From MUSIC UP! Magazine #7, october 99

Article and interview conducted by Sacha REINS.



[2 photos from his press kit, the close-up with the black cowboy hat and standing with his cane in his back.]



Unprofessionnalty translated by Purple Paris.



If there is a real mystery around the artist formerly known as Prince (who's also represented by an unpronounceable symbol), it lies in the fascination that he's had on us for nearly 20 years.



Let's face the music : if he indeed recorded a few cutting-edge albums that, at a certain time, totally revolutionned comtemporary music through a highly explosive cocktail that melted rock and funk, you have to admit that since the beginning of the 90's, he hasn't done anything really relevant. He's recorded a lot but, for lack of artistic discipline and because of an overblown ego, he refused to edit himself and came out with huge offerings, triple albums, 5-cd packs from which the 2 thirds lacked interest. What more, he took us on his slightly goofy and sometimes shocking war against his record company, Warner.



Shocking, because you can't pretend to be a slave (he would only appear with the word "slave" written on his cheek) when you're a billionnaire, vice-president of said company, owner of a multimedia studios empire and that you're obviously living the good life. Goofy, because it led to internet distribution for his new offerings and that the fans that ordered this way sometimes had to wait over a year just to get their order. In those conditions, how is it that he just needs to announce a change of strategy (he just signed a deal with arista) and a new album to see the international press flock to New York in a heartbeat? This fascination mentionned above is provoked by this oh so rare fire called genius. The artist formerly known as Prince (admitt that you have to be really good to paste yourself with such a name and not be made fun of all the time) is megalomaniac, paranoid, self-sufficient, unsufferable, ridiculous, but he still possesses inside of him the sacred fire given by the gods and that shines on occasion, allowing him to get in touch with his genius. We got to see it in action in NY where the presentation of the new album "Rave unto the joy fantastic" took place in two times. First, a press conference and then a series of interviews.



DETAILS



The press conference was ridiculous. Instead of having the artist introducing his new songs as planed, we got the usual number by Clive Davis, president of Arista. This self-sufficient man started out by telling us how proud he was to have brought the artist home ("It was one of my dreams"), then he reminded us what a great man he was since he had scouted (among others) Janis Joplin and Bruce Springsteen when he was boss at Columbia. Too bad that we couldn't speak up to show him that he has a fledging memory and that Bruce had been signed by John Hammond, a great talent finder who also discovered Dylan and Aretha Franklin. We then listened to a few new tracks from the album and among them the new sinle : "The greatest romance ever sold" that was played 3 times!!. During its third play, the artist, entirely dressed in red veils (he looked like a scared girl that just ran out of a harem) appeared, greeted, smiled whith modesty and discomfort under the applauses and went away as fast as he had come.



A BRIEF MAGICAL MOMENT...



A few minutes later, as Clive Davis announced that the presentation was over, the back curtain opened and the artist reappeared, his guitar in his hand and surrounded by his New Power Generation, with Larry Graham. What followed was a mini-concert lasting some thirty minutes during which, by moments, we were faced with the pure genius of a brilliant intrumentist who had inherited of the virtuosity, the violence, and the originality of Jimi Hendrix and Django Reinhardt. We then understood during those invigorating flashes that the man could indeed do as he pleased, get himself into the most ridiculous situations, have some doubtful speeches, he'd still catch us in the end. All he needs is his guitar for all to be forgotten, and forgiven.



SOLILOQUY



The next day, the interview went as planned, that is without any logic. To face the artist is like to be at the helm of a plane that can fly at one moment under a perfectly blue sky and then suddenly go through some terrible weather that was not planed at all. He appeared dressed in black, looking very pale. As always, the artist refused to be recorded. He pretends that his words are more free and more real when he knows that there will be no trace of them. Really, paranoid as he is, he's affraid that his interviewers might sample his voice. He first made his classic speech about Warner "Towards the end, it had turned into a nightmare. I didn't have any more bounds with this company. They didn't know where they were going. The president of the company changed so often that I didn't even have time to have an appointment with the new one that he was already fired. Sure, I was vice-president, but it didn't mean anything. It's like a couple, You can be officially husband an wife but if you're not happy together, being married makes no difference. How can an artist be happy when he's controlled by people who don't know anything about music, who only care about money? I was very unhappy and it's easily heard isn't it? You can hear it on that record that they just released without my approval (the vault). It's really bad isn't it?"



MISTAKE



It wasn't my opinion and I made the mistake to tell him, naively thinking that it would please him a little anyway. He looked at me as if I was a complete idiot. Prince lived for a very long time among people that were here to make all his wishes come true and approve vigorously to everything he did but who had absolutely no right to talk to him. When they took the chance to do it anyway he looked at them as if he had just spotted some cow's poop in the middle of his living-room's carpet. He didn't answer but the poor victim was strongly warned by some other assistant of the master not to do it again or he would be fired. Still, the artist seems to have changed, the proof being that he now talks to the press. Therefore, it was time to ask him if this opening towards more communication brought him, now, to lend a better ear to outside advice on his music. The field was not booby trapped, if was not even a slippery field since there was no ground at all. The ground had suddenly opened and there was now a huge gap in which I fell. "A critic? Who are you? Are you better than me? Answer me, are you better than me?"



SCHIZOPHRENIA



" Can someone know better than I what I have to do or not do? We all do what we have to do by god's will. There is no better or inferior, only different forms of the divine will. A few years ago, Sign 'Of The Times had been nominated for an award. It didn't win and I never went again to this kind os ceremony. It's totally ridiculous. Can you say that such Van Gogh painting is better than such Picasso's?"



The new album from love symbol is officially produced by Prince. Interesting case of split personnality that would no doubt arouse a psychologist's interest. Explanation from the two men : "Prince was a character that had developped in my own I. Prince took decisions as Prince. I authorised him to take decisions, to decide for me. Sometimes I wonder what would Prince think of such or such thing, what he would do in my place. That's why I let him be my producer on this album." But, I asked, aren't you affraid that... If his eyes were guns, I'd now be dead : " No. My answer is no. You ask me if I'm affraid. No, nothing scares me." I then turned my question around very carefully "People, you know how people are... They'll see Prince and the Artist and they'll say that you have schizophrenia, and all that...People no, but journalists, yes. Journalistes are hurtfull, they love to gossip, love to dirty what's clean. They are the ones who'll call me schizo." OK, so simply, tell me : who's answering my questions, Prince or the Artist? A flash of delight goes through his eyes. "Neither one nor the other", he answers slowly, "'tis I who answers you."
Hats off artist!