I think Prince's most obvious influence would have to be James Brown. The look, the dance, the tight arrangements, THE FUNK!

So, in the same way I think Janet's obvious influence would have to be Diana Ross. I was watching Diana's video for "Muscles" (that's right: "Iiii want MUSCLES!!!! ), and thought, "this sounds a lot like Janet Jackson". So I think a lot of the cues that Janet's taken were derived from Ms. Ross.

Do you agree or disagree?

I think Janet's main influences are her brother, Prince and Madonna.

GangstaFam said:

Well, yeah, them too.

GangstaFam said:

Co-Sign!

I´ve never heard of Madonna influencing Janet, but I am not such a big fan of Janet to know...but did you know that Muscles was written by Michael? Maybe that´s where that Jackson´s feeling came from in this song.....

I don´t think though that he influence was Diana...don´t know..

janet has spoken about those female r&b/pop singers that came before her, including diana ross, but i think she is more influenced by those she works with. jamm/lewis being the largest influence. surely the king of pop has influenced her...her peers have probably influenced her as well.

Aside from Michael, she may say otherwise but I'd have to agree with...

GangstaFam said:

I think Janet's influences were basically Micheal (she's been in the music business since she was like six, performing w/ her brothers and acting on Good Times, Different Strokes, Fame) and I heard but can't confirm, that he was the one who told her to end her relationship w/ James Debarge.
also Jam & Lewis
but I think biggest influence is her Mother!

[quote]

GangstaFam said:

Michael = Well, they are blood. So she gets a little influence from him, but not anything major.

Prince = Maybe indirectly through Jam & Lewis' former affilation with Prince pre-1985.

Madonna = Hell no. You've made an error.

Primarily, Janet is influenced by Janet. She doesn't draw *main* influences from anyone.

"IIIII WANT MUSCLLLLLES!!!!!"

JANFAN4L said:[quote]

Now Jan, you can't deny that when Madonna released "Erotica" it didn't sort of influences both "janet" and "The Velvet Rope" at least a little. The sounds are rather different but the themes... Madonna even recorded a song called "Throb" in 1992 that hasn't been released. I also wouldn't deny that Janet has influenced Madonna. What about "Bedtime Stories"?

VinnyM27 said:

Vinny, that's like me saying since Janet's The Velvet Rope (1997) predates Madonna's Ray of Light (1998) by one year that Madonna somehow channeled Janet's introspection. You know Madonna fans aren't buying that, neither are Janet's who think the opposite.

janet. (1993) was generically about "love." Erotica went places that Janet wasn't even thinking about in '93. Madonna was off in her own thing with that record. Obviously, Janet was doing her own thing, too. That's why I fail to see the alleged influences drawn from Erotica. Thematically, Erotica was on some hardcore sex sh*t (the accompanying "Sex" book, the too-hot-for-TV videos and the hypersexual "Girlie Show Tour" attest to that). "janet." saw Janet getting more sensual, but she didn't take it as far as Madonna. Jan had her raunch with "ATAP," "If" and "You Want This," but she still had tracks like "Again," "Because of Love" and "Whoops Now" to buffer the album's more edgier material -- keeping the record conceptually out of the range of just bare bones sex.

The wealth of TVR dealt with depression, alienation and reflection -- with a hint sadomasochism ("Rope Burn"). Both albums were thematically dark, but Erotica deviates from TVR in the sense that the former largely explored sexuality whereas TVR was an internal study of one's own self-worth. Carnal desire wasn't TVR's driving force -- depression was. Even when sex was bandied about in the first half of the record, it almost had a tragic/troubled quality to it that wasn't enjoyable. Erotica's more gratifying in the parts where TVR is tortured and vulnerable.

JANFAN4L said:

Somebody hasn't listened to the Erotica album if they deem it some "sex shit"
It was not a soundtrack to the book, and the tour had more depth and meaning than just sex had you looked a little deeper.
The tour's sexuality was geered towards, homosexuality, people's rights and freedoms, AIDS and such, yet ignorant individauls see it as some big sex fest.

jayaredee said:

OK, here's what...

I promise to listen to "Erotica" in its entirely if you promise to listen to "The Velvet Rope."

How's that sound?
[Edited 10/2/04 4:06am]

JANFAN4L said:

How about this deal

You go out and buy Erotica just like i have bought the Velvet Rope and have it in my Janet collection. Also i never knocked Janet's Velvet Rope, i love it and listen to it often.

And in my post where have i condemned the velvet rope?????

jayaredee said:

Gotcha.

jayaredee said:

Never said you did. Just asked if you had the album.

JANFAN4L said:

To be honest i dont understand the comparisons between Madonna and Janet and wish people would listen to them both and find out for themselves.

jayaredee said:

...and there you have it folks!

The long-awaited end to the Janet vs. Madonna threads.

Buy Janet Jackson's "The Velvet Rope" and Madonna's "Erotica" and find out their music for yourself and while you're at it...




























Buy Diana Ross' "Silk Electric," too!

IT'S A WRAP!!! ::two fingers::

JANFAN4L said:

[Edited 10/2/04 4:24am]

JANFAN4L said:

Sorry to say Silk Electric is out of print on CD.
[Edited 10/2/04 6:42am]

JANFAN4L said:[quote]
come on now, she's michael jackson all the way when performing on stage or in videos. she
learned all the stage tricks, all the mimicing, etc. well, ever since she pulled the sex card, the
resemblence is less there. but still.
she DOES have her own sound sorta. and she changes things up on a couple of tracks every
new album. but she can still come off as michael in "her" music. and jam and lewis did give
her some of that minneapolis funk in the 80's. so, directly or indirectly, prince was an
influence.

i heard janet wanted to do a jazz album. she should have done just that instead of releasing
yet another album that only the fans care to listen to. she should've known after "all for you".
that jazz thing might not have sold as much as or more than her previous records, but it would
have said a lot about her as an artist/performer. now she's just another former megastar that's
holding on to past day successes and formulas. from that perspective she kinda equals
britney spears nowadays.

janet has done some incredible things in the past. there's no denying that.

JANFAN4L said:[quote]


Yep, I agree with all of your statements.

Isel said:

Blonde Ambition influenced the way Janet and the like tour today. There was no Tour like that before