You'd think with online distribution and having his own label, he could just sell his own albums. I don't see why he still deals with the major record labels. He certainly doesn't have to.

He had a great model in place. Given who he is and the money he has, It can't be THAT hard to make and album, get it pressed and set up an online ordering system. Yes the CB was a disaster, but that was a while ago, and certainly, things are easier now..or should be with lessons learned.

Just never understood why he keeps going back to the Lions of the Record studios.

Thoughts?

There's no doubt he's proved he can do it on his own.

However, he's the sort of artist that likes being in the public eye and getting his music out to as many people as possible, not just the 100,000 or whatever memmbers of the npgmc or any online distribution he might set up.

The majors have established links with record stores and radio stations, and a distribution network that is probably cheaper than Prince's because it deals in bulk pressings of CDs, transportation of bulk CDs to record stores around the world. Prince just doesn't have a network like that which is why he needs the majors once in a while. Individually Fed-exxing cds to fans surely must eat into his profits or force him to raise the prices which then puts people off casual buying. The main way of getting new fans of his new music is actually having the CD there in stores around the world, and theoretically getting radio stations to play his music (though that still seems to be a problem he has).
[Edited 10/14/06 17:09pm]

metalorange said:

True, but one would think that over a period of time, he could press and distribute it himself...to where it would become cheaper over time. Certainly haveing an inhouse CD Press, can't be that expensive. And even commissioning a print house for the artwork couldn't be too difficult either. But as you said P thinks BIG and Wide distribution of his music. Not sure if he knows we are in the day and age where indies are all doing it by themselves and remaining successful.

One of Prince's biggest issues is getting over the notion of trying to garner new fans like it was 1987 and trying to get on radio. He thinks out of the box but doesn't actually get out of it.

How did he press Musicology like he did? Were those giveaways pressed by the record company?

Becuase he hasn't got the balls to put his own money into spend for marketing and promotion, that's why. About the only one I can think of who doesn't scrimp on puttig his money where his mouth is would be Mick Hucknall.

Mong said:

Could you explain a little further? If he was to do it on his own, he wouldn't need to advertise that much. Having his site and a Myspace would almost be all he has to do. Just a fam thought here...he could even do a small commercail spot on TV to drive people to his music.

The remark on Mick is an interesting one, what did you mean by that?

superspaceboy said:

-----
You can't get the distrubution or the marketing on your own that being said CD sales have gotten worst in the last two years or so. Therefore, he might be better off just doing his own thing from now on.

Universal only had to market 3121 and that did a piss poor job so he could do better on his own.

I think because of distribution and...let's face for money!

Cuz despite what he says,
he's still a Major Tom.

Prince didn't exactly sell that much through NPG, did he?

Face it, his ego dictates that he wants to reach as many people as possible. He needs more than a MySpace and his website, otherwise he's by and large preaching to the converted.

Mick Hucknall put £2 million into his own label, mainly for promotion and marketing of his album "Home". I can't think of another act doing this; they mainly have their own labels as a vanity project and try to get funding from other people, as they're too shit scared to use their own money. Prince is loaded enough to have a similar operation. As I said, he hasn't got the balls to do so.

Well did Prince say he was number one in the bank during the Emancipation era. Let's face, he "may" have got more incoming by being independent...But he still faced a problem: Distribution.

Some of you must be remember the Crystal Ball fiasco.

Also a majors give a better chance of promotion (Something that did go well with the majors P worked...imo!)

MikeMatronik said:

Yes, but the CB fiasco was almost a decade ago, things have gotten better since then. Online distribution has come a long way. If he put his mind to it, he could distribute his music like the big guys...he just thinks he needs to sell a lot of cd's in order to be relevent.

i just went around the block to granny shops and looked for the WB logo on cassettes, and i found some prince cassettes. If i go to a store they sell prince cassettes more expensive, the major stores don't even have 3121 stocked anymore.. maybe they can get them on order or something, they only have the prince compilations. Don't you love charity organisations?

Mong said:

why did prince do appearances and the tour?

Didn't he release TMBGITW wihout any major label help?

superspaceboy said:

Because of dead presidents.

superspaceboy said:

Except Prince never learns from his mistakes.

Prince still thinks he's important, and that every fart he deigns release-worthy is important. Whereas numerous other artists don't whine at length, and simply get on with business. Hence Metallica now owning their back catalogue, and at the same time pleasing fans by releasing entire tours as lossless, drm-free downloads, while Prince still doesn't own his back catalogue (and thank god for that, because most of the stuff he's released on his own post-WB is impossible to get hold of), and still treats his fans as thieves. Hell, how ridiculous is it that there are VERSIONS of the download-only releases that differ in quality and even music?

Nikster said:

He wasn't *allowed* to use ANY WB-companies. Other majors wouldn't touch him back then because they knew there'd be legal issues.

And TMBGITW seems to have involved lots of dirty tricks, as people who worked for PP at the time have testified.

Prince will never be a totally "independent" artist and he knows it.He already tried to release music independently and there were all types of problems.I think,by now,he realizes that he must work with the major record companies if he wants his music to be heard.It's a necessary evil that he can't do without.

What kind of dirty tricks?

Isnt the whole purpose of the last 10 + years is to prove an artist can release music on his own AND thru the majors?

And isnt it also to prove U dont HAVE to play by the rules of the majors?

And that eventually the artist will be in the drivers seat ,not the rec co ?

Will he continue to find new ways to release music?

BartVanHemelen said:

are you saying they lied?!

2 reach a wider audience mayb?

one word: letitgo

LoL

Interesting thread to read!

Some of you talk like they know Prince personally, which makes funny reading. Fact is, you do not know exactly why Prince makes the decisions he makes, just guess at it.

I can also only comment on it from my own personal view. Not knowing Prince personally, I am still baffled by some of the choices he makes when it comes to promoting and distributing his music.

In the past, I remember Prince's run-ins with the record company resolved around them not wanting to flood the market. I remember Gett Off, for instance.

Now in these times, Prince does not record these kind of jams anymore it seems and the need to rush-release them to his fans cuz he just simply loves a tune himself also seems pointless.

I myself have never understood Prince's disdain for his older material, as expressed in songs like Don't Play Me. Or the way he cuts in un-released tracks like Dream Factory and Moviestar.

But his site was the perfect place for him to, low-key, distribute the material his fans have been clammering for even before the word Vault was used by Prince or fans. No promotion, breeding happy fans and earning TONS of money.

Besides that, he could release singles like back in the day James Brown would. He could be a modern day James Brown but instead seems to become a bit of a modern day Elvis. And yes, I am now talking about releasing mediocre albums and the Vegas thing.

From my point of view it seems Prince is a bit bored, just becuz he has done everything before. I think we, as a fan-base, should tear down Paisley Park and make him record in a shabby warehouse again, with some young people that can stimulate his mind musically and then see what happens.

jjam said:

Same as record companies do, in an attempt to get a hit record.

origmnd said:

He proved the opposite.

origmnd said:

Go back to 1999: Prince wasn't in the driver's seat, he followed Clive Davis' orders. THAT is how hypocritical he is: he left a record company that bent backwards to accommodate him, and then signed on with one of the most controlling record execs out there. Why? Clive promised him hits and lotsa dollars. And of course Davis' hype proved to be merely hype, because Rave was a piece of crap. Result: the casual fans didn't buy it, they also didn't recommend it to other record buyers, and that combined with Prince's decision to revolt against Arista because after mere months the promised results weren't showing killed any chance that record had.

HamsterHuey said:

I agree on this one Well said

I think,in many ways,Prince wants to have it both ways.He wants to be the "independent" artist,in complete control,doing everything his own way.But he also wants the benefits of being on a big record label.He likes the big paychecks (Arista repotedly paid him $11 million for 'Rave'),the big promotional and hype machine,the radio airplay,etc.