For more than 25 years he produced albums for these ladies in his life...with very little success. So why does he keep wasting the time, money and energy?

I guess partly because he can. I would imagine he loves to write music (or like a curse he cannot help but write music). Some of those songs he writes must sound like they should come from a woman's perspective, he writes lyrics to suit and then needs to find an outlet for them. That takes care of the energy part.

I doubt he shares the view that they are a waste of time and money. Maybe with hindsight he does wish they had been more successful but then he's moving onto the next thing so fast I doubt he gives it that much thought.

Some female "protege" albums have been successful - most famously Sheila E. Some have had success where they have not been 100% Prince written and produced but the singles have been, and the artist was already known like Martika - Martika's Kitchen and Chaka Khan. Others really have not had a huge audience outside of us Prince fanatics despite us thinking they are really rather good(Jill Jones).

I'm just glad they are all out there, its interesting to hear the songs Prince decides not to keep for himself. They are not all mere cast-offs, there are some genuine classics to be found...

He communicates affectively using music as his tool.. and probably is more comfortable communicating his feelings via the music production process?

He wines and dines just like every other bloke, but goes the extra mile by making 'sweet music' with the objects of his affections.

Which is nice...

he thinks he can spot talent ... and the $$$$ signs just point him to these people in my opinion ... like Simon Cowell and American Idol ... everyone wants a piece of the next "new artist" altho i do think that Prince has some better vibes goin on .... he just doesnt have the "fire" that he had back in 85-91 ... imo ...

I think sometimes it's not about spotting talent, but trying to tap into what he sees as a lucrative market, he's usually late to the party and the stuff drips with Prince so much it suffocates what he was trying to achieve.

Remember with The Family there's that quote about 'Duran Duran' money. And acts like Carmen Electra and Tony M. are his take on some current trend in pop he wants a slice of.

I can't remember the thread, but Anxiety made a good post about it recently I remember reading about how he will express his feminine side through these acts.

It's also a good way to impress the ladies isn't it: "I'm gonna make you a star"....

moussemaker said:

I think pre 90's protege's are different than those following

If you take in the scene Prince created via UPTOWN, EROTIC CITY, PAISLEY PARK

the (female) proteges gave him an outlet to express a certain side

Remember when you say proteges (that doesn't mean sexy woman) Morris Day & the Time are/were proteges, Sheila E (an establish musician before she met Prince) is a protege, The Family was a protege (and they had what it took to go further FAMILY 2.0) Mazarati was an popular Minneapolis band with a strong fan base before Prince (and those are all men like Prince) Jill Jones is a strong singer, and I think she was a pretty good actress in Purple Rain(was also his friend prior to him making it big.

I think the 80's proteges added another dimension to the world prince created.

the post 80's so called proteges in my opinion were a waste of time

When I pull out Prince playlists they always include music from the Time, Sheila E Vanity 6 the Family Mazarati & Jill Jones

Originally, the Time & later 80's side-projects were created 4 2 reasons:
- 2 give the impression that Prince's music was part of a bigger movment.
- 2 allow him 2 release more music than the 1 album a year Warner allowed him.

Later, he's been known 2 launch side-projects 4 no reason xcept being in love with a woman. Neither Carmen Electra nor Mayte were particularly hot with becoming singers, but Prince DID insist on them making these records (both of which, incidentally, are the 2 weaker records of Prince's discography.)

As 4 Chaka's Come 2 My House & Larry's GCS2000, it's pretty obvious that Prince was honored 2 produce these 2 icons, & besides, it was a way 2 say "fuck off" 2 Warner Bros since the so-called "newpower pack" was 3 ex-WB artists.

Now, as 4 Tamar & Bria, i don't know... I guess there's some kind of a romance between him & Bria but who's 2 know.

OldFriends4Sale said:

NouveauDance said:

Yeah,Prince is always late to the party and when he finally decides that he wants to "cash in" on that lucrative market,he finds people who aren't very talented in their own right.In many cases,these "proteges" aren't even real artists,they are just friends of his.He rewards them with record contracts,despite their obvious lack of talent.






Yeah,it's clear that Prince has used this line on many of these ladies

To have a female mouthpiece.

To foster "new talent"

To create a parallel between his music career and his love life.

2 get in their pants.

lladygold said:

pretty much

I remember a Rosie Gaines interview from the mid-90s where she complained about her Paisley Park album not getting released.She speculated that it was because she "wasn't sleeping with Prince".The Carmen Elektra album,on the other hand,was released with a $2 million marketing campaign and lots of promotion.

SoulAlive said:

Do you think he wanted to sleep with her?

moussemaker said:

Prince is who hhe is in part to his ability to produce other artists. Nothing forged what would be his legendary reputation as a genius than having 3 hit ablums under 3 different names (Prince, The Time, Vanity 6) at such an very young age. He was the wiley veterna producer liek Quincy Jones who had worked with everyone and was well established. Prince was only on black radio up until the 1999 album. MTV wouldnt even play his (other any other black artist's) videos until Little Red Corvette. Sure, the 1999 album was a instant classic and would have broken him through all by itself but haing a killer followup album from the Time and the most innovatively sexy girl group ever with a hit club record certainly put him on the map like no other artist. It was incredible that he could do all that and have it all work with other people. No one else could pull that off. In fact, no one else has yet.

^
But that's all 25 years ago.

manipulation and control .....

moussemaker said:

It stared 25 years ago - he has done it throughout his career at various intervals. Paisley Park Records was born from his work with proteges. Say what you will about that label, it was something that no one else was even trying to do on that level and there were great projects from The Time, Sheila E, Eric Leeds, Jill Jones, Mazarati, and Madhose albums. These are major chapters in the Minneapolis Sound - in fact, without proteges thee woujld be no MPLS sound - ironically enough the very title of this wonderfulnew album that we have. These spinoff acts are vital chapters in the story of Prince as we know it.
[Edited 4/3/09 9:48am]

because he wants to and he can.

madartista said:

Tell em' honey!

mayte & bria should do a duet.