Look at that dresed nice and talkin nice, my man somebody record that interview please!

Hey ya'll if any of you get 2 watch the interview please post what was said i'll b working dam but please post what was said especially if he speaks again about his childhood!

My TV guide says Mary Higgens Clark on monday, but no mention of Prince...

Copycat said:

Well they're not going to lead back to Arista or A&M. His record label was WB for 20 years. That's more than half of Prince's history in professional music. Of course most roads will lead back and even start from there.

Cataclizm1 said:

It has been changed, check it here : http://www.pbs.org/kcet/tavissmiley/ --> Coming soon.

Graycap23 said:

It was kinds hard to tell back in the 90s because he rarely actually ARTICULATED it. As fans- maybe we had more insight, public at large just thought he was nuts. Which was my point about wishing he had been more direct back then.

Zannaloaf said:

Why would anyone, let alone Prince be direct about something going on in their private business?

Graycap23 said:

Prince stated that his upset with WB began in small ways, most noteably with the single "Let's Rock" (or was it "Let's Dance"?). It was a "dance" popular at the time, and he wanted to put the single out right away, possibly as a one-off single, but WB stopped him in his tracks. He told Oprah or someone that it wasn't the content of what he did (like saying FUCK, or talking about blowjobs), it was WHEN he could put it out. He was pretty much limited to one album a year, although in 1996, a lot of stuff got pushed out in rapid succession.

That, in general, became the issue with WB. It was shortly after that when he started putting together protege groups to put more music out. It wasn't JUST The Time, or JUST Vanity 6, it was group after group.

I can understand market over-saturation, but when you're as prolific as Prince was at the time, there has to be some sort of leeway for releasing more stuff. Your music is timely, funky, reflecting your mood at the time, or life in general, and you want the song to be a part of that section of culture and pop history.

I mean, who knows what we might have seen and experienced had the WB just let Prince put out whatever he wanted WHENEVER he wanted. What would our respective collections look like now?

ernestsewell said:

His real beef was when he found out what his true royalty rate was

Graycap23 said:

haha could be, at least earlier on. He renegotiated that contract a million times over I'm sure, and as time went on, he got more points on an album.

LondonStylesaid:



The South Bank Show is just one of those programmes that, no matter what the subject, I find interesting. I like Melvyn Bragg's interviewing style/technique - sometimes just letting the subject take control (Ken Russell springs to mind). The more I think about it the more I'm convinced that it could be great.

purplecam said:

Definitely!

This is great! I'll be watching. I really agree with the encouragement thing, that can do wonders for a persons belief in themselves.

Kim69 said:

and he grabbed Prince by his scrawny little neck when he told him that too! LOLOL

ludwig said:

Nah. . .I couldn't get past the whole, "sorry I don't mean to call you Prince" era.

Prince should take his own advise & "Let it go"

Just saw the add for Prince on Tavis, something about shocking Prince Health Confession, never caught it all, something about smoking?

NuPwr319 said:

That's how you sum up one of the greatest interviews Prince ever gave ? He was so loose and he revealed the whole story about being "Bad" planned as a duet with Michael Jackson and why it didn't happen, etc .... He was talking about MUSIC, not record contracts blablabla ....
[Edited 4/24/09 20:35pm]

Doesn't Tavis know the name of the song is "Feel Good, Feel Better, Feel Wonderful" instead of "Feel Better, Feel Good, Feel Wonderful"???

mitchturb said:

It's been printed both ways.

Kim69 said:

she said histrionic, gazoo did you see that?
[Edited 4/24/09 23:52pm]

typical Prince, always complaining he's being ripped off and not making enough $$$$$

tafnap said:

at the same time i'm sitting here still trying to figure out what the
"exclusive first week content that may never be available again" was,
that was supposed to be on the lotusflower website.

IstenSzek said:

Not happy with your Tshirt?

Sad to see Prince on the TV show complaining about not being paid properly or being ripped-off by Soundscan or whatever. How can he still moan about this? It reeks of bitterness. He is in good health, has many friends, is wealthier than most people will ever be - and still not content?! I'm afraid it says too much about Prince as a person; someone who is more obsessed with money and wealth than we would like to admit, seeing him as this deep, serious artist who is a supremely gifted musician with something important to say. It really turned me off and sort of confirmed my worst fears that Prince is narrow-minded and kind of shallow and materialistic, despite all the spiritual talk. It's as if Prince has nothing to say anymore. Most artists have been ripped off in many ways; N.B. Prince is hardly unique. But others go on with their art and develop and mature as artists and human beings. Has Prince really done that? Hmmm... I guess I was more disappointed than I care to admit. He'll still be an enormously gifted musician, but talk about unfulfilled potential.

pernil said:

Yeah, I pretty much love his music & despise his personality & his actions. It sucks that he can be such a douche bag.

pernil said:

Agree whole-heartedly with that part.

pernil said:

.
.
thats basically what i said and i got dogs abuse for it....i dont think that prince was always so money orientated....he could easily have released purple rain 2 but he didnt....he deserves credit for that but i dont understand him now...i sometimes think he really has a split personality....why moan about money when he doesnt release his new album outside america where most of his fanbase is ???...
[Edited 4/25/09 7:10am]

pernil said:

I think the purpose of him mentioning that is to make other and newer artists aware of what they are getting into, before and when they sign on to record labels. Many artists are anxious to sign without knowing the "business" side of it, and what goes on behind closed doors on the sale of their music, that's why so many artists back in the 60s and 70s that are now "defunct", "got screwed" and many don't own their masters, and not receiving royalties as well. Even the recent and current artists. Prince already got paid, that's why he's able to live the lifestyle he has financially/economically. Nothing wrong with not being selfish, and sharing your knowledge and raising awareness about the "business" side of the music industry.

But I think he is using that example, for other artists to "educate" themselves about the actual sales from the music sold, and make an effort to learn the business side of the music industry, and not be afraid to ask questions and keep abreast of what's going on, on the business side of the table, not just be concerned about the music/art side of it. Just my two cents.
[Edited 4/25/09 8:09am]

Soundscan picks up bar codes scanned at cash registers and tracks digital downloads online too. I'd like to see him provide irrefutable evidence of thievery, which he never will.