Prince’s legacy is set but it seems like it is going to take work to do it properly. Whom am I to say it isn’t being one properly or what’s already out there isn’t good enough? Just my opinion. His legacy is all part on cd and vhs for the most part. And of course for a proper legacy imho these things need transfers to dvd and re-mastering. Prince once said how wanted to have one of the biggest catalogues in the music bin...when I look at artists like Hendrix and Miles Davis in the stores there is a plethora of material. I think this is what he meant. And the material by those artists as well as others have all been given the legacy respectful treatment by their respective record companies etc. It’s just my luck the artist I latch onto has beef with his past in all endeavors music, personality and otherwise. Lets see what is possibilities of remastering and transfers.

Music releases:
SOTT , , DM, Prince, Lovesexy, Parade, 1999 (desperately needs work), Controversy. For the most part the 90’s output seems pretty top par in sonic sound imo. Plus this is not what some consider as his classic music.

VVHS-Performances

Purple Rain ( many possibilities but there just may not be available extra material….probably has peanut butter all over the extra film stock.. But it’s be cool to see him come and try to take Apollonia during the rehearsal and swing at Jellybean which was allowed in Graffiti Bridge sort of. Plus the other scenes from the trailer on the dvd that are cut from the released film like when he is running in front o f some billowing white linen)

UTCM…needs a dvd release even if there were no extras. A color version would be too cool too…somehow I think he is embarrassed by this though.

SOTT-nuff said. If it isnt already actually being done etc.

Livesexy-nuff said. “Liberace on acid” over excess but at a peak of inspiration

Nude Tour.

Undertaker-just for proof
And the other assorted vhs releases such as 3 chains O Gold etc.

A comprehensive video release on dvd

Hendrix, Clapton , Rolling Stones etc has much of their concerts etc released and many of them are on dvd. I know this takes some money in itself to produce from the record companies or production companies that own the rights, and prince himself, but I’m not sure anyone working in these media outlets are concerned or fans to help preserve princes legacy. I’m sure he is a little shit about certain aspects but Davis et.al. wasn’t? And the profit margin is actually not a huge excuse because as stated, other artists with an overabundance of material transferred, do not sell in huge huge numbers anyway. It must be a love for the music and legacy with some of these releases. (Is there anyone at WB at least who is fan enough to get the ball rolling on his own?) Not all of Claptons, Stones, Davis etc are all very very very profitable. Talk about flooding the market. Prince material is out there and even though he has been quite prolific, in the long run it seems he has not flooded the market as much as could be, as much as others. And what he has flooded the market with needs to be given the legacy treatment.

There is just so much material out there already released that if given the legacy treatment that there wouldn’t even really need to be any vault product release to satiate the public, fans, and let this mans music and creativity to be appreciated properly. Many of these releases would show the ups and downs of his brilliant career.
Just as others and their catalogue does. I mean its 25 years into his career I think it’s about time. Even if that means him swallowing some of his pride and taking time off from creating new things for a while. Take some time to work things out and make ones past able to be appreciated. Maybe its not in the cards which would be so Prince-fandom like but gotdamn,throw us a friggin bone here and there…WB, Prince, somebody. Folks are left with fan re-masterings of Lovesexy and SOTT (and they are brilliant works from them , not taking away from that) but it seems like the fans have more passion than the original artist and companies ( which is understandable from a fan vs. company pov I guess). Its been 25 years and many many artists have their works remastered and transferred even when in their prime. I hope this all comes together some way somehow before it gets too damn late in the game. I mean he’s had his comebacks, returns to form , personal bests, personal highs and lows...instead of rushing to the next forward movement project it would be great if he now concentrated on some things of his past while living his life so the future can be seen and entered with an approach of accomplishment form his pov and from the fans pov etc. Just my opinion. Everyone is allowed to live their life and he can run his career the way he wants to...he has been successful and its obviously working for him. This is only a wish, not a demand or advice since I’m not a manager etc.

UTCM is out of DVD. It came out at the same time as the 2 disc Purple Rain and Grafitti Bridge.

might wanna thank rdhull for copying & pasting this thread from hq.

Handclapsfingasnapz said:

I wanted to say its from him, but thought it would get deleted since he isn't welcomed here. I should have referenced it with a "swiped from" comment, sorry.

What makes me sad about his legacy is that some of his best stuff isnt available for most people. Lots of people still don´t give him the props he deserves.

I mean...if it depended on me, stuff like ´Grafitti Bridge´ (the movie) would never be released. It only helps people see him as a cheesy pop artist.

But on the other hand, Prince released so much cool stuff that is only available on bootlegs, or that wasn´t promoted properly...

I hope it changes in the near future. I still wish Wendy was right when she said that his best work is yet to come...let´s wait and see...

GustavoRibas said:

His best work is probably 50% released and the rest probably tucked away. And I agree, a log of peopel haven't heard some of the great stuff already released or at least on bootleg audio and video.


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[Edited 11/12/05 21:02pm]

lovemachine said:

"UTCM…needs a dvd release even if there were no extras. A color version would be too cool too…somehow I think he is embarrassed by this though.(addendum: written pre-release)"



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[Edited 11/12/05 21:05pm]

I think the question of legacy is a good one but a bit premature to assess. The reason being is that his fans and critics are just too bitchy. There is really little objectivity, time will give this. I'm sure Prince knows that many great composers went unrecognized, and their best works went unrecgnized during their lifetimes. I happen to think he's done plenty of fine work that we take for granted and find little things to pick pretty much everything he does apart. You can be supercritical with anything so it doesn't matter. His legacy is out of our reach thankfully and I'm sure when people look back in 100 or 200 years they will see an artist very much like Mozart, Ellington but uniquely his own creature. I don't even think the man's done yet. Duke was still improving at the time of his death, music is something that a composer matures into, Prince certainly was not at his peak as a musician or singer in the purple rain period and likewise, who knows what textures and additions he can add to his music as he gets older.

Sign O The Times has been released on DVD too, just have to buy it from the Canadian Amazon.

DiamondGirl said:

and the best use of the word 'addendum' in an Org thread goes to...

BananaCologne said:

Actually that was also from the orignal author--his or her quote from an obvious older written piece.

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[Edited 11/13/05 20:03pm]

mozfonky said:

beautifully worded

if his best stuff is tucked away, how do you guys know if it's not just as bad as cheesy gb? huh, this is something i've always wondered about and never understood..It's much too much like conspiracy hype...this tucked away business. and we're not talking about new productions, are we?
i like prince for prince, the value of his music and contribution to the music industry is obvious to me...he was there all through the years...ain't nobody like him...i've said this before and i'll say it again, i doubt we'll ever see anybody as great as Prince in our life-time. let's not forget that he has many years ahead of him, the best is yet to come.
[Edited 11/14/05 0:36am]

chunky said:

The 50% tucked away could possibly be 50% crap as well




It's about his legacy and how it will be preserved and presented (if presented) to the public. Nobody is denying his greatness. At least I'm not and the author isn't.

Point being, there is more to add to his legacy then what has already been publicly offically presented.