Maybe a dumb question but I've been thinking about this recently...apparently Prince has recorded TONS of videos (was it almost one for every song he did in the 90's?). With this much videoage only a mad man would expect them all to be used on MTV and the like. Obviously each one would cost dollar, so if Prince recorded so many videos without the intent of putting them to practical use (save for the odd released single here and there), why do you think he invested his money in recording these? Or was it Warner that invested?

Most, if not all of those were simple performance based videos shot with a cam-corder. So not much cost involved. Prince probably wouldn't of expected them to be played on MTV either. But at least he could put them on a dvd a sell them on his site!

Taureau said:

I think the bloke is basically laying his whole life down in some recordable format or another. I know he has lots of "fly on the wall" footage too. I think he is recording anything and everything. For what purpose? I dont know. Maybe he is preparing some kind of legacy for after he dies... But then maybe it will never all be seen by Joe Public at all and will forever be a mystery...

I doubt it would cost him too much to record all those videos (not in terms of the industry in general). I mean he has his own equipment and his own sound stage etc. If you look at the majority of videos that he HAS released, they bare a striking resemblance to each other. CG kind of breaks the video mould for Prince, that one would have cost a hell of a lot more than what he usually splashes out on...

As for the expense, it's my understanding that he didn't actually pay the production company that shot most of his early 90's videos (I remember reading an article on how the company nearly went out of business cuz P didn't pay any of his bills). Which is one way to avoid the expense, I guess...

amyhr said:

ive seen this on the org a couple of times saying that bills used to get barely get payed or they would rarely be opened

ABeautifulOne said:

Cool, Prince and I have something in common!

Why did Madonna do the same?

I've always thought that Prince just has such an incredibly strong mental vision of, and deep connection to, all of his individual songs that he needs to - for his own sake - "complete" that vision using every means available to him, so he makes videos more to satisfy that creative need/aspect of himself than for any commercial reasons.

I compare it to Hendrix...they still pull shit out of his vault and its been over 30 years since he died and they're still finding stuff...and to think he only recorded for 4 or so years. Prince is building a legacy for the next couple of hundred years...kinda mindblowing when you think about it.

mynameisnotsusan said:

Nah, Hendrix just recorded prolifically (as did Prince), he didn't waste money on videos of it all.

Maybe for Prince it really is some kind investment into his legacy, afterall we can all imagine him doing that. However it'll be a bit tragic, if 30 or 40 years down the line (if art isn't banned by then), the official 'Welcome To The Prince Experience' Trust, probably bought out and ran by an fan, only has shitty camcorder-style vids to offer! Hmmm, maybe in the future they will be really cool and retro!

Actually I take that back, some of them I think are ace, like 'I Like It There' and 'Zanalee'. Truth