No need to apologize for rambling because I could never get enough of hearing about that show.

As far as the fireworks and bombs, I can understand that part too. From my understanding, Rick did have all those things. Most of the shows were played in coliseums, where you can do a lot more. When you bring a show to an auditorium or theater, sacrifices have to made to go along with fire regulations because most auditoriums have a curtain and carpet in the theater.

I have a friend that has worked at a venue since the 1960s. She said when Rick and Prince came that year, both of them put on a show to remember. She mentioned Rick's fireworks and Prince's sexual explicitness in concert. She also told me some backstage tales, no really good dirt though. She said Rick was pretty loud backstage and whenever he referred to Prince, he used the word "Princess". She also said Prince pretty much was quiet and kept to himself. She said when Prince returned in 1997, it was a totally different story though. He was surrounded by more bodyguards than any other entertainer she has ever seen except for Elvis Presley.

She has lots of good stories about entertainers. Rick has been here three times, the "Fire It Up" tour, the "Street Songs" tour, and the "Cold Blooded" tour. On one of his tours, he was performing with his background singers, The Colored Girls, behind a screen with a backlight so you could see their shadows. He had a microphone between his legs and one of the girls was similating oral sex behind the screen. Rick was high and stumbled and the microphone swung way out in a different direction.

She brought me her stage pass from Rick's "Cold Blooded" tour and Prince's "Jam O The Year" tour to put in my scrapbook.

I know someone else that worked backstage that night and he said Prince was also fairly quiet backstage. He said Rick was smoking a joint backstage as if he were merely smoking a cigarette.
[Edited 3/21/05 23:02pm]

funkpill said:

Hotlegs said:

Exactly. I thought the movie had a great story line but some of Prince's acting was rediculous. He was trying to act like Morris Day. Even though Prince may have created the Morris Day "character", Morris perfected it and Prince looks silly trying to do it.

I hear ya! Prince never really got on my nerves with the pop until he switched gears and totally went in a different direction after "Purple Rain". I wouldn't really call him selling out to pop because he always mixed funk and rock since the beginning. His head just got too big because of everyone praising him for being so "versitile" that he went way off the deep end to prove it by doing pyscadelic rock and retro funk.

I love both Prince and Rick, almost equally, but I give Rick much respect for continuing and never leaving hardcore funk immediately after enjoying pop success with "Super Freak".

vainandy said:

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I think Prince did ATWIAD because so many people were ripping off his sound at the time and he may not have wanted to do PR Part 2. I give him credit for trying different styles of music. Something a lot of RnB artist would be afraid to do.

vainandy said:

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I think Prince did ATWIAD because so many people were ripping off his sound at the time and he may not have wanted to do PR Part 2. I give him credit for trying different styles of music. Something a lot of RnB artist would be afraid to do.

Has Prince made a comment about Rick's death yet? Just wondering because I think there probably is some type of mutual respect somewhere between them.

MidnightFunk said:

Now I know I've gotta get Dez's book.

I don't know if maybe some of us are a little jaded because this is a Prince site, or maybe time has caused a little slip in memory, but I saw one of these shows, and while Prince was good, he was by no means a match for Rick James at that time. We all know of Rick's fondness for controlled substances, so maybe at the shows you guys saw he too high or something, but I saw him kick Prince's ass! That night was the beginning of my life as a real Prince fan, but he was still very young, and a long way from where he would be by the time he got really popular, and Rick was already a seasoned vet. It was defentely one of the best shows I ever saw.

Now I know I've gotta get Dez's book.

drhodes777 said:

You know, if you go over to www.rickjames.com, there is a guy on the forum there called PyroJohn. He was Rick's pyro man back in the day, and in the Prince/Rick James days.

He posted some excellent stories on that tour. It's cool reading his stuff

I don't know if maybe some of us are a little jaded because this is a Prince site, or maybe time has caused a little slip in memory, but I saw one of these shows, and while Prince was good, he was by no means a match for Rick James at that time. We all know of Rick's fondness for controlled substances, so maybe at the shows you guys saw he too high or something, but I saw him kick Prince's ass! That night was the beginning of my life as a real Prince fan, but he was still very young, and a long way from where he would be by the time he got really popular, and Rick was already a seasoned vet. It was defentely one of the best shows I ever saw.

I bet it was. Rick was already wild as hell and Prince was just beginning to get wild. I think this tour really taught Prince a lot about shock value.

sermwanderer said:

Agreed. Vain and can attest to that. Pyro breaks it down to the bear essence. Prior to working for Rick, Pyro John used to work for Kiss.

That's right, Pyro has some great stories. My favorite is the one he told about the friendship he developed with Gail Chapman on that tour and Prince's jealousy of it. Remember when Rick sat him down and asked "Are you fucking Prince's woman" and Pyro told Rick that was none of his business. Then Rick told his crew to "make sure the word gets around to Princess that Rick James is giving Pyro a raise". Pyro said excitedly "Rick, am I really getting a raise?" and Rick said "Hell no, get your ass back to work!"

That one cracked me up. I would love to have been a fly on the wall on that tour.
[Edited 3/28/05 19:08pm]