NewFan1991 said:

The first album I bought was Planet Earth. I had heard the Guitar song on some commercial for a phone or something (?) Anyways, at the time I only really liked that song and Chelsea Rodgers. Luckily I found some greatest hits cds, purple rain (and the movie!) and the symbol album laying around the house (my dads) otherwise I may have never bought a Prince cd after that. I didnt much care for planet earth then, but now I think its pretty good.

I can't believe you like Chelsea Rodgers

nursev said:

NewFan1991 said:

The first album I bought was Planet Earth. I had heard the Guitar song on some commercial for a phone or something (?) Anyways, at the time I only really liked that song and Chelsea Rodgers. Luckily I found some greatest hits cds, purple rain (and the movie!) and the symbol album laying around the house (my dads) otherwise I may have never bought a Prince cd after that. I didnt much care for planet earth then, but now I think its pretty good.

I can't believe you like Chelsea Rodgers

Now that I have heard more Prince music I dont think its the best , but its alright. However, when listening to Planet Earth the first time and only knowing Guitar and a few (VERY few) other Prince hits it sounded ok.

squirrelgrease said:

PDogz said:

The first Prince album I ever purchased was "For You", the same week it was released.

When I walked into the record store that week, I heard "Soft And Wet" playing on the stores' system. I asked the guy at the counter "Who's that?!?", and he said "Oh, it's this new group called Prince". I purchased the entire album on the spot without hearing another note. I thought it sounded unlike anything I had ever heard, the music was so fresh and the rhythm was so tight.

I knew it was the start of a whole new musical direction.

That's hard core.

Yeah, back in those days, I was a real regular at the local record store. I used to go every single week and purchase 2 albums (...sometimes on 8-track tape ...but usually on vinyl). So I was always on top of what music was out, usually even before the radio picked it up.

In fact, it was the same record store where I picked up Rick James' "Come Get It". He wasn't on the radio yet, I had never heard of him or his music, but that week in the record store, when I saw just the album cover for "Come Get It", I KNEW that would be one of the two albums I would be buying that week. And of course when I got it home and got it on my turntable.... THE REST WAS HISTORY.

That's how we did it back in the day; we didn't wait around for the radio to tell us what was hot, there was no MTV, VH1, or BET. You spent a good hour or so every week in the record stores going through their bins, talking to the guy behind the counter, reading the liner notes on the backs of the covers, and getting a feel for the music (usually based on how the cover made you "feel"). Hell, I was in my late teens, and had all the time in the world to pick out great music, lol.

That's why now I have so much vinyl in my collection that never even made the transition to CD, much of which now has long since been out of print, some groups; long since forgotten (I can't wait to finally digitize my entire collection - although I suspect it will take the rest of my life, lol. But what a project!).

PDogz said:

squirrelgrease said:

That's hard core.

Yeah, back in those days, I was a real regular at the local record store. I used to go every single week and purchase 2 albums (...sometimes on 8-track tape ...but usually on vinyl). So I was always on top of what music was out, usually even before the radio picked it up.

In fact, it was the same record store where I picked up Rick James' "Come Get It". He wasn't on the radio yet, I had never heard of him or his music, but that week in the record store, when I saw just the album cover for "Come Get It", I KNEW that would be one of the two albums I would be buying that week. And of course when I got it home and got it on my turntable.... THE REST WAS HISTORY.

That's how we did it back in the day; we didn't wait around for the radio to tell us what was hot, there was no MTV, VH1, or BET. You spent a good hour or so every week in the record stores going through their bins, talking to the guy behind the counter, reading the liner notes on the backs of the covers, and getting a feel for the music (usually based on how the cover made you "feel"). Hell, I was in my late teens, and had all the time in the world to pick out great music, lol.

That's why now I have so much vinyl in my collection that never even made the transition to CD, much of which now has long since been out of print, some groups; long since forgotten (I can't wait to finally digitize my entire collection - although I suspect it will take the rest of my life, lol. But what a project!).

Sing it. I'm in the same boat with a lot of my vinyl that never got a CD release because practically everything I bought was on an indie label. Luckily there are a bunch of blogs now that feature digitized vinyl from back in the day.

Prince wasn't on my radar during the For You and Prince LP era, but as I was getting into Dirty Mind, I met my high school sweetheart (who is now my wife) and as I was looking through her record collection, lo and behold... she had the first two Prince LPs. She hipped me to Rick James as well.

Some of you all just said the first album, you did not say what you liked or dis-liked about it, that's cool, thanks for answering ... [img:$uid]http://l.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/i/mesg/emoticons7/4.gif[/img:$uid]

My first Prince album was 3121, then I bought Symbol, then Musicology and Purple Rain. Shortly afterward I took a trip to CHI and picked up For You, Prince, Dirty Mind, 1999, Around The World In A Day, Chaos & Disorder, Girl 6, and The Vault. Everything else followed shortly after, I know own the harder stuff to find like Exodus, One Nite Alone, Etc.

My first album was The Hits/B-Sides, after seeing a Purple Rain video on Youtube.

My first album was Purple Rain

[Edited 11/11/10 16:17pm]

My first actual album was Lovesexy. I loved Alphabet St. and thought I would hold off until the album was out a week later I think. Totally fell in love with the songs - Lovesexy, I No, Alphabet St. and Anna Stesia especially.

It was weird, as I had actually WANTED to get into Prince for years. I saved up pocket money as a fresh-faced 11 yr old to go and buy the 12'' of Let's Go Crazy, but when my mum saw the 'Explicit lyrics' sticker on the cover I ended up getting Dead or Alive - 'You Spin Me Round' instead! Then Raspberry Beret nearly pulled me into Prince but not quite, Kiss and U Got The Look also nearly, but as I said it was Alphabet St. that got me to finally go with an album. And to think of all the dull 80's trash I had bought in the intervening years...

[Edited 11/11/10 16:58pm]

I asked for and received Purple Rain (with the poster, still have it) as a gift. I was VERY aware of the singles off the 1999 album, but too young to be buying anything on my own unless I was also given money as a gift. Thankfully I did receive some money at the same time and I purchased 1999 a couple weeks later. Been buying them as they were released ever since.

Always love reading these threads - so many different stories, and so many people getting into him at different eras.

Technically, the first album I got was Batman back in 1989. I was only 7 and my Dad bought the album thinking it was the Danny Elfman soundtrack . We were both angry that we were duped and took it back the next day (this is back in the days when you could return albums ). But yeah, it wasn't until 1998 or so when I started to get into his music properly. I think I had mentioned that I liked the song "1999" after watching a video special and someone bought me The Hits Vol.1 for Christmas. And then of course it just snowballed from there. By 2000 I was pretty much hooked.

toejam said:

Always love reading these threads - so many different stories, and so many people getting into him at different eras.

Technically, the first album I got was Batman back in 1989. I was only 7 and my Dad bought the album thinking it was the Danny Elfman soundtrack . We were both angry that we were duped and took it back the next day (this is back in the days when you could return albums ). But yeah, it wasn't until 1998 or so when I started to get into his music properly. I think I had mentioned that I liked the song "1999" after watching a video special and someone bought me The Hits Vol.1 for Christmas. And then of course it just snowballed from there. By 2000 I was pretty much hooked.

Great story. Can't believe you took it back - classic.

How did you feel when you bought it back those many years later?

Since The Hits, The B-Sides doesn't count......

Purple Rain and Diamonds & Pearls were the first 2 Prince albums that I've ever brought to own on CD. Although 1999 was the first Prince album that I've seen and heard in its entirely, that was my older sister's cassette.

Swa said:

toejam said:

Always love reading these threads - so many different stories, and so many people getting into him at different eras.

Technically, the first album I got was Batman back in 1989. I was only 7 and my Dad bought the album thinking it was the Danny Elfman soundtrack . We were both angry that we were duped and took it back the next day (this is back in the days when you could return albums ). But yeah, it wasn't until 1998 or so when I started to get into his music properly. I think I had mentioned that I liked the song "1999" after watching a video special and someone bought me The Hits Vol.1 for Christmas. And then of course it just snowballed from there. By 2000 I was pretty much hooked.

Great story. Can't believe you took it back - classic.

How did you feel when you bought it back those many years later?

Yeah, it was like I'd come full circle. Even as a kid I had always been a bit of a music snob - i.e. If it's popular it must be rubbish kind of attitude. My Dad was pretty similar - hence him buying me orchestral soundtracks at the age of 7. I think he thought he was educating me on 'proper music' . But I shouldn't complain - I still have a love for that genre.

But actually going out of my way to buy Prince's Batman album all those years later was like a revelation that not all pop music was rubbish and that there were artists out there doing some interesting stuff with it. I think it was probably the 3rd or 4th album I bought after The Hits Vol.1, Newpower Soul and maybe Controversy...

Purple Rain, on cassette. I was blown away by all of it - except, strangely, 'Purple Rain' itself.

Then the movie came out, and I finally 'got' how great the title track was. I went absolutely Prince-crazy that same night, and ran out and and stole 1999. (I've since bought it twice on cd, so net gain for P! ). There followed:

• Controversy
• Around the World in a Day (on release)
• For You
• Parade (on release)
• Dirty Mind
• Prince
• Sign o' the Times and everything else upon release thereafter, except New Power Soul, which I heard at the record store I worked at and never wanted, and 20Ten, which I'm still waiting for)

Man... I can't believe I still remember those details!

[Edited 11/12/10 7:37am]

My first was Batman on cassette, my brother used to play it all the time when i was about 9 and all i can remember is that song lemon crush being played over and over cause that was his fav song

PARADE i got it from a music store called the Warehouse

Purple Rain soundtrack. Needless to say, the rest of the cd's and albums were in my possession soon after.

CHRISLUV92 said:

PARADE i got it from a music store called the Warehouse

I used to work at a record store chain in California called "Wherehouse Records", or "The Wherehouse" for short. Same chain I suspect.

I bought Batman just because i was 12 and what used 2 b called a "batmaniac" in 89.

I happened 2 love it and i listened 2 it hysterically 4 one year, so in summer 1990 i gave a chance 2 Purple Rain and it changed my life 4ever. I'd never heard such an hysterical, energic sound in my whole life!

So during the next year i bought each and every Prince album one after the other. By 1991 i had everything, but i learned about the b-sides, alternate mixes, side-prijects, songs given 2 others, etc., and i swore 2 myself that one day i'd get EVERYTHING.

20 years after, the task isn't completed yet, but if u check the discography linked below and the page about the songs i still don't have, u'll realize that i didn't per4m 2 bad

1999

I bought it the day after a sorority sister from Minneapolis played the title track at a house party early in 1983. When I found out (shortly thereafter) that Prince had other albums, I went out and bought them all, at once. (No minor outlay - since I was a broke college student at the time.)

the first record I ever bought waa ATWIAD...my older brother got the Purple Rain cassette for xmas 1984, I soon made a copy of it and was hooked...I remember listening to ATWIAD briefly in the record shop - I had to borrow $ from my mum to by it 'cos I hadn't been paid yet for my paper-round....ahh, such innocent times...soon after that I could afford to buy an album a fortnight...one of the first albums after that I bought was a double cassette of Dirty Mind/Contoversy and I was like 'how come his voice is so high' LOL....(he hardly uses his upper register on PR & ATWIAD) and the earlier albums are very different to PR/ATWIAD...but after a couple of listens I just loved the progression from the early albums..still watching and listening - observing the changes...

I always wished I was around when the Stones/Hendrix etc were around in their prime..but I realise how lucky I am to have seen Prince live twice so far...and once from only a few feet away in a soundcheck....always hoping for another chance to see a legend in action......maybe soon he'll come downunder again.... hope I can afford the flight!!

Ultimate Prince, when I was 16, which was in early 2008.

Vict0r said:

Ultimate Prince, when I was 16, which was in early 2008.

Nice. Ultimate is a great set to begin with. It seems a lot of us started with one of the 'Best Of' albums. Sometimes I envy you young folk who are experiencing all those wonderfull songs for the first time!

I bought on December 17, 1992 with birthday money.

the hits 1 and 2

1999 bought it in early 1983.

The777Man

"Prince". Bought it in 79 or 80 after I heard my next-door neighbor listening to it and asking her who it was. We had a Tower Records in our area and they would stay open until 12:05 AM on Monday nights. I would always be there for Prince releases after listening to the "Prince" album. Those were the days!

Purple Rain when I was 7 years old (1984). I first saw him on Countdown (an Australian tv show) with the film clip to 'When Doves Cry'. I couldn't believe that someone could sound (or look) so beautiful.

I love that there was no parental advisory stickers back then, cause maybe I wouold have missed out. I have never to this day heard anyone as beautiful, amazing and as talented as him. I'm all about The Revolution years and earlier.

PurpleLove7 said:

Some of you all just said the first album, you did not say what you liked or dis-liked about it, that's cool, thanks for answering ... [img:$uid]http://l.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/i/mesg/emoticons7/4.gif[/img:$uid]

Hey yeah! I got lost in the memories of when i received Purple Rain!!!! At the age i was I doubt i appreciated it like i did as i grew up & started 2 understand the music .There isn't a song on this album that i don't like in fact i put the song Purple Rain on the songlist at my mothers funeral when she passed away in '88 at age 34,she 2 liked Prince & so this song will always have special meaning 2 me. However this album put me on the path & has kept me on the path of Prince 2 the point that 2day I ALMOST have his entire collection except 4 a few U.S only releases. So i guess this album has everything 2 do with my love 4 Prince. I have been a fan of his 4 so long now that i couldn't imagine life without him & his music!

Thank you mum 4 starting it all!!!!!!!!!