endiadj said:

SoulAlive said:

I wanted Vanity to stay and do the Purple Rain movie (and a second V6 album),but from a business standpoint,she probably made the right decision.$5000 vs. $300,000?? That's not a hard decision,lol

I would argue she made the wrong decision to skip out on Purple Rain. Just imagine what her status would've been coming off a number one film, also the songs Prince allegedly had planned for V6, possible opening act for the PR tour. The recognition and power she would've accumulated during that time would've been through the roof!

You do make a good point.The Last Dragon wasn't nearly as successful as Purple Rain....and I agree,a second Vanity 6 album would have made Vanity more popular than ever!

SoulAlive said:

luvgirl said:

I'd like to know more about this Robbie Bruce... Who was he? Is there a picture of him floating around? Everyone always wants to see pics of the women Prince were dating. I'd like to see a picture of who Vanity was dating! Plus, she liked the way he rocked, soooo..... I read that he was a recent college grad. Is that it? A college grad? lol I'm assuming he was a producer or someone of the sort as well since he worked on the album with her.

I could be wrong,but I think that Robbie Bruce is the blonde guy that plays her love interest in the "Pretty Mess" video.I remember someone said that in a thread about the song/video.

He was not what I had in mind as Robbie Bruce... I have to do some research on this now to see how true that is...

luvgirl said:

SoulAlive said:

I could be wrong,but I think that Robbie Bruce is the blonde guy that plays her love interest in the "Pretty Mess" video.I remember someone said that in a thread about the song/video.

He was not what I had in mind as Robbie Bruce... I have to do some research on this now to see how true that is...

I am in search of Robbie Bruce too so I guess I need to stay out of my head because he was not what I had in mind either.

[Edited 8/1/17 18:41pm]

Vashtix said:

luvgirl said:

He was not what I had in mind as Robbie Bruce... I have to do some research on this now to see how true that is...

I am in search of Robbie Bruce too so I guess I need to stay out of my head because he was not what I had in mind either.

[Edited 8/1/17 18:41pm]

I don't have a leg to stand on, but I always thought this was probably Robbie Bruce because it was around that time. Anyway, I'll see if I can crack the case. I'm asking around on some of her fan sites...

You want some candy little boy?

Robbie, don't you want to come out and play a while? Make me ooooooo
Robbie baby, hear ya' got an electric machine
And it's mean, makes me want to oooohhhh
Robbie baby, I like your style and the way you rock wigglin'

He say something inside me, excites you
Strap it on...tight!
If you wanna come on a carnival ride, baby yeah
Strap it on...tonight!

Robbie baby, I like your hair and the way you slide your fingers through
Robbie, maybe, just maybe way down here
You'll take me nice and easy, your pretty

Don't you provoke me, come on stroke me
Strap this thing...tight!
If you wanna glide down my highway, it's open
Strap yourself in...ride!

So why don't ya ride me, excite me...ooh
Strap me on tight!
Yeah, I wanna glide down your carnival ride
Strap me on tonight
Yeah, you gotta fly down my highway
It's open, strap me on, oh! Tonight!

Go ahead...knock yourself out

luvgirl said:

Vashtix said:

I am in search of Robbie Bruce too so I guess I need to stay out of my head because he was not what I had in mind either.

[Edited 8/1/17 18:41pm]

I don't have a leg to stand on, but I always thought this was probably Robbie Bruce because it was around that time. Anyway, I'll see if I can crack the case. I'm asking around on some of her fan sites...

I never noticed the guy and much less that he was holding her hand. Her smile just took over the whole picture. Who cares about anything or anyone else around. She was shining bright in this pic.

Perhaps that is the mysterious "Robbie".

OldFriends4Sale said:

You want some candy little boy?

Robbie, don't you want to come out and play a while? Make me ooooooo
Robbie baby, hear ya' got an electric machine
And it's mean, makes me want to oooohhhh
Robbie baby, I like your style and the way you rock wigglin'

He say something inside me, excites you
Strap it on...tight!
If you wanna come on a carnival ride, baby yeah
Strap it on...tonight!

Robbie baby, I like your hair and the way you slide your fingers through
Robbie, maybe, just maybe way down here
You'll take me nice and easy, your pretty

Don't you provoke me, come on stroke me
Strap this thing...tight!
If you wanna glide down my highway, it's open
Strap yourself in...ride!

So why don't ya ride me, excite me...ooh
Strap me on tight!
Yeah, I wanna glide down your carnival ride
Strap me on tonight
Yeah, you gotta fly down my highway
It's open, strap me on, oh! Tonight!

Go ahead...knock yourself out

I believe that this is one of the songs that appeared on the Parent's Music Resource Center's list it was a list of the dirtiest songs from that era.These were angry parents who were protesting all of the sexual songs back then,lol.

Vanity was provacatiive. I still like the campiness of it all. She was priceless .

Vanity talks about Wild Animal, The Last Dragon.... and Prince.

[Edited 8/2/17 20:13pm]

Denise didn't leave Prince for money reasons only. She clearly explained this in an interview I found on lipstickalley.com. I do not have the link right here but I transcribed the most relevant parts of the interview in my quest to better understand her years with Prince:

"Why did I back out? Money reasons...It was also an excuse I think. It was a chance to make an escape I think. It was just something in my heart I needed to leave. Something I discussed with the Man upstairs. I needed to create. I'm very much like Prince and he understands that now, and I understood that about a year ago. We're both leaders. I as much as him, and I need to make my dreams come true. And he needs me to be a part of his dreams, and that's understandable... (00:14:20) He is a very strong force to be under."

This is about as explicit you can get right. Money, pursuing her own dreams, both had the personality of a leader so they probably clashed regularly.

In the same interview, she also implied that she was deeply in love with Prince. When she first met him she said: "I thought he was gay...I don't know why he kept following me around, but [sad eyes] I really wished he was gay. I wouldn't have fallen so deep."

Her struggle revolved around having to choose between her feelings for Prince and taking her career to the next level. We all know she chose the latter, but we also know that at the time she didn't know to what extent her decision would affect her emotionally.

[Edited 8/3/17 6:28am]

I went and listened to these songs and for some reason Grace Jones came to mind. I wondered how she would have sounded singing the same songs. Grace also got her start as a model. I then went and watched a couple of Grace Jones videos and it all became clear why none of Prince's protege's went straight to the top. Both dance and sing provocatively but you can't help but see what Prince meant when he said "I love her for the artist she wanted to be". Something like that, . She is still the most beautiful of all his women in my book.

From her diary -

25 Oct 83 Packed everything, leaving tomorrow for LA. Got enough courage up to call Prince, said in plain forgiven English, wishing the best for the film, crossing my fingers, no need to, but am sure in spite of everything I'll miss and love him. He showed at First Avenue... said a genuine Hello. Come to think of it, we never said Goodbye. Cried of course. Goodnight night, sweet dreams of you again and again and again.


26 Oct 83 [...] God, I will miss him he'll never know. But I know this is the right thing. Could bear no longer.

CatB said:

From her diary -

25 Oct 83 Packed everything, leaving tomorrow for LA. Got enough courage up to call Prince, said in plain forgiven English, wishing the best for the film, crossing my fingers, no need to, but am sure in spite of everything I'll miss and love him. He showed at First Avenue... said a genuine Hello. Come to think of it, we never said Goodbye. Cried of course. Goodnight night, sweet dreams of you again and again and again.


26 Oct 83 [...] God, I will miss him he'll never know. But I know this is the right thing. Could bear no longer.

Thank you for sharing this. She really was deeply in love with him. Are you someone close to her? As far as I know she never published her diary. I'm still kind of new on the org so I do not know that many people yet.

[Edited 8/3/17 13:34pm]

CatB said:

Purplemoon6 said:

Denise didn't leave Prince for money reasons only. She clearly explained this in an interview I found on lipstickalley.com. I do not have the link right here but I transcribed the most relevant parts of the interview in my quest to better understand her years with Prince:

"Why did I back out? Money reasons...It was also an excuse I think. It was a chance to make an escape I think. It was just something in my heart I needed to leave. Something I discussed with the Man upstairs. I needed to create. I'm very much like Prince and he understands that now, and I understood that about a year ago. We're both leaders. I as much as him, and I need to make my dreams come true. And he needs me to be a part of his dreams, and that's understandable... (00:14:20) He is a very strong force to be under."

This is about as explicit you can get right. Money, pursuing her own dreams, both had the personality of a leader so they probably clashed regularly.

In the same interview, she also implied that she was deeply in love with Prince. When she first met him she said: "I thought he was gay...I don't know why he kept following me around, but [sad eyes] I really wished he was gay. I wouldn't have fallen so deep."

Her struggle revolved around having to choose between her feelings for Prince and taking her career to the next level. We all know she chose the latter, but we also know that at the time she didn't know to what extent her decision would affect her emotionally.

[Edited 8/3/17 6:28am]

Thanks for transcribing this. It is from her 1988 Playboy interview.

There were several factors at play in her decision to leave. Harem part I- was a biggie. Obviously, Prince was still kicking it with Susan when she first arrived in MPLS and after as well along with Jill, and who knows who else all at the same time. She said in one interview, she needed only one man to love her, but Prince wanted more than one woman to love him. On the Donnie Simpson interview, she said Prince could not single out one woman. So money for Purple Rain and what her pay for her contribution may have been an issue, but she made it an excuse. If I remember correctly, Toban said in one of the threads (maybe one of the ones that got erased), that she asked Prince for an amount of money for Purple Rain that she knew he could not afford on purpose to give her an excuse to leave him.

purplegirl00 said:

SoulAlive said:

The entire budget for the Purple Rain movie was only $7 million,so perhaps asking for a million was too much

She wanted out - bless her, she tried hard to quit him but I get the feeling it was a lot harder than walking away from their movie.. . .

purplegirl00 said:

Vashtix said:

She was getting readyto be THE EVANGELIST.

.

All of Denise's personalities fascinate but the Evangelist has to be my fave.

Me too. She was on fire and some of her jokes.. especially the one about "cobwebs" .

Her preaching vids have hilarious one liners!

purplegirl00 said:

woogiebear said:

And U CANNOT tell Me that Morris Day DID NOT program THE HELL OUTTA DEM DRUMS ON THIS!!!

Agreed. The song is very MPLS style & sound.

Morris vocals really made this song- that and his drums.

.

This is one of my favorite Vanity songs. She is not a singer- but what she recorded was a perfect fit for her just like this song-

.

Anyone know what the french part says?

Anyone know why the video was never released?

Did Vanity speak French or was this just for her song?

[Edited 8/3/17 20:21pm]

I,too,wonder why the video was never released? I believe there was a news item in a magazine back then,saying that Vanity was finishing up the video.For some reason,it never came out without question,that song would have done very well if there had been a video.

Vashtix said:

purplegirl00 said:

Agreed. The song is very MPLS style & sound.

Morris vocals really made this song- that and his drums.

.

This is one of my favorite Vanity songs. She is not a singer- but what she recorded was a perfect fit for her just like this song-

.

Anyone know what the french part says?

Anyone know why the video was never released?

Did Vanity speak French or was this just for her song?

Purplemoon6 said:

CatB said:

From her diary -

25 Oct 83 Packed everything, leaving tomorrow for LA. Got enough courage up to call Prince, said in plain forgiven English, wishing the best for the film, crossing my fingers, no need to, but am sure in spite of everything I'll miss and love him. He showed at First Avenue... said a genuine Hello. Come to think of it, we never said Goodbye. Cried of course. Goodnight night, sweet dreams of you again and again and again.


26 Oct 83 [...] God, I will miss him he'll never know. But I know this is the right thing. Could bear no longer.

Thank you for sharing this. She really was deeply in love with him. Are you someone close to her? As far as I know she never published her diary. I'm still kind of new on the org so I do not know that many people yet.

[Edited 8/3/17 13:34pm]

You're welcome. I wasn't close to her but to Prince. Enjoy your time on the org.

Vanity @ the 1.28.1985 American Music Award show

purplegirl00 said:

Purplemoon6 said:

Denise didn't leave Prince for money reasons only. She clearly explained this in an interview I found on lipstickalley.com. I do not have the link right here but I transcribed the most relevant parts of the interview in my quest to better understand her years with Prince:

"Why did I back out? Money reasons...It was also an excuse I think. It was a chance to make an escape I think. It was just something in my heart I needed to leave. Something I discussed with the Man upstairs. I needed to create. I'm very much like Prince and he understands that now, and I understood that about a year ago. We're both leaders. I as much as him, and I need to make my dreams come true. And he needs me to be a part of his dreams, and that's understandable... (00:14:20) He is a very strong force to be under."

This is about as explicit you can get right. Money, pursuing her own dreams, both had the personality of a leader so they probably clashed regularly.

In the same interview, she also implied that she was deeply in love with Prince. When she first met him she said: "I thought he was gay...I don't know why he kept following me around, but [sad eyes] I really wished he was gay. I wouldn't have fallen so deep."

Her struggle revolved around having to choose between her feelings for Prince and taking her career to the next level. We all know she chose the latter, but we also know that at the time she didn't know to what extent her decision would affect her emotionally.

[Edited 8/3/17 6:28am]

Thanks for transcribing this. It is from her 1988 Playboy interview.

There were several factors at play in her decision to leave. Harem part I- was a biggie. Obviously, Prince was still kicking it with Susan when she first arrived in MPLS and after as well along with Jill, and who knows who else all at the same time. She said in one interview, she needed only one man to love her, but Prince wanted more than one woman to love him. On the Donnie Simpson interview, she said Prince could not single out one woman. So money for Purple Rain and what her pay for her contribution may have been an issue, but she made it an excuse. If I remember correctly, Toban said in one of the threads (maybe one of the ones that got erased), that she asked Prince for an amount of money for Purple Rain that she knew he could not afford on purpose to give her an excuse to leave him.

You're welcome. I'm trying to collect as many facts and truthful information as possible in order to paint a truthful picture of their time together. I know Susan was still his girlfriend when he was with Denise. Eventually the former broke up with him too (1984/85). So Denise confirmed that money was an excuse in 1988 and before that she told Donnie that she didn't want to be a part of the harem. I still feel sorry for her about this because she was deeply in love with him. It could have been such a beautiful romance.

luvgirl said:

purplegirl00 said:

Thanks for transcribing this. It is from her 1988 Playboy interview.

There were several factors at play in her decision to leave. Harem part I- was a biggie. Obviously, Prince was still kicking it with Susan when she first arrived in MPLS and after as well along with Jill, and who knows who else all at the same time. She said in one interview, she needed only one man to love her, but Prince wanted more than one woman to love him. On the Donnie Simpson interview, she said Prince could not single out one woman. So money for Purple Rain and what her pay for her contribution may have been an issue, but she made it an excuse. If I remember correctly, Toban said in one of the threads (maybe one of the ones that got erased), that she asked Prince for an amount of money for Purple Rain that she knew he could not afford on purpose to give her an excuse to leave him.

In "Blame It On Vanity" She alluded to asking for more money than she knew he could handle as well, and in Mayte's book, Mayte said Prince confirmed Vanity asking for 1 million dollars, and Prince said it broke his heart.

Thanks for sharing the fact that she confirms this also in her own book. I'm reading Mayte's book too. I ordered it last week. It's a well-written and insightful story.