Yeah, yeah, I know this is becoming kinda boring, but since the man has critized us (ORGers?) 4 (quote)"..asking ourselves the wrong questions..." I would like 2 give my personal view on the matter.
I wrote the NPGMC a few days ago, but since they have stated that mails or letters can't b directed or send 2 Prince personally, I have little hope it will receive him.
So, the Org. being an open forum I might as well post it here, maybe he'll come across it on 1 of his days off from touring...

Feel free 2 comment.



Hi NPGMusicclub,

I'd like 2 share some thoughts with U on the subject of bootlegging.
Firstly I admit 2 the fact that I personally own some bootlegs, but do NOT sell them in ANYWAY.
Next 2 that, I know that it is honestly wrong and unfair 2 Prince and the musicians who perform with him 2 see their so called creative properties exploited by people who make a full profit of something they do not have ANY copy -or legal rights 2.
So U could argue that I?m betraying Prince by denying him of income from his creative output while I did actually have bought some bootlegs over the years.
I would have 2 plead guilty 2 that charge?

But on the other hand I would like 2 raise the following, knowing that Prince himself recently stated that 'they' (as opposed 2 the bootleg buyers??), ask themselves the wrong questions.
I know I can't direct this email 2 Prince personally, but 4 the sake of the matter I will address these questions 2 him anyway, while it only concerns him and no 1 else.
So see what U make of it if U'll allow me 2:

First, knowing that there is a great interest and demand 4 ur recordings, b it live or studio-work AND ur friends seem to b willing 2 pay 4 them, why don't U cut the bootleggers by the roots??
I know this question has been asked before but I haven't heard any answer 2 it yet!

U have the material, U have a platform 2 sell and foremost, U can get the fair share that U deserve 4 the work U have produced.
On top of that comes the knowledge that U where 1 of the first artists that claimed freedom from the 'slavery' of the recording contracts.
More specific: U felt that every artist should b free 2 release ANY creative output they desire 2 and should NOT b restricted by any form of CONtract in doing so.
Given the fact that U have actually reclaimed ur freedom some years ago and r able 2 put out anything U want (is it not?), U should b the first 2 deny the bootleggers from existing.

So 2 this day U have privately released the Crystal Ball box set, a mixture of audio and video recordings of urself and/or associated artists thru the NPGahdio shows during 2001, some (free) downloads and recently 1 original
full cd thru ur website.(Not forgetting the (limited) single's and the sample box, but the last 1 was for not meant 4 'normal' consumption).
Don't get me wrong, this is a fair amount of work and I applaud 2 that, but as we all know now, the 'downloading experience' wasn't the thing 4 every1, especially 4 those with slow connections but more important, NON-members
where excluded from most of that work.
So U have decided 2 get away from the download option, and put out actual CD's coming 2 the mailbox of all NPGMC members.

Again, a big step forward, but the bootleggers r still way ahead of U, by releasing numerous cd's as well as live performances but studio-outtakes as well. (Where in God?s name do they keep getting those in the first place!?!)

So now there's the official live-box release, again first coming 2 the club members any day now, before hitting the stores in some way.
Personally, I have no doubt that my hunger 4 a perfect live experience will b well fed by this release, and I'll probably won't feel the need 2 buy any other live boot after this official 1.

But I feel U can take this route a big step further by giving ANY1 who is interested in ur work, the opportunity 2 buy these cd's.
Why not expand the club with a more broader and open online 'NPG Wrekastowe' ???
I mean more and more people buy their cd's online!
4 a reasonable pricing, U WILL get the profits from the cd's released u DESERVE, and the general public will b able 2 hear far more from U if they choose and r able 2. (I won't go into the radio subject here, that beiing
a rather hopeless 1..)

This also given the fact that a lot of potential friends r not willing 2 go as far as becoming a member 2 the musicclub, because they feel it's 2 expensive and/or r not interested in the extra offerings that the membership
can give them.
And of course, U can still give the members more privileges like concert/backstage photo's (video's?), tour diaries and other special (retail)offerings, but I think that any music released should b accessible 2 EVERY1!!
And I am sure there will b copyright restrictions 2 a part of your back-catalogue, probably still being held by Warner Brothers.
But as far as ur vault recordings, I think there can b little restrictions 4 releasing them.
Something like the Crystal Ball package, but then in a more confined manner, like 1 cd for every era of ur career.
And put up more MP3 snippets of each of the possible albums/ selections, as U have already done before, so the public can deside what they want.


Maybe I am being naiefon the subject, while I can imagine that if U really where free 2 release whatever U wanted 2, U would have done so in the first place?
But U didn't, and I am very curious 2 the reasons why.
If U would take full control on every possible release, being old or new material, I truly believe that the issue and interest of bootlegging will die out very quickly, because the true friends as well as any other well
thinking individual will rather choose 2 pay U (and the people who work 4 U), then those who have NO rights 2 ur material and produce a far more inferior product then U can give them.

Those where my questions and thoughts, and I hope U will give them some thought or response in some way.
Maybe, I'll get a chance 2 discuss this issue when U hit Rotterdam in a few days from now.
I'll b at both shows, as well as the sound-checks, so who knows I'll have a chance 2 get into the matter personaly.

Peace and keep the funk alive!

Jon a.k.a. butter4yomuffin

eye have on word 4 this one WAAUW!!!
u are saying what eye was thinking eye only have problems 2 put in out right in english.thank u man .

i'm kind of bored about reading about bootlegging.IMO it's personal choice what you buy/download/share.

Prince should stop his whining and release more boots officially if he's really that bothered about it.

Thecherryloon said:

I think what Prince is trying to get across to us is that he IS releasing what he wants to release. We treat the issue like the way he would be happy is if he just released everything and beat the bootleggers that way. The point is, he doesn't want to release everything - he's releasing what he wants to release and he wants us to respect that. After all, isn't it his choice what songs he wants us to hear?

booyah said:

Point made!
BUT, Wasn't his struggle with Warner 4 the most part about him being unhappy by the contract restrictions? 4 all I know he wanted 2 put out way more stuff onto the market, but they wouldn't let him???
He even went as far as calling himself enslaved by his 'masters'.
So again: aside from the stuff Warners is still holding onto, what keeps him from stashing up so much new material, now that he actually IS free???

There is a demand! So why only tease us by "giving" the public new jelly as mp3's or playing them at Paisley or some afterparty!?!?
What's up with that??

It's like a painter who gives an exposition of some of his his work every now and then, captioned: "This item is not 4 sale", and gives the public just this opportunity alone before putting the canvas back in some dark basement 4 conserving...

So I am asking myself:should we just respect that view from any artist?


Well...I just don't get 2 grips on this...!!

booyah said:

when an artist performs in public in front of thousands of fans he is already choosing to let them hear these songs performed live. what is the big pproblem of letting them be able to re-live, re-listen the concert experience after it is over? What is the problem? What is so essentially artistically important about not realeasing these performances when his biggest fans, paying him hundred dollar for one ticket, 100 dollar for 4 cd's, tens of dollars for trc coffeemugs and mousepaths, simply want to re-live and re-listen the musical experience another time...
Why is that contradictory to Prince's wishes?
Doesn't he want his fans to ENJOY his music and his talents? isn't that what being a "musiclover" is all about?
Explain please.

dude will keep on trying to stop bootlegging, so why waste your time writing this letter. just look at it from this point of view: he's fighting for a lost cause. there will always be bootleggers. why? because there are always people who want the music, whether he's releasing it or not.

...Ur honour, I have nothing further...
We will wait 4 a response from the counterparty..

Oh, princebonics galore. I read English and some Spanish, please...quit writing in princebonics.

Props to u for taking some initiative.

I do however have some thoughts that may not exactly support what you say. Please don't take offense. It's just a matter of perspective... nothing more...


My feelings are that if Prince wanted to released his stuff, he would have. He CHOSE not to. By saying that he should release the music himself is in fact taking away his choice, in otherwords his "rights". I think by and large Prince's point is that as the creator he should be able to choose what happens to his creations on down the line. Again a matter of "artists rights".

If Prince truly has ambitions of making a difference for artists, he must stay true and consistant to his claims. releasing music that he really does not want to is a contradiction.

I do not feel that this is a time for his fans to take a stand and cry for more music. I think this is a time to show support for a cause that will make history some day. A worthy cause at that.

Prince knows what fans think of the whole bootlegging issue, he just disagrees.

I think the biggest thing that bothers someone like Prince is the idea and concept of an entire industry (bootleggers) making money off of an artist's creations and work...not necessarily because HE wants that money, but because he doesn't want OTHERS who don't deserve it to have it...hell, he thought that record companies didn't "deserve" the astronomically high percentage of record sales they get, and that's with an artist they've legally signed and have helped develop and promote...so can you imagine how he'd feel about someone who has done nothing with the artist, besides finding a way to steal the artist's creations, taking 100% of the profits??...

I think he knows you can't stop bootlegging from occuring, or bootleggers from existing...you can only hope to effect your fan's perception of bootlegs and, by doing so, hopefully effect how they see buying them...




...(sigh)...
[This message was edited Fri Oct 11 10:08:30 PDT 2002 by wellbeyond]

Berry said:

Which cause would that be? I do not understand the cry for more music, because no matter what, there will always be material out there that he will not release and end up being bootlegged. Hardcore fans will want this no matter how many CD's he's releasing.

wellbeyond said:

I don't think that's the only thing he can do if the profit aspect would be his major objection.

joeycoco said:

Well, "only" being figurative, not literal...I kinda see it like the U.S. perception on drugs...you can take the legal route alone, and try to put every drug dealer, manufacturer and user in jail, thinking that will end the drug problem...or you can use education and "propoganda" (for lack of a better term) to try and change society's perception on drug use...or you could use a combo of the two...Prince, with bootlegging, is using a combo of the two.

Well said wellbeyond (where have u been )


Joey_ The cause is ARTISTS RIGHTS...

Berry said:

OK, I just thought you were talking about a cause that had a little more to do with fans. As for the artists and their rights, well, they're already protected by copyright laws.

If you're talking about Prince's fight agains record companies then all I have to say is that the artists who sign up and feel they're getting screwed over haven't done their homework. No one is sorry for your ass if you're a naive business man, why should it be different for artists? No matter how talented they are, when I buy a CD I'm purchasing a product, not a work of art. That makes them at least partially business men to me.

im gonna put this bluntly..and think about this for one brief minute...

The reason, I think (noone asked me..but) that the bootlegging is such an issue now..is because quite frankly, the brotha aint selling what he used to. When he was making millions, he wasnt "thrilled" about bootleggs, but it never went to this extreme. Prince (all the sudden) "not with a major label" wants ppl to BUY HIS MUSIC...not download it, not file share it.

It's a simple math problem. When the brother is making money...we really don't hear anything about it.
When he changed his name to that symbol ... He freakin sued websites for USING IT. HELL..ppl were PROMOTING his ass.

Personally, alot of us REMAINED FANS because of the "unreleased music". I don't think he would be selling ANY copies of his "released" material if there were NOT any fans with bootleggs. Because lets face it folks...The person that bought PURPLE RAIN or SIGN OF THE TIMES...AINT GONNA BE BUYING...THE RAINBOW CHILDREN (w/or w/o the "controversial new album sticker")

So...Prince...better wake up before he pisses off the only fans that even WANT to "hear" his music...let alone download it.

Vashti said:

According to Flyingcloudpassenger this isn't true. He/she said in a thread a couple of weeks ago that Warner Brothers DID go after some of the bootleggers at one time while Prince was with them years ago.

yeah..but it just seems...oh I don't know.."different" somehow...

This IS NOT about record companies, it's about "artist rights". Record labels are just a part of a bigger picture. Prince went after the label because of what he felt were his "rights" as the creator of a particular piece of art... his art.

There is a very big picture here that I dont think is being understood: If Prince makes something, he should have "the ulimate say" in where, what, and how that piece of art is handled...PERIOD!

It does not matter if you, me, the media, or his wife doesn't like it. It IS his... and if he wants to wipe his backside with it he can, without anyones consent! He made it, it belongs to him!

Berry said:


Not if he sells his work to a record company. The way things are now he can do whatever he wants, so I don't get what the big deal is. If his work gets bootlegged he has the right to sue. But Prince would like to have the millions in advance, regardless of sales figures and be in complete control. That will never happen.

How do you know that's what he wants?

I don't claim to know a lot about the bootleg situation, but i do have some videos from back in the day and the angles and close-up shots makes me believe it was someone in the wb camp taping and then selling or making copies for other people and im sure it was the same with the music. did any of you see the artwork for those bootlegs it looked very professional, it made me and my friends wonder if he had a hand in getting those cd's out. i didn't hear any rucus about bootlegging until after his dispute with wb was in the mist of being over. now that he has the chance to put out what he wants, he's realizing how expensive it is to put out the product. It's not just music anymore it's paying for quality plastic to house the cd's, artwork, materials to make the cd's and paying the musicians and so on and so forth. all this stuff cost money and the bootleggers are taking a good grip of money out of his pockets and i bet those who join the club and those of us who go to the concerts and pay those high-ass prices for that mechandise we're paying the cost in the long run. thats just my opinion and i hope it made some sence

Prince is not the only artist addressing this right now. On MTV they are showing a commercial with several pop artists against file-sharing, calling it stealing, illegal, etc.
These are regular spots in regular rotation.
There are also steps being taken to prevent copying CDs. The soundtrack for 'Brown Sugar' is a copy proof CD, yet I don't see anyone on this site calling Erykah Badu or the Roots assholes for preventing their songs from being shared.
Some of you believe Prince is the only person who is trying to interfere with your apparent livelihood or whatever,but it is becoming more and more commonplace.

Prince fans:


You have a hard time accepting that Prince is NOT INTERESTED in releasing what you WANT to be released.

History shows:


WE want "Roadhouse Garden", we get "Newpower Soul". T-da!



...And that's the way it is. The way it will ALWAYS be.



Of COURSE it's FRUSTRATING that you and I and every Prince listener has "Everyday is a Winding Road" in their collection, (gathering dust), while PRINCE lets the master tapes of "In a Large Room With No Light" deteriorate in the Vault.


We all know the GOOD stuff is in the VAULT. Without this knowledge, a new Prince cd would be as anticipated as a new CHEAP TRICK album. It's the 1982-88 Prince that made us believe in Prince, it's knowing the vault stuff that prevents him from being on the has-been pile like STYX.

Thank you very mucho, Mr. Roboto

pimpytheclown said:

EXCELLENT POST!!!
[This message was edited Sat Oct 12 13:51:40 PDT 2002 by Vashti]

I like what Frank Zappa used to do. He'd copy the bootlegs, resell them EXACTLY as they were issued, for about 10-15 dollars with a note on it that said OFFICIAL BOOTLEG. His fans could then buy the album for a fraction of the cost. He wouldn't do any remixing, or correcting. He'd even note that this may sound like shit, but there is no reason that you should be paying 150 dollars for it. He'd pocket 100% of the profit with the only work being keeping up with the bootleggers.

It made the system that much less profitable for the bootleggers and he was still #1 at the bank.

I just want to know why people like pimpy think that Prince should do what his fans want and not what Prince wants...just blows me away...

Who's selfish?... Maybe he has thought in the past "hmmm... I like these tracks the best so I'll release these..." thinking that his fans will like it, but of course not. His big intention is to just piss us all off and laugh about it! Yeah, that makes the most sense

Berry!!......