I always compared Prince in the Kiss video with Freddie Mercury - the shirtless attire, manly 80s-mania moustache and girly behaviour.

I probably sound really random but couldn't help think of Freddie Mercury when I saw Prince in the Kiss video.

What do you think?

I love Freddie Mercury, but the "Kiss" video never made me think of him. The "Kiss" video usually causes me to think of James Brown as well as Jackie Wilson and Little Richard to a lesser degree, folks who could dance and not just move, per se. The sound also makes me think of Curtis Mayfield, but Mayfield wasn't much of a dancer. But, hey, Mercury was one hell of a showman if that counts for anything.

Rebecca Blake, director: When Prince’s manager called and asked me to direct “Kiss,” the first thing out of my mouth was, “I’d like to speak to Prince first, and I’m not doing it unless I can bring in my own hair, makeup, models and choreographer.”

A few minutes later, Prince called me. He was charming. The conversation was brief and there was a lot of giggling on his end.

I was on a heavy vampire kick — I was into Anne Rice very early — so that’s where the black veil on the dancer’s head comes from.
Prince was brilliant in terms of dance and choreography.
You could show him something and three seconds later he could do it perfectly.

He came to the set with buttons all over his pants.

I said, “What’s with the buttons?”

He said, “Should have told me you don’t like buttons.”
He’s funnier than people know.

I’d put him next to a six-foot-tall model and he would give me an expression like,

“Are you kidding? Where’s my apple box?”

He was the one who decided at the last minute to use Wendy Melvoin in the video. They had great chemistry, and they were funny together. Her facial expressions in that video were perfect.

GAMV: Well, that’s great. Now, when he called you, and asked you about directing this video, had you gotten a chance to listen to the song and kind of come up with a concept?

Rebecca Blake: Yeah. Well, they sent me the music track and then I wrote a concept and I went out to LA and actually had a very excellent production and I was very into design and so I designed the set and everything kind of followed from there. What was fascinating was how once the stage was put together, how brilliantly he move around in the space of the set for the film. Like, I would set-up a shot and then he would kind of interpret it in terms of how he moved physically. And that was very interesting.

GAMV: So how much of the choreography was a choreographer, and how much was him, or was it both?

Rebecca Blake: It really melded. The choreographer worked with the dancer who I brought in, in the ‘Kiss’ video who is dressed in this black veil. And the choreographer worked with her very closely and worked with him indirectly because he would never have direct contact with the choreographer. He would only speak to me, so I would have to relay what the choreographer suggested. And I think he would sort of go off and practice on his own. And frankly, when he showed up and did the moves that he did, they were pretty amazing. Truly.

How were you cast?

Monique Mannen:I auditioned for it and was taped on callback so that Prince could choose from tape. Turns out the choreographer was the great, late Louis Falco. I had a scholarship with him in NYC but I only worked with him shortly because I got Chorus Line. I trained my butt off but got comfortable in L.A. and wouldn’t train much because I was working a lot. After the audition, the first thing Louis said to me—with love—was “What happened to you?” I wasn’t dancing on the caliber that he remembered. That was a rude awakening for me.

Do you remember what your reaction was when you were cast in “Kiss”?

Monique Mannen: I was excited and happy. We performers love getting that call from our agent and hearing the words “You booked it.”

PRNelson said:

I don't know about the video but I have ALWAYS said that kiss sounds very close to 'I want to break free'. Some of the similarities are striking.

Wow, you're right, I had never actually realised this... until now.

I don't believe so. Prince was trying to blaze his own trails at this stage. The video matches the Cherry Moon/Parade tour and uses the Mary France pants with the overexaggerated buttons.

I wouldn't describe Freddy Mercury's behviour as girly (or Princes for that matter though there is a femenine vibe to his work). While Mercury was gay he had a masculine authorative vibe particularly when he was performing on stage.

You can draw some similarities physically - lithe, shirtless, and tightly cropped hair, and I think Prince's look when he has the Parade era leather jacket reminds me of Mercury in "Crazy Little Thing Called Love" which has a 50's rocker vibe. Prince was playing with rock & roll having "Whole Lot of Shaking Going On" in hia live set. However I feel that Prince would not want to copy someone so current in the public eye (Hendrix, and Sly Stone were not current in 1984 for Purple Rain)

This look was more European and was an effort to distance himself from the ruffled shirts and edwardian collars. Could Prince have appreciated Queen, and been inspired, it is possible. As much as Prince played with gender, I do not think he was keen to copy someone, who in America received flack for referencing gay moustache (almost Village People territory) aesthetics. Queen like Bowie at times felt a backlash for their look or reputation.

An idea but I feel Prince would not have given Queen a second thought in this video.

On that note does anybody remember Prince EVER referencing Queen or covering one of their songs other than 3 Chains of Gold, which I love and looked like Prince trying to do a Soul Bohemian Rhapsody and beating Queen at their own game (and coming closer at doing so than anybody had a right to IMHO).

PRNelson said:

I don't know about the video but I have ALWAYS said that kiss sounds very close to 'I want to break free'. Some of the similarities are striking.

Sorry to ask..... but where?!?!?!?

BoraBora said:

jaawwnn said:

BoraBora said:

Sorry to ask..... but where?!?!?!?

There's a similarity in the production in the verses to both songs. Its not the same but there's a sparseness there, one could replace the other if you changed the underlying chords.

I know well the 2 songs and to be honest I can't think of all that similarity.

The only thing I can see in the 2 is that they have a stripped down sound, but even that is different.

[Edited 10/10/17 1:31am]

BoraBora said:

PRNelson said:

I don't know about the video but I have ALWAYS said that kiss sounds very close to 'I want to break free'. Some of the similarities are striking.

Sorry to ask..... but where?!?!?!?

I thought it was pretty obvious to me. But people hear different things in different songs...

CherryMoon57 said:

PRNelson said:

CherryMoon57 said:

I thought it was pretty obvious to me. But people hear different things in different songs...

The production values. The arrangement. The simple blues chord progression. How the music stops before the start of each new verse. The guitar solo (in some respects). The dates match up too. Remember, the arrangement wasn't fully completed by prince - it would make a good question to pose to the guy who did. Was it David R? Can't remember.

(from Princevault http://princevault.com/in...title=Kiss)

Recording process

Initial tracking took place on 28 April 1985 at Sunset Sound, Hollywood, CA, USA. The song was recorded initially by Prince as an acoustic blues-style demo for Mazarati, who were working in the studio next to Prince, with David Z. Rivkin and Brown Mark.

Prince returned the following morning, and heard the version that Mazarati had recorded, which had transformed the song into a funk number. Prince instantly reclaimed the song, and worked on it further - he omitted a bass guitar part and the guitar solo and added the signature lick. Sir Casey Terry's vocals were also replaced with his own in a higher octave, but otherwise kept the original recording.

While David Z. Rivkin is credited with the track's arrangement, therefore, he is more accurately an uncredited producer on the track. The song did not appear on the first sequence of Parade, compiled on 1 May 1985, but was included on the final configuration.

CherryMoon57 said:

BoraBora said:

jaawwnn said:

BoraBora said: There's a similarity in the production in the verses to both songs. Its not the same but there's a sparseness there, one could replace the other if you changed the underlying chords.

I know well the 2 songs and to be honest I can't think of all that similarity.

The only thing I can see in the 2 is that they have a stripped down sound, but even that is different.

[Edited 10/10/17 1:31am]

It's as simple as the time signature 4/4 and the downbeat, and the fact that the verses utilize the same kind of structure...

but to tell the truth...


>.... its just a stripped down PAPA'S GOT A BRAND NEW BAG...


u on a Prince site and u did not know this?! :-O



**and besides... JOHN DEACON wrote IWTBF........ He's known for wanting mellower, r&b style songs...

actually had an impressive versatility in the studio... go check his appearances on youtube. Unfortunately he stoppped after 98'

[Edited 11/6/17 15:03pm]

PRNelson said: