Ok so here's a little rant I have about the current state of things concerning Prince. I kind of see how and why Prince is doing some of the things he is doing. I'm going to start with distribution. First is Planet Earth, it saw national release as far a record sales goes, it flopped. As far as mainsteam music goes Prince has come and gone. I would bet that Prince lost money on the project. Then came Lotus Flow3r, smart move by Prince only releasing in Target, that was he doesn't have to deal with the compesation of a major record company, so it probably saved him some money, Target is a department store, and a distributer. Again as far as sales go, it flopped. Now, it's my personal opinion that the last song on MPLsOUND "No More Candy 4 U" was directed at US fans and is the reason 20Ten wasn't released in the US (not sure why it was just the US though). As we all know Prince is VERY anti-piracy and anti-internet, seeing as how his latest internet venture failed (lotusflow3r.com). Seriously, if Prince was going to be relevent again, he needs to get a Facebook page and start touring. And on that note, touring, he simply doesn't do it anymore. Seriously, when was the last US tour? I personally don't know but I'm sure it wasn't recent. I'm sure releasing limited numbers of 20Ten in Europe saved him a ton of money, but no matter what he does, he isn't going to stop people from downloading his albums. That simple. I don't see big things happening for him. Anyway, that's my rant.

I think he could make himself relevant if he'd embrace the internet. Get a FB, Twitter, YT, etc. account and get people into the music. Do some US shows, this is the market that will make or break you.

I think he feels the love was lost and now he's like whatever! Perhaps, he will give it another go with the next ablum? Wish he would, more and more people are wanting to hear his stuff. But I think he's going through a major personal life event, so until he's done with that, he will just limit our access to him.

Or perhaps, he's using reversed pschology. Now that we can't have him, we want him! Maybe he wants us to realize what we've got before it's gone!!! Absence does make the heart grow fonder...

He has been touring... just in Europe.

There's no way he lost money on Planet Earth. I read somewhere he got an upfront payment of £2millon for the newspaper distribution. There's no way it cost him that much to make that album. It was even a #3 album in its first week in the US. That must equate to something.

Similarly, Lotusflow3r didn't flop. It was the #2 album in it's first week. Amazing stat given that it was only available at a single retail outlet, and not on iTunes etc.

He knows full well people are going to download his albums - that's why he takes the upfront payments from newspapers/department stores rather than rely on sales alone.

Sounds to me like your rant is just disappointment over the lack of US releases/tour. Prior to 2007, he hadn't toured Europe in five years, and I remember many European fans posting similar things to what you're posting now. Greedy bums. Spare a thought for those like me who live outside the US and Europe

Okay I partially agree with ur first part but as 4 the song no more candy 4 u, I do not believe it was directed 2ward us fans,I believe it was directed 2ward record companies and also he did have his 2004 musicology tour and again his former drummer was saying there will b a new cd by the end of this yr! As 4 20ten it may not b available us side but u can still get it and big p knows we luv him always and 4 ever,even if a few of us b**ch moan and complain,we luv him always!

toejam said:

Similarly, Lotusflow3r didn't flop. It was the #2 album in it's first week. Amazing stat given that it was only available at a single retail outlet, and not on iTunes etc.

Sounds to me like your rant is just disappointment over the lack of US releases/tour. Prior to 2007, he hadn't toured Europe in five years, and I remember many European fans posting similar things to what you're posting now. Greedy bums. Spare a thought for those like me who live outside the US and Europe

I think it was released on lotusflow3r.com, so in turn, he did use in the internet on that one, but your right, he didn't use iTunes.

I am dissapointed about him not touring in the US, I got into Prince around 2006, the last time he toured in the US was the Musicology Tour in 2004.

rbrpm said:

Okay I partially agree with ur first part but as 4 the song no more candy 4 u, I do not believe it was directed 2ward us fans,I believe it was directed 2ward record companies and also he did have his 2004 musicology tour and again his former drummer was saying there will b a new cd by the end of this yr! As 4 20ten it may not b available us side but u can still get it and big p knows we luv him always and 4 ever,even if a few of us b**ch moan and complain,we luv him always!

His actions just seem to be irrational though, which I guess isn't uncommon for him.

toejam said:

He has been touring... just in Europe.

There's no way he lost money on Planet Earth. I read somewhere he got an upfront payment of £2millon for the newspaper distribution. There's no way it cost him that much to make that album. It was even a #3 album in its first week in the US. That must equate to something.

Similarly, Lotusflow3r didn't flop. It was the #2 album in it's first week. Amazing stat given that it was only available at a single retail outlet, and not on iTunes etc.

He knows full well people are going to download his albums - that's why he takes the upfront payments from newspapers/department stores rather than rely on sales alone.

Sounds to me like your rant is just disappointment over the lack of US releases/tour. Prior to 2007, he hadn't toured Europe in five years, and I remember many European fans posting similar things to what you're posting now. Greedy bums. Spare a thought for those like me who live outside the US and Europe

This. The CDs may not have done as well as his previous ventures with record companies who are able to back him with promotion, but that's to be expected. And IIRC like toejam ( ) said, Prince gets paid upfront for his music, so in the end it doesn't matter how many are sold, he's got his money, he's good. Thats one of the reasons the lotusflow3r was like 1.99 recently in Target. They wanted to move copies out of the warehouses I guess since they have so many. Prince has already been paid for it so he doesn't care what they do with them.

[Edited 9/25/10 18:09pm]

20Ten is a damn good start to the decade. I wouldn't want to plan out the entire decade, but I'm sure it will involve more of his throwback sound, then some jazz project, a few tours and/or residencies.

One thing I can guarantee is that his distribution methods will continue to evolve and garner publicity on their own.

To get a Twitter and Facebook page is probably the last thing I'd want Prince to do. That's just so childishly stupid. Prince does just fine doing whatever the fuck he wants, and that's just good.

I can't even imagine Prince with a twitter or facebook account. I don't even think I'd want that. His own website would be more than sufficient. And we see how well that turned out.

If Prince had any of that stuff - Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, Whatevercomesnext, etc. - it would be run by somebody else, anyway. For whatever reason he seems to have burned himself out on the internet with the NPGMC. Lotusflow3r looked nice, but there was ZERO attempt on Prince's part to use it for communication purposes.

DieLon said:

...20Ten wasn't released in the US (not sure why it was just the US though)....

It wasn't just the US though. 20Ten was only released in France, UK, Ireland, Germany and Belgium (as far as I know), so that's 5 countries out of 193 currently recognised sovereign states in the world, which means 188 in which 20Ten was not released.

Presumably those 5 countries were chosen because those were the ones in which he could get a deal where he was paid in advance and didn't have to do any post-release promotion.

Unlike some of the other countries in which he wouldn't sell much anyway, I would say the US was not deliberately ignored - it is after all his biggest market. I would say it simply came down to him not being able to secure a satisfactory deal (i.e. he couldn't find any US paper or magazine willing to pay what he was asking).

It wouldn't surprise me in the slightest if 20Ten were to get an official US release at some point. Then again, it wouldn't surprise me in the slightest if it didn't.

Dave1992 said:

To get a Twitter and Facebook page is probably the last thing I'd want Prince to do. That's just so childishly stupid. Prince does just fine doing whatever the fuck he wants, and that's just good.

Agreed, the man is set in his ways and he's not known for doing what he wants to do for nothing, you know what i mean?

ecstasy said:

Dave1992 said:

To get a Twitter and Facebook page is probably the last thing I'd want Prince to do. That's just so childishly stupid. Prince does just fine doing whatever the fuck he wants, and that's just good.

Agreed, the man is set in his ways and he's not known for doing what he wants to do for nothing, you know what i mean?

I triple the motion.

Facebook and twitter will soon go the way of myspace in the moron hall of fame along with everyone who was idiotic enough to participate in such things.

Prince is Prince, fuck it. You are not supposed to agree or approve, just go with the flow already.

vi0letblues said:

ecstasy said:

Agreed, the man is set in his ways and he's not known for doing what he wants to do for nothing, you know what i mean?

I triple the motion.

Facebook and twitter will soon go the way of myspace in the moron hall of fame along with everyone who was idiotic enough to participate in such things.

I just eleted my facebook acount.

LizaWoman08 said:

vi0letblues said:

I triple the motion.

Facebook and twitter will soon go the way of myspace in the moron hall of fame along with everyone who was idiotic enough to participate in such things.

I just eleted my facebook acount.

oops i meant, "deleted"

Se7en said:

20Ten is a damn good start to the decade. I wouldn't want to plan out the entire decade, but I'm sure it will involve more of his throwback sound, then some jazz project, a few tours and/or residencies.

One thing I can guarantee is that his distribution methods will continue to evolve and garner publicity on their own.

It sure is!! Prince is on a roll with good cds, can't wait for the next!!

toejam said:

He has been touring... just in Europe.

I would not call this proper touring. He has been around a few times, that is true.

there really isn't anything prince could do. as others said, him with a FB, Twitter, Myspace or any of those would feel kinda...odd. i don't know why but it would.

on the other hand...

the problem with his websites is they're too damn pricey.

he COULD do like Vin Diesel, have a decent site up where like every other week or so he does a live feed to say "hey", answers questions from fans, not stupid media crap. then he'd be truely connecting...oh, and have it be FREE!!!!

People still care about Vin Diesel?

I've said it before, I think Prince will act again. I think he'll probably do a few cameos as himself in some sort of romantic comedy, but then I think he'll do bit parts in independent dramas.

He mentioned playing Little Richard in a biopic which I think would be perfect. A Hendrix biopic would've been better, but I think he's too old now.