I think one reason for the success of the former NPGMC was that Prince had Manuella and Sam Jennings at the helm. We all know they were both fans before they entered the Prince camp iirc . Well at least Sam was. He bought into the ‘collective’ and everyone back then kind of jeered him for it.

Yeah he did some dubious web design and art direction maybe..and that baby poster as part of that Hawaiian hat box thing was blarmey but the baby was actually cute. I just couldn’t see the reasoning for putting a picture or poster of a baby as part of a Prince musical package. That was very nice of Prince to let him do that I guess lol..too cute

But I think Sam (and Manuella as she was into Prince music before from all reports)he knew what to put out music content wise that would please fans. At least the die-hards internet fans. Hell, I think Manuella was one to put into his ear about even having a Celebration or at least opening him up to whomever suggested he do so. Previously they used to have that Prince convention in some place like Cleveland was it? lol. Manuellain her enterpreuner spirit probably told him how to do it better: have him do one.

It seems when Sam either abandoned ship or was made to walk the plank..and Manuella gone too …Prince was left to use new help.

It’s been said that they were not really savvy about Princes history/previous work. Which may have been refreshing to Prince. But that may be why the content was lacking to some. And why some older releases were put out as new or relatively newer product. They didn’t know that die-hards already had that and wanted stuff like audio show material that was part of the 2001 music club era etc.

So while some bagged on Sam (I see you a.m.p. roaches who are the main complainers now once again), he really set the bar high possibly with audio releases of classic concert archival material (some parade era live songs), maybe bending Princes ear to release some of the club exclusive material such as Vavoom etc.

But if this were the case, wouldn’t Prince have learned from Sam and Manuella about exactly what was expected or desired to make success for a website?

I don't think Prince is smart enough to know how to run a proper website. He proves time and time again that he just doesn't understand how the web works. With LF, he obviously picked someone who wasn't up to the job to do the site, and the result was that every single possible thing went wrong with the site. There's absolutely nothing good about the site, even when it's working properly, which it rarely is.

Efan said:

Yes, we know how you feel.

Maybe the issue (if there is an issue, Im not that far gone lol) is he needs a fan to be involved again. Funkberry?

Why would it take a fan to tell him he should add content to his site and that the site shouldn't suck so much? It should be obvious. Yeah, I'd love it if a fan (or anybody) convinced him to put up a Purple Rain- or Lovesexy-era show, or material from the '90s, or whatever. But he could also be putting up new material (remember Montreux?), so you don't need a longtime fan to tell him that. You just need someone who actually understands that a website should have some new content once in a while.

Efan said:

Thats the question I posed in my orginal post.

I think the problem is he hired web designers rather than content designers. So he got a lovely website with lots of flashy bells and whistles with a noticeable lack of content.

But that's his own fault. Either he or someone on his staff should have been focusing on the content the week after the site was designed and up and running. So there are some pretty graphics and quirky navigation. That stuff is interesting for 3 minutes. Every minute beyond that, it's only annoying. He really cannot think that this thing was worth the $77 it cost each and every one of us that signed up.

I have a feeling there is a LOT going on behind the scenes with this thing. I'm sure he and the designers are not even on speaking terms at this point. Just guessing. And he's scrambling in the last month to make it worth the subscription price so he doesn't have to scrap it completely and start fresh with a new one in a few years.

Is there ANYONE who signed up who plans to do so again at the end of this month? If it's even still there....

errant said:

I am lol

Yeah they were more web designers

and maybe he did feel that it wold be worth it (it was to me)

I have always said here and elsewhere that the best Prince online experience coincided with the increased involvement of Manuella & Sam in Prince's endeavors.

The Mani-haters don't want to admit it, but much of the fan-friendlier stuff that Prince did (Celebrations, etc.) was a result of her involvement. I remember going to those Celebrations, and she was hands-on, event managing to make sure things went smoothly. And they got better every year.

A lot of web-savvy Prince fans remember Sam from the early years of the Collective, and I think there was some fan-envy that he got the gig to design Prince's site. Say what you want about his designs, but the best, most easiest to access Prince site for music and videos, was when he took the helm of the NPGOnlineLTD site after the Tekadence fiasco (Who remembers that hot mess?). The pages were simple--with direct links to download MP3s and videos; and they were updated monthly. After people complained about sound quality, they even offered more hi-fi version of the MP3s.

Unfortunately, as with many things that have to do with Prince--the departure of both Sam and Mani (not coincidentally with the divorce filings?) resulted in a complete shutdown. I think part of this was personal (only speculating), and part was Prince had grown weary of the level of interactivity and feedback (negative) that was appearing on NPGMC. Plus it was getting out of control as it increasingly seemed to be a site for open proselytizing poorly hidden under the guise of "Truth" seeking.

To answer your question: I think Prince has a good idea of what the fans wanted when Mani & Sam were around. But that has to be a constant sound in his ear. When they left, he was left in his own echo chamber (which is never good FOR ANYONE). I also think Prince is not as interested in that level of fan interactivity as before, in his employ or in his web endeavors. So instead we get one-way old style thedawn.com style website, rarely updated, no news, no communication, and difficult to navigate.

He doesn't have the right people around him, and more importantly, he doesn't seem to WANT them. Or us. He seems happy to go back to the old model of "sell them music & tickets when I have something to sell" and that's it.

NuPwrSoul said:

"No..there is another."-Yoda/Empire Strikes Back

spot on nupwrsoul!!!!!
[Edited 3/5/10 11:48am]

xlr8r said:

I don't think it matters if it's a fan that's in charge or helping with his web presence. Just someone who understands Web 2.0 and is serious about making a great site that offers something for non paying members and a special treat for monthly subscribers. I'm not going to give any money to the current web designers. Whatever they're charging Prince, it's way too much. Never get someone from LA to design a site. Get a true geek.

NuPwrSoul said:

I remember Mani from when she was looking for Prince bootlegs on alt.music.prince.

But, who knows what's going on in Prince's mind. You'd think someone who records all day long would have a lot of great demos, new songs, videos, and such. But there's nothing.

NuPwrSoul said:

A thoughtful and objective comment on the org...there's an anomaly,

Seriously though, I've always noted a certain ambivalence in Prince on the PR front. The relative stability of his relationships during the NPGMC period certainly provided a grounding influence that resulted in a more accessible and fan friendly environment and I think the early Love4oneanother era is similar in that regard.

While it's not exactly commonplace to find highly artistic people who can also skillfully manage the more mundane and practical aspects of life, the thing is, it's still up to the artist to recognize that they need competent and qualified associates to follow up on any given project. This is where the disconnect is happening.

Granted, I'm sure it's not easy, given that the entertainment biz is full of leeches and especially for an indie artist without the benefit of corporate $$. My hunch is that with the departure of Sam, when the evil internet was pronounced dead, and the vacuum created by the breakup, there was no affordable, competent resource to pick up the slack. Not to mention that Londell was also no longer in close proximity.

In the absence of capable and committed people laboring mainly out of caring or friendship, it's expensive to pay a staff of professionals to look after the business side of things. There's also the aspect of being able to retain people who can successfully navigate around a personality that's mercurial at best.

These days, P's staff may only consist of a couple of bodyguards and an assistant, not counting band members. It appears that any other services are contracted as needed on a limited budget.

The two clowns that did Lotusflower were probably what he could afford at the time and it shows. Him not knowing anything about web design and probably not checking references, it seems like they got the gig by basically telling him what he wanted to hear, (also never good for anyone).

His m.o. throughout has always been to dismantle his world when it becomes cumbersome and build another without looking back and this will be no different.

I loved the NPGMC. Sam was/is awesome. I'm biased but it is great to see him get some love on here.

Great post x. and Nu, as always. Mani gets bashed all to hell on here and I never understood it.

babynoz said:

I took a consumer behavior course this quarter. I know P does whatever the fuck he wants to, but until someone does some focus groups or surveys, there is not going to be a successful online venture.

Vendetta1 said:

I agree with Nu. At this point his only interest is selling music and tickets which is fine as long as he's up front about it. A whole lot of hype without substance only makes things worse.