OldFriends4Sale said:

----

A: So what was actually the reason that you left, or did he ask you to leave?

Mico: No I left on my own not because of him and I don't know if I feel good when I now say that it was because of the other band members. It was like: Prince -- The Band -- and Me. Me and him was cool but me with the band? Because I'm Miko one hundred per cent, twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week always, never changing. But they -- when Prince came into the room it was like 'Okay -- lights, camera, action', a whole new personality came out and they weren't true to themselves. That's basically why I left.

^^ From that, it sounds like this was the period when people who knew Prince before the huge fame were leaving, the people who could be natural and "real" with him; the new people were coming to him as already a superstar.

It must be a very surreal experience being a big celebrity. People accuse them of surrounding themselves with "yes-men" on purpose, but perhaps it just ends up happening whether you want to or not because people just treat you differently. Then it's easy for a celebrity to become increasingly insular and distrustful of people's genuineness/motives. It must be strange to feel like lots of people want to be around you, yet you feel very alone.

It's sad.

It's sad this whole period of personnel changes.

artist76 said:

OldFriends4Sale said:

----

A: So what was actually the reason that you left, or did he ask you to leave?

Mico: No I left on my own not because of him and I don't know if I feel good when I now say that it was because of the other band members. It was like: Prince -- The Band -- and Me. Me and him was cool but me with the band? Because I'm Miko one hundred per cent, twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week always, never changing. But they -- when Prince came into the room it was like 'Okay -- lights, camera, action', a whole new personality came out and they weren't true to themselves. That's basically why I left.

^^ From that, it sounds like this was the period when people who knew Prince before the huge fame were leaving, the people who could be natural and "real" with him; the new people were coming to him as already a superstar.

It must be a very surreal experience being a big celebrity. People accuse them of surrounding themselves with "yes-men" on purpose, but perhaps it just ends up happening whether you want to or not because people just treat you differently. Then it's easy for a celebrity to become increasingly insular and distrustful of people's genuineness/motives. It must be strange to feel like lots of people want to be around you, yet you feel very alone.

It's sad.

It's sad this whole period of personnel changes.

I agree

and it went even beyond the friends/band members

it was also engineers and managers

89-90 we saw the full removal of all those from pre stardom and early stardom removed

Cavakki Ruffalo & Fargnoli, Susan Rogers left on her own after SOTT Mico & Dr Fink left/replaced during 1990 Kim Krattinger & Alan Leeds

And I believe this dark period was when he started dating young women starting with Anna Fantastic then Mayte etc

kewlschool said:

I think Cat in Graffiti Bridge would have been great! Although the movie still would have bombed. You cant fix a script without writers just saying.

There's an early version of the Graffiti Bridge script from 1987 in which Cat plays a huge role.Her character was one of Prince's two love interests.The other love interest was.....Madonna!

hate to spread it around if it's not true, but someone once told me that Boni was fired because she was caught leaking rehearsals or studio tracks or something.

OldFriends4Sale said:

artist76 said:

^^ From that, it sounds like this was the period when people who knew Prince before the huge fame were leaving, the people who could be natural and "real" with him; the new people were coming to him as already a superstar.

It must be a very surreal experience being a big celebrity. People accuse them of surrounding themselves with "yes-men" on purpose, but perhaps it just ends up happening whether you want to or not because people just treat you differently. Then it's easy for a celebrity to become increasingly insular and distrustful of people's genuineness/motives. It must be strange to feel like lots of people want to be around you, yet you feel very alone.

It's sad.

It's sad this whole period of personnel changes.

I agree

and it went even beyond the friends/band members

it was also engineers and managers

89-90 we saw the full removal of all those from pre stardom and early stardom removed

Cavakki Ruffalo & Fargnoli, Susan Rogers left on her own after SOTT Mico & Dr Fink left/replaced during 1990 Kim Krattinger & Alan Leeds

And I believe this dark period was when he started dating young women starting with Anna Fantastic then Mayte etc

There was a lot more women between Anna and Mayte.

OldFriends4Sale said:

Oh really, it was more than band members? Interesting.

But I note your choice of word "removal." Who knows for sure whether Prince "removed" them or if some of them left? Yes, I know that W&L were removed, but in that interview Miko says he left. Because of the fake way that the new people acted. But he and Prince were still cool. And some of those that Prince removed might have been due to the wave of change that happened to him, transforming into a big celebrity.

That's what I mean that although people imagine that famous/wealthy people surround themselves with yes-men consciously and on purpose, I think it kind of happens to you, whether you want to or not. I don't know very famous people personally, but I've seen it personally with people becoming very very wealthy - their social world changes without them really wanting it to. It changes the way you interface with other people and the world. Lots of friction arises between you and others, and among those around you. I totally understand Mico's situation. And while my super wealthy cousin is mostly happy, I know he realizes that many in his circle may not be genuine, just fair-wealthier friends and opportunists, so I think he feels "alone" too amidst all the popularity.

Anyway, certainly an interesting and transformative time for Prince.
Very interesting too that you point out that this is when he started dating age-inappropriate girls, whereas before they were his peers age-wise and talent/intellect-wise. I think that is telling.

SoulAlive said:

Efan said:

From what I understand, Graffiti Bridge was going to be the follow-up to Lovesexy...until Batman came along and the project got pushed back.

after Lovesexy,wasn't Prince working on an album titled Rave Unto The Joy Fantastic which got cancelled when he decided to do the Batman project? I found this info on wiki....

he was working on both. GB had been an ongoing project since at least mid-1987, having evolved out of several other film/stage concepts. Rave and GB were albums/projects that he was working on at the same time.

OldFriends4Sale said:

CAT Catwoman (Rare original 1989 UK German-pressed 4-track 3" CD single, includes Bomb In The Bass Endorphin Mix and Tales From The Darkside Mix plus Now It Rains, housed in a 3" gatefold card picture sleeve RDTICD).

I remember buying the yellow one. Wasn't very impressed with the song, but I bought everything that had a slighest connection with Prince at that time.

OldFriends4Sale said:

When he hired Rosie, she said he said something like "Your not going to be another Boni are you..." because she left to do her own thing.

IIRC Boni also left because band members were making "fat jokes" about her a lot.

Wasn't Sheila also dating Prince at the time?

BartVanHemelen said:

OldFriends4Sale said:

When he hired Rosie, she said he said something like "Your not going to be another Boni are you..." because she left to do her own thing.

IIRC Boni also left because band members were making "fat jokes" about her a lot.

Wasn't Sheila also dating Prince at the time?

Sheila was supposedly engaged to Prince in 1988.

robertlove said:

OldFriends4Sale said:

CAT Catwoman (Rare original 1989 UK German-pressed 4-track 3" CD single, includes Bomb In The Bass Endorphin Mix and Tales From The Darkside Mix plus Now It Rains, housed in a 3" gatefold card picture sleeve RDTICD).

I remember buying the yellow one. Wasn't very impressed with the song, but I bought everything that had a slighest connection with Prince at that time.

The song is a mess it's noisy and tuneless.

errant said:

hate to spread it around if it's not true, but someone once told me that Boni was fired because she was caught leaking rehearsals or studio tracks or something.

I've read this somewhere as well, but, I also don't know how true it is...

djThunderfunk said:

errant said:

hate to spread it around if it's not true, but someone once told me that Boni was fired because she was caught leaking rehearsals or studio tracks or something.

I've read this somewhere as well, but, I also don't know how true it is...

There were numerous rumors about numerous musicians leaking tapes but IIRC Alan Leeds said that Prince and him tried to, but never caught anyone who stole and leaked stuff. I'm sure Mr. Leeds is not a man to name names about such a sensitive subject, but he's also a honest man and he would for sure have sais that someone was caught. So I'd say... no.

Sheila E had a worn out ligament in her leg from the repetitive kickdrum action, and the ligament completely failed her after the Lovesexy tour. She was on the phone and fell down one day. It was completely worn through.

This was her own account at her talk at the Xenophobia Celebration. I sat 3 feet in front of her.

It's interesting to here how the story changes to her back and then to possible drugs. It's like that game of whispering in the ear...

databank said:

djThunderfunk said:

I've read this somewhere as well, but, I also don't know how true it is...

There were numerous rumors about numerous musicians leaking tapes but IIRC Alan Leeds said that Prince and him tried to, but never caught anyone who stole and leaked stuff. I'm sure Mr. Leeds is not a man to name names about such a sensitive subject, but he's also a honest man and he would for sure have sais that someone was caught. So I'd say... no.

She left on her own to pursue her own career, I think she went to Australia for a period

Mindbells
This is Prince's version given to Japanese artist Kahoru Kohiruimaki for her 1989 Time The Motion album. She simply substituted his vocals for her own. The song has a production date of September 3rd, 1989, which probably refers to the final mix date.

Bliss
This is Prince's version of the song he gave to Japanese artist Kahoru Kohiruimaki from a studio session on September 3, 1989 (could be the date of the final mix). Kohiruimaki just substituted some of Prince's vocals for her own. Prince and an engineer can be heard talking before the track. It was collaborated with Levi Seacer, Jr.

Flesh And Blood
This track was newly written in 1989 for a Jill Jones project. The lyrics concern "revolutionary" love and even mention Napoleon and Josephine. Jill will do what's necessary in the relationship despite being "only flesh and blood." The music is fast and energetic and Prince's voice can clearly be heard in the chorus.

My Baby Knows How To Love Me
This bouncy uptempo pop tune was pulled out of the vault to use on the 1989 Jill Jones project. Originally recorded in 1982, it sounds similar to some of the Vanity 6 material written around that time frame; however, the 1989 take contains some sampling of the chorus and other "modern" updates. The lyrics relate that Jill would never stray from a lover that knows how to treat her.

SoulAlive said:

BartVanHemelen said:

IIRC Boni also left because band members were making "fat jokes" about her a lot.

Wasn't Sheila also dating Prince at the time?

Sheila was supposedly engaged to Prince in 1988.

And seeing Anna Fantastic at the same time...

Rave unto the Joy Fantastic

The original Rave unto the Joy Fantastic album was shelved when Prince started working on the Batman soundtrack in late 1988. The album shared some tracks with Graffiti Bridge and the title track was finally released in 1999 on a new album of the same name.

Track listings

27 October 1988 configuration

The specific sequence of tracks is unknown, but tracks known to have been included are:

• "The Voice Inside"
• "Melody Cool" (A re-recording with Mavis Staples on lead vocals was released on Graffiti Bridge)
• "Rave unto the Joy Fantastic": (A different version released on Rave Un2 the Joy Fantastic)
• "God is Alive"
• "If I Had a Harem"
• "Stimulation"
• "Still Would Stand All Time" (A version with background vocals overdubs by The Steeles over Prince's original background vocals was released on Graffiti Bridge)
• "Elephants & Flowers" (A re-recorded version with different verses was released on Graffiti Bridge)
• "Big House"
• "We Got the Power"

No details are known about the sequence, other than that "The Voice Inside" is known to have segued into "Melody Cool".

27 November 1988 configuration

1. "Rave unto the Joy Fantastic"
2. "If I Had a Harem"
3. "The Voice Inside"
4. "Melody Cool"
5. "Stimulation"
6. "Elephants & Flowers"
7. "God is Alive"
8. "Still Would Stand All Time"

Mid-January 1989 configuration

1. "Rave unto the Joy Fantastic"
2. "If I Had a Harem"
3. "Good Judy Girlfriend"
4. "Pink Cashmere" (Released on The Hits/The B-Sides)
5. "Electric Chair" (Released on Batman)
6. "Am I without U?"
7. "God is Alive"
8. "Still Would Stand All Time"
9. "Moonbeam Levels"