Ran across this rant I wrote about 4 years ago...in the midst of "send us bootlegs" and miscellaneous other BS from our little friend. I thought it rang even more true today with all the PFU activity:

Dear Mr. Nelson,

You don't know me, but I feel like you should. I'm 27 years old...white...male...and more than a little pissed. I don't feel that you owe me anything...other than respect. And asking me to send you things that I have purchased with my own money is not respecting me. Especially considering the fact that you are a millionaire and could purchase all of those releases, and any bootlegs, on your own. Why ask us to give up ours? Most of those releases you are asking for were widely available in record stores...how were we to know they were "unofficial?" And why has it taken you this long to notice? As for bootlegs, just keep reading and I'll let you know how to end those once and for all...

Other than my family, the one thing that has been in my life longer than anything else is your music...almost 20 of my 27 years. The first album I ever purchased was "Purple Rain," and I was hooked immediately. Your music has literally been the soundtrack to my life...from my childhood, to adolescence, to college, and now to adulthood. Often, I remember things that have happened in my life through association with some of your songs. My first kiss...my first school dance...the death of my father...the first song I danced to with the woman who would become my wife. All of these profound life experiences have been supplemented by your music. It seems as if it has always been there for me...like a friend who's always willing to talk.

Throughout my life, I have spent what I could afford...and in some cases more...on you and your music. It is literally in the thousands of dollars. And why that may not seem like much to someone like you, it is a considerable amount not only to myself but also to countless others who are also lifelong supporters of you and your music.

Perhaps you don't realize the lengths some of your fans...and yes I will be referring to them as fans, not "fams,"...go to for you and your music. Let's start with your concerts. Obviously, no one artist can make it to every city, but your recent tour was pretty expansive. However, for those who did not live in or around those cities, it is not convenient to just pick up and drive a few hundred miles to see you (a) on a weeknight, (b) on short notice and (c) at $125 a pop. Yet more people than you know did this for you. Sometimes more than once.

Now let's move on to...yes...bootlegs. Make no mistake about it...I could care less who gets my money when I purchase a bootleg. I am not doing it to take money out of your pocket, nor to put it in the pockets of bootleggers. What I care about is the music. And if you can't provide it in a timely manner...if at all...I will look elsewhere for it. I literally want to hear everything you record...even if it's not up to YOUR (or even MY) standards. The biggest problem I have with your bootleg request is this...it could have all been avoided.

For years, we waited patiently while you "freed" yourself from Warner Brothers so you could "free the music." Yet here we are almost seven years after the fact, and we now get less music than when you were with WB. I feel weird giving life advice to a 45 year old, but here's a little tip...it's OK to admit when you're wrong. Maybe leaving WB wasn't such a good idea afterall. And that's fine...but be strong enough to admit that. Don't forget...you were the one who signed the contract...and you knew what was involved when you did. So why act so surprised about the conditions of it? That never made sense to me...you sounded like the spoiled millionaire athletes of today..."holding out" for more money even though they have years left on their current deals. All of this while many Americans struggle every day to pay their bills and feed their children. Truly amazing and unbelievably pretentious.

And we still have heard only a fraction of your legendary "vault" material. Why? Those songs, more than any other single thing, are what us lifelong fans want to hear most. Why not start releasing these songs a few at a time to your club members? It can't be that hard to print up a few thousand CD's, charge us for them, and ship them. It's money waiting to be made...money to help you be "number one at the bank."

Actually, I take that last idea back...apparently printing up a few thousand CD's for your fans and shipping them is difficult for you...i.e..."Crystal Ball" and "n.e.w.s."

It's also OK to admit that the name change fiasco not only wasn't a good idea, but also that it was for contractual purposes...not "spiritual" as you told the publice when you first announced it. You said so yourself at the "I'm now Prince again" news conference...something along the lines of "now that the name Prince is no longer on any WB contract, I will go back to using it as my name." Let me let you in on a little secret...it has never been easy to your fan. Especially being a straight white male. I've been called "gay," "weird," and countless other names for supporting your music...yet I stood by it. Throw in the name change, and it was damn near impossible. After that, I had a hard time trying to turn anyone else on to your music, and it seems like the public at large felt the same way. Again...it's OK to admit your mistake.

The same thing goes for the Arista deal...your great "comeback" attempt. Here's another secret...fans like myself don't care if you're ever "on top" again. We want you to make challenging, groundbreaking music...not flavor-of-the-moment pop tunes. Yet when the whole Rave project fizzled, all you could do was blame Clive Davis and Arista. Have you seen Clive's track record the past five years...funny how you were his only true "failed" project. I saw a stat the other day where his new label has several acts in the album charts already...and it's a brand new label.

And all I will say about your Jehovah Witness conversion is this...most of your fans are not of this faith, and we don't need to be preached to about "theocratic order" or any other JW ideal on record or in concert. You are entitled to your beliefs, but don't expect us as fans to blindly follow those beliefs. If we wanted to be witnessed to, we would go to church...not your concerts. It is very uncomfortable to be at your concert when you start talking about spirituality...and that's for a lifelong fan like me. I can't imagine what it would be like for a newbie...

So I have a proposition for you. I want you to think about what all the fans like myself have done for you and your lifestyle the past 20 years. Think about where you would be without us...the ones that have stood by you through thick and thin, high and low, weird and weirder. Think about the number of people who show up at your studio on a days notice in hopes of a live performance. Think about the fans who followed you from city to city on your last tour, and the sacrifices they made to do so. Think about the way you live, the houses you own, the cars you drive...and remember that none of that would've been possible without us.

Now...figure out a way to thank us. And I don't mean just using the word "thanks" in a sentence in liner notes. Post a message on your website telling us what he means to you that we've stuck by you all these years...or tell us at your concerts. Do something for us instead of yourself for a change.

Look at what other artists are doing with their online clubs...and do them one better. You, more than any other artist today, have the resources (songs, online fanbase, shear talent) to do it...just make it happen. Put a webcam in your studio so we can watch you create music...release the vault material (without remixes of songs we already have)...or ask us what we want released and actually release it (remember Crystal Ball 2?)...or release CD's and DVD's of your FULL concerts...every show. Trust me...more than a few of us would buy it all. Or better yet...make them all available for download...that's what an online music club is all about, right?

That would be a nice first step in stopping the bootlegging, don't you think?
[Edited 1/28/08 16:43pm]

perfect

Damn straight

luv4u said:

Co-sign

daaaaamn! you need to send this to him ASAP! lol

Your letter is very interesting. However, I do not believe it would stop any form of bootlegging...Someone can mix thingz up the way they want 2...and maybe Prince doesn't want a fan, lining up His presentation of material 4 Him. Maybe.

Tame said:

I don't know...perfect soundboard recordings of every show...and every vault track? Bootleggers would be hard pressed to come up with anything better.

Instead, the online music club disappeared.
[Edited 1/29/08 4:19am]

everytime i hear stuff like that i think.....

there is validity

I know its not easy for Prince to see how we feel as diehard fans. However..I accept him for whom he is now and what he is about.

I have conflicting emotions and feelings about his way of 'stopping his internet material' too (as now I cant even watch a video of him anywhere unless on my official & bootleg vhs's and dvd's). I wanna do more to support him, the question is is he going to listen?

I told him, I said, Prince...I be smokin me some good Dream Factory in the back alley with a dose of "Turn It Up" in my arm..high as hell on Purple Music. I'd rather pay the supplier and maker than the boot man. Prince music is a good fix to my habit!