violetcrush said:

luvgirl said:

I think Alex Knew that Prince was not singing the song live during the filming and was certainly aware that it was a recording... Upon knowing that, the significance of his statement was that Denise was the likely catalyst for one of Prince's most powerful displays of emotions in his career. He obviously understood the intense connection between Prince and Denise to make such a proclamation... After Prince pointed out one of the lyrics associated with Denise, he did say that the specific lyrics you are referring to was in connection to the scene with Appolonia and Morris. It's up to you if you want to believe him or not. Other people have their own theories though.
[Edited 2/18/19 20:34pm]

Alex never knew Prince or Vanity or their relationship, nor did he know what was happening with his feelings for Susannah at that time. His book has been highly criticized and is riddled with mistakes from what I have read. Prince's statement was that those lyrics were for that scene in the film, however, based on what we now know about what was happening at that time, and what all of his associates have said, plus what was recently discussed with Questlove, Duane, and Ruth, and most imprtantly - what Prince said at his first P&M show at PP - I have no doubt that Susannah inspired that part of the song.

Krystalkisses said:

violetcrush said:

Alex never knew Prince or Vanity or their relationship, nor did he know what was happening with his feelings for Susannah at that time. His book has been highly criticized and is riddled with mistakes from what I have read. Prince's statement was that those lyrics were for that scene in the film, however, based on what we now know about what was happening at that time, and what all of his associates have said, plus what was recently discussed with Questlove, Duane, and Ruth, and most imprtantly - what Prince said at his first P&M show at PP - I have no doubt that Susannah inspired that part of the song.

Hi Violet! Please don't take this the wrong way, it is just genuine curiosity, but just from your posts Susannah seems to be your favorite Prince girl, I am just wondering what it is about her that you love so much, no judgement honestly, Denise Matthews is my favorite, so I understand we all have our favorites, just wondering why you love Susannah and your reasoning for believing she was the "one". And also I'm not a Melvoin/Coleman hater...i think their influence on Prince's music was divine and offered such a pretty, melodic underpinning to his groove back then.

Hi Krystal! Not taken the wrong way at all, and I surely appreciate your nice post I'll try to explain my ideas/thoughts without creating a novel here!

*

It's not so much that Susannah is my "favorite" Prince girl, as much as it is just that I think he had a deeper connection with, and a stronger love for her. It's not that I have anything against Vanity at all - she was undeniably beautiful, very strong-willed and she loved Prince. I think she and Prince were very much alike in terms of where they came from, how they grew up, their strong desire to be in the spotlight, and their physical attributes. There is no doubt he was physically attracted to her and drawn to her beauty. However, he was also looking at the business side of things with forming the girl group, and he was still quite young and moving up the celebrity ladder. I have no doubt that he loved her (as he also stated during the P&M show), but I don't think it was a sustainable relationship in terms of their personalities and possibly other issues like her drug use.

*

I think that Prince was very inspired by Lisa first (and I'm sure he had a bit of a crush if you listen to the songs Lisa and Strange Way Of Saying I Love U from 1981), and then Wendy when she came onto the scene. I think how he met and got to know Susannah was much more "organic" - it began as a friendship and progressed slowly. Although she was/is a good singer he didn't really need her in the camp as a singer at that time, so the fact that he brought her to MN indicates that he just wanted her there with him. I think she (Lisa and Wendy too) was very different from the girls that he had been around - she had a more advantaged upbringing, and a strong musical backround and knowledge from her family. She stated in a recent interview that Leon Russell and other very famous musicians would come to her house to just hang out and "jam", and Wendy was playing Bass with the group at 8 yrs old - very cool!. Anyway, I think the three girls opened his world a bit more with their ideas, sounds, and intellect. It was a deeper musical connection.

*

I know he was not monogamous with Susannah, nor with any of his more serious girlfriends, so I always take that part out of the equation, and mainly focus on the songs, along with connecting some dots through the years. It's interesting, because I was a teen during Purple Rain and a big Prince fan during that time (I drifted in the 90's like many but came back around), and I never realized who Susannah was, or that he had a serious relationship with her. I do, however, remember seeing headlines linking him to Sheena Easton, Susannah Hoffs, Madonna, etc. Susannah was never mentioned by the media when linking him to relationships, even though she was one of his most serious during that time. To me, the songs for her really demonstrate more of the story in terms of Prince's perspective and feelings for her. Forever In My Life and Adore show a deep intimate connection and affection ("when we be making love I only hear the sounds of angels crying up above, tears of joy pouring down on us. They know we need each other.." / "I want to keep you for the rest of my life, you are my saviour you are my light, all that's wrong in my world girl you can make right, forever I want you in my life") When he performed for the SOTT film he combined FIML, Adore, and It together, and often combined FIML/It in concert. Then you've got Empty Room, IIWYG, Wally, Come Home and most likely 101 as they were recorded in the same time frame. Now we also know that their intimate relationship did not end in December 1986 - per Susannah, it continued for years after that time - allbeit in a more distant form. We know that he was asking to see her in 1993 and she posted/auctioned the letter he wrote to her in 1994/1995 wanting her opinion on his first ballet w/ "I love U, Please write". Wendy and Susannah were the first two people he thanked during his speech at the AMA's in 1995. He put In This Bed I Scream on Emancipation, and initially most of the songs on that album were about lost love - some were kept on the record and some removed. About one month before Susannah was married Prince posted on the AOL Fan Q&A that Forever In My Life was written for Susannah - he responded, "susannah. she knows." I have no doubt that he chose the questions for that session, so that is very interesting to me. He recorded Wasted Kisses during that time as well and hid the track on the Newpower Soul release.

*

I think there are more "connect-the-dot" pieces, but I won't list them all. I just started becoming fascinated with some of the love songs and also the "I miss you and I want you back" songs in the 90's, so I've tried to come up with the most logical connection. It's difficult though, because I think he fell hard for Kim Basinger too (although, per Robin Power's stories, he also cheated on her), and I think there are songs for her. I think the unreleased "I Wonder" was written about her ("a Southern gust of wind came and took my girl away from me, now my tears could fill an ocean, my tears could fill a sea.."), and most likely Thieves In The Temple, Acknowledge Me and Dark are about her. During his Stars n Bars show in 1994 before he sang Acknowledge Me he said, "much props to the woman..the woman who...she shouldn't have gotten married" - Kim had just married Alec Baldwin about 6 months earlier. Then before he sang the song Dark he talked again about how "she just left me all alone and now I'm just in the dark.." - so who really knows for sure. I do think it's interesting that Susannah said when he came to see her in 1993 and was very upset he told her, "I'm coming back for you". That seems to indicate that he was missing her and wanted to be with her. This is also the time period where he wrote Solo after asking David Henry Hwang to write him a poem about loss -the way you feel when you've lost someone you love and you know they're never coming back to you. He had written 3 Chains O' Gold the year before ("If I don't think about the fact that she left me..."). He had also pulled out Empty Room during this time and was going to release it but didn't. He wrote Zannalee as well ("If you wanna headline you gotta be all you can be, you got a strong act to follow and her name is Zannalee...") I think he gave that one away with the lyric "she's got a sister named Fendi.." . Anyway...just my thoughts, but he very well could have and seems to have been writing the "I miss you" songs for more than one woman at the same time, so who knows for sure.

*

Lastly, I think the song Strange But True is an important song - for the lyrics ("you're the only one that I gave it to, the one I fantasized for, and time away from you has taught me what I should've known, this hole I'm trying to fill with another - yeah, it's grown"), and also because his Engineer Hans stated he had to fight to get Prince to include it on the Rave album. He said he figured Prince thought it was too personal, so he added the extra "scratches" and noises to make it sound less emotional before putting it on the album.

*Again, these are just my thoughts/opinions, and I know those who are interested in his romantic relationships have their own as well.

[Edited 2/19/19 14:36pm]

I think the depth of the lyrics in the songs written for Susannah is good indication that he seemed to care deeeply for her and I believe they shared a special connection as well. It's interesting to me that he was still reaching out to her in the 90's and even before he passed. From what some of his close associates have said,he was still telling stories about Mayte in the last years and his display of emotion during the shows in Australia where he was publicly mourning Denise, I think shows that he still cared deeply for her too. From the looks of it,there were a few women on his mind in the end. It does seem to me that none of his more recent relationships seemed particularly deep and were more just for fun and companionship. I think it's likely that he was missing the deeper connection of some of his more serious relationships with the way he seemed to be reflecting during the P&M shows.

pinkcashmere23 said:

I think the depth of the lyrics in the songs written for Susannah is good indication that he seemed to care deeeply for her and I believe they shared a special connection as well. It's interesting to me that he was still reaching out to her in the 90's and even before he passed. From what some of his close associates have said,he was still telling stories about Mayte in the last years and his display of emotion during the shows in Australia where he was publicly mourning Denise, I think shows that he still cared deeply for her too. From the looks of it,there were a few women on his mind in the end. It does seem to me that none of his more recent relationships seemed particularly deep and were more just for fun and companionship. I think it's likely that he was missing the deeper connection of some of his more serious relationships with the way he seemed to be reflecting during the P&M shows.

I agree. I don't think he was really serious with anyone for quite a long time before he passed. On the P&M tour he was in a period of reflection about his life, his family, and his past relationships with certain women and bandmates.

He was in a relationship with Judith Hill.....

violetcrush said:

pinkcashmere23 said:

I think the depth of the lyrics in the songs written for Susannah is good indication that he seemed to care deeeply for her and I believe they shared a special connection as well. It's interesting to me that he was still reaching out to her in the 90's and even before he passed. From what some of his close associates have said,he was still telling stories about Mayte in the last years and his display of emotion during the shows in Australia where he was publicly mourning Denise, I think shows that he still cared deeply for her too. From the looks of it,there were a few women on his mind in the end. It does seem to me that none of his more recent relationships seemed particularly deep and were more just for fun and companionship. I think it's likely that he was missing the deeper connection of some of his more serious relationships with the way he seemed to be reflecting during the P&M shows.

I agree. I don't think he was really serious with anyone for quite a long time before he passed. On the P&M tour he was in a period of reflection about his life, his family, and his past relationships with certain women and bandmates.

Yes,after the divorce from Mani,he seemed to go back to the playboy lifestyle.

PennyPurple said:

He was in a relationship with Judith Hill.....

Yes,he appeared to have some sort of relationship with her. He wouldn't have confirmed that more than likely. They hid the relationship well too from what some of his associates said in their interviews for the investigation. He seemed to have a relationship with Natalya Phillips as well with as much time as they were spending on the phone and the frequent emails.

pinkcashmere23 said:

PennyPurple said:

He was in a relationship with Judith Hill.....

Yes,he appeared to have some sort of relationship with her. He wouldn't have confirmed that more than likely. They hid the relationship well too from what some of his associates said in their interviews for the investigation. He seemed to have a relationship with Natalya Phillips as well with as much time as they were spending on the phone and the frequent emails.

Yep.

pinkcashmere23 said:

purplefam99 said:

violetcrush said:

violetcrush said:

purplefam99 said:

purplefam99 said:

violetcrush said:

Do you remember which show? He also may have been referring to his Son, unless it was connected to a song about their relationship.

It is the screening of the P&M show that they show at the Celebration They have showed portions each year. I believe it is from either his last Atlanta Show or it’s the last one at PP. I’m sorry I can’t recall what song he goes into Or is singing when when talk about his Puerto Rican baby. They way he said it It sounded like he was referencing a woman.

Interesting. I hadn't heard that. Thanks for the info! At one of the shows at PP he performed 'Te Amo Corazon' 'A Million Days' and 'The Dance' Maybe it was during one of those songs.

purplefam99 said:

pinkcashmere23 said:

violetcrush said:

violetcrush said:

violetcrush said:

I heard him do A Million Days - it was either the first or second P&M show - and he did not say it during that song. During the "wherever you are is home lyric, he did repeat "I don't think you heard me - I said wherever you are is home" several times. He recorded that song in 1995 though so it wasn't connected to their relationship. It was another one of the "I miss you" songs.

A Million Days, Te Amo and The Dance were played at the 2nd PP show Jan 2016. I'll have to listen again because I don't recall hearing him say "my Puerto Rican baby" at all during that show.

I didn't either. Perhaps PP played special footage only they had access to.

violetcrush said:

pinkcashmere23 said:

violetcrush said:

purplefam99 said:

pinkcashmere23 said:

Interesting. I hadn't heard that. Thanks for the info! At one of the shows at PP he performed 'Te Amo Corazon' 'A Million Days' and 'The Dance' Maybe it was during one of those songs.

Maybe, I was so into just absorbing how he was moving during the performance That I can’t recall which song. Maybe Te Amo???

Could be since that was seemingly inspired by Mayte. I believe 'The Dance' was as well.

pinkcashmere23 said:

petalthecat said:

violetcrush said:

Yes, I'm sure he still needed that female connection, and he seemed to still have the younger mentality in that way. I don't think he ever matured with regard to being interested in much younger women - even for just a friendship or emotional connection.

I thought his friendship with Tamron Hall was great! It's debatable whether their relationship ever advanced to something more...but I think they were so well suited. Would have been great to see him try a mature, intellectual woman at least once!

His music is the true love of his life. The man stated he was married to the music.

ladygirl99 said:

purplefam99 said:

pinkcashmere23 said:

I didn't either. Perhaps PP played special footage only they had access to.

I will ask my friends who were there as well. But I clearly remember Thinking wow that was definatly for Mayte. And I recall thinking oh wow he still Loves her. I had thoughts after he said the words. I’m not sure about special footage. Unless he tried the show out beyond those 2 public shows at PP??? And that is what they are showing??

Ok. I recall in the performance of 'Purple House' on the Rave DVD that he said 'I got a bad bad feeling my little Puerto Rican baby don't stay here no more' or something similar. I haven't heard anything like that during the P&M shows I've listened to but it could have been extra footage they showed.

pinkcashmere23 said:

purplefam99 said:

pinkcashmere23 said:

Ok. I recall in the performance of 'Purple House' on the Rave DVD that he said 'I got a bad bad feeling my little Puerto Rican baby don't stay here no more' or something similar. I haven't heard anything like that during the P&M shows I've listened to but it could have been extra footage they showed.

Yes pink, “live here anymore” and the way he was weaving the show It made me feel like he was saying live here in the building The nature of the show is like a bit of a puzzle. Like I was constantly thinking ok who is he talking about or too now What is he saying oh ok now he is singing. It was heady.

Ah ok, so similar to what he said during the Rave show. Interesting. Yes,listening to the shows I felt he was talking to a particular woman or women as well. Fascinating to listen to.