I am interested to know when you all started listening to prince? What album - stage - of his career did you jump on board? And did you go back through his catalogue?

I started listenig 2 Prince in the summer of 91...

CCCP said:

That was D&P? or end of GB? D&P to me was a big change in his sound. Back to the 'live band' music.

1991 - After seeing the video for Gett Off. I got the CD (Diamonds & Pearls) and the "BOOM" on Thunder just put me in orbit...Live 4 Love as well. From there I knew I had to collect all his music. Next was Graffiti Bridge and Batman. I was familiar with 1999 and Purple Rain from my sister's music collection, but I wanted to experience them on CD so I bought 'em up. Then I bought everything in between Purple Rain and Batman, including The Black Album. By then the Love Sign album from 1992 was out and I was blown the hell away. In just a little over a year I had bought all his major releases.

gcu1

around christmas of 2004


right after the whole musicology thing i wasnt really checking for him then

I was trashed at the record store, and I accidentally bought 1999 thinking it was a Megadeth album. This was three days ago.

I eventually obtained his entire discography in the same way.
[Edited 4/25/06 7:46am]

1992

In October '03 he came to Australia. I didn't see him but it prompted me to check out his stuff and I've been a huge fan ever since. DEFINATELY see him when he next comes out here.
Bought the Hits/B-Sides first then went through the symbol albums.

1983

1980 - DIRTY MIND

I don't recall hearing anything about or hearing any of Prince's first two albums (I don't remember "I Wanna Be You Lover" at all on the radio). DIRTY MIND was the first Prince album in the house and 3121 is the latest. They just keep coming, and I'm happy as hell.

Around 1983.

1983

1989, started with a borrowed copy of Lovesexy then S.O.T.T. Once hooked I went out and bought the Batman LP.

1984

Right around when the musicology tour ended..

In 2003.

i started in '91 with Diamonds & Pearls.. when i was 8 years old

ive been totally into prince ever since.. was harrassed in school for it and made fun of.. didnt listen to anything else while my sister and all my friends were into every single crappy boyband.. hehe!

vegasE said:

It was in the D&P era. I saw the song Diamonds & Pearls on MTV & loved it.. I saw Cream & Gett Off that summer 2 & I was hooked.. My father bought 2 Prince albums 4 me.. D&P & Batman.

1981

1982

1979 - "I Wanna Be Your Lover"

vegasE said:

1978 Soft and Wet came on the radio and I ran full speed to the record shop while it was still playing. I lived right around the corner from the record shop. It's been a long and cool ride ever since.

In 2002
I bought Rave un2 the Joy Fantastic, and I loved it

Wow, actually just recently, but I've made a lot of progress since then. I think (not sure, but I've checked) I started listening to Prince on Nov. 15, 2005. LOL. I only have any idea because it was storming and I was in the living room at about three in the morning, or something like that. But not long, really. Unfortunately. Though I've known songs like "When Doves Cry" for a long time.

81' or 82' when Controversy was released .

Casaul fan since 1986 I suppose (Kiss), I didn't make my first Prince purchase until 1992; but what turned me into the obsessed fan I am now was going to Prince Night in Chicago from 1998-2003...specifically hearing 17 Days and realizing I owned the song on the B-Sides disc of my Hits1/2 box set.

I guess around 78 or 79. The first song I heard from him was Soft N Wet, but
I did not take real notice of him until "I Wanna Be Your Lover"

1984

The first song I ever heard was The Most Beautiful Girl in the World. I was in 7th grade. I just loooooved that song, then and now. It seemed everytime I went to bed they would be playing that song on the radio. It took me a while to find out who the singer was. I didn't even understand English that well as I was still learning it. Then I tried to buy the tape (yes, a tape, I did not have a CD player heehee) that had that song. I ended buying "Come" instead and then realized it didn't have the song. When I bought "Come" I saw all the other albums he had out. One by one, I tried collecting all his albums, behind my mom's back. :/ She thought he was weird . I definitely expanded my English vocabulary listening to Prince, I would take it as a challenge to write down the lyrics to his songs. I would come up with some berserk lines at times . TMBGIT definitely got me hooked, and then ... shhh, insantiable,etc... although I do have to say, Orgasm made me question him. Afterall, I was only 12. Moral of the story, ... Music is also important when learning a language. Now that I teach Spanish in High school... I used "Te Amo Corazon" as an excuse to play Prince for my classes . Of course, they didn't really buy my reason, since they all were quick to notice just the 3 words.