But radio did play "Head" and they played it a lot. Before this, I had a few Prince 45s. After hearing "Head" (which wasn't available on a 45) numerous times on the radio and on a local TV dance show, I bought my first Prince album, "Dirty Mind".

But radio did play "Head" and they played it a lot. Before this, I had a few Prince 45s. After hearing "Head" (which wasn't available on a 45) numerous times on the radio and on a local TV dance show, I bought my first Prince album, "Dirty Mind".

doctamario said:

Hotlegs said:

Prince was very well known nationally back in those days, but mainly in the R&B world only. The pop world had a taste of "I Wanna Be Your Lover" during the disco era, but Prince was forgotten about by most of the pop world when disco died out. The pop world really didn't get their first taste of Prince again until "Little Red Corvette".

As for songs like "Head" and other album tracks being played nationally, I can only speak for my area. Radio was much different back then. There was no damn Clear Channel dictating what radio plays. Radio stations DJs themselves had more say in what got played. If they thought a certain track would do well on their station, they played it, whether if it was released as single or not. Prince was very known back in those days for songs that were never released as singles.

As for the national thing, I've met many people that have moved to my area from different parts of the country. Many of these people do not own any Prince albums but have heard of these songs, so I'm thinking great DJs, nationwide, thought alike back then.

Hotlegs said:

You're right Vain. Back in the day was a great time radio b/c the DJ did have more say and didn't have conglumurates busting their balls about format. Prior to Clear Channel, there was Payolla in certain record officials chose certain DJ's to promote a record.

blackguitaristz said:

I must have a different Controversy vid than you. Mine is concert footage shot at a concert, not a church./

Hmm... well... I was only about five or six when I'd hear Prince music in the house cuz my father is a musician and he listens to a lot of people. Anyway,I really was into the "Prince" album cuz I was feelin' "Why U Wanna Treat Me So Bad" and "Controversy" I dug. My kid friends would think I was crazy cuz I liked his music. I didn't care. I was only a kid but I knew what good music sounded like. Oh, and 1999 is Hot.

blackguitaristz said:

Wow. This is a tough one. Before 1999, Prince, to me, was a really weird, effeminate guy who I just couldn't "get". Controversy made him more interesting, but in the late 70's and early 80's there was no WAY radio was gonna play "Head". I remember being surprised that the same guy who did "I wanna be your lover" also did "Controversy". Two different sounds. 1999 put Prince on the map with MTV airplay, so he was less this weird, underground artist, to more of a mainstream cat that everyone knew.

But it was the guitar on "When Doves Cry" that just blew me away. Purple Rain as an album was a tightly organized set of jams that to this day are my favorite album of all time. It's just on another level for me, from the guitar on Let's Go Crazy to the screams of passion on The Beautiful Ones, to the bravado of Baby I'm a Star, the audacity of Darlin' Nikki, and the melodies of Computer Blue; Prince just kicked up another level and came out with music and songs that sounded like nothing else at the time. PR is a more polished and professionally produced album than 1999.

1999 sounds like a very talented guy experimenting with a synthesizer. Some of the songs are great, some are not so great; it's the Classic example of the Minneapolis Sound and the blueprint for 80's funk. So many have ripped off 1999 that it's not funny. ( see George Michael,Phil Collins, Ready for the World, Janet Jackson, Andre Cymone, Jodi Watley...etc, etc, etc.)

Yet for all that, Purple Rain was the album that seems greater than the sum of its parts. Before Purple Rain, I never knew that Prince even played much guitar. I never knew how expressive an instrument it can be when played by a master.

Maybe all of Prince's CD's should be no more than eight songs of his best material.

It may not be fashionable to say this because it was so damn popular, but Purple Rain is Prince's best album.

Remember the singer Charlene? She was a white lady that recorded on Motown. She had released a single that flopped and years later, a DJ played it on his station and it caught on nationwide and became a hit.

But radio did play "Head" and they played it a lot. Before this, I had a few Prince 45s. After hearing "Head" (which wasn't available on a 45) numerous times on the radio and on a local TV dance show, I bought my first Prince album, "Dirty Mind".

vainandy said:

Yeah, I guess it had to get some airplay somewhere. Never heard it in New York City though... Speaking of which, I'm watching a video of him performing the song in '86 with the Revolution. Goddamn. I'm having a Jamie Foxx moment...

Not sure of how many Prince fans are on here in the Prince Music and More section that were actual fans before "When Doves Cry" was released. But, for those that fall into the category, I ask these two questions: What is your favorite Prince album between 78 and 84 and what is the "better" album, "1999" or "Purple Rain"?

Mine are: Best album between 78 and 84? 1999
The better album? 1999

doctamario said:

That's not a "video", it's what u said, "concert footage".

blackguitaristz said:

So the official music video was shot at a church?