Did Prince ever compete with other musicians? I think he used to and it immeasurably impacted his career. Watch the clip of him at the James Brown show after MJ encouraged JB to invite Prince on stage. Talk about trying to compete. IMHO it wasnt until about 10 years ago when Prince stopped competing with others. I think he realized his competitiveness was restricting him. Once he made the unconcious decision to stop competing, he was freed from worrying about what others in the industry thought of him. Having that freedom has allowed him to cover anyone he chooses to cover in anyway. Could you have ever imagined Prince covering the Time (even though he's credited with writing their songs) let alone covering Michael Jackson? This tour he covers the Time's 'Cool' and Michael Jackson's 'Don't Stop Till You get Enough' on the same song.

More importantly, I think it has allowed him to reach out to other musicians. I mean, could you ever imagine Prince sharing the same stage with Tom Petty in the 80s or 90s? Even more so, could you ever imagine Tom Petty inviting Prince to play Clapton's guitar rift in Still My Guitar Gently Weeps?? I don't think Prince competes with others in the industry anymore. That freedom--essentially the freedom of self--the freedom of not worrying about what others in the industry think of him, that in and of itself has been monumental in Prince's creativity in covering other musicians and interacting/working with other musicians; it may be the single most important barrier he has overcome in his career.

This freedom may lead to allowing someone else to produce him or work with him in the future. Could this freedom ultimately afford him the opportunity to achieve the biggest accomplishment in his career (yes, bigger than Purple Rain) in the years ahead? Because I wholeheartedly believe that he has another 'Purple Rain'--an accomplishment so big it effects the entire world that may not necessarily be commercially successful (ie. a song for world peace)--to be released in the future.

Before "Purple Rain" he competed with Rick James and Rick competed with him also. Both used shock value to their advantage. Rick was sex and drugs and Prince was sex and androgeny. Both had protegee groups and girl groups. Both were the hardest jamming artists in the R&B scene at the time and it was like an ongoing feud and competition with each album each year. Rick would run his mouth about future girl groups and making films and Prince would beat him to the punch every time. Rick would badmouth Prince in the press and Prince would show up to his concert with his bodyguard carrying him on his shoulders through the audience disrupting the show.

They both were extremely talented artists and both hated each other which brought out their best work year after year and album after album until Prince reached pop icon status with "Purple Rain" and didn't have anyone to compete with after that point but himself. He got all artsy/fartsy because he had gained a worldwide fanbase that not only tolerated the far out stuff his was doing, but preferred it over his older stuff. His work was still good but it wasn't great like it was when he didn't have that worldwide pop fanbase and it was just him and Rick competing for the R&B throne. It's like they always say, an artist's best work is when they are still struggling and competing for the throne. Once they reach it, there's nowhere to go but down.

Prince did cover a MJ song during the Lovesexy Tour (I forgot which one), and he was seen on stage with Sting and Ron Wood in 1986. That same year, he also "covered" songs he wrote for Sheila E., The Family, André Cymone...

He isn't "credited" with writing the Time songs, he wrote them.

It's just my opinion but I think Prince still cares about being considered a "living legend of modern pop & funk history". You are right in the fact that he more or less gave up trying to have singles in the Top-10 after he left WB, but his choices (in terms of career, musical content of the albums and live shows, media appearances) since 2004 tend to indicate that he cares about being considered a successful mainstream artist.

I personnally couldn't care less about him releasing another huge hit again. As long as he keeps releasing new music every year, I don't care how succesful it is or not and I always find it odd that some people here are looking forward to a new major success, as if the popularity of the music would make being a "Prince fan" a better experience. Music is music, you enjoy it or you don't regardless of its success or impact.

With all due respect, I think I don't really understand your thread, anyway .

[Edited 5/27/11 4:58am]

databank said:

Prince did cover a MJ song during the Lovesexy Tour (I forgot which one), and he was seen on stage with Sting and Ron Wood in 1986. That same year, he also "covered" songs he wrote for Sheila E., The Family, André Cymone...

He isn't "credited" with writing the Time songs, he wrote them.

It's just my opinion but I think Prince still cares about being considered a "living legend of modern pop & funk history". You are right in the fact that he more or less gave up trying to have singles in the Top-10 after he left WB, but his choices (in terms of career, musical content of the albums and live shows, media appearances) since 2004 tend to indicate that he cares about being considered a successful mainstream artist.

I personnally couldn't care less about him releasing another huge hit again. As long as he keeps releasing new music every year, I don't care how succesful it is or not and I always find it odd that some people here are looking forward to a new major success, as if the popularity of the music would make being a "Prince fan" a better experience. Music is music, you enjoy it or you don't regardless of its success or impact.

With all due respect, I think I don't really understand your thread, anyway .

[Edited 5/27/11 4:58am]

I understand where you're going, but i have to respectfully disagree.

Back when Prince was competing, it was because he felt he had something to prove: that he was just as bad, if not badder, than the then-current crop of musicians getting all the props. This, in turn, led him to be as creative as he possibly could (that along with a little WB-led censorship of certain things).

Then, it appeared he looked around and felt there was no one to compete with anymore, and no one to stimulate his creativity other than himself. The Revolution may have been his band, but the individuals in that band had influences different than Prince himself, and they led him to them, which expanded his musical knowledge. All around him, there was musical stimulation, not only from his band members' veiw point, but also from the competition.

Someone pointed out there was nowhere for him to go but down once he reached the top. That is true, but in addition to that, where there used to be competition when he was climbing to the top, there were now clones, people that were influenced by him, which led him right back to himself for creative stimulation. At that point, he had no one else to rely on for that extra something that kept him reaching creatively.

He may be more willing to share the stage, but i believe that's where the "growth" ends.

UPTOWN / EROTIC CITY / PAISLEY PARK was his playground

After Rick James, Prince had inside stimulation and playmates ie his band & his protege groups

I don't believe he next step was on the way down, I think certain wrong turns stopped him from continuing the peak that he still hadn't hit yet in my opinion. Like he said in an interview "...we just scratched the surface on that..." in reference to music styles

I think that's why looking back 2 the Parade-Dream Factory years: the Flesh sessions, Camille music, Dream factory music protege music, it's bittersweet for me. I love the SOTT days but it was just a walk in the shallows of what could have been.

Prince had people like Bruce Springsteen & Madonna on stage during the Purple Rain tour. I think even till now Prince consideres them his peers ie the superstars including Michael Jackson

Prince never wanted to stay on the same level he was during the Dirty Mind years or be only connected to Rick James. He never wanted to be a Funk artist. He never wanted to be defined by a race or racially connected music genre.

He also had other big artists on stage during the Parade shows Lovesexy aftershows

Miles Davis (who temp took over his band) during the New Years eve show at Paisley Park

[Edited 5/27/11 9:14am]

And he has covered other artist he respects since the 1983 years including A Case of U, Just My Imagination and a few others

But I loved the competitive comradery he had with the Time, Vanity 6, Sheila E. Madhouse etc because it was different aspects of his sound and vision that he was able to use to push him, I wish the Family would have been more prominate because that would have been a really different level for him

New Years Eve Party 12.31. 1987 Paisley Park

New Years Eve Party December 31. 1987 "Miles 2 Nowhere"
"Paisley Park" Chanhassen

Burble Brain

25.06.2014

BlackSweat86 said:

I understand where you're going, but i have to respectfully disagree.

Back when Prince was competing, it was because he felt he had something to prove: that he was just as bad, if not badder, than the then-current crop of musicians getting all the props. This, in turn, led him to be as creative as he possibly could (that along with a little WB-led censorship of certain things).

Then, it appeared he looked around and felt there was no one to compete with anymore, and no one to stimulate his creativity other than himself. The Revolution may have been his band, but the individuals in that band had influences different than Prince himself, and they led him to them, which expanded his musical knowledge. All around him, there was musical stimulation, not only from his band members' veiw point, but also from the competition.

Someone pointed out there was nowhere for him to go but down once he reached the top. That is true, but in addition to that, where there used to be competition when he was climbing to the top, there were now clones, people that were influenced by him, which led him right back to himself for creative stimulation. At that point, he had no one else to rely on for that extra something that kept him reaching creatively.

He may be more willing to share the stage, but i believe that's where the "growth" ends.

Black Sweat brings up interesting points. That ultimately Prince's creativity in his music was driven by his competitiveness with other musicians. I think his competitveness with others played a part in his creativity. A part.

Musiciology, 3121, and Planet Earth in my opinion were fantastic creative albums. Musicology, Illusion, Pimp, Coma, & Circumstance, If Eye was the Man in your Life & Dear Mr. Man from Musicology, 3121, Te Amo Corazon, Black Sweat and Beautiful, Loved, and Blessed from 3121 and Planet Earth, Mr. Goodnight, Future Baby Mama, Chelsea Rodgers, and Lion of Judah were songs different sounding than before. And Lotus Flower?? The entire album is incredibly creative. It's almost as if those 4 albums could be written by 4 different musicians. And although I don't care for it, 20TEN's Compassion is unlike anything he has ever done.

But wait, we agreed he's not competing anymore since he has nothing to prove. So is his music less creative? I think his music keeps evolving. You may be wondering 'well if it keeps evolving then why isnt it on the radio? Becasue although many of them are radio friendly, due to his age and attitude and need for complete control, record companies aren't willing to fund his radio airplay when they do not own the catalog or the rights to the profits of the records. That's why his songs are not released anymore. Once he gave away Planet Earth at his concerts, record companies were like enough is enough. I think Guitar and Chelsea Rodgers are easy top 25 hits with a little promotion.

Prince is still just as creative as he was before because he is an artist in the truest sense. Not afraid to take on anything--jazz, Xpextation, Rainbow Children are some examples--except working with other musicians. And most of all, letting someone else produce him. Why does he always have to be in complete control? Because he's still competing a little??? Probably.

-phunk