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Thread started 04/20/20 12:58pm

BartVanHemelen

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Prince asked Ted Templeman for advice on how "to knock Michael out of the No. 1 spot"

https://ultimateclassicro...templeman/

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After Prince had broken through to the mainstream with 1999, he found Templeman in his office and asked him for some advice. Seeing how successful Michael Jackson had become with Thriller, the worried-looking Prince said, "I have to find a way to knock Michael out of the No. 1 spot."

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Templeman suggested borrowing Jackson's co-producer, Quincy Jones.

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"His eyes got wide, his face turned red," Templeman recalled. "He sprang out of his seat and, for a second, I thought he might hit me. I wasn't much worried about that, though, because Prince was about as slightly built as any guy I'd ever met, but still, he'd become unglued."

.

Prince screamed that he produces himself, but Templeman told him that "Quincy had his finger on the pulse of the R&B and pop marketplace, and so he was the exact right guy to produce his next record. I couldn't believe this idea had set him off, because I honestly thought Quincy and Prince would've made a dream team."

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Click the link for the full article.

© Bart Van Hemelen
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Reply #1 posted 04/20/20 1:02pm

luv4u

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moderator

Moving Michael Jackson

canada

Ohh purple joy oh purple bliss oh purple rapture!
REAL MUSIC by REAL MUSICIANS - Prince
"I kind of wish there was a reason for Prince to make the site crash more" ~~ Ben
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Reply #2 posted 04/20/20 11:03pm

ChickenMcNugge
ts

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The closest I could have imagined to a realistic Prince/Quincy collaboration would've been the former appearing on one song as a vocalist or instrumentalist, on one of the latter's post-MJ 'solo' albums. Otherwise, you're basically talking about the guy whose productions essentially entail him handling everything, trying to work with the guy whose productions entail bringing many different combinations of people together. Both quite domineering characters. Not quite sure how that would've worked.

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Reply #3 posted 04/21/20 9:03am

Cinny

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Because Prince wanted to know what to do differently business-wise, and Ted offensively suggests its his MUSIC that kept him out of #1.

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Reply #4 posted 04/21/20 9:23am

looby

To this fan, he was and always will be the No. 1 spot.

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Reply #5 posted 04/21/20 11:25am

nayroo2002

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Cinny said:

Because Prince wanted to know what to do differently business-wise, and Ted offensively suggests its his MUSIC that kept him out of #1.

That sounds about right.

It's so many hundreds of times i've seen a thread go waaaaaay off rail because of misunderstandings.

"Whatever skin we're in
we all need 2 b friends"
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Reply #6 posted 04/22/20 7:09am

DonRants

Templeman noted that Prince's next album, Purple Rain, didn't need Quincy Jones' help to get to the top."

That about says it all.



To All the Haters on the Internet
No more Candy 4 U
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Reply #7 posted 04/22/20 9:14am

CynicKill

Cinny said:

Because Prince wanted to know what to do differently business-wise, and Ted offensively suggests its his MUSIC that kept him out of #1.

Well Prince did adapt his music to reach #1.

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Reply #8 posted 04/23/20 2:19pm

namepeace

Can't disagree with his reasoning at that time. Or that P&Q would have been incredible.

Good night, sweet Prince | 7 June 1958 - 21 April 2016

Props will be withheld until the showing and proving has commenced. -- Aaron McGruder
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Reply #9 posted 05/05/20 12:17pm

Cinny

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CynicKill said:

Cinny said:

Because Prince wanted to know what to do differently business-wise, and Ted offensively suggests its his MUSIC that kept him out of #1.

Well Prince did adapt his music to reach #1.

smile It would still upset any artist to hear this criticism

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Reply #10 posted 05/12/20 7:32am

namepeace

Cinny said:

CynicKill said:

Well Prince did adapt his music to reach #1.

smile It would still upset any artist to hear this criticism


Ted's reasoning was sound.

Good night, sweet Prince | 7 June 1958 - 21 April 2016

Props will be withheld until the showing and proving has commenced. -- Aaron McGruder
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Reply #11 posted 05/12/20 1:26pm

alphastreet

Mj made mini movies and prince made a full length feature to accompany the music, something next level to flashdsnce or fame, that’s why all the success and getting thriller off the number 1 spot. He was taking acting lessons after all too, something mj never got to do
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Reply #12 posted 05/20/20 8:01am

Cinny

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namepeace said:

Cinny said:

smile It would still upset any artist to hear this criticism


Ted's reasoning was sound.

brick Ouch! blackeye

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Reply #13 posted 05/23/20 3:05pm

namepeace

Cinny said:

namepeace said:


Ted's reasoning was sound.

brick Ouch! blackeye


lol He kinda did take Ted's advice to heart even if he didn't take it.

[Edited 5/23/20 15:06pm]

Good night, sweet Prince | 7 June 1958 - 21 April 2016

Props will be withheld until the showing and proving has commenced. -- Aaron McGruder
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Reply #14 posted 05/29/20 7:07am

hardwork

Cinny said:

namepeace said:


Ted's reasoning was sound.

brick Ouch! blackeye

Prince once made a statement in the early to mid-80s I think I remember reading it in Billboard I am paraphrasing it went something like this:

When asked why he plays all the instruments on his records, Prince said dryly: "Well, it's important that everyone is on the same page in the studio. I mean, if my bass player is thinking about pickles, and I'm thinking of orgasm, then we got a problem. That's just not gonna work."

I read the entire Templeman book last weekend, which I really enjoyed, but Prince was a dude who conceived a track in his sleep, woke up, and before he went to sleep again the ENTIRE THING was done, finshed, ready for release, radio, whatever.

I don't think Templeman or any other top-notch producer for that matter can fathom this sort of reality.

There's a great bit in the Templeman book about how when they were cutting "What A Fool Believes" for the Doobie Bros - which I believe went #1 pop and won a Grammy - they just couldn't get the drums right. This went on and on and on for days and then weeks (finally Templeman jumped in the chair and did it himself.) Everyone is satisfied with the drums, everyone KNOWS they have a huge monster hit, but Ted kept insisting the drums were not right, and was holding shit up.

This would NEVER happen with Prince.

Can you imagine Prince listening to Quincy tell him, for example, that the backwards masking bit at the end of "Darling Nikki" is unnecessary?

I mean the first time some shit like that happened Prince would have whispered in someone's ear "Tell him to leave."

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Reply #15 posted 05/29/20 7:55pm

namepeace

hardwork said:

Cinny said:

brick Ouch! blackeye

Prince once made a statement in the early to mid-80s I think I remember reading it in Billboard I am paraphrasing it went something like this:

When asked why he plays all the instruments on his records, Prince said dryly: "Well, it's important that everyone is on the same page in the studio. I mean, if my bass player is thinking about pickles, and I'm thinking of orgasm, then we got a problem. That's just not gonna work."

I read the entire Templeman book last weekend, which I really enjoyed, but Prince was a dude who conceived a track in his sleep, woke up, and before he went to sleep again the ENTIRE THING was done, finshed, ready for release, radio, whatever.

I don't think Templeman or any other top-notch producer for that matter can fathom this sort of reality.

There's a great bit in the Templeman book about how when they were cutting "What A Fool Believes" for the Doobie Bros - which I believe went #1 pop and won a Grammy - they just couldn't get the drums right. This went on and on and on for days and then weeks (finally Templeman jumped in the chair and did it himself.) Everyone is satisfied with the drums, everyone KNOWS they have a huge monster hit, but Ted kept insisting the drums were not right, and was holding shit up.

This would NEVER happen with Prince.

Can you imagine Prince listening to Quincy tell him, for example, that the backwards masking bit at the end of "Darling Nikki" is unnecessary?

I mean the first time some shit like that happened Prince would have whispered in someone's ear "Tell him to leave."


Ted's reasoning was that Prince needed to calibrate his sound to score a megahit. What Ted didn't realize was that Prince had the ability to do it on his own, without the need for an outside Svengali.

In a way, Prince acknowledged as much in a pivotal scene in Purple Rain, with Billy as proxy, saying (somewhat gratuitously) "nobody digs your music but yourself."

Good night, sweet Prince | 7 June 1958 - 21 April 2016

Props will be withheld until the showing and proving has commenced. -- Aaron McGruder
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Reply #16 posted 06/02/20 7:37am

Cinny

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hardwork said:

Cinny said:

brick Ouch! blackeye

Prince once made a statement in the early to mid-80s I think I remember reading it in Billboard I am paraphrasing it went something like this:

When asked why he plays all the instruments on his records, Prince said dryly: "Well, it's important that everyone is on the same page in the studio. I mean, if my bass player is thinking about pickles, and I'm thinking of orgasm, then we got a problem. That's just not gonna work."

I read the entire Templeman book last weekend, which I really enjoyed, but Prince was a dude who conceived a track in his sleep, woke up, and before he went to sleep again the ENTIRE THING was done, finshed, ready for release, radio, whatever.

I don't think Templeman or any other top-notch producer for that matter can fathom this sort of reality.

There's a great bit in the Templeman book about how when they were cutting "What A Fool Believes" for the Doobie Bros - which I believe went #1 pop and won a Grammy - they just couldn't get the drums right. This went on and on and on for days and then weeks (finally Templeman jumped in the chair and did it himself.) Everyone is satisfied with the drums, everyone KNOWS they have a huge monster hit, but Ted kept insisting the drums were not right, and was holding shit up.

This would NEVER happen with Prince.

Can you imagine Prince listening to Quincy tell him, for example, that the backwards masking bit at the end of "Darling Nikki" is unnecessary?

I mean the first time some shit like that happened Prince would have whispered in someone's ear "Tell him to leave."


Shit man, I love the drums on "What A Fool Believes". biggrin

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Reply #17 posted 06/02/20 7:37am

Cinny

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namepeace said:

hardwork said:

Prince once made a statement in the early to mid-80s I think I remember reading it in Billboard I am paraphrasing it went something like this:

When asked why he plays all the instruments on his records, Prince said dryly: "Well, it's important that everyone is on the same page in the studio. I mean, if my bass player is thinking about pickles, and I'm thinking of orgasm, then we got a problem. That's just not gonna work."

I read the entire Templeman book last weekend, which I really enjoyed, but Prince was a dude who conceived a track in his sleep, woke up, and before he went to sleep again the ENTIRE THING was done, finshed, ready for release, radio, whatever.

I don't think Templeman or any other top-notch producer for that matter can fathom this sort of reality.

There's a great bit in the Templeman book about how when they were cutting "What A Fool Believes" for the Doobie Bros - which I believe went #1 pop and won a Grammy - they just couldn't get the drums right. This went on and on and on for days and then weeks (finally Templeman jumped in the chair and did it himself.) Everyone is satisfied with the drums, everyone KNOWS they have a huge monster hit, but Ted kept insisting the drums were not right, and was holding shit up.

This would NEVER happen with Prince.

Can you imagine Prince listening to Quincy tell him, for example, that the backwards masking bit at the end of "Darling Nikki" is unnecessary?

I mean the first time some shit like that happened Prince would have whispered in someone's ear "Tell him to leave."


Ted's reasoning was that Prince needed to calibrate his sound to score a megahit. What Ted didn't realize was that Prince had the ability to do it on his own, without the need for an outside Svengali.

In a way, Prince acknowledged as much in a pivotal scene in Purple Rain, with Billy as proxy, saying (somewhat gratuitously) "nobody digs your music but yourself."


Totally, totally.

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Reply #18 posted 06/02/20 1:19pm

hardwork

Cinny said:



hardwork said:




Cinny said:



brick Ouch! blackeye




Prince once made a statement in the early to mid-80s I think I remember reading it in Billboard I am paraphrasing it went something like this:



When asked why he plays all the instruments on his records, Prince said dryly: "Well, it's important that everyone is on the same page in the studio. I mean, if my bass player is thinking about pickles, and I'm thinking of orgasm, then we got a problem. That's just not gonna work."



I read the entire Templeman book last weekend, which I really enjoyed, but Prince was a dude who conceived a track in his sleep, woke up, and before he went to sleep again the ENTIRE THING was done, finshed, ready for release, radio, whatever.



I don't think Templeman or any other top-notch producer for that matter can fathom this sort of reality.



There's a great bit in the Templeman book about how when they were cutting "What A Fool Believes" for the Doobie Bros - which I believe went #1 pop and won a Grammy - they just couldn't get the drums right. This went on and on and on for days and then weeks (finally Templeman jumped in the chair and did it himself.) Everyone is satisfied with the drums, everyone KNOWS they have a huge monster hit, but Ted kept insisting the drums were not right, and was holding shit up.



This would NEVER happen with Prince.



Can you imagine Prince listening to Quincy tell him, for example, that the backwards masking bit at the end of "Darling Nikki" is unnecessary?



I mean the first time some shit like that happened Prince would have whispered in someone's ear "Tell him to leave."




Shit man, I love the drums on "What A Fool Believes". biggrin


So do I. Ted was right - and they sit perfectly in the mix. That’s my favorite part of the song. But try telling Prince the drum sound ain’t quite there yet.
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Reply #19 posted 06/10/20 4:44pm

heartpeaceshea
rt

I've seen issues like that.
Welcome to "the org", heartpeacesheart…
Thread missing or not yet approved
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Reply #20 posted 06/16/20 4:02pm

tump

Quincy and Prince a good collaboration? I can't see that at all. Not only 'cause it didn't happen but because Quincy is so tame compared to Prince. Both are strong-willed & both have their own styles. They'd be at each others throats.

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Reply #21 posted 06/16/20 8:48pm

CynicKill

Yeah Prince worked really fast.

I was watching a Steely Dan doc and they were obsessed about getting it right and getting the best to get it right.

Yeah Quincy would take that Darling Nicki outro out. Probably the Purple Rain outro too.

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Reply #22 posted 06/19/20 10:37am

scorp84

alphastreet said:

Mj made mini movies and prince made a full length feature to accompany the music, something next level to flashdsnce or fame, that’s why all the success and getting thriller off the number 1 spot. He was taking acting lessons after all too, something mj never got to do

Uhh, Mike took acting lessons in his teens and starred in a major film as well. lol

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Reply #23 posted 06/19/20 11:04am

alphastreet

scorp84 said:



alphastreet said:


Mj made mini movies and prince made a full length feature to accompany the music, something next level to flashdsnce or fame, that’s why all the success and getting thriller off the number 1 spot. He was taking acting lessons after all too, something mj never got to do



Uhh, Mike took acting lessons in his teens and starred in a major film as well. lol



Yeah I know about The Wiz but didn’t realize he had lessons, I guess I forgot
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