Some of you people take this shit far too seriously. He's a pop act for chrissakes.

Some of you people put Prince up on far too high a pedastal. He aint the second coming.

herb4 said:

I definitely won't try to argue that all Prince's choices have been perfect!

bkw said:

see my previous post on this thread.

(and in fact, i'd probably give him two dollars, especially if he made the bela lagosi face.)

Anx said:

Like this one!

You know what people are that stand on the street corners, in heels, looking pretty, and collecting money.....

vainandy said:

I can't beleive that some people are complaning about this. If Prince HADN'T done the show and 3121 stalls out on the charts guess what ? The same people would STILL complain about the man not promoting 3121. Prince has done a pretty good job of getting himself back in the public eye [ in good favor I might add ] and some people just don't get it. Whether some of you like it or not Prince wants to sell records bottom line. Look at it this way Prince may have a great reason besides selling the album for appearing on the show. Maybe this is a way to introduce a younger audience to a Legendary artist who lives and breathes REAL MUSIC! Please take this post as what it is , my point of view because I'm not here to start any trouble.
LOVE, Carmy

Wasn't Mary J. Blige on A. I. last night, too? I didn't see the whole show.

So is she a sell-out, too?

I don't understand this sell-out idea. Prince appeared on American Bandstand.. I think he sang Controversy?? At that time, he was not really as mainstream artist. But he was on American Bandstand which reminds me for some reason of American Idol... I guess because both shows cater to a youthful audience. Prince never wanted to be just this independent, underground artist. If he had, why on Earth would he ever have appeared on a mainstream show in the first place? No... Prince didn't sell-out: he promoted his cd to a huge viewing audience. He's done that for years--from the beginning. Sure, he want control over his music. Sure he has had some bad experiences with the industry. But last night he made the industry work for him. And as I said before, he also showed those kids that they can be who they are and still make it. They don't have to be groomed for stardom. They just have to be careful to always be in control and not allow the industry to control them.

As far as American Idol being beneath him, well apparently a ton of people watch that show. And Kelly Clarkson won some Grammy's. Others contestants have gone on to Broadway or the movies. Like it or not, that show has launched some talented people's careers. And more and more established "stars" are starting to take that show more seriously. As a matter of fact, I bet more A-list music artist are going to take that show seriously as well, and maybe use it to their advantage. I think Mary J. is an A-list, contemporary artist, and she appeared on the show, too. She's not a has-been. (I hate that term, btw, because at least a person had to have some level of success in the industry to even be considered passe.)

I very rarely watch that show because it bores me. I just happen to have it on last night. I didn't even think that Prince was going to perform. But apparently a lot of people really enjoy it. And many if not most of the kids on there are very talented. So at least they have a shot. But Prince also reminded them with his performance last night that they don't necessarily needs Simon's validation to become a star.
[Edited 5/25/06 16:34pm]

vainandy said:

[Edited 5/25/06 16:44pm]

No, she's not a sellout because she makes music just as boring as their's. She fits right in with them.




He did "I Wanna Be Your Lover" and "Why You Wanna Treat Me So Bad". "I Wanna Be Your Lover" was a very disco-like song and American Bandstand played a lot of disco during the era. Prince fit right in. He had the spandex satin pants to match.

I love it!

purplecam said:

AMEN

I agree with larryluvlife wish I could have seen him. I was closing on my house. I got a house but miss my man

vainandy said:

Well.. whatever. I think that he sang Controversy on some mainstream music show??? I don't remember. The point is that American Bandstand wasn't beneath him, and at that time he was probably more of a music snob than he is now. Prince has always been the type of artist to experiment but also appeal to the more mainstream. And like I said, Prince made it being Prince--all versions of him. So in a way, it had to be inspiring to some of those kids to see him there. Prince could care less about Simon.. or the rest of the "judges." Those kids--the ones without the contracts--just need to remember that.

So because Prince is "above" Mary J. and others in your opinion, he's a sell-out for appearing on that show? So he doesn't fit-in because he is so much better than everyone, so that's why he's a sellout? Well, to me, by being on the show he just showed everyone that there is a huge "gap" between him and other artists. But ya know, he would do that no matter the show. Prince is very unique in the music industry right now. There is NOBODY like Prince. I just can't even think of anyone who comes close. In a way, during the past few years, Prince has gained more and more respect because many people are realizing that the music industry isn't producing artists of that kind of quality anymore.

Also, I thought I read that Stevie Wonder appeared on American Idol, too? So is he considered a sell-out. To me Stevie Wonder is a genius. That guy is amazing.

P.S. I just heard a little clip of Rage Against the Machine in the movie version of Charlie's Angels. Is Rage a sell-out, too? (Of course they are no longer, but I thought it was interesting that one of Zach de la Rocha's songs would be included in the Charlie Angel's movie. Now, that doesn't sound very Zach-like to me.)
[Edited 5/25/06 17:11pm]

superspaceboy said:

25-90 million people* don't tune every week to watch and Simon Cowell doesn't have sex with all of them.


*depending on where you read the numbers.

Hey, if I had an album I would go on AI as well, even though i hate the show. Exposure is the key. You use them, dig?

herb4 said:

I feel almost exactly the same way. I never wanted him to perform on AI. Not as a coach, not last night, not ever. Frankly, I think it's beneath him. I don't care if everyone in the world watches/loves it--it's a crap TV show. Popular is not synonymous with Good.
I haven't said he's sold out, and I haven't bitched about the lack of promotion for 3121. (I do wish the singles had extended b-sides and were easier to find in the States, but I'll manage.) But I honestly wish he would not have performed on fucking American Idol. And the fact that I think his performance was thoroughly mediocre (and the Twinz can't sing worth shit) doesn't help matters.

But hell yes I'll be lined up to see him on GMA in 3 weeks, and I'll still buy every album he releases.

No, American Bandstand wasn't beneath him. He was a fairly new artist at the time and needed the exposure. Also, a lot of great groups appeared on American Bandstand during it's run. The show also had the good sense to quit before the music scene went to hell. Too bad Soul Train didn't follow the same lead because that show has become an embarrassment to the name.

Performing on a mainstream show is not the problem because mainstream music used to be great. Nowadays, mainstream is the worst you can get.




The contestants on that show go on to make records that are the type that keep people like Prince, and other artists like him, off the radio airwaves. That show is the enemy.




That's very true. He is very much an individual. Other individuals used to exist but they don't anymore....certainly not on that show.




I don't think Stevie has gone around talking about "the state of today's music". He could have but I haven't heard him because I haven't kept up with him lately. Prince has made these type of comments though and should stand behind them. Whether Stevie has made those type of comments or not, him and any other artist with even the slightest bit of talent and individuality would be selling out by performing on that show.

purplecam said:

Yeah, everybody chill, he went on American Bandstand didn't he? Is it only ok if you are coming up? As for contracts, he is distributing his records with companies (Universal, Columbia) that still hold artists under contracts so what is the difference?

Admit it, the first thought in your heads when you saw him was "Fuck Yeah!",not "Sell out!"

I guess it hit me like that because I don't live on the org and didn't know he was going to be on. It was a pleasant surprise that made my fucking night!

2 the haters: Here let me fish slap yo ass

I cant believe with hardly no interviews and/or promotion, yall can have the nerve to complain.

Fuck yall

jone70 said:

But even a mediocre Prince performance is better than what they have on that show. In a way, I think Prince was using that show for promotion. Also, I think he may have inadvertantly shown that the music business--pop particularly is just sort of cookie-cutter. Yeah, yeah the girls. Well that's pretty typical Prince. But the fact that he performed his own music... and the dude PERFORMED--he just didn't sing with this mic in his face. Well it just shows that the others are amateurs. Prince out-performed the pop artists at what they do best, but he is still a musician/songwriter. I dunno. I just look at it as more of a "lesson" that he may or may have not intended to teach.

No, I'm not a huge fan of A.I. either. But in my mind, Prince was sort of saying a nanny, nanny boo-boo to the whole concept EXCEPT I'm sure he supports the youngsters who participate on that show. He's probably telling them, you guys are better than this: you can make it without this show.
[Edited 5/25/06 17:37pm]

paisleypark4 said:

I hear ya on that!
[Edited 5/25/06 17:43pm]

Universaluv said:

Game. Set. Match.

That being said the performance was average at best. And, as long as he wasn't trying to "coach" anyone or sitting by Simon Cowell judging their performance I couldn't care less.

By the way I also think this is something Universal nagged him into doing.

paisleypark4 said:

true dat

vainandy said:

I just addressed his reasoning about the state of music comments in my post before I had a chance to read yours. I don't want to repeat myself. I just think that Prince was showing how wide the gap really is. In a way, he was competing, ya know? And from what I've read about the A.I. viewers, Prince won. People aren't only talking about Taylor Hicks or Clay's hair. (What was up with that? lol lol) They were talking about Prince. Maybe the guy is on to something. I think it was more of a slap in the face to A.I.

And as far as American Bandstand, I just never got into that show. I was shocked to see that he performed on it. The deal is though that he was trying to promote his music whether just starting out or now. Prince is trying to figure out how to compete in this market without COMPLETELY morphing into what everyone thinks will sell.

P.S. For the record, I never watch(ed) Soul Train either. I don't even know if it's still on.
[Edited 5/25/06 17:40pm]

Isel said:

I noticed that too in the AI boards. When Prince came up, it had A LOT of responses. Too good right there.

Oh, Soul Train is still on

Here's another reason why this worked. We're here talking about it! Whether you were down with him going on the show or not, Prince got you here talking about it. This site alone, people who don't post here regularly came out to give their 2 cents. I heard people talk about Prince on The Steve Harvey Show and the lady who saw it said Prince was outstanding. I heard his name come up on another radio show here in NYC, the morning shows and on Live with Regis and Kelly and this was this morning. Plus, wherever there's an American Idol forums for last night's show, his name was bound to come up somewhere in the discussion. Prince got his name out there even if it was for a second and that was part of the battle.

purplecam said:

preach

paisleypark4 said:

Well, in a way, it is ironic considering.....

Anx said:

PREACH!