^
All humans have an accent.
Unless their deaf-mutes.
[Edited 5/15/08 19:20pm]

Maybe its 'cuz I'm from Cali, but his voice drips with it, to me.
[Edited 5/15/08 19:21pm]

ToraToraDreams said:

Oh it drips alright

chillichocaholic said:

ToraToraDreams said:

Excellent point. I suppose there would be some southern dialect that would follow thoughout a black community most anywhere in the US.

I also agree that there is a bit of poetic license to his lyrics. For example, in The Cross he first uses "all of us" in the slower tempo portion of the song, but then in the more driving tempo he changes the lyric to "all y'all"...it just fits better...

chillichocaholic said:

Fair Dinkum Mate.

2IZ1 said:

Ive never said that in my life I swear

I love his accent.

chillichocaholic said:

OMG!!!

chillichocaholic said:

I set myself up for that one.

As a non-English native speaker I can only make out the differences between an American and a British accent. Everything else fall into those two categories, Canadians sound to me like Americans and Australians/NZlanders sound like the British.
So to me Prince just sounds American.

As a French native speaker I must say though that his 'Vous etes tres belle', 'Je ne sais pas', and 'Circle of Amour' and all the other little French interjections that pop up in his songs just make me melt. He sounds sooooo sexy when he speaks French! One day he should definitely make a whole song in French.

And if he doesn't speak French, I can teach him, hehe:)

ToraToraDreams said:

U certainly did ANd of course I had to be the one to say something

it's midwestern, i'm from illinois but i live in mpls. i didnt know i talked funny till i visited atlanta. i was even told i talk funny like prince, or i sound "white".

Prince can put on that 'down south' accent pretty well, but basiclly he's just sounds like he's from minnie to me.

tough question

I never spoke to him in person.

My experience growing up in Michigan and moving to Tallahassee Fla. 4 school. When I got there I would say "you guys" and they would laugh at me and say it back to me all nasal and midwestern....they wouldn't stop bugging me until I said Y'all . They also had a thing about "Coke" (the drink) and "Soda"..... I still say "Soda" now and it throws people off. So it's not just how you say it .... it's what you say.... In Michigan from my experience as far as Y'all is used it tends to be people w/ a southern background....specifically used by people of darker complextion...to put it as kindly as I can.... just my experience....

G0d said:

He prays with an accent.

Genesia said:

I think this is a really interesting subject, I've often thought that he has a really 'nice' American accent - it's not too strong is it? The way he says that 'r' in work reminds me slightly of a refined Scottish accent. I like it!

He also has different types of voices, like the really deep, quiet one he uses in most interviews. The higher, shouty one at concerts When he gets excited or animated though his voice goes higher. Sometimes he gets that 'southern' thing going (didn't his father come up from the South?) and sometimes he sounds quite 'English'!! So, that just about covers everything then.....

Oh, and I LOVE that giggle he has, don't hear it very often - just little snatches here and there on earlier interviews, but it makes me giggle too

Prince has a beautiful speaking and singing voice.

OK.

First of all, U R speaking about a DIALECT, not an accent.

Like most highly creative people, Prince has more than one voice.

I've heard the Minnesota dialect in his voice at times, especially in older soundchecks/rehearsals, but in interviews, it is usually diminished.

Giovanni777 said:

When he says in Purple Rain, "Tell 'im I'm rehearsin'" - is THAT a Minnesota dialect?

Giovanni777 said:

I think originally they were discussing accent but several people are now discussing dialect which to be fair is linked to accent.


Use of things like yall is also used in rap & R&B in england and has become something of a way of talkin for those in music who want to appear a certain 'type'.

Obviously derived from the southern states. I have always felt that Prince consciously 'upped' his black credentials especially with the advent of the npg and seemed to use this mixed dialect more and more. In particular on musicology.

I have always been quite fascinated with his use of english sayings and i guess when you are a star that young you become 'international' and not really belonging to a place any more. After all he has been surrounded by musicians from all over the world not to mention the society he keeps with celebs etc who are multi-national, I think most people who have that kind of lifestyle begin to get a mixed accent and a confused dialect as both represent the lives we lead.


PS I love the english accent on controversy (is it) when hes takin off a pap!

Jeffiner said:

Most definitely. Hard "r," dropped consonants... It isn't strictly Minnesota, though. I'm from Wisconsin and you hear that a lot here, as well. (Our former governor was reknowned for his use of "workin', eatin', spendin', taxin'," etc.

The difference between "accent" and "dialect" is that accent is solely about the way a person's speech sounds - the way it is pronounced.

A dialect is broader, extending to vocabulary and grammar. A dialect includes the words a person chooses, as well as how they are used.

An example of this would be a story a former co-worker told me about a relative of his (who lived in the Ozark mountains of Arkansas). Instead of, "Who are you?" this person would ask a stranger, "Who be ye?" His accent was southern, but he had an Ozark dialect.

Genesia said:

U go girl!

I really like U.

Genesia said:

I already kinda said that - does no-one read my posts?

Giovanni777 said:

Thanks. Likewise, I'm sure.

Actually...Prince uses a multitude of dialects - which is one of the things I find extremely interesting about him. (Maybe because I do it, myself.) We've heard him use a classic upper midwest dialect, a rural Minnesota "Fargo" dialect (in Zannalee), the "Jamie Starr" dialect, and his "I may be from the land of white bread, but I grew up in the hood" dialect - to name just a few.

Genesia said:

I'm sure.




Yes, this is what I was saying above, about highly creative people usually having more than one voice.

I have many.

Prince is also a masterful impressionist of character voices.

He could do a cartoon, and rival Mel Blanc with the diversity of characters.

The old pimp voice is one of my favs.

He even did an NYC Italian character on the NPG album Exodus.

Giovanni777 said:

He cannot do NY Jewish, though. Every time I hear "Sol" at the end of the "Kiss" extended, I just go

Genesia said:

That wasn't one of his best, no.

But sometimes, his characters R so good, one has 2 listen very carefully 2 find that it's him. He is known 2 make prank phone calls 2 his friends using a character voice.