The first in a series:
Someone dear to me at the time had just given birth the day before. On the way to the hopsital I picked up the casette and put it on in the car. I must have sat in that car for the whole first side before leaving it. I was used to getting Prince albums and not being immediately taken in by them..in fact they usually would take me weeks to like them. After the ho hummnes of SOTT came Play In The Sunshine. Wow! What a rave up and funky and rockish too. Housequake had me trippin'! WTF? It was badass! He had made a perfect funk tune. Dot Parker..Starfish n Coffe..each tune was immediately a hit for me. Each one was "pleasant" to my ear and didnt take work (not sure if that makes sense). It just kept getting better and better, weirder and weirder. The vocals were varied and strong. Forever In My Life, Cross, Starfish. I mean damn. I read a quick synopsis in th e L.A. Times that had the header Prince Regains His Senses..and I kept thinking of that the whole time I was listening. Here was where jams were recorded. The live Beaut Night..finally a live tune and it was grovin, what with the Oz chants and all. Strange relationship had me wanting more of that fade out to continue...SOTT becanme the litmust test in Prince music because it was the first cd of his where I immediately liked everysong from jump street.

Days later the Cross was playing while I was parked at work and I was conversing with a friend..he said "whos that"? He knew that guitar was jammin.

A friend who worked in a local record store made fun of me all the time calling it Sign "o" the Times stressing the O lol

Took the 12 inch to You Got The Look with Prince dressed up as a funky ghetto indian to a party and Rick, the token gangtser trying to do right, picked it up and said "faggot!' ina stressed voice

The video blew me away--what a stage--what a show it must be--(before it got overlayed etc)

at some hokey job, Rick Dees of all people announced that Princes' next record would have him naked on the cover..I said "what the fuck--he aint done with SOTT yet!!"

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[This message was edited Thu Nov 21 21:22:04 PST 2002 by rdhull]

I was hitching a 7 hour ride with somebody I didn't even like. Well, somebody I didn't have anything in common with. The only words I said that entire 7 hours were "Hey, you wanna turn that up?". It was SOTT on the radio for the first time.

I should say, I was a little girl, and the guy I was ridin with was scary to me. SOTT made it alright though.
[This message was edited Thu Nov 21 21:27:41 PST 2002 by blacksatin515]

blacksatin515 said:

Thank you for that scene in a future movie or book--that makes 2 now

The adoration for SOTT was instantaneous for me too.

Blew my mind.

rdhull said:

Wha?! Who gave U permission to write my biography?!

Don't buy it...it's all lies! Don't buy the book! Unauthorized! Unauthorized! {{{Callin the police!}}}

What was #1?

rdhull said:

I remember the single being premiered on Dutch radio. They also played La, La, La, He, He, Hee.
It freaked me out.

SOTT was very Controversial when it came out. For it's 12" cover with Cat on it to the song about Political Issues. It's an Excellent album and an Excellent 12". The songs are Wonderful on that album.

It was the very first day of its official release in Germany. I remember that, after having listened to the first of the two vinyls, I turned on my radio. They were playing "Strange Relationship" in that moment. I immediately recognized it as a Prince-Song and I thought "Oh my God, it's even getting better!". So I switched off the radio 'cos I absolutely had to continue with side 3 and 4. For the whole day I repeated it over and over again...

I was working as a waiter (not in a cocktail bar, in a casino). I went upstairs to the staff room for my break.

The T.V. was on showing the SOTT video single. It gave me goose bumps. I said to a work-mate, "He is the best!"

BTW, I love his version of "The Cross/Christ" on the Lovesexy video. With wind blowing through his hair and him shouting "The Man, The Man". Awesome, and such great confidence in his knowledge.

andyf

This is not the first time I heard it but it was when the album first came out. I remember listening to it on my walkman on my way to work and while hanging out with a guy I had just met.

blacksatin515 said:

Im just going to use the idea..it wont be about you. Dont worry--you'll get credit/reference



I cant rememeber who, but a few weeks ago a post about Rain was made and someone stated that once they had went out in a rainstorm and washed their hair outside in it.

Natasha said:

Yes..I remember the 12 inch thinking that Prince had lost his eva-lovin mind this time. Cat fooled me but there was just something that wasn't right. I had a feeling...

CrystalVault said:

Thye were playing sweveral sogs from it on out stations as well...and like you, I could tell immediately when it was Prince song. You can just tell.

The very first time I heard it was on my Thirteenth birthday. My sister bought it for me and I cried cause of course at that time I had no way of buying it myself. I remember that like it was yesterday.

I remember playing it over and over, staring at the packaging, and reading the lyrics was a compulsory part of the experience for me.

I was 11 years old and just listened 2 the whole thing on my headphones out side walking with my brother.

I knew that it was gonna be one of my favorites as soon as Housequake came on...

That was in 1993

It was around Easter time, when it came out...I remember Pop bringing it home and he let me play it on his stereo...I was scared that they'd be upset when they heard him cursing on "Housequake" but they didn't have a problem.

I believe it was in '94. I owned four prince albums- hits 1, hits 2, symbol, and the newly released Come. I liked them all (well, come not so much, it was just ok- I would eventually grow to love it). I went to the video store with my parents and rented the SOTT video (I knew from the liner notes in the hits albums that SOTT was regarded as a great album). I watched the video, constantly amazed at how cool the songs were.

A few weeks, or maybe even months later, I got SOTT on two tapes. I listened to the first tape in my room. I remember loving Play in the Sunshine, Dorothy Parker, Starfish and Coffee, Hot Thing, and really loving Slow Love. After I got through listening to the first tape, I couldn't get Slow Love out of my head. I wanted to listen to the second tape, but my parents made me go out to eat with them. For the whole meal, all I could think about was listening to more of the album! And for some reason, back then Slow Love and Starfish and Coffee were inescapable!

Speaking of SOTT does anyone know where I can get a copy of the BILLBOARD magazine that featured P on the cover? The picture was one of the inner sleave jackets. It was an awesome article with lots of Paisley Park ads and references. I gotta get this again!!!

IAM said:

Try Ebay!

I played SOTT from the first day of release like there was no tomorrow...But U know, I still can't get in2 Play in the Sunshine...I know some love it-but it's just one of those songs that I always skip through on my way to "Shut Up Already-Damn!"...And U know what is weird? The other day I was in the Pearl Harbor Navy Exchange and SOTT was playing on the PA...I was in the middle of a conv. with the counter person-when I just stopped talking and put my ear up 4 a closer listen...She didn't get it...I guess those Navy folks have a little taste-But those of us in the Air Force got the full flava~ Peace and Aloha~

IAM said:

I have this but cant give it up..has Prince in that inner sleeve robe n granny glasses pic etc

When i heard SOTT' I really knew N my heart that this guy has talent. Especially when i heard "ADORE" it was like i waited night and day for the radio to play it. You know when you hear such good music that it brings tears to your eyes. Hearing the different instruments Prince used on SOTT took me to another level.

I was 8 years old and my Mom got the album for me while we were visiting my Dad in Las Vegas. I had to wait a few days to hear it and I was so excited because I loved U Got The Look and the cover was weird and fascinating all at once so that fueled my curiosity. Plus I had ATWIAD & Parade so I was pumped up to hear the new album. When we got back home in NYC, one of the first things I did was put the album on. I wanted to hear U Got The Look first, so I put it on and just as Sheena Easton was about to sing, my Mom comes bursting into the room and starts singing Sheena's part. I thought, Oh No, but now it gives me a good laugh, cause she was getting into it. I listened to the rest of it and I thought it was weird yet I liked it too. When I heard Prince curse on Housequake, I was shocked and amused. I don't think I was scared if Mom heard it or not. I loved the pictures, especially the one with Prince alone. He looked so cool.

I was visiting L.A. for the first time in 1992 and while me and my Dad were stuck in traffic, the radio station had a mini-Prince marathon on and they played Kiss and then they played Adore and when I heard this, for some reason it was like hearing it for the first time. It blew me away which it didn't do in 87. I brought the SOTT CD in 1999 and I finally got it and fell in love with it. I discovered prince.org a few months later and when I found out that it was practically a #1 favorite, it showed me that Prince really did something special with that album. It's one of the best albums ever and I tell all my friends that if they ever buy a Prince album, they should pick up Sign O the Times.

Sorry for being so long. Peace everyone.

I always say that SOTT is the soundtrack to my high school years .The memories are still strong because that was the first day could drive the car .I went to the mall and saw the album and picked out the casette tape,headed to the counter & it cost $16.99. I only had ten bucks.I headed back home and bummed $10.00 from my sister.Drove back to the mall and bought the record.

I HATED this album when I first listened to it.I do remember that Hot Thing & U Got the LOOK stood out. I put the tape on the shelf and did not listen to it until 2 weeks later. 15 years later ,my alltime favorite album !

Me was in Florida and tha morning the college radio sation announced they ould be playing songs from the set all day.Since it wasa double cd I was thinking it would be in the vein of "1999".My mouth was watering.Then the dj said that ppl will be looking fo the next 1999 ,but that this was something new and when ppl stoped looking for "1999" they wouldhave their mind's blown.I was so excited!

The first song he played was "Housequake" then "The Cross".I was tripping on "The Cross"!!"Housequake" din't hit me at first.Then he plyaed "Dot Parker"!!IT was ovr!!!


I skipped class and hadmy girl tke me to the record store.My heart pounded.


On the radio,evreebody was calling in requesting mor Prince.It as grea to get respect as a Prince fn.I got lots of love on campus because I had all the Prince music and folks were closet Prince freaks.You came to my room for Prince and Billy Idol!!My room was never empty and my speakers never bumped in vain.


Soon thereafter,"Housequake" was anothe bonafied P classic nd was bumped from every car stere-ary-o and Mazarati would arrive on campus to perform at homecoming.It s trip to stand near Mazarati's bus and stand close to the band s thy entered the arena.They were slight gentlemen with tons 'o' makeup on and heels and looked like transvestite hookers from Frogville. but,the hardest of the hard cheered and yelled encouraging words to them due to the Prince connection."100 mph" was being played a lot on the campus radio station and "Strawberry Lover" was constantly blasted from my dorm room.



SOTT is hailed as a great album,but still,in my opinion,underrated also and not acknowledged enough as being a seriously important rock album.And,as much as I like ATWIAD and Parade,if he had not released those and waited after Purple Rain 3 years to make SOTT the followup ,I think th public response would have been overwhelming.


The year was 1987.I got SOTT,JoshuaTree,and ...Nothing Like the Sun!!!Great year!!My skin had the beautiful glow!!