TwiliteKid said:

Good God... another anonymous orger with only 37 posts telling me in the most condescending way to get off MY high horse.

People like you, who excuse any and all illegal business practices and attack those who point it out in a reasonable and non attacking way, are exactly the reason why the "prince community" is eternally divided between "fams and fans". Between "this or that".

Just sad, "buddy".

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[Edited 2/11/09 12:26pm]

another anonymous orger with 37 posts said:

Good god, when will you let it rest!

Because you are flat out wrong. The deal was AT LEAST 4 new Prince CD's and the 4 new album titles were ADVERTISED with the NPGMC membership for 100$.

Ask the Better Business Bureau and read the law.

By the way, you actually suggest that paying 50$ for two times ONA piano and then 50$ for ONA live, is a reasonable price, and something fans should have expected.

Just the fact that you seriously suggest that, when Prince even cut out "all the middlemen" with that price, shows how ridiculous your post is.


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[Edited 2/11/09 12:33pm]

conciousone said:

Actually I am working right now, making mad dollars in law suit against a big evil company and taking a break while having a big laugh at your posts.

So do you always flame bait people when you are wrong?
[Edited 2/11/09 13:10pm]

Tremolina said:

What on earth does the number of posts I have have to do with this? I tend to be a lurker. Don't see how that invalidates anything I have to say. And where's the attack? Your previous post was awfully condescending. I called you on that. Don't dish if you can't take it.

I don't deny that Prince has done a lot of shitty things to his fans over the years, but I'm tired of people claiming that he's broken the law or that fans got screwed by the NPGMC in 2002. It's not true.

Tremolina said:

Wow. I'll say it again: The titles were NEVER advertised by the club. Do some searching on this site. You'll see that fans were speculating on what the CDs would be (and when we would might receive them) be right up until the point it was announced that we would be sent the ONA Live box. You're wrong on this one.

As for the cost of the club, as you've broken it down no, that's not reasonable at all. But I don't think $50 is an outlandish charge for the ONA box (it was more in stores). When you factor in that there was more to membership than just the four CDs (presale, soundcheck access, etc), it suddenly comes out looking a lot more reasonable. But you wouldn't want to be fair or factual, now would you?

TwiliteKid said:

This is correct, the titles were never advertised by the club directly. Four titles were listed in one of the One Nite Alone tour books though and it was assumed that these were to be the 4 discs received. The fact that we got 4 different discs doesn't really matter, we still got 4. A 3 CD box set might have been a sneaky get out, but 4 discs were delivered.

Was it what was expected? Perhaps not, but no law was broken.

Prince has given a lot to his fans throughout his career. So many people are just to young to remember how great that man has been. But in reality I think that's whats wrong with a lot of so called fans today, they want too much for free and don't think he should have any right to his own privacy.

Last time I checked he gave us 30 years of great music. With a new release almost every year in that time. Fantastic live shows that have not diminished in one bit since his early days and don't forget all the stuff you probably shouldn't have but do!

To all the complainers out there. If you're done then be done already but unless you plan on keepin' us happy ones rocking for the next thirty years don't expect us to get on yo' boat!

I get the impression that he does. I don't know the man. Let's say this...

I have several artists catalogues in my music collection. I have nothing from any of them. Except Henry Rollins... and Jane's Addiction... and Grace Slick so, 3 out of hundreds


Can I also point out that I've been going to every Robert Downy Jr. film since Weird Science & I've got no love from the man yet. Same goes for Sean Penn and a few others... what can you do?

Given the size of Prince's fan base, I think he does a great job. Giving out free copies of his album is a nice thing...

$1 per song on iTunes adds up mighty fast

HonestMan13 said:

Since we're being all "honest" and everything, your statement is incorrect because the last time I checked, we PAID for...as in he CHARGED us for 30 years of great music. And in all complete "honesty" what we received was about 15 years of great music and good times, 5 years of ok music and alright times and 10 years of just straight "what the fuck?"

If Prince hasn't given you music, then what do you want Prince to give you?

What does Prince owe anybody. He puts out an album or plays in a concert, and a fan decides if they feel like spending the money to buy the service. After the sale is complete, there is no responsibility. We could just as easily ask if we are going to give back to Prince. Personally, I feel that just about every Prince album I have bought was worth way more than I actually paid for it. Should I send Prince a check for a couple large to make up for the good times. I don't think so.

purplecam said:

He hasn't given me his music. I paid for it and was happy to do so, for the most part. I've never said I want him to give me anything because I gladly pay for things that are of value to me but I'm not going to romanticize our business transactions as "he gave me music" because that is simply not true.

DAZ01204 said:

Your kidding right?

HatrinaHaterwitz said:

So I guess you 'paid' for every 'bootleg' you have downloaded or went to that little record store that carries the 'good' stuff up the street.

Lets get it right... Prince has 'given' you, I and everyone else with the ear to hear... music for over 30 years. We showed our appreciation and reciprocated by paying for the albums, the concerts, the memorabilia, etc.... because he has never been, is not, nor ever will be under any obligation contrary to what some of you so called fans beleive... to give us anything.

He could have decided to make music like many do... for himself, never ventured out to get a record deal and got a job a McDonalds 30 years ago if he so chose... and we would never have gotten shit. But no... he chose to share... he chose to give... and he also had the ability and the right to earn a living performing his craft. We, in turn, chose to give back.

No one forced anyone to do anything. However, in a business transaction.. you do pay or get paid for a service. The recording industry is a business. WB contracted his services... he was obligated to produce music on their behalf. And we happily shelled out much money to support those contracts. We all know how happy he became with that arrangement. But for the most part, it was still and always will be up to the artist what they will and wont share... or give. He could have made some crappy music to honor that contract (and to many towards the end... he did) He could have kept the whole of Purple Rain, Lovesexy, Sign O The Times, etc to himself.... and just submitted albums full of some cheesy radio friendly pop tunes that would have made even more money than he was already making.

But he didn't.

He 'gave' us the good stuff.

And what he didn't give... we took! (unreleased, bootlegs, whatever)

Bottom line... you cannot put a real price tag on art. The measure of sweat which goes into creating it... the joy or disgust you may feel listening to it... these things have no real price tag. An artist 'gives' it to you and we reciprocate in one of the only ways we can...$$$

I made the clerk at my record store back in the day mad when I made him crack open an unopened shipment of cassettes the day Lovesxy came out. Lazy ass hadn't put them on the shelf yet. I paid 10.99. That was 20 years ago. the cost I paid has proven to be insignificant compared to the amount of pleasure I've received over the years due to that gem of a masterpiece he 'gave' us.

I haven't earned enough to truly compensate Prince for the lifetime of great music he has 'given' me.

BigDaddyHQ said:

1. I don't own any bootlegs, downloaded or otherwise. Like I said, I gladly pay for the things that are of value to me. I have seen and heard quite a few though, that much I cannot deny but I don't have them!

2. Prince and Warner Brothers and his other distributors have the receipts and the tax records that show that they did not give us a damn thing. We paid for it! All that reciprocating nonsense you're trying to convince yourself of is bull. With Prince it's always been PAY FIRST and you and anyone that's being honest with themselves knows it!

3. I've overcompensated Prince when the music wasn't all that great. I've overcompensated Prince when I bought that gold plated crap he was peddling at his shows. I've over compensated Prince when I supported his latest protege de jou's projects that didn't really go anywhere. I've overcompensated Prince so much so over the years for things OTHER than his wonderful music, that I can call us about even and I do!
[Edited 2/19/09 6:02am]