IamFunkay7 said:

I know I'm late but why did he get rid of the NPG website again???

This was an email sent to punters of NPGMC explaining (in a way) why it ended.

"Greetings Family,

The NPG Music Club has been in xistence 4 more than 5 years. In that time we've learned a great deal from each other and about this brave new online world we have all chosen 2 b part of. The members we have been 4tunate enough 2 have join r family have truly made this the best music club any artist could ever dream of. And all the things we have been a part of 2gether -- the concerts, the celebrations, the soundchecks, the discussions and the un4gettable music -- have shown us what a New Power Generation can truly b. We thank u from r hearts 4 sharing urselves and ur love of the music with all of us. It has been a blessing.

Once the NPG Music Club won the 2006 Webby Award, discussions within the NPG began 2 center on what was next. What’s the next step in this ever-changing xperiment? The achievements of the past cannot be questioned and we are truly grateful 4 everything that has been accomplished. But in its current 4m there is a feeling that the NPGMC gone as far as it can go. In a world without limitations and infinite possibilities, has the time come 2 once again make a leap of faith and begin anew? These r ?s we in the NPG need 2 answer. In doing so, we have decided 2 put the club on hiatus until further notice.

The NPG Music Club was a first step; the lessons learned will last 4ever. Now comes a time of great reflection and restructuring. The future holds nothing but endless opportunity and we plan on seizing it wholeheartedly. Don’t u want 2 come?

Love4oneanother,
NPG Music Club 4ever

I was one of the people who bought the Radiohead In Rainbows album. You could pay whatever you wanted or nothing at all. I don't remember what I paid, but it was more than $0. I heard they made more money off that than they did their previous release with a major label.

laurarichardson said:

stillwaiting said:

That's funny, I never remember any mass promotion. I remember him showing up on a few low rated talk shows, one big thing on Leno, and then it all stopped. No more promotion, no real tour, and all the great songs on Lotus Flow3r going to waste. The biggest news he got was ripping his fans of for $77 for a T Shirt that wouldn't fit. If you consider that promotion, then I need some of what you are on.

If I could I would give some of you 77.00 and fucking t-shirt so you could shut the hell up about it.

You had no gurantee that the site would continue and nothing in writing stating you would receive multiple music, videos or content. If that site did not generate any profit for P then he was smart to shut it down. I am under the impression that not that many people signed up and many of you are full of B.S about joining.

As far as distrubution he may not be able to do the independent thing anymore as it makes no sense to put up a website that makes no money. People just do not seem interested in purchasing music anymore and I am not sure a 50 something year old artist can get a deal from a major lable with sales being at an old time low. P may have to look a small lable or hanging up putting out new music.

As far as no promotion for Lotus flower he receive money upfront from Target and the last time I looked Lotus Flower was still on the charts so he really had no need to promo the CD. He made his money up front and the CD hung around on the charts for over a year.

Settle Down, Beavis. Well, he did not promote any of his albums properly since Emancipation...and as far as the $77 thing. Prince had the last laugh. He put 77 tracks on 20Ten to prove that he still fucked us over, and that was his inside joke.

Seems like part of the problem here is that my generation (which I imagine includes a lot of Prince's fanbase) is still figuring out how to buy its music. My parents bought all their music as physical records or CDs. I started out doing that, but now I also buy some things from iTunes and from other online sources. Meanwhile, the younger generation gets everything online. The upshot is that 1960s acts like the Beatles, Stones, Dylan, Hendrix, etc. can still sell CDs in large quantities to the baby boomers working with traditional record companies. That is what made possible the thing of absolute beauty that is the Beatles mono box set, with its immaculate artwork and extras and top-quality remastering from the orignal tapes. I think most of us would prefer to see something like that from Prince. But it takes a team of professionals to put together, promote, and distribute something like that. Warner could do it: for example, take a look at the Looney Tunes Golden Collection DVD sets. If they put together a first-class Prince box set, would there be a market for it?

The methods of distribution have changed to fit te times we live in. There is not a single large chain music store in NYC any longer. Virgin was the last and it's gone! Best Buy and Target only carry a limited amount of artists music because they are not record stores. Prince will find ways around this as he always has. There is no need for concern. The only credible(carrying a wider variety of music and artists) music store left in NYC to my knowledge is Disc-O-Rama and that place is about the size of my bedroom.

electricberet said:

Seems like part of the problem here is that my generation (which I imagine includes a lot of Prince's fanbase) is still figuring out how to buy its music. My parents bought all their music as physical records or CDs. I started out doing that, but now I also buy some things from iTunes and from other online sources. Meanwhile, the younger generation gets everything online. The upshot is that 1960s acts like the Beatles, Stones, Dylan, Hendrix, etc. can still sell CDs in large quantities to the baby boomers working with traditional record companies. That is what made possible the thing of absolute beauty that is the Beatles mono box set, with its immaculate artwork and extras and top-quality remastering from the orignal tapes. I think most of us would prefer to see something like that from Prince. But it takes a team of professionals to put together, promote, and distribute something like that. Warner could do it: for example, take a look at the Looney Tunes Golden Collection DVD sets. If they put together a first-class Prince box set, would there be a market for it?

I'm a part of the younger generation, and I very rarely buy online. Here in Australia we don't have a limited amount of music stores.

802 said:

electricberet said:

Seems like part of the problem here is that my generation (which I imagine includes a lot of Prince's fanbase) is still figuring out how to buy its music. My parents bought all their music as physical records or CDs. I started out doing that, but now I also buy some things from iTunes and from other online sources. Meanwhile, the younger generation gets everything online. The upshot is that 1960s acts like the Beatles, Stones, Dylan, Hendrix, etc. can still sell CDs in large quantities to the baby boomers working with traditional record companies. That is what made possible the thing of absolute beauty that is the Beatles mono box set, with its immaculate artwork and extras and top-quality remastering from the orignal tapes. I think most of us would prefer to see something like that from Prince. But it takes a team of professionals to put together, promote, and distribute something like that. Warner could do it: for example, take a look at the Looney Tunes Golden Collection DVD sets. If they put together a first-class Prince box set, would there be a market for it?

I'm a part of the younger generation, and I very rarely buy online. Here in Australia we don't have a limited amount of music stores.

That's good to hear. As an American I tend to forget about the fact that Prince has fans all over the world. I actually corresponded with an overseas fan (I think from either Australia or New Zealand) back in the 80s who put an ad in some magazine offering to trade Prince music. I offered lots of things but he wasn't interested because they were all for sale in his country. I remember he said something to the effect of "we'll take your records but not your nuclear weapons."

electricberet said:

802 said:

I'm a part of the younger generation, and I very rarely buy online. Here in Australia we don't have a limited amount of music stores.

I actually corresponded with an overseas fan (I think from either Australia or New Zealand) back in the 80s who put an ad in some magazine offering to trade Prince music. I offered lots of things but he wasn't interested because they were all for sale in his country. I remember he said something to the effect of "we'll take your records but not your nuclear weapons."

HonestMan13 said:

The methods of distribution have changed to fit te times we live in. There is not a single large chain music store in NYC any longer. Virgin was the last and it's gone! Best Buy and Target only carry a limited amount of artists music because they are not record stores. Prince will find ways around this as he always has. There is no need for concern. The only credible(carrying a wider variety of music and artists) music store left in NYC to my knowledge is Disc-O-Rama and that place is about the size of my bedroom.

That's true in Dallas too. I used to live next to a big Virgin music store and a few years ago it turned into an American Outfitters. There are still record stores but they're small independent outlets.

If Warner Brothers released a complete box set of Prince on their label, I'm sure Best Buy and Target would stock it. But I don't think it would sell very well unless it was a high quality product and there was a Prince promotional blitz going on at the same time.

Maybe Prince could release his next CD through Starbucks? Other prominent artists have done that. He might not make much money from the CD but it would be a useful promotional tool for his concerts.

electricberet said:

HonestMan13 said:

The methods of distribution have changed to fit te times we live in. There is not a single large chain music store in NYC any longer. Virgin was the last and it's gone! Best Buy and Target only carry a limited amount of artists music because they are not record stores. Prince will find ways around this as he always has. There is no need for concern. The only credible(carrying a wider variety of music and artists) music store left in NYC to my knowledge is Disc-O-Rama and that place is about the size of my bedroom.

That's true in Dallas too. I used to live next to a big Virgin music store and a few years ago it turned into an American Outfitters. There are still record stores but they're small independent outlets.

If Warner Brothers released a complete box set of Prince on their label, I'm sure Best Buy and Target would stock it. But I don't think it would sell very well unless it was a high quality product and there was a Prince promotional blitz going on at the same time.

Maybe Prince could release his next CD through Starbucks? Other prominent artists have done that. He might not make much money from the CD but it would be a useful promotional tool for his concerts.

Releasing albums through Starbucks? That's when you know you've got a real problem.

I have a hard time being objective about this because I am really holding out hope for that magical Prince equivalent of the Beatles box sets. In order for that to happen, the mastering has to be done by experts and not by Prince, and you need WB to approve anyway unless it is going to be a box set of just his first four albums (assuming the rumors are correct and he's worked out some deal to get them after 30 years). I don't want to wait until 2026 to get the box set of all the WB Prince albums. Those of you who have been through the ringer with Prince for many years may think this is an unrealistic dream. However, if you had told me in the 80s that the Beatles would eventually release all the stuff they have released (including new songs with all four playing or singing on them), I wouldn't have believed you. Those guys used to hate each other and one of them was dead but they still made two new songs!

The key to getting Prince on board is for Warner to offer him an amount of money that makes him agree to hand things over to the professionals. And the key to that is for Warner to believe that they will make money on the deal. That requires a multimedia blitz: big tour, new album, interviews, etc. He tried to do that with Musicology, right? There has to be a business plan that would make this profitable. A remastered Prince box set would not only make my dreams come true but also possibly introduce his classic canon to the next generation. Sure, put it on iTunes too, but I want the box set with new artwork and booklets.

I'm getting carried away here probably. Watching the revolution in Egypt is making me think that anything can happen. Wouldn't Prince rather do this while he's still alive and can enjoy the fame and money?

[Edited 2/11/11 21:02pm]

802 said:

electricberet said:

That's true in Dallas too. I used to live next to a big Virgin music store and a few years ago it turned into an American Outfitters. There are still record stores but they're small independent outlets.

If Warner Brothers released a complete box set of Prince on their label, I'm sure Best Buy and Target would stock it. But I don't think it would sell very well unless it was a high quality product and there was a Prince promotional blitz going on at the same time.

Maybe Prince could release his next CD through Starbucks? Other prominent artists have done that. He might not make much money from the CD but it would be a useful promotional tool for his concerts.

Releasing albums through Starbucks? That's when you know you've got a real problem.

I don't think Paul McCartney has any real problems as far as money goes, but he has handed over his entire post-Beatles catalog to a company affiliated with Starbucks.

However, I am coming around to the view that Prince must make peace with Warner Brothers to make my dreams come true (and possibly make him a lot of money,which is something he actually cares about). Times change. The U.S. and Vietnam are great pals now and so are Germany and France. John McCain wrote an op-ed praising President Obama. This is the dawning of the age of Aquarius.

electricberet said:

802 said:

Releasing albums through Starbucks? That's when you know you've got a real problem.

I don't think Paul McCartney has any real problems as far as money goes, but he has handed over his entire post-Beatles catalog to a company affiliated with Starbucks.

I just find it strange, because it's not music store.

802 said:

electricberet said:

I don't think Paul McCartney has any real problems as far as money goes, but he has handed over his entire post-Beatles catalog to a company affiliated with Starbucks.

I just find it strange, because it's not music store.

I don't know how many Starbucks there are in your country, but here there is one every couple of blocks. They have a little rack of CDs in front of where you pay for your coffee. I've never bought one there, but the artists are usually big names. They also play the music in the stores.

My understanding is that Paul actually owns all of his post-Beatles music and that EMI only had a license to begin with. So he can do whatever he wants with it. He has enough fans that it would sell under any label. Prince does not seem to be in the same position with regard to WB.

thedance said:

Yeah I'm concerned with Prince's career, also.

My wish: He should go with a big company again.


Prince had secretly negotiations with Warner Bros. last year didn't he.. ?

(True no joke).

But.. would he sign to Warner yet again, after all the bad blood in 1993-94.

I just wish we would see Prince making it big again, with good music.

I'm dreaming.

You may be a dreamer but you're not the only one. Imagine Prince and WB making music naturally once again. Just for old times sake.

electricberet said:

802 said:

I just find it strange, because it's not music store.

I don't know how many Starbucks there are in your country, but here there is one every couple of blocks. They have a little rack of CDs in front of where you pay for your coffee. I've never bought one there, but the artists are usually big names. They also play the music in the stores.

My understanding is that Paul actually owns all of his post-Beatles music and that EMI only had a license to begin with. So he can do whatever he wants with it. He has enough fans that it would sell under any label. Prince does not seem to be in the same position with regard to WB.

There isn't very many Starbucks here, even less these days. The ones that are here do not sell music. Most coffee shops here are Gloria Jeans, which is everywhere like how Starbucks is everywhere in the US.

But this seems to be a good idea in the US to sell Prince music exclusively in Starbucks.

802 said:

electricberet said:

I don't know how many Starbucks there are in your country, but here there is one every couple of blocks. They have a little rack of CDs in front of where you pay for your coffee. I've never bought one there, but the artists are usually big names. They also play the music in the stores.

My understanding is that Paul actually owns all of his post-Beatles music and that EMI only had a license to begin with. So he can do whatever he wants with it. He has enough fans that it would sell under any label. Prince does not seem to be in the same position with regard to WB.

There isn't very many Starbucks here, even less these days. The ones that are here do not sell music. Most coffee shops here are Gloria Jeans, which is everywhere like how Starbucks is everywhere in the US.

But this seems to be a good idea in the US to sell Prince music exclusively in Starbucks.

I wonder if Prince's plan (if there is one) is to wait a few more years before negotiating seriously with Warner. The Peach and Black guys interviewed Prince last year and he said he already owned the first three albums and he is getting them back after 30 years. If he is getting the rights to Controversy this year then it's only 3 years before he gets the rights to Purple Rain, and that is the big kahuna as far as potential remaster sales are concerned.

What Paul McCartney did with Concord Music Group (the Starbucks spinoff) was to release his biggest post-Beatles hit, Band on the Run, in three different versions: a cheap, relatively no-frills version, a super deluxe version with a book of photographs for the die-hards, and something in between. Lots of outtakes were included, at least with the last two. I haven't bought any of them yet because I'm not that into Paul and I'm pretty satisfied with the previous version of Band on the Run, which is already remastered. But this release is going to be the beginning of a long-term reissue program, milking as much money out of the McCartney fans as possible. The problem is that, as much as I love Prince, I don't think he has the clout to cut the kind of deals that Paul McCartney can make. So the comparison may not help much.

Others have pointed out that Prince may not own the artwork that goes with the WB albums, and that the other musicians who played on them may have some claim. I don't think anyone can know for sure without seeing the relevant contracts. But we do know that Prince and WB are talking and I don't see any reason for them to be talking unless it involves remasters as part of a package.

[Edited 2/11/11 21:59pm]

electricberet said:

802 said:

There isn't very many Starbucks here, even less these days. The ones that are here do not sell music. Most coffee shops here are Gloria Jeans, which is everywhere like how Starbucks is everywhere in the US.

But this seems to be a good idea in the US to sell Prince music exclusively in Starbucks.

Others have pointed out that Prince may not own the artwork that goes with the WB albums, and that the other musicians who played on them may have some claim. I don't think anyone can know for sure without seeing the relevant contracts. But we do know that Prince and WB are talking and I don't see any reason for them to be talking unless it involves remasters as part of a package.

[Edited 2/11/11 21:59pm]

If he owns the first 3 albums, surely he owns the artwork. But if he ends up releasing the remasters with Warner Bros, that wouldn't matter too much.

Starbucks also has a lot of people with gift cards, and play the music in the stores. They also experimented with a music section at some of their stores where you'd burn custom copies. And some Target have a Starbucks in them.

I don't think he needs to be on a big label, if he wants to make the talk show rounds, they're all going to have him on.

electricberet said:

You may be a dreamer but you're not the only one. Imagine Prince and WB making music naturally once again. Just for old times sake.

That Warner Brothers doesn’t exist. AOL/TW spun off Warner Music in 2004 to a bunch of suckers who have spent the last half-decade reacting moronically to their investment circling the drain. It’s about as much of a mess as Paisley Park, so I really can’t see how Prince and Warner Music can come together and produce anything short of a singularity of disaster that takes the entire music industry down with it.

Of course, maybe that’s been his plan all along…

If Prince could put together a deal with Starbucks and combine it with an expanded W2A tour, it might help to prove to Warners that the box set would sell.

There are lots of barriers to overcome here, including these:

1. Is Prince planning to edit out the swear words and sexual references to conform with his current religious beliefs? If so, I doubt he will have many takers. Warner left the Looney Tunes cartoons (which include a lot of violence and racism) completely unedited and that was key to getting collectors to buy them. How many Prince fans would want the sanitized version of, say, Dirty Mind? Maybe he could include a printed insert explaining how he no longer thinks that incest is fun or women should masturbate with magazines, but that the music should be preserved as it is for historical reasons.

2. Is he going to insist on total control of the remastering process? If so, that's not likely to lead to good results. Mastering should be left to engineers with experience and talent.

3. What is the condition of the original master tapes? I heard rumors that the Paisley Park tapes have not been well maintained. If we're not going to get remasters from the original tapes then he can forget about the audiophile crowd.

4. What bonus tracks is he willing to include? You can download a lot of stuff off the Internet but some of his best unreleased material doesn't sound that great in the "unauthorized" third or fourth-generation versions that are floating around. The bonus tracks will be a key draw for fans. If the project is a success he could start releasing more vault material as Bob Dylan has done in his successful "official bootleg" series.

jpnyc said:

electricberet said:

You may be a dreamer but you're not the only one. Imagine Prince and WB making music naturally once again. Just for old times sake.

That Warner Brothers doesn’t exist. AOL/TW spun off Warner Music in 2004 to a bunch of suckers who have spent the last half-decade reacting moronically to their investment circling the drain. It’s about as much of a mess as Paisley Park, so I really can’t see how Prince and Warner Music can come together and produce anything short of a singularity of disaster that takes the entire music industry down with it.

Of course, maybe that’s been his plan all along…

Well, then I guess I'll have to wait until 2026 for the box set. I'll listen to it in the nursing home along with other aging Prince fans.

I read that the Looney Tunes collection was put together because a particular Warner executive was passionate about those cartoons as a key part of the American cultural heritage. More recently they have started putting out cheaper collections that have not pleased collectors because the restoration is shoddy.

dalsh327 said:

Starbucks also has a lot of people with gift cards, and play the music in the stores. They also experimented with a music section at some of their stores where you'd burn custom copies. And some Target have a Starbucks in them.

That sounds cool.

electricberet said:

If Prince could put together a deal with Starbucks and combine it with an expanded W2A tour, it might help to prove to Warners that the box set would sell.

There are lots of barriers to overcome here, including these:

1. Is Prince planning to edit out the swear words and sexual references to conform with his current religious beliefs? If so, I doubt he will have many takers. Warner left the Looney Tunes cartoons (which include a lot of violence and racism) completely unedited and that was key to getting collectors to buy them. How many Prince fans would want the sanitized version of, say, Dirty Mind? Maybe he could include a printed insert explaining how he no longer thinks that incest is fun or women should masturbate with magazines, but that the music should be preserved as it is for historical reasons.

2. Is he going to insist on total control of the remastering process? If so, that's not likely to lead to good results. Mastering should be left to engineers with experience and talent.

3. What is the condition of the original master tapes? I heard rumors that the Paisley Park tapes have not been well maintained. If we're not going to get remasters from the original tapes then he can forget about the audiophile crowd.

4. What bonus tracks is he willing to include? You can download a lot of stuff off the Internet but some of his best unreleased material doesn't sound that great in the "unauthorized" third or fourth-generation versions that are floating around. The bonus tracks will be a key draw for fans. If the project is a success he could start releasing more vault material as Bob Dylan has done in his successful "official bootleg" series.

1. Yes, these remasters should have a warning/caution message saying that Prince does not approve of some of the lyrical content.

2. I think he should have total control. He needs to re-mix most of the 80's albums. But maybe some extra helpers whenever he needs them.

3. Songs that have been released from the vault after around 10 years all sounded good.

4. If he does bonus tracks, put it on extra discs. Anyway, I would prefer if he releases 10 more volumes of Crystal Ball. The bonus disc should be live footage from the album's tour.

[Edited 2/12/11 0:35am]

802 said:

2. I think he should have total control. He needs to re-mix most of the 80's albums. But maybe some extra helpers whenever he needs them.

[Edited 2/12/11 0:35am]

I agree that he should have final say over whether something is released under his name. However, remastering is an art unto itself and needs to be done by specialists. If the Beatles can hand over their catalog to experts to do the remastering, so can Prince. He didn't master the original albums himself when they came out on vinyl. When Prince tries to do things that are outside his realm of expertise, the results are not usually good.

I didn't realize that Warner Music Group was no longer part of Time Warner. Shows how naive I am. I guess my Looney Tunes analogy doesn't work if that's not the company making the music.

Prince absolutely needs an online presence to sell his albums and singles. We don't need fancy graphics or expensive membership fees - just put up a site with a store and people will download/order. The maintenance cost would be minimal (what successful "company" doesn't have a website?) I don't think Prince will ever fully embrace this idea because there is no up-front payment and he would be accountable for its success. I for one thought 1-800-New-Funk was a great idea.

Prince should also sell his latest albums and singles at his concerts . . . and I don't mean IN the concert venue. Have a separate "store" set up in front of the venue that casual fans (who can't afford/secure concert tickets) can walk up and buy something. He could also have a modified Fed-Ex style truck, all done up with graphics, to sell out of.

In addition to this, maybe Prince could work out deals with independent music stores to host "Prince days" where he'd show up and either perform or interact with customers. They could stock his current offerings. He's done this before, maybe he needs to get back to basics?

The obvious concern(s) is that this cheapens his "brand". I ask you: would these be any worse than TWICE now putting your new album free in a newspaper, or offering a 3-album package at Target for $11.98 -- that are now in some areas selling for $1.99?

Se7en said:

Prince absolutely needs an online presence to sell his albums and singles. We don't need fancy graphics or expensive membership fees - just put up a site with a store and people will download/order. The maintenance cost would be minimal (what successful "company" doesn't have a website?) I don't think Prince will ever fully embrace this idea because there is no up-front payment and he would be accountable for its success. I for one thought 1-800-New-Funk was a great idea.

Maybe this website could sell them for him? I'm sure he would trust his own fans.

electricberet said:

802 said:

2. I think he should have total control. He needs to re-mix most of the 80's albums. But maybe some extra helpers whenever he needs them.

[Edited 2/12/11 0:35am]

I agree that he should have final say over whether something is released under his name. However, remastering is an art unto itself and needs to be done by specialists. If the Beatles can hand over their catalog to experts to do the remastering, so can Prince. He didn't master the original albums himself when they came out on vinyl. When Prince tries to do things that are outside his realm of expertise, the results are not usually good.

I didn't realize that Warner Music Group was no longer part of Time Warner. Shows how naive I am. I guess my Looney Tunes analogy doesn't work if that's not the company making the music.

If Prince were in charge of remastering, he would not "remaster" -- he'd enhance, remix, correct, even censor past recordings. There is a science behind the restoration aspect of remastering, and also a delicate balance between staying true to the original material and also being current with the times. Paul McCartney offers several versions of his remastered Band On The Run, each one with a description about sound levels and how they differ.

The Beatles and Genesis are two bands that I think did a spectacular job at remastering their past works without falling victim to the loudness wars. I hope this trend continues.

Also, side note: IMHO there is plenty of life left in standard redbook CDs. Substandard sound is usually a result of substandard mastering in the first place, as well as trying to fit the most information on a disc as humanly possible.

Se7en said:

If Prince were in charge of remastering, he would not "remaster" -- he'd enhance, remix, correct, even censor past recordings. There is a science behind the restoration aspect of remastering, and also a delicate balance between staying true to the original material and also being current with the times. Paul McCartney offers several versions of his remastered Band On The Run, each one with a description about sound levels and how they differ.

The Beatles and Genesis are two bands that I think did a spectacular job at remastering their past works without falling victim to the loudness wars. I hope this trend continues.

Also, side note: IMHO there is plenty of life left in standard redbook CDs. Substandard sound is usually a result of substandard mastering in the first place, as well as trying to fit the most information on a disc as humanly possible.

I agree. If you handed over the catalog to Prince and told him to have at it, you'd wind up with something like the original series of Frank Zappa CDs, where he rerecorded various tracks because he wasn't satisfied with the original versions. Eventually the Zappa family put out new remasters that restored the original music the way the fans remembered it. What you would get from Prince would be even worse, though, because his views on sexuality have changed so much since he made his best records.

Paul and Ringo and the wives of John and George have an appreciation for the historical significance of the Beatles' music. With Prince, I think it's a question of someone else having that appreciation and paying Prince enough money that he agrees to go along with it.

[Edited 2/12/11 5:04am]