Genesia said:

Timmy84 said:

Technically yes lol but they were around since the Dirty Mind/Controversy eras so they were there then in some way then.

No, they weren't. The first mention of the Revolution was on the cover of 1999 - and the band didn't become that "officially" until Dez left and Wendy joined the band in 1983.

Exactly.

JudasLChrist said:

I sort of don't really believe in The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Rock and Roll shouldn't be institutionalized. So, I won't comment on that. However, many people on the org are pretty desperate to downplay The Revolution's influence on Prince's music during that era. It was his most creative time, and particularly, Wendy and Lisa were intimate collaborators. You don't get a pretty song like Purple Rain without Wendy's chords. She wrote that chord progression. At the same time Prince went into the studio alone and wrote The Beautiful Ones. His independent genius is not sullied by acknowledgement of The Revolution's influence and awesomeness. Things would have been different without that band and Wendy in particular. That's just the truth.

So you are saying that, on the basis of three years of working with Prince, Wendy and Lisa should share in his entire body of work over 25 years? (Which is what the RR Hall of Fame induction was about?)

I love Wendy and Lisa, but I don't think so.

Timmy84 said:

Prince technically WAS the Revolution.

[Edited 7/18/10 21:38pm]

yeah as much as the revolution contributed to some key moments in the music, much of the music attributed to Prince & The Revolution was probably Prince by himself, ditto the NPG and the Lovesexy band.

Genesia said:

JudasLChrist said:

I sort of don't really believe in The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Rock and Roll shouldn't be institutionalized. So, I won't comment on that. However, many people on the org are pretty desperate to downplay The Revolution's influence on Prince's music during that era. It was his most creative time, and particularly, Wendy and Lisa were intimate collaborators. You don't get a pretty song like Purple Rain without Wendy's chords. She wrote that chord progression. At the same time Prince went into the studio alone and wrote The Beautiful Ones. His independent genius is not sullied by acknowledgement of The Revolution's influence and awesomeness. Things would have been different without that band and Wendy in particular. That's just the truth.

So you are saying that, on the basis of three years of working with Prince, Wendy and Lisa should share in his entire body of work over 25 years? (Which is what the RR Hall of Fame induction was about?)

I love Wendy and Lisa, but I don't think so.

No. I was purposefully not commenting on TRNRHOF. I think The Revolution should be given credit where credit is due as opposed to what's popular on The Org which is to deny them any credit at all. The Revolution was an incredibly powerful band. The songwriting team of Prince/Wendy and Lisa (Shelia and Eric too) was responsible for some of his best work. I think that is meaningful. I don't think it should be obscured.

Timmy84 said:

WonderU said:

cough "bullshit!" cough

[Edited 7/18/10 22:16pm]

Oh really? You think Prince actually allowed that band free rein? COME ON this is Prince.

Can you name another band that he would send unfinished tracks to finish???

Can you name another band that was so popular that people would dress up like them for the concerts???

Free reign? No. But their influence was huge on him and he made some of his best albums with them around. No one can deny the musical output from 83 to 87. They can try, but they'd be wrong

WonderU said:

Timmy84 said:

Oh really? You think Prince actually allowed that band free rein? COME ON this is Prince.

Can you name another band that he would send unfinished tracks to finish???

Can you name another band that was so popular that people would dress up like them for the concerts???

Free reign? No. But their influence was huge on him and he made some of his best albums with them around. No one can deny the musical output from 83 to 87. They can try, but they'd be wrong

They were a good band together, and their contributions were invaluable.

As talented as Prince is on his own, he thrives in a band setting and takes it to another level that he might not have gotten to without band members. I mean, how important is Larry Graham to Prince on a professional and personal level?

KCOOLMUZIQ said:

Please give The Revolution a rest. Prince was & always will be the mastermind behind his own success. Whoever was along for the brief ride. Was just a leaf on his tree that he grew & created...

Gonna have to partially disagree with you on this point. From accounts of Prince biographers as well as directly from the mouths of members of the Revolution themselves, The Revolution helped inspire Prince, challenge him musically, and direct his attention to areas of music that he had not fully explored. Once they were gone so was his inspiration.

There's no such thing as a 1 man music making machine. Even if your name is Prince. The people around you, particularly the musical people around you, DO influence your musical output. There's simply no question about that.

[Edited 7/19/10 19:21pm]

[Edited 7/19/10 20:06pm]

LinnLM1 said:

KCOOLMUZIQ said:

Please give The Revolution a rest. Prince was & always will be the mastermind behind his own success. Whoever was along for the brief ride. Was just a leaf on his tree that he grew & created...

Gonna have to partially disagree with you on this point. From accounts of Prince biographers as well as directly from the mouths of members of the Revolution themselves, The Revolution helped inspire Prince, challenge him musically, and direct his attention to areas of music that he had not fully explored. Once they were gone so was his inspiration.

There's no such thing as a 1 man music making machine. Even if your name is Prince. The people around you, particularly the musical people around you, DO influence your musical output. There's simpky no question about that.

[Edited 7/19/10 19:21pm]

Are you kidding me? Even when they were around Prince's best material was solo produced songs. If not then where are the #1 albums of W & L or any other member of the Revolution? Maybe they help with some of the songwriting but I don't think enough to make it as an act after being gone. I like W & L but some of you make it sound like without them then Prince can't write or produce jack. Like some of you even talk about FDeluxe music outshining what Prince has done but I will have to wait until they have a deal and it is in the stores but I know whose side of the opinion poll I will be on cause I am a PRINCE fan because without him then there wouldn't have been a Revolution or a Family. Some of those artist might have come out without his help but then we can't go back in time to prove if that would have been the case.

jimmyrogertodd said:

LinnLM1 said:

Gonna have to partially disagree with you on this point. From accounts of Prince biographers as well as directly from the mouths of members of the Revolution themselves, The Revolution helped inspire Prince, challenge him musically, and direct his attention to areas of music that he had not fully explored. Once they were gone so was his inspiration.

There's no such thing as a 1 man music making machine. Even if your name is Prince. The people around you, particularly the musical people around you, DO influence your musical output. There's simpky no question about that.

[Edited 7/19/10 19:21pm]

Are you kidding me? Even when they were around Prince's best material was solo produced songs. If not then where are the #1 albums of W & L or any other member of the Revolution? Maybe they help with some of the songwriting but I don't think enough to make it as an act after being gone. I like W & L but some of you make it sound like without them then Prince can't write or produce jack. Like some of you even talk about FDeluxe music outshining what Prince has done but I will have to wait until they have a deal and it is in the stores but I know whose side of the opinion poll I will be on cause I am a PRINCE fan because without him then there wouldn't have been a Revolution or a Family. Some of those artist might have come out without his help but then we can't go back in time to prove if that would have been the case.

I was wondering when someone would post this tired argument. Some people just don't WANT to see the truth and the facts that have been stated a BILLION times already.

WonderU said:

Timmy84 said:

Oh really? You think Prince actually allowed that band free rein? COME ON this is Prince.

Can you name another band that he would send unfinished tracks to finish???

Can you name another band that was so popular that people would dress up like them for the concerts???

Free reign? No. But their influence was huge on him and he made some of his best albums with them around. No one can deny the musical output from 83 to 87. They can try, but they'd be wrong

It really is a shame that even here in the fan community The Revolution receives so little respect.

It doesn't take anything away from Prince and his legacy to also give props to the musicians involved with him during his seminal era.

Honestly, none of us here know the complete inside scoop or the role they played or the impact they had between themselves, and also nobody wants to diminish Prince's incredible body of work. With that in mind lets not forget the bulk of the work that is universally praised by critics and consumers is the work during The Revolution era and through 87.

So I say it would be a shame not to include them into the RR Hall Of Fame because other than us here on the org, nobody outside of us care too much about Prince's post 87 work, not even most of the diehards here.

There is a reason Prince pretty much only plays Revolution era songs in concert, and a reason he has recently kept returning trying to recapture the Minneapolis sound on disk and a reason why he has pretty much failed at recreating it. Whatever role the musicians of The Revolution may have had or not, their impact cannot be dismissed.

[Edited 7/19/10 21:45pm]

violetblues said:

It really is a shame that even here in the fan community The Revolution receives so little respect.

It doesn't take anything away from Prince and his legacy to also give props to the musicians involved with him during his seminal era.

Honestly, none of us here know the complete inside scoop or the role they played or the impact they had between themselves, and also nobody wants to diminish Prince's incredible body of work. With that in mind lets not forget the bulk of the work that is universally praised by critics and consumers is the work during The Revolution era and through 87.

So I say it would be a shame not to include them into the RR Hall Of Fame because other than us here on the org, nobody outside of us care too much about Prince's post 87 work, not even most of the diehards here.

There is a reason Prince pretty much only plays Revolution era songs in concert, and a reason he has recently kept returning trying to recapture the Minneapolis sound on disk and a reason why he has pretty much failed at recreating it. Whatever role the musicians of The Revolution may have had or not, their impact cannot be dismissed.

[Edited 7/19/10 21:45pm]

Then again you have to know how shitty the R&R Hall of Fame themselves are. Let's say they are qualified, they won't enter anyway because it's kinda like the Miracles and the Famous Flames. They contributed hugely also to the careers of Smokey Robinson and James Brown but when it came down to it, the committee axed them out for the front man. I just can't see them in the Hall for that purpose.

KCOOLMUZIQ said:

Please give The Revolution a rest. Prince was & always will be the mastermind behind his own success. Whoever was along for the brief ride. Was just a leaf on his tree that he grew & created...

YOUR SIGNATURE IS WAY COOL.

WonderU said:

Timmy84 said:

Oh really? You think Prince actually allowed that band free rein? COME ON this is Prince.

Can you name another band that he would send unfinished tracks to finish???

Can you name another band that was so popular that people would dress up like them for the concerts???

Free reign? No. But their influence was huge on him and he made some of his best albums with them around. No one can deny the musical output from 83 to 87. They can try, but they'd be wrong

AMEN.

lotusboy said:

KCOOLMUZIQ said:

Please give The Revolution a rest. Prince was & always will be the mastermind behind his own success. Whoever was along for the brief ride. Was just a leaf on his tree that he grew & created...

YOUR SIGNATURE IS WAY COOL.

Thanx mate...much appreciated....Its heartfelt.........................

JudasLChrist said:

I sort of don't really believe in The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Rock and Roll shouldn't be institutionalized. So, I won't comment on that. However, many people on the org are pretty desperate to downplay The Revolution's influence on Prince's music during that era. It was his most creative time, and particularly, Wendy and Lisa were intimate collaborators. You don't get a pretty song like Purple Rain without Wendy's chords. She wrote that chord progression. At the same time Prince went into the studio alone and wrote The Beautiful Ones. His independent genius is not sullied by acknowledgement of The Revolution's influence and awesomeness. Things would have been different without that band and Wendy in particular. That's just the truth.

So true, and it was a fruitful time for him as an artist and his association with them only heightened his creativity. But the relationship was idealized by the movie, which did not lend to the creativity that stemmed from being associated with Eric Leeds-who first hipped Prince to Miles and ignited the use of live horns in his sound. For teens, it was fun for us at the time to relate to certain members of the band which made PR an inclusive experience. But, the R didnt really exist as a band in a traditional sense. Prince didnt have to compete with W&L the way John had to compete with paul, it was not a peer relationship musically or professionally. When John started trippin, bringing Yoko around Paul couldnt fire him-that was the end of the Beatles. When Prince got a new whim, he simply hired new people-end of the Revolution a whim that functioned as a "band" in a movie.