Hi Org...We've had some discussion in the past about Prince's music/lyrics no longer having the same raw emotional energy it once did. Could this be that sex, parties, and the ways of the world have lost their appeal? How many songs can a brother write on those topics and not start to get stale after 30 some years? My point is this: Prince likes to make a point in his interviews regarding the importance of God and the Bible in his life--If this is truely his passion why doesn't it come out more in his music? I know he did the rainbow children thing which kind of goes down that road. But what if he humbled himself and fully poured out his love for God, Jesus, and the Holy Scriptures into an intimate and deeply personal gospel/Christian album? I think it could be really special. What do you think?

It would probably be really special for a number of Prince's fans. however, it would seriously alienate many of his non-Christian fans (such as myself). Furthermore, the casual fan would not be likely to buy it, since many people, even those who claim to be religious, really aren't.

It is not that Prince is concerned about alienating people, but he wants to make money.

Perhaps the mods could put this as a poll question on the home page: Would you buy a Prince album that was explicitly Christian or Gospel? I would like to see how the voting would go.

Not sure I really need to know any more on Prince's views on master races, displaced bloodlines and how women are subservient to men.

Rainbow Children anyone?

Jakeasaurus said:

Exactly, and while there are many who like that album, there are also many who would place it among there least favorite of Prince's albums. I would bet that there is a negative correlation between one's level of Christianity and one's taste for the Rainbow Children album.

Honestly - Prince knows there's more $$$$$ in the than ing God
[Edited 10/14/09 7:32am]

christian rock is for the deep south - and 'praise jesus' it stays that way.
[Edited 10/14/09 7:29am]

No thanks.

I see your point that perhaps it would not go over well with some... but my point is wouldn't you rather hear him create something that he poured his heart and soul into rather than coasting along as a characture of his former self just to make and extra buck?
[Edited 10/14/09 7:35am]

jobyjayy said:

i don't know really. i don't know how (really important) religion is to him. he always talks from a stance of arrogrance about it, that he is somehow more important than others and i always get the impression he thinks he is a messesnger or gift from god. that doesn't really tanslate well into music, as parts of the rainbow children testify!

jobyjayy said:

Prince need to cut of relegious songs even though he made a masterpiece album in the rainbow children. he needs to create music with sexual energy the perverse prince we grew up on cuz after all he is being a hippocrite
now that he found jesus. would he give his money away. he made his money by using sex also with his brilliant musical talents. society is full of rubbish like I have found god now. larry graham took advantage of prince when he was vulnerable. larry graham is a wannabe prophet after all his actions in the past.
I could challenge prince on his relegious belief & defeat him.
Would you stop listening to 1999 the black album purple rain because of it's sexual context. I doubt it. Does prince listens to his old music. yesi presume.
so there! hippocrite! pardon me for the expression.

jobyjayy said:

Nope...quality over quantity any day

Handcuffs said:

i often wonder, if he recorded all clean versions of his cat. so he could still listen to them.

jobyjayy said:

Not necessarily. Prince could pour his heart into a country album, a Christian album, a right wing album, a post-modern album, an anti-science album, a Pink Floyd cover album, or a techno album and I would have no interest in any of them since I do not care for country, Christianity, right-wing politics, post-modernism, anti-science, Pink Floyd, or techno.

Handcuffs said:

Hey Handcuffs...How much sexual creativity/energy to you expect the brother to still have after 30 plus years of signing about it?...That's what I'm saying...I think he's artistically done all he can possibly do with that topic.
[Edited 10/14/09 7:49am]

Darwintheorgangrinder said:

I may be the exception, but I'm an atheist, and I love the Rainbow Children.

TwiliteKid said:

Interesting...I used to HATE it...but now it's one of my favorites (despite the obvious JW slant which I don't subscribe to)

He has done it. He made his religious (not Christian), and racist and segregationist album, called The Rainbow Children. He's not going to make an album like Bebe and Cece Winans or Amy Grant circa 1982. Hell, every time he's in an interview, he's preaching. He's damn near ordained himself and is now his tours are evangelist crusades.
[Edited 10/14/09 9:15am]

jobyjayy said:

You don't think that he's done that? Interesting....

Prince doesn't need to make a Christian album. He has always had spiritual messages in his music since the beginning. Maybe I don't know everything since 1979 but Mountains for examples.

"love will conquer if you just believe"

This is the message of any organised religion or other philosophy which is inclined to believe that there is a purpose to life.

jobyjayy said:

I think the problem here is that Prince has never 100% conformed to any religion that he was part of.

We have to remember, before becoming a JW, he was a quasi-Christian person. He strongly believed in Jesus as the song of God, but also spoke of new age concepts like "The Higher Self" and reincarnation in lyrics like "If I came back as a woman" or "If I came back as a Dolphin", it's apparent that Prince is willing to incorporate supposed occult or eastern elements into his beliefs.


The Rainbow Children is probably his most religious album though it's layers upon layers less effective than LoveSexy (his quasi-psychedelic gospel) album.


I don't think Prince will ever do anything as expected or by the letter, if only due to his overwhelming giant ego.

TwiliteKid said:

You're not alone! ) same here....

But having said that. Would I want another album of preachy religious songs? No. Would I prefer an album of funk in the vein of f.u.n.k and Glasscutter? Yes please.

Imago said:

That's not true. He's said "I'm a Jehovah's Witness". He even said that on Tavis when the subject of President Obama was brought up, I believe. If not that, then others. He's definitely talked about it.

In fact, wasn't it the same article where he said he was "celebate, and sexy" that he stated he's a JW?

ernestsewell said:

I don't take too much stock in what Prince says. He said music should be free too, and charged 77 bucks for mp3 files and a t-shirt.

I think Prince thinks he's a JW, but I'm pretty sure he supplements his religious views with his own personal views.

erik319 said:

Likewise

And to those that think that Prince's only religious musical foray was TRC, have you even been listening to the rest of his music??! As Bohemian rightly pointed out, its been there since nearly the beginning (the album Controversy, being the first with religious overtones, if I remember rightly).

Purple Rain was a veiled Christian album of sorts - you know, Let's Go Crazy, the "de-elevator" being a pseudonym for the devil (prince's own admission) and all that.....he's been preaching about god and spirituality for years!!

However, as someone else also noted, until lately with the fact he has announced himself as a JW, his religion before was very much open to interpretation, seemingly very Christian based, but with a whole bucket of other ideas from other religions and new-age beliefs.....much more palatable then, I thought>

Singing explicitly about sex and parties is an ideology and one doesn't have to become tired of it. One might change one's mind, like Prince has, that's another thing. Of course, the music shouldn't be all about sex and parties, and Prince's music never was all about that.

Prince is a Jehovah's Witness today, but he knows that by singing too much about religion, and more specifically about JW ideology, which is pretty wacky if you ask me, he will alienate fans. He understands that when it comes to releasing his music, he has to release a mixed bag if he wants to be commercial.

Imago said:

I think he's pretty far gone w/ the JW thing. Larry has really nailed him into it, and despite what the JW church itself says about Prince's membership, it's the JW beliefs that have formed Prince's state of mind.

ernestsewell said:

what did they say?

If it was funky then hell yeah...i'm willing and able

I don't see Prince crossing over musically. His faith is important to him and I don't believe he would make a mockery of it.