If I remember correctly (not always the case) wasn't that line about Jam & Lewis?

I fail to see how the lines are about "W&L trekies" since OF4S was recorded for Parade, long before the bands split.
[Edited 2/16/06 5:52am]

sosgemini said:

And I already stated to you that those lyrics were about the W & L trekies who, much like this split second, didnt wanna accept that the Revolution was over.

JonnyApplesauce said:

see, NouveauDance's post...

Now you gloating off of her post?

sosgemini said:

See mine, and learn a little character. You were lying on me, claiming I made lyrics up and the whole nine. Now you gloating off of her post? W & L were good employees.

Hold up, Noveau (whos duly noted as a dude) asked

"What are your thoughts about Wendy & Lisa's writing partnership and influence on Prince's music?"

Imho, he got our thoughts.

JonnyApplesauce said:

was somebody helping you with your previous posts? did i ever say you made up lyrics? i stated that you were making up "facts" to support your opinion...when ya dont need to. just state your opinion sans the rhetoric and all will be swell..



you think wendy and lisa were only good employees? good for you..youve stated your opinion..live long and prosper. just dont make up stuff in your efforts.

skywalker said:

Out of all the above, I'd give you The War as being truly experimental. Surely, you aren't trying to say that the ONA Piano CD is some unique artistic landmark among Prince's released records?

btw: have you met Funksway? The new band fronted by Eryka Badu?

Of course band members impacted his SOUND. They're palying the parts so even if they don't mean to, they are going to influence his sound with their own style etc.

But THAT WASN"T NoveauDance's question or topic of this thread! It's about the "writing partnership" of P and W&L.

WHy do people need to get all defensive and paranoid?

Experimental? Lovesexy, The War, instrumental albums, solo piano albums, etc. What does experimental mean? Furthermore, what about the Wendy and Lisa period did he try that was THAT experimental. He used some strings and some french accents. It was Prince stretching musically, but I could easily argue that he has historically had a pattern of doing that. He did it before them, and he has done it since.[/b]

to many people, some of you sound like you're subtly trying to hint that Prince was less talented, less of EVERYTHING...without Wendy and Lisa. That Prince didn't know how to do SHIT before they came along and SAVED him with their musical greatness. THAT is why people get defensive.

WaterUdrink said:

To which I will add that this is CERTAINLY NOT my opinion, and I think I tried to make that clear in my many posts above..

NouveauDance said:

If they would only take the time to make it clear that they're not trying to take anything away from Prince by pointing out the contributions Wendy and Lisa made to his music, I think it would be easier for everyone to agree with. But with the way some of ya'll BULLY and ATTACK folks with their views, it's no WONDER people get upset.

Of course band members impacted his SOUND. They're palying the parts so even if they don't mean to, they are going to influence his sound with their own style etc.

But THAT WASN"T NoveauDance's question or topic of this thread! It's about the "writing partnership" of P and W&L.

WHy do people need to get all defensive and paranoid?

THe facts are as they stand:

W&L were the ones contributed most to his song writing based on the evidence available to the public (Copyright database, ASCAP database, interivews with Prince and hte bandmembers themselves etc.)

Everything else is JUST SPECULATION and THEORY.

GaryMF said:

Because to many people, some of you sound like you're subtly trying to hint that Prince was less talented, less of EVERYTHING...without Wendy and Lisa. That Prince didn't know how to do SHIT before they came along and SAVED him with their musical greatness. THAT is why people get defensive.

This is lifted verbatim from a post @ HQ.com, I make no apologises for this, I wanted the .org perspective.

What are your thoughts about Wendy & Lisa's writing partnership and influence on Prince's music?

Was it the best thing that ever happened to Prince's music? Was it just a few years of watered-down raw funk? Whatever your opinion, for or against, everyone has an opinion on the matter. Mine is as follows.....

IMO it's quite a sad story, there was definately a magic in P, W and L's working/personal relationship, and I think W&L could have really helped shape Prince's music in a more mature and challenging way than it eventually went after they left. Something like 'Power Fantastic' shows their influence on Prince, it's an awe-inspiringly spine-tingling and beautiful and mature song that couldn't've come about from anyone else but these amazing people working together at the peak of their collective creativity.

I don't wish to overstate their importance (many a thread has tumbled into a slanging match between the two camps on that argument - the 'He was never the same after they left' crowd verses the 'Prince was making W&L-less shit-hot music before 1983 you know' crowd) - Saying that, I am stating their importance - it was a really special writing partnership that I think was kinda cut short before it deserved to be because of stupid things that got in the way.

I don't think anyone else that Prince has worked with has had such a profound effect on his work - They definately added colour, form and boundaries to his work that set way and above what Prince's peers on the pop music charts were putting out. I'm not saying other associates didn't play crucial roles too, Andre, Dez, Sheila, Eric, Levi, Miko, Sonny, Michael B, Fink, Rhonda, yes they all contributed, but I don't think in the same 'Lennon/McCartney' sense as W/L/P.

I mean there's stuff on Parade and Dream Factory/Sign O' The Times that you can stand to the side of Madonna and Michael Jackson's work from the same period and anyone with a decent ear and an unbiased opinion would say Prince was on a completely different level to these peers - completely different level.

You would never hear that level of musicianship or sincere, philosophical lyrical work in a Madonna or MJ song, never ever ever.

Now the 1984-86 years aren't even my favourite Prince music period (not even my second favourite), but surely regardless of what anyone thinks about Wendy & Lisa, and their importance, or lack of, to Prince's music - SURELY, we all can see in something like 'Mountains', 'She Wants A Place In Heaven', 'In A Large Room With No Light' or (IMO) the pièce de résistance 'Power Fantastic' - surely in their considerable input in and influence on the music speaks volumes about the way their work with Prince lifted him above being a popstar and helped him become an artist with lyrics and music that was way and above his competition and peers. And here, I'm not that they 'made' Prince, or he 'needed' them, then or now - Just that all together, all 3 made music that really took Prince up a notch and cemented his legacy, not just as a mega-selling popstar, but a commentable artist with 'validity' beyond his peers.


Sorry for the - You have permission, nay my blessing, to lampoon me for writing at such length on something that most sane people know will end in tears or a - I do tend to pontificate on my points to ensure the point is understood correctly and not brushed off as a biased W&L fanboy gush.
[Edited 2/15/06 18:33pm]

1. Prince is a musical genius

2. W&L contributed and/or helped him write some of his songs

Neither 1 nor 2 negate the other. They are both true. They are not mutually exclusive.

Just because someone talks about #2 does not mean they are doubting #1.

Why is that so hard to understand?

WaterUdrink said:

And that is a great illustration of the "paranoia"!

Where in the world, or more specifically, in this post, would anyone get the implication that Prince is "less anything w/o W&L????"

Snap said-

"How many songs they write and produce with Prince? You got 'em lying around somewhere? I'd like to hear 'em."

I was replying to jtfolden and I was refering to Prince's "Sound" not necessarily his song writing.