In this month's issue of Q (UK), there are two pieces on . First of all, in the incoming section:
Not 2 Happy : The Artist has another barney with his record company : Having spent most of the '90s in dispute with Warner Brothers, The Artist is stalling the release of a remixed version of current album Rave Un2 the Joy Fantastic until Arista help him have some hit singles. In a statement posted on his website NPGon-lineltd.com (sic), he said Arista head Clive Davis had promised to aid him crack the charts and refusd to even film a video until this happened. "As soon as a single is "locked" at radio (Arista's job, not NPG's)," he said,"a video will b shot and a promotional campaign put in2 effect. The Artist's heart and soul went in2 the making of this record, and his xpectation is that Mr. Davis and Arista wil honor their agreement with him." // There are two small photos, one of [Caption: "The Artist: still can't grow a proper beard"] and one of Clive Davis [Caption: "Clive Davis: has promised to aid The Artist.] [End]



Secondly, the cover article this month is "When Rock Stars Go CRAZY!". While does not feature in the top-100 'biggest rock blunders', he is the only person to be given a 'special feature' box.



Prince Special! / Princely Rum / The artist formerly known as all sorts of things never explained and never apologised. / The pocket funkateer first revealed to UK audiences in 1983 seemed to favour the regulation mac-and-bikini briefs apparel of the park flasher, but few could have realistically predicteed the true extent of Prince Rogers Nelson's loopy tendencies. The first glimpse probably came in the press release for 1985's Around The World In A Day, which revealed that the musician was planning to retire at the age of 27 to go "looking for the ladder". Although this premature withdrawal from public life never happened, it gave some indication of what was to follow. Prince had always toyed with alter egos and pseudonyms - Victor, Alexander Nevermind, Christopher Tracy, Spooky, Somebody - but on the occasion of his 35th birthday, he performed the odd feat of killing off his artistic self. The cover of the Come album spelt it out: "Prince 1958-93". The method behind this act of madness soon became apparent. Desperate to slip his contract with Warner Brothers, he argued that the artist known as Prince was now dead and thus he was free. When it was pointed out that this theory was legally leaky the recently renamed daubed the word Slave on one cheek and stated that he would remain on tour until the dispute was resolved. Once liberated a year later, he washed his face but continued to make increasingly useless records and barely comprehensible statements via his website. For example: "We should only ever 'agree' 2 purchase under r own terms what the industry is trying 2 sell us, and never let it dictate r taste, r feelings, and, ultimately, r soul." He remains wonderfully and completely hatstand. [End]



Ha, when I saw the cover, I knew he would be featured somewhere!