http://latimesblogs.latim...ith-p.html

Tuesday morning, I received the Golden Ticket of journalistic invitations: a summons to Prince's mansion, high atop Mulholland Drive, to hear the new music he'll be releasing sometime after the holidays. At 8 p.m. that evening, I drove my dirty Mazda past the fountain in his courtyard, parked by the limo in the back, and entered his manse. The man himself greeted me in a candelit study, where he was laboring over a laptop with his Web designers, Anthony Malzone and Scott Addison Clay.

The next five hours took me from that room to a car Prince referred to as "Miles Davis," where we listened to one set of songs; into a back room furnished with a round bed, faux-fur carpeting and a plexiglass Rhodes piano, where he played cuts by his new protege, the comely Bria Valente; and into that white limo, where the entirety of "Lotus Flower," the album previewed earlier this month on Indie 103.1, boomed through the speakers as we drove through Hollywood.

Needless to say, it was an amazing experience. After the jump, a few tidbits, including Prince's promise of three albums in 2009 and his thoughts on Proposition 8.

Prince will release not one, but three albums in the new year. He's in final negotiations with "a major retailer" to distribute the music in physical form, and a highly interactive website will also provide an opportunity to buy. He's not working with a record label. "The gatekeepers have to change," he said several times throughout the evening.

He's found his way back to the sound of "When Doves Cry." The first disc, tentatively titled "MPLSOUND," is an electro-flavored solo effort recorded at Paisley Park Studios. Prince experimented with Pro Tools and "new ways of recording" on these trippy, experimental pop songs. One features a Q-Tip rap; another calls a "Funky Congregation" to worship and may become a live set piece.

He's ready to revive the Quiet Storm. "We got sick of waiting for Sade to make a new album," he said, introducing Valente's new album, "Elixir." The tracks are chill, with Valente's buttery voice melding with beats by Morris Hayes and Prince's guitar lines. Some are explicitly sexual. "This music is nasty, but it's not dirty," Prince said, explaining how sensual music fits in with his much-discussed faith -- he's a Jehovah's Witness. "There's no profanity. It isn't promoting promiscuity. She's singing about her lover, who could be her partner for life."

He loves his guitar. As the tracks played on Indie 103.1 indicated, "Lotus Flower" is rooted in the instrument. Prince said he refocused on his playing while performing live dates with the singer Tamar Davis in 2006; with the spotlight trained on someone else, he could fall back in love with solos and riffs. "Lotus Flower" is a varied album, featuring cuts recorded over the course of two years, but standout tracks include some heavy rockers -- especially the apocalyptic "Dreamer," which Prince said was partly inspired by the radical black comedian Dick Gregory.

He did not vote for Proposition 8. In fact, he didn't vote at all. "I didn't vote for Obama either," he explained. "Jehovah's Witnesses haven't voted for their whole inception." The controversy over a recent New Yorker "Talk of the Town" item, which Prince feels implied he supported the gay-marriage ban, has upset him. It's the first thing he wanted to discuss when the Web geeks had gone and we were alone. "I have friends that are gay and we study the Bible together," he said. He added that two sides fighting "only benefit the third person" who instigated the fight.

cool cant wait thanx for the info

INCREDIBLE

Okay so there will be

#1 "The first disc, tentatively titled "MPLSOUND" "

#2 "Valente's new album, "Elixir." "

#3 "Lotus Flower"


Am I reading that correctly?

2009 is 12 months long....hopefully some of this will happen in EARLY 2009

It is always nice 2 have more music by Prince in my selection...
I'm looking 4ward 2 hearing them.

Go Princey!

OKAY! Officially excited!!

Wow!

prince fans spoiled for 09 huh?

and

i am happy for you guys' enthusiasm but I will believe it when I see it.

Front Paged and Stickyfied! I'm so excited for the next year... Now announce another American tour and I'll just fucking cum right here.

June7 said:

Vendetta1 said:

Me too.

3 new albums huh? and will that mean if he tours..this material will b featured instead of the boring hits?

OK MPLSOUND has me interested. Lotus Flower is great name for an album, I just hope the 4 tracks we've heard arent the four best tracks.

Who or what is Valente?

June7 said:

J*** In My Pants

Is there a doctor in the house!??? Cuz I think I'm having a spaz attack!!!!!

.
[Edited 12/31/08 16:14pm]

punkofthemonth said:

yes

Yay! 3 albums...woo hoo! I like the name "Lotus Flower" , it sounds pretty, reminds me of nature and peace. Can't wait to hear the "Dreamer" track the author mentions either. I'm so happy we may be able to purchase it online according to the article,
[Edited 12/31/08 16:22pm]

Vendetta1 said:

So...he promises three albums. If we get one good album and at least a few dates - I will be thuh-rilled!

TrueFunkSoldier2 said:

Very!

great .....

Like I said before...

I WONT beleive it until I SEE it

toots said:

I'm with ya on that.

psychodelicide said:

But this is not MJ who promises and never delivers

YEEEEESSSS!!!

One observation. A song inspired by Dick Gregory, Really?

A little different inspirational source than the TRC ideas.