gonna have fun every motherfuckin' night
If you like 2 fight, you're a double-drag fool
I'm goin' 2 another life, how 'bout you?

I heard this and was hooked. The bait was set before hearing this, but with this verse, I was like, damn this dude is out there, and in a very good/uplifting way. Just one verse, but it is literally the blueprint for everything he did. I remember from literally that moment on, I digested everything I could possibly digest about Prince and his music, and it never stopped.

He, more than anyone I can think of, lived the life he wanted to live. He dreamed up the world he wanted to live in and invited us all in.

BlackandRising said:

Whatever you heard about me is true
I change the rules and do what I wanna do
I'm in love with God, he's the only way
'Cuz you and I know we gotta die some day
If you think I'm crazy, you're probably right
But I'm gonna have fun every motherfuckin' night
If you like 2 fight, you're a double-drag fool
I'm goin' 2 another life, how 'bout you?

I haven't listened to "Let's Pretend We're Married" in quite a while, and it reminds me of how powerful the album "1999" was for those of us who were into Prince before "Purple Rain" was released and became such a massive hit. It was just loaded with so much good stuff. And a double album too?!? OMG! It was also the album by which one of my last lone Prince-hater friends had to finally admit that Prince was everything I had been saying he was, and more (...it was actually the song "Automatic" that turned him around).

Musze said:

He, more than anyone I can think of, lived the life he wanted to live. He dreamed up the world he wanted to live in and invited us all in.

PDogz said:

BlackandRising said:

Whatever you heard about me is true
I change the rules and do what I wanna do
I'm in love with God, he's the only way
'Cuz you and I know we gotta die some day
If you think I'm crazy, you're probably right
But I'm gonna have fun every motherfuckin' night
If you like 2 fight, you're a double-drag fool
I'm goin' 2 another life, how 'bout you?

I haven't listened to "Let's Pretend We're Married" in quite a while, and it reminds me of how powerful the album "1999" was for those of us who were into Prince before "Purple Rain" was released and became such a massive hit. It was just loaded with so much good stuff. And a double album too?!? OMG! It was also the album by which one of my last lone Prince-hater friends had to finally admit that Prince was everything I had been saying he was, and more (...it was actually the song "Automatic" that turned him around).

yep, I remember buying the record, and thinking that the two other double albums that I was completely in love with was Stevie's Songs In The Key of Life and EW&F's Gratitude. My understanding was that to put out a double lp back then, you had to have major pull by virtue of having proved yourself to be a major act more than once. So I was, 1 - impressed as fuck that he was able to swing a double LP on the fifth album, and 2 - after the first listen, liking every single song. I remember hearing the last verse in "Let's Pretend We're Married" and being completely confused; the dissonance was major. I couldn't wrap my head around hearing the word "fuck" in concert with pronouncing your love for God. Even so, I loved every song more and more with each listen. And as a black kid growing up in an all white town/school, I remember, quite vividly, one day anxiously awaiting the school bus for another tortuous ride to school. I sat down, and the local radio station announced and played "Little Red Corvette". My whole world lit up because then and there I understood that black culture had just crept into these kid's world and they didn't even know it. After daily reminders of being black and an outsider, that one instance of radio play changed my entire perspective on life. At that point I made it my mission to have every single friend listen to it, even the metalheads. I won one friend over back then. He texted me on 4/21 to make sure I was ok.

BlackandRising said:

PDogz said:

I haven't listened to "Let's Pretend We're Married" in quite a while, and it reminds me of how powerful the album "1999" was for those of us who were into Prince before "Purple Rain" was released and became such a massive hit. It was just loaded with so much good stuff. And a double album too?!? OMG! It was also the album by which one of my last lone Prince-hater friends had to finally admit that Prince was everything I had been saying he was, and more (...it was actually the song "Automatic" that turned him around).

yep, I remember buying the record, and thinking that the two other double albums that I was completely in love with was Stevie's Songs In The Key of Life and EW&F's Gratitude. My understanding was that to put out a double lp back then, you had to have major pull by virtue of having proved yourself to be a major act more than once. So I was, 1 - impressed as fuck that he was able to swing a double LP on the fifth album, and 2 - after the first listen, liking every single song. I remember hearing the last verse in "Let's Pretend We're Married" and being completely confused; the dissonance was major. I couldn't wrap my head around hearing the word "fuck" in concert with pronouncing your love for God. Even so, I loved every song more and more with each listen. And as a black kid growing up in an all white town/school, I remember, quite vividly, one day anxiously awaiting the school bus for another tortuous ride to school. I sat down, and the local radio station announced and played "Little Red Corvette". My whole world lit up because then and there I understood that black culture had just crept into these kid's world and they didn't even know it. After daily reminders of being black and an outsider, that one instance of radio play changed my entire perspective on life. At that point I made it my mission to have every single friend listen to it, even the metalheads. I won one friend over back then. He texted me on 4/21 to make sure I was ok.

Those are awesome memories. I love hearing about how Prince touched your life on such a personal level, as he did with me and so many of the rest of us here. And how many of us acted essentially as Prince surrogates, winning people over, turning naysayers into fans, by simply getting them to listen, as opposed to judging him based on his appearance or by the things he would often do that grabbed our attention. I would often tell people “If you could only see him perform live on stage, you would understand.”.

I also think it's rather vindicating how so many of those who were converted contacted us all these many years later via text message, to make sure we were okay on April 21st. Our love for Prince was so apparent, that people responded to us as if we were his family members.

Too many things to name. The one thing that I loved about him most is how he expressed his sexuality and really didn't care what others thought about it.

"What is a man, what has he got?
If not himself, then he has not
To say the things He truly feels
Not words of one who kneels
And that shows I took the blows
And did it my way" - Nina Simone

[Edited 7/7/16 1:47am]

PDogz said:

Whenever I think of Prince, I will always be taken back to that night at the Charlotte Coliseum, April 24, 1980, when I had the opportunity to witness greatness: watching him open for Rick James during the infamous "Fire It Up" tour, back when few people even knew who Prince was. From that moment onward, I went around telling anyone who would listen about this phenomenal musician who I knew would someday become a legend, even when there were so many others who felt quite the contrary about this rather strange dude who would strip right down to his underwear while masturbating microphones live on stage. I am forever grateful to have had that experience in my lifetime, to have caught Prince in the infancy of his long and storied career. That night will always be what I will remember most about Prince.

Lucky lucky lucky!!! I'd have loved to have seen it!

Mumio said:

PDogz said:

Whenever I think of Prince, I will always be taken back to that night at the Charlotte Coliseum, April 24, 1980, when I had the opportunity to witness greatness: watching him open for Rick James during the infamous "Fire It Up" tour, back when few people even knew who Prince was. From that moment onward, I went around telling anyone who would listen about this phenomenal musician who I knew would someday become a legend, even when there were so many others who felt quite the contrary about this rather strange dude who would strip right down to his underwear while masturbating microphones live on stage. I am forever grateful to have had that experience in my lifetime, to have caught Prince in the infancy of his long and storied career. That night will always be what I will remember most about Prince.

Lucky lucky lucky!!! I'd have loved to have seen it!

Before entering the Coliseum that night, all I could think about was finally getting to see Rick James in concert. After leaving the Coliseum that night, all I could think, talk, and dream about was PRINCE!

nursev said:

His beautiful voice and just the beauty that was him and his hand cuz that lil man was BAD and didnt take no shit off anybody...my hero

[img:$uid]http://i497.pho.../img:$uid]

[Edited 7/1/16 18:09pm]

So true Prince was not the one 2 be played with! No such thing as three strikes and you're out when it comes 2 Prince. Some people only got one strike and was kicked 2 the curb! i heard he had extra musicians that traveled with him just incase he had 2 fire someone, lol.

His boldness (LOVED that sex/god period), his music, his energy, his eyes, his voice...evereything

purpleforeverlove said:

nursev said:

His beautiful voice and just the beauty that was him and his hand cuz that lil man was BAD and didnt take no shit off anybody...my hero

[img:$uid]http://i497.pho.../img:$uid]

[Edited 7/1/16 18:09pm]

So true Prince was not the one 2 be played with! No such thing as three strikes and you're out when it comes 2 Prince. Some people only got one strike and was kicked 2 the curb! i heard he had extra musicians that traveled with him just incase he had 2 fire someone, lol.

His pimp hand was strong Love it all

nursev said:

Treacle2267 said:

nursev said:

His beautiful voice and just the beauty that was him and his hand cuz that lil man was BAD and didnt take no shit off anybody...my hero

[img:$uid]http://i497.pho.../img:$uid]

[Edited 7/1/16 18:09pm]

Thanks for posting this pic. Luv it.

Ur welcome...I do 2