jacktheimprovident said:

Musicology is THE ONLY Prince album that Rick James ever like. Yes, Rick said that in one of his final interviews.

It's not that Rick necessarily liked "Musicology" itself, Rick did an interview during the time when "Musicology" first came out. In his interview, he admitted that Prince was one of the only few artists left that was still keeping the funk alive. He also thanked him for it and admitted that there had been a little jealousy. He also ended by joking that he was taller and better looking than Prince.

When he died, Prince played a little of "Give It To Me Baby" in one of his concerts and told Rick to "rest in peace".

vainandy said:

Thank you Vain for setting the story straight b/c people get things twisted. Also, they tend to forget that our boy Rick gave P his start.

Hotlegs said:

Legs do you mean because Rick had Prince as his openinng act on a tour prior to Prince really hitting it big?

Hotlegs said:

-----
Prince opened on for RJ. I don't think RJ gave him a recording contract or wrote of any his music. (LOL)

laurarichardson said:

If you've been in the biz, you know that having a superstar to open for is great exposure for your career. Therefore, Rick did give Prince's career a hell of a jumpstart.

So true. Rick was a much bigger star than Prince back in those days because he was so shocking. Rick was all about sex, drugs, and funk & roll and he was the king of it. Before that tour, Prince had a feminine appearance, but other than that, he was fairly tame.

For Prince to compete with or even survive the tour with Rick James, he had better be shocking also. Prince became shocking on that tour and got the audience so excited that it became hard for Rick go on next and top him. Prince learned shock value on that tour. He saw what worked well for him and made "Dirty Mind" shortly after the tour was over. He became Rick's major rival for several years. In a way, Rick did give Prince a major jump start.

Hotlegs said:

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No, you don't say. He gave his carreer a jump start but I think P still would have been a big star with or without opening for Rick.

laurarichardson said:

Dream-on. Opinions are assholes and everybody has one. Of course, the truth and reality is the light.
[Edited 4/29/05 12:02pm]

There's no doubt he would have been a star. He definately had the talent and the on the first two albums, there were even early signs of his "sound".

However, I doubt that he would have made such a rebellious and shocking, hell raising album like "Dirty Mind" if he had not been on that tour with Rick James and saw how successful Rick was with shock value. Rick wore outrageous outfits. He sang about sex, drugs, prostitution, the ghetto, etc. He cussed. He lit up joints in public. He basically didn't give a damn. Prince already had his own look but he still was rather tame. It was during this era that Prince first began performing in his underwear and singing about explicit sex. People first started to really pay attention to him during this era.

"Dirty Mind" led to "Controversy", which was battling it out with "Street Songs", which also led to "1999" from Prince and "Throwin' Down" and "Cold Blooded" from Rick James. Both artists were in their prime and releasing their best work during these years. They were the two wildest artists in R&B and fans were taking sides. Rick badmouthed Prince every chance he got. Prince didn't talk, he remained mysterious. Fans from both sides fueled the rivalry up big time, which led to both artists' greatest work.

Rick had already released an album for The Stone City Band before Prince released The Time's first album. Rick also had a very successful protegee, Teena Marie, before Prince started producing other groups. Rick had also been planning on The Mary Jane Girls when Prince came out with Vanity 6. Rick had also been talking for years about making a movie called "Alice In Ghettoland" which never happened. Prince later released "Purple Rain". There was definately some influence and idea stealing going on.

I don't doubt that Prince would have been a star but I don't think he would have chose the path he took, which led him to be a superstar, if he had not followed Rick's lead.

vainandy said:

In other words, Rick's influnece was the cataylast for Prince's success.

OnionJuice said:

Artpal

vainandy said:

Wow, I didn't know that about Rick. It seems Prince did a lot of "borrowing" of ideas in his early years. Or he was influenced by other people's ideas... (worded better for the purple koolaid drinkers. )
But many great "inventors and creators" borrowed someone else's ideas. Bill Gates, Alexander Graham, and I am sure others. These people just took someone else's spark of an idea and made it better.

Also, I think George Clinton may have been a big influence on both Rick James and Prince as far having other groups goes. Before either one of these guys, George Clinton had Parliament, Funkadelic, The Brides Of Funkenstein, and Parlet.

vainandy said:

That's True Vain, You can't deny the influence of George the Mothership Connection .


"Make My Funk The P-Funk Cause I Want My Funk Un-Cut."
[Edited 4/30/05 15:27pm]

vainandy said:

vainandy said:

Oh yeah! My first concert was Parliment, Funkadelic, Brides of Funkenstein, and Zapp. I don't know what my mom was thinking of when she let me go to THAT concert, I was I think 13. When she saw the news story about the concert (before we got home) of George in a diaper lighting that huge joint...

prodigalfan said:

I bet that was a funky mindlifting expereince .

prodigalfan said:[quote]

vainandy said:

Hey! My first concert was Bootsy and his RubberBand with The Gap Band and Ray Parker, Jr. & Radio! I went with my GREAT-GRANDMOTHER of all people. I was 9- Now what the hell was SHE thinking?
I also read my first novel that year (Stephen King's "Carrie"). This might explain a lot about me...I think I hear my therapist calling, gotta go!
[Edited 4/30/05 17:32pm]

Terilicious said:[quote]

prodigalfan said:

Ya know! I FORGOT about Ray Parker and Radio. Thanks for bringing that one back to me.

oops
[Edited 5/1/05 11:59am]

prodigalfan said:

How could you forget pre-Ghostbusters Ray????? Maybe it was spelled Raydio, not sure. "A Woman Needs Love-Just Like You Do", "Jack and Jill", "You Can't Change That" I had alittle crush on the super-suave Ray when I was little.

Terilicious said:

It's Raydio. I remember it well b/c I still have the album in the basement. You are right the about the hits the Ray had with his group. I have found memories of him perfoming on American Bandstand: Jack & Jill, A Women Needs Just Like You Do and You Can't Change That . Also, you were right about him being suave b/c he was a hottie back then in the 70's I must say.

Your The Only One I Love. You Can't Change That.
[Edited 5/1/05 16:04pm]

Hotlegs,
I can't believe you still have the album!

Terilicious said:

Yep. It's still in basement collecting dust. I am thinking about selling some of my old albums at a record exchange shop and getting some bread off of them.

Oh don't you dare. I wouldn't take anything for my records. You better get you a turntable instead and pull out those stacks of wax because you'll be waiting around a long time for a lot of the good stuff to be released on CD. You'll wish you had not sold your records then.

vainandy said:

I still have my turntable. It's just that have such a large collection in my basement that its off the hook.

OK, just don't sell anything that you haven't already replaced on CD. I don't want to see you in a used record store a few years from now trying to get back your own records. Remember this.....



I want my daddy's records.....


[Edited 5/1/05 17:30pm]

vainandy said:

Blind Mellow Jelly!

vainandy said:

I keep saying I am going to get a turntable. I have all the Teena Marie albums up to Emerald City along with a few others, SOS Band, Cherrell, Alexander Oneal, Brick, Bar Kays, Lakeside, Rolls Royce...
I have moved about 5 times in the last 18 years, and I just keep packing up the vinyls and moving them to the new place to store in the basement.
One day, I WILL buy a turntable.