What's the story behind that project? Is it on dvd?

What album can I find the BE version of Come and the song Interactive?

TIA

The story behind it??

Well it was a TV broadcast from 1994. The concert footage is from a Paisley Park concert, Feb 13th 1994.

It hasn't been released on DVD yet (though there are numerous bootleg DVDs out there). You can find "Interactive" on the Crystal Ball album (available for download at NPGMC). The version of "Come" is still unreleased. What else do you want to know?
[Edited 5/4/06 18:58pm]

toejam said:

Thanks for responding.

Was it broadcasted in the States? If so, was it on MTV, VH1 or another station?

Do you know how the songs were selected? The majority of them are from the Come album, but a few are not. Was it promo for the Come album?

Where was he trying to go with the storyline? Was Nona suppose to be on the internet?

As you can see, I have lots and lots of questions.

PurpleCharm said:

According to my copy of The Vault, it was first broadcast on the BBC in the UK, then later in other countries. I'm pretty sure it was broadcast in the States, and I'm guessing it was on MTV...

PurpleCharm said:

I don't know specifically how the songs were selected, but it's fairly safe to say it was a promo for the Come album (probably the only promotion done for that album) as well as The Gold Experience (which Prince was trying to convince WB to release) and TMBGITW single.

PurpleCharm said:

Storyline? Since when has Prince been specific about the storyline in any of his movies/videos? Yeah, I guess you could say Nona was using the internet. He probably knew that would be the next big thing in music distribution (actually, isn't the whole thing meant to be set in 1999 or something?? I can't remember)
[Edited 5/4/06 19:32pm]

Thank you so much for taking the time to answer my questions.

toejam said:

I think the premier was in the UK, but if memory serves it was on Sky One (cable channel owned by Rupert Murdoch/Fox).


I don't think it was really promotion for 'Come' per se, airing in April, Come wasn't released until August -- I think it was another avenue Prince was trying out at that time -- remember he was talking about 'alternative avenues' to distribute his music (i.e. outside a recording contract with WB) -- Which also bore the Interactive CD-ROM and Glam Slam Uylsses (clips of performances of that can be seen in some of the Beautiful Experience promo clips - Interactive and Pheremone for example).



[Edited 5/5/06 1:04am]

It was shown on Channel 4, UK. Thats where I taped it.

petski said:

Petski, I love your avatar. I love George and always thought he was a stud!

I dont think it was shown in the US
Or i never caught it on tv...
Back then i Taped every thing on VHS...lol

But ive been luck to see it

I think 'the Beautiful Experience '
Was only promoted in Japan & the UK

prodigalfan said:

Cheers !

Yep, he is my absolute hero ! (erm sorry Prince )

I aspire to be like him !

Right better get off going to buy an annorack and a velvet tracksuit !
[Edited 5/5/06 1:58am]
[Edited 5/5/06 1:59am]

mplsmike said:

Not so. I watched it in South Africa...

NouveauDance said:

Well of course early tracklists of Come had tracks that were later put on The Gold Experience instead. The Most Beautiful Girl was already a hit by the time this was shown, I believe. So they are sort of all mashed together, Come coming out in '94 and TGE later in '95 and belatedly having The Most Beautiful Girl put on there at Warner's request. Hence this is kind of a promo at the time of Come, The Most Beautiful Girl, and TGE, but not necessarily promoting a single album.

I always took the storyline to be about this woman who is lonely, seeks solace via the internet, and ends up kind of being sucked reluctantly into this interactive online experience with Prince, and later just gives into it, finally realising the value of real human connection, it ends with her finally leaving her flat and going into the real world, as I seem to remember. Or something like that.

metalorange said:

An underrated era in Prince's creativity. I would love to have seen that whole era released how Prince wanted it to be released. I think there are a lot of unreleased tunes from that period that have never seen the light of day - one of his most prolific periods with a sound uniquely his own.

It has become the most inspired and funky era for me, ahead of the 80's peak. He was definately on a roll but the WB rift completely stifled it all and the world never truly got to appreciate the genius of it. To think what it could have become...

metalorange said:

Wow! Prince was/is such a visionary. I hardly knew anything about the internet back in 1994 and to think he had the forsight to see how this new medium was going to be integrated into our everyday lives.


In 1994, it had been about 7 or 8 years since I had been a part of the Prince fan community, so I really didn't know what was going on during that time in Prince's world. I do, however, remember hearing the song Interactive being played on a sort of informercial for what is now known as On demand cable programing and the internet...interactivity between the medium and the end user. It wasn't a Prince project but the song Interactive was used as the backdrop music. I asked if anyone else recalled this back in 2004 and no one did. I know you are not in the states, but do you or anyone else know anything about that?

Rebeljuice said:

It was also shown on Channel 7 here in Australia ( bizzarely enough ). I still have my crappy, dusty old VHS recording of it somewhere.

PurpleCharm said:

No, sorry, never heard of that. Interactive first appeared on the CD-Rom game and this video project, but wasn't 'officially' released until Crystal Ball in '98. It would be surprising as Prince avoids lending his music for adverts, I suppose there's always a chance someone used Interactive without permission.

metalorange said:

Ok, thanks.

I remember it so vividly. I know it was in 1994 because I was living in Maryland at the time and TMBGITW was out. Interactive blaring in the background while the 'host' of the informercial talked about how we would be able to request movies via the remote control and while he was talking they would pan to a family sitting in front of a television, demonstrating how it would work.

I hope that there is at least one person that knows of or remembers it. If there is, please come forward, so I can know that I am not crazy...

metalorange said:

Bah. She goes on to have sex with Prince. So much for real human connection.

I wish this would be aired again so someone would tivo it so then we could have a decent quality dvd of it!!!!

metalorange said:

Yes, "The Beautiful Experience" was not made to promote any album. The only
thing it was really promoting was "The Most Beautiful Girl In The World"
single which had been released just over 2 weeks before it was aired.

This was still during the stage where Prince was tinkering with various ideas
on how to release his new material, as was still hoping to release this stuff
free of WB.

I've wondered a few times if The Beautiful Experience was ever the name of a full album (perhaps containing some of the various tracks from The Dawn / Come / TGE), but then after the EP was released with that name, he decided against using the name again. I have nothing to corroborate this, and have never seen it mentioned anywhere, but in view of the tv movie it seems logical.

Anyone have thoughts on this?

booyah said:

What was the Dawn supposed to be made up of? I know the whole mix between Come and TGE, but The Dawn is less clear to me.

petski said:

Yes, but it premiered on Sky One.

Now...I could be wrong with this info...but if memory serves...The Beautiful Experience was not broadcast in the United States...unless someone had an international channel through a satellite service. I remember seeing a list in the NPG Magazine of all the places it was broadcast...none of which were in the USA. I first heard it when someone gave me an audio tape of the experience. I was blown away!! (This was around the time frame when I went 2 the 1-800 release party at Glam Slam)

Now...word has it that The Beautiful Experience was supposed 2 be available 4 a Valentines Day release that year...and again, I may be wrong...this is my recollection of the days I hung out at the NPG Store on Lake Street...that there was even a display all set 4 the release. Unfortunately, 4 all of us...a certain Wrecka Company was not about to authorize the release of it...hence, like the Undertaker album...it was pulled. (Not sure if any "real" copies exist.) I saw it at the store, a few times...and fell in love with it...and, 2 this day, it is one of my favorite Prince Experiences. Anyone...please feel free 2 correct me.

Live4Love
[Edited 5/5/06 7:45am]

BorisFishpaw said:

Hey Boris, where's that gorgeous, meticulous tracklist for your multi-disc Come/Gold era stuff?

Rebeljuice said:

I think between Come, Gold, Chaos & Disorder, Crystal Ball and the NPGMC, the majority of tracks from that era are out now. You could tell that Prince believed very strongly in the work he was doing around this time. I just wish "The Undertaker" would've seen a wider release.

What cds can Now, Acknowledge Me and The Jam be found on?

PurpleCharm said:

Now - The Gold Experience
Acknowledge Me - Crystal Ball
The Jam - Unreleased (but the live bootleg "The Return of the Bumpsquad" has a great live version of it!)

It premiered in the UK on Sky One, and was later repeated on Channel 4.

Interactive appeared on the Interactive CD rom, and then on Crystal Ball (different version).

The Interactive video did actually get an offical release, when it was given away on a free DVD with a UK computer magazine in 95.

It was also shown here in Spain ...(much to my surprise ) and of course I still have my VHS recording of it as a prized possession (same with his polemical performance in "Septimo"). We have no too many ocassions to see any of his performances shown here, so it was a pretty chance

I liked the storyline ("who are you, and what i'm doing in your videos?") and loved Acknowledge Me and Pheromone








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