i have no idea who wrote this but i found this on the net and it gives a very good analysis on most of Prince's music video's

Part 1

Promotional videos are a necessary evil in this age of MTV/VH1. Many artists dislike the idea of having to represent the ideas
and emotions behind their songs in a video,as often the lyrics can be so personal to them that to translate them into a 4 minute
viewer-friendly video-bite can lessen the impact of the original song,the video-portrayal can detract from the power of the
original song,after all a bad video doesn't mean a bad song does it.Also many artists just aren't as pleasing to the eye as they are to the ear.Thankfully Prince is not one of them! Colourful,flamboyant,extrovert,uninhibited and kinetic,he is ideally suited to video.Though not quite as prolific or inventive with his videos as with his music,he does nevertheless have an abundance of fine videos under his belt.

Prince's first promo video,for "I wanna be your lover",served as an introduction to the man and his music.the simple video showed a long-haired Prince,falsetto in full flow,moving to the music,playing guitar and drums and displaying a questionable taste in clothing.So then,this Prince guy was a multi-instrumentalist,a song and dance man,a guy definitely,but who could dress and sing like a girl,quite an accurate early impression of him really.Subsequent videos would feature the band and all were pretty much standard studio-bound affairs.The Controversy video flirted with holy scenery,stained glass windows,and the Sexuality promo continued his fixation with the other theme,ending in a prompt strip-tease,not that there wasn't much he could reveal which wasn't on full display during the Dirty Mind live sets anyway.

Promos for the 1999 album showed the first real signs that Prince could do more than just strut and move,he could dance,and there is a difference.As the purple fixation flourished,with the glitter macs and their studded shoulders,Prince's videos bore more than a passing resemblance to Thin Lizzy performances and Prince himself wasn't unlike Phil Lynott in those days ,(along with Hendrix,Little Richard etc.etc)."Automatic" saw Prince fulfilling all the sexual roles he had cast himself in previously i.e. was he straight or gay,pure or perverse.Certainly with the biker's cap and leathers,he was courting homosexuality.But as the ladies stripped him down and tied him to the bed,he played out the role of a submissive to the fantasies of his sadistic lovers in a tongue-in-cheek menage-a-trois.

Though the Purple Rain movie featured more than enough stunning performance footage for any fan,there was also the video for "When Doves Cry",which intercut shots from the film with new footage to tell the story of the song,itself a summary of the more serious aspect of the movie.The beginning of the video is nothing less that stunning , ornate doors swinging wildly open to
usher us into Prince's sumptuous abode ,a kaleidoscope of colours all around ,a floor scattered with violets ,yet still the eyes
are immediately drawn to the bath-tub in the distance ,from which steam billows ,below which we see the luxuriating Prince. We could speculate on the meaning of Prince's emergence form the tub,metaphors such as surrounded in hot water,sweat of their bodies spring to mind,but surely it was just a sexual tease,the camera panning up Prince's body as he rises,just missing his suggestively naked nether- regions as he beckons an unseen lover towards him. One of the joys of this video is the subtlety amongst the decadence .It seems that the picture pauses for a few seconds to capture Prince gesturing towards us, but what
isn't immediately obvious is that amongst the rising steam to his left,Prince's head appears ,wearing the veiled hat ,and you see him turn to the camera singing " Dig if U will the picture ,of U and I engaged in a kiss" ,which I freely admit I didn't spot
until a good few years after I first saw this video ,and discussions online with other Prince fans on the internet showed that
many others discovered this a long while after the video first appeared also.
We see him moving sensually across the floor,like an animal stalking prey (or more likely a mate),striking curious poses as he creates an atmosphere simulating the sexual attraction between boy and girl. Again ,if you can take your eyes off Prince
slinking across the floor (ladies I know this may be difficult ,but try ..) you'll see that there's 2 stained glass mirrors behind him ,
one bearing a cross , the other the early incarnation of the symbol , yet another early appearance of his beloved motif.
The lyrics move on from sexual tension to domestic troubles,and we see Prince trying to calm his brawling parents unsuccessfully. The closing minutes of the video feature Prince dancing in a split-screen mirror,the symmetry resembling that of a butterfly's wings (you've got the butterflies all tied up).More than just a fine effect,it symbolised how the Kid has seen his father make his mother's life hell,and he repeats this behaviour by being elusive,destructive and distrustful of women in his own life,two unhappy situations, reflective of each other,which he is stuck in the middle of, spinning wildly out of control.

If there was a song about the frivolity and fun in the purple rain movie,it was Raspberry Beret.Taking a girl on the back of his bike for a ride,and more besides.In Purple Rain ,there is a short scene of sexual intercourse between Appolonia and Prince, frolicking on hay ,in a barn presumably.Inspired by this no doubt,("makes you feel like a movie star"),1985 saw Raspberry Beret and a tale of love in a barn,"the horses wonder who you are",etc.If further proof were needed of the previous years inspiration on the song,the end of the video has the Purple Rain era Prince,complete with quiff and make-up caked on the cheeks (of his face of course),as opposed to the Prince with the Liza Minelli hairdo in the rest of the video.He told us that "over- cast days never turn me on",so he wore the brilliant bright blue sky suit,indicating he was in the mood for a roll in the hay down at Old Man Johnson's.That "something about the clouds and her mixed" may well have been a double-entendre ( a first for him surely!),a cheeky reference to his cloud-adorned body intertwined with hers in passion.

The video for Kiss shows Prince at his most playful and fun. One of the delights of this promo is seeing Wendy's unconcealed amusement as he cavorts about her,and her recoil as he leans up close to "talk dirty" to her ,(halitosis is a dreadful curse isn't it!).In keeping with the minimalist nature of the song,the stage set is almost bare,as is his lady friend,dressed in the skimpiest clothes decency will allow.What she is wearing,however, is highly significant,as she makes the unnecessary effort to keep Prince interested in her,wearing a collection of bracelets and a gem-studded choker ("you don't have to be rich"),a pair of impenetrable dark shades ("you don't have to be cool"),and the net veil about her face to create an air of glamour and gorgeousness ("you don't have to be beautiful").The lyrics of Kiss are full of "you don't have to's,you've got to not's and you can't be too",and if you could sum up Kiss in one song title it would surely be Billy Joel's "I love you just the way you are ",albeit with a healthy dose of sexuality applied on top.What sort of woman (not girl) does rule his world then? The lyrics and video tell all.She is extrovert and fun,thus the line "You can't be too flirty " may be open to misinterpretation, as she is certainly flirtatious,enticing Prince to kiss her then walking away (at the end of the first chorus).The line actually means "don't be too flirty" i.e."tone it down",as opposed to "you can't flirt enough",which is the opposite,saying "come on strong".The whole of the second verse is him telling her there is no need to be all over him,she should be more a woman and less a girl,he "knows how to undress me",ie he can do these things for himself.As is fitting the girl's character,she completely ignores his advice,making her attraction to him clear throughout the video,e.g.at the beginning of the instrumental break she dances exotically towards him,he waves her away to say there's no need to go overboard,finally letting her invade his dance space,stealing his thunder.At the video's end she envelopes him completely,running her hand across his chest, turning his head aside to kiss him,Prince taking it all in his stride,used to her dominance,she has an attitude remember,but he can grow to love her for it.Kiss is different to some of his other videos for,although there is a strong female presence in videos like Gett Off,Cream,in those videos Prince is the ruling force,the master,the women are there to serve him,as he directs them,turns them,undresses them etc.In Kiss,Prince is the servant, allowing the lady to manoeuvre him and call the shots.He is prepared to give more than take in this relationship,not overwhelming her though,he will fit in with her plans,he just wants her EXTRA time and herrrr...Kiss!

In the Sign o the times promo,the lyrics were presented against intriguing but simple computer graphics,the video concentrated on getting the bleak message in the lyrics across,selling the song,without even Prince's own image getting in the way to distract from the severity of the message conveyed.The rest of the SOTT's promos were of course prime cuts from the classic concert film.In "U Got The Look" in particular,Prince makes optimum use of a split-level stage,recreating the effect of a crowded dance-floor,with the band and many others moving about in sequence;the song is set in a nightclub,Prince spotting Sheena from across the room,making his way through the throng of the dancers to check her out.While many people can look different under disco illuminations (and under the influence of a few pints ),when the house lights come on at the end of the night (closing time,ugly lights),she looks just as fine,"a natural beauty,unaffected".As the nightclubbers surround her in awe,a jealous Cat drags the fixated Prince away ("taken aback" if u will,in both senses),leaving Sheena basking in the attention of the crowd,while still displaying a tough air of indifference to them.

To go with the effortless cool of the song,Prince begins Alphabet St. at his most laid back,literally,but the song certainly isn't about apathy,its a gentle but assertive call to make a change in our lives,for the better.Hence with a cry of "No" and a few sexual thrusts Prince demonstrates by example how we should kick start ourselves out of our idle ways and do something,have a purpose in life.As we reach the chorus "yeah, yeah,yeah",the word "yeah" is displayed in big letters on the screen,and though the lyric is ridiculously simple it fits in with one theme of the Lovesexy album,positivity,but conveys the attitude of Alphabet St. ("I'm going down,I'm gonna crown etc").After all,what is "yeah",if not a yes,but with attitude. A fun video,bubblegum for the eyes and at times deliberately childlike,with the playschool blackboard effect of the back- ground letters,and he does a dance which closely approximates a child skipping rope or playing hopscotch,while the letters of the alphabet ,in order,flash in front of him throughout. He had said there would always be hidden messages in his work and here was the proof,as "Don't buy the black album,I'm sorry", "Heaven is so beautiful",""If U don't mind",and "H is for punks",flashed and danced on the screen,a case of blink and you'll miss it in some cases.

In the Glam Slam video he wore an ornate blindfold;the thing they had "transcends the physical",maybe not referring just to sexual activity,but physical beauty generally.They didn't need to see to experience the joy of Lovesexy,which was a feeling after all,hence the blindfold didn't restrict the effect. The mesmerizing video for "I Wish U Heaven" was directed by Jean Baptiste
Mondino ,who had of course made a lot of womens' dreams come true by persuading Prince to go au naturel for the
Lovesexy album cover .He continued the wish-fulfilment by creating a video presumably depicting Prince's idea of Heaven,
a lovely seamless place where people danced with joy and played music . A closer more cynical eye would ask though whether Prince really visualized Heaven as a place where partially-eaten apples and guns floated around freely , the apple
surely though was a biblical reference to the one in the Garden of Eden ,a recurring theme in Prince's videos ,(he would
later make claim that the video for The One was inspired by the story of Adam and Eve ).Perhaps the dullest video Prince
ever made was the one for When 2 R In Love , basically its just a black screen with the lyrics appearing in white in time
with the song ,*yawn*.In which case the award for 2nd dullest video must surely go to the later surfacing promo for
When 2 R In Love (Black Album version) ,it was ,hey ,you guessed it ,black screen ,white lettering .Why mention in then
you ask ,well ,the 2nd video had a slight difference to it ,a twist if you will .While the Lovesexy version just faithfully and accurately reproduced the lyrics to the song on screen ,the Black album version sort of made some up as it went along.
Some changes were harmless enough and in keeping with the song ,e.g."The thought of his tongue in the V of her love ,
In his mind this thought it leads the pack " changes to "The thought of this time is deeper love,it is my deepest thought,
it leads the pack ",whereas some lyrics took a more mischievous turn ,e.g "The brightest star pales 2 your sex " changed
to "The brightest star appeals 2 your sex " ,turning the original focus on HER sexual attractiveness (which is radiant,as she
outshines even the most spectacular constellation ) into a sly comment on himself (the brightest star ) and how he turns
HER on.More intriguing (or naughty even ) is the change in lyrics in the very beginning and end of the song ,as "So fierce U look 2night " becomes "Sophia she would tonight" and "Hold me ,yeah " changes to "Holly? Yeah ".Suddenly ,we find
ourselves asking , if this is a song about 2 in love, Prince and Sophia ,who is this Holly hes thinking about ,the rogue 3rd
party introduced to the scenario ,indeed is he even in love with Sophia or just thinking about calling her up for one night
of fun ,perhaps flicking through his little black book ,(or more likely a little purple book, nope ,a databank even),
for someone ,and after discounting Sophia then turns to Holly. So then ,a video for "When 2 R In Love " involving
a dubious 3rd and a questionable "love" ,only in Prince's world eh!


The Batdance video saw him dressed in a split costume,one side Joker,the other Batman,his face and hair similarly painted/styled to suit the characters.If we think back to the 'Batman Forever' movie,where the lead villain
was a character called Twoface,half of HIS face WAS scarred by acid,he developed a split
personality and dressed in a similar split-style,half conventional black suit and half leopard-skin jacket
and trousers.This was no coincidence. The Batdance video was shown immediately before the movie in,
many US cinemas and so was seen by a lot of non-Prince Batman fans.Prince is a long-time Batman fan
(one of his famous musical beginnings is playing the 60s Batman TV series theme on his fathers piano at
the age of 7) and the deliberate echoing of Twoface's garb was,if you will, a deliberate fashion statement
to all the batfans that he wasn't just some know-nothing airhead pop star brought into the project for no
apparent reason.Indeed the fact that Twoface was one of the few major Batman villains never to appear in the
1960s TV series adds further weight to the argument that Prince was more than just a passing fan of the Caped
Crusader,i.e he must have read the comic books to know of the character of Twoface .
The Batdance and Partyman videos were mini-movies in themselves.In the former,as Gemini and
himself,he portrayed the inner struggle of the lead characters,at times manic like The Joker,stern like
Batman and poring over the batcomputer like Bruce Wayne.Wrestling with their inner demons,only the
intervention of several lush Vicki Vales could distract him,as both characters were infatuated by her.The
Joker's mania resurfaces and as he dispatches with the Vickis, all chaos let’s loose and Gemini ,faced with
a choice of submitting to the psyche of Batman/The Joker or the electric chair, chooses instead to blow up
the lot of them.The Partyman video shows a gathering of suits having a drab ol' time at a civilized
function.When the party's dull,in your neighbourhood,who you gonna call? Enter Partyman,who brings
music,mirth and mayhem to the proceedings. As the party livened up we see him swigging from a small
bottle then slyly swapping it for another liquid which he blatantly spikes the drinks with.The
partygoers,assuming it to be alcohol,happily swarm around the drinks tank,sipping away at the new
"improved" beverage.But what has Partyman spiked the drinks with,we find out ultimately.As he leaves
the room,if you thought the party had no life before he arrived,its definitely dead now,the floor littered
with the corpses of the naive partygoers,poisoned by Partyman's concoction.

The third video proper for the soundtrack was Scandalous,a toned down version of Prince's "Electric Man"
stage routine,himself all in red,merely flirting with the microphone-stand,as opposed to the fully-blown
foreplay and intercourse we experience with the live rendition.Unlike most movie tie-ins,the Batman
promo videos featured no clips from the movie whatsoever.Batdance could easily have accommodated
some,as the record was of course made up from slices of dialogue taken direct from the film. Similarly the
movie features a wonderful scene where The Joker dances around Gotham City's Flueglhiem Museum ,
trashing various works of art ,while Partyman is played,almost in
full,in the background,which could have been lifted direct from the film if the producers so
wished.Clearly,self-promotion is priority where Prince's videos are concerned.Further proof of this can be
seen in the "Thieves In The Temple" video,which featured footage from the Graffiti Bridge movie.Its plain to see
Prince has no qualms about promoting a movie via his videos- but only when it's his movie.

Part 2


Like Partyman,Thieves In The Temple's promo was an extended video of one of the single releases
mixes,as opposed to the shorter album versions.The video saw a,um,welcome return of the Dirty Mind
bikini briefs and suspenders,which we had all missed so much,hadn't we.

The first 2 videos for the Diamonds And Pearls album gave Prince the chance to play the king of sex to
full extent, surrounding himself with lots of women in lavish surroundings. Diamond and Pearl were put
through their paces in an "audition", Diamond proving to be extrovert and flirtatious,whereas Pearl had to
take time to come out of her shell.Prince took the role of a little Caligula,Calittler if u like. Lets be honest,this
video is blatantly sexual,steamy and exploitative (of both sexes), and I love it to bits.I am not alone either,as
it was voted favourite video by members of Controversy in a 1992 poll.The Housestyle
video, by comparison,was a walk in the (paisley) park for them,having already been subject to all the
persistent advances Prince could muster in the harem earlier. The maxi-video delved deeper into Prince's psyche
with the really quite bizarre Violet The Organ Grinder video.If you have ever had a "No,Prince isn't a perv, really!" type of
conversation with your friends,one glimpse of practically any part of this video blows your argument right out of the water doesn't it! The Gangster Glam video was an exercise in seeing how many different outfits Prince and the NPG could wear in a
short space of time,the answer quite a lot.It was of course purely coincidence that the NPG line in fashionwear was available
through the Minneapolis store around that time.

The fluid,sexy and verrry cool video for Cream won best dance video at the MTV music awards in 1992,happily in a year when Michael Jackson spent many millions on his disjoint but great Black Or White video.There is a delicious irony here.Cream features Prince and a number of desirables,often dancing in formation,a style that has become the staple of Jackson's videos since his Thriller days.Prince very rarely goes for this style of dancing in his videos (Cream and a few bursts in the Batdance video are about it),so its significant that when he should choose to take a leaf from Jacko's book,he should steal his thunder in THE awards that acknowledge fine music video-making.
While we’re on the subject of Jacko’s dangerous album hits, one single from it,” In the closet” had a video
which at one point features Jacko dancing in a doorframe ,in silhouette, throwing various shapes. This
same idea was also used by 0(+> in the “Pheromone” video from 1994’s The Beautiful Experience. On
further inspection, the similarities between the 2 songs doesn’t end there. Musically, both songs centre on
a repetitive, driving funk,(albeit much darker funk in Pheromone) ;both also begin with a whispered
seductive monologue and both songs are about keeping secret a lustful “affair” ,(although its an observed
affair in Pheromone).Coincidence or fate ? We can only wonder.


The next 2 Diamonds And Pearls promos dealt in contrast.The title tracks promo was set in sumptuous surroundings,emulating
the abode of a man who can afford to lavish "Diamonds And Pearls" on a lover.The next video for Money Don't Matter 2night told a story of a family living on the breadline ,scraping by,the father out of work,little hope for the future.The lyrics of the song don't actually comply with the video directly,the first two verses relating the story of a gambler/investor who doesn't appreciate the value of money,the third verse a cutting commentary on the financial motives behind the Gulf war.Spike Lee took the lyrics and painted a bigger picture of life in the ghetto,poverty,famine along with a political commentary on the USA under Bush's administration. Like SOTT's promo,the video carried the lyrics to the song, Prince quite happy to take a back seat when a song has something serious to say,giving accomplished director Lee a free reign with the direction of the video.So began a long partnership between Prince and Lee,as Prince part-funded the production of the over-budget Malcolm X epic along with other prominent black media stars ,and supplied the Soundtrack to Lee's Girl 6 movie.

The inside cover of the 0(+> album had him shirtless with the gun microphone across his chest in classic 007 pose,except the name wasn't Bond,James Bond,his name was Prince (for a short time anyway),and he was funky.The secret agent idea was carried forward to the video,with a mysterious man in black meeting a beautiful bondesque girl in Mayte,performing "death-defying" leaps from staircases into puddles and busting illegal gambling dens (in Sexy MF's promo).The 3 Chains O Gold compilation made an attempt to tell the story behind the 0(+> album,though many of us lost the plot from day one.Most of the best videos are just straight live performances by Prince and the NPG ,the exception being the "7" video,which I make no apologies for not trying to decipher,without the aid of a psychoanalyst and several stiff drinks.

TMBGITW's video was an exercise in wish-fulfilment for the lucky ladies chosen from the avalanche of entries to 0(+>'s " eligible bachelor seeks " ad.We saw women living out their fantasies of being a singer,a bride,Miss World,U.S President, comedienne,giving birth etc, as opposed to the video for Lovesign wish saw 0(+> staging his own dream come true,people uniting in peace,handing in guns to be melted down etc. all to a soundtrack of his music played on his own MPLS station.

The video for Dolphin,like 1993's Peach promo,gave us a rare chance to see the man playing guitar up close,without
any stage moves,as a reminder to all fans that he can do far more with a guitar than just stick it suggestively between his legs.
The unreleased I Hate U video begins with a flashback scene of 0(+> walking into a cafe
To see Mayte eating and having fun with another man, caressing each other like lovers do.
0(+> looks shocked and hurt, Mayte sees him,but carries on her flirtation with the other
man.The video then moves to a courtroom scene,0(+> and the NPG taking various official
roles,Sonny, Tommy and Mr.Hayes are members of the jury, Micheal B is a stereotypical
big black judge,banging a gavel as well as a drum,(James Earl Jones was unavailable
we presume),and 0(+> is the prosecuting lawyer. He calls Mayte as “a witness 4 the
prosecution of the hate in this love affair” (2 quote a friend).She struts about the courtroom,
clearly unashamed of her betrayal, and even has the audacity to drape herself around 0(+> as
the deceitful tale unravels in court,a stenographer taking everything down as it happens.
As the memories come flooding back to 0(+>,and Mayte still acts as if she has done nothing
wrong,it all becomes too much for 0(+>,and he and Mayte tussle. They don’t really come to blows,
its just a physical expression of the pain 0(+> feels ,there is no real intention to cause Mayte
any physical harm. The jury can only listen and wonder what is happening ,they are all
blindfold, proposing perhaps that justice is blind...and so is love.By the end of the video there
is a partial reconciliation and the two (ex-)lovers are back in each other’s arms.

Shown before the 1995 Gold Tour shows, the 18 & Over/Zannalee/Empty Room trilogy
also remains unreleased. 18 & Over starts with 0(+> and Mr.Hayes “discussing” the contents of
their respective versions of the video.0(+> tells Mr.Hayes that the 2 lovelies on the bed with him
are in his version of the video alone. Mr.Hayes resigns himself to this and sets about auditioning
ladies for his own version. A dozen or so hopefuls are paraded before him, each given their own
showcase with which to hopefully gain a part in the video. None are suitable however and by the
time the majority are done he is dozing fitfully in his director’s chair .On comes the final candidate,
Mayte,who salaciously discards a top hat and tails ,waking up Mr.Hayes in the process,as she
proceeds to produce a silken scarf and run it all over her body; after a few minutes of displaying
her bootie,shaking her ass and generally doing her thang, Mr.Hayes is rabid with excitement .He
climbs up on stage with her and produces a contract, which she looks at ,and then turns away laughing,
a gesture which would make her future husband proud.Elsewhere,0(+> and his 2 new friends look
through the 18 & Over book of sexual positions,and set about putting them into practice,with the
visual aid of some wonderful setpieces featuring 3 female contortionists who demonstrate quite
amazing interpretations of “the pinwheel” and “the wheelbarrow”.Suffice to say that bending over
backwards is quite within their repertoir and doesn’t begin to cover their actions.Not all members of
the NPG are quite so prepared to indulge in the sexual escapades of the song though.1 lady produces
a long,furry,phallic device which puts the willies up Tommy Barbabrella-not literally of course,the
speed of his exit assures that.
The video segues into Zannalee,with 0(+>‘s 2 beauties accompanying him on a ride to his mansion,
for a what-happened-next type affair.Need I go into detail.Cherry wine,blue movies,dining off 0(+>‘s
stomach,U know the stuff! Empty Room is an entirely different affair,scenes of 0(+> alone in his mansion,
thoughts of Mayte running through his mind;the lady herself is shown discovering an estate of
her own,exploring the courtyard and grounds alone,inside she comes across a large empty theatre.She
takes to the stage and cavorts across it,pirhouetting,leaping about, a one-woman-show,having fun at
first,her angel (Mayte in angel costume) looks on smiling .As we progress,0(+> bathes,alone,and hesitates
by the phone,unsure whether to call Mayte,but decides against it after some thought.Back on the
stage,Mayte is done performing and slumps dejectedly,realising ultimately that being alone is really no
fun at all.The video closes with 0(+> writing ‘slave’ on his cheek and finally breaking out of the empty
room,leaving the house.Both Zannalee and Empty Room also feature footage of 0(+> playing guitar
throughout,clad in long red gown and tall black hat,adorned with a red rose.

Part 3

Up there with 7 in the baffling video department is The Same December. It is basically a video within
a video sorta thang. A music executive slots into his VRC the promo video for The Same December,which
starts with shots of heavily – made up women emerging from underwater. Then there is a straight
performance of the song itself, 0(+> and the NPG in a black – and –white costume theme ,as is the set,
with various signs of the zodiac on the wall and a large ball centre-stage ,as in the first verse of the
song. The symbol is scrawled diagonally across 0(+>’s face, circling his eye and then across the bridge of
his nose, all the NPG are made – up ,with a half –white half - black face. Mayte in angel costume
appears in accordance with the 3rd verse , and they are surrounded by a distorted screaming audience
on both sides. Vinyl records fly across the air, one, of Prince’s eye,from the 1999 album ,shatters into
many pieces against a wall in a neat special effect (this would make up the cover artwork for the
“Chaos and Disorder “ album) .The submerged women appear for the close of the video. The executive clearly impressed, hurriedly drafts a contract for 0(+> and a meeting is arranged.0(+> naively signs on
the dotted line straight away, but before he has had time to study the small print, (or the large print for
that matter), the contract is whisked away. A loathsome agent is seen counting the advance made for him
by 0(+> ( who gets to see none of it ), but 0(+> , clearly displeased ,re-enters the “negotiations “ along
with 2 bodyguards who manhandle the agent out of the premises, throwing him onto the street, where he
turns into a bunch of flowers, which burst into purple flames. Confused - you will be ?
Entertained also though.


The Betcha By Golly Wow video painted a lovely picture of 0(+> visiting the expectant Mayte in
hospital,the couple glowing with happiness at the prospect of becoming parents,a video tragically
tinged with sadness now of course.
By necessity,the Somebody’s Somebody video twisted the original meaning of the song,from that of a
lonely person longing for love,to that of 0(+> on tour without Mayte,missing her companionship and
love.The video honestly portrays the 2 sides of 0(+>,or maybe more accurately, Prince ,on tour,one
hour on stage entertaining thousands,the next alone in a hotel room or nightclub.
The lavish Holy River promo, more than anything else,is most likely to be 0(+>’s realisation
of the spirit world, as described in one of his favourite bedside books ,Betty Eadie’s Embraced by the
light. Mirroring the description in her book of the afterworld, the video is mainly set in “ a garden
with flowers vivid and luminous with colour and a cascading waterfall of the purest water.” Some of the
other scenes though ,of 0(+> drinking in a bar with the NPG and friends,to me , seem unnatural and
contrived. Still ,a must-see video all the same.
It’s one big shame that the very best promo from Emancipation, indeed on of his very best, period,
that of Face Down, is also the least often seen. For a song that deals with 0(+> singing about Prince
in the third person,it’s entirely fitting that da man himself should play 3 separate characters in it: 0(+>’s
public persona, looking great in a black cropped jacket adorned with various words, new power, Emancipation etc,
hat and trousers; Prince, in purple outfit (of course) and regulation rock-star shades; and the private 0(+>,the ,um , psycho-analysts friend, in Emancipation skull-cap. We also
see , probably ,a dummy Prince, dressed in the appropriately symbolic curly wig and red – and - blue
striped jacket and blue strides the man wore while singing My Name is Prince to open the Act I USA
tour of 1993 ,lying face down in an open coffin, as various NPG members amongst others pay their
respects in the church – setting, pews and stained glass windows all present and correct. Although Face
Down isn’t an overly humorous song from the lyrics,the video is very funny indeed, 0(+> and the NPG
having fun, often at 0(+>’s expense,e.g. the mourning Mr.Hayes planting a finger-tip kiss on the dead
Prince’s up-turned ass, while the other mourners sit in silence, their heads bobbing in time with da funk.
During one chorus, the camera closes in on 0(+> playing the violin, a hilariously kooky scared look on his
face and his knees quaking wildly in terror as the menacing music hits home, ( of course the fact that we
are seeing him playing the violin at all , and later the horns, is unique in itself ).Particular credit must go
to Kathy Dyson , who expertly plays the long-suffering psychoanalyst , looking in turn bored stiff while
0(+> enters into a lengthy brag about himself , and then she shoots the camera a fine withering look as
0(+> proceeds 2 rant and rave at her later on. There is also some great dancing , not only by 0(+> , but 2
male and female dancers also, even the NPG do a few moves towards the end, an unsuccessful attempt
perhaps to copy 0(+>’s famed move of playing the guitar while hooked under one leg, while
hop/rotating around on the other. Their attempts to hold back their laughter at their failure are
unsuccessful also. All in all , a wild video . Beg steal or borrow , but do see it!

Like the book at the centre of the video,The One video has a beginning,a middle and an end.The former
and latter are part of 0(+>‘s continued homage to early black and white movies ( see Under The Cherry
Moon) and more specifically Charlie Chaplin.Why Chaplin U ask? 0(+> plays a tramp in the video,and
Chaplin’s first movie in 1915 was called The Tramp.Chaplin’s second movie in 1921,(this date also
appears in the very first frame of The One ,bottom centre screen) was called The Kid,which also happens
to be Prince’s character’s name in his debut movie Purple Rain.The connection may be confused,but it IS
a connection.Perhaps 0(+>‘s continued affectionate use of a walking cane pays lip service to Chaplin’s
screen image also.In the video Mayte is a downtrodden peasant girl,living in a woodland shack in
servitude to her nagging mother,wondering if her life will ever change.0(+> the tramp goes up to their
window and sees Mayte unhappy inside.She picks up a mysterious book,opens it to the front page,which
reads In The Beginning...A single teardrop falls on the page,resulting in a burst of colour and the page
comes alive.We encounter a scene of more than a few sparsely dresses women,dancing around and
draping themselves over 0(+>.At first glance,nothing we haven’t seen before,Gett Off,Cream etc.There is
a subtle difference though,as closer inspection of the video and attention to the lyrics show.The significant
lines in the song are:“If you’re looking for a man who will 10 women and confuse it all with his wealth,I
ain’t The One”.There are indeed 10 women,but far from being yet another of 0(+>‘s harems(as we could
be forgiven for thinking),the ladies here are actually Mayte’s handmaidens ,attending to her,draping
her in linen and escorting her to her Prince,generally ensuring they “place her above all others”,and she
isn’t treated like “anything-other than a queen”.The video is inspired by the Garden of Eden said 0(+>
recently,so treat 0(+> and Mayte as Adam and Eve,with the ladies-in-waiting as the forbidden fruit,all of
whom would love to replace Mayte as the object of his affections, unfortunately for them, he ain’t The
One. The video ends back at the shack,Mayte answers the door to 0(+> and the spark of love ignites. The
closing caption of the video read “The Beginning”. Mayte finally meets the man who will make her feel
“ like time has just begun” ,hence the end of the video is really the beginning - of a long love affair.

Come On's promo was a mix of live footage from the London Cafe De Paris gig ,broadcast on UK Channel 4's
Beautiful Strange : A Night For (which was actually a pretty dull document of one of the great musical
events of recent times ,a Prince aftershow) interspersed with footage of bewildering the great british
public while acting like well , a mad horny old tramp ,a guise which he would also wear when appearing
at the GQ mens awards later in 1998 ,much to the complete bemusement of the audience .Like the 2nd
When 2 R In Love video,Come On also displayed some lyrics , whizzing at double and triple speed at the top and
bottom of the picture , along with some alternative lyrics ,some which made sense:"gig after gig in yo town ,yet another
false review,could it be someone ain't gettin' paid,the blood money that they're due" ,'s love-hate affair with
the media resurfacing there ,and some lines which are beyond the comprehension of your everyday homo sapiens :
"I'd much rather know U R Stargate ,lets learn the truth " ,as ever ,answers on a postcard to the usual address please!!!

At the premiere for "The Greatest Romance Ever Sold " on MTV's Total Request Live , criticised artists who
sexually exploit women in their video ,saying some promos are " just a lot of female body parts" , it was slightly
baffling then to see the video was basically various slow motion shots of caressing his own lady of choice ,
not the best way to make a stand really.Though the video was a slight departure from the norm for Prince stylistically,
and indeed wasn't directed by him , it was nothing that spectacular ,hardly indistinguishable from a lot of R & B videos
out there at the time and probably suffered for it .The same could be said for the Somebody's Somebody video a few
years earlier , which bore similarities in style and content to Lauryn Hill's " X-factor " promo .If only he could produce
an eye-opening promo like Lauryn's clip for "Everything is everything " then maybe , just maybe ,the commercial success
he sought with Rave Un2 The Joy Fantastic might return.

Of course , maybe his focus on commercial success has been changed with the rapid growth in popularity of the Internet
over recent years.Even before the launch of the NPGMC he had released several videos exclusively to the internet ,
those being the Hot With U (Nasty Girl Mix ) clip ,One Song ,along with the promo for Beautiful Strange and other
clips from that video.Hot With U is your standard Prince sex - romp affair , notable mainly for a bed seemingly made of
cream with marshmallows for pillows ,(we see Prince run his finger across the bed surface and then taste what he's
scooped up .....never EVER try that at home folks ),One Song is just computer graphics a la Sign O The Times
and Beautiful Strange is just a dreamy cloudy blue sky with the lyrics drifting across the screen ,could it be that
Prince's videos had been reduced to a mix of clouds and sex ,are we back to those overcast days that never turned
me on !!

Things are looking up though ,with the regular fix of videos promised from the NPGMC every month.In the first 2 months,
we've seen full length videos for U make my sunshine and The Daisy Chain ,an excerpt from the work -in -progress that is
the When I Lay My Hands On U video and live footage of Controversy and Mutiny from the recent Hit N Run shows.
Whether Prince can produce interesting, high - quality videos on such a regular basis only time will tell.The U Make My
Sunshine video ,whic has also been shown on BET ,offers encoragement though, as its a charming promo ,centering on a revolving stage ,with Angie Stone sat down , on one side of her is Prince ,with Kip Blackshire fading in and out on the
other side of her ,playing her undeserving and disrespectful lover .Prince is trying to make Angie see that her current man
is not really the guy she thinks he is (you eyes are wide shut ,you cannot even see ), that he's really a selfish guy
( "I could tell you what the I in pimp stands for" ) ,who is 2 -faced ,wheres he would treat her better (behind you're back he calls you names ,but you're still a queen to me ) .Behind the central 3 there is a large circular screen ,with an overcast sky
that gradually fills with sunshine as the song progresses .Girl group Millinae also feature prominently ,singing harmonies,and providing a slightly humorous element to the video too ,acting as a group of wise women if you will ,on Prince's side of course.
The video is actually very evocative of ,possibly inspired by ,the video for Peter Gabriel and Kate Bush's duet Don't Give Up.
If you havent seen it that video features the 2 singers slowly revolving while locked in a comforting embrace on top of a
hill .Ironically, that video too features Sunshine prominently as a strong visual tool ,as behind the 2 embracing lovers ,the sun
is in full beam ,but gradually as the song progresses the sun is totally eclipsed ,in keeping with the desperate situation detailed in the lyrics ,then as the song comes to close and hope is found in the lyrics ,the moon passes through and the sun gradually
becomes fully revealed again . Prince of course has worked with Kate Bush in the past ,on their tracks Why Should I Love
You (from her The Red Shoes album ) and My Computer (from his Emancipation ).One pleasing thing about UMMSS
is that it is a duet in which Angie Stone's vocal are prominent ,indeed the 2nd verse is all her own ,compare that to some of
Prince's recent "duets" ,including My Computer and 2 of the tracks on Rave U2TJF where he collaborates with female
artists (So Far, So Pleased and Baby Knows ) ,in which their vocal contribution is buried in the mix to such an extent that its barely audible.Though Prince hasn't to our knowledge collaborated with Peter Gabriel in the past ,he could surely learn
something about the possibilities and unlimited potential of the promo video from him .Though as artists both Prince and
Gabriel are genius , no-one would deny that Peter Gabriel has taken the art of making fascinating promotional videos
to another level .His videos for songs like Sledgehammer ,Big Time and Steam have more different ideas in them than
most artists could manage throughout an entire career ,and also in Don't Give Up he showed another string to his bow ,
that just one simple but visually stunning effect can produce as memorable a video as the cornucopia of effects embedded
in e.g Sledgehammer.

Even before the NPGMC Prince's video making has gone into over- drive really ,as he has experimented with story-telling via the 0(+> album (an idea he has taken further with the children's books he and Mayte wrote ),and has diversified into different media too e.g. the Interactive CD-Rom,the Glam Slam Ulysses production with it's mixture of live performance and video as
well as full-length video specials The Beautiful Experience,a showcase for new songs,(the first time any artist has released a video of new material prior to the album's release,though INXS came close when they had an hour-long movie consisting of videos to their Full moon,Dirty Hearts album broadcast almost simultaneously world-wide.The album's release was the first time that an album was launched through both the television and radio medium),and the Love 4 1 Another special,which if anything,was an extended and public declaration to the fans of his love for Mayte.

As well as his own videos he has appeared in videos for related artists (Mavis Staples and,um ,the NPG),and apparently he cameod in a video for an artist he has said in interviews he admires, Bjork (not her song Play Dead, though, ironically)

Ultimately,his videos give him the opportunity to have fun,wear lots of different clothes/hairstyles and generally show off his considerable talents to his public.In all his promos,he is careful that he always looks very cool,in control,and not at all unusual.Prince in all his finery is such a fabulous creation, and makes such a ridiculous contrast with the drab old real world,that whenever his videos are situated outside his own private paisley-coloured world,he ensures that us mere mortals are presented as a screaming mass of fans,(as in the My Name Is Prince video) enabling us to continue to believe in the idea of Prince and his new world.When the lyrics are topical and relate to the real world,Prince separates himself from the events in question (eg Money Don't Matter 2night's promo),if he appears in the video at all (Sign O The Times).


Amazingly, 0(+> said that he hates making videos and even questioned on his old internet site
Love 4 One Another a while back whether it was necessary for him to make a promo video for The One.
Thankfully he respected his friends’ wishes and relented. Still we must be grateful to him if every
video he has made over the years has been produced through gritted teeth – it certainly doesn’t show!

So comprehensive and so empty. no mention of anotherlover or girls and boys, no mention of the fantastic Paisley Park video, years ahead of SOTT. To name a few.

However, a fantastic read. Well done on your effort.

who ever wrote this has 2 much time on their hands.