Ya'll know P first mentioned this phrase in U Got The Look. Also when I first went to Amsterdam, I bought this Sign of the Times Tour poster in some record store there. On it, it says at the bottom "wear something peach and black". With Prince, I knew it had some meaning or it represented something. I always had my thought of what "peach and black" meant besides just two colors. I never saw it discussed on here before so I thought I would see what people thought if anything, what the two colors symbolized.

blackguitaristz said:

It was the color scheme for the Sign O' the Times album. Nothing really deep behind it. Diamonds and Pearls found him hot for Chiquita yellow. It happens occasionally. Not every album had a corresponding color.

HonestMan13 said:

Oh I KNOW it was the color of the pics on the inner sleeves of the album and definately for the tour, as I mentioned. But unless P based his album and tour theme from the lyrics of "U Got The Look", which was written earlier, then perhaps the phrase has something a lil' bit mo' to it than just two colors that he fancied and then decided to use. I definately know it's nothing DEEP. Really what brought this about was I was talking to somebody yesterday about this album and they asked me what did peach and black mean in U Got The Look? I told her what I always THOUGHT it symbolized but hell if I know. That's really what prompted me to ask on here, just for fun. I was curious to see what others, who didn't have a hang up on posting on this thread, thought. If anything. Again, just for fun. There's not going to be a test tomorrow on it and or anything like that. As Jimi once said "It didn't even ring, no buttons to push."
[Edited 8/18/09 23:44pm]

But thanks anyway HonestMan for posting. I just wanted to see if anybody else's mind worked similar to my own on this. To see if anyone thought what I think it means.

With Prince you just never ever know.

On one level, it could definitely be little more than a nod towards an asethetic style he was going for. Afterall, he'd been known for throwing in phrases like "who's hair on one side is swept back" from Around the World in a Day, or "Everybody will have short hair...next year!" from the extended version of Kiss from the Parade album. From Raspberry Beret, Purple Rain, to Pink Cashmere, prince has always seemed to use lush, redish-spectrum colors to symbolize lust, the female persuasion and anything towards the blue to symbolize other emotions. Color has always been part of his palette. Some days he feels tangerine, somedays he feels blue

But on the other hand, he could be using the colors to symbolize some sort of solidarity with an ideal or notion. Striper, that god awful Christian metal band during the 80's wore yellow and black which were symbolic of God's warning colors against the devil. It's not to far a stretch to imagine Prince liking the theme and employing a fey-ish Camille touch to that--though there's no proof of such a thing of course.

finally, Peach and black could be referring to this delicious dish: http://allrecipes.com/Rec...etail.aspx

Prince has over the years had tickets to the venues say "Wear Something Purple".

squirrelgrease said:

Maybe he was trying to brand "SOTT" as something different?

Afterall, he had just disbanded the Revolution too long before SOTT, and this was his chance to make a statement.

Imago said:

Man,...excellent post. Digging your references for WHY u think what u think. Good examples...Especially diggin' the "hair on one side swept back" from Paisley Park and "everyone will have short hair...next year!" Totally implying that because he cut HIS hair short, now everybody else is going to copy him and cut theirs too. Like with Wendy and Sheila both echoing his look and cut their hair short. That's what I always liked about Lisa cuz she was like "Nope...Don't even think about it, Prince! You know I'll fuck your little ass up!". I remember Stryper but had no idea that the yellow and black represented to ward of satan. That reminds me of another Christian rock band from 84-85 called Joshua. They played at my high school. Not during school or for the students but they used our auditorium because it was huge. I went and checked them out anyways. They were good. Again, good points and references.
[Edited 8/19/09 0:22am]

squirrelgrease said:

Yep,...but it was the first time on the Signs tour that he ever specifically asked fans to wear certain colors. I mean, he KNEW he didn't have to ask on the 1999 and ESPECIALLY the Purple Rain tour to wear purple. THAT was an automatic thing that was going to happen on that tour.

blackguitaristz said:

thanks!

As far as the lyrics to Kiss, everybody did have short hair the following year.


...well, at least I remember Debarge cutting his hair for the short circuit soundtrack.

Oooh, good question! I'm not sure what it means, but I always thought in the back of my mind it COULD be peach and black as in skin colour... but I'm probably completely wrong. You know, a fair skin complexion on a woman is often referred to 'peaches and cream' skin, if someone thinks you have nice skin that's what they'll say, either 'English Rose' complexion or 'peaches and cream' complexion.... and Sheena Easton is white, Scottish like me ! Although the song was probably written long before he even thought about performing it with her! So I don't know. But maybe it stands for the same thing as in Controversy? So another way of saying 'white'. But maybe referring to a woman or women. I always thought it was a strange line though.... always makes me pause and wonder I have to say... But it could be that he just liked to wear the colours peach and black together! Oh, and one other thing that's occurred to me is bruising 'never seen a pretty girl look so tough' but that's probably my imagination running wild and taking all the wrong turnings yet again..
[Edited 8/19/09 1:34am]

Peach and black came about because jill jones had a dog at the time that had that coloring.

What's up Brutha B? Good to see you as always..I kinda thought (like Jeffiner) "peach and black" referred to skin tones too...but P's moods always called for colors. He was still dating Susannah at the time, correct?

Maybe P's love slang names for women were "peaches"? Who knows?..good thread idea.

Let's set the record straight. Peach = Pussy. Black = Tootsie Roll.

squirrelgrease said:

squirrelgrease said:

I may have to go with squirrelgrease....I think squirrelgrease defined it the best!

blackguitaristz said:

ElCapitan said:

I'm not really sure on the significance of Peach and Black. I remember at the time thinking it was an adopted colour scheme and that perhaps Prince was trying to distance himself from purple.

BGZ-I'd like to know your interpretation as I always respect your views.

DAMMITT PEOPLE- DID ANYONE READ MY POST?????

There's no significance other than he liked Jill Jones' peach and black pooch. But go on, and keep coming up with your theories. There was an interview with Jill back in '87 where she stated this. I think it was an issue of Black Beat- I'll see if I can find it and scan it.


[Edited 8/19/09 20:44pm]

ElCapitan said:

Damn man, I hope u were carrying around that ticket in your wallet all this time. Cuz otherwise, u probably tore your crib up looking for it. Or did u get that from the Internet and shit? Either way, cool. I went 3 times on that tour and if it stated it on the ticket, I sure in the hell never noticed it. I was too concerned with where my seat was going to be. I never wore purple to any of those shows cuz being a dude, I thought that would have been TOO cheesy. I left that for the girls. But right on, thanx for putting it up. I never noticed P asking folks to wear a color before Signs.

contrapposto said:

You're going to be right as rain, player. Don't trip. Everything is going to be alright in the end.

blackguitaristz said:

mashedpotato said:

Thank u for the kind word...Jennifer pretty much ALUDED to what I always thought it meant. But again, nothing heavy or deep. I too agree that I felt P was trying to distance himself from the color purple AND the Revolution. He replaced Lisa and Wendy with Cat and Sheila, visually. So before he took that Rolling Stone pic with him and Lisa and Wendy. Then he traded off for taking numerous pics with just him, Cat and Sheila. That of course carried over from Signs to Lovesexy.

Peach and black could be a reference to Sheena's (or his muse behind the song) complexion and hair color.

Still, as has been said already, Prince constantly made references to style and visuals in his song lyrics to reflect where he was or what presently had his attention. I think it's interesting that so much of the visual found on SOTT's artwork and tour book had pictures that play with lighting in different ways.

Couple that with the jewelry and wardrobe Prince was wearing around the time,



and


(for example),

and you see a real voodoo/Caribbean flavor going on with him. I wouldn't be surprised if there weren't some magic reference to those colors. Prince was into that, as has been discussed many times over in this forum. He'd let references to it (especially the blood and squirrel meat references in "Supafunkycalifragisexy," which showed up in the SOTT film) seep into his music from time to time.

ThreadBare said:

What it is Thread? I've been checking out that a few folks have mentioned Sheena but what I heard Jill Jones say is that P could have worked with anybody at any given time. Whoever was in the studio could have easily ended up on a Prince song. She went so far to say that she herself could have done Sheena's part if she was there. I don't know how much I buy into that because P is TOO specific and I think that if P wanted Jill, then he would have gotten Jill on the song. I think Jill felt leftout of some shit or something and wasn't crazy about that Sheena was on it. Maybe P had promised Jill the track. Anyway, I totally see the voodoo vibe in P's fashion on this, especially with the fur coat, no shirt and the jewelery. And yeah, the blood and squirrel meat and the Brother Maurice is all...pointing. Gotta drink it fast and "the after taste just lasts and lasts." Doesn't sound like the cat was drinking Grape Kool Aid now does it? The colors could very well represent something connected with that religion. I know folks on here hates when their lil' Prince is connected with "other worldly" elements. So I won't go any deeper.
[Edited 8/19/09 21:48pm]

contrapposto said:

Well, find it then.

squirrelgrease said:

Yeah and that STILL won't change folks minds. Dig, P could have planted that story himself to "mask" what Peach and Black REALLY meant. Remember, THIS is the same cat that wrote the lyrics to Ice Cream Castles.
[Edited 8/20/09 7:32am]