Prince proves 2 B a class act

Prince Rogers Nelson isn’t known for being terribly generous with his time to the press, so when the opportunity came up to do an email interview with the man in advance of his Air Canada Centre dates this coming Friday and Saturday we were a little skeptical that we’d ever hear anything back.

As it turns out, though, Prince is as punctual as he is prolific. And not without a sense of humour, either. I was worried he’d turn up his nose at my lame questions and hit delete, so I prefaced them with a note apologizing for the fact that I’m a terrible interviewer and hoping that he would at least find them “reasonably intelligent.” The answers came back addressed to the “Reasonably Intelligent Interviewer.” Sharing a giggle with Prince? Who knew it was possible.

The exchange that follows is unedited (well, except for all the questions he ignored), with the Purple One’s responses preserved in their original, Prince-ly glory.

The “Welcome 2 Canada” leg of your current, rather marathon tour is pretty extensive, touching down in spots such as London and Saskatoon and Halifax that an artist of your stature might not normally be expected to hit. How long has it been since you dug in and hit this many ports of call in the Great White North? Did anything in particular motivate this spirit of diligent inclusivity?

AS U KNOW THE HEAD OF LIVE NATION, MIKE RAPINO, IS ORIGINALLY FROM THUNDER BAY, CANADA. WE ALWAYS PROMISED 2 COME 2 HIS HOMETOWN 2 DO SOMETHING HISTORIC. THIS BAND IS A WELL-OILED MACHINE NOW. IT’S A PERFECT MIX OF MUSICIANS 2 WRECK HOUSE IN ALL OF CANADA.

I’ve read in a couple of places that you and the band rehearsed something like 300 songs for this tour. Is that media hyperbole or are you cats really that pathological when it comes to preparedness?

30 YEARS IN THE BUSINESS GIVES U A LOT 2 WORK WITH. WE R VERY DISCIPLINED. THIS IS THE MOUNTAIN TOP. THERE IS NOTHING “PATHOLOGICAL” ABOUT IT. DOING A RESIDENCY IN ANY PARTICULAR CITY REQUIRES A LARGE REPERTOIRE TO ENSURE REPEAT BUSINESS. MOST OF THE AUDIENCE HAVE BEEN 2 MULTIPLE SHOWS IN THEIR LIFETIME. IT IS TRULY A BLESSING.

Speaking of, what can we expect from the set list on these dates? And how do you decide what goes in or out of the mix on a nightly basis when you’re working with a catalogue that deep?

EACH AUDIENCE IS DIFFERENT. WHAT THEY RESPOND 2 MOST FAVORABLY USUALLY DICTATES THE FLOW OF THE CONCERT AND THE CHOICE OF THE MATERIAL. ALSO THE SOUND QUALITY AND THE ENERGY OF THE BAND. U CAN ALWAYS TELL WHEN THE GROOVE IS WORKING OR NOT.

You stated recently that you won’t be recording — or, at least, releasing — any new material until the online distribution of music is properly regulated. Do you plan on holding yourself to that statement?

NO. I HAVE A WRITING ADDICTION. THAT SAID, IT WOULD B GREAT 2 C THE GOVERNMENT GET INVOLVED 2 INVESTIGATE THE COLLUSION AND RACKETEERING ASPECT OF THE MUSIC INDUSTRY. THE WHOLE NATION WOULD BENEFIT GREATLY FROM A MORE SECURE DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM.

Considering that you were among the first recording artists of your profile to experiment and champion alternative means of distribution — including selling your music directly to fans online — this change in attitude stands as a pretty serious about-face. What, exactly, prompted you to reconsider the way you put your records out there?

THIS BREAK FROM RECORDING IS AN ATTEMPT 2 CURB THE CREATIVE CRAVING. WE’VE ALREADY HAD A RELAPSE OR 2. THIS BAND IS WAY 2 TALENTED NOT 2 B RECORDED. THEY R A BAD INFLUENCE.

Furthermore, if you’re prepared to reject the Internet as a vehicle for releasing records, what alternatives are there? There are, after all, rumours now circulating that the major labels are about to abandon CDs as a format altogether.

WE R VERY INTERESTED IN THE WAY NEW WORKS WERE DISTRIBUTED B4 THE ADVENT OF RECORDED MUSIC. WHEN U R IN THE MUSICAL DRIVERS SEAT, IT AFFORDS U A DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE. THE OPTIONS R ENDLESS.

I love this quotation because I’m not a fan of MP3s and “compression” and their overall effect on fidelity: “I personally can’t stand digital music. You’re getting sound in bits. It affects a different place in your brain. When you play it back, you can’t feel anything. We’re analogue people, not digital.” Would you care to elaborate a bit? I’m worried that if CDs are abandoned, the lion’s share of music is now going to be available in a form that doesn’t value decent sound quality.

WE LISTEN 2 24-BIT FILES OF R CURRENT WORK. ON THE OTHER HAND WE LOVE VINYL. ONE JUST NEEDS 2 STUDY THE FACT THAT MUSIC SEEMS 2 SOUND BEST WHEN THERE IS SOME “REVOLUTION” INVOLVED.

As someone whose career is shackled to the troubled newspaper industry, I must ask: what was behind your decision to distribute a couple of your recent records as giveaways affixed to European dailies?

SO MUCH 4 REASONABLE INTELLIGENCE. LOL!! (KIDDING)