i know Prince likes to think that musicianship sells records, not music videos...but i mean DANG!!! how many times have you guys visualized a great song with a kick ass video, only to see it (if it was ever made, and/or released) and you're like WTF? another great opportunity gone by the wayside. there are dozens of artists who have thrived and survived just by making videos for their songs that don't involve a Paisley Park soundstage, a guitar and a chair.

Race car drivers don't spend time tuning up cars.....

Graycap23 said:

well then what's the point of having a race car if you're only gonna put 87 grade fuel in it?

He does have some good ones...though back in the 80's. I really liked the 1999/controversy ones.

But yeah, I know what you mean. Many are lack luster. Most everything from D&P to well now with very few exceptions have been good.

Black Sweat and Te Amo go against this grain. I think both are stellar.

i'm tired of the performance video's.
i mean how creative do you have to be to stand in front of a camera and act live your performing.
get back to the stuff like i wish you heaven, and shit like that.
thats why i like the video for te amo corazon.

I think generally Prince has always been more interested in the music than the image, although he came up commercially in the video era, he never exploited this tool as much as his contemporaries, most obviously Madonna and Michael Jackson.

tripp said:

Yeah, the I Wish U Heaven video was awesome. He looked cool with his ponytail and Sheila, Cat, and Bonnie doing their little dance steps was funny.

tripp said:

"I Wish U Heaven" has the most wretched video of Prince's I have ever seen.

Spinlight said:

You obviously haven't seen the Gett Off extra videos.

superspaceboy said:

He's had a "few" great videos ... 7, Kiss, Raspberry Beret, Cream, Gett Off, and one of my all time faves ... Partyman. Black Sweat and Te Amo are both excellent videos, far better than any video he's done in the last twelve years, IMO.

I agree with all of your comments but I just don't thinks it's that important to Prince. I look at it this way, if Prince had put more time into video, we would not have the catalog of material that we have now. That's a fact.

Graycap23 said:

well i would trade off NEWS for a coupla good videos that didn't look like they were filmed at a booth at six flags

Are you SURE U like this artist?

Prince is an embarrassment when it comes to videos. Except for live performance concepts, nearly everything he touches is a piece of shit.

Graycap23 said:

But they can still drive a car hella fast

meltwithu said:

In my OPINION video don't have anything to do with making music. NOTHING.
It's sort of like the relationship between God and religion. They are NOT the same thing.

I wanna give props to Batdance, Mountains, Raspberry Beret and yes....Te amo Borazon.

origmnd said:

yup. love prince. but you can't help but think he's missed more than a few golden opportunities but releasing a lot of subpar companion videos over the years. just a few come to mind:

dinner with delores (it was kiss-off song, but still..)
dolphin (both versions)
gold
the one
come on
call my name
musicology

no video/never released/hard to find:

the entire rainbow children cd (uggh!)
i hate u

Graycap23 said:

if you're gonna spend the time making the product, you better get out there and sell it too! otherwise, just sell it over the internet and whoever can find it will buy it. the industry as we all used to know it is gone, and has been for sometime. you want somebody to take notice you, give them something to remember, not make them wanna turn the channel.

meltwithu said:

Don't get me wrong I agree with you, but Prince is really OLD School when it comes to this. Back in the day it was music first and it still is with Prince. I've been saying since the 1999 video that Prince needs to "up" his game in the video arena but look what we have.....20 plus years later and Prince is still doing the same basic videos.

Graycap23 said:

If he is only really concerned with music, he shouldn't do videos if he's gonna do stupid ones.

I liked musicology the video... he had a great look.

I think he equates cheapness with minimalism and atmosphere. He's the Ed Wood of music videos. Batdance really is the MTV-age equivalent of Plan 9 From Outer Space.

So many of his 90s videos look like they were shot in a large soundstage covered with day-glo drapes, the Paisley Park parking lot or an "intriguing" mixture of the two.

However, when he is being intentionally minimal, like Alphabet St. and Kiss (both so cheap, they're cool), it works.

He does seem to have put a bit more thought into his videos since the Musicology album though. Cinnamon Girl was good.

While they may lack the creativity of a concept video, I wish he'd give more songs the type of video treatment he gave Take Me With You and America. Just a balls to the wall kick ass live performance that doesn't just recreate the album version but expands upon it. Just imagine if he did a video for Fury like the one for America with him playing several instruments and seriously taking that song to another level. He's got the perfect opportunity with the upcoming purtple ticket party.

WillyWonka said:

That "Gangsta Glam" video . . . mercy. It was bad I can still see it when I close my eyes.

meltwithu said:

No TRC videos ...dont tell me u dont know
why.

whats the 2nd dolphin video?

u forgot to mention the ENTIRE Emancipation lp videos..

origmnd said:

TRC could have had some kick ass videos. the work was great social commentary, and the last december charted in japan i think--two songs which could have had decent videos

Spinlight said:

"I Wish U Heaven" is one of Prince's best videos,imo.