this past Saturday, June 5th, 2004, Prince did an interview with a local entertainment reporter. The interview was aired on KTLA. Sam Rubin, entertainment reporter, had recently talked about Prince and the Musicology Tour. Sam Rubin also mentioned Prince's aftershows at the House of Blues in West Hollywood. So, Prince had summoned Sam Rubin for an interview that still was not 100 percent for sure, even when Sam Rubin showed up at the Staples Center with a camera crew during one of the sound checks. so, here is the transcript of that interviewed aired this morning. this was pulled from the bumpsquad's website.

Sent: Monday, June 07, 2004 12:53 PM
To: thebumpsquad@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [thebumpsquad] transcript of Prince interview on KTLA June 7, 2004

i took timeout from the news coverage of Ronald Reagan 4 the love i
have of all U guys here at the bumpsquad.

peace

KTLA TRANSCRIPT - INTERVIEW WITH PRINCE AND SAM RUBIN
Aired June 7, 2004

7:47 am Airing

Sam Rubin: Hmm, alright. This is interesting. People who have seen
one of the 5 sold out shows at Staples, a record for the venue by
the way. Several overnight performances at the House of Blues. L.A.
has been Prince Crazy, and you know how impressed I was with the
show on Thursday night. So, imagine how fun to actually get a call
that the very, very reclusive Prince wants to talk to the morning
news. So, without benefit of brushing my hair, I raced down to
Staples and among the things we talked about, Prince asked me where
I got my clothes. Actually, I asked him, `Hey you sing live and you
make remarks about those in concerts who don't sing live, what about
that?'

Prince: A lot of shows these days, uh, have pre-recorded vocals and,
uh, pre-recorded sounds. That event happened in the past. You bring
it to the Staples center it's not really the same as actually seeing
live musicians play. I think the art of that is getting lost so, we
just want to make a point of that and, uh, draw attention to it.

Sam Rubin: Are those people cheating?

Prince: (laugh) Ah, you have to ask them.

Sam Rubin: Alright, why Prince do you on this tour especially you're
been so celebrated? What are you doing right? What facilitated you
getting better?

Prince: Ah, just the length of time I've been out here, and uh,
doing it. You gotta get better at something if you do it enough.
And, uh, also I think the audience; they do appreciate the work
ethic. I work real hard at what I do I think it shows in the type of
musicians I keep around me and they way the show is put together.
How it comes across.

Sam Rubin: There is an enormous work ethic. We will have more with
Prince in our next hour.

8:34 am Airing (started tape late)

Sam Rubin: I'm like, I'm like little Prince, younger. Anyways,
Prince, who as part of his devoted belief, as a Jehovah Witness,
does not celebrate his birthday. Does have other reasons to
celebrate. 5 sold out shows at Staples. A record for a local arena a
tour so well reviewed. Prince says he may continue on the road
indefinitely. And then in most towns, Prince plays elsewhere. Like
in L.A. at the House of Blues after the Staples Show. So, I asked
him why, why play the one show and then another. Prince says he has
to.

Sam Rubin: Why do you like those aftershow shows?

Prince: Umm, well 2 hours is not really enough to get it all out of
our system. So, we like to go, and find an accommodating building
and see if we can get the roof off at that place too (laugh). It's
important that we go to another place and go another 3 hours because
if we don't we just kinda vibrate on our beds.

Sam Rubin: Prince and I did not discuss Leeza (Gibbons, because she
was Sam's next guest) directly, but given Leeza's roots in
entertainment, (Sam looking at Leeza next to him) I knew, I mean I
would have. I had to ask Prince, to confront the rumors the notion
that he is strange, odd, unusual. He talks candidly about that.

Prince: Their image of me comes from the media. And uh, my friends
don't think of me as private or odd or unusual. Ah, but it is
understandable that people will come away with that notion based on
things that the media regurgitates.

Sam Rubin: You know that a lot of people spend a lot of time
courting the media. You know, oh, you think of this about me, this
is what I'm really like. You never made an effort to do that. Why
not?

Prince: Well, it's obvious that media has an agenda and I just as
soon not stand in their way (laugh).

Sam Rubin: He is cool.

Is anyone else getting tired of Prince's "real music by real musicians" theme? He seems to mention it in everything interview he does! The way he talks about lip-syncing, pre-recorded music, and music artists not playing any musical instruments (Britney Spears, etc..) you would think that we had a crisis on our hands. The fact is, most musicians today (I would dare guess 95%) play real instruments at a live show. The Britney Spears are in the small tiny minority. I don't hear other great live peformers, e.g. Sting, go on and on about they play real music with a real band. Most groups do, so get over it Prince!

Uh, I like it, uh, when Prince, uh... opens up.

DavidSF said:

-----
Trust me Prince is not talking about artist like Sting. He is talking about rappers and teen twits like Britney Spears. Take a good look at the music charts or listen to your local radio.

That what popular at this moment. Not artist like Sting.

ummm...i think the reason prince is talking about REAL music is because there isnt REAL music being played that much anymore. sure sting does not talk about real music because his audience is a lot older than prince's audience. u r 4getting that prince has influenced a GENERATION of artists. there IS a,to paraphrase chuck d, a dumb-assification of music listeners out there. can you say video killed the radio star. kids are not trying 2 pick up any instruments these days. either they want 2 sing or rap. eff the instruments. who needs that? that is prince's point. i am glad 2 see someone stick up 4 that! who else is gonna "take the weight"?
concerts these days are based on choreography, lighting, etc.etc..the musicianship isnt there anymore he way it used 2 be. try going 2 a pop concert these days and see what prince is talking about. this man sings,dances, AND plays 4 2-3 hours EVERY single night..AND he's the one that stays on stage..and did i mention that he's 46?

I think Prince is talking about a lot of the hot acts or the boy bands, not every musician out there touring now. The way the media goes gaga over the prefabricated acts that zoom to the top of the charts and get loads of airplay is pretty sickening.
There's loads of great live music in just about every city in the country by bands who do nothing but tour. But what seems to grab the lions share of attention is the plastic stuff. I think what frustrates Prince is that younger folk, especially those into hip hop and rap are losing or don't have an appreciation for musicians and their skills, which is really sad.

this is just a new day we have techology now computers and all kinds of toys that do everything for us ..i just maybe think prince is a little resentfull for haveing to struggle so many yrs for reconition and playing many instruments to blow up in the music bussiness prince really did earn his fame .by working hard for long hours and yrs to get where he is .and now all artist have to do is look a certain way if the image is right .then they will make you sound passable in the studio .its all about image and selling sex ..its not about the music anymore .. times have changed .thats just the just of it ...prince must realize that and keep doing what makes him happy and stop worrying so much about other artist ..if you ask me .if i was prince i could care less ..because hey i have mine .i am the real deal not fake .

"It's important that we go to another place and go another 3 hours because if we don't we just kinda vibrate on our beds."

NCC2012 said:

Prince is an interview machine.

callmyname said:

HHHHooooo WWWWeeeee Now THAT'S an aftershow I'd like to be a part of.

Lord, I got all tingly reading that bit!

NCC2012 said:

passes prince a quarter....

DavidSF said:

I think you're mistaken.

Many, many artists either lip-synch or use pre-recorded backing tracks, for example almost ALL hip hop artists. Here's a few more:

Michael Jackson
Janet Jackson
Britney Spears
Beyonce
Missy Elliott

and the list goes on, for commerical pop music.

DavidSF said:

After performing with a hack such as Sean Combs why the hell would he?

DavidSF said:

No they don't and thats his point. I'm not saying that Janet or Madonna or MJ don't put on good shows from a lamens point of view. But i like the spontaneity of live bands EWF,Red Hot Chilli Peppers,Cameo,P-funk and thats the kind of musical blood that P has running thru his viens so he's a bit biased and annoyed when being compared 2 his lipsynching contemporaries! And it is on the decline especially in R&B music on the whole when it comes 2 Bands. Who's the next TIME,CAMEO,or EWF or Prince& the NPG. I could give a damn if STING acknowledges that point or not Prince does'nt need Stings ass 4 his points 2b validated. Nobody is being groomed or pushed 2 carry on the legacy of those great bands bcuz it takes time and patience 2 let a band find it's way. @2days acts are mostly cookie cutter acts where $$ is the bottom line and not ART!

mrdespues said:

Thank u! I'm sorry that i missed a few but u are so on point.

LOl. Now ya See he's Got Hyper Horny Energy from such a Thrill being back on Stage. He's On Fire ya know all Inflamed from all this Cool excitement. Can ya Blame him for being so happy? People Love him so Much and he's Real Popular again. I'm so Happy for him. I wish my Messed-Up life wouldn't get me Down cause seeing Prince is a WONDERFUl Thing. He might think this Wild Child just a Freak staring him Down but Boy Oh Boy I Know what I'd do for 3 Hrs with him After Those Shows. Get all The Damn Kinks out.....Break a Man DOWN! SheeeeT!!!

DavidSF said:

Remember that not everyone goes around reading every interview he does. Alot of this is new to the general public who's not logging into Prince.org to read his interviews.

DavidSF said:

Fact of the matter is, this is the Pop Idol generation - if you have an okayish voice and look the part, you get to be a megastar. None of that pesky putting the hours in practising and learning your trade. How do you get to Carnegie Hall? Turn up for an audition.

This sort of pop has it's place, it's just that it's a bit one-sided at the moment, Prince is just trying to inspire people to even the balance out a bit.

I actually take Prince's comments on real music to mean more than just playing live - it's abour taking time to understand your instruments, to learn how original music is put together, how everything is built upon musical foundations stretching back, about understanding genres like funk, rock and jazz and how they best work together. I mean, most of these pop kids do cover versions without ever even listening to the original! And certainly without understanding the context.

Actually, I get tired of his downing using pre-recorded vocals and instrumentation because he's been JUST as guilty of it as some of today's "chart toppers". Does he not remember a LOT of his performances between 1994-1998??!!!!! His short Gold tour was chock full of samples and pre-recorded vocals!! So much so that, to me, it was embarassing...especially when he had a band as good as it was back then (the '94-'96 NPG; not the '97 version)! Tommy B. was more of a "sample-triggerer" than a keyboardist at one point. And he was, obviously, a seasoned veteran then, too!

So, instead of him screaming out "real music by real musicians" all the time, he & the band should just play and the get the funk on with it. LOL!

Is that interview real? If so, it was horrible.

TipN4U said:

Two...

DavidSF said:

YES !!!!
I Am !!!
(that's his hook right now)
cause, that cd SHOULD be given away!
He's a brilliant man, who knows that NO MATTER WHAT he's GOT STAGE !!

why not Harp on that ?
but, ENUFF already ...

PEOPLE HAVE 2 UNDERSTAND THE ART OF MUSIC WHY DO U THINK EVERYBODIES KEP SAYIN SAVE THE MUISC AND MUSIC IS DYING BECAUSE WITH COMPUTERS THEY DO EVERYTHING 4 US BUT WHAT HAPPENS WHEN THEY SELFDESTRUCT, AND WE ARE LEFT TO TRY 2 ENJOY MUSIC WHEN WE DONT KNOW HOW TO PLAY.
SHUT THE FUCK UP AND STOP BEING SO IGNORANT AND LISTEN 2 WHAT HE'S SAYIN
PEACE ANDBE WILD
REMEMBER LIFE IS DEATH WITHOUT ADVENTURE.
THE EROTIC KID

uh..was this like in uh,the mornin? uh,cuz prince,uh doesnt seem uh,awake.....

Why is he going uh so much? uh.

mrdespues said:

Here in San Francisco we have a Sunday paper insert called Datebook that lists all the local concerts. I looked in it and counted over 40 music concerts advertised. Out of the 40 I think only two have lip syncing or no "real musicians."

I also think Prince has no right critcizing rappers because they don't play musical instruments. There's a reason why it's called RAP!

David