What if PRINCE did the one thing you thought he would never do and that is an entire album/cd that was produced by some of today's and yesterday's top producers. I think the following producers could really do some cool colaborations with PRINCE :

1. Quincy Jones
2. Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis
3. Nile Rogers
4. Pharrell
5. Bono & The Edge
6. Stevie Wonder
7. Wil.i.am
8. Lenny Kravitz
9. Jay Z.
10.Rick Rubin

I think at this point it's time for PRINCE to shock everyone and think outside the box.

wreckasto said:

NO

4, 7, 9 - you must be off your rocker. Those people are horrid choices, especially 4, and 7. And if you have to think about #9, I'd direct your attention to track 9 on Diamonds and Pearls. THAT is what you'd have to look forward to with Jay Z and Prince.

As interesting as this thread is...it's been discussed before, even in recent months. It will never happen, but it's an interesting idea for Prince.

CLARE FISHER -> YES

Dave Fridmann

errant said:

Are you serious ?????

saafiir said:

not really. but he's a great producer and i thought we were just throwing out random names

i think something cool might come out of it. like Parade on acid or something.

No to all...he's not listening to anyone's creative criticism...

wreckasto said:

1 =
2 =

Daniel Lanois and Brian Eno.

Bono and The Edge can't even produce themselves!

....and that's coming from them.

Quincy Jones??? Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis???

One of Prince's biggest problems from Emancipation onwards is that a lot of his sound sounds old-fashioned and dated. And getting Mr James Jam on board is only gonna make that worse.

If he was to let someone else produce his music they need to be able to mix the old with the new - they can't just be someone who did great work 25 years ago and they can't just be the latest hip producer (e.g. Pharrell, Timbaland, RedOne, etc.). And they also need to be very versatile. Prince doesn't have just one 'sound' so the producer would have to be comfortable working with rock, funk, soul, hiphop, dance etc...

Off the top of my head, I'd say that any of these guys would be a better shout:

Dangermouse
Q-Tip
Nigel Godrich
?uestlove

phunkymunky said:

Great choice. Even if he all he achieved was to convince Prince not to cover any more Radiohead tracks.
[Edited 3/22/10 3:23am]

Most of those "producers" are beneath him. I could do a better job, at least it'd sound like Prince.

wreckasto said:

nah don't rate any of them

wreckasto said:

So...I love the idea of having an outside producer. I felt it esp. on Musicology, when there were times his voice sounded BAD and a producer could've said "let's get another take on that"...however, not one of these people you have mentioned is "thinking outside the box"...they are all "obvious" choices. Someone new and fresh would be more interesting...
=0P

I think, with a proper strong producer in the studio, he'd be able to make Prince the good from the bad. I feel that some of the albums have been a bit rushed. If more time and effort and a guiding hand was involved, Prince could come out with a classic album. Rick Rubin has worked wonders for people but can't see Prince allowing anyone to be in control in the studio.

Raphael Saadiq .....

andrew weiss and trent reznor are both prince production disciples; they could work some magic, i'm sure...maybe bob ezrin. dangermouse might've been fun a few years ago, but i think he's gotten pretty boring. t-bone burnett? he'd be fun for some lo-fi, full band production.

Jack White.

Didnt Prince produce an Album by ? I think it was called Rave Un2 the Joy..or something like that.

If anything it would be interesting to listen (see) Prince work with a producer. The questions is: could so said producer create a different "sound" that P has not already done. He's already successful at creating Rock, R&B, Soul and Funk. There's not many who can match him alive today that can do all styles.

He's worked with Pharel already btw.

Timbaland? you can't say it wouldn't be interesting.

Ry Cooder?

Ricky Peterson (last great Prince album (GE) was co-produced by this guy!)

...

I would drop his ass quicker than a hooker dropping a broke man.

It will never happen

And Quincy Jones hates Prince. He always has.

LilCub said:

Wow! I never heard that b4. Is there a possibility that Quincy could be jealous of Prince? I have always heard nice things coming from Quincy's mouth myself. Even on the Musicology tour, Quincy had nice things 2 say about Prince. Now maybe behind his back he has said something negative. I am sure many people have but u gotta give credit 2 the man. He is absolutely incredible and untouchable imho. U do not have 2 like him but u have 2 respect his God given talent.

pennylover said:

Why do people always go to that juvenile place of "jealous"? What the F would Q have to be jealous of? The man is more accomplished and respected than Prince could ever be, as a producer, a writer, an arranger, a conductor, etc.

Q ain't sweatin' Prince, and never has. Nor has Q ever said he hates Prince. Hate is something that wears a person down, and that most people have zero time for, including Q. It's conjecture, and pure to say he hates Prince.

Wendy and Lisa.

David Bowie. Just Bowie.

ernestsewell said:

Yes! Quincy is the Dude.