why doesn't he post all of his videos on a site with ads on it so he can collect revenue from us watching them? It seems like a win win situation and he can control the financial aspects of it. I totally get him trying to stop others from profiting on his work, but if there is a market for seeing his videos, etc. then he should do what a smart businessman would do and find a way to use the internet to make that profit and make it undesirable for others to try to fight him.

I know that if Prince had a great site like that, I'd go... but so far, he hasn't wowed me with his internet savvy.

Any other ideas?

madhouseman said:

i just want to follow him....get my fix and move on.

madhouseman said:

Next, you'll be suggesting he open up those vaults and release all his live material and outtakes, to beat the bootleggers!!!

i think the point is establishing his ownership, not so much accommodating those who want to appropriate it for their own wants.

i just have to wonder when he's going to figure out a way to put copyright violations on our memories. i mean, when we take something in and keep it in our memories, it's as much something we own as physical recorded media. i wonder if that burns him up?

madhouseman said:

For someone who won a webby Award, his web-site is WOEFULLY sparse with content. Now, ask yourself this...If ALLLLL of us think this, don't you think he thinks the same. Then ask yourself why does he CHOOSE not to put up or host such content.

I think it's funny how as fans we think P is clueless when it comes to this stuff. I don't think he's clueless, I think he just doesn't want to. FOr whatever reason.

Anxiety said:

Why doesn;t he simply come out and say why he chooses not to. At least it will put to rest some specualtion on what he thinks about his older material. Maybe somehow if he does any of this, WB would have to get some coin.

It's not about stopping others making money from his work anyway. He just doesn't want people 2 sit at home watching dodgy recordings of him per4m when they could be at his concerts.

U have 2 remember that ££ from recorded music will soon become 0. Keeping the enigma behind his live shows alive is his only hope of making a living in the future. It is perfectly understandable. U give people 2 much & they stop wanting it!
[Edited 9/27/07 20:14pm]

djenerate said:

Well for Christ's sake, Prince -let us come to the concerts! There's an entire world besides London and Vegas, dammit.

And yes, I am bitter. Been a fan for 8 years so far and the only time Prince has come even remotely close was during ONA, and I didn't hear anything about the show 'til 3 days beforehand. And the closest Musicology show would've required crossing a border into another country.

The only access I have to a Prince show is what little is left of sites like Youtube, and now he's taking that away as fast as he can hoard it all, the cunt.

madhouseman said:

A offical 2-3 Vol set of dvd videos would be nice

meow85 said:

WOW! Bitterness!

djenerate said:

This is the first logical explanation of Prince's moves -- I kinda think you're right -- and I know, even though i'm a HUGE prince fan, i've fallen into that trap too. Today, I'll spend no more than $150 on a prince concert ticket, and for that price it's gotta be great seats. But 10 years ago, I would've paid anything and done anything for a ticket. I think this is because I've seen SOOO many concert videos and have sooo much live cd's - that i won't be that surprised, which is a HUGE aspect of his concerts. Now, of course, you can NEVER beat the live experience and being there - that excitement before the show just is unmatched....but having access to hours of live material certaintly mute the whole experience.

How I knew this happend to me: I missed tickets to his last show in SF and I said to myself, "that's ok, I'll just buy the bootleg when it comes out and watch my live los angeles DVD tonight to make up for it"

djenerate said:

ritaw said:

its not difficult to get to London from anywhere these days - what's the problem?

Jatrig said:

Yep, that is the symptom!!
We have done this 2 ourselves. As consumers, we have become too fixated with getting everything we want, when we want it & without really paying for it in many cases. The repercussions will soon rear their ugly heads, just like global warming.

For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction...

superspaceboy said:

True and where's the music store? That's fine, downloaded a bootleg of One Night Alone 2002 Piano album. I'll go elsewhere for access to material.

meow85 said:

So what? I also had to cross the border all 4 times I saw him! I even had to fly for 2 of those concerts!

djenerate said:

Eerrmmmm I dont think he's gonna be dancing while playing his cloud guitar to Electric Chair anytime soon....

MajesticOne89 said:

Stranger things have happened. Anyhow, youtube is by no means the definative record of Prince concerts. Let it go...

djenerate said:

That wasnt the point. The fact is because of his religion and age Prince doesn't do some of the things he did before. He's stopped singing certain songs, stopped doing some stage antics, and because of his reluctancy to go back into his past there's a very slim chance of a release of a DVD of older material. So how are young fans, like myself, who became Prince fans, an artist considered widely as "The Greatest Live Performer", supposed to see the concerts and performances that have made him legendary? I mean, just imagine how someone can become a fan in 10 years or so, come to a prince board and constantly hear, "The Lovesexy Tour was the best ever!! August 3rd was legendary!!! etc etc.." and never get a chance to witness these for themselves...

MajesticOne89 said:

Yes, it's another medium accesible no longer.

MajesticOne89 said:

Well, how about like I never got to see Zappa perform? Or Jimi Hendrix? In fact, there are thousands of concerts and events I would have loved to have been at - but, you know what, you just can't have it all! Simple. My first Prince gig was in 1988 - I'm lucky to have seen him the amount of times I have. I would still loved to have seen any shows between 1980 and 1987 - I would have gone to SOTT in '87, but it was cancelled here. But, that's the way it goes sometimes.

And it still doesn't mean to say that you can have access to performances other than what has been officially released. What's wrong with what's available? You get the Syracuse concert from 85, the "Birthday" performance from 86, SOTT, Lovesexy - and, right there, you've not only got the man rising to his peak, but you get wildly different styles and songs that is representative of him as the Greatest live performer. (And, of course, there are still so many more to enjoy).

I really fail to understand why people feel they have the right to just get whatever they want. Experience, for free, what lot's of other people paid for. (I'm not against people getting things for free, as long as its given to them - not, effectively, stolen!) There are concert videos and DVDs of Prince already available - all wildly different in style and typically representative of the performer. Why is it some feel they will not be satisfied until they have seen every show he's ever done?

Mindflux said:

Isnt there footage of Hendrix and Zappa still on youtube? And I didn't know the Birthday Performance and Lovesexy were officially released onto vhs/dvd, where can I get those? And we're not asking for every single concert...and whats wrong with whats available is whats available isnt representative or his "legendary career." It's not like he's like most acts and had one creative peak and a single concert dvd can define him. The fact of the matter is P's regarded as one of the best LIVE PERFORMERS and a few dvds dont really do him justice do they? And besides, how is he losing money if whats he's takin off the web isnt and will never be on retail? Oh yea like we're gonna stay home on our computer screens and watch vids of him instead of goin to see him live..

ritaw said:

Getting to London is expensive and staying there even more. Besides the price of the tickets (around 65£) I also spent 50£ on lodging (and this was dead cheap), 80 euro's on train (promotion) And a drink and a meal here and there... That makes around 250 euro for 48 hrs of London to go to a concert.

Anxiety said:

and when you can distribute your memories, you can be certain he will.

MajesticOne89 said:

Yes - both of those guys happen to be dead now, so I think you'll find they no longer hold the copyrights! Its no longer within their ability to have a say in what is on YouTube - you dig?

The Birthday performance was broadcast on TV and Lovesexy was a 2-tape VHS (and some laserdisc editions) release. Off the top of my head, there are some 12-15 official releases of concerts and videos, that's almost one a year and going right through from 1984 to Live at the Alladin. Instead of looking for all this obscure, unofficial, unauthorised material, at least get yourself familiar with what is already on general release, because that kind of undermines your argument about stuff that is available not being representative - ie, how can you say that with any confidence, when you don't even know what's around!

The final point is - he is not being paid by YouTube for using his copyrighted work, that is how he is losing money and it really is that simple! Furthemore, YouTube are profiteering off his work (which is more the point, I don't think Prince is really fighting this on a "what's owed to him" basis) AND he has no quality control over what is being broadcast.

madhouseman said:

Because it's Prince and it's all about getting attention
that's all there is.
No new music of any relevance
Nothing that has anything to do with being an artist.
Just attention
positive or negative as long as it's attention it's al good to him.

I hope he seeks professional help
he sure can afford it and definately needs it.

Anxiety said:

You know, now that you mention it, I think I'd put some sunglasses on before viewing those free SOTT dvd's!

djenerate said:

I said I was, didn't I?

He's made it so that entire chunks of the fanbase can't go to shows, but he doesn't want to let us have anything else, either. I think I have every right to be bitter. I understand Prince's point of view, but that doesn't mean I don't think he's being a fucking idiot about the whole thing.

ritaw said:

Who the hell's talking about London? If I was there I wouldn't have a problem now, would I?

PatrickS77 said:

Where do you live, and why in God's name would you fly to get to anybody's concert?


I'm not sure you people understand the distance seeing the closest Musicology show would've been:

5 1/2 hours from here to Vancouver
1 1/2 hours down to the border
God only knows how much time at the border, thanks in no small part to those folks below the 49th being paranoic freaks
and a couple more hours down into Seattle.

Then on top of that, there's the money factor. Even if I'd miraculously found the time, the trip would've meant foregoing food and heat for the month.


So here we have it. I can't see the shows unless he decides Vancouver -or here (unlikely) -is worthy enough. And I can't watch videos or concert clips either. I'd be willing -and financially able -to pay for that if I were allowed.