What are your memories of Prince and his music before you actually became a fan?

For me, it was my brother being into his Purple Rain period and buying all the singles.
He would play them over and over again, but I didn't give them much thought at all. It was only when 'Bro bought Around The World In A Day that I gave Prince any attention. I fell in love with what I was hearing, especially Condition Of The Heart. My brother, however, didn't like it one bit and didn't bother playing it that much.
Whenever he was out, I would sneak into his room and put the lp on. I would stare at the cover whilst listening to what would ultimately become the first music I ever took a genuine interest in (I was 15 at the time).

From that point on, I've been buying Prince's music and taking an interest ever since. But those Purple Rain songs hold a special memory in my head - whenever I hear Let's Go Crazy, When Doves Cry or Purple Rain, I always remember those months before Prince became the soundtrack to my life and that wonderful mid-teens era when everything seemed so simple and I felt so optimistic about everything.

So what did everybody else think of Prince before they got hooked on his music?

Haystack said:

I thought he was icky.

Good question, I don't remember much. Saw U Got the Look on TV and liked it. Got hooked listening to Alphabet St and seeing the live broadcast of Lovesexy tour on TV. "Wham bam, who is this guy?"







"I couldn't help myself until I realised I couldn't help myself"

Before I got into Prince like I am today. It was my Dad who brought home th 8 track of the Prince album, with Sexy Dancer on it. And my oldest sister would play it on Saturdays and we would dance and sing along to it. I didn't become a fam until Purple Rain.

Haystack said:

Hearing "I wanna be your Lover" on the radio for the 1st time...thinking Hmmm I like that...then hearing it again...calling the DJ asking him...who is that?
DJ saying, his name is Prince, he does all his own music.
Then hearing soft N wet and realizing it was the same person (Prince)...I went to the music store to buy the "Prince" 8 track thinking both songs were on it, then discovering that this Prince guy had two 8 tracks out, so I bought them both...ever since then I have been buying his new 8 track the day it was released, then tapes...now CDs and downloading.
wow...what a time travel...from 8 tracks/albums to cassettes, to Cds, to computers...whats next?

Haystack said:[quote]What are your memories of Prince and his music before you actually became a fan?

Oh thats easy:

Unwrapping a CD given as a gift on Nov 4th 1983.

Saying the word: Prince? (Like: Priiince? what the fuck is this.

Putting it in a CD player.

Being a fan.

Took about 30 Seconds from start to finish.

It took however much longer to get rid of the Kim Wild stuff...

I remember my dad playing Controversy & the Time and Vanity6 all the time, I liked it, but didn't think much of it. I got hooked when 1999 came out, even though at that time some of his stuff I couldn't listen to, I was only 8, I had a enormous crush on him, I'd run to the tv whenever the 1999 video was on.But before that I didn't really pay that much attention to him.

I always thought he was an old 80's artist and the only song I really heard by him was Little Red Corvette..That was when I didn't really have good taste in music. Now 80's jams and Prince are all I listen to!

My ex kept trying to sing Adore to me...to bad he didn't have a car for me to smash...But my first was getting on my families last nerve by play his first album. whateva.

i'm eighteen now, so i never remember when a prince song was popular. i heard three songs "when doves cry" "1999" and "kiss" i thought he was just some michael jackson rip-off. I remember seeing him in "the greatest romance ever been sold" video, and again on the soul-train music awards. I thought he was weird.

2 years later, i think he's more genius than any other musician on earth, making the most original music, and I really appreciate and admire his so called "weirdness."

The first I heard of him, I was in grade school and the girl across the table from me had just seen Purple Rain and was talking about it. She said "mmm...I'd like to give Prince a wash and a blow dry"...and I was like "What? Why would you want to do that? And who is Prince?"

I didn't have a clue what she was talking about. I do now though!

?
[This message was edited Tue Jun 10 4:38:12 PDT 2003 by IstenSzek]

Haystack said:

I had never heard of him before becoming a fan.But maybe it's because I was only 7...

I remember having a school friend come round armed with some albums for us to dance 2. One of which was Batman (I was around 8 or 9) and I remember picking it up and exclaiming 'Ulllggghhh! Prrriiinnnccceee!' and my friend Ella jumping 2 his rescue and defending his music. .Then I heard SOTT and I guess that's where it all began. .

Ripopgodasandwich said:

hahha--some overstuffed boss tried to tell me back in 83 that Prince is "I wanna be Michael Jackson". Man, what a dumbass.

I have always liked Prince, since i started listening to music; When i was about 5-6 years old and my sisters were in a Prince-phase. So i've never felt anything but luv for him and his music

I remember getting up really late at night and watching The Hits video collection when no one else was up. Raspberry beret, Alphabet st. and Little red corvette were clearly favs for me as a kid.