What happened and how did it happen that Prince would lose his super-star international status?
ALSO, during the time when he was having his legal battles and has his name changed to the infamous symbol.

subyduby said:

What makes you think this?

I certainly don't think Prince lost his International Status. My Goodness where did this come from? I don't think this is accurate at all.

Supernova said:

It must be the fact he's struggling so badly to sell tickets in Europe. I don't know about anyone else, but 4 me twas so easy getting tickets. Only took 3 hours.

dewmass said:

If he is struggling to sell tickets there is it in ALL of the places he's supposed to play gigs in Europe, or is it just your town?

no, i don't mean the recent ticket sales.
i am talking about the 90s. this question came from the thread which discussed a bit about the lack of caring and treatment when prince became a symbol and the legal problems.

subyduby said:

Actually, it seems to me that Prince was even more accepted among music fans in Europe at his commercial low points in America than he was by his own country. But that's not unusual for an American recording artist really.

subyduby said:

So are you saying that now he is just a regular old international star & has lost his superstar standing?

ZaZa said:

no, i am not! i just want you all to take me back in the 90s and explain me the situation and the repsonses.

I don't know if he's lost his status any more than he has in the States. Becoming indie guarantees this to a degree. I think his visibility has gone down overseas because he doesn't tour there as frequently as he used to. Only one tour since the Gold experience is the equivalent of not touring at all in the States between Lovesexy and Act 1. Wait til he arrives in Europe. Then make your assessment.

i kinda of agree, except i would not use the same words.
I think he is smart in a business sense, and he did remarkably well for a long time, but for many people (not me!), the commercial hits just stopped. After Diamonds and Pearls, DJs stopped playing new prince stuff. So they went back to the old stuff, hence all the new white label mixes out now, of erotic city, i would die 4 u, kiss, 1999 etc etc, that is what the casual prince fan wants to hear. Hits.

Prince needs to be a commercial hitmaker to be a major selling artist these days...and therefore have 'international status' or major massmarket appeal.

i am personally glad he is not focussed on hitmaking. He never was, they say he can pop out a hit if he wants to, but the last pop chart hit he had was cream...that was 10 years ago...i guess it would be nice for another one like that everynow and then...

funkylust said:

If you're talking about the last USA big hit it was The Most Beautiful Girl In The World." That was sometime after Cream.

This thread makes it sound like Prince can't get thru customs

A lot of people I know think he is a nut and that all stems from the name change. People also looked at him, with slave on his cheek, doing all his moaning and thought that he was a greedy brat, who just wanted more money. They figured that he was happy enough to sign his contract at the time and he should have lived with it.

What they didn't know was the underlying reasons for it all. The general public would never know what was going on without digging and they can't be botherd to dig. Now he isn't selling large volumes of records, it is a case of out of sight, out of mind. When I meet new people, who don't know I am a fan and they then find out, they nearly all comment on how he hasn't released anything for years. They are then amazed when I tell them how much he has released, it's just that they never get to hear it. People are lazy and if something isn't in their face, they tend to forget it.

TheEnglishGent said:

Preeecise-lyyy.

Prince still has international status as a brilliant musician within the industry. That won't ever change because of the musical legacy he had established through the Warner Bros years. He has now lost his commercial mass market appeal because he does not have the means to promote/deliver to the market through a major record label. For the moment, he is happy living underground with the fans through NPGMC. He is still making plenty of $$$ from us and therefore has very little incentive to be accepted by the general music buying public.

Prince has NEVER cared what other peoples thought of him or his music... this has been since day one of his career.

The guy makes money and makes the music he wants to make.

wheres the problem???

having bitter failed musicans who turn into music critics bad motuh him?? OR "fans"/ people you will never meet or know give their 2 cents..about what they Like or dislike

Prince doesn't care

and I don't blame him


[This message was edited Fri Sep 20 16:34:55 PDT 2002 by locoarts]

locoarts said:

That's an extreme point of view. I think Prince, like most artists, has cared about what other people thought of him and his music. I suspect he still does in his own way. Take the album Rave Un2 The Joy Fantastic as a recent example.

I don't think he lost his International status-I think it was time for a change.The days of the reclusive mega-selling, publicity shy,stadium selling 80's mega-star thing had had its day.Times change, and so do peoples tastes.I do think that he didnt handle the name change/WB deal thing well-just look what Madonna managed to do with her $$-she didnt spend a huge chunk on Carmen Electra projects, or filming Mayte in the Egyptian desert.He turned into a laughing stock in the UK-and didn't help matters by throwing out contractual obligation albums full of filler material that should have STAYED in the vault,with little, or no promotion.And the whole NPG Tora Tora thing with the scarf on his face made him seem out of this planet to the general public-they had no idea about the contract wranglings going on in the background-and just thought he wasn't valid anymore!
I personally think that this (coming to Europe) is the best decision he has made in YEARS-it's about time he got his ass out there in public again, get seen in the papers, get people interested in him-give them a chance to see what we all already know.
Cuz if I hear one more person say"I like his older stuff, before he lost the plot", I'm gonna freak!
OK-I'm done.

---

By not touring outside the US!

Prince fucked up his superstar status by breaking the mould, then getting moody when people didn't like it.

He is in a constant battle of individuality Vs Success.

He can't get his head round this battle.

subyduby said:[quote]What happened and how did it happen that Prince would lose his super-star international status?


I have the feeling that he is more popular outside the US.
Look at the tickets sale in europe this tour...sold out very fast. Was it the same in the US beginning this year?
I am surprised that he still sels out overhere.

To give you an idea of how out of the loop Prince is here are two incidents with my nephews that supplies proof:
1 - I was playing some Prince music & someone asked what was playing. My 14 year old nephew said "That man." He couldn't remember his name. At least he said man.
2 - My sister & family live in Toronto not far from Prince's new house & I was discussing this with my sister. My 19 year old nephew asked "Who's Prince?" Where did I go wrong?

ZaZa said:

yeah! that's what i meant.

kids in school thinks he's some indian actor due to his color and features.
others say: yeah, i think i've heard of him.

subyduby said:

Would that I could...

We can't have it both ways. I, for one, would LOVE to see him back at the top of the commercial tree. There's nothing better than seeing billboards, magazines, tv, etc., plastered with your favourite artist. I really miss that buzz. But IMAGINE what he'd have to compromise to attain that?

I'd love to see him in the Top Ten, I'd love Prince to have another #1, but - for me - as long as he's still respected as hugely as he is - that's enough. There's not a musician on the planet who doesn't give him props. THAT'S what counts.

As I've said before - be thankful you were there. In 200 years' time, they'll be looking back and saying, "Jesus...!"