Why does Prince deny the influence Jimi had on him?

Prince one said something like "The only thing he and Jimi had in common where they were black."

Something to that extent.


For example, listen to this Jimi Song: Third Stone From The Sun

[snipped. no posting of unauthorized music files on this site. - anx]

and then go listen to TRC.


What would be the dangers for Prince if he finally admitted Jimi had a huge influence on him?

DaX said:

I think he only used to deny the Hendrix influence in the early days because he didn't want to be pigeon-holed or stereotyped as another black hard rocker or Hendrix wannabe or whatever. It was part of his conscious attempt to create a strange, mysterious, undefined image. I think now he's more honest about where his inspirations come from these days, and he's fooling himself if he thinks he can convince any informed music lovers that Hendrix wasn't one of his foremost inspirations, if not THE foremost inspiration on his music.

About the whole 3rd stone from the sun/Rainbow Children similarity: I think that the Rainbow Children was more supposed to be a tribute to Miles Davis, the final minute or two sounds a lot like "In A silent way" to me, and the whole song is obviously a fusion piece, a genre that Miles more or less invented. However, Miles' fusion was very much inspired by the work of Hendrix and Sly stone, and 3rd stone from the sun is very much a proto-fusion piece.
[Edited 6/10/05 13:59pm]

DaX said:

It's complete bullshit.

Prince was heavily influenced by the trawler.

http://www.historycentral...enrix.html

.

You maniac! Brilliant observation here. I was having TRC flashbacks Funny how he has never acknowledged other obvious influences.....cept for that cretan Mr. Graham

Just listen to the whammy bar feedback solo at the end of "Private Joy"..If that doesn't scream "Jimi At Monterey", then I don't know what does.

DaX said:

Yeah, particularly Digital Garden.

I think he was so like Hendrix in style of playing & wild clothes & even physical appearance to some extent he just had to downplay it.

But the influence is obvious.

He doesn't deny it. He even listed Hendrix as an influence during an acceptance speech at the American Music Awards in (94/95?).

I see more James in Prince though, just me.

Don't forget the white buttons on the black Purple Rain pants. Look at JH playing "Hear My Train A Coming" and you will see.

But..... If Little Richard were here he'd say "Jimi was my guitar player. He even grew a little mustache like me. Ooh Prince is ME. WOOO."

Dig up the old movie with Chuck Berry and Little Richard in concert from the 70's and you'll see where P got the white lace outfit from and the throwing jewlery uh, maybe not the jewlery into the audience. It was on VH-1.

Prince is a walking library of influences - and all those other artist that have a small bit in him try and claim his as their own.

I think the truth is, he wanted to be seen as unique, not following directly in anyone else's influences, especially at the start of his career. The media love it if they can put you in a pigeon hole; being enigmatic gave him an edge. Of course, now he has proved himself he is far more relaxed about admitting his influences.

TheRealFiness said:

no

Prince says all kinds of off-the-wall crap only to later recant or have his actions speak louder...

I agree with those who've suggested he was merely trying to avoid being pigeon-holed. Since then, he's covered Jimi's songs like "Killing Floor" and "Red House" in concert. He recorded his own version of the latter, called "Purple House," on last year's Jimi tribute album, POWER OF SOUL. Consider how akin "Bob George" is to "Hey Joe." Check out Prince's clothes during the PURPLE RAIN era. Check out Prince's sample of "Little Miss Lover" in "Tick Tick Bang"...

The homages never stop.

Lammastide said:

bob george sounds nothing like Hey joe..

TheRealFiness said:

I never said it did. The narrative of the two songs, I'm suggesting, are kindred.
[Edited 6/10/05 21:04pm]

Prince lied about many things back in the day. When Jesse Johnson first met Prince, he asked him if he was a big Jimi Hendrix fan. Prince told Jesse he had never heard of him. Jesse told Prince he was a damn lie and Prince hired him on the spot.

prince admits that jimi was an influence, but says playing-style is more comparable 2 santana....

bountyhunterseven2000 said:

which is very apparent

cranshaw62 said:

- hehehe....good one !

funkii said:

Prince uses far more Hendrix type techniques in his playing far more than same ole carlos techniques.

Yep, total bollocks about him being more Santana-like. His guitar tone, his licks - they owe far more to Hendrix...

Prince's greatest strength is that he's chameleon like.

TheRealFiness said:

Sure doesn't and if I recall correctly Jimi didn't write Hey Joe anyway.

whodknee said:

The songs... again... don't sound anything alike. This is clear. They're not even the same genre by most standards. I'd wager, however, that Prince had at least a fleeting inspiration by "Hey Joe" as the narrative of "Bob George" is regarded. And in that "Hey Joe" brings up thoughts of Hendrix -- not a virtually unheard of Billy Roberts -- most, including Prince, I'd guess, would readily consider it a Hendrix song.

Prince, in his napolean phase, say from 82 to 90 more or less would not admit anyone doing anything for him. He used to say he didn't listen to any music other than his own. Strictly ego, ignore it, don't listen to peoples words, watch their actions, he's been mimicking jimi from the git-go. To try to make it anymore complicated than that is silly, he can deny it all he wants, as he's denied the beatles influence on ATWD, Prince was an egomaniac, he's mellowed out in the last few years and has given Jimi and many others their props, but from the start of his career, he was a arrogant guy, when it was suggested that maurice white of earth wind and fire produce his first album he snapped, "is maurice white supposed to impress me? he can only play bass!" These days he's more like a brother in his forties, reminiscing about all the great people he grew up on, as he said on The Tonight Show, in response to his heroes, "Sly, Earth Wind and Fire"...etc., Point is don't pay his denials anymind, Jimi was his formost influence on guitar along with Santana.

cranshaw62 said:

I saw that once and you're right, not only the clothes but the whole arrogance, the bit before little richard goes onstage where his eyes are staring just like Prince did in his Purple Rain days, Prince is rock history, one of the best most complete historians ever. Maybe that's the reason he doesn't like the Jimi comparisons because he knows he's been equally influenced by everyone from Elvis, to Jimi, to Little Richard, and on and on.

DaX said:

This is debatable. I also recall Prince making that statement regarding Santana. He stated that his playing was more similiar to Carlos Santana than Jimmy Hendrix. He said something to the effect of his Santana's playing was more beautiful.

Prince has given "shout-outs" to Hendrix. For example, the cut he made for Spike Lee's soundtrack "Bamboozled" in which he mentions James Brown, Chuck D, and Jimi, as masters in their respective genres. I also believe that frequent performances of "Purple House" reflect his appreciation for Jimi's work.
[Edited 6/13/05 13:50pm]

any african american with a guitar'll be compared to jimi. sounds crazy, but its true

TheRealFiness said:

That's the stone truth. It has happened to me damn near all of my life and it always will. Dig, ANYONE who has heard or have seen Hendrix KNOWS damn well that Prince has been musically and visually influenced by Jimi. That's a fact. Doesn't matter what P has said. To actually think that P hasn't is to not have ears and eyes. Period.

Well said Black! (Good to see ya by the way). Prince also said in a 1994 Guitar World mag that any guitar player that calls himself good should be able to play the Jimi version of "The Star Spangled Banner". Prince supposedly also has his own version of "Purple Haze" that he did in 1982 in his vaults. It was supposed to be on "1999", but he decided not to release it.