http://www.startribune.co...21120.html

I got a whiff of Prince's new act on Friday, and it is nothing to sniff at.
Especially if you like ylang-ylang or have a fondness for French bordellos.

At $30 an ounce, our Purple Majesty is peddling a personal fragrance called 3121 (say "thirty-one, twenty-one," I am told) that won't be available until July 7, 2007, because Prince loves the number 7 and July 7 will be 7-07-07.

He's a little nutty about numbers, our purple pop star, and, in fact, there is much mystery about the numerology of his perfume's name.

Here's the 411 on 3121, which was also the name of a CD that Prince released last year.

Some people believe 3121 is what he called a house he used to rent in the Hollywood Hills, although that's not the actual street number of the place. Others point out that if you add up the digits -- 3 and 1 and 2 and 1 -- you get 7 (but you can do the same with 2221 or 1006 or 5011 and so on, so who knows?). Others claim that 3121 corresponds to the Hebrew letters for God, while some claim that 3121 is the "Biblical number for completion," whatever that means.

Maybe it's just the Biblical number for "off your rocker."

I am not hip enough to be attempting to explain Prince to anyone. After all, I am an ancient 56 years old, while he is a slip of a lad and a mere youth of ... well, he'll be 49 on Thursday.

If I slept in silk pajamas instead of sweat pants or had someone dress me every morning, I would look sharper. But I have had a hard time hiring dressers, so I have plummeted on the Hipness Chart since 1969, when I wore a floppy fedora (it was purple, Prince; take that!), plus paisley pants (take that, too!) and my friends and I were trying to find out if Paul was dead.

We never figured out for sure what happened to Paul, but we did come to a solid conclusion that changed our lives:

A man who can't grow a full mustache should stop trying.

Don't get me wrong. I love Prince and believe that he is the third or fourth most significant musician in state history, after Bob Dylan, Judy Garland and Whoopee John.

He also is a hit among the preschool set; one 5-year-old I know says his teacher told him Prince is a tiny tomten who sometimes plays his guitar on a toadstool. I don't believe that; the same teacher claims Johnny Depp is her boyfriend.

But this much about Prince is indisputable: His new perfume is intended to help mask the smell of failure at Macy's.

Less than a year after Macy's purged the Marshall Field's name and eradicated all vestiges of the Dayton's feel, the department store on Nicollet Mall needs a fresh fragrance.

On Friday, Macy's went for the purple, and hundreds of Prince fans camped out in line to buy an early delivery of 3121, plus tickets to a Prince show at Macy's on July 7 and a Target Center concert later that day.

All for just $250.

I copped a sample card of 3121 and peeled it open to take a whiff. It smelled like my grandma, but then again, I might have been confused by the scent from a passing bread van. I liked it.

Here's how Prince's website describes his perfume, which was whipped up by a perfumery in the famously fragrant state of Pennsylvania (all words certified accurate):

"3121 is a white floral scent that opens with a refreshing sparkle of crisp bergamot, opulent jasmine and gardenia. Orange flower and muguet sensually intertwine with tuberose and ylang-ylang, creating a subtle, mysterious blend; evolving into notes of patchouli and creamy sandalwood. Precious cedarwood and luxurious musks complement this sexy scent with an almost surreal draw that tugs at all senses for total captivation."

Tuberose, ylang-ylang and bergamot, with musks that are luxurious. Yabba dabba do.

Put me down for an ounce. I may try the stuff sometime. When my Old Spice runs out.

About 2099.


Nick Coleman • ncoleman@startribune.com

I think the author smoked the perfume instead of smelling it.

He comes across a little bit mean but hey, at least he is a little bit funny, compared to the boring tirades of CJ.
So, he doesn´t look as sharp as Prince because he doesn´t have people who dress him and he doesn´t sleep in silk pjs ?

He shouldn´t have ranked Prince number three or four though...come on, I can kinda understand why he put Bob Dylan on the number one spot...but Judy Garland and Whoopee John ? It´s funny that Prince still doesn´t get the respect and recognition he rightfully deserves in his homestate after all these years.

KoolEaze said:

Prince is like a slow train coming increasing the momentum of this past year, the Superbowl, plus so much more. The cheering roar heard on 7/7/07 might wake a few more of those sleepy heads up.
[Edited 6/3/07 8:54am]

Sounds like a poor man's belly aching!

That was hilarious. Especially the part about Macy's.